topic Re: Multicam synchronisation in Items with no label

Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 08:25:35 GMT

Hello,

I saw on this link that Intel has developped a tool to make films by synchronising four RealSense Cameras.

https://realsense.intel.com/intel-realsense-volumetric-capture/ Volumetric Capture @ Sundance using Intel RealSense Depth Cameras

I also need to do real time camera synchronisation.

Is it possible to have access to this tool? Or could we have the source code of it?

Thank you.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 08:49:30 GMT

Syncing with D435 is easier now than it was at the time of that demo in January 2018, as hardware sync was added for D435 in firmware version 5.10.3. This should make the use of a commercial flash as a trigger, as Intel did at the Sundance demo, unnecessary.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 08:55:31 GMT

So there is no tool available for camera synchronisation, and I have to develop it myself?

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:00:00 GMT

You can sync the cameras using the support in firmware 5.10.3. You will have to sync the individual point clouds yourself though, perhaps by using one of the methods (Vicalib or an Affine Transform) I described in my reply to your GitHub post.

Point clouds can also be combined using the software Open3D. Intel are introducing an Open3D wrapper into the SDK soon for easier integration with it.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:04:10 GMT

Where can I get the support in firmware 5.10.3?

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:07:06 GMT

If you have installed firmware 5.10.3 in your D435 cameras, they will already be ready to do hardware sync.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:12:01 GMT

I don't have installed anything special on the camera, only the last version of realSense viewer. How can I install this firmware?

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:17:56 GMT

The first step is to download the firmware file. Then you use a firmware updater tool to install the file on the cameras. The tool is available in Windows and Linux versions.

You can get the firmware file, the updater tool and documentation from the link below.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28237/Latest-Firmware-for-Intel-RealSense-D400-Product-Family Download Latest Firmware for Intel® RealSense™ D400 Product Family

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:23:09 GMT

I bought my cameras recently (1 month ago). Shouldn't it be already installed on it?

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:28:42 GMT

You can check which firmware version is currently installed on a camera by opening the RealSense Viewer and clicking the 'Info' icon at the top of the options panel to see your device details.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:52:56 GMT

I'm sorry to insist but I didn't understand exactly in which way the firmware is going to help me.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:56:37 GMT

Once a D435 camera has firmware 5.10.3 or newer then it can do hardware sync. Without a firmware version that has sync support, the camera does not know how to sync.

Once you have the firmware installed in both cameras, you will be able to test sync in the RealSense Viewer software using the 'sync' icon at the top of its options panel.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 11:14:31 GMT

I installed the firmwares 5.10.3 on both camera and and still not able to use the sync button. Is there something else I should do?

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 11:25:11 GMT

It looks good. I cannot test the process any further though, as I only have one 400 Series camera. Is sync available when the cameras are not streaming?

If not, unfortunately you will have to wait for advice from an Intel support team member (I don't work for Intel) about what to do next. I do apologize.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

ECosn1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 11:32:16 GMT

No it's not available when they are not streaming. So I guess I will have to contact someone from Intel support.

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 11:36:31 GMT

It would probably be best to add a note to your existing case about sync on the GitHub.

https://github.com/IntelRealSense/librealsense/issues/2556 multicam live reconstruction · Issue # 2556 · IntelRealSense/librealsense · GitHub

Re: Multicam synchronisation

DDD — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 23:42:55 GMT

Hi MartyG,

Have you tested synchronzing D415 with syn cables? I tested with streaming 4 cams in python without syn cables, and the lag between the first and the last cam is around 0.03s, which looks good. I am wondering what will be the result if connected with syn cables. Thanks

Re: Multicam synchronisation

MartyG — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:53 GMT

I haven't personally done synching with cables, Intel's webinar on multiple cameras on September 13 2018 stated that hardware syncing with cables is best used when micro-second precision in the syncing is required. Cabling isn't a mandatory requirement though if you don't need micro-second precision.

The webinar added that the more cameras that are added to a multi-camera setup, the higher the specification of PC (for example, an Intel i7 processor) that is recommended. The ideal situation is for cameras to be connected directly to a USB port instead of a USB hub so that each camera's USB port has its own USB controller.

You can read the webinar transcript here:

Re: Multicam synchronisation

DDD — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:03:50 GMT

Got it. Thanks!

Good night