RE: A question.... 'motion capture' confusion

From: Richard Widgery (motion@widgery.demon.co.uk)
Date: 01/05/02


Robert,

Nearly all the "motion capture" systems are now real-time.  There is a trade
off for frame rate / markers in some systems - so fewer markers, the higher
the frame rate, but all have a good rate for most applications.

In 1994 I dervied the term "Performance Capture" for reasons explain in the
article I refered to in my previous mail to David, which I hope people will
adopt to prevent this confusion.  The term "motion capture" originates back
to the painter Diego Velasquez for his painting "The Tapestry Weavers"
c.1654 in which he was the first artist to record 'blurred motion' in the
form of spinning-wheel's spokes. Up-until that picture all 'clasical'
artists had recorded movement as a static snapshot with no visual reference
to time other than posture (e.g. a horse drawn cart would be depicted with
the spokes as clear straight lines).    Photography broke new boundaries, as
did video capture.  Now there are some new exciting technologies that don't
have "2D eyes" such as a CCD chip.

The application for the technology has varied though - where "motion
capture" I belive should refer to the scientific recording and measurement
of movement such as biomechanics or machine quality control analysis, and
"performance capture" should refer to the recording and subsequent use of
humann and animal theatrical performances for film/tv/games/dance/stage...
Some may find the distinction pedantic, but I hope it's use would emphasise
that the performance is the focus of the work (in our cases) not the
scientific data - after-all you can 'motion capture' a performer that can't
act/dance...

I have not yet used EyeCon yet and would very much like to see it in
action - please could you refer me to someone locally in the S.East/London
UK.

Regards,
Richard Widgery
richardw@kinetic-impulse.com


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-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Robert
Wechsler
Sent: 04 January 2002 00:11
To: dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: A question....


At 07:48 03.01.2002 -0800, you wrote:
>Sal,
>
>What kind of motion capture are you referring to?


i've noticed this confusion as well.

the term "motion capture", if i am not mistaken, was traditionally used for

the systems film makers use to make animated film figures move more
realistically.   there may be some exceptions, but these are generally not
real-time systems and involve quite elaborate specially-built studios and
sensor hardware/software systems.

I've noticed a tendency to use the term to refer to systems such as Antonio
Camurri's and ours (EyeCon) as well.  That is, systems which have nothing
directly to do with generating animated films, but instead which are used
in live performance situations to analyze and translate human motion or
dance into other media.

Maybe its confusing, but I too have started calling such systems, "motion
capture".  They do, after all, "capture" the dancer's motion and make it
available to do something with it.


yours truly,
robert wechsler







>If I read David
>correctly, he is considering about  Motion Capture animation which  has
>nothing to do with iMovie or Firewire Ports until you are very far along in
>the pipeline and ready to output... which means after the capture, clean up
>of data and rendering.
>
>David, I wrote a paper that describes the basic hardware/software....etc.
>I'll send it under separate cover.  Also, check on the dance-tech archives.
>There has been some discussion about motion and I believe there references
>to sites such as Vicon, Motion Analysis (both optical systems) and others.
>
>Hope this helps,
>Lisa
>
>
>>David
>>
>>I would take the time to consider a low end Mac for simple motion capture.
>>
>>Every Mac ships with iMovie and FireWire Ports (for Digital Video
Cameras).
>>
>>There is an apple in the UK which you can ask questions of.
>>
>>Their website is: http://www.apple.com/uk/
>>
>>Not trying to sell you anything, just asking you to consider alternatives.
>>
>>Kind Regards,
>>
>>Sal Abohamed
>>
>>Apple Computer Australia Pty Ltd
>>16 Rodborough Rd, Frenchs Forest NSW 2860
>>TEL:    02 9641 8579
>>FAX:    02 9641 8160
>>ABN:    46 002 510 054
>>
>>> From: David Yoken <David.Yoken@turkuamk.fi>
>>> Reply-To: dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>>> Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 08:56:51 +0200
>>> To: dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>>> Subject: A question....
>>>
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Would any one have the time or interest to respond to this seemingly
simple
>>> (perhaps not) question:
>>>
>>>
>>> What basic hard/software is/are required for "Motion Capture": specific
>>> brand and model numbers....?  We are working with Life Forms in Windows
NT
>>> format.
>>>
>>> Many thanks and warm holiday greetings from up north,
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>> David Yoken
>>> Arts Academy
>>> Turku Polytechnic     Linnankatu 54        20100 Turku FINLAND
>>> tel: 358 (0) 10 553 5237  mobile: 358 (0) 50 598 5217
>>> FAX: 358 (0) 10 553 5200   email: david.yoken@turkuamk.fi
>>>
>
>=====================================
>Dr. Lisa Naugle
>Assistant Professor
>Dance and Technology
>University of California, Irvine
>School of the Arts, Department of Dance
>MAB 300
>Irvine, California  92697-2775
>email:  lnaugle@uci.edu
>tel:  (949) 824-3209
>fax:  (949) 824-4563
>http://www.arts.uci.edu/lnaugle/
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Wechsler
Artistic Director
PALINDROME Inter-media Performance Group
Johannisstr. 42
90419 Nürnberg
fon: 49 911 39 74 72
fax:  49 911 377 8311
mobile:  49 179 511 0400

http://www.palindrome.de



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