918 replies to this topic

[ravarcade]

Hi Ravarcade,

 

does it mean that the cam can replace the Wiimotes AND the IR?

 

Cheers

Not exactly.

With WiiMotes i trace position with 3D.

With Cam i trace 2D. Z value is entered manualy. (on default [=0] it is edge of screen).

This "Simple Cam" mode is more like "demo" for real head tracking and is very easy to get run. (You need only one ordinary cam, no leds, no calibration board).

You can "feel" 3D with this new mode. I make it for webcam, If You have one just try it.

[Pinball999]

Great, will have a try soon!

[freneticamnesic]

I has a problem

 

i7 CPU

GTX 650M SLI GPU

8GB RAM

Hmmmmm! Only when Simple Cam is enabled. Tracking is extremely choppy.

 

Edited by freneticamnesic, 22 April 2013 - 01:31 AM.

[ravarcade]

I has a problem

 

i7 CPU

GTX 650M SLI GPU

8GB RAM

Hmmmmm! Only when Simple Cam is enabled. Tracking is extremely choppy.

 

You can reduce resolution of cam to 320x240 (tracking will get smoother).

 

This artifacts looks wirde.

Please tell me:

- drivers version for GFX

- Did You set in FP control panel Z-buffer to 16-bit? (If so please switch to 24 bit).

- Do You get "artefacts" all time or only then menu is visible?

[freneticamnesic]

I has a problem

 

i7 CPU

GTX 650M SLI GPU

8GB RAM

Hmmmmm! Only when Simple Cam is enabled. Tracking is extremely choppy.

 

You can reduce resolution of cam to 320x240 (tracking will get smoother).

 

This artifacts looks wirde.

Please tell me:

- drivers version for GFX

- Did You set in FP control panel Z-buffer to 16-bit? (If so please switch to 24 bit).

- Do You get "artefacts" all time or only then menu is visible?

Quick response before I go turn the system on again: no artifacts until I enter the menu, but they don't go away after I exit. I am doing a clean install of FP so I will try again with absolute default settings and respond with my findings.

 

EDIT seems to be an issue with displaying backbox. Works OK with no backbox display. *scratches head*

 

So removing the backbox usage in Future Pinball solves the problem. Appears to be an issue with FP itself, as I am loading up FP without BAM and it is now doing it, too. Worked fine before. Probably something stupid I did, so unless someone else has the issue, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

The cam use is pretty janky, if it loses your face for a second it just loses it's direction and suddenly everything stretches out like silly putty. That's probably my biggest complaint with the cam, and I understand it being low resolution, but things don't have the most realistic depth. Is there a way to set "maximum" depth? As in, items displayed (see video) won't appear stretched longer than they may be in reality? That and setting a default view, so if it loses your tracking, it would go back to a stable view until your face is visible in the webcam again..

 

Let me know if this doesn't make sense or I'm missing something. I've messed around with most of the settings by now, though.

 

Video of some of the things I am talking about: (I am not sure how to embed)

Edited by freneticamnesic, 22 April 2013 - 05:55 AM.

[ravarcade]

EDIT seems to be an issue with displaying backbox. Works OK with no backbox display. *scratches head*

 

So removing the backbox usage in Future Pinball solves the problem. Appears to be an issue with FP itself, as I am loading up FP without BAM and it is now doing it, too. Worked fine before. Probably something stupid I did, so unless someone else has the issue, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

The cam use is pretty janky, if it loses your face for a second it just loses it's direction and suddenly everything stretches out like silly putty. That's probably my biggest complaint with the cam, and I understand it being low resolution, but things don't have the most realistic depth. Is there a way to set "maximum" depth? As in, items displayed (see video) won't appear stretched longer than they may be in reality? That and setting a default view, so if it loses your tracking, it would go back to a stable view until your face is visible in the webcam again..

 

Let me know if this doesn't make sense or I'm missing something. I've messed around with most of the settings by now, though.

 

Video of some of the things I am talking about: (I am not sure how to embed)

If it loses tracking it sets values from "Static Cam".

Problem is not about tracking. Some times "plugin" detect face in background (and it is very tiny). In my test i have to tweak cam options. You can look in cam panel and disable automatic "gain" regulation, set it lower. Only face is needed to be cleary visible.

 

I will try to eliminate this in 1-2 days.

[ravarcade]

BAM Update!

v0.5-20

 

http://ravarcade.pl/...BAM_v0.5-20.ZIP

 

Updated Simple Cam plugin.

 

Added more options to plugin:

Pattern: Haar 1 / Haar 2 / lbp   - patter used in face detection 

FD Scale: 1.02 / 1.05 / 1.10 / 1.20 / 1.30 - lower value -> better precision/lower performance

Min Face size: default = 30 - minimal size of face in pixels in res 320x240. Bigger value can increas performance and prevent of false face detection in background (set too hige will make detection of player face imposible.... test it)

 

Now You can easy set higer res, it will decreasy so much performance.

 

Added some filters to remove jittering and "jumps to false detected face"

[toxie]

You rock, cannot wait to get my hands on a webcam..

[freneticamnesic]

BAM Update!

v0.5-20

 

http://ravarcade.pl/...BAM_v0.5-20.ZIP

 

Updated Simple Cam plugin.

 

Added more options to plugin:

Pattern: Haar 1 / Haar 2 / lbp   - patter used in face detection 

FD Scale: 1.02 / 1.05 / 1.10 / 1.20 / 1.30 - lower value -> better precision/lower performance

Min Face size: default = 30 - minimal size of face in pixels in res 320x240. Bigger value can increas performance and prevent of false face detection in background (set too hige will make detection of player face imposible.... test it)

 

Now You can easy set higer res, it will decreasy so much performance.

 

Added some filters to remove jittering and "jumps to false detected face"

 

Great news! Thank you. Cannot wait to try it after work :>

 

Side note: why did this thread get moved to "Introduce Yourself" forum? It's not a good place for this fantastic mod.

[ravarcade]

I will try to make simple instruction for "Simple Cam" mode.

1. In "3 points" setup BAM will only accept point if it is detected in moment, then You press "set point". So with "Simple Cam" You have to see "green box" on Yours face.

If You have problem with face detection first try to tweak cams params.
For start You should, befor run BAM:
- Run program for Your CAM from producer and try to:
A. Disable automatic gain & exposure regulation
B. Set it manualty to make face cleary visible 
Automatic regulation almost alway set "gain" too high and face on cam is lika big bright spot.

- Run BAM and test face recognition. If You don't see for most time grean box on "face" with default setting try again set CAM params from previous point.
Then:
A. Select detection Pattern: LBP is fastest, but make more "jittering", I use "Haar 1".
B. Set "Min Face Size" - Then BAM detects Your face try to stay on max used distance from cam. (1m- 1.5m from cam) and try to increase value. If You increase this value too much, then "green" box will disapear. Now reduce value little bit.
Doing this You will prevent of detecting "smaller" than Your face object as "false face".
It will increas performance too.
C. You can set "FD Scale" to 1.20 or 1.30. It will increase performance (but reduce acuracy).
If You see many "false detection" try switching Pattern (or add lights in room).

Then You see "good" tracking go to "3 points".

BAM need to know distance between left and right edge of Your table, and how high they are in cam. 

You do it by showing BAM 2 first points in "3 points" setup.

You can "put" face on points, but it is inconvenient. (But can be done). 

I use object (plastic tube) with know hight and set these point in known distance (only verticaly) from screen. This distance is measured to "eye" level.

In my movie i put one end of "plastic tube" on "red diamond" displayed on screen. On other end is my "eye". Then i press "set point" (face detection is required).
Same on second point. 
BAM ask about thirdy point. This point is used only to trace in 3D. With "Simple Cam" it is unused. You shoud set "any" point. This point is not used in calculations.

Now about "distance" betwen screen and eye (this is length of "plastic tube").
Then You finish "3 point" setup BAM recognize points as "level 0" (or CAM Y=0).
Now You need to tell BAM, that "level 0" is lower. To do this You shoud in "Reality" set this distance in "Shift Y".
In my movie "plastic tube" is 55cm long. So i entered this value in "Shift Y".
(Please remember to set size of Yours TV screen, because this value is used to translet values in CM or INCHs to Future Pinball Unit).

You can verify if values and tracking is working correct.
Take look at "Cam Y" value then tracking is working.
For example i get Cam Y = ~880.0 
Then i switched mode to "Static Cam" and entered this value.
It shows me, that it is "66cm" from screen.
I measure this distance in reality from my eye to screen border.
I get ~60 cm.
 

[stevegooner123]

can anyone help me to get this to work with hyperspin? I followed the advice in previous posts,but it seems to run Bam exe .& the original future pinball.exe & doesnt load or exit the tables properly in hyperspin. Ive changed 450 tables to happy cab view & will donate as soon as Ive got this sorted

[ravarcade]

can anyone help me to get this to work with hyperspin? I followed the advice in previous posts,but it seems to run Bam exe .& the original future pinball.exe & doesnt load or exit the tables properly in hyperspin. Ive changed 450 tables to happy cab view & will donate as soon as Ive got this sorted

I don't test HyperPin a lot but this is how i setup hyper pin.

 

1. I start with workig standard Future Pinball.exe 

2. Rename "FPLoader.exe" in BAM dir to "Future Pinball.exe"

3. Modifi path in Settings.ini in HyperPin for BAM folder. (add "BAM\" at end of string)

 

My Settings.ini: 

[Future Pinball]
Show_Games          = true
Exe                 = Future Pinball.exe
Path                = C:\Games\Future Pinball\BAM\
Table_Path          = C:\Games\Future Pinball\Tables\
Table_Video_Path    = C:\HyperPin\Media\Future Pinball\Table Videos\
Table_Image_Path    = C:\HyperPin\Media\Future Pinball\Table Images\
Backglass_Image_Path= C:\HyperPin\Media\Future Pinball\Backglass Images\

 

 

I known about problem with some keys and "focus" for game window in HyperPin.

HyperPin uses "Q" and on some keyborads '~' is not availbe, You can change BAM "menu key" in "keyboard.cfg" in BAM dir.

[ravarcade]

BAM Update!

 

v0.5-21

 

http://ravarcade.pl/...BAM_v0.5-21.ZIP

 

Added smoothing options in "reality" menu to remove jittering.

- Smoothing-min dist (default = 5) it is radios of sphere, where position changes are ignored (for head tracking with WiiMotes i should be lower);

- Smoothing latency: [ms] (default = 50ms) - it is time for cam movment to next position (for head tracking iwth WiiMotes shoud be lower). If Your cams  in Simple Cam produces low FPS You shoud increase this value.

 

About web cams.

I found, than many webcams try to automatic adjust "exposure time" and do "white balance".

If You can disable it in webcam drivers - do it.

White balance don't help any good for "face detection".

If webcam drivers increase expousre time, then webcam will give low FPS.

Face detection program can work with dark images.

Last, but not last bad thing about "webcam" software is, that all thad automation will consume "cpu" then game is running. Sometimes webcam driver won't give another "frame" for few seconds befor it set new params.

 

I tested it on Creative Sync HD & built web cam in notebook. Both cams compared to PS3 Eyetoy are not worth shit (sorry for "shit" word but this is how now i think about webcams).

 

I added 2 more options to "SimpleCam".

- OpenCV max threads (default =2). Normaly OpenCV to detect face create cpu core num +1 threads. It can reduce frame rate.

On my test computer i have to set it =1 to get back smooth ball movement. If You have strong CPU you can increase this value, but it probly don't do big difference.

- "Face Detection" switch - turn on/off face detection. Then You turn it off You will see how may FPS webcam gives. Sometimes then You increase light in room You will se how it increase FPS from cam. It is for testing option and value is not saved.

 

 

Now i can say, that with "smoothing" SimpleCam with my EyeToy work exceptionally well.

If You have access to it.

Here is link for drivers to EyeToy:

http://codelaborator...-5.3.0.0341.exe

 

Have nice BAM

[Shredhed]

Hey Rav,

    thanks for the update.  simple-cam seems to have smoothed out, but i think its my cam(logitech c525) must suck. I can;t seem to get a decent framerate.  The wiimote seems to have really really improved.  One problem tho, is that the "points" never seem to be saved.  I load the table, set my 3 points for wiimote, but when i reload the table i have to redo the 3 points everytime, kind of a bummer.  I have loaded tables i had setup before and those have to have the 3 points reset also.

 

Any suggestions ?

 

Thanks again for the update.

 

Keep on BAMmin !!!

[StreetPreacher]

Ravarcade, fo you mean just the old PS2 EyeToy camera?

http://us.playstatio...camera-ps2.html

I was testing my WebCam out the other night and was having trouble getting consistent head tracking and a smooth framerate as well, with a logitech quickcam 4000. I'll download the new version when I get home tomorrow and try your setting suggestions!

Thanks again, this is cool stuff!

[jasonsmith]

I'm using the newer one, I think this is the one that will eventually get used for 3D as well.

 

http://us.playstatio...camera-ps3.html

[ravarcade]

I have loaded tables i had setup before and those have to have the 3 points reset also.

Any suggestions ?

I will try to find why it don't work... 

 

StreetPreacher - ps2 cam.

You have to find drivers to use this cam as normal webcam on pc.

I should work.

I know, there are diffrent drivers for dirffrent cam versions.

PS2 cam uses USB 1.1. 

USB 1.1 is "slow" (12Mb/s)

USB 2.0 is "faster" (480Mb/s)

[toxie]

..and just ordered the eyetoy so i can finally get started, pretty cheap to get (used: 1euro) nowadays..

[teppotee]

Any idea if it works with the newer PS3 version as well? Really would like to try this out and the PS3 version seems to be much easier to find.

[fuzzel]

I tried with a Logitech C270 HD and it works pretty well. I had some stutter though but I didn't test it with the latest version and settings, but a really funny option