Create props

In Shogun Live, you can create simple, single-segment (and therefore rigid) props.

For information on creating a prop as a custom L-frame, see Set the origin with a custom L-frame.

Load subjects and props via .mcp file

For an easy way to quickly load subjects and props from an existing scene, you can load an .mcp file directly into Shogun Live.

To quickly load subjects and props from an .mcp:

1. At the top of the Tracking panel, click the Load tracking configuration button .

2. From the Load Tracking Configuration dialog box, select or browse to the required .mcp file.

   The subjects and props are displayed in the Tracking panel as normal.

Place markers on props

When placing markers on props, note that a minimum of four markers is required for each prop. Be sure to:

• Place the markers across the prop object to reach the extremities as far as possible.
• Avoid placing markers in a straight line and/or on the same plane.
• Avoid placing markers symmetrically.
• Prevent marker swaps by avoiding placing prop markers too close to the hands or where the actor will interact with the prop. For example, if a performer interacts with a prop, place markers at the extremities of the prop, but not directly in the location where the interaction occurs, as shown below, where a performer holds a sword:

  

To create a single-segment prop:

1. Ensure the four markers are positioned on the prop as described previously.
2. Place the prop in the volume.
3. In Shogun Live, in the Settings menu, select Preferences (or press SHIFT+P).
4. In the Preferences dialog box, in the User Preferences, go to the Folders section and ensure that the Props folder is as required, or if not, click the button to the right of the Props line to specify the appropriate folder.

   

5. In the 3D View, select a minimum of four reconstructed markers. To ensure that Shogun Live places the bone logically within the prop, select (CTRL+click) the markers in the following order:
   • The first selected marker defines the origin (base) of the prop bone.
   • The second selected marker defines the end of the prop bone.
   • Any other markers can be selected in any order.
6. In the Tracking panel, click the Setup tab.

7. In the Object section, go to the Prop field, enter a name for the prop and click Create.

   

   A single-segment prop is created from the selected markers and appears in the 3D View in the orientation defined by the order in which you selected the markers in the previous step.

   The prop is displayed as a node in the Tracking panel on the right of the Shogun Live window.

   

   The prop's .mcp file is saved to the location specified in step 4 above.

8. If required, to select a mesh for the prop, or to change its color, in the Tracking panel, ensure that the prop is selected, and on the Properties tab below, choose a mesh and/or color. Prop meshes are FBX files, by default stored in:

   C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\PropMeshes

9. To rename or remove a prop from the current scene, in the Tracking panel, right-click the prop and then click the relevant option. (You can also double-click on the prop to rename it.)

   

   After you have saved props, you can import them into subsequent takes as required.

Importing multi-segment props

Note that in addition to creating simple, single-segment props, you can also import both simple props and more complex, multi-segment props.

To import a single-segment prop, click the Import prop button at the top of the Tracking panel.

To import a multi-segment prop, click the Import subject button .

In Shogun, a prop is a rigid object, such as a single bone system. Whereas a multi-segment prop is not a rigid object and would have more than a single bone, so it is defined as a subject.

Add markers or remove prop markers

Shogun 1.8 and later enables you to add markers to or remove them from props. This is particularly useful, if, for example, an LED fails and needs to be replaced, or a passive marker falls off a prop.

If a marker is removed from a prop, you can manually select and remove the marker from the reconstruction. Similarly, if a marker is added, you can assign it a label and make it part of an existing reconstruction.

To manually remove a labeled marker from a prop:

1. In the 3D View, select the labeled marker that you want to remove.

2. In the Tracking panel, click the Setup tab.

3. In the Objects section, go to the Modify Object line and click Remove Marker.

   

   The labeled marker is removed from the object.

To add an unlabeled marker to a prop:

1. In the 3D View, select the required unlabeled marker.
2. At the top of the Tracking panel, CTRL+click to select the required prop.

3. In the Tracking panel, click the Setup tab. Under the Objects section, go to the Modify Object line and click Add Marker.

   The unlabeled marker is added to the selected object.

Move props

To move props in Shogun Live, you use the Object Manipulator, at the top of the 3D View.

To use the Object Manipulator:

1. Pause the real time (press the spacebar, or click Enter Review or the Play/Stop button) and in the Tracking panel on the right, select the prop that you want to move.

2. If the Object Manipulator isn't displayed, click the Object Manipulator button or press M.

   
   
   

   Tip: To scale the manipulator, press the + or - keys.

3. Drag to move the prop in the 3D View or enter the required values in the Object Manipulator fields.
4. To change between global (values relative to the scene origin) and local (values at zero), click the required button at the top right:

   

You can use the manipulator to quickly align a prop to the world axis.

To align a prop to the world axis:

1. Pause the real-time (press the spacebar, or click Enter Review or the Play/Stop button) and in the Tracking panel on the right, select the prop you want to align and press M to display the Object Manipulator.
   In the Workspace (3D View), the Object Manipulator is displayed.
2. To align the selected prop to the scene origin, ensure the Object Manipulator is set to Global and change all the values to zero.

   

   When you resume streaming, the prop's orientation is updated.

In the 3D View, you can align a selected prop's axes to the global axes, a selected marker, or to the center of multiple selected markers. To do this, select the relevant object(s) or marker(s), activate the Object Manipulator and then expand Alignment Tool at the bottom. For more information, see Understand the alignment tool.

Customize props

To change a prop's properties, such as the color used to represent it in the Workspace or the mesh that enables you to visualize it, first select the prop in the Tracking panel.

To add or change the mesh of a prop:

• In the Tracking panel, select the relevant prop, and on the Properties tab below, click the Import mesh button and select the required mesh.

  

You can translate and rotate the prop mesh in the same way as you manipulate other props (see Move props).

Work with static meshes

With Shogun Live 1.6 and later, you can import objects (FBX files) that represent set pieces and LED display walls into Shogun Live and manipulate them within your scene. This is useful when setting up your 3D environment, enabling you to:

• Calculate the positions of scenery and LED display walls within the tracked space.
• Position actors within the tracked space.
• Approximately place cameras ahead of a shoot.

To import a static mesh into your scene:

• In Shogun Live, at the top of the Tracking panel, click the Import static mesh button , locate the required FBX file, and click Open.
  When meshes are imported, for convenience they are copied to C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\SceneMeshes.

After you have finished capturing your scene that contains a static mesh, you can load the resulting MCP file into Shogun Post. For information, see Load static meshes into Shogun Post.

Load static meshes into Shogun Post

In Shogun Post 1.6 and later, you can load an MCP file that was captured in Live and contains a static mesh. When you load the MCP file into Post, the static mesh is displayed as an object whose default translation and rotation values are those that you specified in Shogun Live.

The default path to which static meshes are saved is:

• C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\SceneMeshes\
  As with other default locations, you can change the path by editing it in the Preferences dialog box (from the Settings menu, select Preferences and in the Folders section, go to Scene Meshes and enter or browse to the required folder).