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:

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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.

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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.

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   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.

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   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.)

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   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.

For more information on how to place additional markers on a prop (or remove markers), see Add markers or remove prop markers.