ICARUS Camera Calibration import script (UPDATE Jan 17-03)

[eeshlo]

For everyone reading this later:
This all started in this thread:
http://www.elysiun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3571

ICARUS itself is available here:
http://aig.cs.man.ac.uk/icarus/index.php

I have finished the first version of the ICARUS import script. It is very simple, just type in the filename or use the fileselector to load a ICARUS Camera Calibration textfile, and click the 'Create Curves' button. The data will be converted to two IPO curves, one for the camera movement and one for the Camera Lens. Unfortunately, once again there are some values you will have to set manually, since there is no access to them using the current or the new python API. I tried to make the script Publisher compatible, but as I still don't have the 'real' version 2.25, I can't fully test this, and so I am not sure if it will work at all in Publisher.
Remember that besides camera movement tracking, you can make really powerful use of Blender's 'sticky' texture mapping option. See this simple 5 minute test, not very good looking of course, but you get the idea, no texture export of ICARUS was used, just the sticky mapping option on the first frame of the 'building' example:

http://mysite.iptic.com/eeshlo/ICARUS_quicktest.mpg

And finally, here is the file, I'm sure bugs will be found, as it was all relatively short and fast work:

http://mysite.iptic.com/eeshlo/ICARUS_import.zip

edit: small update, mainly explanations for use with 223, and might work better in 225, but still can't really test that...
edit2:
another update, now really Publisher compatible. Also added a quick readme file with some short info.
edit3:
Another update, wiensta mailed me about future enhancements of ICARUS that has extra feature point data in the exported file, this is now handled correctly.
edit4:
Updated to ICARUS V2.00, although I'm not sure if it actually works as it should.
edit5:
update 5, FOV calculation corrected, now also includes the option to import feature point data as a mesh.
update 6:
fileformat changed, script updated
http://www.elysiun.com/forum/viewtop...?p=68077#68077

[kino]

amazing thank's
great work

ther's another package/library like Icarus
but it work under Linux too: ARToolKit

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/resea...pace/download/

maybe you know this.

ciao

Kino

[eeshlo]

Originally Posted by Kino ther's another package/library like Icarus but it work under Linux too: ARToolKit http://www.hitl.washington.edu/resea...pace/download/ Kino

Well, I just looked at it, but it appears it is something quite different. ARToolKit seems to be meant for real time VR applications. Besides that it only works with REAL markers, pieces of cardboard with patterns on them. So it is not very useful with general recorded video unless you prepare it for the situation. Like this building example, you would have to physically place markers on the building, but even then I don't know if that would really work.
ICARUS might eventually be released for Linux too, it is just that the authors are not sure about one of the libraries they used, which might not be (L)GPL. Maybe they can replace it with something else.

[wiensta]

heh, ill never understand you programmers, you can make the most amazing things so quickly. ..if only there was a thousand of you typing on a thousand sgis for a thousand years...

anyway..Eeshlo! get back to work on the lf exporter!! if u need help with documentation i can help, but please!! i really cant wait!

[kino]

thank's Eeshlo do you know when it release
the linux version?
For my need will be good a still version too.
you are my Blender developer hero

thk's

Kino

[Caronte]

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!
Yaaaaaaaaaahhhoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry :P I'm was waiting to much time for somethig like this.

[Billiam]

Me too. Camera calibration rocks

[eeshlo]

Originally Posted by wiensta anyway..Eeshlo! get back to work on the lf exporter!! if u need help with documentation i can help, but please!! i really cant wait!

lf export? what is that? never heard of it...

Anyway, everybody, thanks for the comments, I now have Publisher, so I was able to make the changes required for it, it should now work without too many problems, although Publisher seems a bit buggy. So it can happen that you will get crashes, especially with existing Ipo's without curves, but I can' t really do much about that...

[wiensta]

lf = lightflow!!

also: would it be possible if someone could write a tute for this (icarus import), as I cant download the avi files that come with Icarus because theyre too big.

thanks

[eeshlo]

Originally Posted by wiensta lf = lightflow!!

Ah that! I was hoping everybody would forget about that, oh well, I guess I'll have to start work on that then, maybe I'll finish it sometime before the year is over....

also: would it be possible if someone could write a tute for this (icarus import), as I cant download the avi files that come with Icarus because theyre too big. thanks

The ICARUS documentation has tutorials on (almost) all aspects of the program(s), step by step. You could try it out with one of your own videos, even a single image will do. The documentation is not complete yet, as it is continuously updated.

[Grizzly69]

I just got an email, Icarus 2.0 is out and available. Will the script work with 2.0?

They said there were many improvements and changes so that older Icarus projects were not compatible.

[wiensta]

think that was the idea of the last update.

[Grizzly69]

2.0 was just released when I got the email yesterday. And I see no mention of it in previous posts. That is why I ask. I don't think the upates to the thread were because of the new version of Icarus.

[wiensta]

eeshlo and I got word of the updates in ver 2 last week or so, and the icarus guy emailed me the newest function which could be implemented into the blender import.

[Grizzly69]

SO the current script works in Icarus 2.0?

[Dittohead]

quite nice, keep up the good work!!! 8)

[eeshlo]

No, it does not work with v2.0, version 2 of ICARUS is completely different. I am having difficulty changing the script. I can't seem to make the background image and the reconstruction to match up anymore...

[wiensta]

eep.

sorry grizzly

[DR.MONGOLE]

Icarus 1.06 desn't work in my sistem ("Failed to create offscreen pbuffer" error). The only solution they (icarus) say is "upgrade to v2.0.
This soft and your script is very very very important for me. I'm working in a movie that integers 3d and real image.

Must i wait your script to v2.0 or change my system to be able to run icarus 1.6?
Someone knows how solve this error (offscreen pbuffer)
Thank you very much

[wiensta]

you dont have to wait for these lazy bums .

write one yourself!!