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In Motive, the recorded mocap data is stored in a file format called Take (TAK), and multiple Take files can be grouped within a session folder. The Data Management pane is the primary interface for managing capture files in Motive. This pane can be accessed from the icon on the main toolbar, and it contains a list of session folders and the corresponding Take files that are recorded or loaded in Motive.
Motive will save and load Motive-specific file formats including the Take files (TAK), Profile XML files (XML), Calibration files (CAL), and asset definition files for skeletons and rigid bodies (SKL and TRA). Asset definitions are related to trackable objects in Motive, and it will be explained more in the Rigid Body Tracking and Skeleton Tracking page.
Motive file management is centered on the Take (TAK) file. A TAK file is a single motion capture recording (aka 'take' or 'trial'), which contains all the information necessary to recreate the entire capture from the file, including camera calibration, camera 2D data, reconstructed and labeled 3D data, data edits, solved joint angle data, tracking models (Skeletons, RigidBodies), and any additional device data (audio, force plate, etc). A Motive Take (TAK) file is a completely self-contained motion capture recording, and it can be opened by another version of Motive on another system.
A Session is a file folder that allows the user to organize multiple similar takes (e.g. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or StaticTrials, WalkingTrials, RunningTrials, etc). Whether you are planning the day's shoot or incorporating a group of Takes mid-project, creating session folders can help manage complex sets of data. In the Data Management pane, you can import session folders that contain multiple Takes or create a new folder to start a new capture session. For a most efficient workflow, plan the mocap session before the capture and organize a list of captures (shots) that need to be completed. Type Take names in a spreadsheet or a text file, and Copy and paste the list, which will automatically create empty Takes (shot list) with corresponding names from the pasted list.
Software configurations are saved onto the Profile XML files. All of the application-related configurations, lists of assets, and the loaded session folders are preserved using this file format, and you can export and import the profiles to easily maintain the same software configurations each time Motive is launched.
All of the currently configured software settings will get saved onto the C:\ProgramData\OptiTrack\MotiveProfile.xml file periodically throughout capture and when closing out of Motive. This file is the default application profile and it gets loaded back when Motive is launched again. The containing folder can also be accessed through Help → Application Folders → Persistent Setting. This allows all of the configurations to be persisted in between different sessions of Motive. If you wish to revert all of the settings to its factory default, use the Reset Application Settings button under the Edit tab of the main command bar.
C:\ProgramData\OptiTrack\MotiveProfile.xml
Profile XML files can also be exported and imported from the File menu of the main command bar in Motive. Using the Profile files, you can easily persist Motive configurations among different instances and different computers.
The following configurations get saved to application profile:
What happened to the Project TTP Files?
A calibration file is a standalone file that contains all required information to completely restore a calibrated camera volume; including positions and orientations of each camera as well as its lens distortion parameters. After a camera system is calibrated, CAL file can be exported and imported back again onto Motive when needed. Note that this file is reliable only if the camera setup has remained unchanged since the calibration. Read more from Calibration page.
Default System Calibration
C:\ProgramData\OptiTrack\Motive\System Calibration.cal
In Motive, the main viewport is fixed at the center of the UI, and this is used to monitor the 2D or 3D capture data in both live and edit mode. The Perspective View mode shows the reconstructed 3D data within the calibrated 3D space, and the Camera Preview mode shows 2D images from each camera in the setup. Both of these views are essential for assessing and monitoring the tracking data.
Most of the navigation controls in Motive are customizable, including both mouse and Hotkey controls. The Hotkey Editor Pane and the Mouse Control Pane under the Edit tab allow you to customize mouse navigation and keyboard shortcuts to common operations.
Motive includes a variety of common mouse control preset 'profiles' so that any new users can easily start controling Motive. Available preset control profiles include Motive, Blade, Maya, and Visual3D. You can also open the Mouse Control pane under the Edit tab and customize the setting for your own preference.
Using the Hotkeys can speed up the workflows. All default hotkeys are listed in the Motive Hotkeys page. Hotkeys can also be customized from the Hotkey Editor (shown below), which can be accessed under the Edit tab in the Main Tool Bar. Various actions can be assigned with a custom hotkey using the Hotkey Editor.
For a list of the default Hotkey settings, read through the Motive Hotkeys Page.
The Control Deck is always docked at the bottom of Motive, and it provides both recording and navigation controls over Motive's two primary operating modes: Live mode and Edit mode.
Live Mode
Edit Mode
In the Live Mode, all cameras are active and the system is processing camera data. If the mocap system is already calibrated, Motive is live-reconstructing 2D camera data into labeled and unlabeled 3D trajectories (markers) in real-time. The live tracking data can be streamed to other applications using the data streaming tools or the NatNet SDK. Also, in Live mode, the system is ready for recording and corresponding capture controls will be available in the Timeline Pane.
In the Edit Mode, the cameras are not active, and Motive is processing loaded Take file (pre-recorded data). In Edit Mode, playback controls will be available in the timeline pane, including access to the frame scrubber and the 2D Graph Editor for accessing and editing 3D trajectory data.
The Graph View pane is used for plotting live or recorded channel data in Motive. For example, 3D coordinates of the reconstructed markers, 3D positions and orientations of rigid body assets, force plate data, analog data from data acquisition devices, and more can be plotted on this pane. You can switch between existing layouts or a create a custom layout for plotting specific channel data.
Basic navigation controls are highlighted below. For more information, read through the Graph View pane page.
Other Ways to Zoom:
The working range (also called the playback range) is both the view range and the playback range of a corresponding Take in Edit mode. Only within the working frame range, recorded tracking data will be played back and shown on the graphs. This range can also be used to output a specific frame ranges when exporting tracking data from Motive.
The working range can be set from different places:
The Application Settings can be accessed under the Edit tab or by clicking the icon on the main toolbar.
This pane is used for configuring application-wide settings, which include startup configurations, display options for both 2D and 3D viewports, settings for asset creation, and lastly, parameters for the Point Cloud Reconstruction engine. Read and find more about available preference settings from the Application Settings Pane page.
If you wish to reset the default application setting, go to Reset Application Settings under the Edit tab.
The UI layout in Motive is customizable. All panes can be docked and undocked from the UI. Each pane can be positioned and organized by drag-and-drop using the on-screen docking indicators. Panes may float, dock, or stack. When stacked together, they form a tabbed window for quickly cycling through. Layouts in Motive can be saved and loaded, allowing a user to switch quickly between default and custom configurations suitable for different needs. Motive has preset layouts for Calibration, Creating a Skeleton, Capturing (Record), and Editing workflows. Custom layouts can be created, saved, and set as default from the Main Menu -> 'Layout' menu item. Quickly restore a particular layout from the Layout menu, the Layout Dropdown at the top right of the Main Menu, or via HotKeys.
Note: Layout configurations from older versions cannot be loaded in Motive 2.0. Please re-create and update the layouts for use.
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