Main window Overview

Creator has a fully configurable workspace. Above figure shows the default configuration with the typical widgets open.

Menus

File Menu: Create, Load and save projects. Adjust global project settings.
Tools Menu: Additional tools and advanced operations on loaded project.
View Menu: Workspace and theme management.
Help Menu: Help, Support and Program information.

Toolbar

The toolbar provides quick access to several preview and capture actions.

Hardware

On the left are docks for all the components involved in the project listed.

Projectors: The projectors dock widget shows a list of all projectors in the current project and allows to edit projector related settings.
Cameras: Each project has at least one camera. In the cameras dock widget the cameras of a project can be viewed and their settings adjusted.
Screen: Settings, describing the overall screen shape.
Reference Points: Known 3d coordinates used for calculating camera positions.

Camera view/3D View

In the center of the window is a camera-view and 3d-view available between which the user can switch.

Positions

On the right side is the configuration of the calibration process visible.

All dock widgets can be arranged, stacked, opened and closed by user. The workspace layout is saved persistently.

It is also possible to revert to the default workspace using View/Default Workspace.

All available dock widgets can be found in the menu. They are described in the following sections.

The theme can be switched in View/Theme. An application restart is needed for a theme switch to take effect.

For using the maximum workspace on the desktop, a full screen mode can be enabled using View Menu/Toggle Fullscreen Mode.

Camera view

The camera view shows a live stream from currently active camera.

If the camera is turned off, switch it on using Capture Toolbar/Toggle camera connection (see section Capture Toolbar).

Navigation: The view can be dragged with the left mouse button.
Scaling: Several scaling options are available at the top right corner of Camera View.

3D View

The 3D view provides a three dimensional overview of the current calibration setup.

This includes the theoretical screen, reference points, camera positions and measured projection geometry.

The current selection of projectors, camera position and reference points is regarded. Unselected elements are dimmed or hidden.

Visualization Options

A drop down menu on the top left corner allows to select multiple visualization options.

Screen: Theoretical/imported screen shape
Reference Points: Imported/generated reference points
Geometry: Generated 3d shape of each projector as mesh
Measured Points: Measured 3d positions of captured points for each projector.

Perspective

Switch to predefined orthographic views or the default perspective camera position.

Navigation

Navigate the 3d view using the mouse.

Rotate: Left mouse-button
Move: Middle mouse-button, Alt+Shift+LMB
Zoom: Right mouse-button, Alt+Ctrl+LMB

Project Settings

General

Calibration Mode

Defines what testpatterns are shown on projectors and captured by cameras to analyze the projection geometry.

Classic Dot: A sequence of dot-patterns is used.
Concentric Circles: In addition to the sequence of dot-patterns an image showing a ring for each dot is used. This allows to automatically detect cutted dots.

Projection Delay

Allows to adjust the delay between showing testpatterns and taking images with the camera. Increasing this value might solve issues, with images taken too soon, but slows down the capturing process.

Synchronization Port

This defines the UDP port for PatternGenerator feed back. It is used to sync the camera system to the PatternGenerator draw loop (/bufferSwap). Has to be the same as configured in PatternGenerator.

Recognition

Global recognition parameters used for all channels and camera positions.

Remove statistical Outliers

Removes points, that are significant more distant to their neighbors than the average distance between neighboring points in the camera image. (Statistical Outlier Removal)

n Sigma: Points with distance to neighbors n-times standard deviation larger than average distance are removed.

Generate 3D

When all testpatterns are captured, a 3d model of the projection will be generated. There are different strategies possible which have their pros and cons depending on calibration situation. The strategy and its settings can be adjusted here.

Position Combination

Select how calibration patterns seen from multiple camera positions are combined.

Automatic: Reconstruct a 3d surface using stereo vision, when possible (Triangulate). Parts that are only seen by one camera position or where camera positions are too close to each other are generated by tracing the screen and potentially blending multiple camera positions (Blend).
Blend: Trace recognized patterns on assumed screen surface for each camera position separately. Than blend the resulting 3d positions of patterns captured from different camera positions. Use this option, when your camera is placed on one position and just rotated, not all parts of the screen are seen multiple times or the screen setting contains already an imported scan.
Triangulate: Reconstruct a 3d surface using stereo vision, disregarding the assumed screen shape. Discrepancies between generated screen surface and assumed screenshape are color coded in the 3d view. Use this option when you plan to reconstruct the actual 3d shape of the screen-surface.

Max Error

Maximum allowed error during triangulation. Triangulated points with larger error will be discarded.

Mesh Filter

Generate 3D generates a point cloud first and then generates a mesh on it. This mesh can contain degenerated triangles. Degenerated triangles are usually stretched extremely along one direction. The mesh filter removes such degenerated triangles that have an noticeable longer edge length than the average triangles.

Iterations: Number of iterations the filter is applied, or off.
Threshold: Triangles with \(edge length > average * threshold\) will be removed.

Marker Control

Creator and Align can directly control active markers. These markers can be automatically detected by position finder (see section Position Finder)

Project Settings/Marker Control allows to adjust the communication settings.

Type

Type of marker control

None

Marker control disabled.

Manual

Request user to turn markers on and off.

Script

Generic batch script to integrate custom automizations.

Markers On/Off: Select the batch script that turns the markers on/off.
Wait: Often it takes some time until the markers are actually switched, after the batch script returned. The delay can be adjusted here.

Aviosys

Network controlled power plug.

User / Password: Login required for this power plug. Initialized with factory defaults.
IP: Network address of power plug.
Port: Communication port used on power plug. Initialized with default port.
Wait: Often it takes some time until the markers are actually switched. The delay can be adjusted here.

Netio

Network controlled power plug.

User / Password: Login required for this power plug. Initialized with factory defaults.
IP: Network address of power plug.
Port: Communication port used on power plug. Initialized with default port.
Wait: Often it takes some time until the markers are actually switched. The delay can be adjusted here.
Plugs 1/2/3/4: The netio support multiple power plugs. Select which plugs should be switched.

Coded LEDs

Micro controller enabled LEDs supporting to control and identify each individual LED.

IP: Network address of power plug.
Port: Communication port used on power plug. Initialized with default port.
Wait: Delay between setting the LEDs and capturing images.
Test: Enable individual LEDs for testing purpose, and identification.

URL

General interface for Network controlled power plugs.

Markers On/Off

Select the URLs that turn the power plug on/off. Example on/off URLs for an Aviosys:

http://admin:12345678@192.168.0.5/Set.cmd?CMD=SetPower+P60=1
http://admin:12345678@192.168.0.5/Set.cmd?CMD=SetPower+P60=0

Wait

Often it takes some time until the markers are actually switched. The delay can be adjusted here.

3D Disto

Leica 3D Disto. This measurement device with integrated laser pointer can be used to point at reference points of the project automatically. This works by finding its position relative to the project coordinate system and then pointing at the known 3d positions of reference markers in the project.

Connect: Establish connection to 3D Disto software. Make sure 3D Disto software is running on the local machine and connection to 3D Disto established.
Raw Rotation: Allows to rotate the 3D Disto in its native coordinate system.
Transform: Defines the corrent position and rotation of the 3D Disto relative to Creators coordinate system. Use for estimating the transform based on an axis or three points.
Wait: Waiting time between pointing at a reference point and taking images.

TCP

General interface for any type of TCP/IP controlled devices.

IP: Network address of marker control device.
Port: Communication port of device.
Marker On/Off: Network message to send for switching the markers on or off.
Wait: Often it takes some time until the markers are actually switched. The delay can be adjusted here.
Add Endline: Add endline control sequence to the message (\r\n) in case this is needed.

Test Marker On/Off

Turn active markers on and off using current automization settings.

Rotation Unit

Creator and Align support cameras mounted on a motorized rotation unit, which is a common alternative to fisheye cameras and multiple perspective cameras for capturing screens with a large field of view.

For example, one perspective camera mounted on a rotation unit could cover a full 360 degrees cylindrical screen.

Project Settings.../Rotation Unit allows to setup and test communication with an installed rotation unit.

Type

Type of rotation unit.

None: No rotation unit available.
Clauss Rodeon: Motorized rotation unit from Clauss, controllable over network.

Connect

Connect to currently selected rotation unit. Allowing to test rotation.

Rotation

Rotation control for currently selected rotation unit. This is for testing only. For setting permanent orientations use Positions Editor/Position/Target heading and pitch angles.