How to set up the multi-touch table in lab 313

[Stefan Bachl]

Step 1
Plug in the monitor power cable and the power cable for the infrared lasers (the one with the white adapter on it). Connect your computer to the monitor. You have to set the rotation of the monitor to 180° in your computer settings. Connect the webcam with your computer (USB cable) and open CCV.

Step 2
CCV should now show the image of the webcam. If it doesn't, check if the right camera is selected (press V and then "Source" and select the correct camera. If you don't have the drivers installed, you can download them for Mac, or see what you have to do for Windows.

Check if the camera captures the whole monitor. Please do not modify the position of the camera if it is not necessary. If the position doesn't change, others don't have to re-calibrate the setup.
Don't forget to turn off the lights in the lab and reduce the intensity of the sunlight by lowering the window blinds.

Step 3
Press V to adjust the camera. Unfortunately you have to do this every time you launch CCV. Go to "Adjustments" and set the brightness to about 25% and the contrast to about 75% (depends on your driver etc.) so that the image is quite dark.

Step 4
Press B to substract the background (do that every time you launch CCV). Set the parameters according to the screen shots below. You may have to adjust them a little bit so that the tracking is really nice (because of different drivers, and other stuff).

Step 5
Once the fingers are shown as bright white blobs, press C to calibrate. Read the instructions to adjust the size of the green rectangle and make sure that you have enough points set on x- and y-axis. Start to calibrate by pressing C again. If you have to repeat one point, press R to go back. You can substract the background while you are in calibration mode by pressing B again. It's a good idea to do that before you start or if you have problems with activating specific points.
Once you are finished with all calibration points, check if the calibration is fine by putting your fingers on the surface. Especially check the corners.

ATTENTION: Press X to close calibration mode, not Esc!!! If you press Esc CCV will exit and all your new calibration settings will be lost.

Step 6
Check that the communication is set to "SEND TUIO OSC" at the right side.

Step 7
If you want to send the tuio message to another computer, where your application runs (and which is connected to the monitor), close CCV, go to the root directory of CCV, then navigate to the "data" folder and open the config.xml in a text editor. Replace the IP address:

<LOCALHOST>127.0.0.1</LOCALHOST>

You have to close CCV first, otherwise it will override your changes.

Some tips:

• If you need to change the resolution of the camera in the config.xml, you also have to recalibrate.
• Back up your config.xml and your calibration.xml (located in the "data" folder).
  
• If you use one computer to track and one for your application, set up a wireless LAN in order to connect the computers. If your application needs internet, either use a cable and get internet over Wi-Fi or use the Mac in the lab.
  
• By pressing Space, you can minimize CCV. It will run faster.
  
• Always use the same USB port for the camera once you have set everything up.
• Don't look directly into the IR lasers. :) Please do not manipulate the lasers.
  

Example files
You can use the following files, but may need to recalibrate or change settings:

• config_calibration.zip

Before you leave
Please make sure that you return everything to the initial state, turn off monitor and IR lasers and leave all stuff which was provided there.

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If you have any questions or tips for others, please add comments to this post. I will update the blog if I needed. Please let me know if you need more details or if anything is unclear.

[Aiden]

My macbrook pro doesn't doesn't work with the cam. I have installed macam, ccv works fine with my built in camera. But when I try to set the source from the cam, you can kind of see the video feed from the cam, but has lots of noise, is flickering like crazy and it eventually freezes.

I'm thinking it might have something to do with my macs video input settings, but I have no idea how to fix this.

Any ideas, Stefan?

[Aiden]

Ah I think this is a big problem with ccv, noticed on the forums other complaints of it not working with os x 10.6.3. Awesome!

[Stefan Bachl]

Hi Aiden, sorry I don't know anything about this problem. CCV works fine here with 10.6.3. You can always use the Mac in 313 (and use the calibration from someone else) to run CCV.
Did you try to reinstall the Macam driver?

[Aiden]

Have reinstalled ccv and macam driver, and installed all the drivers josh has (who's ccv is working). I've changed some settings ccv and now it doesn't open at all. I have even reinstalled ccv and it still isn't even opening, like I've changed some fundamental computer settings or something. In other words, IT IS COMPLETELY SCREWED!!!!!!!

I'm just a few moments away from giving up and becoming a Jesuit Priest, cause I do not have the God-like patience that these last few days require of me.

[Aiden]

I've set up a wireless network with Arwen's computer as the ccv side of things and it now works. Tantrum averted.