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VICON NEXUS
REFERENCE GUIDE

WHAT'S INSIDE?

About this guide 4

About Vicon Nexus documentation 5

Regulatory information 6

Data management with Nexus 7

Navigate in Data Management 9
Work with database hierarchy nodes 11
Customize the Data Management display 17
Advanced data searching 18
Load large trials 20
Batch process trials 21

Labeling skeleton calibration in detail 24

Comparison of skeleton calibration operations 25
Choose the appropriate subject calibration workflow 33

–
© Copyright 2016 2021 Vicon Motion Systems Limited. All rights reserved.
Vicon Motion Systems Limited reserves the right to make changes to information or specifications in this document without notice. Companies, names, and data used
in examples are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying or recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Vicon Motion Systems Ltd.
Vicon® is a registered trademark of Oxford Metrics plc. Vicon Bonita™, Vicon Lock™, Vicon Lock+™, Vicon Lock Lab™, Vicon Lock Studio™, Vicon Nexus™, Vicon
MX™, Vicon Shōgun™, Vicon Tracker™, T-Series™, Vicon Vantage™,
Vicon Vero™, Vicon Vertex™, and Vicon Vue™ are trademarks of Oxford Metrics plc.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Any use of such marks by Vicon Motion Systems Ltd is under license.
VESA® is a registered trademark owned by VESA ([Link]/about-vesa/). Other product and company names herein may be the trademarks of their respective
owners. For full and up-to-date copyright and trademark acknowledgements, visit [Link]
Vicon Motion Systems is an Oxford Metrics plc company.
Email: support@[Link] Web: [Link]
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Using monitors 39
Create a monitor 40
Configure a monitor 42
Configure an AND or OR Monitor 49
Activate and deactivate a monitor 51
Reload a monitor 52
Monitor configuration examples 53

Modeling with Vicon Nexus 57

API functions for digital device data 59
Close trials using the SDK 61
Modeling with MATLAB 62
Modeling with Python 73
Modeling with CGM2 82

Biomechanics workflow 96
Using the Advanced Gait Workflow 98
Using a custom biomechanics workflow 120
OCST, SCoRE and SARA research references 150

Improve manual labeling 151

Eliminate overlapping trajectories 152
Prevent ghost markers 153

Eye tracking with Vicon Nexus 154

Use Tobii Eye Tracker with Nexus 155
Use Dikablis Eye Tracker with Nexus 166

Vicon Nexus user interface 181

About the Vicon Nexus user interface 182
Resources pane 183
System tab 187
System Resources nodes 194
Subjects tab 271
View pane 281

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Tools pane 302

Communications pane 342
Menu bar 353
Toolbar 372

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About this guide

About this guide

This guide contains information about Nexus functionality that is likely to be of
interest if you are already familiar with the basic procedures described in the
Vicon Nexus User Guide.

These chapters are included:

• Data management with Nexus, page 7

• Labeling skeleton calibration in detail, page 24

• Using monitors, page 39

• Modeling with Vicon Nexus, page 57

• Biomechanics workflow, page 96

• Improve manual labeling, page 151

• Eye tracking with Vicon Nexus, page 154

• Vicon Nexus user interface, page 181

For instructions on configuring your Vicon system within Nexus and on the basic
tasks that are part of the everyday Nexus workflow, see the Vicon Nexus User
Guide.

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About Vicon Nexus documentation

About Vicon Nexus documentation

The following documentation is available for Nexus, both online and as PDFs
that you can download from [Link].com1:

Document Description

What’s New in Vicon Nexus Information about the main features that are new
in the current version of Nexus.

Vicon Nexus Quick Start Guide Introductory information on connecting and using
for Blue Trident Vicon Blue Trident (IMU) sensors with Nexus (print/
PDF only).

Installing and licensing Vicon Step-by-step instructions installing and licensing

Nexus Nexus.

Vicon Nexus User Guide Information about how to use Nexus.

Vicon Nexus Reference Guide Descriptions of less frequently used or more

(this guide) complex procedures, background information, and
further details about the Nexus user interface.

Creating labeling skeleton Instructions on how to create your own custom

templates (VSTs) labeling skeleton templates for use with Nexus.

Plug-in Gait Reference Guide Detailed information on the Plug-in Gait model.

1 [Link]

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About Vicon Nexus documentation

Regulatory information
For Vicon Nexus regulatory details, see Vicon Nexus regulatory information in
the Nexus documentation area of the Vicon website ([Link].com2).

2 [Link]

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Data management with Nexus

Data management with Nexus

The Data Management tab of the Communications window provides
functionality for storing and managing all data associated with your motion
capture files. Data is organized in a hierarchical structure, with data and
information stored in relevant nodes.

For a video guide to database management, see the Vicon video, proEclipse:
Preparing and managing your database3, which is available on YouTube.
The default location of Data Management is on a tab at the bottom of the
Communications window. If you prefer, you can click the buttons at the top right
of the Communications window to un-dock it and display it full-screen. To toggle
the display of the Data Management tab, press F2.

Tip
You can also choose to hide the entire Communications pane, in which
the Data Management tab appears, when you load a trial. To do this,
on the Window menu, select the Close Communications Pane on Trial
Load option. Alternatively, to temporarily hide/reveal the
Communications pane, double-click any of its tabs.

By default, the last opened database is loaded when you restart Nexus.

3 [Link]

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The following topics provide an introduction to data management with Nexus:

• Navigate in Data Management, page 9

• Work with database hierarchy nodes, page 11

• Customize the Data Management display, page 17

• Advanced data searching, page 18

• Load large trials, page 20

• Batch process trials, page 21

The Data Management tab also enables you to perform file transfers and
transcoding of reference video files, as well as providing access to batch
processing functionality. For information on these topics, see Work with digital
video files in the Vicon Nexus User Guide and Batch process trials, page 21.

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Navigate in Data Management

Navigation in Data Management (located in the Communications pane) is similar
to that of the web or in Microsoft Windows. Forward, back and up controls are
displayed and path navigation, similar to that in Windows Explorer is available.

The live path link at the top of the pane contains icons and arrows which, when
clicked, give access to other folders at the selected level, and enable you to
open Windows Explorer.

For faster navigation within a database or across a hard drive, you can also hide
the tree view to expand panes.

When you hover the mouse pointer over a trial row, it is highlighted in blue.

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The currently selected node is highlighted in gray:

When you mark a node, it is highlighted in red:

The Show main proEclipse menu button gives you instant access to the most
recently used databases.

 It also gives you access to the Manage Eclipse Databases dialog box, where you
create, browse and register databases, and access other management options.

The quick search facility enables you to filter all the files that are visible in the
current view by typing any letter into the Filter box.

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Work with database hierarchy nodes

You view and manage the nodes created for the database hierarchy on the Data
Management tab of the Communications window.

The data management function keeps all files associated with a Vicon motion
capture trial together in a strict hierarchical order. The database hierarchy can
contain up to four levels (Database, Patient Classification, Patient, and Session)
to define the appropriate hierarchical structure for your motion capture trial as
defined in the database template (.eni ) file on which the database is based.

Each level (node) in the hierarchy has its own properties and can contain only
certain types of data. The top-level node for the hierarchy has the same name as
the database, with sub folders for each node. Sub-sessions and trials do not have
their own folders but are sets of files within the session folder. 

 Caution
The hierarchy shown on the Data Management tab is mirrored in the
folder system on your hard drive. Under no circumstances should you
manually change these folders on your hard drive as this will prevent
your database system from functioning correctly. Make any changes
from within the Data Management tab in Nexus.

You can expand and contract the nodes in an database hierarchy as you would
with standard file explorers. Additionally, you can identify a node for which you
want to perform an action in the following ways:

• Marked node A marked node will be acted on by buttons selected from the
Data Management toolbar.
A marked node is highlighted with a red check mark across the node icon. Its
row has a red background, unless it is also selected, when it is gray.

• Selected node A selected node will be acted on by commands selected from

the context menu displayed when you right-click on the node.
A selected node is highlighted with a gray background for its row.

After you have selected or marked a node, you can carry out the operations
described below.

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Manage database nodes

After you have created one or more nodes in a trial database, on the Data
Management tab you can create, delete, rename, and move folders and files to
meet your requirements.

You can manage database nodes using the mouse and/or the following
commands from the context (right-click) menu :

• Open Patient/Session/Trial/Subject

• Rename

• Delete

• Create copy of Master with tag

This can be one of Labeled, Modeled, Filtered, or Backup.

• Mark
When you mark one or more nodes, the Show/hide marked nodes button
is displayed in the Data Management toolbar, enabling you to display only
marked nodes on the Data Management tab.

• Clear All Marks

• Create Backup (Session node and below)

• Archive (Session node and above)

• Restore

For information about archiving, backup and restoring, see Archive and backup
data, page 14.

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About Data type icons

View and open the different data types saved for a motion capture trial using the
Data Type icons on the Data Management tab.

The icons for the standard data types that can be associated with Vicon motion
capture trials are shown here in the default order in which they appear from left
to right in the Files column:

Icon Data type Description

Movie File Multimedia sound and moving picture

data in .mpg or .avi format files

Raw Analog Data Unprocessed analog data (e.g., from

force plates) in .x1d format files

Model Parameter File The model's parameters for Plug-in Gait

or BodyLanguage models

Centroid/Grayscale File Unprocessed Vicon video data from

Vicon cameras in .x2d format files

Processed Capture Data Processed Vicon 3D motion data in .c3d

format files

Archived nodes are displayed with a red cross over them, to indicate that they
cannot be used until restored.

You may also see additional icons for file types of motion data created in earlier
Vicon motion capture application software or exported for use in third-party
applications (such as animation software or Excel spreadsheets).

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Manage data files

View and manage the motion capture data saved to a trial database on the Data
Management tab. The data files associated with a motion capture trial are
indicated by data type icons in the Files column to the right of a node name in
the database hierarchy.

To open a trial:

In the database hierarchy, double-click the node name.

Nexus opens the trial, and the reconstructed data (and the associated movie file
if present) is displayed in the view pane.

To open a data file:

In the database hierarchy, click a node icon and in the context menu, click the
required file name.

Nexus opens the specified data file, displays system and subject data in the
appropriate Resources pane and displays the visual data in the current view
pane.

To delete a data file:

In the database hierarchy, right-click the desired node name and on the context
menu click Delete " Filename " .

The specified data file is deleted from the current database hierarchy, and the
associated folders and files are deleted from your hard disk.

Archive and back up data

Archiving and creating backups enables you to save your data (optionally in
compressed format), so that it can be restored when required.

Archiving (moving files to a specified location (optionally a .zip file) so that they
can be restored when required) can be applied to the Session node and all
nodes above it in the hierarchy. When you archive a node, data from the node
and all nodes below it in the hierarchy are moved to the archive and can be
restored to the same location when required. The archived node is indicated by
a red cross over its icon  . This is useful if you need to save space.
Creating a backup (creating a zipped copy of a node, but leaving the original
node(s) in place) can be applied to all nodes in the hierarchy. When you back up
a node, data from the node and all nodes below it in the hierarchy are copied to
the backup (a .zip file) and can be restored to the same location when required.

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This is useful if you want to share files with Vicon Support or with your
colleagues.

Archive a node:

1. On the Data Management tab, in the pane on the right, right-click the
required node.

2. On the context menu, click Archive and in the Create Archive dialog box:
a. Enter or browse to the required location.

b. Ensure that the Options line is as required.

c. Click Start/Stop.

The bar displays the progress of the archiving.

3. When all the files have been processed, click Close.

The node is saved to the specified location, as a zip file if this option was
selected in step 2.
On the Data Management tab, the archived node is shown with a red cross
over it and cannot be used until it is restored.

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Restore an archived or backed up node:

1. In the Data Management hierarchy, locate the node that you want to restore
and in the pane on the right, right-click the required node.

2. On the context menu, point to Restore Backup and then click the required file
name. 

3. In the Restore Backup dialog box:

a. Ensure the path is as required, or enter or browse to the required location.

b. Ensure that the Archive Name field displays the name of the required
archive.

c. Click Start/Stop.

The bar displays the progress of the restoration.

4. When all the files have been processed, click Close.

Back up a node:

1. In the Data Management hierarchy, right-click the required node.

2. On the context menu, click Create Backup.

3. In the Create Backup dialog box:

a. Ensure the path is as required, or enter or browse to the required location.

b. Ensure that the Options line is as required.

c. Click Start/Stop.

The bar displays the progress of the backup.

4. When all the files have been processed, click Close.

A .zip file containing the backup is saved to the specified location. This can be
sent to Vicon Support or shared within your organization as required. The
original node is unaffected.
To restore a backup, follow the procedure in Restore an archived or backed
up node, page 16.

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Customize the Data Management display

You can customize databases from within Vicon Nexus to hide the tree view, and
to display the required columns, to show specific, searchable metadata.

Drag to customize the display

To hide the tree view and expand the data pane, drag the splitter:

Add custom data fields

To add custom data fields to Data Management:

1. In the Data Management window, click the Show main proEclipse menu
button  . 
2. Click Configure Column Types and under the Defined Column Types list,
click Add Column Type.

3. Click on ENTER LABEL and in the Edit Selected Column Type section,
change the text in the Column Identifier, Header Text and Metadata Key
fields as required (to display a tooltip, hover the mouse pointer over the
relevant field).

4. Ensure that the correct option is chosen in the Column's base type field.

 Tip
In addition to adding custom data fields, you can change the
available options for the existing field types. To do this, in the
Defined Column Types list, click a field type to select it and in the
Edit Fixed Values for Selected Column Type section, change the
values as required.

5. Click OK at the bottom right of the dialog box to save the new column
type(s).

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Advanced data searching

The advanced search in Data Management enables you to create custom search
fields that will return trials (or other data levels) based on your chosen set of
search criteria that exist in either the metadata (columns) or within the C3D files
(variables). This is particularly useful if you are trying to find an individual trial or
sets of trials for comparison purposes. You can:

• Search a single database or across multiple databases

• Search databases that exist on the local PC or across a network drive

• Use the wizard-based search building system

• Build complex search criteria for metadata or C3D information

For example, searches you might set up could be:

• Find all trials where the subject BodyMass is greater than 75Kg, the Pathology
is Osteoarthritis, the Affected Side is Left and the Maximum Knee Moment is
greater than 715Nm; or

• Find all Subject Names where the Activity is Baseball Pitching, the Maximum
Shoulder Angle Velocity is higher than 80 degrees per second and Trial Date
is between Jan 1, 2013 and Today.

To use the search query wizard:

1. On the Data Management tab, make sure the required location is selected.

2. Click the Search button (or click the Toggle search interface button

.)

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3. In the Search Query line, either select an existing search from the drop-down

list, or to start a new search, click the Configuration menu button and
then click New.

4. To specify a new search, in the Selected Query area, select the required
options, working from left to right. To add further criteria to your search, click
the Add Node button or Add Child button to the right of the pane.

Note that the criteria available for selection change depending on the
currently selected line.

5. To run the current search, click the Execute Search button  at the left of
the pane.
The results of your search are displayed.

6. To save the search, click either the Save button or from the Configuration
menu list, click Save As.

7. To close the search controls, in the toolbar at the top of the pane, click the
Search button again (see Step 2).
You can now:
• Sort based on any of the returned data columns

• Open any level of data by double-clicking on it

• Export the data as ASCII to either Notepad or Excel

• Export the data as a list of paths to either Notepad or Excel (for external
processing)

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Load large trials

To facilitate working with very large unprocessed data files, you can choose
which files will be loaded (.x2d camera data and/or .x1d analog data), and how
many frames of the trial are loaded.

To work with large trial data:

1. In the Communications window, at the top right of the Data Management

tab, click Show Trial Loading Options  .

2. To select only required frames, in the Raw Data Loading Options area, select
Load Frames From and type the frame to start from in the first box and the
end frame in the second box.

3. If required, choose whether to load both centroid/grayscale data (X2D) and

raw analog data (X1D) files, or only one of these options.

4. Process the file(s) as normal.

Only the selected range and files are processed.

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Batch process trials

If necessary, for example, if you are working with large numbers of files, you can
set up and run automated operations as batch processes, using the controls in
the Batch Processing interface on the Data Management tab.

Batch process multiple trials

You can automatically process any number of trials from the current motion
capture database using the Show File Transfer/Batch Processing interface
button on the Data Management toolbar at the top of the Data Management
tab.

Batch processing is optional. It is useful for processing large numbers of files

simultaneously or for automating frequently used processing operations.

 Important
Before batch processing trial data, ensure that you have already:
• Captured trial data

• Created any pipelines you intend to run

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To batch process trial data:

1. On the Data Management tab, mark the nodes (select nodes, right-click and
click Mark) containing the files you wish to batch process.

2. If the File Transfer/Batch Processing interface is not already displayed, on the

Data Management toolbar, click the Show File Transfer/Batch Processing

interface button , and then click the Batch Processing button .

The marked nodes are displayed in the list on the Batch Processing tab.

 Tip
To remove nodes from batch processing, on the Data Management
tab, unmark the nodes (right-click marked nodes and click Clear
Marks).

3. From the drop-down menu at the bottom right of the Batch Processing
interface, select the pipeline to be run on the listed trial files and click the
Start Processing button to start the batch process.

When batch processing begins, an information window is displayed when a

file is being imported for processing. It indicates the import status and
contains buttons to Pause, Stop, or Cancel the import operation.

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During the batch processing, the Progress column in the trials list indicates
the overall status of the processing:
• Blank: Batch processing idle.

• Yellow moving bar: Batch processing in progress.

• Green static bar: Batch processing successfully completed.

• Red static bar: Batch processing failed or canceled.

 Tip
Hover the mouse pointer over a progress bar to view details of the
batch processing operations.

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Labeling skeleton calibration in detail

Labeling skeleton calibration in detail

The following topics will help you to choose the most appropriate type of
labeling skeleton calibration for your particular trials.

• Comparison of skeleton calibration operations, page 25

• Choose the appropriate subject calibration workflow, page 33

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Comparison of skeleton calibration operations

Subject-specific information is what enables a skeleton labeling template (VST)
to be converted to a subject-specific labeling skeleton (VSK). All of the skeleton
calibration operations make changes to the labeling skeleton, as can be seen
inside the VSK file. For VST version 3 files, the attributes that are modified by at
least one of the existing skeleton calibration operations are:

• Parameters. These control the pose of joints and the position of markers in
the parent segment coordinate frame. A single parameter can be applied to
both a segment and a marker or any combination of markers and segments.
The calibration operations can change the value stored in the parameter.

• Segments. Bone lengths can be changed due to the parameters changing.

The VST format doesn't have a concept of bone length. Bone lengths are
inferred from the pose transformation between a pair of joints. This is made
up of a pre- and a post-transformation. It is quite common for this
transformation to have only one parameter that can be changed: this
parameter is often named SomeBoneLength. The calibrated values are written
to the VSK but are not reloaded on VSK import.

• Joints. Various attributes on the joint can be changed by the calibration

operations. The mean, covariance, range-center and range can all be
calculated from data.

• Targets. Target (marker) mean and covariance can be calculated from data.

Deciding which of the different skeleton calibration operations is best in your

situation depends on a number of considerations including trial type, processing
time, and desired labeling quality.

The following descriptions cover the various operations that use the same
underlying skeleton calibration algorithm.

• Functional Skeleton Calibration operation, page 27

• Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation, page 28

• Static Skeleton Calibration operation, page 29

• Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation, page 30

• Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation, page 31

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The operations change the following pieces of information in the skeleton:

Operation Parameters Segments Joints Marker Marker

statistics positions statistics

Functional Skeleton Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Calibration operation, page 27

Functional Skeleton Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Calibration - Markers Only
operation, page 28

Static Skeleton Calibration Yes Yes No Yes No

operation, page 29

Static Skeleton Calibration - Yes No No Yes No

Markers Only operation, page
30

Calculate Skeleton Joint & No No Yes No Yes

Marker Statistics operation,
page 31

For information on how to use the operations in common Nexus workflows, see
Choose the appropriate subject calibration workflow, page 33.

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Functional Skeleton Calibration operation

This operation is the most general of the skeleton calibration operations. It is
used to fully calibrate a labeling skeleton from a trial in which the subject is
moving. This is normally a ROM trial but can sometimes be a movement trial.

Functional Skeleton Calibration optimizes both joint and marker positions. It also
calculates joint and marker statistics.

Ensure the trial covers the full range of motion that is expected in the movement
trials.

Algorithm description
The Functional Skeleton Calibration operation runs two algorithms:

• The first optimizes the skeleton segment and marker parameters. This is done
using a subset of the frames in the trial. These are chosen to get the subject in
a variety of poses. The more frames that are considered, the better the
skeleton will be, however, using more frames makes the calibration take
longer.
The calibration algorithm simultaneously tries to get the skeleton marker
positions to be as close as possible to the corresponding labeled
reconstructions. It does this by changing the joint angles, segment poses and
marker positions. It considers only the selected frames, so selecting more
frames gives the algorithm more poses to try to match. The algorithm
minimizes a statistical distance measuring how close the skeleton markers are
to the reconstructions. This distance accounts for the fact that some skeleton
markers (with a larger covariance) are expected to be found a larger physical
distance away from their reconstructions. The default parameters reset this
covariance to the template covariance (in the VST). The motion that is allowed
between segments is constrained by the joint type. Any joint type mis-
modeling is not absorbed into the joint, but by either the segment or marker
positions, where the effect has less impact. In sparse marker sets this is
sometimes a necessary trade-off.

• The second algorithm calculates the joint and marker statistics (see Calculate
Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation, page 31).

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Examples of using Functional Skeleton Calibration

• Generating a skeleton with the best quality labeling results. This is because
the method provides a large amount of data for markers and joint movement.

• Creating a custom labeling skeleton template defined using the Labeling

Template Builder.

For information on how to use this operation in common Nexus workflows, see
Calibrate a labeling skeleton using a ROM trial in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation

This operation calculates the skeleton's marker positions from a ROM trial. This
operation is useful if the skeleton has already been scaled appropriately for the
subject and more accurate marker position information is required. Any
parameters that are shared between bones and markers are not altered. The
operation finishes by calculating joint and marker statistics (see Calculate
Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation, page 31).

Algorithm description
The Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation is very similar to
the full Functional Skeleton Calibration algorithm (see Functional Skeleton
Calibration operation, page 27). The only difference is that the parameters that
refer to segments positions are kept constant. For this algorithm to provide
good labeling results, the skeleton must already be the correct size. You can
achieve this in the following ways:

• Scale the template skeleton to a reconstruction point cloud.

• Recalibrate a subject after adjusting its markers.

Compared with the full Functional Skeleton Calibration operation, the Markers
Only version has an extra step at the beginning. In this step, the parameters that
influence segment properties (bone lengths) are identified. These parameters
are held constant during the operation. If a parameter refers to both a segment
and a marker, it is also held constant. This reduction in parameters to estimate
means that a Markers Only calibration tends to be faster than a full calibration.

The algorithm uses the same criteria as the full skeleton calibration to decide
how to move the marker parameters and joint angles for each selected frame. It
also runs the algorithm to calculate the joint and marker statistics.

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Examples of using Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only

Recalibration of an existing skeleton when the markers have moved, for example,
when an orthosis has been applied. If the orthosis is expected to move
significantly with respect to the underlying segment, this operation is more
suitable than Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only because this operation
updates the marker covariances as well as the marker positions.

Static Skeleton Calibration operation

Static Skeleton Calibration attempts to calibrate a skeleton from a single frame.
It tries to optimize both joint and marker positions. The subject is usually in a T-
pose for the entire trial.

Algorithm description
This operation calibrates the joint and marker positions from a single frame. It
also tries to fit the skeleton joint angles. To do this, it runs the same algorithm as
Functional Skeleton Calibration with only one frame selected. It is not normally
advisable to run this operation on a general skeleton template because it is not
possible to determine the joint centers without any motion. For this operation to
succeed, every joint center must be defined by a linear combination of marker
positions. As it is not possible to estimate the joint and marker statistics from a
single frame, the subject statistics are left unchanged.

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Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation

This operation calculates the skeleton's marker positions from a single frame.
This operation is only useful if the skeleton has already been scaled appropriately
for the subject.

Algorithm description
The Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation provides a quick way
to update a skeleton's marker positions. It usually operates on a static trial in
which the subject is in the T-pose. Sometimes it is run on a single frame from a
full ROM as part of the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline. Static Skeleton
Calibration - Markers Only estimates both the joint angles and the marker
positions for the selected frame. Before running this operation, the subject
skeleton must be correctly scaled. This is usually done by scaling the subject, as
is done by the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline. You could also use a previously
calibrated skeleton for the same subject.

As happens in Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only, the parameters

that refer to segments are identified and held constant by the operation. The
calibration then optimizes the joint angles and marker positions for the frame
selected. Optimizing the joint angles allows the subject to be in a pose that is
different from the T-pose. This protects against the calibration from introducing
marker position errors due to the subject being in a slightly incorrect base pose.

As with Static Skeleton Calibration, the joint and marker statistics are left
unchanged.

Examples of using Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only

This operation is used for recalibration of an existing correctly scaled skeleton. It
is part of the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline and runs after the Scale subject
operation. It can also be used to recalibrate markers if they have fallen off and
been replaced.

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Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation

This operation calculates joint and marker statistics from either a movement trial
or a ROM trial. Both the Functional Skeleton Calibration and the Functional
Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operations run this operation after
calculating the skeleton parameters. 

Algorithm description
This operation calculates joint and marker statistics for the subject. Joint and
particularly marker statistics are used in the labeling algorithms. Joint statistics
tell the labelers how much a particular joint is expected to move. Marker
statistics give information about how much soft tissue motion is expected for the
markers. Good marker statistics can improve labeling significantly.

This operation assumes that the skeleton has already been calibrated. It does not
change any joint or marker positions. If it is run on an uncalibrated skeleton, the
covariances and ranges calculated will be large.

For joints, this operation calculates values for: mean, covariance, range center,
and range matrix. For markers, it calculates mean and covariance. The statistics
are calculated from all of the frames in the trial.

The values stored in the mean and covariance are not calculated directly from
the data. During a ROM trial the subject has only a few joints moving at a time,
the rest are not moving much. If you plot the joint position samples over a trial
you tend to see a large peak of samples and a few spread across the joint range.

In some cases, such as the knee, a mean and covariance calculated from the
samples does a very bad job of representing the distribution. In the case of the
knee, the majority of the samples are collected with the knee straight. This leads
to a mean that is nearly straight and a covariance that suggests the knee can
bend forward and backward equally well.

Instead of calculating the mean and covariance directly, a range and range
center is calculated. This applies to both joints and markers. It is then assumed
that the samples that really represent the distribution are uniformly distributed
across the range. If you look in the VSK, you can see that joint means and joint
range centers are the same.

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Examples of using Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics

Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics can be used when a skeleton has
been calibrated using a single frame but doesn't label well. This operation can
be used on a movement trial to calculate better joint and marker statistics which
will improve the labeling performance.

For information on how to use this operation in common Nexus workflows, see
Choose the appropriate subject calibration workflow, page 33.

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Choose the appropriate subject calibration workflow

Your choice of workflow depends upon the raw data you are able to collect and
your desired outcome.

To use any of the operations, observe the following preconditions:

• A fully labeled trial (ROM, static, or movement) must exist.

• The trial must contain only raw reconstructions; leave any gaps unfilled.
(Unlabeled reconstructions have no influence on the operations.)

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The following table summarizes the workflow to follow for common labeling
skeleton calibration scenarios:

In this scenario Use this trial type And this pipeline/operation

Simple movement (eg basic gait). Single static frame (base Reconstruct pipeline
pose used when VST was
Subject is unable to complete full created) Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline
ROM. For step-by-step instructions, see
Calibrate a labeling skeleton using a static
Speed of subject setup takes trial in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.
precedence over labeling accuracy.

Automatic labeling (eg Auto Movement (ie, same Reconstruct pipeline

Initialize Labeling) or the Labeling motion as that being
operation alone does not produce studied) that includes Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline and
satisfactory labeling. static motorbike/base manual labeling
pose as the first frame.
The movement during capture is not Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker
sufficiently similar to the static/ROM Statistics operation, page 31
trial.

Complex movement (sports ROM, beginning in static Reconstruct pipeline

movements, or multi-segment, high auto-label pose
velocity movement, where segments Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline on static
or markers interact). Note: Because of its frame, then use it to label whole trial.
labeling quality, Vicon
Labeling accuracy is more important recommends that this Use manual labeling to correct any
than speed of subject setup. method is used labeling errors for the whole trial.
whenever possible.
Functional Skeleton Calibration
operation, page 27 on whole trial.
For step-by-step instructions, see
Calibrate a labeling skeleton using a ROM
trial in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

A marker has fallen off and been re- Single static frame (base Reconstruct pipeline
applied. pose used when VST was
created) Label pipeline (or use previously
calibrated skeleton) with

Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only

operation, page 30 to recalibrate the
marker that fell off.

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For further details, see the recommended ways of working in the following
workflow descriptions.

• Subject set up workflows, page 35

• Re-calibrate workflows, page 38

Subject set up workflows

The following workflows are the recommended ways of working when you are
setting up a subject for labeling.

Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline

This is a recommended workflow for setting up a subject for labeling when you
want to produce a labeling skeleton that can be used for trials that capture
simple data, such as basic gait, non-ballistic/sports movements, or other
movements that are not multi-segment, high velocity, or complex, where
segments or markers tend to interact. This method uses less data (single static
frame) than Functional Skeleton Calibration, and can be processed very quickly.

• Put markers on the subject and get them to perform a static trial.

• Reconstruct the trial and run the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline.

The Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline consists of three operations:

• A T-pose label operation (Autolabel Static). This operation labels the trial for
the following two operations to use.

• Subject scale (Scale Subject VSK). This operation takes the labeled
reconstruction cloud and scales the template skeleton to be the same size.
This enables you to use the same template skeleton for both children and
adults.

• Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only. This operation finishes off the set
up by moving the skeleton markers to the correct locations in the segment
coordinate frames. This is to allow for the variable placement of the markers.

This workflow calibrates both the bone lengths and marker positions from a
single frame. However, the calibration is split over two operations. Scaling the
subject changes all of the bone lengths by the same factor. The marker-only
calibration can then use the scaled skeleton to optimize the marker positions.

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Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline with Calculate Statistics

The standard Auto Initialize Labeling workflow is useful in cases where the
subject's ability to perform a full ROM trial might be limited or where total time
of capture/calibration is paramount. In these types of capture scenarios, the Auto
Initialize Labeling pipeline will often produce completely acceptable labeling. If
less than ideal labeling performance is found, the addition of the Calculate
Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation can improve labeling.

To do this, you (semi-)manually label one of the movement trials and run a
Calculate Skeleton Joint & Marker Statistics operation on it. This calculates the
joint and marker statistics that represent the subject in that particular activity.

 Important
Ensure that the trial contains no labeling errors, as any errors have the
potential to significantly increase the estimated covariance of affected
markers.

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ROM trial subject set up

This workflow for setting up a subject provides more information (multi-frame,
multi-joint range movements) to the Nexus subject calibrator and gives the best
labeling performance in most scenarios. However, the increased amount of
calibration data results in higher processing times than the simpler Static method
(see Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline, page 35 above).

This workflow consists of the following steps:

1. The subject performs a range of motion trial in which they fully exercise all of
their joints. It is recommended that the subject starts the ROM trial in the
static autolabel pose, so that the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline can be run
on the first frame to generate a skeleton that can be used to help label the
rest of the ROM trial.

2. After the trial has been captured you must reconstruct and label it. The
recommended way of doing this is to run the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline
on a T-pose frame and use the skeleton generated by that operation to label
the rest of the trial.

 Tip
If the trial is being labeled semi-automatically, scrub through the trial
to make sure that all of the labels are correct. Incorrect labels
degrade the quality of the calibration.

3. After you have labeled the trial, you run the Functional Skeleton Calibration
operation. This calculates bone lengths, marker positions, and skeleton
statistics.

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Re-calibrate workflows
You may find yourself in a situation where a quick recalibration is preferable to
performing a new full calibration. The following are two examples where a
recalibration operation may be preferable to a full calibration.

Recalibrate for orthosis

Some capture sessions involve trials in which the subject is wearing an orthosis
and others without. If the othosis is large or moving significantly with respect to
the segment(s), the trials with the orthosis might not label well. In this case you
might want a quicker calibration procedure than a full Functional Skeleton
Calibration.

One way of achieving this is to capture a second ROM trial with the orthosis.
Instead of running a full Functional Skeleton Calibration, you could run a
Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation to update the marker
positions and the subject statistics for the trials using the orthosis.

Recalibrate after replacing a marker

Markers sometimes get knocked off the subject and need to be re-applied. In
this case you can use a frame in which the marker has been re-applied to run a
Static Skeleton Calibration - Markers Only operation to recalibrate the marker
that had fallen off.

In this situation it is highly likely that the marker covariance will not need to be
updated so you do not need to run a Functional Skeleton Calibration - Markers
Only operation.

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Using monitors
Monitors enable you to evaluate subject and device outputs, so that when a
specified condition or event happens (eg, a leg is raised to a specified height or
a knee exceeds a specified angle), one or more actions is triggered (eg, a sound
is played). If required, you can configure multiple actions and multiple monitors.

You can use monitors in both Live and Offline modes. In Live mode, you can
compare the current value against the thresholds. In Offline mode, you can tune
a series of monitors against captured data before applying them to live data.

For more information, see:

• Create a monitor, page 40

• Configure a monitor, page 42

• Configure an AND or OR Monitor, page 49

• Activate and deactivate a monitor, page 51

• Reload a monitor, page 52

• Monitor configuration examples, page 53

For an example of creating monitor, see Create a joint range overlay monitor,
page 124(part of a biomechanics workflow).

 Note
For information on running a monitor as part of a pipeline, see the Run
Monitor option in System operations, page 340.

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Create a monitor
Monitors enable you to specify conditions or events during motion capture
sessions, and to interact with them. For example, you can create a monitor for a
graphed model output (such as the subject raising an arm to a certain height, or
the subject's left knee angle exceeding 180 degrees), and then configure it on
the Monitors tab of the Communications window to trigger one or more actions
(such as an event on the time bar or a tone sounding) when the model output
matches a condition you specify.

You create monitors in the Graph view. You can then configure the monitors in
the Monitors tab of the Communications pane.

To create a monitor:

1. Decide on the elements you wish to monitor (trajectories, model outputs,

devices, or joints).

2. In a Graph view, click the Differentiate the graph button and from the
dropdown list, select either:
• The current variable ( x ); or

• Its first derivative, that is, its velocity or angular velocity (x'), or

• Its second derivative, that is, its acceleration or angular acceleration (x")
For example, a graph of a trajectory will have X, Y, and Z axes, but when
differentiated to x' (velocity), the axes will change to X', Y', and Z' axes.

3. Click the Choose the components button and select the graph components
that you want to plot in the Graph view (the options depend on your choice in
the previous step).

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4. On the Graph view toolbar, click the Create a Monitor button.

The monitor is added to the Monitors list in the Monitors communications

pane.
The monitor takes the name of the component you selected. For example, if
the Graph view you've selected shows X, Y, and Z for the LeftAnkleForce,
three monitors are created: LAnkleForce:X, LAnkleForce:Y, and
LAnkleForce:Z.

 Tip
If you select multiple components for your Graph view, a monitor is
created for each component (e.g., x, y, z). You can select and remove
one or more monitors that you don't need from the Monitors list, or
click Clear to remove all of them.

You can now configure the monitor, for example to specify a monitor threshold
and trigger conditions that will trigger an action.

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Configure a monitor
After you have created a monitor for a motion capture event in the Graph view
pane, you can configure the monitor in the Monitors tab of the Communications
pane. You can change the monitor's default name, and configure it to be
triggered upon a specified event or action.

To rename a monitor:

• In the Monitors list on the Monitors tab, double-click the name of the required
monitor and type a new name.

To configure a monitor:

1. In the Monitors list on the Monitors tab, click the name of the required
monitor to select it.

2. In the Threshold section on the right, specify the value and condition that will
trigger the action:

Property Description

Threshold Select the type of threshold:

Mode

Above Tracks a graph value above a specified range. You

Upper must also set the Upper Threshold value.

Below Tracks a graph value below a specified range. You

Lower must also set the Lower Threshold value.

Between Tracks a graph value within a specified range

(default). You must also enter the Upper Threshold
and Lower Threshold values.

Outside Tracks a graph value outside a specified range. You

must also enter the Upper Threshold and Lower
Threshold values.

Tip: The threshold range you specify is displayed as a shaded area

with a dashed line in the Graph view.

Condition In the Trigger section, select the condition under which the
threshold should activate:

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Property Description

On Enter Monitor triggers upon entering the threshold range.

On Exit Monitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range.

Within Monitor triggers on every frame within the threshold

range.

Max Value Monitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range,

on Exit but the event is registered at the point of maximum
value within the range.
For example, if you set a Timebar Event with Max
Value on Exit, the time bar event registers at the
point of maximum value within the specified
threshold range.

Min Value Monitor triggers upon exiting the threshold range,

on Exit but the event is registered at the point of minimum
value within the specified range.

Always

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3. To specify the action that will execute when the monitor threshold and trigger
conditions are met, ensure the required monitor is selected and in the
Actions area on the right of the Monitors tab, click Add and select the
required action.

Action Description/Properties

Capture

Start Starts a capture.

Stop Stops a capture.

Toggle Switches to the opposite capture state, e.g., stops a

capture that is in progress, or starts a capture if the
previous state was stopped.
Capture actions can only be performed in Live mode. If
you want to create and test a capture action based on a
representative trial, you can add a complementary
Timebar Event to indicate that the condition was met.
Then for the live test or real trial capture, turn off the
monitor time bar action.
Tip: In the Auto Capture settings of the Capture Tools
pane, ensure the Arm button is enabled (pressed down)
before triggering capture.
You can also use other Auto Capture settings in
conjunction with monitor events. For example, in
addition to setting up a monitor event to trigger a
capture, you can also set a pre-trigger capture time. To
do this, set up the monitor to trigger the capture and
also set a pre-trigger capture time so that the first frame
captured is prior to the condition which triggers the
capture.

External Sends a trigger pulse to external equipment or software from the

Trigger Sync Output ports on the back of the connectivity device.

Sync Port Select which port you want to use to send the pulse
(sends a trigger pulse from the Sync Output port of a
Vicon Lock+ or Giganet to an external piece of
equipment or software). Affects all connected devices.

Action Choose from:

• Toggle (between Low and High)
• Go High (+4.3V)
• Go Low (0V)

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Action Description/Properties

Timebar Places an event on the time bar, which can be configured to include:
Event

Subject Enter the subject name.

Name

Context Select where to place a time bar event:

• General: Places a marker on the General rule of the
time bar ruler.
• Left: Places a marker on the Left (e.g., left side of the
body) rule of the time bar ruler.
• Right: Places a marker on the Right (e.g., right side
of the body) rule of the time bar ruler.

Event Select the type of user-defined event that will be

Type specified on the time bar:
• General: Indicates the point on the time bar at
which the trial subject performs a user-defined
event.
• Foot Strike: Indicates the point on the time bar at
which the trial subject's foot contacts the ground.
• Foot Off: Indicates the point on the time bar at
which the trial subject's foot leaves the ground.

Clip Select the clip:

• Active: Sets the action to whichever state Nexus is
in. Tip: Active has the same functionality as Offline if
you are analyzing or processing an offline trial, and
Live if you are currently in Live mode. This eliminates
having to change this property when you switch
between Live and Offline.
• Live: Sets the action to occur on a live clip.
• Offline: Sets the action to occur on a captured trial
that has been loaded or a trial that is currently being
captured.

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Action Description/Properties

Frame Select the frame:

• Current: Sets the action for the currently selected
frame in the clip.
• First: Sets the action to the first frame in the time
interval. For an offline clip, this would be frame 1.
For a live clip, this would be the first frame of a 100-
frame moving time window.
• Last: Sets the action to the last frame in the current
interval. For an offline clip, this would be the very
last frame.
The Frame settings detect real time events that are
written to the offline clip. During capture, the current
Live frame is equivalent to the last Offline frame. If you
set Clip to Offline and Frame to Last, you will have real
time event detection during capture. If you configure
this option, you will need to run a post-capture pipeline.

Frame Type a number in the field to indicate the number of

Offset frames of offset before adding the event.

Progress Displays a progress bar. The progress bar reflects a normalized value
Bar within the boundaries of the threshold; that is, Vicon Nexus computes
the upper and lower threshold values so that a given value within the
range is represented as a progress bar percentage.
This action works best when the Monitor Threshold is set to Between,
and is intended for a Trigger condition of Within. The Progress Bar
will function when used On Enter, On Exit, etc., but will not provide
meaningful results. For example, if you set the trigger condition to
On Enter and the parameter enters the threshold region from below,
then the progress bar value will remain near 0%.
If the parameter enters the threshold region from above, the
progress bar value will remain around 100%.
Tip: The Progress Bar is divided into thirds, each designated by a
color: Red for the lower third, yellow for the middle third, and green
for the upper third.

Range Displays an overlay in the 3D Perspective view that provides an easy,

Overlay visual way to verify whether a ROM trial has captured enough of the
required movement to be likely to provide a good calibration of the
subject. For more information, see Create a joint range overlay
monitor, page 124.

Name The title of the overlay

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Action Description/Properties

Zero Type a value or move the slider to specify where zero

(deg) appears on the dial

Sound Sounds a system tone based on the threshold range and trigger
Tone condition.
Sound Tone is recommended with the trigger conditions of Between
and Within. The Sound Tone provides an audio alert in a similar
fashion to the Progress Bar: If set to Between or Within, the sound
pitch varies in proportion to the parameter's value within the
threshold range.
Play Sound File (see below) is recommended with the trigger actions
of On Enter or On Exit.

Toggle Changes the enabled state of the selected monitor to On, Off, or
Monitor Toggle.
Important: Vicon Nexus adjusts the Monitor Index field if changing
the number of Monitors in a configuration affects the Monitor Index.
That is, if you configure multiple monitors and set Toggle Monitor
events, deleting a monitor can change the Monitor Index field
number.

Example (1):
You configure Monitor 1, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3.
You add a Toggle Monitor event to Monitor 2, with the Monitor Index
set to 3 (meaning that Monitor 3 will toggle).
If you remove Monitor 1, Monitor 2's Monitor Index will change from
3 to 2 (Monitor 3 is now Monitor 2).

Example (2):
You configure Monitor 1, Monitor 2, and Monitor 3.
You add a Toggle Monitor to Monitor 2, with the Monitor Index set to
3.
If you delete Monitor 3, Monitor 2's Monitor Index will be blank (there
is no longer any Monitor 3 to toggle).

Monitor Type the number corresponding to the monitor in the

Index Monitors List

Action Sets the toggle state to On, Off, or Toggle.

Play Plays the sound file you specify.

Sound File

Sound Click the Browse button to navigate to the relevant

File directory on your computer, then select a .wav file from
the drop-down list.

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4. To configure multiple actions for the monitor, repeat steps 2 and 3.

5. In the Configuration Management area of the Communications pane, click

Save to save the configured monitor, enter a name for the monitor
configuration and select Shared or Private.

6. In the Configuration Management area of the View pane, click Save to save
the Graph view that corresponds to the monitor you have configured, type a
name for the Graph view configuration, and select Shared or Private.

 Tip
Whenever you want to view the graph related to the monitor, select
it from the View pane list.

7. Test the monitor to ensure that the action occurs when the specified
condition is met.

 Important
Monitor actions function only in a forward time sequence. In other
words, monitors will not activate when you manipulate the time bar ruler
back and forth.

To configure multiple monitors, repeat steps 1–7 for each monitor.

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Configure an AND or OR Monitor

In the Communications pane, on the Monitors tab, you can configure two special
monitor types that run actions based on the conditions of a group of monitors.
They are called AND or OR monitors, or Boolean monitors.

The monitors that make up a Boolean monitor are called children. The Boolean
monitor bases its action on the status of the child monitors; that is, based on
whether the child's thresholds and triggers are present. You can trigger an action
based on a Boolean monitor's condition like you can for an individual monitor,
but Boolean monitors operate in specific ways:

• Boolean AND monitor, page 50

• Boolean OR monitor, page 50

To configure an AND or OR monitor:

 Important
This procedure assumes that you have already configured multiple
monitors. For information on creating and configuring monitors, see
Create a monitor, page 40 and Configure a monitor, page 42.

1. On the Monitors tab, in the Monitors list, select two or more monitors that
will make up the AND or OR monitor.

2. Click the AND or OR button below the Monitors list.

A new Boolean monitor appears in the list (Boolean AND or Boolean OR).

3. Highlight the monitor name and a list of the child monitors within the monitor
appears.

 Tip
To change the child monitors included in the Boolean monitor, click
in the Children field and type the monitor numbers, separated by
commas.

4. Configure the monitor (see Configure a monitor, page 42).

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Boolean AND monitor

If all the child monitors within a Boolean AND monitor meet the monitor
configuration condition at the same time, then the Boolean AND monitor
executes its configured action. In other words, if the condition of all the children
is TRUE then the Boolean AND monitor condition is TRUE, and the Boolean AND
monitor executes.

• Example: If in Child monitor1 the Left Knee Angle > 180 AND in Child monitor
2 the Right Knee Angle > 180, the Boolean AND monitor is true and the
monitor action executes.

All the Boolean AND monitor children must meet the specified condition at the
same time or the Boolean AND monitor condition is FALSE, and the Boolean
AND monitor will not execute the action.

Boolean OR monitor
If at least one of the child monitors within a Boolean OR monitor meets the
specified monitor configuration (threshold, trigger, and condition), then the
Boolean OR monitor executes the specified action. In other words, the condition
of at least one of children is TRUE, therefore the Boolean OR monitor condition
is TRUE.

• Example: If in Child monitor 1 the Left Knee Angle > 180 OR in Child monitor
2 the Right Knee Angle > 180, the Boolean OR monitor is true and the monitor
action executes.

When none of the Children meets the specified condition, the Boolean OR
monitor's condition is FALSE and the Boolean OR monitor does not execute.

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Activate and deactivate a monitor

After you configure a monitor (see Configure a monitor, page 42), you can activate
or deactivate it.

To activate or deactivate a monitor:

• On the Monitors tab in the Communications pane, select or clear the check
box for the required monitor.

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Reload a monitor
You will need to reload your monitor if you do any of the following:

• Make changes to the monitor configuration; or

• Configure or use other monitors; or

• Switch between Live and Offline mode.

To reload a monitor:
For a monitor to take effect in Live mode:

• Reload the trial file on the Data Management tab.

For a monitor to take effect in Offline mode:

• Select Refresh List from the Configuration menu on the Monitors tab.

Tip
Because monitors can be set to toggle on and off, you may need to
reload the monitor before processing a new trial.

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Monitor configuration examples

You can configure monitors in a variety of ways.

For examples of configuring monitors, see the following:

• Configure multiple actions on one monitor, page 53

• Configure multiple monitors, page 53

• Configure multiple actions on multiple monitors, page 54

• Configure Boolean monitors, page 55

Configure multiple actions on one monitor

A single monitor can perform multiple actions, such as to write a time bar event,
display a progress bar, and sound a tone.

To configure a monitor with multiple actions that detects only the first
occurrence of an event:

1. Configure a monitor to detect an event.

2. Add a Timebar Event action.

3. Add a Toggle Monitor action to toggle the monitor Off so that the Timebar
Event is identified only the first time.

Configure multiple monitors

You can use multiple monitors to identify multiple events. Each event type, such
as Foot Strike and Foot Off, would have its own monitor.

For example, you may want one monitor to look for the start of a particular body
motion, which starts another monitor that evaluates whether the pelvic alignment
is within the threshold range. If the pelvic alignment exceeds the threshold
range, the second monitor could sound a tone to notify the operator, and
activate a third monitor to evaluate the range of yet another element.

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To configure multiple monitors:

1. Configure monitor 1 to detect the counter-motion of a jump (e.g., when the

angular velocity of the knee exceeds a threshold).

2. Add a Capture action to the monitor to start a capture when this condition is
met.

3. Add a Toggle Monitor action to toggle the monitor off so that the capture is
initiated only once.

4. Configure monitor 2 to detect the maximum height of the sacrum for both
the initial jump and the jump after landing on the force plate (Maximum Value
on Exit).
Add a Timebar Event action to the monitor.

5. Configure monitor 3 to detect landing on the force plate.

Set the Threshold Mode to monitor the vertical force value (Fz) at the
appropriate threshold (On Enter).

 Tip
Force plate monitor properties will depend on which force plate
device is being used. Some force plates used with Vicon Nexus
register a positive vertical force on contact (such as the AMTI), while
others register a negative force on contact (such as Kistler).

6. Add a Timebar Event action.

7. Configure monitor 4 to detect takeoff from the force plate.

Set the Threshold Mode to detect when the vertical force value (Fz) drops
below a threshold (you can use the same trigger value as for Monitor 3, but
you would set the condition to On Exit).

Configure multiple actions on multiple monitors

To configure multiple monitors, each with multiple actions:

1. Configure a master monitor to trigger the detection of trial events (e.g.,

subject jumps onto a force plate and then jumps off).

2. Configure a series of monitors with Timebar Event actions (e.g., Foot Strike
and Foot Off).
3. Clear each monitor's check box so that its initial state is Off.

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4. Add a Toggle Monitor action to the master monitor for each event monitor.

5. Set each Toggle Monitor to On. Once the master monitor is triggered, the
event monitors will turn On. The events are detected and written to the time
bar.

Tip
The trial conditions could be such that a master monitor isn't necessary
to control the event detection monitors in Step 2. The value of the
master monitor is to make sure that the monitored parameters are in
the proper state for appropriate event detections. This is a safeguard
against identifying false events.

Configure Boolean monitors

You should carefully consider how you configure Boolean monitor thresholds
and triggers to execute event actions.

If you use an AND monitor, it will mark an event only if the conditions of the child
monitors occur at the same frame (an AND monitor event requires all child
monitor parameters to be true). This seems obvious, but let's say you want to
mark an event when parameter 1 is above one threshold and parameter 2 falls
below another threshold. You'd be inclined to set:

• AND Child monitor 1:

• Threshold Mode: Above Upper

• Condition: On Enter

• AND Child monitor 2:

• Threshold Mode: Below Lower

• Condition: On Enter

However, configured this way, the AND monitor will mark the event only if the
two parameters enter the respective threshold regions on the same frame, which
is unlikely.

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Unless you want this specific occurrence tracked, instead you would set:

• AND Child monitor 1:

• Threshold Mode: Between

• Condition: Within

• AND Child monitor 2:

• Threshold Mode: Below Lower

• Condition: On Enter

Configured in this way, when the parameter for Child monitor 1 is within its
threshold, the action will execute the instant the parameter for Child monitor 2
falls below its threshold.

If you use an OR monitor, because the child monitor trigger conditions do not
need to coincide (an OR monitor requires only one of the monitor parameters to
be true), you can set:

• OR Child Monitor 1
• Threshold: Above Upper

• Trigger: On Enter

• OR Child Monitor 2
• Threshold: Below Lower

• Trigger: On Enter

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Modeling with Vicon Nexus

Nexus 2 offers the following options for modeling:

• Plug-in Gait (and the Oxford Foot Model). If you are new to modeling with
Nexus, this provides a good introduction: the Plug-in Gait model is supplied
with Nexus and all the operations necessary to run the model are easily
accessible and ready to use. For more information, see Modeling with Plug-in
Gait in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• MATLAB. If you are familiar with MATLAB, you can use the supplied examples
to create your own custom model. See Modeling with MATLAB, page 62.

• Python. If you are familiar with Python, you can use the supplied examples to
create your own custom models. See Modeling with Python, page 73.

• CGM2. You can use the Conventional Gait Model 2 (CGM2) from within Nexus
so that you can execute CGM2 models on your data. See Modeling with
CGM2, page 82.

 Note
For research and experimental purposes, a version of Plug-in Gait in
open MATLAB script is available. For further details, contact Vicon
Support4.

4 [Link]

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About modeling terminology

For a clear understanding of the way modeling is represented in Nexus, bear in

mind the following definitions:

• Labeling Any process, operation or algorithm that is used in Vicon Nexus to

assign a label to a reconstruction

• Modeling Takes labeled reconstructions and uses these to perform

calculations whose results are new variables.

• Models Files or operations that produce new calculations after labeling. Plug-
in Gait and the Oxford Foot Model are models, as are MOD files built in
BodyBuilder.

• Subject The representation in Nexus of a physical entity (eg a patient)

• Labeling skeleton template (VST): Contains information and definitions

related to labeling.

• Labeling skeleton (VSK) A subject that has a labeling skeleton template

attached to it and subject-specific properties that are required for modeling
(after labeling)

The following examples show the distinction between labeling and modeling:

• Labeling VSTs/VSKs, labeling skeleton calibration (labeling calibration)

• Modeling [Link], scripts in Bodybuilder, PECS, MATLAB

calculations

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API functions for digital device data

Two functions, GetDeviceChannelForFrame
and GetDeviceChannelForFrameGlobal, enable you to access digital device
data that corresponds to optical measurements.

These functions are available in the the SDK for Python and MATLAB.

They address the issue that while the existing function

GetDeviceChannelAtFrame provides the analog frame that contains the
requested optical measurement (ie, the frame number  in Nexus), for digital
devices the analog frame may not align with the optical measurements. These
functions return the analog samples that correspond to the optical frame
requested.

Note that these functions are not available in the Datastream.

Example of using GetDeviceChannelForFrame

import ViconNexus
vicon = [Link]()
# ... stuff to work out what IDs are available...

# demonstrate that the frame counters are different for the system and the
force plate (output results are different)
# demonstrate that frame length is different (different number of samples, 16
vs 10)
[Link](10, 1, 1, 100)
# output ([-0.475459, 1.28333, 0.554047, -0.855607, -3.24367, -2.81851,
-1.16626, -0.394893, -2.00863, -3.02354, -2.41265, -0.732007, -0.266873,
-0.487017, -0.627091, 0.381795], True, 1000.0)
[Link](10, 1, 1, 100)
# output ([-2.00863, -3.02354, -2.41265, -0.732007, -0.266873, -0.487017,
-0.627091, 0.381795, 1.51932, 1.49286], True, 1000.0)

# demonstrate that the force plate has an initial sample offset

# (ForFrame initial sample is AtFrame's 11th sample at frame 1)
[Link](10, 1, 1, 1)
# output ([0.18679, 0.174022, 0.191151, 0.301362, 0.0804058, -0.479919,
-1.002, -1.38398, -1.51135, -1.14212, -0.547826, -0.127377, -0.0933952,
-0.106104, -0.190911, -0.428488], True, 1000.0)
# compare this to the graphed value, initial sample here is the value at frame
1
[Link](10, 1, 1, 1)
# output ([-0.547826, -0.127377, -0.0933952, -0.106104, -0.190911, -0.428488,
-0.649677, -0.551753, -0.666456, -0.713149], True, 1000.0

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Help on GetDeviceChannelAtFrame:

Help on GetDeviceChannelForFrame:

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Close trials using the SDK

You can use the SDK to close the current trial without saving. This functionality is
available for both MATLAB and Python.

The function requires the following call:

[Link](timeout)

timeout is in milliseconds and specifies the length of time during which the
function tries to run.

Note that the command can only be used from an external application such as
MATLAB or Python, and cannot be used in a script that is executed from within
Nexus.

The following example uses Python:

import ViconNexus

vicon = [Link]()
subject = [Link]()
[Link](200)

Note that this call function is not listed by using DisplayCommandList. To

display details about the call, use
[Link]('CloseDontSave').

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Modeling with MATLAB

 Important
Vicon Nexus 2 is supported with MATLAB 2013b and later. Nexus may
function with other versions of MATLAB, but other versions have not
been extensively tested by Vicon. To use MATLAB with Vicon Nexus 2,
ensure that, in addition to installing MATLAB, you install .NET
Framework version 4.55.

The MATLAB interface provides immediate feedback of scripting changes in the

3D Perspective view.  

For more information, see:

• Example of modeling with MATLAB, page 63

• Advanced MATLAB modeling, page 67

• MATLAB commands for use with Nexus, page 68

• MATLAB troubleshooting, page 70

5 [Link]

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Example of modeling with MATLAB

The following example uses a supplied MATLAB script (SimpleMidpoint.m),
which is installed with Nexus 2 in the following default folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\SDK\Matlab\Examples

This example script creates a marker mid way between two existing markers in a
loaded trial, so you must specify the subject, the two markers between which to
create the midpoint, and the name of the midpoint marker that is to be created.

To execute a MATLAB script from within Vicon Nexus:

1. In Nexus, open the trial on which the script is to run.

2. In the Communications window, click on the Matlab tab.

3. In the Matlab script field, enter or browse to the folder that contains the
required MATLAB script (*.m).

4. In the Script arguments field, if your script requires arguments, provide a

comma-separated list of arguments to be used by the script, surrounding
each argument for the subject and marker names with single quotes. The
syntax is:
vicon, 'Subject Name', 'Marker1', 'Marker2', 'New Marker'

For the following example, you would enter:

vicon,'Colin','LWRA','LWRB','LWRM' 

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The supplied examples also show the required input and its format.

If your script does not require any arguments, leave the Script arguments field
blank.

5. If you want to launch MATLAB and display your script, click the Launch
Matlab button.

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6. Click Run Script.

Information, such as a time stamp and text describing the processing,
together with any error messages, is displayed on the Matlab tab. Relevant
information is also displayed in the Log pane.
The modeled marker (in this case, the midpoint marker, LWRM) is created,
and can be seen in the 3D Perspective view.

On the Subjects Resources pane, additional outputs are displayed under a

newly created Modeled Markers node of the resources tree. In the following
example, the new marker is called MyMidpoint.

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7. Display a Graph view of the new marker to see that a trajectory for the new
marker has been created for the whole trial.

8. If necessary, you can change your script in MATLAB and, to check that it has
the desired result, run it again from either MATLAB or by clicking Run Script
again.

9. When you have finished refining your script, to include it in a pipeline, click
Create Pipeline, which copies the information you have supplied to a Data
Processing pipeline operation, Run Matlab Operation in the Pipeline tools
pane. The required inputs are displayed in the Properties pane.

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Advanced MATLAB modeling

From Nexus 2.2 and later releases, to simplify biomechanical modeling,
additional MATLAB scripts are available in the Nexus SDK.

Classes that represent trajectories (read from Nexus or created as modeled

markers), body segments, and angle outputs have been included to ease
modeling of biomechanics based on Nexus data.

Sample functions include:

Calculating the angles between two segments

% Calculate the angle between two segments.

% Can choose euler, fixed or helical angle.
% Specify order of output angles for fixed and euler.
 
LKneeAnglesEulerML = AngleBetween( LThigh, LShank, 'euler', 'yxz' );
[Link]( vicon );
[Link]( vicon );
LKneeAnglesFixedML = AngleBetween( LThigh, LShank, 'fixed' );
[Link]( vicon );
[Link]( vicon );
LKneeAnglesHelicalML = AngleBetween( LThigh, LShank, 'helical' );
[Link]( vicon );
[Link]( vicon )

Creating modeled markers based on existing trajectory data

% Create a trajectory from the segment origin

LThighPosML = NexusTrajectory( 'Colin' );
[Link]( [Link]() );
[Link]( vicon );
[Link]( vicon );

Translating points in the coordinate system of existing segments

% Create a global trajectory that is offset by (100,0,0) in the

% segment coordinate system
Offset = NexusTrajectory('Colin');
[Link]( [100;0;0] );
TestTranslateML = LKNE + Offset*LThigh - [Link]();
TestTranslateML = [Link]( LKNE, [100; 0; 0 ] );
[Link]( vicon );
[Link]( vicon );

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MATLAB commands for use with Nexus

The following information is provided to help you to get started using MATLAB
for modeling with Vicon Nexus 2.

Display all Nexus MATLAB SDK commands

At the MATLAB command prompt, enter:

methods ViconNexus

A list of all Nexus MATLAB SDK commands is displayed:

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Display help on a command

To display help on one of the commands listed above:

At the command prompt, enter:

help ViconNexus/commandName

Where commandName is the command for which you want to display help.

For example, to display help about GetTrajectory, enter:

help ViconNexus/GetTrajectory

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MATLAB troubleshooting
The following table lists possible issues you may encounter when modeling with
MATLAB, helps you to understand why the issue may have occurred, and
suggests the remedial actions to take, in the order to try them.

Issue Reason Action

Nexus error: MATLAB connects to Nexus Install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter.
When you click the Run Script over TCP/IP. If you disconnect For instructions on how to do this, see
button, Nexus becomes your Ethernet cable and turn Install the Microsoft loopback adapter,
unresponsive for some time, off wifi (ie, if you are working page 77.
and finally, the Matlab tab entirely offline), MATLAB and
displays the following error: Nexus cannot connect.
Default Run Matlab
Operation Host
Application is not
connected, unable to
retrieve command list
MATLAB error:
Default Run Matlab
Operation Host
Application is not
connected, unable to
retrieve command list

MATLAB error when When you try to create an Ensure that the NexusSDK has been
constructing an instance of the instance of the class object installed. The 32-bit version of the SDK
ViconNexus object ViconNexus, MATLAB is should be installed for a 32bit installation
vicon = ViconNexus(); unable to locate the definition of MATLAB; the 64-bit version of the SDK
Undefined function or for the class. should be installed for a 64-bit installation
variable 'ViconNexus' This is generally an indication of MATLAB.
that the Search path in In MATLAB, ensure that the path to the
MATLAB has not been set to NexusSDK has been added:
include a path to the 64-bit MATLAB NexusSDK path is:
NexusSDK or that the NexusInstallFolderSDK\Win64\Matlab
NexusSDK has not been 32-bit Matlab NexusSDK path is
installed NexusInstallFolderSDK\Win32\Matlab
Use the shortcut provided on the Start
menu to set the MATLAB path.

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Issue Reason Action

MATLAB error when This can happen if the VC++ Install the runtimes manually.
constructing an instance of the 64-bit runtimes did not get Navigate to the folder where the
ViconNexus object installed from the Nexus installation files were unzipped
vicon = ViconNexus(); bootstrap installer [Link] run vcredist_x64.exe

Could not load file or

assembly
'[Link]
' or one of its
dependencies. The
specified module could
not be found.

Generic type error message Look at the log in the Nexus Matlab tab
received in MATLAB after as it may contain more detailed
calling a function information on the error that has been
result = generated.
[Link]();
Error using ViconNexus/
function (line 123)
Error: Invalid Parameter
Value

MATLAB error After MATLAB sends a Look at the log in the Nexus Matlab tab
Host application failed command to Nexus, it waits to see if an error has been generated.
to respond to the for a specific amount of time Often, commands will return a reply, but
information request. for the reply to be received. If some commands, such as OpenTrial and
the reply is not received in RunPipeline, require that Nexus generates
that timeframe, this error is a notification of task completion. An error
generated. in these commands can cause the reply to
Delays in processing can be delayed or not be generated.
occur when Nexus is waiting Look at the log in the Nexus Matlab tab
for input from the user to to see if the command was received by
proceed or it has become Nexus. If the log does not have an entry
unresponsive. showing that the command was received
then it is possible that something has
happened to the connection between the
applications.
Restart Nexus.
Make sure that Nexus is not displaying a
user prompt, if it is, answer the prompt
and retry the command.
Restart Nexus.

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Issue Reason Action

MATLAB error The function called failed to Make sure that Nexus is running and is
Unable to Communicate execute because the responsive.
with the host connection to Nexus has If running from within MATLAB, remove
application. either been dropped or never the ViconNexus object from the
established. workspace using the MATLAB clear
command and re-create the object.
Restart Nexus.
Restart MATLAB.

Nexus error This can happen if Nexus is Run [Link] with the /register option
MATLAB version is shown in able to determine that to have MATLAB re-register its
the Matlab tab but a message MATLAB is installed but it is automation server components.
states that MATLAB is not unable to access the MATLAB
accessible. automation server.

When there are multiple MATLAB registers COM Run [Link] from the MATLAB version
versions of MATLAB installed, components to provide access you wish to use with the /register option
Nexus is running the wrong to its automation server, to have MATLAB re-register its
version of MATLAB Nexus will use the currently automation server components.
registered components so the
order of installation/uninstall/
upgrade of different MATLAB
versions can make a
difference.

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Modeling with Python

Python is a powerful, widely used programming language that can be a useful
tool for mathematical modeling with Vicon Nexus.

To ensure that custom modeling is available whether or not you have access to
MATLAB, Python is automatically installed with Nexus.

For more information, see:

• Set up Python for use with Nexus, page 74

• Python commands for use with Nexus, page 79

• Python scripts supplied with Nexus, page 81

In addition, the following Vicon Nexus 2 videos are available on YouTube:

• Python Plug-in Gait to Excel6

• Python demonstration with custom Gait Kinematics script7

 Note
As the videos were recorded using an earlier version of Nexus 2, you
may notice small differences in the user interface.

6 [Link]
7 [Link]

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Set up Python for use with Nexus

The Nexus API is supplied as a Python package called viconnexusapi and is
automatically installed with Nexus. The build of Python installed within Nexus is
Python 2. You can run the Python SDK for Nexus in a Python 3 environment as
well as in a Python 2 environment.

For more information, see:

• Configure Python for scripting with Nexus, page 74

• Install the Nexus API into other Python distributions, page 76

• Launch the required Python, page 76

• Install the Microsoft loopback adapter, page 77

Configure Python for scripting with Nexus

To set up Python to work with Nexus:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs and then start to type Python.

2. Click the Python symbol.

3. To automatically configure Python for scripting with Nexus, at the command

prompt, enter the following: 

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[Link]

from viconnexusapi import ViconNexus

vicon = [Link]()

or

[Link]

import viconnexusapi
vicon = [Link]()

The Python installed with Nexus contains the API version shipped with that
version. However, if you install the package into another Python distribution, you
are responsible for installing the appropriate version.

For information on how to access the help provided on the relevant Python
commands, see Python commands for use with Nexus, page 79. For more
information about how to use Python, see [Link]
gettingstarted/.

 Important
If you disconnect your Ethernet cable and turn off wifi, when you enter a
Python command, the following error may be displayed:
Host Application is not connected, unable to retrieve
command list
This is because Python connects to Nexus over TCP/IP and if you are
working entirely offline, Python and Nexus cannot connect.
To solve this issue, install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter. For
instructions on how to do this, see Install the Microsoft loopback
adapter, page 77.

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Install the Nexus API into other Python distributions

The build of Python (Python 2) installed within Nexus automatically installs the
viconnexusapi package as part of Nexus. A script is also available with both the
32- and 64-bit installers, which installs the package into the system Python
distribution. You can also directly install the package into any other Python
distributions that you have installed.

Installing_viconnexusapi

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.12\SDK\Win32\Python"

# install the api into the system python
./install_vicon_nexus_api.bat
# install the api into a specific python distribution
<path to user python> -m pip install ./viconnexusapi

The advanced modeling scripts are provided as a package called viconnexusutils

and are available in the same way as viconnexusapi, except that these scripts are
not automatically installed. This is because they have additional dependencies
that cannot be guaranteed to be present and must be downloaded by pip.

Launch the required Python

The shell launched by the python operation is either the Python distribution
shipped with Nexus or your default Python (as determined by the PATH variable).

If the Python distribution shipped with Nexus is launched, the API package is
automatically available for import, and additional scripts (eg,
[Link]) are no longer required.

If you choose to use a Python that is different from the installed Nexus
distribution, you can use a new advanced option to select the command used to
launch Python. The options for this are [Link] or [Link]:

• If you have only a Python 2 or a Python 3 installation in the path, [Link]

launches that version of Python.

• If you have both versions and the pylauncher utility, [Link] launches either
Python 2 or Python 3, depending on a shebang comment at the start of the
launched script.

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CGM2 Python version

CGM2 launches using the version of Python 2 installed with Nexus. 

Install the Microsoft loopback adapter

To install the Microsoft loopback adapter on Windows 10:

1. Right-click the Windows Start menu icon and select Device Manager (or use
your preferred method of opening the Device Manager).

2. In the Device Manager, click the Action menu and then select Add legacy
hardware.

3. On the welcome screen, click Next.

4. In the Add Hardware screen, select Install the hardware that I manually select
from a list and then click Next. 

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5. In the next screen, scroll down the Common hardware types list,
select Network adapters and then click Next.

6. From the Manufacturer list, select Microsoft, and then select Microsoft KM-

TEST Loopback Adapter card model and click Next.

7. In the next screen, click Next.

8. Click Finish.

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Python commands for use with Nexus

The following information is provided to help you to get started using Python for
modeling with Nexus.

Before you begin, ensure you have launched and configured Python as
described in Modeling with Python, page 73.

Tip
Remember to import the module first:
import ViconNexus

Display all Nexus Python SDK commands

At the Python command prompt, assuming you have completed the above
preparatory step, enter:

dir([Link])

A list of all Nexus Python SDK commands is displayed:

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Display help on a command

To display help on one of the commands listed above:

At the Python command prompt, enter:

help(commandName)

Where commandName is the command for which you want to display help.

For example, to display help about GetTrajectory, enter:

help([Link])

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Python scripts supplied with Nexus

To make it simpler to develop Python models with Nexus, additional Python
scripts are supplied.

These advanced modeling scripts are provided as a package called

viconnexusutils.

To install the package, use the appropriate pip for the Python installation that
you want to use (or, to add it to the system Python, use the scripts provided, as
described in Set up Python for use with Nexus, page 74).

The following scripts are included in the package:

• [Link]

• [Link]

• [Link]

• [Link]

 Note
The example scripts that are supplied with Nexus are compatible with
Python 2 only.

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Modeling with CGM2

The Conventional Gait Model 2 (CGM2) was developed by Dr Fabien Leboeuf
(University of Salford), and partly funded by Vicon. It is an open-sourced
biomechanical model developed in Python 2. The design of the CGM2 model
enhances the Conventional Gait Model whilst maintaining its strengths.

You can use Conventional Gait Model 2 (CGM2) VSTs and biomechanical models
from within Nexus so that you can execute CGM2 models on your data.

 
pyCGM2 is compatible with versions of Nexus from 2.7 and later. It fits straight
into Nexus pipelines with the usual gait plug-ins such as the Woltring Filter, Gait
Cycle event detection, and Plug-in Gait.

 Note
• Nexus 2.9 and later: CGM2 is automatically installed and you can use
it without any further setup or installation.

• Nexus 2.7 or 2.8: Download the CGM2 installer and its documentation
from:
[Link]

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The following topics contain information about setting up and using CGM2 with
Nexus:

• What's new in CGM2?, page 84

• Use pyCGM2 in Vicon Nexus, page 86

• Known issues for CGM2, page 93

• Addressed issues for CGM2, page 95

For more information, also see the following links:

• For more details about the model: [Link]

• To set up the Python environment (only needed for Nexus 2.7 or 2.8): https://
[Link]/pages/pythonInstallation

Note that if you want to use CGM2 with Python 3, you must use pyCGM2 with
Nexus 2.12 or later (see [Link]

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What's new in CGM2?

In addition to the updates listed below, the following update was made with
Nexus 2.12.1:

• CGM2 version updated to v3.4.5

• Foot position adjustments

• Foot scale updates to not calculate zero values

Dr Fabien Leboeuf (University of Salford) has made the following updates to the
Conventional Gait Model 2 (CGM2) that is included with Nexus.

• Ability to enter thigh rotation offset values that are read and applied to the
model outputs.

• Ability to run CGM2 after running the Oxford Foot Model pipeline in Nexus.

• Ability to run CGM2 when scalar model outputs and other data are present.

• Corrected the head and thorax bones for scale and position, so that the upper
body skeleton is scaled correctly in Vicon Polygon 4.x.

• Fixed chord function if the inputs include zeros (that is, gaps). 

• Fixed an issue where no force plate was detected.

• Improved detection of missing markers and consequent adaptation of the

CGM2 model. For example, if you're using a full body CGM2 marker set and
during the walking trial an upper limb marker is missing, CGM2 automatically
switches to a lower limb model and reports those model outputs (previously,
you would have had no outputs). 

• Removal of OpenMA (open source movement analysis library).

• Fixed an issue with moGap fill app when two subjects are detected.

• The data is checked for gaps, incorrect gait event sequences and swapped
markers.

• Processing of data from foot strike gait events only.

• Development of a correction method for the thigh coordinate system, using

Naaim et al. (2019) Correcting lower limb segment axis misalignment in gait
analysis: A simple geometrical method. Gait & Posture, 72, 34-39. DOI:
10.1016/[Link].2019.05.013.
• Fixed an issue with EMG processing.

• Use of JSON file as a normative dataset.

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• Fixed an issue with marker low-pass filtering.

• Events fixed in the btkAcquisition.

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Use pyCGM2 in Vicon Nexus

In this section:

• CGM2 labeling templates (VSTs), page 86

• Run the static CGM2 model, page 88

• Run the knee calibration (CGM 2.6), page 90

• Run the dynamic CGM2 model, page 91

• Find the version number of CGM2, page 92

CGM2 labeling templates (VSTs)

CGM2 VSTs are automatically installed in: 
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\Nexus2.x\ModelTemplates

Note that VSTs are available for both lower and full body.

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 Note
If you are using a version of CGM2 earlier than 2.5 and want to perform
upper body modeling, run either a custom upper limb model or the full
body Plug-in Gait model. If you use the full body PiG model, add a
script prefix to the outputs, so that the PiG model does not overwrite
your CGM2 lower body model. (If you're not sure which version of
CGM2 you're using, see Find the version number of CGM2, page 92.)

For all versions of CGM2, you must use the appropriate marker set for the model,
for example, you must run a 2.5 model using a 2.5 marker set.

For more information about CGM2, see the following:

[Link]

Information about the CGM2 models:

• CGM 1.0 (Vicon Plug-in Gait Clone):

[Link]

• CGM 1.1:
[Link]

• CGM 2.1 (Hip Joint Center):

[Link]

• CGM 2.2 (Inverse Kinematic):

[Link]

• CGM 2.3 (Skin Clusters):

[Link]

• CGM 2.4 (Forefoot):

[Link]

• CGM 2.5 (Upper body model):

[Link]

Note that each subsequent model includes the improvements made in all prior
models, e.g. skin cluster calculations, inverse kinematics and hip joint center
calculations will also be applied within the forefoot model.

Information about marker placement:

[Link]

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Run the static CGM2 model

To apply the model, run the CGM2 - Calibration pipeline operation on static
trials.

Add the CGM2 - Calibration pipeline operation to the current pipeline, select it
and in the Properties pane, select the required parameters:

• Model Version Select the CGM version that you want to use.

• Marker Diameter Default is 14 mm.

• Suffix Add your preferred naming convention, eg, CGM2. Note that CGM2
automatically adds an underscore, so if you specify the suffix CGM2, all the
outputs will have the suffix _CGM2.
• Left Foot Flat and Right Foot Flat Default is selected.

• Reset MP Reset computation of optional parameters, eg, interAsisDistance

and shank offsets. If selected, the information entered in the Properties pane
of the Subjects Resources tab is accounted for when applying the model.

• Force LHJC and Force RHJC Forces the local position of the left/right hip joint
center in the pelvic coordinate system. Note that this applies only for the
CGM2 model from CGM 2.1 and later.

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When you run the operation, the model outputs appear in the Subjects tree.

Note that in the following example, the suffix CGM2 has been specified so that the
outputs for CGM2 and Plug-in Gait can be compared. If no suffix had been
specified, the outputs would be overwritten.

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Run the knee calibration (CGM 2.6)

The knee calibration routine (CGM 2.6) provides two options: 2DoF Calibration
or SARA. To apply the knee calibration, run the CGM2 - Functional Calibration
pipeline operation between the static/calibration (see above) and the dynamic/
fitting trials (see below).

Add the CGM2 - Functional Calibration pipeline operation to the current

pipeline, select it and in the Properties pane, select the required parameters:

• Method Select the required knee calibration method.

• 2DoF Calibration

• SARA Note that SARA can only be used with a subject that has been
statistically calibrated in CGM 2.3 or later.

• Side Select the option to which to apply the functional calibration. 

• Auto Expects each leg to be calibrated from a separate trial. If not, you
must specify the frame range for the movement of each leg within the trial.

• Left Runs on the left knee.

• Right Runs on the right knee.

• First Frame Default is Selected Start.

• Last Frame Default is Selected End.

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Run the dynamic CGM2 model

To apply the model, run the CGM2 - Fitting pipeline operation on dynamic trials.

Add the CGM2 - Fitting pipeline operation to the current pipeline, select it and
in the Properties pane, select the required parameters:

• Model Version: Select the CGM version that you want to use.

• Marker Diameter Default is 14 mm.

• Suffix Add your preferred naming convention, eg, CGM2.

• Projection: Select the coordinate system for joint moment from the options:
• Default - CGM 1.0 = distal and all other CGM2 models default to JCS (Joint
Coordinate System)

• Proximal

• Distal

• Global

• JCS - Joint Coordinate System

• Disable IK If selected, inverse kinematics is deactivated. Applicable only to the

CGM2 model from CGM 2.3 and later. 

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The model outputs appear in the Subjects tree. In the same way as in the static/
calibration example above, to enable a comparison of CGM2 with Plug-in Gait, a
suffix (CGM2) was specified.

Find the version number of CGM2

You can find out which version of CGM2 is currently installed in either of these
ways:

• Display a list of the installed modules for Nexus Python by entering this
command:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.12\Python\[Link]" -m
pip freeze | findstr pyCGM2

• Look at the installed package directly, for example:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.12\Python\Lib\site-
packages\[Link]-info
C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.12\pyCGM2-
wheels\[Link]

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Known issues for CGM2

Issue Workaround

If you use a SACR marker instead of the LPSI Modify the Translators information,
and RPSI markers, and you try to run the page 94.
CGM2 - Functional Calibration pipeline
operation, CGM2 doesn’t work with Nexus
and CGM2 calibration errors are logged.

When you run a CGM2 pipeline operation in In Polygon, manually adjust the mesh
Nexus and generate a MKR file, the forearms visualization segment scales.
may be poorly scaled. Also, for CGM2.4 and
later, the feet may be offset.

You installed Nexus 2.9 or later, having Delete this folder:

previously installed CGM2 standalone (ie, pre-
Nexus 2.9) and encounter issues running C:\ProgramData\pyCGM2
CGM2.

You can't find the version number for CGM2. See Find the version number of
CGM2, page 92.

Note also that CGM2 is currently only a bilateral model.

For questions regarding CGM2, including the biomechanical model details and
known issues, please contact Dr Fabien Leboeuf at:

[Link]

If you have any questions regarding Vicon pyGM2, please contact

support@[Link].8

8 [Link]

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Modify the Translators information

If you use a SACR marker instead of the LPSI and RPSI markers and need to run
the CGM2 - Functional Calibration pipeline operation, to enable CGM2 to work
with Nexus, you need to modify the information about the relevant markers. This
information is stored in the Translators section of the [Link]
file and the [Link] file. To modify the information:

1. Copy the pyCGM2 folder from:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\Python\Lib\site-packages\
to
C:\ProgramData

2. Depending on how often you use a SACR marker, edit the Translators
information:

• If you use the SACR marker by default:

i. Edit this file:
C:\ProgramData\pyCGM2\[Link]

ii. Under Translators , change:

LPSI: None and RPSI: None to
LPSI: SACR and RPSI: SACR

• If you use the SACR marker in only some sessions:

i. Copy this file into the relevant session folder:
C:\ProgramData\pyCGM2\translators\[Link]

ii. Edit the file as described above.

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Addressed issues for CGM2

These issues have been addressed in Nexus 2.12:

• When you run a CGM2 pipeline operation in Nexus and generate a MKR file,
the head and thorax that are visualized in Polygon's 3D workspace are now
correctly scaled.,

• If you run CGM2 when scalar model outputs are present (eg, after running the
Oxford Foot Model), CGM2 no longer terminates with errors.

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Biomechanics workflow
 Important
The Optimum Common Shape Technique (OCST) 19 , Symmetrical
Center of Rotation Estimation (SCoRE) 210 and Symmetrical Axis of
Rotation Analysis (SARA) 311 methods are based on research
publications that can be obtained from Vicon on request. As the
research and validation of the values produced by these methods is a
continuing effort, it is recommended that OCST, SCoRE and SARA are
used for investigative and research purposes. It is the responsibility of
the user to review the scientific references and understand the methods.
Any use of the methods as part of a clinical assessment is strictly at the
discretion of the user.

Vicon Nexus 2 includes a Biomechanics Workflow area that enables you to

associate specified data capture and processing steps with particular trial types,
add joint range monitors for instant feedback, and quickly accept or reject the
results of each step.

9 [Link]
10 [Link]
11 [Link]

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In the Biomechanics Workflow area, you can run (or modify and then run) the
supplied Advanced Gait Workflow, or set up your own workflows:

• To help you to calculate a repeatable Hip Joint Center location using the
SCoRE method, and an optimized Knee Joint Flexion Axis using the SARA
method, Nexus includes an Advanced Gait Workflow. The Advanced Gait
Workflow also incorporates a mathematical approach (known as OCST) that
finds the average or common shape for selected sets of markers. The OSCT
method allows non-rigid arrangements of skin-based markers to be used in
SCoRE and SARA calculations where rigidity is assumed. The Advanced Gait
Workflow steps each have an associated step description in the Biomechanics
Workflow area that guides you through the process from marker placement to
capture and processing. For more information, see Using the Advanced Gait
Workflow, page 98.

• To set up your own workflow, see Using a custom biomechanics workflow,

page 120, which explains how to set up and use custom workflows, and includes
further information on using functional calibration and SCoRE and SARA.

In addition, a Vicon Nexus 2 video: SCoRE and SARA12, is available on YouTube.

 Note
As the videos were recorded using an earlier version of Nexus 2, you
may notice small differences in the user interface.

12 [Link]

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Using the Advanced Gait Workflow

 Important
The Optimum Common Shape Technique (OCST) 113 , Symmetrical
Center of Rotation Estimation (SCoRE) 214 and Symmetrical Axis of
Rotation Analysis (SARA) 315 methods are based on research
publications that can be obtained from Vicon on request. As the
research and validation of the values produced by these methods is a
continuing effort, it is recommended that OCST, SCoRE and SARA are
used for investigative and research purposes. It is the responsibility of
the user to review the scientific references and understand the methods.
Any use of the methods as part of a clinical assessment is strictly at the
discretion of the user.

Nexus 2 includes a feature called the Biomechanics Workflow. This area on the
Data Management tab enables you to create a custom series of sequential steps
that constitutes a collection protocol. These steps can automatically select
aspects of Nexus for data collection and processing, including trial types, trial
names, and processing pipelines.

The Advanced Gait Workflow (AGW) helps you to calculate a repeatable Hip
Joint Center location using the SCoRE method, and an optimized Knee Joint
Flexion Axis using the SARA method. The Advanced Gait Workflow also
incorporates a mathematical approach (known as OCST) that finds the average
or common shape for selected sets of markers. The OSCT method allows non-
rigid arrangements of skin-based markers to be used in SCoRE and SARA
calculations where rigidity is assumed. The Advanced Gait Workflow steps each
have an associated step description in the Biomechanics Workflow area that
guides you through the process from marker placement to capture and
processing.

13 [Link]
14 [Link]
15 [Link]

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The Advanced Gait Workflow steps you through a series of trial captures and
automated processes to:

• Calibrate the subject's labeling skeleton

• Calibrate the OCST pelvis, femur, and tibia segments

• Monitor the range of motion (ROM) of the hip and knee joints for SCoRE and
SARA calibration

• Calibrate the SCoRE hip joint centers

• Calibrate the SARA knee flexion axes

• Capture a dynamic trial and use the calibrated OCST, SCoRE and SARA data
to compute the hip joint centers and knee flexion axes for further analysis

The workflow enables you to accept the outcome of the current step and
proceed to the next automatically or to reject it to repeat the step until the
outcome is satisfactory. It illustrates how to use the Biomechanics Workflow and
its corresponding features with the supplied Advanced Gait Workflow VSTs, but
if required, you can modify it and the associated trial types, monitors and
pipelines to suit your needs.

The following topics describe each step in the Advanced Gait Workflow along
with its outcome. The final topic describes how to use the MATLAB Plug-in Gait
scripts with the SCoRE and SARA data for further analysis.

• Advanced Gait Workflow files, page 100

• Prepare a subject for SCoRE and SARA and the Advanced Gait Workflow,
page 104

• Run the Advanced Gait Workflow, page 105

• Troubleshoot AGW reconstruction and labeling, page 112

• Process a kinematic model with SCoRE and SARA, page 113

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Advanced Gait Workflow files

By default, the Advanced Gait Workflow files are located in the following
installation folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\

You are given the option to change this location during the Nexus installation.

The Advanced Gait Workflow (AGW) files are:

• AGW labeling skeleton template and marker files, page 101

• AGW pipelines, page 101

• AGW trial types, page 101

• AGW monitors, page 102

• AGW capture workflow, page 102

• AGW MATLAB folder and files, page 102

• PlugInGait FullBody Ai Functional VST, page 102

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AGW labeling skeleton template and marker files

The following labeling skeleton template and marker files are installed in:

<installation folder>\ModelTemplates

• PlugInGait FullBody Ai [Link]

• PlugInGait FullBody Ai [Link]

• PlugInGait LowerBody Ai [Link]

• PlugInGait LowerBody Ai [Link]

AGW pipelines
The following pipelines are installed in:

<installation folder>\Configurations\Pipelines

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

AGW trial types

The following trial types are installed in:

<installation folder>\Configurations\TrialTypes

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

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AGW monitors
The following monitors are installed in:

<installation folder>\Configurations\Monitors

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

• AGW [Link]

AGW capture workflow

The following capture workflow is installed in:

<installation folder>\Configurations\CaptureWorkflows

• AGW Lower [Link]

AGW MATLAB folder and files

The following MATLAB folder and files are installed in:

<installation folder>\SDK\Matlab

• +Vicon (folder containing the Plug-in Gait MATLAB model)

• DynamicPiG.m

• StaticPiG.m

PlugInGait FullBody Ai Functional VST

The PlugInGait FullBody [Link] uses the same marker set and marker locations as
the legacy PlugInGait FullBody (UPA and FRM).vst but it has been rewritten into
the VST/VSK format to take advantage of the skeleton calibration and labeling
algorithms of Nexus 2.

The PlugInGait FullBody Ai [Link] has four additional markers that are
used to define independent thigh and tibia segments for SCoRE and SARA
processing. (Note that this VST is just one example of the possible marker sets
that can be used with SCoRE and SARA.) The additional markers include the L
and R THIA, typically placed on the anterior aspect of the thigh, which combine
with the THI and KNE markers to define the left and right femur OCST segments.

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Also the L and R TIBA markers, typically placed on the anterior aspect of the
tibia, combine with the TIB and ANK markers to define the left and right tibia
OCST segments. Although the exact placement of these additional markers
does not necessarily correspond with anatomical landmarks, it's important that
the markers form a solid geometrical relationship with the other markers on the
segment to provide well-defined and stable OCST segments, as shown in the
following illustration.

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Prepare a subject for SCoRE and SARA and the

Advanced Gait Workflow
1. Take the standard Plug-in Gait Full Body anthropometric measurements.

2. Attach the markers to the subject.

3. On the Subjects tab, click Create a new subject from a Labeling Skeleton and
select PlugInGait FullBody Ai Functional.

4. Enter the subject's anthropometric measurements into the subject Properties

fields.

 Note
These anthropometric measurements aren't used to calculate OCST/
SCoRE/SARA values, however they are required for Plug-in Gait
processing (standard and/or MATLAB).

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Run the Advanced Gait Workflow

1. After attaching markers, have the subject enter the volume.

2. On the Data Management tab, click the File Transfer/Batch Processing

Interface icon  .
3. Click the Biomechanics Workflow icon.

4. From the dropdown list, select AGW Lower Body.

The steps are displayed in the Biomechanics Workflow area:

Complete the steps as described in the following sections.

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Step 1: AGW Static

This step calibrates the subject's labeling skeleton and OCST segments from a
static trial.

1. Have the subject stand in the motorbike pose and click on the first step,
which is labeled Static. When selected, the play icon is positioned at that
step, as shown in the previous illustration.

2. To initiate the capture, click Start.

The AGW Static trial type is loaded automatically. It is set to capture a 1-
second trial and run the AGW Static pipeline after the capture is complete.
The outcome is a calibrated labeling skeleton and calibrated OCST Pelvis,
RFemur, LFemur, RTibia, and LTibia segments.

3. Review the subject in the 3D Perspective view to make sure the results are
acceptable.
The OCST local segment axes are displayed on the subject as well as written
to the subject's OCST Bones node, in the Model Outputs node.

If the results look incorrect, check the Log tab for any error messages.

4. If the results are acceptable, click Accept to move on to the next step or to
repeat the current step, click Reject.
When you click Accept, the current offline trial is automatically saved, which
updates the subject's .mp file with the calibrated data.

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Step 2: AGW RHip

This step calibrates the right SCoRE hip joint center.

 Important
To make the subject's skeleton joint data available to the range
monitors, set the Processing Output Level property of Local Vicon
System to Kinematic Fit.

1. Prepare the subject to perform a star-arc movement pattern for the right hip.

2. To initiate the capture, click Start.

The AGW RHip trial type and the AGW RHip range monitor are loaded
automatically. The trial type starts the capture automatically, but you must
stop the capture after the hip joint has moved about all three axes through
the acceptable ranges.

 Tip
The axes correspond to the labeling skeleton's segment definitions,
where RHip X is flexion/extension, RHip Y is internal/external
rotation, and RHip Z is abduction/adduction. The range values
defined within the monitors serve as examples, but can be modified
to suit your application needs.

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3. When the joint ranges have been satisfied, stop the capture manually.
The AGW RHip pipeline runs automatically and the outcome is a calibrated
right SCoRE hip joint center. The hip joint center appears in the 3D
Perspective view as a virtual point and is added to the subject's Modeled
Markers node in the Model Outputs node.

4. Review the virtual point location and the Log tab for errors.

5. If the results are acceptable, click Accept to move on to the next step or to
repeat the current step, click Reject.
When you click Accept the current offline trial is automatically saved, which
updates the subject's .mp file with the calibrated data.

Step 3: AGW LHip

This step calibrates the left SCoRE hip joint center.

1. Prepare the subject to perform a star-arc movement pattern for the left hip.

2. Follow the same procedure as that of the right hip, but note that the AGW
LHip trial type and the AGW LHip range monitor are automatically loaded.

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Step 4: AGW RKnee

This step calibrates the right knee SARA flexion axis.

1. Prepare the subject to perform a knee flexion movement pattern for the right
knee.

2. To begin capturing, click Start.

The AGW RKnee trial type and the AGW RKnee range monitor are loaded
automatically. The trial type starts the capture automatically, but you must
stop the capture after the knee joint has moved about its flexion axis through
the acceptable range.

3. When the joint range has been satisfied, stop the capture manually.
The AGW RKnee pipeline runs automatically and the outcome is a calibrated
right SARA knee flexion axis. The SCoRE knee joint center appears in the 3D
Perspective view as a virtual point and is added to the subject's Modeled
Markers node in the Model Output node. Because the knee joint range of
motion is primarily about its flexion axis, the SCoRE joint center location is not
as accurate as that of the hip. In this case, the knee joint center serves more
appropriately as an endpoint of the knee flexion axis vector.

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The SARA knee flexion axis appears in the 3D Perspective view as the
opposite endpoint of a vector formed along with the SCoRE knee joint
center. The joint axis line appears in the 3D Perspective view. The anatomical
knee joint center estimation is expected to be defined by more conventional
means, such as Plug-in Gait.

4. Review the virtual point location and check the Log tab for any errors.

5. If the results are acceptable, click Accept to move on to the next step, or to
repeat the current step, click Reject. When you click Accept, the current
offline trial is automatically saved, which updates the subject's .mp file with
the calibrated data.

Step 5: AGW LKnee

This step calibrates the left knee SARA flexion axis.

1. Prepare the subject to perform a knee flexion movement pattern for the left
knee.

2. Follow the same procedure as that for the right hip, but note that the AGW
LKnee trial type and the AGW LKnee range monitor are automatically loaded.

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Step 6: AGW Process

This step captures and processes a dynamic trial.

1. Prepare the subject to perform the dynamic activity.

2. Because the SCoRE and SARA calibrations are complete and there is not a
range monitor associated with the dynamic capture step, at this stage, if
desired, you can switch the Processing Output Level of Local Vicon System
back to Labels.

3. To begin the capture, click Start.

The AGW Process trial type is loaded and the capture starts automatically.

4. When the trial activity is complete, stop the capture.

The AGW Process pipeline is run automatically and the outcome is a
reconstructed and labeled trial that includes the processed SCoRE hip joint
centers and the SARA knee flexion axes.
As in the calibration steps, these calculations are represented in the 3D
Perspective view as well as in the subject's Modeled Markers node.

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Troubleshoot AGW reconstruction and labeling

If the captured data contains gaps or incorrect labels, you can adjust the settings
of the Combined Processing operation, which is found in each of the relevant
pipelines (see Advanced Gait Workflow files, page 100) to improve the
reconstruction and labeling of the data.

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Process a kinematic model with SCoRE and SARA

The SCoRE and SARA operations are solely joint calibrations and are not a full
kinematic model. If you want to produce kinematic outputs (for example, Joint
Angles), the Hip Joint locations and Knee flexion axes must be input into a
secondary full kinematic model such as Plug-in Gait.

When Nexus is installed, a version of Plug-in Gait written in MATLAB is also

installed. The following steps describes how to use this model to calculate Plug-
in Gait variables that use SCoRE hip joint centers and SARA optimized knee axes
as their foundation. You are assumed to have run through the Advanced Gait
Workflow (see Run the Advanced Gait Workflow, page 105).

Using Plug-in Gait Matlab with SCoRE and SARA

Plug-in Gait Matlab has been created for research purposes and to allow the
incorporation of SCoRE and SARA within the modeling process.

 Important
To run PlugInGait Matlab, you need a valid MATLAB license.

To use Plug-in Gait Matlab with SCoRE and SARA, you run a static script followed
by the dynamic script:

• Process static Plug-in Gait, page 114

• Process dynamic Plug-in Gait, page 117

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Process static Plug-in Gait

1. Load your static trial (created during Step 1: Static, page 106).

2. Run the AGW Process pipeline to calculate the SCoRE hip joint centers and
SARA knee flexion axes outputs for the static trial.

3. Click on the Matlab tab.

4. In the Matlab script file field, browse to C:\Program Files

(x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\SDK\Matlab and select StaticPiG.m.

5. In the Script arguments field enter the following values as a comma-

separated string:
• FirstFrame (a number)

• LastFrame (a number)

• MarkerSize (marker size in mm)

• bAntTiltPos (true or false)

• bLFootFlat (true or false)

• bRFootFlat (true or false)

• bHeadLevel (true or false)

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Static example: 
1, 337, 14, true, true, true, true

6. After you have entered all the required information, click Run Script.
The log file displays the relevant feedback.

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An extra set of Model Outputs are created - <AngleName>_M:

7. Save the trial.

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Process dynamic Plug-in Gait

1. Load your dynamic trial (created in Step 6: Process, page 111).

2. Click on the Matlab tab.

3. In the Matlab script file field, browse to C:\Program Files

(x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\SDK\Matlab and select DynamicPiG.m.

4. In the Script arguments field, enter the following values as a comma-

separated string:
• FirstFrame (a number)

• LastFrame (a number)

• MarkerSize (marker size in mm)

• bAntTiltPos (true or false)

• PelvisROG (0.31)

• ThoraxROG (0.31)

• ReactionFrame (a number: 0=proximal segment, 1=distal segment,

2=global frame)

• PowerOutput (a number: 1=single value power, 3=3-component power)

• bAllowCrossPlateStrikes (true or false, optional, default false). When this

variable is set to true, Plug-in Gait combines the dynamics of foot strikes
that straddle two adjacent plates.

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Dynamic example:
1, 337, 14, true, 0.31, 0.31, 1, 1

5. After you have entered all the required information, click Run Script.
The Log file displays all the relevant feedback.

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An extra set of Model Outputs is created: <AnglesName>_M,

<ForcesName>_M, <ModeledMarkers>_M, <MomentsName>_M, <Plug-
InGaitBonesName>_M, <PowerName>_M

6. Save the trial.

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Using a custom biomechanics workflow

 Important
The Optimum Common Shape Technique (OCST)16, Symmetrical
Center of Rotation Estimation (SCoRE)17 and Symmetrical Axis of
Rotation Analysis (SARA)18 methods are based on research publications
that can be obtained from Vicon on request. As the research and
validation of the values produced by these methods is a continuing
effort, it is recommended that OCST, SCoRE and SARA are used for
investigative and research purposes. It is your responsibility to review
the scientific references and understand the methods. Any use of the
methods as part of a clinical assessment is strictly at your discretion.

To help you use a biomechanics workflow, Nexus includes the Advanced Gait
Workflow, which steps you through a series of trial captures and automated
processes to enable you to use the calibrated OCST, SCoRE and SARA data to
compute the hip joint centers and knee flexion axes for further analysis. You can
use the workflow as supplied, or if required, you can modify it and the associated
trial types, monitors and pipelines to suit your needs. For information, see Using
the Advanced Gait Workflow, page 98.

If you need to set up a biomechanics workflow from scratch, see these topics.

• Overview of the biomechanics workflow, page 121

• View real-time subject calibration feedback with monitors, page 123

• About functional calibration in the biomechanics workflow, page 128

• Create a biomechanics workflow, page 130

• About SCoRE and SARA in Vicon Nexus, page 136

• Prepare data for use with SCoRE and SARA, page 138

• Capture and process a trial with SCoRE and SARA, page 140

• Process multiple joints with SCoRE and SARA, page 144

16 [Link]
17 [Link]
18 [Link]

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Overview of the biomechanics workflow

The Biomechanics Workflow area is a powerful tool for simplifying and speeding
up multi-step procedures, such as those involving SCoRE and SARA, the
processing algorithms that can be used for hip and knee joint estimation.

The biomechanics workflow enables you to:

• Create a series of collection and processing steps for any set workflow.

• Specify capture settings for any step (a trial type, for example static, ROM,
etc).

• Specify post-capture processing steps (post capture pipelines, for example,

Reconstruct and Label).

• Associate real-time monitors (for example, joint range monitors) with a step.

• Accept or reject the results of each step with a single mouse click.

When you have set up all the steps in your biomechanics workflow, you can save
it for future re-use. You can then apply the whole workflow or selected steps to
your future work with Vicon Nexus, from capture right through to data export.

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To use a biomechanics workflow that includes functional calibration, which is the

recommended way of working, it is a good idea to begin by setting up joint
range monitors to provide real-time subject calibration feedback. This is
necessary, because, for functional calibration to work, you need to be sure that
the ROM trial has included enough of the required movement to result in a
successful subject calibration.

You can then include joint range monitors and define the steps required in your
workflow, using the Biomechanics Workflow area on the Data Management tab
in the Communications pane.

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View real-time subject calibration feedback with monitors

Before you set up a biomechanics workflow that includes functional calibration,
you can set up a joint range overlay monitor to provide instant visual feedback
on how much joint movement the subject has performed during a ROM trial.

This is important because a minimum amount of angular movement (per joint) is

needed to obtain the best possible calibration. Setting up a monitor enables you
to decide immediately whether the ROM trial has captured enough range of joint
movement to provide an accurate calibration.

 Important
Although collecting the recommended/desired range does not
guarantee a good calibration, obtaining positive feedback from a joint
range monitor indicates that the ROM trial has the potential to provide a
good calibration.

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Create a joint range overlay monitor

To create a joint range overlay monitor, you use a Range Overlay monitor, which
is available from the Actions menu in the Monitors area.

Because you will be monitoring joint movement, you need to first ensure a
Kinematic Fit operation has been run on the subject. You can then create the
monitor for a joint movement range.

To create a joint range overlay monitor:

1. Load a ROM trial.

2. Reconstruct and Label the ROM trial.

3. Run a Functional Skeleton Calibration pipeline operation.

4. Kinematic fit the subject using a Pipeline operation under the Core
Processing category. Choose one of:
• Kinematic Fit (if the subject is already labeled); or

• Combined Processing with the Output level set to Kinematic Fit.

The following image shows a subject after kinematic fitting.

The subject now shows the internal labeling skeleton, displaying joints, as well
as the labeled markers and segments.

5. In the Communications pane, click on the Monitors tab to give it focus and
ensure a Graph pane is displayed.

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6. In either the 3D Perspective view or in the Subjects Resources tree, click on a

joint whose range you want to monitor.

7. In the Graph pane, click the Create a Monitor button.

The new monitor is added to the Monitors list on the Monitors tab in the
Communications pane.

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8. On the Monitors tab:

a. Click on the new monitor to select it, and in the Threshold area, set the
desired Range of Motion for the selected joint by specifying the Threshold
Mode, and the upper and/or lower limits of the range to be monitored.

 Tip
To select the required range, look at the values in the Graph view
and choose the highest and lowest values shown over the whole
trial.

b. In the Actions area, click Add and select Range Overlay from the list of
monitor types

c. Ensure the new action is selected (blue) and in the Name field, provide a
descriptive name for your new monitor.

The named monitor appears as an overlay in the Graph view.

9. Play through the trial to see the monitor working.

As the trial progresses, the monitor reflects the collected range of motion for
the selected joint.

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The nearer to 100% that is displayed by the monitor, the more of the required
movement has been captured.

10. Save the configuration under a suitable name.

You can use your new monitor for both Live and Offline trials and include it in
a biomechanics workflow.

Note that you can use a monitor that was based on a particular subject, such as
monitors for labeled trajectories, model outputs, joints, or segments, for other
subjects that contain the same marker/segment/joint name. However, note the
following restrictions:

• If multiple subjects are present, the monitor will only work with the original
subject.

• The new subject must have the same marker/segment/joint name as was used
to configure the monitor.

• The new subject must be the only active subject (that is, selected in the
System tree) that contains that marker/segment/joint name.

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About functional calibration in the biomechanics

workflow
For calibration, the subject variables of interest: Kinematics (Joint Angles) and
Kinetic (Forces, Moments and Powers), must be calculated from a joint center
point and have a joint axis line to be accurate.

Nexus 2 provides functional joint calibration, which estimates the center and axis
of a joint using joint movement collected in a Range of Motion (ROM) trial.

Because functional calibration requires you to be able to decide whether, for a

particular ROM trial, you have collected the minimum amount of angular
movement (per joint) needed to obtain a good calibration, it is a good idea to
set up a joint range monitor to give you the instant visual feedback that enables
you to make this decision quickly (for information on setting up a joint range
monitor, see View real-time subject calibration feedback with monitors, page 123).

The biomechanics workflow enables you to include functional calibration and

joint range monitors in your workflow steps, so that you can set up the required
procedures once and then reuse them as required. For information on setting up
a biomechanics workflow, see Create a biomechanics workflow, page 130.

For more information about the distinction between static and functional joint
calibration, see the following definitions:

• What is static joint calibration?, page 129

• What is functional joint calibration?, page 129

• What is local optimization?, page 129

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What is static joint calibration?

Static calibration uses a single frame of data. The subject is captured in a single
pose (body position). Regression equations are used to estimate / calibrate:

• The location of a Virtual Joint Center point (relative to a segment)

• A line defining the axis of rotation for the Joint

Vicon's Plug-In Gait model uses static joint calibration.

What is functional joint calibration?

Functional joint calibration uses multiple frames of data where the joint of
interest is moving (dynamic).
Using Range Of Motion (ROM) data from a joint enables functional joint
calibration to better estimate the true center and axis of a joint.

What is local optimization?

The process of eliminating errors and finding the best solution for joint centers
and axes is sometimes referred to as optimization.
Local optimization takes information from one joint at a time and tries to find the
best solution only for that joint.
SCoRE and SARA are local optimization techniques. They are a set of algorithms
produced by researchers at the University of Berlin – Julius Wollf Institute for
Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration.

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Create a biomechanics workflow

To create a biomechanics workflow, you use the Biomechanics Workflow area of
the Data Management tab in the Communications window to associate specified
data capture and processing steps with particular trial types, and monitors.

Before you begin adding the steps that will comprise your new workflow, make
sure you have set up any required range monitors (see View real-time subject
calibration feedback with monitors, page 123).

The following example shows you how to set up a biomechanics workflow that
includes steps for a static capture, followed by a ROM capture coupled with a
joint range monitor.

To create a new workflow:

1. On the Data Management tab in the Communications pane, open the File

Transfer/Batch Processing interface  .

2. Click the Biomechanics Workflow button.

3. Click the Add Step button to add your first step.

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4. Double-click on the new step and add a name for it, in this case, Static
Calibration.

 Tip
For each step, this name will be the name of the trial that is saved as
a result of running the step.

5. From the list of trial types to the right of the step name, select the required
trial type for the step.
If the trial type doesn't exist yet, switch to Live mode and on the Capture
tools pane, specify the required settings for the trial type, for example, for a
static trial:
• Name: Static

• Duration of the capture: 2 secs

• Run pipeline after capture: Reconstruct and Label

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6. Save the new trial type and in the Trial Type list, select the new trial type (in
this case Static).

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Now, every time you go to Live mode and run the new workflow, the first step
will automatically capture a 2-second, static trial, and run the Reconstruct and
Label pipeline afterwards. It will then automatically go to Offline mode and
display buttons to enable you to accept or reject the result of the first step
(the reconstructed and labeled trial).

7. To set up step 2, in the Biomechanics Workflow area:

a. Click Add Step again.

b. In the Step column, type a name for the second step, in this case ROM.

c. In the Trial Type list, select the required trial type, for example, ROM.
If the ROM trial type doesn't exist yet, you will need to create it, using the
same procedure as you used for creating a static trial type in the previous
step. For a ROM trial, you may want to specify a different duration, or clear
the Auto Capture Setup options so that you can start and stop the capture
manually, when sufficient data has been collected.

8. To add a range monitor to your ROM step so that you can quickly assess
whether to accept it, click the Monitor button, and from the list of available
monitors, select the required monitor, for example, the one you created
previously (see View real-time subject calibration feedback with monitors,
page 123).

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9. Continue adding steps, creating appropriate trial types as necessary, and

adding monitors to help you make the Accept or Reject decision for each
step, until you have completed your workflow.

 Tip
To reorder the steps, click on a step and drag it to the required
position in the list.

10. To save the completed workflow, click the Save current configuration button 

at the top of the Biomechanics Workflow area, and enter a suitable

name for your new workflow.

11. To run your new workflow, change to Live mode and in the Biomechanics
Workflow area, in the Step column, right-click on the step that you want to
start from (normally the first step), and select Set Step.

12. Click Start.

When the step has run, Nexus automatically goes to Offline mode and the
Biomechanics Workflow area displays buttons to enable you to accept or
reject the result of the step.

If you click Accept, the next step, is run. If you click Reject, Nexus returns to
Live mode, so that you can perform another capture.

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Tips for creating biomechanics workflow steps

• When you run through the biomechanics workflow, the Play icon is displayed
next to the current step, so that you can instantly see where you are in the
workflow.

• In a similar way to running pipeline operations in the Pipeline tools pane, you
can select or clear the check boxes next to each step to run only the required
steps.

• If necessary, you can reorder the steps by dragging steps up or down in the
Biomechanics Workflow area.

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About SCoRE and SARA in Vicon Nexus

The SCoRe and SARA operations are provided with Vicon Nexus 2 for research
purposes and to enable clinical researchers to assess their use, compared with
other methods. You can download the literature for these methods from the
Vicon website or obtain it from the group at the University of Berlin. Before using
these methods, you are strongly advised to review the published material to
understand the methods and best practices for gaining meaningful results.

A review of this literature suggests that for the joints of the lower limbs, SCoRE
can produce a meaningful estimation of hip joint center locations. The axes
produced by the SARA optimization may not be useful. This is due to ball and
socket nature of the joint.

The opposite is suggested for the hinge-link knee joint. The SARA-optimized axis
(primary flex/ext axis) may be useful; however the joint center location may not
be strictly defined along this axis.

To allow further development and validation of these methods, Nexus does not
restrict where they can be run. The operations allow the calculation of SCoRE
and SARA for any combination of parent and child segments.

 Important
You are responsible for reviewing the published articles before using
these operations. Research is continuing the area of functional joint
calibration and it is solely your responsibility as the user to determine
whether the results from these methods are appropriate for your
research outcomes or clinical use.

By combining SCoRE and SARA with an existing Plug-in Gait model, you can
obtain full kinematic and kinetic outputs with reduced errors.

 Note
To apply SCoRE and SARA to Plug-in Gait, you need to obtain the Plug-
in Gait MATLAB script. For more information, contact Vicon Support19.

19 [Link]

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About SCoRE
SCoRE is an acronym for Symmetrical Center of Rotation Estimation.

It is an optimization algorithm that uses functional calibration frames between a

parent and child segment to estimate the center point of rotation. It is
particularly valuable in providing repeatable and -accurate hip joint center
locations.

SCoRE locates the joint center only. Kinematics and kinetics must still be
calculated by a full biomechanical model (such as Plug-in Gait).

About SARA
SARA is an acronym for Symmetrical Axis of Rotation Analysis.

It is an optimization algorithm that uses functional calibration frames between a

parent and child segment to estimate the axis of rotation. It is particularly
valuable in providing repeatable and accurate knee joint axes.

SARA locates the joint axis only. Kinematics and kinetics must still be calculated
by a full biomechanical model (such as Plug-in Gait).

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Prepare data for use with SCoRE and SARA

OCST is a mathematical approach that finds the average or common shape for
selected sets of marker (3 or more). It enables a non rigid cluster (skin-based) to
be described as if it were truly rigid.

 Important
Although marker clusters that are attached to a truly rigid base do not
necessarily require OSCT processing to provide rigidity, if you want to
include the supplied SCoRE and SARA pipeline operations as part of
your workflow, use of the Calibrate OCST and Process OCST operations
is recommended to provide the best possible results.

For related research, see OCST, SCoRE and SARA research references, page 150.

To create a segment using OSCT:

1. Load the trial containing the markers whose positions are to be calculated
using OCST. These markers will form the segments that will be used in SCoRE
and SARA pipeline operations.

2. In the Pipeline tools pane, from the Subject Calibration pipeline operations,
double-click the Calibrate OCST operation to add it to the current pipeline.

3. Click on Calibrate OCST and in the Properties pane ensure the required start
and end frames, together with the required markers (at least three) are
specified. To select the required markers, in the 3D Perspective view,
CTRL+click or ALT+drag the markers (at least three per segment).
If you have Markers set to Selected in the Properties pane, to check that you
have selected the required markers:
a. In the Properties pane for Calibrate OCST, click the small arrow to the
right of the Markers field and clear the Macro check box.

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You can now see the selected marker names in the Markers field.

b. When you have made sure you have selected the required markers, re-
select Macro again.

4. In the Name field, enter a name for the segment to be created by OCST.

5. To create the new segment, run the pipeline.

In the following example, OCST segments called Pelvis and LFemur are created.

The new OCST segment names (Pelvis and LFemur in the above example) can
now be passed into SCoRE and SARA pipeline operations.

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Capture and process a trial with SCoRE and SARA

You can use the biomechanics workflow to simplify and speed up the capturing
and processing of data that requires a number of repeated steps, and can
include trial types, range monitors and post-processing pipelines. This makes it a
particularly useful tool if you want to use the new SCoRE and SARA pipeline
operations that are included in Vicon Nexus 2, as you can save any required
ROM trial types, including joint range monitors, OCST pipeline operations, and
any other processing needed, in a single workflow.

Advice was sought from research labs in the biomechanics community who use
the SCoRE and SARA methodologies in their clinical assessments. The
recommended Vicon Nexus 2 workflow for using these functional joint
calibrations is derived from this advice.

To apply SCoRE and SARA to Plug-in Gait, you need to obtain the Plug-in Gait
MATLAB script. For more information, contact Vicon Support20.
For more information, see:

• Collecting data for use with SCoRE and SARA, page 141

• Capturing hip and knee ROMs, page 141

• Using SCoRE and SARA, page 142

20 [Link]

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Collecting data for use with SCoRE and SARA

You can capture trials in the following ways:

• One joint per trial, that is separate trials for each hip and knee (Left Hip, Right
Hip, Left Knee, Right Knee); or

• A single ROM trial that includes joint movement for all four joints

Collecting a single ROM trial can save time in both capture and processing.
However, some pathological subjects may require assistance in completing a
joint ROM, so this is not always an option and multiple ROMs may be needed.
The biomechanics workflow provides a way of performing the ROMs in one or
multiple trials and saving the workflow so that it can be easily repeated and
results obtained with the minimum of effort.

Capturing hip and knee ROMs

The goal with either hip or knee joints is to move the joint through as much of its
entire range as possible.

• Knees are basically hinge joints with flexion and extension. Flexing and
extending the knee through its full range is all that is required to capture the
required motion.

• Hips are ball joints. When capturing a ROM for hip joints, the recommended
approach is to have the subject (on their own or with assistance) perform a
'star arc'. This involves swinging the leg directly forward, then back to the
static position, then to the side at a forty-five degree angle to the first swing,
and back, and so on, round in a circle.

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Using SCoRE and SARA

Before you run a Calibrate SCoRE/SARA pipeline operation, specify and run a
Calibrate OCST pipeline operation on the relevant data, as described in the
following steps.

To use SCoRE and SARA:

1. Create a pipeline that includes all the necessary operations:

• A Calibrate OCST operation that specifies the parent segment (for
example, Pelvis), by selecting at least three markers (for example, LASI,
RASI, LPSI, RPSI). For information on how to do this, see (see Prepare data
for use with SCoRE and SARA, page 138).

• A Calibrate OCST operation that specifies the child segment (for example,
LFemur), by selecting at least three markers (for example, LASI, LTHI,
LKNE).

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• A Calibrate SCoRE /SARA operation that creates a joint center between the
specified parent (Pelvis) and child (LFemur).

2. Run the pipeline.

In the 3D Perspective view, you can see an additional SCoRE (or SARA)
marker.

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Process multiple joints with SCoRE and SARA

The following steps show how to calculate SCoRe joint centers and SARA knee
axes in the same workflow. Including both hips and knees in the same workflow
saves time, but relies on having a subject who can perform the required ROMs
reasonably easily and without much assistance.

Before you begin, make sure you have set up monitors to display all the required
range of motion for both hips and knees. (For information on setting up joint
range monitors, see View real-time subject calibration feedback with monitors,
page 123.)

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To calculate SCoRE joint centers and SARA knee axes:

1. Capture a subject ROM. Ensure that, for the first few frames and last few
frames, the subject is in the motorbike pose, as shown in the following
images.

2. Reconstruct the trial and then run the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline on the
first frame of data (motorbike pose) to initialize the labeling.

3. Run the Functional Skeleton Calibration pipeline operation (found in the

Subject Calibration pipeline operations) to calibrate the labeling skeleton.

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4. Capture ROM trials that move the hip joint and knee joints through a ROM, as
described in Capture and process a trial with SCoRE and SARA, page 140.
To enable you to quickly assess the ROMs for multiple SCoRE and SARA
trials, you can set up a biomechanics workflow, including joint range monitors,
similar to the following:

For information on setting up a biomechanics workflow, see Create a

biomechanics workflow, page 130.

5. Run the Reconstruct and Label pipeline.

6. Create a new pipeline to contain the SCoRE/SARA calibrations you will need,
plus any required OCST calibrations. For example, you could call the pipeline
Calibrate SCoRE & SARA.

7. Add the required Calibrate OCST pipeline operations to the new pipeline
(see Prepare data for use with SCoRE and SARA, page 138).

8. Specify OCST segments for all the required joints, for example:
• Pelvis (LASI, RASI, LPSI, RPSI)

• LFemur (LASI, LTHI, LKNE)

• LTibia (LKNE, LTIB, LANK)

• RFemur (RASI, RTHI, RKNE)

• RTibia (RKNE, RTIB, RANK)

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Your new pipeline will now look similar to this:

9. For each joint, add a Calibrate SCoRE/SARA operation (found in the Subject
Calibration pipeline operations), and specify each parent and child segment,
for example:
• For left hip: 
Parent Name: Pelvis; 
Child Name: LFemur

• For right hip: 

Parent Name: Pelvis 
Child Name: RFemur

For these two joints, leave the SARA Axis check box cleared, as it is normally
more applicable to the knee joints.

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10. Add two more Calibrate SCoRE/SARA operations for the knee joints:
• For the left knee: 
Parent Name: LFemur 
Child Name: LTibia

• For the right knee:

Parent Name: RFemur
Child Name: RTibia

For these two joints, select the SARA Axis check box, as it is applicable to the
knee joints.

11. Save the pipeline and calibrate the joints by running the Calibrate OCST and
Calibrate SCoRE/SARA pipeline operations.
New hip and knee joint markers are displayed in the 3D Perspective view.

12. Collect dynamic trials with the subject performing the required movement
(walking, etc).

13. Create a new Process SCoRE & SARA pipeline to contain the processing
operations.

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14. For each SCoRE/SARA joint that you created previously, add a Process
SCoRE/SARA operation (found in Data Processing pipeline operations).
Specify the same Parent and Child segments as those you created in the
Calibrate SCoRE & SARA pipeline.

15. Run the processing pipeline.

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OCST, SCoRE and SARA research references

1. On intrinsic equivalences of the finite helical axis, the instantaneous helical
axis, and the SARA approach. A mathematical perspective21. R .M. Ehrig and
M. O. Heller, Journal of Biomechanics 84 (2019) 4–10

2. Repeatability and reproducibility of OSSCA, a functional approach for

assessing the kinematics of the lower limb22. W. R. Taylor, E. I.
Kornaropoulos, G. N. Duda, S. Kratzenstein, R. M. Ehrig, A. Arampatzis, M. O.
Heller. publ. Gait & Posture 32 (2010) 231–236

3. A survey of formal methods for determining functional joint axes23. Rainald

M. Ehrig, William R. Taylor, Georg N. Duda, Markus O. Heller. Journal of
Biomechanics 40 (2007) 2150–2157

4. A survey of formal methods for determining the centre of rotation of ball

joints24. Rainald M. Ehrig, William R. Taylor, Georg N. Duda, Markus O. Heller.
Journal of Biomechanics 39 (2006) 2798–2809

21 [Link]
22 [Link]
23 [Link]
24 [Link]

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Improve manual labeling

In addition to the procedures described in Review trials and fill gaps in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide, if your data contains overlapping trajectories and/or ghost
markers, you may need to do some further work.

For more information, see:

• Eliminate overlapping trajectories, page 152

• Prevent ghost markers, page 153

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Eliminate overlapping trajectories

Nexus recognizes a marker's trajectory continuously throughout a captured trial.
There can be gaps in the data, but Nexus can still recognize the same marker
trajectory on either side of a gap, as long as the gap is small enough or the
marker's movement doesn't vary significantly within the gap.

Occasionally, instead of a gap or a continuous marker trajectory, Nexus creates

two separate sub-trajectory sections that belong to the same marker. This is
called an overlapping trajectory, because the two sections overlap; that is, they
are both present in the same frame(s).

During the labeling process, because both trajectories are present in the same
frame(s), Nexus assumes that they must belong to separate markers. Therefore,
when Nexus auto-labels these trajectory sections, it labels one and leaves the
other unlabeled.

Overlapping trajectories can cause difficulties during manual labeling. One

common difficulty occurs when two markers are correctly labeled at the start of
the trial but then become confused or "swapped" later in the trial.

If you attempt to correct this label swap with Whole selected in the Manual
Labeling section of the Label/Edit Tools (the default setting), you may lose
correct labels early in the trial. The easiest way around this issue is by clicking the
Backward or Forward button before labeling, so that labeling is only continued
in the frames before or after the current frame.

When this labeling method is used, Nexus "snips" the trajectory at the current
frame and only labels in the direction chosen (forward in time or backward in
time from the current frame). The process of snipping a trajectory causes a single
continuous trajectory to be split into two separate unique trajectories at the
current time frame.

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Prevent ghost markers

The typical cause of overlapping trajectories is spurious, or ghost, markers that
are present during marker reconstruction. A ghost marker is a false marker
reconstruction that appears as an additional trajectory very close to a legitimate
marker trajectory. Ghost markers can be reconstructed if:

• The Nexus Core Processor settings are not optimized for the type of capture
you are performing. For example, if a Reconstruction Minimum Separation is
set too low, Nexus may reconstruct all detected marker positions rather than
selecting only the best candidates.
Depending on whether you want to adjust the Core Processor settings for
offlline data or live capture:
• If you don't want to recapture the trial you are processing, adjust the Offline
processing parameters and reprocess the existing trial to see if Nexus
resolves the overlapping trajectory. You set offline processing parameters in
the Core Processing operations in the Pipeline Tools pane.

• You may also need to evaluate whether future captures will be similar
enough to the current trial conditions (such as subject movements, marker
placement and movement, number of cameras, etc.), that adjusting the Live
Core Processor settings will eliminate the issue in future. To set live
processing parameters, in the System Resources pane, click on Local Vicon
System and in the Properties pane go to the General section and select the
required Processing Output Level.

• One or more cameras need to be recalibrated, eg, if one or more cameras has
been accidentally knocked since it was calibrated. For details, see Understand
camera calibration refinement, page 311.

• Camera masking is inadequate or has not been performed. For details, see
Mask unwanted reflections in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

After you have addressed the above issues, reprocess the trial before
proceeding.

If adjusting the reconstruction parameters and reprocessing do not produce a

properly labeled trajectory, you may need to manipulate the trajectory sections
manually.

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Eye tracking with Vicon Nexus

The following eye tracking solutions are available with Vicon Nexus:

• Use Tobii Eye Tracker with Nexus, page 155

• Use Dikablis Eye Tracker with Nexus, page 166

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Use Tobii Eye Tracker with Nexus

You can include a Tobii Eye Tracker in your Vicon Nexus system, enabling you to
output eye tracker position and gaze direction.

 Restrictions:
• Tobii integration is for only Tobii Pro Glasses 2 and Tobii Pro Glasses
3.

• For Tobii Pro Glasses 2, the use of only one pair of glasses at a time is
supported. 

• For Tobii Pro Glasses 3, the use of multiple devices is supported, but
has received limited testing. For details on how to integrate multiple
devices, please contact Vicon Support25.
• For a combination of Tobii Pro Glasses 2 and 3, you can use one pair
of Tobii Pro Glasses 2 with multiple pairs of Tobii Pro Glasses 3.

To include Tobii Pro Glasses in your Vicon Nexus system, complete these
procedures:

• Set up Tobii Pro Glasses, page 156

• Integrate Tobii Pro Glasses into Nexus, page 157

For details of Tobii Pro Glasses properties, see Tobii Pro Glasses node, page 258.

Before you begin, ensure your Nexus system is calibrated and that you have
created a subject.

 Terminology
For Tobii Pro Glasses 2, the controller software is called 'Tobii Pro
Glasses Controller software'. For Tobii Pro Glasses 3, the equivalent
software is called 'Glasses 3'. In the following instructions, the term
'Tobii Glasses software' is used to refer to both versions.

25 [Link]

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Set up Tobii Pro Glasses

To set up your Tobii Pro Glasses for use with Nexus:

1. Follow the instructions provided by Tobii. The quick start guide provided in
the Tobii Pro Glasses box provides instructions on preparing and connecting
the glasses to the recording unit.

2. To use Tobii Glasses software, connect the Tobii Pro Glasses, either through
Ethernet or WiFi, by following the instructions provided by Tobii.
When setting up networking connection properties for an Ethernet port,
ensure that you select the required option:
• For Tobii Pro Glasses 2, select Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) .

• For Tobii Pro Glasses 3, you can select Internet Protocol Version 4 or
Internet Protocol Version 6

3. Calibrate the glasses in the Tobii Glasses software.

This enables you to check the fit of the glasses before connecting to Nexus.

4. After calibration is complete, close the Tobii Glasses software.

 Note
Note that the recording unit requires batteries. A battery charger is
provided, however, please ensure sufficient charging time. The
recording unit requires only one battery, but takes 5+ hours charging
time for a full charge.

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Integrate Tobii Pro Glasses into Nexus

 Important
Before attempting to connect Tobii Pro Glasses 3, ensure that you
installed Bonjour, which is an option (selected by default) when you
installed Nexus, and that the Bonjour service is running (Task Manager >
Services > Bonjour Service).
Connection may take up to 20 seconds, as Bonjour broadcasts the
available services at intervals.
If you need to start the Bonjour service after you've added the Tobii Pro
Glasses in Nexus, either remove and re-add the device or restart Nexus
after the service has been restarted.

• • Connect a Tobii Pro Glasses 3 recording unit to the Nexus computer, page
158

• Add the Tobii glasses into Nexus, page 160

• Possible calibration issues, page 165

• Understand data output, page 165

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Connect a Tobii Pro Glasses 3 recording unit to the Nexus

computer
To connect the Tobii recording unit to the Nexus computer, it must be able to
obtain a valid IP address (IPv4 or IPv6).

To enable this, we recommend the following workflow, starting with connecting

via Ethernet. Note that this method requires a valid DHCP router. (If you don't
have access to a router, see Other connection methods, page 159.)

Connect via Ethernet:

From the router (such as a D-Link), connect via Ethernet to:

• An Ethernet network port on the Nexus computer

• The RJ45 port on the Tobii recording unit

If you don't need to connect the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 via Wi-Fi, you can now add
the Tobii glasses into Nexus, page 160.

Connect via Wi-Fi:

1. Ensure you have successfully connected the Tobii recording unit via Ethernet,
as described above.

2. Browse to [Link] unit serial number>.local/[Link].

3. Either create a new Wi-Fi configuration or select an existing one. To create a

new one:
a. Under WiFi, click Create

b. Set the SSID, network security type, and password, if required.

c. Click Apply.

4. Disconnect the Ethernet cable. 

 Important
With this method, whenever the Tobii is powered down, it resets to the
default Wi-Fi configuration. You must reconnect to the device (via direct
Wi-Fi or an Ethernet connection) and choose the correct Wi-Fi
configuration each time the recording unit is powered on.

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Other connection methods

If you want to use an alternative way to connect the Tobii Pro (for example, if you
don't have access to a router), you may find the following additional information
helpful.

• • • • Connect to the Tobii 3 directly via Wi-Fi, page 159

• Connect to the Tobii 3 using a direct Ethernet link, page 159

Connect to the Tobii 3 directly via Wi-Fi

If you use this connection method, the Tobii Pro Glasses 3 recording unit acts as
an Access Point so any device with a spare Wi-Fi card can connect.

• SSID  = <recording unit serial number> (eg, TG03B-080200013621)

• Default password = TobiiGlasses

 Important
This option, while allowing connection to the recording unit for
configuration purposes, does not provide the neccessary Zeroconf
services, which are used by Tobii Pro 3 Glasses to advertise their
availability on the network. Do not use this method to add the device
into Nexus as it will not be found.

Connect to the Tobii 3 using a direct Ethernet link

This connection method requires some config on the device first:

1. Connect to the Tobii via one of the methods above.

• If connection is via the direct Wifi connection, go to [Link]
[Link] (assuming no other config has been done to change the
default IP address)

• If connection is via Ethernet, go to [Link] unit serial

number>.local

2. Do one of the following:

• Under the wired network settings at the bottom of the page, change the
profile to default-link-local and click Apply; or
• Configure the Tobii to be a DHCP server.

3. Connect the Tobii 3 directly to the PC via Ethernet. 

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Add the Tobii glasses into Nexus

To add the Tobii Pro Glasses device into Nexus:

1. Ensure the Tobii recording unit is connected to the Nexus computer via
Ethernet or WiFi (see Connect a Tobii recording unit to the Nexus computer,
page 158).

2. Ensure that the Tobii glasses are being worn by a subject in the volume. 
(Tobii glasses connect to Nexus only when the glasses are worn: if no eye is
detected, the device is gray in the System Resources tree.)

3. In the System Resources tree, right-click Devices, point to Add Digital Device
and then select Add Tobii Pro Glasses 2 or Add Tobii Pro Glasses 3.

Nexus searches for the glasses on the network. When the glasses are
discovered, data begins streaming in Nexus.
Note that this process can take some time. 

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4. With the Tobii Pro Glasses device selected in the System tree, in the
Properties pane, ensure that in the Sampling Rate field, the required sample
rate is selected.

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5. Before capturing data, for each subject, perform a calibration on each subject
in the same way as it is done in the Tobii Glasses software.
a. Instruct the subject to look at the calibration card, with the card held
between 0.5 m and 1.5 m from the subject (for correct placement of the
card, see the Tobii documentation).

b. In the System Resources tree, ensure the required Tobii Pro Glasses device
is selected and in the Properties pane, go to the Calibration section and
click Start Calibration.

Ensure the subject continues to look at the calibration card.

After approximately three seconds, status information is displayed, with a
success or fail status at the end of the process.

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• If calibration is successful, the Calibration Status changes to

calibrated.

• If calibration fails, see Possible calibration issues, page 165 for a list of
suggested issues, and correct any issues that you identify.

Note that, for Tobii Pro Glasses 2, data that is needed for
calibration is created on the SD card and is deleted when the
device is deleted. If the connection is lost, projects and participants
may be left on the SD card.
If no data is received for approximately one second, it is assumed
that the connection has been lost and the device reverts to
'discovery' mode to try to re-connect to the device when it
becomes available again.

6. The Tobii Pro Glasses 3 mocap integration kit is provided as two marker tree
attachments. Attach the mocap integration kit by screwing it into the fittings
on the frame of the glasses.
The Nexus installer provides two VSTs for the two variants of these marker
trees. If you require more subjects, you can interchange the left/right trees
from each of these two sets. For additional VSTs, contact Vicon Support26.

26 [Link]

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7. Load the appropriate VST. The relevant VSTs for the version of the integration
kit provided in your Tobii Pro Glasses box are found in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\ModelTemplates

8. To visualize the gaze data in the Nexus workspace, with the Tobii Pro Glasses
device selected in the System tree, go to the General section of the
Properties pane and set the Glasses Segment to the name of the segment
that the glasses are attached to.

Note that specification of the Glasses Segment is not a requirement for

receiving the data from the glasses: it is used for visualization in the Nexus
workspace only. Also note that if multiple Tobii Pro Glasses are in use, you
must ensure that the subjects have unique segment names. To do this, for
each eye tracker, in the Glasses Segment field, specify the subject name
followed by a colon and the segment name, for example,
SubjectAGlasses:TobiiGlasses and SubjectBGlasses:TobiiGlasses.

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9. Ensure that Nexus is running in Kinematic Fit processing mode.

The eyes are displayed relative to the glasses segment at positions specified
by the Left/Right Eye X,Y,Z components, and gaze direction is shown as a line
from each eye to the Gaze position.
The eye itself also rotates to match the Left/Right Gaze value, though this
may be difficult to observe.

For details of the resulting data that is reported by Nexus, see Understand
output data, page 165.

Possible calibration issues

If calibration was not successful, check for these possible issues:

• Calibration card is too close (<0.5m).

• Calibration card is too far away (>1.5m).

• The subject is not looking at the calibration card.

• There are multiple possible calibration targets (multiple cards or objects that
look like cards, or the card is visible in the displayed video that is also in view).

• There is too much movement of the eye tracker or card during calibration.

Understand data output

Tobii Pro Glasses outputs are available for:

• Left(Right) Eye X, Y, Z position of the eye with respect to the origin of the
glasses segment/scene camera and the diameter of the pupil

• Left(Right) Gaze A three-component vector specifying the direction of the

gaze for the eye

• Gaze position The calculated point of focus for the combined gaze with
respect to the origin of the glasses segment/scene camera

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Use Dikablis Eye Tracker with Nexus

The Dikablis Eye Tracking system, when combined with a Vicon motion capture
system, enables you to calculate the head position and 3D gaze vector of a test
subject. It is compatible with current Vicon cameras. A minimum of two cameras
are required for use with the system.

The Dikablis Eye Tracking unit is available in either wired or wireless options. The
wireless unit provides unlimited mobility and allows the test subject to move
within a perimeter of up to 800 meters.

For more information, see:

• Set up Dikablis eye tracking hardware, page 167

• Add a Dikablis Eye Tracker device in Vicon Nexus, page 169

• Calibrate Dikablis eye tracking in Vicon Nexus, page 170

• Export Dikablis eye vector data, page 178

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Set up Dikablis eye tracking hardware

Before setting up your Dikablis Eye Tracking system with Vicon Nexus, ensure
the following system components are ready for use:

• Head unit

• Dikablis laptop

• Ethernet cable or crossover cable

• Battery pack and wireless transmitter (for wireless option), with battery fully
charged

• Dikablis wireless receiver (for wireless option)

Although you can capture both Vicon data and Dikablis gaze data on a single
PC, a dual-computer setup is recommended, where:

• The Dikablis laptop connects to the head unit and runs the Dikablis software.

• The desktop computer is connected to the Vicon system and runs Nexus.

• The Dikablis laptop is directly connected to the Nexus PC via a cable that runs
between two Ethernet ports.

 Note
Before proceeding, ensure the battery is fully charged. When fitting the
battery into its holder, make sure the battery is correctly oriented by first
inserting the end with the contact points and then clicking the other end
into place in the holder. For further instructions on setting up the
hardware, see the Dikablis Eye Tracker User Manual. 

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Ensure the Dikablis Eye Tracking system is calibrated

Before you add a Dikablis Eye Tracker device to Vicon Nexus, set up the Dikablis
laptop and ensure that eye tracking is calibrated, so that the pupil is tracked
accurately by Dikablis Recorder.

To ensure the Dikablis Eye Tracking system is calibrated:

1. Turn on the Dikablis laptop.

2. Double-click the Dikablis Recorder icon on the desktop to start the software.

3. Attach the head unit to the subject's head (for instructions, see the Dikablis
Eye Tracker User Manual).

4. In Dikablis Recorder, ensure that a cross hair appears on subject's pupil and
that the pupil is accurately tracked (for instructions, see the Dikablis Eye
Tracker User Manual).

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Add a Dikablis Eye Tracker device in Vicon Nexus

After you have verified that the Dikablis Eye Tracking system is calibrated, add
the Dikablis Eye Tracker in Nexus as a device.

To add eye tracking in Nexus:

1. In the System resources pane, click the Go Live button.

2. Right-click Devices, point to Add Digital Device, and select Add Dikablis Eye
Tracker. A Dikablis Eye Tracker node appears under Devices.

3. Click the Dikablis Eye Tracker node that you just added to select it and in the
Properties pane, set the following communication parameters in the
Connection section:
• IP Address: Use the same IP address that has been set in the Dikablis eye
tracking software.

• Port Number: Leave as default (2002).

4. If the connection and IP address are correct, the Dikablis Eye Tracker icon in
the System resources tree turns green. This indicates that Nexus is able to
communicate with and receive the data stream from the Dikablis laptop.

5. With the head unit attached to the subject, display a Graph view in Nexus and
ensure that a line is displayed charting the pupil coordinates.

Data begins streaming from the Dikablis software when it is in Record mode.

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Calibrate Dikablis eye tracking in Vicon Nexus

Before capturing an eye tracking trial, you must calibrate eye tracking within
Nexus. To do this, complete the following procedures in the order shown:

• Set up a calibration trial for eye-tracking, page 170

• Create objects for eye tracking in Vicon Nexus, page 171

• Specify Dikablis Eye Tracker device properties, page 174

• Calibrate eye tracking in Vicon Nexus, page 175

Set up a calibration trial for eye-tracking

To set up a Vicon Nexus calibration trial for eye-tracking:

1. Before you begin a calibration trial for eye-tracking, ensure you have
calibrated your Vicon cameras, set the volume origin, and added the Dikablis
device to Nexus.

2. Get your subject to enter the volume wearing the head unit with markers, and
holding the calibration wand in front of them.

3. In the Capture tools pane, in the Next Trial Setup section, enter a Trial Name
(for example, Calibration), and in the Capture section, click Start to capture a
short trial (a couple of seconds).

4. Load the trial you just created (on the Data Management tab (F2), double-
click on the trial) and on the Nexus toolbar, click the Reconstruct button

.
5. In 3D Perspective view, zoom in so you can see the two objects (subject and
wand).

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Create objects for eye tracking in Vicon Nexus

To set up a calibration trial for eye tracking, you need to create wand and head
objects.

To create the objects in Nexus:

1. On the Subjects resources pane, click the Create a blank subject button.

2. In the Enter Subject Name dialog box, enter the subject name: Wand.
3. On the Subjects tab, click the Wand object you just created to select it and at
the top of the Subject Preparation tools pane on the right of the screen, in
the Subject dropdown menu, ensure Wand is selected.

4. In the Subject Preparation tools pane, in the Labeling Template Builder

section, enter a segment name (Wand) in the Create Segments box and click
Create.

5. In a 3D Perspective view, select the wand markers, beginning with the origin
(middle) marker.

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6. Ensure all the wand markers are selected.

7. In the Labeling Template Builder section, click Create again.

8. In the 3D Perspective view, check the axes and origin are shown for the wand.

9. To create a head object, in the Subjects Resources pane, click the Create a
blank subject button and in the Enter Subject Name dialog box, enter Head.

10. On the Subjects resources pane, click the Head object you just created and at
the top of the Subject Preparation tools pane, ensure Head is selected.

11. In the Labeling Template Builder section, in the Create Segments box, type
Head and click Create.

12. In the 3D Perspective view, select the head markers, beginning with the origin
marker. For the head's origin marker, select the marker closest to the eyeball,
then select the others.

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13. In the Labeling Template Builder section, click Create again.

14. In the 3D Perspective view, check the axes and origin are shown for the new
object.

15. Before proceeding, it is a good idea to save both subjects (Wand and Head).
To do this, on the Subjects Resources pane, right-click on the node for each
subject in turn and then click Save Subject.

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Specify Dikablis Eye Tracker device properties

After you have created both the Wand and the Head in Nexus, specify their
properties on the System Resources tab.

1. On the System resources tab, click on the Dikablis Eye Tracker node, and in
the General section of the Properties pane, in the Head Segment field, enter
Head.

2. In the Eye Offset section, enter the relevant values (that is, the distance
between the origin marker and the eye).

 Tip
To find the relevant eye offset values, if your Vicon system includes
video cameras, you can use overlay video. If not, you can measure
the distance from the origin marker.

3. In the Calibration Object field in the Calibration section, enter the name of
the calibration object (Wand).

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You have now set up the eye tracker properties.

Calibrate eye tracking in Vicon Nexus

After you have added eye tracking to Nexus, created Head and Wand objects,
and set the eye tracking properties, you can complete the final steps.

To calibrate the eye tracker in Nexus:

1. On the System Resources pane, under the expanded Dikablis Eye Tracker
node, click the Eye node to select it.

2. Display a Data Correction view, to show both a 3D Perspective and Graph

view.

 
You should see the x and y values for the selected eye.

3. In the capture volume, place the wand 2–2.5 meters from the subject and get
the subject to look at the origin marker (the middle marker at the top of the
T).

4. On the System Resources tab, click the Dikablis Eye Tracker node and in the
Properties pane, go to the Calibration section and click Add.

5. Move the wand to another part of the volume and click Add again.
In the Samples box, 2 is displayed.

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6. Repeat the previous step.

After you have collected three samples, an eye vector and an eyeball are
displayed in the 3D Perspective view.

7. Collect more samples (aim for at least five samples in total) to refine your
results.

 Tip
When collecting samples, place the wand in the bottom left of
volume and have the subject look at the origin marker. Pause for
about a second and then in the Calibration section, and click Add.
Then place the wand in the top left of the volume, and have the
subject look at the origin marker. Again, pause, and click Add.
Repeat with the wand at the top right of the volume, and then at the
bottom right of the volume. Continue to move the wand and click
Add until the eye gaze vector accurately tracks the origin marker.

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8. When the eye tracker system has been calibrated (and if the subject is looking
at the origin marker), in 3D Perspective view, the eye gaze vector will pass
through (or point to) the origin marker of the calibration wand, depending on
how far the subject's head is from the wand.
 

9. View the results in a 3D Perspective view.

10. To check that the eye tracks the wand correctly, record a short trial.

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Export Dikablis eye vector data

To use eye vector data, you will normally want to export both the eye vector data
itself and the Head and Tracker data (the segment data) that relates the eye
vector to its position within the global coordinate system. To export all the
information relating to the eye vector, you must reconstruct and label the trial
and kinematically fit the data before exporting it.

To export eye vector data and segment data:

1. Load into Vicon Nexus the trial from which you want to export eye tracking
data.

2. On the System tab of the Resources pane, click the Dikablis Eye Tracker node
to select it.

3. To check that the eye vector data is included, open a Graph view pane and
observe the eye vector x and y values.

 Tip
You can export the eye vector data at this point, but the exported file
will not include the segment data, which is necessary to position the
eye vector within the global coordinate system.

4. Run Reconstruct and Label, either by clicking the Reconstruct and Label
button on the Nexus toolbar or by running the Reconstruct and Label
pipeline in the Pipeline Tools pane.
In the 3D Perspective view, as processing proceeds, you can see first the
addition of the object markers and then the labeling.

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5. After labeling is complete, to see and use the eye vector, you need to
kinematically fit the data. To do this, run Kinematic Fit, either by clicking the
KinFit button on the Nexus toolbar or by running the Kinematic Fit pipeline in
the Pipeline Tools pane, making any changes necessary in the Properties
pane.

 Tip
To produce the required result, you may need to reduce the Prior
Importance to zero.

6. Run the Kinematic Fit operation.

The eye vector is displayed in the 3D Perspective view.

7. In the Pipeline Tools pane, expand File Export, then double-click Export
ASCII.

8. In the Properties pane, in the Segments section, change the Global Angle
setting to All.

9. Run the Export ASCII pipeline operation.

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10. To see the exported data, on the Data Management tab, with the relevant
trial selected, click on the hyperlink at the bottom and double-click the
relevant .csv file to open it.
The eye vector data is displayed as a unit vector in the columns headed RayX,
RayY, and RayZ.

The units are between 1000 and -1000 mm. The eye vector data is local to the
segment to which the eye tracker is connected (ie, the Head). Both the eye
vector data and the Head and Tracker (and Wand) data are exported.

11. To position the eye vector in global coordinate space, use the Head and
Tracker data. To ensure accuracy, also apply the offset from the Head
segment. To find the offset, in the System Resources pane, click the Dikablis
Eye Tracker node and in the Properties pane, go to the Eye Offset
coordinates.

12. When you save, kinematic data is not saved, so to preserve kinematics, rerun
Kinematic Fit. 

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Vicon Nexus user interface

This chapter provides detailed descriptions of the main components of the
Vicon Nexus user interface:

• About the Vicon Nexus user interface, page 182

• Resources pane, page 183

• System tab, page 187

• System Resources nodes, page 194

• Subjects tab, page 271

• View pane, page 281

• Tools pane, page 302

• Communications pane, page 342

• Menu bar, page 353

• Toolbar, page 372

For basic instructions on how to use these components, see the Vicon Nexus
User Guide. 

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About the Vicon Nexus user interface

The Vicon Nexus user interface includes the following components:

• Resources pane, page 183: Enables you to manage the components of your
Vicon system and the subjects whose motion is to be captured.

• View pane, page 281: Enables you to set up the way you want to view the
capture data from one or more cameras (or supported third-party devices),
either live in real time or from file for post-processing.

• Tools pane, page 302: Enables you to manage each step of the motion capture
workflow through preparation, acquisition, and review.

• Communications pane, page 342: Enables you to run customized workflows,

monitor trials, work with data from Vicon IMUs, work with MATLAB, check
system status and view log information.

• Menu bar, page 353: Enables you to access common commands from the
current workflow stage.

• Toolbar, page 372: Enables you to access frequently used commands from the
current workflow stage.

For introductory information about the Nexus user interface, see Introducing
Vicon Nexus in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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Resources pane
The Resources pane contains the following elements:

• System connection buttons, page 184

• Resources tabs, page 185

• System and Subjects trees, page 185

• Properties pane, page 186

You can hide, pin, and unpin the Resources pane to ensure you use the available
screen space as efficiently as possible (see Customize the Vicon Nexus user
interface in the Vicon Nexus User Guide).

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System connection buttons

Nexus has two operating modes: Live Mode and Offline Mode. The system
status indicators at the top of the Resources pane make it easy for you to
immediately identify the current operating mode and the hardware connection
status.

• Live mode connects the system and starts real-time streaming.

• Offline mode disconnects the system and stops real-time data streaming.
Previously captured and saved data can be played back offline.

Appearance System status

System in Live Mode - No connection established

with Vicon hardware

System in Live Mode - Connection established with

Vicon hardware

System in Offline Mode - No trial loaded in memory

System in Offline Mode - Trial is loaded in memory

The trial name is displayed to the left. The tool tip
shows the file location.

Pauses real-time data streaming. This button is

Pause button available and is a brighter color when the system is in
its Live mode.

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Resources tabs
You select the type of resources to be displayed by clicking the appropriate
Resources tab:

• System tab Lets you configure the components of your Vicon system. For
more information, see System tab, page 187.

• Subjects tab Lets you load and manage files for the subjects whose motion
data you want to capture and analyze in Vicon Nexus. For more information,
see Subjects tab, page 271.

System and Subjects trees

You select the items and any sub items to be configured with the System tree or
Subjects tree in the middle of the Resources pane. The nodes displayed in the
tree depend on whether you are viewing the System tab or the Subjects tab in
the Resources pane.

For more information, see System Resources nodes, page 194 and Subjects tab,
page 271.

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Properties pane

You view and change settings for the item selected in the resources tree in the
Properties pane at the bottom of the Resources pane. The contents of this
section depend on the node selected in the Resources tree.

For information about the available properties, see the Properties section for the
required node in System Resources nodes, page 194.

To see additional settings for the selected node, click Show Advanced at the top
right of the Properties pane. To show basic settings only, click Hide Advanced.

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System tab
The System tab in the Resources pane enables you to manage the components
of your Vicon system.

The System tab contains the following sections:

• System configuration management, page 187

• System Resources tree, page 188

• System Properties pane, page 193

System configuration management

You create or manage configurations for the settings on the System tab using
the configuration management section at the top of the pane. This section is
displayed when Nexus is in Live or Pause mode (click the Go Live button or the
Pause button).

This enables you to save any changes you make to the settings on the System
tab to a configuration file, with the extension .System. You can then re-use your
saved configuration file as required, for example, you could save different system
settings for each type of motion capture application that you use.

In addition to creating customized Systems configurations, the Configuration

menu button enables you to rename, import, reload and delete configurations
and refresh the list.

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System Resources tree

You select the node for the system component you want to configure in the
Resources tree on the System tab (the nodes displayed depend on the current
system connection mode and connected system components):

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Node Description

Local Vicon System Displayed in Live mode only. Enables you to view and/or control the Vicon system
capture rate and the Nexus memory buffer size; real-time processing settings; and the
identification and connection settings for the Nexus host PC.
The Local Vicon System node contains sub nodes for each device connected to your
Vicon system under the following nodes:
• Vicon Cameras
• Vicon Connectivity
• Video Cameras
• Devices (including force plates, accelerometers, EMG, Dikablis eye tracker, etc)

The node for the device designated as the Vicon system synchronization master is
highlighted in bold in the System Resources tree. For more information, see Change
the synchronization master in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.
For more information on this node, see Local Vicon System node, page 195.

Vicon Data Displayed in Offline mode only. The details for cameras and capture devices in your
Vicon system that were used for a previously saved motion capture trial. For more
information, see Vicon Data node, page 212.

Vicon Cameras The identification and configuration settings for each Vicon camera connected to your
Vicon system. For more information, see Vicon Cameras node, page 213.

Vicon Connectivity The identification and configuration settings for each Vicon connectivity device
included in your Vicon system architecture. For more information, see Vicon
Connectivity nodes, page 234.

Devices The connection and configuration settings for Vicon and supported third-party devices
included in your Vicon system architecture. For more information, see Devices node,
page 242.

You can perform commands specific to a type of system component node or sub
node by right-clicking on a node in the System Resources tree and selecting the
desired command from the displayed context menu.

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Device status
Some nodes have sub-nodes for individual components of that type:

• Green play button: Component OK (active or connected); if an analog

device is connected to the Vicon component, the analog source is selected
and all channels are configured.

• Yellow pause button: Component not fully set up

• Gray play button: Component connected but not contributing any data.

• Red stop button: Component down (unavailable or disconnected)

• Green arrow: Analog channel connected to source device.

• Yellow arrow: Analog channel not connected to source device, or device is

disabled (Enabled check box is not selected in the Status section of the
Properties pane.)

For more information on the status of system components, see Status tab, page
351.

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Reorder Devices dialog box

You change the order in which devices are displayed in the System Resources
tree in the Reorder Devices dialog box.

Tip
You can automatically number cameras according to their position in
the volume by using the Auto number cameras feature. For more
information, see System Preparation tools, page 306.

You access the Reorder Devices dialog box by right-clicking Vicon Cameras,
Video Cameras, Vicon Connectivity nodes, or Devices in the System Resources
tree and selecting Reorder from the context menu. This menu is available only
when the system is in Live mode (click the Go Live button); devices listed in an
offline processing file cannot be reordered.

Each Vicon camera and connectivity device is assigned a unique ID at

manufacture, which remains the same, regardless of its position in the list of
other devices of the same type. Once integrated in a Vicon system, each device
is assigned a sequential ID, which is used to identify it (for example, in user
interface lists and camera calibration parameters (.xcp) files). This sequential ID is
not dependent on which socket the device is plugged into (for example, a Vicon
camera plugged into socket 2 in an MX Giganet is not necessarily assigned a
device ID of 2). Reordering the device changes its sequential ID. You may find

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this useful if you want to order your device numbers to match their physical
sequence in your capture volume.

To change the order of devices in the Reorder Devices dialog box:

1. In the System Resources tree, right-click Vicon Cameras, Video Cameras,

Vicon Connectivity or Devices and from the displayed context menu select
Reorder.

2. In the Reorder Devices dialog box, click on the device whose position you
want to change.
In the Identifier column, the color of the circle to the left of the ID number
indicates the current status of that device:
• Blue (Present) - Devices that are physically in use, or are part of the latest
calibration

• Black (Remembered) - Devices that are not present at this time, but were
connected at least once in the past

The Original Identifier column shows the sequence ID previously assigned to

the device.

3. Change the order of the device using the buttons:

• Move Up Move the selected entry up one position in the list.

• Move Down Move the selected entry down one position in the list.

• Sort Sorts the list of devices according to name and type. Remembered
devices are at the bottom of the list.

• Clean Removes the entries for devices that are not present in the current
session.
4. Repeat steps 1–3 for each device whose position you wish to change.

5. Click OK to save the changes and close the Reorder Devices dialog box.

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System Properties pane

You can view or modify system components in the Properties pane, which is at
the bottom of the of the System tab.

The properties displayed depend upon the component node selected in the
System Resources tree. Properties can be presented in categories such as
General, Settings, etc.

To see all the properties for a selected component node, ensure you have
clicked Show Advanced at the top of the Properties pane.

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System Resources nodes

The following topics describe nodes that are displayed in the tree on the System
tab of the Resources pane:

• Local Vicon System node, page 195

• Vicon Data node, page 212

• Vicon Cameras node, page 213

• Video Cameras node, page 228

• Vicon Connectivity nodes, page 234

• Devices node, page 242

• Force plate nodes, page 244

• Analog accelerometer, EMG, & other analog device nodes, page 255

• Digital device nodes, page 257

• Tobii Pro Glasses node, page 258

• Dikablis Eye Tracker node, page 261

• Vicon IMU node, page 264

• Zerowire EMG node, page 267

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Local Vicon System node

The Local Vicon System node is the top-level node that is displayed for the
Nexus host PC when Nexus is in Live mode. It contains sub-nodes for each
device connected to your Vicon system:

• Vicon Cameras

• Vicon Connectivity (Vicon Lock+, Vicon MX Giganet)

• Video Cameras

• Devices (including force plates, accelerometers, EMG, Dikablis eye tracker,

etc)

The node for the device designated as the synchronization master is highlighted
in bold in the System Resources tree. (For more information, see Change the
synchronization master in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.)

For more information on the Local Vicon System node, see:

• Local Vicon System node context menu, page 196

• Local Vicon System properties, page 197

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Local Vicon System node context menu

You can select from the following commands on the context menu displayed
when you right-click on the Local Vicon System node:

Command Description

Reboot Vicon Resets all of the Vicon hardware devices in the Vicon system.
Hardware Use this command if a camera has failed to boot, or if you need to
reset the whole system for other reasons.
Alternatively, use the Reboot All button in the System section of
the Properties pane.

Reboot Core Restarts the Core Processor and resets the labeler. Alternatively,
Processor press CTRL + R.

Resynchronize Forces the synchronization master to resynchronize the frame rate

for all connected cameras and third-party devices.

Reprogram Vicon Display the Reprogram Firmware dialog box in which you can
Firmware view and update firmware for Vicon devices in your Vicon system.

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Local Vicon System properties

You can configure the following settings in the Properties pane for the Local
Vicon System node.

Tip
If you can't see some of the listed properties, click Show Advanced at
the top of the Properties pane.

These settings affect the local Vicon system in Live mode. The equivalent
settings for offline processing can be found under Core Processing operations,
page 325 on the Pipeline tab.

Local Vicon System properties are divided into the following sections:

• System section, page 198

• Genlock and Timecode section, page 200

• General section, page 202

• Grayscale Circle Fitting section, page 203

• Reconstruction section, page 203

• Trajectory Tracking section, page 205

• Labeling section, page 206

• OSC Stream section, page 208

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System section
Contains system-wide parameters that affect all the connected cameras and
devices.

Property Description

Requested The rate (in Hertz) at which to synchronize the Vicon cameras. If using
Frame Rate external video signal, select from displayed values (multiples of the
(Hz) base frame rate of the PAL, NTSC, or Film video standard specified
in Standard) up to a maximum of 2,000. You can choose any number
you want if you do not have any Genlock Standard set.
The configured Vicon system capture rate is displayed in square
brackets beside the node. For example, if the Vicon system frame
rate is set to 100 Hz, the node title is displayed as Local Vicon System
[100Hz]. If the Requested Frame Rate cannot be met due to the
camera frame rate, Vicon Nexus displays the nearest adjusted frame
rate in square brackets. To meet the Requested Frame Rate, you can
change the Sub Sample Ratio of the relevant camera(s).
Default: 100

Actual Frame The frame rate used by the Vicon system, which is constrained by the
Rate (Hz) camera frame rate limits.

Preferred A list from which you can choose the synchronization master. If you
Master are using multiple devices such as Vicon Lock+ or MX Giganets, to
connect and control your cameras, a synchronization master is
automatically chosen by Vicon Nexus. If the automatically selected
synchronization master is not the required choice, you can select the
appropriate device from the Preferred Master list. (For more
information, see Change the synchronization master in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide).
Default: Automatic

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Property Description

Buffer Size The size (in MB) of the memory buffer on the host PC when Nexus is
(MB) receiving data from Vicon hardware. Specify a value between 0-1024
MB. This buffer is used if data comes in faster than Nexus can
process it; therefore, the larger the buffer, the longer it takes before
capture fails. Increasing this value enables a greater Capture Before
Start duration to be set. The optimum size of the Buffer Size
parameter depends on the amount of memory on your PC. The
proportion of the total memory buffer that is reserved for Vicon
devices is determined by the Buffer Reserve (see below).
Tip: If you experience failure of a combined video and optical
camera calibration , particularly if you are capturing a long wand
wave, close and restart Nexus. Reduce the Buffer Size to 0 MB
before calibrating. Do not increase the buffer size to its usual level
until you have completed a successful calibration.
Default: 250

Buffer Reserve The proportion of the total buffer size (see Buffer Size above) that is
reserved for Vicon video devices. The default of 0.5 results in half of
the total buffer size being reserved for Vicon video devices (Vicon
Vue and Bonita Video cameras). The remaining buffer space is used
by third-party video cameras. If you want to maximize the buffer
space reserved for Vue or Bonita Video cameras, set this value to 1.0.
If you are using only Basler cameras or third-party DV cameras, set
this value to 0.
Default: 0.5

Reboot All Resets all of the Vicon hardware devices in the Vicon system. Use this
button if a camera has failed to boot, or if you need to reset the
whole system for other reasons.
Alternatively, use the Reboot Vicon Hardware command from the
context menu.

Minimize Minimizes the level of latency, or lag time, the RealTime Engine
Latency introduces during data streaming when data rates approach or
exceed system processing capacity.
If selected, the RealTime Engine introduces no lag time when
processing data frames. This decreases data throughput, but
increases the possibility of frames being dropped.
If cleared, the RealTime Engine introduces 20 frames of lag time
when processing data frames. As this increases data throughput, it
can produce better labeling results.
Default: Cleared

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Genlock and Timecode section

Settings for genlock and timecode.

Property Description

Genlock The type of video standard supported by the connected video

Standard source: None, PAL, NTSC, Film (24 fps), Film (24/1.001 fps, 30Hz,
VESA (100Hz) or VESA (120Hz). For information about the symbols in
this list, see Icons in Genlock and Timecode lists, page 201.
Default: None
Important: To use the 30Hz option, the Vicon firmware must be
Bundle 500 or above.

Enable Enables genlock based on the signals that are currently detected.
Genlock

Auto Genlock Automatically selects a genlock standard and enables genlock based
on the signals that are currently detected.

Genlock Enables you to specify a system offset relative to the genlock signal,
Offset as a fraction of the genlock frame period. Values are in the range 0–
1. For VESA modes, specify a value using the VESA Offset control.

VESA Offset Applies only if you have selected one of the VESA standards from
the Genlock Standard list (see above). It enables a system offset
relative to VESA signal (as a fraction of the VESA frame period). It
changes when the Vicon cameras take a frame (and hence when the
camera strobes are on) relative to the incoming VESA frames. The
camera timing can be offset by up to one VESA frame. The main
purpose of this feature is to prevent camera strobes from interfering
with the IR-synchronized 3D glasses used in some VR systems.

Timecode The genlock timecode source. Can be VITC, LTC, Internal or Internal
Source Drop (uses drop frame when applicable). Default is Internal.
For information about the symbols in this list, see Icons in Genlock
and Timecode lists, page 201.
Note: VITC and LTC always display a flat line if the system is not
genlocked. This is because these signal types can only be detected
by a master device that is genlocked.

Enable When selected, timecode is enabled.

Timecode

Detected Given as the number of timecode frames per second for example, 24
Timecode fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 30 fps DropFrame

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Icons in Genlock and Timecode lists

The icon to the left of each option provides additional information about the
availability of that standard:

Icon Meaning

Cross The standard is not supported by the hardware (that is, no

connected device supports locking to a signal of that type). If you
select an unsupported standard, it restricts the available frame rates
as it does in the previous version of Nexus.

Flat line No device in the system is detecting that standard.

Blue The master device is detecting that signal and can genlock to it.
square wave

Green If you select a mode with the blue wave icon and then select the
square wave Enable Genlock check box, the icon turns green.

Red A device in the system is detecting the mode but a problem

square wave prevents it from being used, for example, if the signal is being
detected by a device that is not the master device in the system.

In all cases, you can display a tooltip by holding the mouse over the Genlock
Standard list.

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General section
Settings for the Core Processor component, which receives data from the Vicon
cameras and transforms the data to the trajectories or segments that your Vicon
system is tracking.

Property Description

Processing The amount of real-time processing the Core Processor is to perform

Output Level on source data:
• Circles: Have the Nexus Core Processor attempt to circle fit
grayscale blobs that the Vicon cameras could not resolve. Data
will not be reconstructed to 3D trajectories, so you will only see
data in the 2D Camera view pane.
• Reconstructions: Create 3D reconstructions of marker images.
3D trajectories are created, but they are not labeled.
• Labels: Assign labels to markers, based on the Vicon Skeleton
(.vsk file). Labels are applied to the reconstructed trajectories if
a .vsk file is present.
• Kinematic Fit: Fit joint angles defining the relationship between
segments. The segments defined in the .vsk file are fitted and
displayed.

Default: Labels
Important: These settings are applied cumulatively. For example,
selecting Labels applies that setting as well as the Reconstructions
and Circles settings.

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Grayscale Circle Fitting section

Property Description

Enable Select this check box to enable circle fitting of grayscale blobs. If
selected, processing speed may be slightly slowed, but more data
may be collected.
Default: Selected.

Reconstruction section
Controlling the number of cameras that are required to start or continue a
trajectory can be beneficial in producing higher quality data. The ability to define
how trajectories are created can help you to produce higher quality data that
requires less manual editing.

Property Description

Environmental Drift Increase this parameter to reduce the sensitivity (in mm) of the
Tolerance camera calibration to environmental factors, particularly
temperature change.
Use this setting to compensate for environmental changes when
you do not have time or other resources to recalibrate the whole
system. For the most accurate results, recalibration remains the
preferred solution.
Default: 1.5

Minimum Cameras This parameter controls how many cameras (rays) must see the
to Start Trajectory same marker (centroid) in order to create a new reconstruction
and potentially form a new trajectory. The minimum value that
can possibly create a reconstruction is two cameras. The
maximum value of this parameter is 30 cameras or the total
number of cameras in your system. This value can be increased if
there are a large number of unlikely reconstructions being
created.
Default: 3 cameras

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Property Description

Minimum Cameras This parameter controls how many cameras (rays) must see the
to Continue same marker (centroid) in order to create a reconstruction to
Trajectory continue a recognized trajectory. The minimum value that can
possibly create reconstructions is two cameras. The maximum
value of this parameter is 30 cameras or the total number of
cameras in your system. The value can be decreased if there are
gaps in trajectories where reconstruction should be possible
when viewed by fewer cameras.
Default: 2 cameras

Reconstruction The minimum distance, specified as a value in the range 0–

Minimum 1000000 millimeters, allowed between 3D marker positions in
Separation order for them to be considered for reconstruction. If two
candidate reconstructions are closer than this minimum
separation, only the most likely reconstruction (in terms of the
number of cameras contributing) will be reported. The other will
be discarded. A higher value decreases the likelihood of
creating spurious reconstructions, but increases the possibility
that some genuine markers will not be reconstructed.
Generally, this parameter should be slightly above the size of
the markers you are using. For examples, if you are using 14mm
markers, try setting it to 16mm. Then, for example, if during
reconstruction two markers (one a ghost marker) are found
within 17mm, one would be discarded.
Default: 14

Minimum Centroid The minimum radius (in pixels) of a 2D centroid that is allowed
Radius for a reconstruction. Any reconstruction with a radius less than
this value is ignored.
Default: 0

Maximum Centroid The maximum radius (in pixels) of a 2D centroid that is allowed
Radius for a reconstruction. Any reconstruction with a radius greater
than this value is ignored.
Default: 50

Minimum The minimum 3D radius (in mm) that is allowed for a

Reconstruction reconstruction. Any reconstruction with a radius less than this
Radius value is discarded.
Default: 0

Maximum The maximum 3D radius (in mm) that is allowed for a

Reconstruction reconstruction. Any reconstruction with a radius greater than this
Radius value is discarded.
Default: 1000

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Property Description

Volume min X X value of lower corner of reconstruction volume.

Default -100000.

Volume min Y Y value of lower corner of reconstruction volume.

Default -100000

Volume min Z Z value of lower corner of reconstruction volume.

Default -100000

Volume max X X value of upper corner of reconstruction volume.

Default 100000.

Volume max Y Y value of upper corner of reconstruction volume.

Default 100000.

Volume max Z Z value of upper corner of reconstruction volume.

Default 100000.

Use Target Volume Sets the reconstruction volume to the dimensions of the target
volume (Set the target volume dimensions in the Options dialog
box (press F7)

Trajectory Tracking section

Property Description

Trajectory The deviation allowed (in mm/sec) in a marker's position at the start
Startup Error of a trajectory. This value is related to the radius within which the
current trajectory is matched to a reconstruction in the following
frame. To help start trajectories on faster moving markers, increase
the value. To help with dense marker sets, decrease the value.
Default: 150

Trajectory The deviation allowed (in mm/sec) in a marker's position on a

Prediction trajectory. This value is related to the radius within which the current
Error trajectory is matched to a reconstruction in the following frame. To
help continue trajectories on faster moving markers, increase the
value. To help with dense marker sets, decrease the value.
Default: 150

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Labeling section

Property Description

Label Specifies the proportion of markers that have to be present when

Completeness a subject enters the capture volume or when the trial starts. If it is
Entrance less than this value, the subject is not labeled. Higher values help
Threshold to prevent mis-labeling when the subject first enters the volume.
For example, if labeling starts only a significant number of frames
after the subject has entered the volume, then a reduction of this
value may encourage labeling to start earlier, when a smaller
percentage of total subject markers are first seen.
Conversely, if when the subject enters the volume, the initial
labeling result is poor, increasing the value encourages the
labeler to wait until a larger proportion of subject markers are
seen and should produce a more reliable labeling result.
Default: 0.85

Label Specifies the proportion of a subject's markers below which the

Completeness subject is considered by Nexus to have left the capture volume.
Exit Threshold Labeling will not recommence unless the proportion reaches the
Entrance Threshold. Higher values help to prevent mis-labeling
when the subject leaves the volume.
For example, a value of 1 requires all markers to be recognized
for labels to continue to be produced.
Tip: Do not set this value higher than Label completeness
entrance threshold.
Default: 0.6

Booting quality Affects when the system will start labeling based on how well the
labeling skeleton matches the reconstructed data. For greater
tolerance, reduce this value; to reduce the risk of mis-labeling,
increase this value.
Lower values are more tolerant, but may result in more mis-
labels, whereas higher values require a closer match between the
labeling skeleton and the reconstructed data, and therefore
reduce the risk of mis-labeling.
If fewer than expected labels are achieved, reducing this value
may decrease the number of labeled reconstructions.
Conversely, if the labeling results produce an unacceptably high
number of mis-labels (due to poor skeleton-to-reconstruction
matching), increasing this value may result in fewer mis-labels.
Default: 0

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Property Description

Booting versus Booting is a process in which Nexus attempts to work out the
tracking labeling for the active subjects with marker statistics calculated
from the VSK. This is done without requiring any information from
earlier frames, such as previous labels.
Tracking is a process in which Nexus uses the pose of the
labeling skeleton from the previous frame's labels. This is used to
predict the labeling in the current frame.
Values <0 favor rebooting; values >0 favor tracking.
Default: 0

Tracking quality Compares the match between reconstructions and skeleton data
with the previous frame to determine whether labeling continues.
Adjusting this parameter affects how close this match must be.
Higher values require a closer match between frames. This
reduces the risk of incorrect labeling, but may leave more
constructions unlabeled.
Lower values do not require as close a match between frames.
This can increase the total number of labeled reconstructions but
may produce more mis-labels.
For greater tolerance, reduce this value; to reduce the risk of
incorrect labeling, increase this value.
Default: 0

Smoothing factor Specifies how much the subject markers can move between
frames before labeling stops. This value can be increased for
slow-moving subjects and decreased for faster motion (at the
cost of a greater likelihood of mis-labels).
Default is 200.

Joint Ranges A calibrated skeleton contains joint range information. This

Slack informs the labeler about the expected Range of Motion for any
joint and the markers associated with that joint, helping the
labeler make decisions.
If a subject's joints move beyond the estimated range, the result
may be unlabeled reconstructions. Increasing this value may
increase the number of labels and is useful when the subject
doesn't perform an entire Range of Motion during calibration.
Values greater than 1 extend the joint ranges allowed in the
subject calibration. Higher values can be set to reduce the
chances of mis-labels. Values less than 1 tighten the ranges.
Default: 1

Enforce Joint If selected, Nexus considers only a marker labeling solution that
Ranges adheres strictly to the joint range values defined in the labeling
skeleton (VSK).
Default is cleared.

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OSC Stream section

To access the OSC data streaming options:

• On the System Resources tab, select Local Vicon System and in the Properties
pane, ensure the Advanced properties are displayed.
The data available for output is a subset of the data available using the
DSSDK.

 Important:
To stream device data, you must give the device a name.

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OSC Stream properties

This table lists the OSC Stream properties.

Property Description

Enabled Turns streaming on/off

IP Address Address used to create the outbound socket

Port Port number used to create the outbound socket

Buffer Size Size of the buffer to allocate to store a frame's worth of data

Subject Name If a single subject is loaded, this option enables you turn on/off
the subject name in the message address (see Packet contents,
page 210).
If multiple subjects are loaded, the subject name is always
included as part of the message address.

Enable Segments, Turn on/off specific data types

Markers, …

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Packet contents
Each packet consists of a bundle containing one or more messages. Each
message has an address associated with it to identify its contents. The /vicon/
frame message is always generated; other messages may or may not be present,
depending on the output data types selected.

Full address Nexus DSSDK type Data values Description

(Base in property
bold)

/vicon/frame NA Output_GetFrameNu long - Frame Number Always present in the

mber float - Frame Rate bundle. Timecode values
Output_GetFrameRate int32 - Timecode Hours are only present if the
Output_GetTimecode int32 - Timecode application has timecode
Minutes enabled.
int32 - Timecode
Seconds
int32 - Timecode
Frames
int32 - Timecode
Subframes
int32 - Timecode Field
Flag
int32 - Timecode
Standard
int32 - Timecode
SubframesPerFrame
int32 - Timecode
UserBits

/vicon/seg/ Enable Output_GetSegmentG float(3) - Translation SUBJECT: Subject Name

SUBJECT/ Segments lobalTranslation float(9) - Rotation matrix SEG_NAME: Name of
SEG_NAME Output_GetSegmentG the segment
/vicon/seg/ lobalRotationMatrix If the Subject Name
SEG_NAME property is cleared and a
single subject is loaded,
the SUBJECT portion of
the address is omitted. In
all other cases it is
present.

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Full address Nexus DSSDK type Data values Description

(Base in property
bold)

/vicon/marker/ Enable Output_GetMarkerGlo float(3) - Translation SUBJECT: Subject Name

SUBJECT/ Markers balTranslation MARKER_NAME: Name
MARKER_NA of the marker
ME If the Subject Name
/vicon/marker/ property is cleared and a
MARKER_NA single subject is loaded,
ME the SUBJECT portion of
the address is omitted. In
all other cases it is
present.

/vicon/ Enable Output_GetUnlabeled float(3) - Translation N: A number starting at 0

unlabeled/N Unlabeled MarkerGlobalTranslati Unlabeled marker
Markers on numbers are arbitrary so
you can't assume that
the same unlabeled
marker will be given the
same number frame-to-
frame.

/vicon/2D/ Enable Output_GetCentroidP int32 - Number of

CameraID Centroids osition centroids
For each centroid:
float(2) - Position
float - Radius

/vicon/fp/N Enable Output_GetGlobalFor int32 - Number of N: Force plate index

Force ceVector samples number
Plate Output_GetGlobalMo For each sample:
mentVector float(3) - Force
Output_GetGlobalCen float(3) - Moment
treOfPressure float(3) - CoP

/vicon/device/ Enable Output_GetDeviceOut int32 - Number of NAME: Device name

NAME/ Devices putValue  samples OUTPUT: Device output
OUTPUT/ For each sample: name
COMPONENT float - Device output COMPONENT: Device
value output component name

/vicon/gaze/N Enable Output_GetEyeTracke float(3) - Gaze vector N: Eye tracker index

Gaze rGlobalGazeVector float(3) - segment
Vector Output_GetEyeTracke position
rGlobalPosition 

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Vicon Data node

The Vicon Data node is the top-level node that is displayed on the System tab in
the Resources pane when Nexus is in Offline mode. It represents the Nexus host
PC.
in this mode, you can view but not manage the device details displayed on the
System tab.

It enables you to view details of the cameras and capture devices in your Vicon
system that were used for a previously saved motion capture trial.

The Vicon Data node contains sub-nodes for each capture device that was
connected to your Vicon system during the trial capture under the following
nodes:

• Vicon Cameras node

• Video Cameras node

• Devices node (including force plates, accelerometers, etc)

The top-level Vicon Data node does not have any displayed properties. Not all
properties that are configurable for a device in Live mode are visible in Offline
mode. For further details, see Local Vicon System node, page 195.

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Vicon Cameras node

The Vicon Cameras node on the System tab of the Resources pane enables you
to manage the identification and configuration settings for each Vicon camera
connected to your Vicon system.

For more information, see:

• Vicon Cameras node context menu, page 213

• Vicon Camera properties, page 215

Vicon Cameras node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on the Vicon Cameras node:

Command Description

Reorder Display the Reorder Devices dialog box, page 191 in which you can
change the order in which Vicon cameras are displayed in the
System Resources tree.

Reboot Vicon Stop and restart all of the Vicon optical cameras in the Vicon system.
Cameras

Remove Vicon Displays a choice of Disconnected or Missing:

Cameras • Disconnected - removes from the Resources tree cameras that
are currently unplugged.
• Missing - removes from the Resources tree cameras that are
unplugged, but were previously used in a calibration.

Enable Enables Preview mode for Vicon cameras. In this mode Vicon Nexus
Preview Mode displays a 'video' image from the optical sensor of a Vicon camera,
which enables you to aim cameras more quickly and easily during
setup.
Note that this preview feature is for system setup purposes only. You
cannot capture camera data in Preview mode.

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You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a node for a specific Vicon camera:

Command Description

Reset Remove the selected camera from the current calibration.

Calibration

Reboot Start and restart the selected Vicon camera.

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Vicon Camera properties

You can configure settings in the following sections of the Properties pane for
Vicon cameras:

• Identification section, page 215

• Settings section, page 216

• Centroid Fitting section, page 222

• Centroid Tracking section, page 224

• Status section, page 225

• Hardware section, page 226

• Firmware section, page 227

• Calibration section, page 227

• Commands section, page 227

Identification section

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the entire set of Vicon cameras or
for each individual camera. For example, if a camera is placed over a
door, you could name it "Over Door."
Default: Blank

Device ID The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each camera

during manufacture. The top-level entry for all Vicon cameras takes
no value.
Default: Identified on connection

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Settings section

Property Description

Enabled Whether or not the Vicon camera is currently enabled for use.
Default: Selected

Strobe Intensity The amount of light emitted by Vicon camera strobe units. This value can be set
between 0-1 to minimize reflections and obtain clear marker images. The higher the
setting, the larger the markers appear, but this may cause blobs to be produced from
unwanted reflection sources. Lower settings reduce unwanted reflection sources but
make the markers themselves less visible to the Vicon cameras.
In almost all circumstances, you will want to keep the intensity at its maximum level
because the system works by recording light from the strobes that is reflected from the
markers, thus the more light the strobes send out the more light the markers reflect.
However, there are two significant cases where you may want to lower the intensities:
• If you see a lot of reflections in the volume, either from other cameras or from other
objects in the room, such as shiny equipment, floors, or from the subject.
• If you are capturing a very fast moving subject. The strobe intensity affects the time
the strobe is on for each camera frame. The full strobe intensity corresponds to 1ms
for normal frame rates. Lower strobe intensities mean that the markers are captured
with the strobes on for less time and, therefore, have less time to move during the
frame.

Tip: In normal circumstances, it is advisable to use full strobe intensity and deal with
reflection problems by closing the camera lens aperture. However, especially when the
capture volume is very small, this may be uncomfortable to the patient, so less than the
full intensity may be the best setting.
Adjust this setting in conjunction with the Threshold setting until reflections are
minimized or gone.

Note: If you are using a mixed system (ie your Vicon system consists of a mix of MX T-
Series cameras and other current Vicon cameras), and if it is crucial to your work that the
shutter periods for all cameras are precisely aligned, ensure that your firmware is
upgraded to version 700 or later, and set the Strobe Intensity for the T-Series camera(s)
to its maximum.
Default: 1

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Property Description

Sensor Mode Nexus 2.11 and later supports the use of the Vantage+ firmware upgrade, enabling you
to use High Speed mode on your Vantage cameras without having to change the field
of view (FOV) or lens. When you capture optical data, subsampling (selectively reducing
the pixel count) enables you to run at high camera frame rates without reducing the
FOV (frame size).
In High Speed mode, you can run your Vantage cameras at higher frames rates while
maintaining the FOV. You can change frame rates during capture and you do not need
to set up your cameras again when you increase the frame rate, as the FOV is
[Link] the higher speeds are achieved through subsampling (removing
some pixels from the frames), some reduction in resolution is incurred.
For details, see Run in High Speed mode, page 220 and High-speed mode in the Vicon
Vantage Reference Guide.

Gain The digital amplification of the pixel value. Select a displayed value to determine the
intensity of the grayscale from the Vicon cameras: x1, x2, x4, or x8.
This setting is applied to the camera to change the dynamic range of the recorded
image. Increasing the gain means that the marker has less variation in grayscale
intensity between its center and its edge, but in certain circumstances, using a higher
gain yields markers that are easier for the camera to distinguish. Vicon does not
recommend using a gain setting higher than x2.
Adjust this setting if the markers appear too faint or if the cameras have trouble
distinguishing them; otherwise, leave the this property at the default x1 setting.
Default: x1

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Property Description

Grayscale Mode The type of data for processed grayscale blobs that the Vicon cameras send to Vicon
Nexus. The Vicon cameras perform data processing to create 2D data for Vicon
markers. They generate grayscale blobs for reflections from objects in the capture
volume and then use centroid-fitting algorithms to determine which of these are likely
to be markers by comparing the shape of the grayscale blobs to the Minimum
Circularity Ratio and Max Blob Height settings. During this processing, Vicon cameras
can produce these types of data for grayscale blobs: centroids data (x, y coordinates
and the radius of the centroid calculated), grayscale data (pixel and line information), or
coordinates data (line information, i.e. grayscale data without pixel values).
You can specify which type of processed data Vicon cameras send to Nexus:
• Auto: Send grayscale data only of the grayscale blobs for which centroids were not
generated, that is, those below the threshold specified for Minimum Circularity
[Link] coordinates data of grayscale blobs for which one or more line
segments, or the total number of lines in the blob, exceeds the value set for Max
Blob Height. If a marker can be centroid fitted by the Vicon camera, the centroid is
passed to the capture PC. If it cannot, the full grayscale of the image is sent,
allowing the data to be post-processed on the PC. This is the default and
recommended mode.
• None: Send no grayscale or coordinates data; send only centroid data. Any
grayscale image that cannot be centroid fitted by the camera will be discarded.
Select this mode if you are capturing a large number of markers and have
redundancy in your capture setup.
• All: Send grayscale data both of grayscale blobs for which centroids were
generated and of those for which centroids were not generated, that is those below
the threshold specified for Minimum Circularity Ratio. Send coordinates data of
grayscale blobs for which one or more line segments, or the total number of lines in
the blob, exceeds the value set for Max blob height. Select this setting if you need
to see exactly where the camera calculates the centroid with respect to the
grayscale marker image, for example when adjusting parameters. This setting
results in much larger data rates and files; it may be useful for diagnostic purposes,
but do not use it in normal capture situations.
• Only: Send all grayscale and coordinates data; send no centroid [Link] setting is
useful when focusing or making other adjustments to the cameras themselves as
you see exactly the image recorded on the sensor.
• Edges: Send only edge coordinates data; send no centroid or grayscale [Link] data
rates are very high, for example when there are too many reflections, the camera
automatically enters this mode. Use this setting to manually force the camera into
this mode.
• No Edges: Send grayscale data both of grayscale blobs for which centroids were
generated and of those for which centroids were not generated; send no
coordinates [Link] this setting to prevent the Vicon camera from sending edge
coordinates.

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Property Description
Default: Auto
Caution Even if you have not specified a Grayscale mode setting that would have
coordinates data sent to Nexus, a Vicon camera automatically sends coordinates data–
either temporarily or permanently– if it is overloaded with data (e.g., too many markers,
too many reflections, hand or reflective objects immediately in front of the camera, too
low a threshold or too high a gain). If a camera automatically starts to present
coordinates data, identify the source of the overload and try to remedy it.

Allow Windowing Windowing enables Vicon cameras that support windowing to run at a faster frame rate
by using letterboxing to reduce the dimensions of the camera sensor area. The
configured frame rate affects the field of view. When you select Allow Windowing, if you
specify a frame rate greater than the maximum frame rate for the camera at full
resolution, image size is automatically reduced in comparison with that for a lower
camera frame rate by windowing. This keeps the pixel rate the same by transmitting a
greater number of smaller images per second. Cannot be used in calibration mode.
Default: Selected

Enable LEDs Enables you to select whether or not to use the status lights on the Vicon camera strobe
unit that provide feedback on the status of the camera (such as its enabled, connection,
or selection state and any processing feedback). This is useful for motion capture
applications in very dark environments (such as Virtual Reality) where the brightness of
these LED status lights can cause problems.
Default: Selected

Enable Display Toggles on or off the OLED display on the front of the strobe (of supported Vicon
cameras) , which gives feedback about the current camera status, eg, when the camera
has finished booting, its calibration status, and whether it has been moved since
calibration. If Enable Accelerometry is selected (see below), the image on the display
rotates based on the orientation of the camera. For more information, see the Vicon
Vantage Reference Guide .

Enable Tap to For supported Vicon cameras, enables you to lightly tap the camera in the volume to
Select select it (and deselect the other cameras). This is useful, for example, when you are
setting up cameras, before they are calibrated.
Default: Selected

Enable Applies to supported Vicon cameras only. Accelerometers in the Vicon cameras enable
Accelerometry bump detection to operate in calibrated cameras to alert you when they have moved
from their calibrated positions. If a calibrated camera is knocked, the camera's status
LEDs flash red and in Nexus, the camera's Bumped check box (in its Status properties)
displays a check mark. See also Bumped and Bump Detection Sensitivity, page 225 in the
Status section.
Default: Selected

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Run in High Speed mode

Nexus 2.11 and later supports the use of the Vantage+ firmware upgrade
(Firmware 725), enabling you to use High Speed mode on your Vantage cameras
without having to change the field of view (FOV) or lens. When you capture
optical data, subsampling (selectively reducing the pixel count) enables you to
run at high camera frame rates without reducing the FOV (frame size). 

 Important
To use  High Speed mode, you must upgrade to Firmware 725 or later.

In Default mode, to run Vantage cameras at higher frame rates while maintaining
their maximum resolution, windowing is used, which reduces the size of the FOV.

In High Speed mode, you can run your Vantage cameras at higher frames rates
while maintaining the FOV. You can change frame rates during capture and you
do not need to set up your cameras again when you increase the frame rate, as
the FOV is unchanged.

Note that because the higher speeds are achieved through subsampling
(removing some pixels from the frames), some reduction in resolution is incurred.
For details, see High-speed mode in the Vicon Vantage Reference Guide.

To select high-speed mode:

1. With your Nexus system in Live mode, set the system frame rate to the speed
you want to use in High Speed mode.
A warning may temporarily be displayed, alerting you to the discrepancy
between the requested frame rate and the actual system frame rate, until you
select high speed mode for all the relevant cameras, as explained next.

2. On the System tab, select one or more cameras.

3. In the Properties pane, ensure the Advanced properties are displayed and in
the Settings section, click the Sensor Mode menu and select High Speed.

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In the Camera view pane, notice that the High Speed mode icon is displayed
in the bottom left corner of the view .
4. With Allow Windowing selected (the default), windowing (reducing the size of
the field of view) is used above the following frame rates:
• V16: 500 fps

• V8: 900 fps

• V5: 1060 fps

If you don't want to use windowing in addition to High Speed mode, clear the
Allow Windowing check box.

After a few moments, the system runs at the new speed. 

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Centroid Fitting section

Property Description

Threshold The threshold for the minimum brightness (intensity) for marker
pixels (the setting does nothing to an overall marker, just the
individual pixels); pixels of an intensity lower than this threshold are
ignored. This value can be set between 0-1 to determine the pixels
to be considered for centroid fitting onboard the Vicon cameras.
Lower settings enable the camera to detect lower light levels, thus
making the markers appear larger, but introduce more noise from
unwanted reflections and other light sources. Higher settings reduce
the noise, but make the markers themselves less visible.
This setting differentiates between markers and ambient light. Vicon
cameras record 10-bit grayscale data, which for each sensor pixel is a
measure of how much light fell on that pixel during a given amount
of time. However, the cameras will almost always pick up some
ambient light in the volume. To enable the cameras to distinguish
between light that comes from markers and light that does not, a
threshold is applied. Anything above this threshold is deemed to be
a marker, anything below is deemed to be ambient light. A value in
the region of 0.2 to 0.5 is usually appropriate, but Vicon strongly
recommends that you use static markers in the volume in order to
establish an appropriate setting. If cameras are evenly spaced
around the volume, the same Threshold value is usually sufficient for
all cameras.
Adjust this setting, the Strobe Intensity, and the camera's aperture
until reflections are minimized or gone.
Default: 0.2

Minimum The circularity threshold used by the centroid-fitting algorithms in a

Circularity Vicon camera. This value can be set between 0-1 to determine how
Ratio similar a grayscale blob must be to the internal model of a marker–
that is a radially symmetric object that has smooth, sharp edges and
whose pixel intensity is brightest at the center and gradually fades
towards the edges. The Vicon cameras consider grayscale blobs with
circularity equal to or greater than this threshold to be well-formed,
circular marker images. The higher the value, the more stringent the
centroid fitter is; the lower the value, the less stringent the centroid
fitter is. You may wish to apply higher settings for camera calibration
to ensure that the Vicon system selects the best markers and thus
provides the best possible calibration. A lower value may be
appropriate for data capture.
Default: 0.5

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Property Description

Maximum The maximum height in pixels of a grayscale blob for a camera to

Blob Height attempt to circle fit it. If the number of pixels exceeds this value, the
Vicon camera determines that the grayscale blob is not a marker,
stops processing it, and discards the pixel values (it preserves just
the coordinates data, which can be sent to Vicon Nexus, depending
on the Grayscale mode setting).
Set this value between 0-500 to determine how large a grayscale
blob can be for a Vicon camera to consider it a candidate marker.
The Vicon cameras consider grayscale blobs with horizontal lines
containing this number or fewer pixels to be good-sized, circular
marker images. The higher the value, the larger a grayscale blob can
be; the lower the value, the smaller a grayscale blob must be.
Default: 50

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Centroid Tracking section

Property Description

Enable When Nexus recognizes the presence of Vicon cameras, the Enable
Centroid Centroid Tracking parameter becomes available. Tracking and
Tracking identifying 2D centroids on an individual camera allows the
production of 2D tracks. Tracking and identifying 2D camera
centroids provides extra information that maintains marker labels in
real time when only one camera can see a marker. When selected,
the 2D track calculations are performed by the cameras' onboard
sensors. When cleared, the 2D track calculation is performed by the
PC (in Nexus).
Click on a Vicon camera to turn on 2D switchable tracks. Clear this
option to turn off.
Note: Applies only to Vicon cameras that have the ability to process
this information on board the camera.
Default: Off

Marker Maximum velocity at which a marker will be tracked, expressed as

Velocity the percentage of image width per second.
Default: 5

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Status section

Property Description

Connected Whether or not the Vicon camera is currently connected to the

Vicon system.
Default: Identified on connection

Sync Master Whether or not the Vicon camera is designated as the

synchronization master for the Vicon system. (Not relevant for MX
T-Series cameras.) For more information, see Change the
synchronization master in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.
Default: Identified on connection

Contributing Whether or not the Vicon camera is contributing centroid data

Centroids during the current motion capture.
Default: Identified during capture

Contributing Whether or not there is a socket open to the Vicon camera that is
Grayscale capable of receiving grayscale. This socket may be dropped when
the system is under heavy load, therefore this property is useful as
a system status monitor. It is not related to Grayscale property
under Settings.
Default: Selected

Contributing Whether or not the camera is contributing tracks.

Tracks Default: Cleared

Bumped If selected, indicates that a calibrated camera has moved (usually

because it has been accidentally knocked) since it was calibrated.
To remove selected camera's bumped status, clear this check box.
To clear all cameras' Bumped status, press CTRL+SHIFT+B.
Applies only to Vicon cameras that support indicating Bumped
status.
Default: Cleared

Bump Detection Enables you to change the sensitivity of the camera to knocks and
Sensitivity bumps. Applies only to Vicon cameras that support bump
detection.
Default: Medium

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Hardware section

Property Description

Type The type of Vicon camera. The top-level entry for all Vicon optical
cameras takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

Strobe Type The type of strobe unit (if any) attached to the front of the Vicon
camera: Visible Red (VR), Near Infrared (NIR), or Infrared (IR).
Default: Identified on connection

Camera Body Current operating temperature given in degrees Celsius. A colored

Temp 1 temperature indicator on the right changes to reflect a change in
Camera Body temperature: yellow (warming up to the temperature specified by
Temp 2 the lower bounds), green (between the specified upper and lower
or bounds) or red (overheated above the upper bounds). To change
Strobe the upper and lower bounds, click Camera Temperature Range in
Temperature list on the left of the Options dialog box (F7). Applies only to Vicon
(Vicon Vantage cameras that support temperature sensor display.
only) Default: Identified during connection

Sensor Width The width (in pixels) of the Vicon camera sensor.
Default: Identified on connection

Sensor Height The height (in pixels) of the Vicon camera sensor.
Default: Identified on connection

Revision Camera revision number.

MAC Address The Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the Vicon
camera during manufacture. This is a hexadecimal value in the
format ##.##.##.##.##.##. The top-level entry for all Vicon cameras
takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

IP Address The Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the Vicon camera on
the Vicon MX Ethernet network. The top-level entry for all Vicon
cameras takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

Destination IP The IP address of the network adapter to which data from this
Address camera will be sent.
Default: Default

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Firmware section

Property Description

Firmware The version number of the firmware currently installed on the Vicon
Version camera.
Default: Identified on connection

Firmware Whether or not the currently installed firmware is complete. If not,

Complete you can reprogram the firmware. See Update firmware in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide.
Default: Identified on connection

Calibration section

Property Description

Reset Removes the selected camera from the current calibration.

Calibration

Focal Length The focal length (in millimeters) of the Vicon camera lens. The focal
(mm) length of the lens is automatically calculated by the calibration
algorithm. You only need to enter this value manually if you use the
Aim Cameras function. Can be set to a value between 2-100.
Default: 8

Commands section

Property Description

Reboot Stop and restart the selected Vicon camera.

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Video Cameras node

The Video Cameras node on the System tab of the Resources pane enables you
to manage the identification and configuration settings for each digital video
camera connected to your Vicon system. You can also remove or reorder video
cameras.

See also:

• Video Cameras node context menu, page 228

• Video Camera properties, page 229

• PC setup for Vicon systems (PDF available from the Vicon documentation
website27).

Video Cameras node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on the Video Cameras node:

Command Description

Reorder Display the Reorder Devices dialog box, page 191 in which you
can change the order in which digital video cameras are
displayed in the System resources tree.

Reboot Video Stop and restart all of the Vicon Video cameras in the Vicon
Cameras system.

Remove Video Removes disconnected video cameras

Cameras
(Disconnected or
Missing)

Align Shutters Aligns the shutters with the rest of the Vicon system. Use after
(Basler) any change to the camera settings that affects shutter
alignment.

27 [Link]

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Video Camera properties

You can configure settings in the following sections of the Properties pane for
video cameras. The available properties depend on the type of video camera
included in your Vicon system, so you may not see all of the properties
described.

• Identification section, page 229

• Settings section, page 230

• Frame Rate section, page 232

• Centroid Fitting section, page 232

• Hardware section, page 233

• Calibration section, page 233

• Commands section, page 233

The settings for some properties may differ depending on whether you are using
video calibration setup mode or live capture mode. For these properties,
changes you make in video calibration setup mode do not affect the settings in
live capture mode and vice versa. In the following lists, these properties are
indicated by an asterisk (*).

Identification section

Property Description

Name A name that you supply, which enables you to identify the camera in
Vicon Nexus.
Default: Blank

Device ID The unique identification number Vicon assigns to the digital video
camera. The top-level entry for all cameras takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

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Settings section

Property Description

Enabled Whether or not the digital video camera is currently enabled for use.
Default: Selected

Color* Whether the video camera captures in color.

Default: Selected

Shutter The length of time that the camera shutter is open during an image
Duration* capture. The maximum shutter speed cannot exceed the value
specified in Requested Frame Rate. For example, if the frame rate is
set to 50 fps, an image is taken every 20 milliseconds, the shutter
speed cannot exceed 19 ms.
Default: 9

Video This value controls the amount of color in the image. Decreasing the
Saturation value towards 0 results in a grayscale image with no color; increasing
the value over 1 results in supersaturated colors.
Default: 1

Video The digital amplification of the pixel value.

Gain*(all) Select a displayed value to determine the intensity of the grayscale
from the video cameras: x1, x2, x4 or x8.
This setting is applied to the camera to change the dynamic range of
the recorded image. Increasing the gain means that the marker has
less variation in grayscale intensity between its center and its edge,
but in certain circumstances, using a higher gain yields markers that
are easier for the camera to distinguish.
Vicon does not recommend using a gain setting higher than x2.
Adjust this setting if the markers appear too faint or if the cameras
have trouble distinguishing them; otherwise, leave the this property
at the default setting.
Default: x1

Camera Gain* The digital amplification of the pixel value.

The value can be set between 0-100. Gain on a video camera is
similar to the contrast control on a television. Higher values mean a
greater camera response to a change in light level and, therefore, a
greater visible difference between pixels of different intensity.
Adjust this setting until you are satisfied with the image quality– the
optimum settings depends on factors such as the ambient light
conditions and the Camera Brightness setting.
Default: 10

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Property Description

Camera The brightness of pixels.

Brightness* The value can be set between 0-100. Brightness on a video camera is
similar to the brightness control on a television; it represents an
offset of the entire image signal. Higher values mean a greater
apparent brightness of the image.
Adjust this setting until you are satisfied with the image quality– the
optimum settings depends on factors such as the ambient light
conditions and the Camera Gain setting.
Default: 50

Camera The gamma setting of the camera.

Gamma* The value can be set between 0.1-10. A setting of 1 is linear.
Default: 1

Brightness A linear intensity offset that is applied to each component of the

Offset*(all) video image. Where Video Gain is a multiplication, Brightness Offset
adds a value to the component.
Default: 0

Capture Path The drive letter (e.g., C:\ or H:) of the computer from which video
data from the digital video camera is to be captured. Because the
data rates can be very high, you are advised to capture digital video
data to a different drive than the Vicon optical data.
For optimum performance, specify a different capture drive for each
camera. Do not use a mapped drive.
Default: Blank

Pixel Aspect The height vs. width ratio of pixels. The default varies according to
Ratio camera type: Vicon Nexus detects whether the camera is likely to
produce non-square pixels and adjusts the ratio accordingly.
Default: Depends on camera type

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Frame Rate section

Property Description

Trigger Source The source of the synchronization signal. Select the Vicon
connectivity unit to which the video camera is connected from this
drop-down list. If None is selected, no synchronization occurs.
When specifying a requested frame rate for Basler cameras, set the
Requested Frame Rate and ensure the Incoming Frame Rate and the
rate reported in the System tree are as required, before selecting the
trigger source.
Default: Blank

Trigger Offset The sync pulse delay, in millisecond (ms). Default: 0

(ms)*

Requested The rate, in frames per second (fps), for the video camera to control
Frame Rate* the camera shutter speed, data rate, and area of interest to achieve
the desired frequency.

Default: Depends on the connected camera

Incoming The actual system frame rate at which the camera is sending video
Frame Rate frames to Nexus. The Incoming Frame Rate may differ from the
Requested Frame Rate and the rate reported next to the camera
node in the System tree due to system limits and fluctuations.

Centroid Fitting section

Property Description

Threshold This setting differentiates between markers and ambient light. To

enable the cameras to distinguish between light that comes from
markers and light that does not, a threshold is applied. Anything
above this threshold is deemed to be a marker, anything below is
deemed to be ambient light. A value in the region of 0.2 to 0.5 is
usually appropriate.
Default: 0.5

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Hardware section

Property Description

Destination IP The IP address of the network adapter to which data is to be sent.

Address For video cameras, the Destination IP address must not be shared
with another camera.
Always choose the shortest possible path between the camera and
the computer and ensure that the network adapter with the
destination IP address is plugged into the same Vicon connectivity
device or switch as the camera.
Default: Default
For more information, see the PC Setup for Vicon Systems PDF.

Sub Sample Ratio of sub-sampled frames to requested frame rate, for example,
Ratio* for a Requested Frame Rate of 240Hz, a sub sample ratio of 2:1 gives
a sub-sampled frame rate of 120Hz.
Default: 1:1

Calibration section

Property Description

Reset Removes the selected camera from the current calibration.

Calibration

Focal Length The focal length (in millimeters) of the camera lens.
(mm) Set this to a value between 2-100. Set this value if you use the Aim
Cameras function or Static Video Calibration.
On some cameras with variable zoom, the focal length may be
difficult to determine; to obtain the lens properties, see the
documentation supplied with the camera.
Default: Basler 20, Bonita: 8

Commands section

Property Description

Reboot button When clicked, reboots the selected video camera

You can also remove or reorder video cameras (see Video Cameras node
context menu, page 228).

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Vicon Connectivity nodes

You use the Vicon Connectivity node on the System tab of the Resources pane
to configure Vicon connectivity units (eg Vicon Lock units or MX Giganets), which
are smart boxes that can be combined to create a distributed architecture.

See also:

• Vicon Connectivity node context menu, page 234

• Vicon Lock node and MX Giganet node, page 235

 Note
Except where noted, references to Vicon Lock, Lock units, and Lock
apply to all current models of the Vicon Lock unit (at the time of
publication, this includes Vicon Lock+, Vicon Lock Studio and Vicon Lock
Lab).

Vicon Connectivity node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on the Vicon Connectivity node:

Command Description

Reorder Display the Reorder Devices dialog box, page 191 in which you
can change the order in which Vicon connectivity units are
displayed in the System Resources tree.

Reboot All Vicon Stop and restart all of the Vicon connectivity units in the Vicon
Connectivity Units system.

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Vicon Lock node and MX Giganet node

The Vicon Lock and MX Giganet nodes are displayed under the Vicon
Connectivity node on the System tab of the Resources pane when Vicon Nexus
is connected to a Vicon system with at least one Lock unit or MX Giganet unit
and is in Live mode.

These connectivity unit nodes enable you to manage the identification and
configuration settings for each Vicon Lock unit and MX Giganet unit included in
your Vicon system architecture.

For each connectivity unit the node name includes:

• The device position number

• Any display name specified in the Identification property

• The device type listed in parentheses

For example #1 Name (Lock+).
If either or both analog option cards are installed in the MX Giganet and in all
cases for Vicon Lock+ and Lock Lab, the sample rates are displayed in
brackets, for example, #1 Name [1000Hz/1000Hz] (MX Giganet), and an
Analog Card (Slot 1) sub node is displayed as appropriate. If no analog source
is selected, [No Source] is displayed after the device name.

See also:

• Vicon Lock and MX Giganet node context menu, page 235

• Vicon Lock and MX Giganet node properties, page 236

• Analog card properties, page 241

Vicon Lock and MX Giganet node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a node for a specific Lock unit or MX Giganet:

Command Description

Reboot Stop and restart the selected device.

Reset Reset the Timecode to 00:00:00:00.

Timecode

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Vicon Lock and MX Giganet node properties

You can configure settings in the following sections of the Properties pane for
the Vicon Connectivity node and nodes for any current Vicon connectivity units:

• Identification section, page 236

• Status section, page 237

• Genlock section, page 237

• Timecode section, page 238

• Sync Out section, page 239

• Hardware section, page 240

• Firmware section, page 240

• Commands section, page 241

If you are using an analog card (this applies to all Lock+ and Lock Lab units, and
MX Giganet units that are fitted with analog cards), see also:

• Analog card properties, page 241

Identification section

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the entire set of Vicon connectivity
units or for each individual connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Type The device type

Default: Identified on connection.

Device ID The unique identification number Vicon assigns to each connectivity

unit during manufacture. The Vicon Connectivity node takes no
value.
Default: Identified on connection

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Status section

Property Description

Connected Whether or not the connectivity unit is currently connected to the

Vicon system.
Default: Identified on connection

Enabled Whether or not the connectivity unit is currently enabled for use.
Default: Selected

Sync Locked Whether or not the connectivity unit is receiving and locked to the
master synchronization signal for the Vicon system.
Default: Identified on connection

Sync Master Whether or not the connectivity unit is designated as the

synchronization master for the Vicon system. For more information,
see Change the synchronization master in the Vicon Nexus User
Guide.
Default: Identified on connection

Genlock section

Property Description

Enabled Whether or not Genlock functionality supported by the connectivity

unit is currently enabled. If so, the scan rate of the incoming video
signal from a PAL or NTSC video source is synchronized with Vicon
cameras.
Default: Identified on connection

Source The genlock device source.

Default: Internal

Standard The video standard of the external video source with whose
incoming video signal scan rate the connectivity device is to
synchronize the Vicon cameras. If one is not identified, None is
displayed.
Default: Identified on connection

Status The status of the Genlock functionality: None, In Use, Ready To Use,
Requires Other Frame Rate, Requires Device To Be Master, or
Requires Genlock.
Default: Identified on connection

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Timecode section

Property Description

Enabled Whether or not Timecode functionality supported by an connectivity

unit nis currently enabled. If so, the connectivity unit can be
configured to trigger from or be time-stamped from a connected
VITC (video) or LTC (audio) Timecode source.
Default: Identified on connection

Source The source designated as the master Timecode signal generator:

VITC (external video device), LTC (external audio device), or Internal
(Vicon connectivity unit).
Default: Internal

Dropped Whether or not the connectivity unit is to adjust its internal counter
Frames to drop frames for the NTSC video standard. This option is available
only if Internal is specified in Source. If selected, the separator
character in the Timecode display in the Capture tools pane changes
between a colon ( : ) for non-drop frames and semicolon ( ; ) for drop
frames.
Default: Cleared

Standard The video standard of the Timecode source from which the
connectivity unit will trigger data capture or be time-stamped. If one
is not identified, None is displayed.
Default: Identified on connection

Status The status of the Timecode functionality: None, In Use, Ready To

Use, Requires Other Frame Rate, Requires Device To Be Master, or
Requires Genlock.
Default: Identified on connection

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Sync Out section

The characteristics of a synchronization pulse that the connectivity unit is to
generate to synchronize third-party hardware with the Vicon system (for technical
details, see the Vicon Vantage Reference Guide or Go Further with Vicon MX T-
Series ). The general purpose output driver (*.gpo file) you specify here
determines the output frequency of the synchronization pulse. You can select a
driver for each of the sync outputs.

For each sync output, use the Browse for a folder button to navigate to the
folder containing the .gpo files (by default, C:\Program Files(x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#
\GPO) and then used the drop-down list button to select the desired file (None,
Duration, DV_Double, DV_Half, DV_Normal, or DV_Quarter):

Property Description

Socket 1 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Powered Sync Output 1 in the rear panel of the
connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 2 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Powered Sync Output 2 in the rear panel of the
connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 3 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Powered Sync Output 3 in the rear panel of the
connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 4 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Powered Sync Output 4 in the rear panel of the
connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 5 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Sync Output 5 in the rear panel of the connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 6 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Sync Output 6 in the rear panel of the connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

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Property Description

Socket 7 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Sync Output 7 in the rear panel of the connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Socket 8 The .gpo configuration file to use to specify the synchronization

signal for Sync Output 8 in the rear panel of the connectivity unit.
Default: Blank

Hardware section

Property Description

MAC Address The Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to the
connectivity unit during manufacture. This is a hexadecimal value in
the format ##.##.##.##.##.##. The top-level entry for all connectivity
units takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

IP Address The Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the connectivity unit
on the Vicon system Ethernet network. The top-level entry for all
connectivity units takes no value.
Default: Identified on connection

Firmware section

Property Description

Firmware The version number of the firmware currently installed on the

Version connectivity unit.
Default: Identified on connection

Firmware Whether or not the currently installed firmware is complete. If not,

Complete you can reprogram the firmware. See Update firmware in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide.

Default: Identified on connection

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Commands section

Property Description

Reboot Stop and restart the connectivity unit.

Analog card properties

Configuration section
You can configure the following settings in the Properties pane for an analog
card connected to a connectivity unit:

Property Description

Sampling The sample rate for the analog card. The default analog sampling
Frequency frequency is 1000 Hz and the corresponding default Vicon system
(HZ) frame rate is 100 Hz. The analog frequency must be an integer
multiple of the frame rate and both must divide evenly into 135 MHz
(the master clock frequency). If you change the frame rate, the
analog frequency may change automatically to meet these criteria.
Similarly, if you enter an invalid analog sampling rate, its value is
automatically adjusted to meet the criteria.
Default: Identified on connection

Channel The number of channels provided by the analog card

Count Default: 64

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Devices node
Use the Devices node to manage the connection and configuration settings for
supported analog and digital devices of all types, including force plates,
accelerometers, EMG devices, Vicon IMUs (sensors), and the Dikablis eye tracker.

See also:

• Devices node context menu, page 243

• Force plate nodes, page 244

• Analog accelerometer, EMG, & other analog device nodes, page 255

• Dikablis Eye Tracker node, page 261

• Tobii Pro Glasses 2 node, page 258

• Vicon IMU node, page 264

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Devices node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on the Devices node:

Command Description

Reorder Selecting this command displays the Reorder Devices dialog box,
page 191. Reordering the force plates changes their position in the
Devices tree.

Add Analog Enables you to select from the following options to add supported
Device analog devices:
• Add AMTI AccuGait Force Plate
• Add AMTI OR6 Series Force Plate
• Add analog accelerometer
• Add analog EMG
• Add Bertec Force Plate
• Add generic analog
• Add Kistler Force Plate (External Amplifier)
• Add Kistler Force Plate (Internal Amplifier)
• Add Motekforce Link treadmill

Add Digital Enables you to select from the following options to add supported
Device digital devices:
• Add Dikablis Eye Tracker
• Add Tobii Pro Glasses 2
• Add Tobii Pro Glasses 3 *** check both avail in 2.12
• Add ZeroWire/Wave EMG

Disconnected Enables you to select whether to show or hide devices that are not
Devices currently connected to the system. 

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Force plate nodes

You manage the connection and configuration settings for supported force
plates included in your Vicon system architecture with the appropriate force
plate node. You select the required force plate node under the Devices node in
the System Resources tree. If no analog source is selected, [No Source] is
displayed after the device type. Force plate data can be acquired through the
analog capture functionality of a Vicon Lock Lab, Lock+ or an MX Giganet with
an analog card.

See also:

• Force plate node context menu, page 245

• Force plate properties, page 246

For information about configuring force place display options, which affect the
way force plates are displayed in the 3D Perspective view, see Configure force
plates in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

For information on how to handle cross-plate foot strikes when modeling with
Plug-in Gait, see Cross-plate foot strikes in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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Force plate node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a force plate node:

Command Description

Foot Contact Attributes the force plate to:

• Auto-detect, in which Nexus attributes the force plate contact
based upon foot segment kinematics
• Left foot contact
• Right foot contact
• Invalid if no valid left or right foot contact can be associated with
the force plate.
You can also adjust these settings by right-clicking a displayed
force plate in the 3D Perspective view pane.

Show Raw Adds each raw voltage signal for the device.
For example, Kistler force plates contain 8 input channels that are
processed to yield a resultant force and moment (3 components
each, 6 total).
Using the Show Raw command, you can select one or more inputs
and graph their raw data in a Graph view pane, allowing you to view,
troubleshoot, or configure a monitor for the raw signals.
If you use Show Raw and collect a trial, the raw voltages will be
stored in the .x1d file, so you can view them in the offline trial as well
as the force channels. If you save the trial, or export a .c3d file, when
you load the trial the raw channels will be grouped together and
designated within an Imported Analog Device.
To remove the raw inputs from the System Resources tree, right-click
on the force plate node and click Hide Raw.

Zero Level Calibrates the force plate. This process eliminates any significant
offset between the force plate's nominal output levels at rest and its
theoretical zero level. Select this option if, after setting the force
plates to the electrical zero level, small differences remain between
the theoretical zero level and the observed output level. This option
is also available in the General section of the Properties pane.

Remove Removes the force plate entry from the System Resources tree.
Device

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Force plate properties

You can configure settings for force places in the following sections in the
Properties pane for force plates:

• General section, page 246

• Calibration matrix values, page 249

• Source section, page 251

• Dimensions section, page 252

• Position section, page 252

• Orientation section, page 253

• Origin section, page 254

General section
For all force plates:

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the force plate.

Default: Blank

Delay The delay compensation value (in seconds). All devices have a
Compensation delay compensation value which adjusts the synchronization
offset between the device and the Vicon data. Analog data
collected with a Vicon connectivity device should already be
synchronized, so this value should be set at 0. Values can be set
between -10 and 10.
Default: 0

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For all but Kistler force plates:

Property Description

Calibration The force plate calibration file Nexus is to use. This file describes the
File forces plate's properties, such as its physical dimensions, output
voltages, and crosstalk coefficients between each analog output.
Nexus automatically displays some of these values as the default
settings in the relevant properties for the force plates (for example, X
Length, Y Length and Calibration Matrix). Use the Browse for a folder
button to navigate to the folder containing the calibration file
supplied by the force plates manufacturer. Then use the drop-down
list button to select the desired file. Default: Blank

Calibration Displays the size of the calibration matrix (e.g., 6x6 Matrix). Click the
Matrix Edit Text button to display the Calibration Matrix dialog box, which
shows the values supplied by the force plate manufacturer. If you do
not have a calibration file for your force plate, contact the
manufacturer for a replacement file or refer to the calibration
information supplied in your force plate documentation. You can
manually edit the values for each channel scale. If you manually enter
the values, ensure that you use the correct input values to transform
the voltages captured by the Vicon connectivity device's analog card
to forces and moments. The sensitivity values you must specify
depend upon the type of force plate as shown in Calibration matrix
values, page 249.
Default: Identified from calibration file specified in the Calibration
File property

Zero Level Resets the force plate voltage zero level. This process eliminates any
significant offset between the force plate's nominal output levels at
rest and its theoretical zero level. Use this function if after setting the
force plates to the electrical zero level, small differences remain
between the theoretical zero level and the observed output level.
Click the Edit Text button to display the Zero Level matrix in which
you can enter the required value to calibrate the force plate. Then
click Apply, then click Close.

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Property Description

Correction The factor by which Nexus is to convert the values supplied from a
Factor force plate into the values it requires. Correction factor corresponds
to a force plate's amplifier setting and is used along with the
calibration matrix to convert raw Volts to Newtons.
For an AMTI OR6 Series force plate:
• Forces: from Newtons per microvolt (N/µV) to Newtons (N).
• Moments: from Newton meters per microvolt (Nm/µV) to
Newton millimeters (Nmm).

The formula for calculating the coefficient ( K) is:

K = 1000000/(Gain x Excitation Voltage)
where both Gain and Excitation Voltage are established in the
AMTI amplifier. Check the settings for your AMTI amplifier.
Default: 25 (for an AMTI amplifier with a default setting of 4,000
Gain and 10V Excitation Voltage).

Force The threshold (in Newtons) identifying the noise floor value for
Threshold (N) calculated forces. Forces that do not exceed this magnitude are
assumed to be too noisy and are clamped to zero. Values can be set
between 0-50. This value is not affected by the value for Force
Threshold that is set in the Options dialog box (see Visualize and
record Force Threshold) in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Default: 25

For Kistler (Internal amplifier) force plates only:

Property Description

Sensitivities (mV/N) Force plate sensitivity vector. Click the Edit Text button to
display the Sensitivities (mV/N) matrix in which you can enter the
required values in millivolts per Newton.
Default: Identified on connection

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Calibration matrix values

Supported Force Plate Manufacturer Supplied Nexus Required Units

Units

Force Moment
Channels Channels

AMTI Hall Effect Plate United States Customary lb/V lb/V

(AccuGait Series) (USC) units
Supplied in
manufacturer's .acl file.

AMTI Strain Gage Plate United States Customary uV/Vex/lb uV/Vex/in

(BP Series and OR6 Series) (USC) unit matrix lb
(See following Note) Supplied in
manufacturer's .plt file and
Sensitivity Matrix.

Bertec International System (SI) N/V Nm/V

units
Supplied in manufacturer's
documentation.

Kistler (External Amplifier) International System (SI) pC/N pC/N

units
Supplied in manufacturer's
documentation.

Kistler (Internal Amplifier) International System (SI) mV/N mV/N

units
Supplied in manufacturer's
documentation.

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 Note
If you are connecting to AMTI OR6 Series force plates, Nexus expects
the force plate calibration values from the USC matrix in pounds (lb) and
Inch-Pounds (in-lb) as supplied by AMTI with recent plates. Some older
AMTI OR6 Series plates, however, have their USC calibration matrix
presented in units of Pounds and Foot-Pounds (ft-lb).
If the calibration matrix for your force plate is presented in units of ft-lb,
you must convert the values to the required in-lb units.
To do this, create a copy of the calibration .plt file and in this copy,
divide the values of the last three columns of the matrix by 12.
Save this modified calibration file and apply it to your force plate by
specifying it in the Calibration File field.
If you enter the matrix values manually, first divide the terms in the
Sensitivity Matrix by 12.
The force plate moments will then scale correctly.

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Source section

Property Description

Source The Vicon connectivity device to which the physical force plates
device is connected. From the drop-down list, select the correct one
from the available analog option cards detected in your Vicon
system architecture.
Default: None

Gain (V) The programmable gain (+/- volts) for the channel: 1.25 Volts, 2.5
Volts, 5 Volts, or 10 Volts. The gain voltages correspond to 8, 4, 2 and
1 gain values, respectively (e.g., a gain of 2.5 Volts means that the
input signal will be multiplied by 4.
Default: 10.00

Fill Fills all input connections in the expected sequence, starting with the
lowest unassigned pin, for the device selected in Source.

Clear Clears the input connection setting from all pins.

Channel The input connections from the device. After selecting the Source,
select the source input from the drop-down list, or use the Fill button
to automatically fill all the positions.
• AMTI AccuGait: FzA, FzB, FzC, FzD, FyAC, FxDC, FxAB, FyBD
• AMTI OR6 and Bertec: Fx, Fy, Fz, Mx, My, Mz
• Kistler: Fx (1+2), Fx (3+4), Fy (1+4), Fy (2+3), Fz1, Fz2, Fz3, Fz4
Default: None

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Dimensions section

Property Description

X Length (mm) The length (in millimeters) of the x axis of the force plate.
Default: Identified from calibration file specified in the Calibration
property, if one.

Y Length (mm) The length (in millimeters) of the y axis of the force plate.
Default: Identified from calibration file specified in the Calibration
property, if one.

Position section

Property Description

X Position The origin coordinate (in millimeters) for the X axis of the force plate
(mm) in relation to the origin of the capture volume, as specified by the L-
Frame when you perform the System calibration.
Default: 0

Y Position The origin coordinate (in millimeters) for the Y axis of the force plate
(mm) in relation to the origin of the capture volume, as specified by the L-
Frame when you perform the System calibration.
Default: 0

Z Position The origin coordinate (in millimeters) for the Z axis of the force plate
(mm) in relation to the origin of the capture volume, as specified by the L-
Frame when you perform the System calibration.
Default: 0

Normally, the force plate origin is chosen by placing the calibration device on
the desired corner of the force plate. In this case, the position offset is half the
width and half the length of the plate. However, for other plates that did not
have the calibration device placed on them during calibration, you must fully
specify the coordinates of the center of the plate in relation to the capture
volume origin.

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Orientation section

Property Description

X Angle Axis Maps the x axis (in degrees) of the local force plate coordinate
(deg) system to the global coordinate system specified for Nexus in the
System Preparation tools pane.
Default: 0

Y Angle Axis Maps the y axis (in degrees) of the local force plate coordinate
(deg) system to the global coordinate system specified for Nexus in the
System Preparation tools pane.
Default: 0

Z Angle Axis Maps the z axis (in degrees) of the local force plate coordinate
(deg) system to the global coordinate system specified for Nexus in the
System Preparation tools pane.
Default: 0

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Origin section
For all but Kistler force plates:

Property Description

X Origin (mm) The displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor X origin to the
force plate X origin.
Default: 0

Y Origin (mm) The displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor Y origin to the
force plate Y origin.
Default: 0

Z Origin (mm) The displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor Z origin to the
force plate Z origin.
Default: 0

For Kistler force plates:

Property Description

a (mm) The displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor X origin to the
force plate X origin.
Default: 120

b (mm) The displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor Y origin to the
force plate Y origin.
Default: 200

az0 (mm) The negative displacement (in millimeters) from the sensor Z origin
to the force plate surface.
Default: 48

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Analog accelerometer, EMG, & other analog device

nodes
You manage the connection and configuration settings for supported analog
devices included in your Vicon system architecture with the appropriate Devices
sub-node on the System tab of the Resources pane.

See also:

• Analog device node context menu, page 255

• Analog EMG device node properties, page 256

For information on force plates, see Force plate nodes, page 244.

Analog device node context menu

You can select the following options from the context menu displayed when you
right-click on a sub-node for an analog accelerometer or EMG:

Option Description

Zero Level Calibrates the force plate. This process eliminates any significant
offset between the force plate's nominal output levels at rest and its
theoretical zero level. Select this option if, after setting the force
plates to the electrical zero level, small differences remain between
the theoretical zero level and the observed output level. This option
is also available in the General Properties pane.

Remove Remove the device entry from the System resource tree.
Device

You can select from a list of available outputs from the context menu that is
displayed when you right-click on a Generic Analog sub-node. Nodes
representing the outputs you select are added below the Generic Analog sub-
node in the System Resources tree.

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Analog EMG device node properties

You can configure settings in the following sections in the Properties pane for
analog EMG devices:

• General section, page 256

• Source section, page 256

General section

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the device. Default: Blank

Delay The delay compensation value (in seconds).

Compensation (s) Many EMG systems, particularly new wireless systems, may
introduce a small delay in transmission of data. This delay may
cause a misalignment between Vicon frames of data and EMG
frames of data. The Delayed Compensation slider bar enables
you to correct this difference and properly align Vicon data with
EMG data. To find the amount of delay for an EMG system. refer
to the operating manual of the EMG system. If you can't find the
value in the EMG manual, contact the EMG manufacturer.
All devices have a delay compensation value which adjusts the
synchronization offset between the device and the Vicon data.
Analog data collected with the MX Giganet should already be
synchronized, so this value should be set at 0. Values can be set
between -10 and 10.
Default: 0

Amplifier Gain (V) The voltage gain scale factor. Can be set between 1 - 1000.
Default: Depends on device

Source section

Property Description

Source The Vicon connectivity device to which the physical force plates
device is connected.
From the drop-down list, select the correct one from the available
analog option cards detected in your Vicon system architecture.
Default: None

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Digital device nodes

You manage the connection and configuration settings for supported digital
devices included in your Vicon system architecture with the appropriate Devices
sub-node in the System Resources tree.

A sub-node is displayed under the Devices node of the Local Vicon System node
when Vicon Nexus is connected to a Vicon system with at least one analog or
digital device and is in Live mode. The sub-node is displayed under the Devices
node of the Vicon Data node when Nexus is in Offline mode.

Currently supported digital devices include:

• Dikablis Eye Tracker node, page 261

• Tobii Pro Glasses node, page 258

• Vicon IMU node, page 264

• ZeroWire EMG node, page 267

Nexus also supports other digital devices via *.vdd files created by the following
third-party suppliers:

• AMTI

• Cometa (ProPhysics and GPEM)

• Delsys

• Kistler (ProPhysics)

• NIDAQ (ProPhysics)

• Noraxon

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Tobii Pro Glasses node

The Tobii Pro Eye Tracker enables you to output eye tracker position and gaze
direction, with binocular gaze tracking. Its nodes (Tobii Pro Glasses 2 and Tobii
Pro Glasses 3) are displayed under the Devices node.

The Tobii Pro Eye Tracker is compatible with current Vicon cameras. A minimum
of two cameras are required for use with the system. Note that Nexus supports
the use of only one pair of glasses at a time.

For information on setting up a Vicon system that includes Tobii Eye Tracker, see
 Use Tobii Eye Tracker with Nexus, page 155.

Tobii Pro Glasses node context menu

The following command is available from the context menu that is displayed
when you right-click on a Tobii Pro Glasses node in the Resources tree on the
System tab:

Command Description

Remove Removes the Tobii Pro Glasses node from the System Resources
Device tree.

Tobii Pro Glasses node properties

You can configure the following settings in the Properties pane for a Tobii Pro
Eye Tracker. For instructions on preparing and connecting the glasses, see the
quick start guide provided in the Tobii Pro Glasses box.

• General section, page 259

• Status section, page 259

• Connection section, page 260

• Calibration section, page 260

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General section

Property Description

Name Enter a display name for the device.

Default: Blank

Delay The delay compensation value (in seconds).

Compensation (s) Many eye tracking systems, particularly new wireless systems,
may introduce a small delay in transmission of data. This delay
may cause a misalignment between Vicon frames of data and
eye tracking frames of data. The Delay Compensation slider bar
enables you to correct this difference and properly align Vicon
data with eye tracking data. To find the amount of delay for an
eye tracking system, refer to the operating manual of the eye
tracking system.
All devices have a delay compensation value which adjusts the
synchronization offset between the device and the Vicon data.
Analog data collected with the Vicon connectivity devices
should already be synchronized, so this value should be set at 0.
Values can be set between -10 and 10.
Default: 0

Firmware The version of the firmware that is obtained from the recording
unit.

Headunit The version of the headunit that is obtained from the recording
unit.

Battery % Percentage charge remaining on the current battery.

Glasses Segment Enter or navigate to the name for the segment that is attached
to the glasses.
Default: Blank

Status section

Property Description

Connected Indicates whether or not the device is connected.

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Connection section

Property Description

Sampling Rate Frequency of the data samples from the Tobii Recorder.

Serial Number Serial number of the Tobii Recorder.

IPv4 Connection address

Calibration section

Property Description

Calibration Status of the last calibration

Status

Start Click to start the Tobii calibration

Calibration

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Dikablis Eye Tracker node

The Dikablis Eye Tracker enables you to track movement of the eye's pupil to
calculate the gaze vector. Its node is displayed under the Devices node when
Vicon Nexus is connected to a Vicon system that includes at least one Dikablis
Eye Tracker.

The Dikablis Eye Tracking system is compatible with current Vicon cameras. A
minimum of two cameras are required for use with the system.

For information on setting up a Vicon system that includes Dikablis Eye Tracker,
see Eye tracking with Vicon Nexus, page 154.

Dikablis Eye Tracker node context menu

The following command is available from the context menu that is displayed
when you right-click on a Dikablis Eye Tracker node in the Resources tree on the
System tab:

Command Description

Remove Removes the Dikablis Eye Tracker node from the System Resources
Device tree.

Dikablis Eye Tracker node properties

You can configure the following settings in the Properties pane for a Dikablis Eye
Tracker. For instructions on setting up the hardware, see the Dikablis Eye Tracker
User Manual.

• General section, page 262

• Connection section, page 262

• Eye Offset section, page 263

• Calibration section, page 263

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General section

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the device.

Default: Blank

Delay The delay compensation value (in seconds).

Compensation (s) Many eye tracking systems, particularly new wireless systems,
may introduce a small delay in transmission of data. This delay
may cause a misalignment between Vicon frames of data and
eye tracking frames of data. The Delayed Compensation slider
bar enables you to correct this difference and properly align
Vicon data with eye tracking data. To find the amount of delay
for an eye tracking system, refer to the operating manual of the
eye tracking system.
All devices have a delay compensation value which adjusts the
synchronization offset between the device and the Vicon data.
Analog data collected with the Vicon connectivity devices
should already be synchronized, so this value should be set at 0.
Values can be set between -10 and 10.
Default: 0

Head Segment Enter or navigate to the name of the segment that contains the
eye.

Connection section

Property Description

IP Address Enter the same IP address that has been set in the Dikablis Recorder
software.

Port Number The port number for connecting the Dikablis Recorder on the
Dikablis laptop. Normally, leave this number at its default value
(2002).

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Eye Offset section

To find the relevant eye offset values, if your Vicon system includes video
cameras, you can use overlay video. If not, you can measure the distance from
the origin marker.

Property Description

x Enter the X-coordinate of the eye in the head segment coordinate

frame (the distance between the origin marker and the eye (in mm)

y Enter the Y-coordinate of the eye in the head segment coordinate

frame (the distance between the origin marker and the eye (in mm)

z Enter the Z-coordinate of the eye in the head segment coordinate

frame (the distance between the origin marker and the eye (in mm)

Calibration section

Property Description

Calibration Enter the name of the calibration device (normally Wand)

Object

Reset Clears the current calibration

Add Add a point to the current calibration.

Remove Undoes the last Add operation

Samples The number of points used in the current calibration

Residual Estimated residual accuracy value. Calculated as the average

reprojection error in eye tracker pixels.

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Vicon IMU node

 Important
• Vicon IMUs are supported for use with Nexus for research purposes
only. For full sensor safety and regulatory details, see the Vicon Blue
Trident Model V2 Safety and Regulatory Information.

Blue Trident sensors

• Windows 10 and later only is supported. Ensure the latest Windows 10
updates are installed.

• The firmware for Blue Trident sensors that are to be used with Nexus
2.10 or later must be updated to version 9.0.2 or later, using
Capture.U Desktop 1.1 or later, which is available from the Capture.U
page28 on the Vicon website.
• Second-generation Blue Trident sensors are supplied with Firmware
10 – do not downgrade their firmware. If you have first-generation
Blue Trident sensors, you can safely downgrade their firmware, if
necessary. However, as Capture.U 1.3.1 Desktop is not compatible
with firmware earlier than 10.#, if you downgrade the firmware from
version 10, you must uninstall Capture.U 1.3.1 and use an earlier
version of Capture.U.

Blue Thunder sensors

• Blue Thunder IMU sensors are not supported in Nexus 2.10 or later. If
you want to capture Blue Thunder data, use Nexus 2.9.x.

• You can load existing processed trials with Blue Thunder data into
Nexus 2.10 or later and view the captured IMU data.

• The IMeasureU plug-in is not available in Nexus 2.10 or later.

You can configure the following settings in the Properties pane for a Vicon IMU
device.

28 [Link]

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For information on setting up and using IMUs with Nexus, see Configure Vicon
IMUs and Work with Vicon IMUs in the Vicon Nexus User Guide. 

General section

Property Description

Name When the IMU is first connected, the name defaults to the
Bluetooth Name of the IMU. If required, you can change this
name.

Delay Delay compensation value in seconds.

Compensation Default: 0

Enabled When selected, data capture is enabled for this sensor.

Default: Selected

Bluetooth Name Bluetooth name of the device, derived from the Assembly Serial
Number.

Bluetooth Address The unique 48-bit Bluetooth Device Address

Output Preset Choose from a list of preset output channels, which are
displayed as axes on the graph. For information on customizing
the outputs by selecting or clearing individual axes, see
Deactivate an axis in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Record Output If selected, the IMU records data to its internal storage.
Default: Selected

Assembly Serial Unique identifier for the sensor (eg, TS-00180), which is found on
Number the back of the sensor.

Board Serial The sensor's board serial number

Number

Hardware Revision Sensor hardware revision number

Firmware Revision Firmware version of the connected sensor

Battery Level The percentage of battery life (charge) remaining of the

connected sensor

Storage Used The percentage of storage used on the sensor

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Property Description

Record Rate The sample rate of recorded sensor data (Hz). The sample rate
depends on the selected outputs. For rates above 225 Hz,
deactivate Global Angle output.
Default: 225 Hz

Stream Rate The sample rate of preview (streaming) data for the sensor (Hz).
Default: 50 Hz 

Status section

Property Description

Connected Indicates whether the sensor is connected.

Orientation section
World X, Y and Z angle axis components (degrees) and local X, Y and Z angle
axis components (degrees).

X, Y and Z are the world transformation. If the volume origin orientation is

changed, they must be recalculated (using Align to World and Copy).

X2, Y2 and Z2 are the local transformation. They must be recalculated using Align
to Segment every time the sensors are attached.

For more information, see Align IMU data to the Vicon world in the Vicon Nexus
User Guide.

Radio Sync section

Property Description

Prefer Radio Sync When selected, radio sync (via a Vicon Beacon) is
used to synchronize your IMU sensor data to your
Vicon system.
Default: Selected

Radio Sync Device Indicates whether or not a radio sync source (Vicon
Beacon) is available.

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Zerowire EMG node

You can configure these settings in the Properties pane for a digital ZeroWire
EMG device:

Property Description

Auto Populate Enables or disables automatic detection of ZeroWire EMG modules

that are in use. When enabled, Nexus automatically adds and
removes EMG components when they are connected, and the Add
and Remove EMG menu items are unavailable.
Default: Selected

Sync Rate Sets the device frame rate, and affects the number of samples per
frame. In free-running mode this parameter may be left at its default.
In hardware sync mode this parameter should be set to the
appropriate sync frame rate, which would usually be the same as the
MX frame rate. Values which do not divide into 2000 can not be
used. See the Sync Pulse parameter.
Default: 50

Sync Pulse Enables or disables the use of a TTL compatible hardware sync pulse
to control drift between the ZeroWire device and a Vicon system. If
you wish to use this feature, connect the ZeroWire unit to a GPO pin
via the included ZeroWire sync cable.
Advanced users wishing to synchronize ZeroWire to a Vicon system
running at a frame rate which does not divide into 2000Hz (for
example, 120Hz) should construct a GPO program which provides a
sync pulse at a rate which does divide. The GPO program entitled
ZeroWire 100Hz [Link] is provided as an example (see Example
ZeroWire100Hz [Link] program, page 270).
Default: Unchecked

Trigger Pulse Enables or disables the use of a TTL compatible hardware trigger
pulse to synchronize the start and stop of ZeroWire data acquisition
with a Vicon system. Users wishing to synchronize ZeroWire to a
Vicon system should connect the ZeroWire unit to a GPO pin via the
included ZeroWire sync cable, and run the included GPO program
entitled ZeroWire [Link] (see below).

For best results, use this feature with the Sync Pulse feature. Consult
the ZeroWire technical manual for a description of the ZeroWire sync
cable.
Default: Unchecked

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General section

Property Description

Name A user-defined display name for the device.

Default: Blank

Delay The delay compensation value (in seconds).

Compensation (s) All devices have a delay compensation value which adjusts the
synchronization offset between the device and the Vicon data.
Analog data collected with the Vicon connectivity devices
should already be synchronized, so this value should be set at 0.
Values can be set between -10 and 10.
Default: 0

Errors An advanced parameter which stores any diagnostic errors

received from the ZeroWire device. Use this parameter for
troubleshooting. For further information, see the documentation
supplied by the manufacturer.
Default: Determined by device state

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Sync section

Property Description

Sync Rate Sets the device frame rate, and affects the number of samples per
frame. In free-running mode this parameter may be left at its default.
In hardware sync mode this parameter should be set to the
appropriate sync frame rate, which would usually be the same as the
MX frame rate. Values which do not divide into 2000 can not be
used. See the Sync Pulse parameter.
Default: 50

Sync Pulse Enables or disables the use of a TTL compatible hardware sync pulse
to control drift between the ZeroWire device and a Vicon system. If
you wish to use this feature, connect the ZeroWire unit to a GPO pin
via the included ZeroWire sync cable.
Advanced users wishing to synchronize ZeroWire to a Vicon system
running at a frame rate which does not divide into 2000Hz (for
example, 120Hz) should construct a GPO program which provides a
sync pulse at a rate which does divide. The GPO program entitled
ZeroWire 100Hz [Link] is provided as an example (see Example
ZeroWire100Hz [Link] program, page 270).
Default: Unchecked

Trigger Pulse Enables or disables the use of a TTL compatible hardware trigger
pulse to synchronize the start and stop of ZeroWire data acquisition
with a Vicon system. Users wishing to synchronize ZeroWire to a
Vicon system should connect the ZeroWire unit to a GPO pin via the
included ZeroWire sync cable, and run the included GPO program
entitled ZeroWire [Link] (see Example ZeroWire [Link]
program).
For best results, use this feature with the Sync Pulse feature. Consult
the ZeroWire technical manual for a description of the ZeroWire sync
cable.
Default: Unchecked

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The ZeroWire 100Hz [Link] file is defined as follows:

Example ZeroWire100Hz [Link] program

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>

<AllPrograms>
<Program Name="ZeroWire 100Hz Sync">
<Type>Repeating</Type>
<Polarity>High</Polarity>
<StartEvent>MXDVStart</StartEvent>
<StopEvent>MXDVStop</StopEvent>
<StartOffset MicroSeconds="0"/>
<StopOffset MicroSeconds="0"/>
<PulseWidth MicroSeconds="5000"/>
<PulsePeriod MicroSeconds="10000"/>
</Program>
</AllPrograms>

The ZeroWire [Link] file is defined as follows:

Example ZeroWire [Link] program

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>

<AllPrograms>
<Program Name="Duration">
<Type>Duration</Type>
<Polarity>High</Polarity>
<StartEvent>MXDVStart</StartEvent>
<StopEvent>MXDVStop</StopEvent>
<StartOffset Frames="0"/>
<StopOffset Frames="0"/>
<PulseWidth Frames="0"/>
<PulsePeriod Frames="0"/>
</Program>
</AllPrograms>

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Subjects tab
The Subjects tab of the Resources pane enables you to prepare and manage the
subjects whose motion data you want to capture and analyze in Vicon Nexus.

The Subjects tab contains the following sections:

• Subjects toolbar, page 271

• Subjects Resources tree, page 272

• Subjects properties, page 273

Subjects toolbar
Create or manage subject nodes for Vicon labeling skeleton templates (.vst files)
or Vicon labeling skeletons (.vsk files) using the following buttons in the toolbar
at the top of the Subjects Resources pane:

• Create a blank subject Create a new subject node in the Resources

tree. You can subsequently create, attach, or import .vst or .vsk files for the
blank node. The node automatically includes the minimum sub nodes for the
elements required for a .vst file.

•  Create a new subject from a labeling skeleton Create a new subject

node in the Resources tree based on an existing .vst file. The node
automatically includes any sub nodes and data for the elements defined in the
selected .vst file.

•  Load an existing subject Load an existing labeling skeleton (.vsk file)

into a subject node in the Resources tree. The node automatically contains
sub nodes and data for all elements defined in the selected .vsk file.

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Subjects Resources tree

Enable a subject for motion capture and data recording in the tree in the
Subjects Resources pane.

Expand ( > ) or collapse ( V ) the following sub-nodes to display or hide a list of

subject elements that you can use for selecting, editing, or showing in graph
traces:

• Markers Model markers defined in the .vst or .vsk file as well as trajectories for
markers visible in the capture volume or from a loaded .c3d file. The marker
text is gray if the marker is not physically present in the capture volume.

• Segments Segments defined in the .vst or .vsk file.

• Joints Joints defined in the .vst or .vsk file. The names of the segments that
the joint connects are shown in parentheses after the joint name.

• Model Outputs Components of variables calculated for a kinematic model

(such as Angles, Forces, Moments, Powers, or Bones) created by Vicon Plug-in
Gait and available in Nexus from a loaded .c3d file.

You can perform commands to manage specific nodes by right-clicking on the

node in the Subjects Resources tree and selecting the desired command from
the displayed menu.

The color-coded symbols displayed for entries in the Markers and Segments lists
correspond to the colors defined for each model marker and joint in the .vst
or .vsk file. This provides a helpful visual aid when you are manually labeling a
subject. The symbols for entries in the Joints list and the Traces list are not color
coded: the same joint symbol is displayed for all joints, and the same model
outputs symbol is displayed for all model outputs.

If no markers, segments, or joints have yet been defined for a new subject, the
lists may not contain any entries.

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Subjects properties
The Properties section at the bottom of the Subjects Resources pane enables
you to view or edit properties of the node selected in the Subjects tree. The
properties displayed depend upon the subject node, sub node, or element
selected in the System Resources tree (marker, segment, joint, or trace). For
details on how to specify settings for properties, see Set properties in Vicon
Nexus in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

For more information, see:

• Subject node context menu, page 274

• Subject node Properties pane, page 275

• Markers context menus, page 276

• Markers properties, page 277

• Segments context menu, page 278

• Segments properties, page 278

• Joints context menu, page 278

• Joints properties, page 279

• Model Output properties, page 279

• Model Outputs context menu, page 279

• Element color properties, page 280

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Subject node context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a subject node:

• Attach Labeling Skeleton Template In the Choose a Subject file dialog box,
navigate to and select the .vst or .vsk file to be attached to this subject node
and then click Open. Nexus attaches the specified .vst or .vsk file, closes the
dialog box, and updates the subject node with sub nodes and data contained
in the specified file.

• Save Subject Nexus saves the contents of the subject node in a .vsk file in the
currently active session of the motion capture database.

• Save Labeling Skeleton as Template In the Choose a Subject file dialog box,
navigate to the folder in which you want to save the Vicon labeling skeleton
template, enter the name for the .vst file, and then click Save.

Nexus saves the contents of the subject node in the specified .vst file. It also
generates a corresponding marker file with the same base name and a .mkr
extension in the same folder. If you subsequently run a BodyBuilder model that
requires a marker file, this .mkr file is automatically copied to the relevant session
folder.

Save your .vst file in the default Nexus model templates folder (C:\Program
Files(x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\ModelTemplates) to make it available from the list of
available .vst files displayed when you create a new subject node from a
template.

• Revert to Uncalibrated Nexus discards any calibration data in the .vsk file and
reverts to the template values within the .vsk.

• Delete Subject and VSK In the Warning confirmation message, click Yes to
proceed.
• Nexus deletes the subject node from the Subjects Resources pane, unloads
the .vsk file from the current session, and unlabels the trajectories associated
with that subject

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Subject node Properties pane

The Properties section of the Subjects Resources pane enables you to edit the
properties of a Vicon labeling skeleton template (.vst file).

You can configure the following settings for a Subject node:

• Name The name of the selected subject node. This name is used when the
Vicon labeling skeleton template is saved in a .vst file or the Vicon labeling
skeleton is saved in a .vsk file. You can change this either by overtyping the
current name or by clicking the ellipsis (...) to display the Name dialog box in
which you can overtype the existing node name with a text string.

• Color Not currently applicable.

• Add Parameter Enables you to add a custom parameter (measurement) to the

model. In the Add Subject Parameter dialog box, supply a name, specify
whether the measurement is required to run the model, specify the units,
value and default for your new measurement. 

• Set All to Default Sets all the selected subject's parameters to their default
values.

In the remaining sections, properties vary depending on the labeling skeleton

used for the subject selected in the Subjects tree (the following example
properties are from a subject based on Plug-in Gait):

General section
• Bodymass The subject's body mass (in kg).
Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file, or user-specified.

• Height The subject's height (in mm).

Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• InterAsisDistance The distance (in mm) between the subject's left and right
anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS).
Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified
• HeadOffset Patient's head offset (in degrees).

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Left section and Right section

• LegLength The length (in mm) of the subject's leg.
Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• AsisTrocanterDistance The distance (in mm) between the subject's ASIS and
greater trochanter.
Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• KneeWidth The width (in mm) of the subject's knee.

Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• AnkleWidth The width (in mm) of the subject's ankle.

Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• TibialTorsion The torsion (in deg) of the subject's tibia.

Default: As defined in the .vsk or .vst file or user-specified

• SoleDelta The distance in millimeters between the thickness of the sole at the
toe and at the heel. 

• ShoulderOffset The vertical distance (in millimeters) from the base of the
acromion marker to the shoulder joint center.

• ElbowWidth The width (in millimeters) of the elbow along flexion axis. 

• WristWidth The anterior/posterior width (in millimeters) of the wrist.

• HandThickness The anterior/posterior width (in millimeters) of the hand.

For more details on these measurements, see Take subject measurements for
Plug-in Gait in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Markers context menus

You can select the following command from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on the Markers node:

• Reorder Displays the Reorder Markers dialog box, where you can change the
order in which the markers are displayed.

You can select the following command from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a sub node for a specific marker:

• Detach Marker The marker is detached from the subject and is no longer
displayed in the list of markers on the Subjects tab (and is removed from the
VSK) or the Manual Labeling list in the Label/Edit Tools pane.

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Markers properties
You can configure the following settings in the Properties section for the
markers:

• Name The name of the Vicon marker. You can rename a marker by overtyping
it.
Default: As defined in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template
Builder.

• Color The color in which to display the Vicon marker in a 3D Perspective view
pane. You can assign either a specific color or the associated context color.
Default: As defined in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template
Builder.

• Radius The size of the Vicon marker attached to subject during trial capture.
This setting also dictates the size of the marker displayed in the 3D
Perspective view pane. You can change the radius by either overtyping the
current value or dragging the slider bar left to decrease the value or right to
increase it.
Default: As defined in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template
Builder

• Status The requirement for the marker's inclusion in a .vst file for static trials
(used for calibration) and/or the .vsk file calibrated from the .vst file for
dynamic trials (used for analysis):
• Required: Marker must be present for both static and dynamic trials.

• Optional: Marker can optionally be left off. If the marker is not present for the
calibration, the autolabeler will not look for it in the dynamic trials. If the
marker is present in the static trial, it will also form part of the dynamic marker
set and will be used to aid tracking and to provide redundancy.
• Calibration Only: Marker must be present for static trials to align coordinate
systems, but it must be removed for dynamic trials.
Default: Required

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Segments context menu

You can select the following commands from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a sub node for a specific segment:

• Pick as Kinematic Fill Source Enables you to copy the kinematics from the
selected segment to fill a gap.
The suggested fill is displayed in purple in the 3D Perspective window. You
can also view the suggested fill options as colored dotted lines in the Graph
view.

• Delete Segment Deletes the selected segment.

Segments properties
You can configure the following settings in the Properties section for the
segments:

• Name The name of the skeleton segment.

Default: As defined in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template
Builder

• Color The color in which to display the skeleton segment in a 3D Perspective

view pane. You can assign either a specific color or the associated context
color.
Default: As defined in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template
Builder  

Joints context menu

You can select the following command from the context menu displayed when
you right-click on a sub node for a specific Joint:

• Unlink Joint Unlinks the selected segments.

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Joints properties
• Name The names of the segments connected by the [Link]: As defined
in .vsk or .vst file or as specified in the Labeling Template Builder.

• Output Format The joint angle output format (if appropriate):

• XYZ Euler Angles

• ZYX Euler Angles

• XZY Euler Angles

• ZX Euler Angles

• YXZ Euler Angles

• ZXY Euler Angles

• Helical Axis

Default: Helical Axis

Model Output properties

• Name The names of the model outputs in a loaded .c3d file.
Default: As defined in the .c3d file

Model Outputs context menu

Model outputs depend upon the modeling that is performed, but can include
some or all of the following:

• Angles

• Forces

• Moments

• Powers

• Scalars

• Bones

You can delete a single model output, groups of model outputs or all the
outputs under a single output sub-node by right-clicking on the relevant node(s)
in the Subjects Resources tree and then clicking Delete. (You can also delete
model outputs using the Delete Model Outputs pipeline operation, available in
the Data Processing operations on the Pipeline Tools pane.)

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Element color properties

In the Color property for Markers and Segments, you can specify the default
color for these subject elements using one of the following methods:

• Assign a specific color using the color map.

• Click the current color in the entry field to display the Select Color dialog box.

• In the Basic colors area, click the square for the desired color, or in the
Custom colors areas define a new color.

• Specify the default color of its associated context (if any) using the Context
Color macro.

• Click the Color property context menu button and select Macro. Context
Color is displayed in the entry field. A marker inherits its context from the
segment to which it is attached. A segment's context is derived from its name,
for example "LeftFemur" has a left context. To turn off the context color
macro, clear Macro in the Color property context menu.

Context Default Color

General Orange

Left Red

Right Green

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View pane
The View pane enables you to visualize data from one or more cameras in real
time or from a saved file.

You can visualize the system components or subjects selected in the Resources
pane, or the results of processing performed in the Tools pane during any stage
of the Nexus motion capture workflow.

Tip
By default, the View pane is in the center of the Nexus window. You
cannot detach or change the position of this pane, but you can open a
separate floating view workspace.

You view and manipulate the type of data you specified for display in the view
pane below the toolbar. By default, a single view pane is displayed. You can
display multiple view panes, and specify the same or different view in each. You
can manually resize each view pane.

You can control the way data is visualized in the view panes, for example, by
changing the display options for force plate, in the Options dialog box (press
F7).

View panes contain the following controls:

• View pane toolbar Select the view to use, manage any display options for the
selected view, and specify the number and arrangement of views displayed in
the toolbar at the top of the view pane. The lists and buttons on the View
pane toolbar that are available from all types of view panes are described
below.

• View list

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• Select the views to be displayed from the View list:

• 3D Perspective view, page 283 Reconstructed motion capture data from all
active Vicon cameras in 3D (three-dimensional) perspective, that is length,
width, and depth.

• 3D Orthogonal view, page 285 Motion capture data in 3D perspective viewed

from a specified point of sight, or direction, of the capture volume.

• Camera view, page 286 Raw 2D motion capture data from an individual Vicon
camera or a supported digital video camera.

• Graph view, page 289 Various values of one or more selected items (such as
the x, y, and z components of a marker trajectory) plotted against each
other or against time.

• Subject viewer, page 297 The base pose for the labeling skeleton template
(VST) of the currently selected subject. Also facilitates manual labeling.

• Standard buttons

Specify the number and arrangement of view panes displayed in the

workspace using the following buttons:
• Horizontal Split the current view horizontally into two view panes.

• Vertical Split the current view vertically into two view panes.

• Close Close the current view pane. (You cannot close the default View pane
in the center of the Nexus window.)

Depending upon the view selected, there may be additional lists and buttons
available.

• Time bar, page 298 You manipulate offline trial data using the time bar.

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3D Perspective view
The 3D Perspective view enables you to visualize reconstructed motion capture
data from all active Vicon cameras, or Vicon Skeleton Templates (.vst), or Vicon
Skeleton (.vsk) files, in 3D (three dimensional) perspective, that is length, width,
and depth.

You can view 3D data live in real time or from a previously saved trial.

In addition to the standard buttons (see View pane, page 281), the 3D Perspective
view contains the following sections:

• 3D Perspective view pane toolbar You manage the display of 3D data in the
active workspace by selecting these buttons at the top of the view pane:
• Center camera on selection Position the currently selected data in the
center of the view pane. This option does not automatically zoom in on the
selected data.

• Export Workspace to AVI Enables you to create video files of a selected 3D

workspace (including any labeled subject). For details, see Export 3D
Workspace as AVI in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• 3D Perspective view You view and manipulate 3D data in the view pane below
the toolbar. For example, you can dolly, orbit, pan, tilt, truck, and zoom to
control the portion of the capture volume that is displayed.

3D Perspective view usage tips

When you display a 3D Perspective view pane:

• If you have additional 3D Perspective or other view panes (3D Orthogonal,

Camera, Graph view or Subject Viewer panes) open, you can change the
number and arrangement of view panes displayed in the workspace to suit
your preferences using the view pane toolbar buttons at the top right of the
view pane.

• You can highlight the representations of specific cameras in the 3D

Perspective view pane workspace by selecting one or more cameras under
the Vicon Cameras node in the System Resources pane.
• You can configure display options in the Options dialog box (F7), such as
force plate display options.

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To visualize data in the view pane:

1. Either stream live camera data (click Go Live), or double-click the name of a
processed data file  on the Data Management tab.
2. From the View pane toolbar, select 3D Perspective. The reconstructed 3D
data from all cameras is displayed in a single 3D Perspective view pane.
Information about the current trial appears at the top of the view pane:
• NO TRIAL if no trial is loaded

• LIVE if Nexus is in Live mode

• The trial file name if you are viewing a trial in Offline mode.

3. If you want to change the way this text is displayed, open the Options dialog
box (F7), and configure the Workspace Title option.

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3D Orthogonal views
The 3D Orthogonal view pane enables you to visualize motion capture data in
3D perspective viewed from a specified point of sight, or direction, of the
capture volume.

You can view 3D data from an orthogonal perspective live in real time or from a
previously saved trial.

In addition to the standard buttons (see View pane, page 281), the 3D Orthogonal
view pane contains the following sections:

• 3D Orthogonal view pane toolbar Manage the display of data in the active
workspace with the following list and button at the top of the view pane:

• Orthogonal view list Set the point of sight by selecting one of the following
orthogonal projections (also called orthographic projections): -Z (default), +Z,
+X, -X, +Y, -Y

• Center camera on selection Position the currently selected data in the center
of the view pane. This option does not automatically zoom in on the selected
data.

• 3D Orthogonal view View and manipulate 3D data in the view pane below the
view pane toolbar. For example, you can dolly, tilt, truck, and zoom (but not
pan or orbit) to control the portion of the capture volume that is displayed.

3D Orthogonal view usage tips

When you display a 3D Orthogonal view pane:

• To visualize data in the view pane, either stream live camera data (click Go
Live), or double-click a processed data file  on the Data Management tab.
• Reconstructed 3D data from all cameras is displayed in a single 3D
Orthogonal view pane, initially from the -Z (top) view.

• The current trial name appears at the top of the view pane:
• – NO TRIAL if no trial is loaded

• – LIVE if Nexus is in Live mode

• – The trial file name if you are viewing a trial in Offline mode.

• If you want to change the way this text is displayed, open the Options dialog
box (F7), and configure the Workspace Title option.

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Camera view
The Camera view pane enables you to view raw 2D motion capture data from an
individual Vicon camera or a supported digital video camera either live in real
time or from a previously saved raw capture file (.x2d).

In addition to the standard buttons (see View pane, page 281), the Camera view
pane contains the following sections:

• Camera view pane toolbar Manage the display of camera data in the
workspace with the following controls and buttons in the Camera view pane
toolbar at the top of the view pane:
• View list Manage the way camera data is visualized in the active Camera
view pane by selecting the following options from the View drop-down list:

• 3D Overlay Overlay multiple Camera view panes on top of each other, so all
camera views are displayed in a single view pane. Each camera is rendered
in a unique color.
Default: Off

• Rotated Rotate the Camera view, so it is corrected to the vertical axis

defined in the system calibration (which corresponds to the earth's vertical
axis). It also enables you to manually rotate the view by dragging the view
left or right. Information from the camera calibration is required to present
the rotated view.
Default: Off

• Mirrored Mirrors the view displayed for both optical and video cameras. To
enable you to quickly identify when you are looking at a mirrored view, the
view title now displays Mirrored when this option is selected.

• Combined Correctly model lens distortions and display a corrected camera

view with the 3D view rendered underneath the 2D camera view. This is
particularly useful for viewing Vicon optical data overlaid onto images from
video cameras. You can burn this overlay information onto the .avi file to
view in other applications using the Export 3D Overlay Video pipeline
operation.
Default: Off
• Zoom to Fit Zoom the selected Camera view pane to fit the full workspace.
Default: On
• Zoom to Window See Display camera sensor window, below.

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• Export Workspace to AVI button Enables you to create video files, including
labeled subject, of a selected 3D workspace. For more information, see Export
workspace as AVI in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• Paint a mask onto the camera button Paint over any cells in the camera grid
(displayed when the button is clicked) that contain unwanted reflections.
When a cell is painted, its background color changes from black to blue. The
camera mask consists of blue cells obscuring unwanted reflections. For more
information, see Mask unwanted reflections in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• Erase a mask from the camera button Erase a previously painted cell from a
mask. When an individual cell is erased, its background color changes from
blue to black, and any reflection that had previously been obscured is visible
again.

• Clear the mask from the camera button Automatically remove a previously
painted mask. When the mask is cleared, the background color of any
previously painted cells changes from blue to black, and any reflections that
had previously been obscured are visible again.

• Display grayscale blobs button When selected, grayscale blobs are displayed
in the Camera view.

• Display centroid circles button When selected, centroids are displayed in the
Camera view.
• Display camera sensor window button Displays a visual representation of the
windowing that occurs at higher frame rates. The windowed area is indicated
by a rectangle within the Camera view, showing the size and position of the
active window on the camera sensor. (Windowing is also displayed in the 3D
Overlay view and in Rotated view). For instant feedback on the area that is
captured and to save room on the screen, you can zoom in to the sensor
window. To do this, in a Camera view, from the View menu, select Zoom to
window, or to turn on Zoom to window for all windows, press the hot keys:
Ctrl+Shift+Z.
To toggle the display of windowing, in the Options dialog box (F7), click the
Camera Limits option and in the Properties pane, select the Sensor Window
property.
• Lock / Unlock button (displayed with standard buttons on the right) Lock the
current Camera view pane, so that it is effectively detached from the selection
set and is not affected by any subsequent selections in other open view
panes. This is useful for displaying views from different cameras in multiple
Camera views.
When the active clip changes, or when you switch from Live to Offline mode,
the selection is automatically unlocked.

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• Camera view pane View and manipulate 2D data in the view below the view
pane toolbar. For example, you can orbit, truck, dolly, and zoom the displayed
data.

Camera view usage tips

To visualize optical data in a Camera view:

1. Either stream live camera data (click Go Live), or double-click a raw data file
(.x2d file)  on the Data Management tab.
2. In the System Resources tree, select one or more cameras whose data you
want to visualize. To do this, expand the Vicon Cameras node and then click
on the sub node for one or more cameras.
The 2D data from each selected camera is displayed in a separate Camera
view pane.

To visualize video data in a Camera view:

Note that a video camera is listed under the Video Cameras node for each .avi
file you have loaded. 

1. Do one of the following:

• Double-click on the desired movie file on the Data Management tab; or
• From Windows Explorer, drag the required .avi file onto a Camera view
pane. (If you drag an .avi file onto a Camera view pane, the current trial
closes, and no file name is displayed in the View pane, because the .avi file
is not associated with any particular trial.); or

• Import an .avi file into the current trial by running the Import AVI pipeline
operation. This operation is located in the File Import operations list in the
Pipeline Tools pane.

2. If you make a change to the video file camera settings, an asterisk (*) appears
next to the configuration name at the top of the System Resources tree ,
reminding you that there are unsaved changes to your system configuration.

3. In the System Resources pane, expand the Video Cameras node and select
one or more digital video cameras.
4. To play offline video, click Play in the tool bar. The video from each camera
selected is displayed in a separate Camera view pane.

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Graph view
The Graph view enables you to view various values of one or more selected
items (such as the x, y, and z components of a marker trajectory) against each
other or against time, or analog data from any supported force plates or EMG
devices.

You can view graphs of motion data live in real time or from a previously saved
reconstructed and labeled trial.

In addition to the standard buttons (see View pane, page 281), the Graph view
contains the following controls.

Graph view pane toolbar

Manage the display of graph data in the view pane with the following controls at
the top of the view pane. The Graph view pane toolbar leads you left to right
through the normal flow of operations required to plot a graph for the selected
elements

• Graph type drop-down list

Select the type of graph to be displayed from the categories in this drop-
down list. (Graph types that are not available for the data currently selected in
the System Resources pane are dimmed.) See Graph type options, page 292.)

• Differentiate the graph button Specify, for the currently displayed graph,
the current variable, its first derivative (velocity or angular velocity), or its
second derivative (acceleration or angular acceleration) by selecting the

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desired options from this drop-down list:

• x (none)

• x' (velocity)

• x" (acceleration)

A graph of a trajectory will have X, Y, and Z axes, but when differentiated to

x' (velocity), the axes will change to X', Y', and Z' axes.

 Tip
You can then use the Add Monitor button to provide real-time bio-
feedback on differentiated as well as positional data. For more
information, see Using monitors, page 39.

• Choose the components of the graph button Specify the components of

the selected graph type to be plotted in the active Graph view by selecting
the desired options from this drop-down list (only components that you have
selected for Graph view are available).
This option enables you to focus on a component of particular interest, which
occupies more of the workspace. When multiple components are plotted,
each is always shown on a separate axis, and the components shown are
applied to all channels visible in the workspace. The number of vertically
stacked graphs displayed in the workspace depends on the number of
options selected for graph view, and from those, the number selected from
this list.

• Legend button Display a legend for the current graph listing the color for
each trace plotted, the subject (if multiple subjects are loaded), and the name
of each element being plotted in that trace. To display a temporary tooltip
with this information, hovering the mouse pointer over the button. To open a
separate splitter pane to permanently display the legend to the right of the
graph view, click the button.

• Choose the rotation order button If you select a segment in the Subjects
Resources pane, you can select Global Angle from the Graph type drop-down
list. This enables the Choose the rotation order button. Clicking on the
Rotation Order button lists the angle convention choices of Helical (default),
XYZ, XZY, etc. This enables you to choose either a Helical or an Euler angle
convention. The Euler angle convention has multiple rotation order
conventions represented by XYZ, XZY, etc. 

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• Create a monitor button Add the selected graph component as a

monitor entry in the Monitors communications pane.

• Scale the graph to fit (horizontal) button Zoom out the x-axis to show the
complete range of the trace for the selected time period. This is useful if you
have zoomed in a long way and now want to quickly see the entire graph
again.

• Lock the horizontal graph axis button Lock the horizontal axis to prevent
further rescaling of the axis once it is at a desired length of frames. This is
useful if you want the horizontal axis range to stay the same.

• Scale the graph to fit (vertical) button Scale the y-axis so that all the data
in selected traces for the currently visible x-axis is visible. If there are multiple
components in the selected traces, they are all set to the same range, that is,
the range required to show all the data in the component with the largest
range.
If Nexus is in Live mode, this button acts as a toggle, enabling you to leave
this mode switched on or off. If on, when plotting live data, the y-axis is
automatically scaled as the data changes so all traces are visible. Manually
zooming switches the automatic mode off.

• Lock the vertical graph axis button Lock the vertical axis to prevent
further rescaling of the axis once it is at a desired range. This is useful if you
want the vertical axis range to stay the same.

• Scale the graph to fit (horizontal and vertical) button Scale the x and y
axes simultaneously to fit the horizontal and vertical ranges of data.

• Lock / Unlock button (displayed with standard buttons on the right) Lock
the current Graph view pane, so that it is effectively detached from the
selection set and is not affected by any subsequent selections in other open
view panes. This is useful for displaying elements in multiple Graph views.
When the active clip changes, or when you switch from Live to Offline mode,
the selection is automatically unlocked.

Graph view pane

View and manipulate graph data in the view pane below the view pane toolbar.
For example, you can slide the displayed data along the axes or zoom in and
out.

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Graph type options

Devices
Displays graphs for the components of the analog signals from force plates or
EMG devices. This is useful for examining analog device activity such as force
plate strikes or EMG voltage output. You can also display graphs displaying units
of mm/s2 of analog signals from an accelerometer device, which allows you to
examine voltage output from an accelerometer device.

• Components: View force plate data such as Forces, Moments, and Center of
Pressure, or to view Other Devices, such as EMG and Accelerometer data.

• Combined Forceplates: Enables you to view combined selected outputs from

multiple force plates. For more information, see View combined output from
multiple force plates in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Subjects

• Labeling: View labeling data for the current subject

Trajectories
Displays graphs for one or more marker trajectories selected, such as the global
XYZ components of a marker, a marker's distance from the global origin,
distance between two markers, angle between three markers, or a count of how
many reconstructed markers are in any current frame of data.

• Components: View the X, Y, and Z coordinates of a marker selected in either

the Subjects Resources pane or the 3D Perspective view.

• Distance From Origin: View the straight-line distance between the chosen
point and the global origin. Plots the distance from the capture volume origin
to each selected marker. This is useful for plotting velocity or acceleration of
markers.

• Distance Between: View the straight-line distance between two markers

selected in either the Subjects Resources pane or the 3D Perspective view.

• Distance Between (XYZ): View the global X, Y, and Z components of the

distance between two markers selected in either the Subjects Resources pane
or the 3D Perspective view. Plots the absolute distance (as a vector) between
two selected markers. This is useful, for example, to see how the distance
between two markers that are assumed to have a rigid relationship changes
over time. This graph type calculates a separate component (X,Y,Z) distance
between the two markers. It is only available when two markers are selected in
the 3D Perspective view.

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• Angle Between: Plots the angle between the two vectors formed by any three
markers selected in either the Subjects Resources pane or from the 3D
Perspective view pane. This is useful for seeing how the group of markers
moves over time.

• Trajectory Count: View the number of markers (both labeled and unlabeled)
currently reconstructed in the 3D Perspective view. Plots the total number of
trajectories over time visible to the Vicon cameras (if streaming Live data in
real time) or processed in trial (if viewing previously captured data in a file).

Model Outputs
Displays three graphs of the components of any output variables (such as Angles,
Forces, Moments, Powers, or Bones) that have been calculated by Vicon Plug-in
Gait for your model. This is useful for visually validating data produced by post-
capture processing models without having to load the data into Polygon for full
biomechanical analysis or reporting.

• Model Outputs: Select to view outputs from calculations run in post-capture

pipeline.

• Difference Between: The difference between first and second selected model
output in X, Y and Z (example: New Patient 1:LAnkleAngles - New Patient
1:RAnkleAngles)

Joints
Displays graphs of the components of selected joint kinematics, either three
graphs for Euler angles or six graphs for a helical vector (as appropriate for the
joint type). This is useful for displaying approximate joint angles between linked
segments of the labeling template worn by your subject in real time. This type of
graph can only be plotted for a subject that has been kinematically fitted (for
example, one that has had the Kinematic Fit operation, found under Core
Processing on the Pipeline Tools pane, run on it).

• Kinematics: Select to view kinematic angles between linked segments of the

subject. (To see these angles, you must have performed kinematic fitting on
labeled trajectories.)

Segments

• Global Angle The angle between the selected segment and the global origin
in rotation (RX, RY, RZ) and translation (TX, TY, TZ).

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Graph view usage tips

• When zooming into or out of graph data, the display of grid lines can be set
to guide the eye toward the selected area of focus. Major grid lines remain at
their normal weight, while any minor grid lines gradually fade. To obtain this
behavior, in the Options dialog box (F7), select Graph and then ensure the
Show Minor Grid Lines property is selected.

• The Graph view contains rulers and axes along the left and bottom edges and
graph traces for the item being plotted. The contents of the axes of the Graph
view depend on whether the system is in Live or Offline mode:

• Live The y-axis vertical ruler is on the right side of the graph and the x-axis
horizontal ruler is below the graph. The y-axis represents the live frame, so is
constantly updated in real time. The x-axis represents the time (in frames). It
starts on the right side, which is labeled 0 (zero) and is labeled from right to
left with decreasing negative values to reflect the number of frames away from
the live frame. Because the current time is always zero, the Time Bar is not
displayed at the bottom of the workspace.

• Offline The y-axis vertical ruler is on the left side of the graph and the x-axis
horizontal ruler is below the graph. The rulers indicate the scale and the
variable names that are being plotted and the horizontal and vertical axes are
labeled to indicate the units of measurement used. The graph traces
represent the actual data and are scaled to the current rulers. You can select
elements to graph in the Resources pane or the 3D Perspective view.
If the elements selected have more than one component, these components
are shown on separate, vertically stacked axes sharing a common x-axis. You
can select the components to be displayed from the Component Options list
in the Graph view pane toolbar.
• You navigate in Graph view in the usual way, using the mouse. For example,
to pan and zoom, click and hold the right mouse button and then drag the
mouse up/down to zoom along the Y axis or drag left/right to zoom along the
X axis. To pan the graph in any direction, hold the left and right mouse
buttons down at the same time as you drag the mouse. 
• When you select a data type in the System Resources pane (Trajectories,
Model Outputs, Devices, or Joints), Nexus will attempt to intelligently update
the Graph view type to match the data type you've selected.

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To visualize data in a graph:

1. Either click the Go Live button or on the Data Management tab, double-click
a processed data file (.c3d) file.
2. Select the elements to be graphed (eg markers, model outputs, force plates,
etc) in any of the following ways:
• In the Subjects Resources pane, expand the desired Subject node, expand
the relevevant sub-node (eg Markers, Model Outputs, etc), and then select
(CTRL+click to select multiple elements) one or more elements; or

• In a 3D Perspective view pane, select one or more elements displayed in

the view pane.

The number of elements you select depends on the type of graph you wish to
view.

3. From the view pane toolbar select Graph.

If required, you can select additional elements to add to the Graph view
pane. If you are viewing trajectories, each one is displayed in a different color
trace. You can use the Legend button in the Graph view pane toolbar to
identify the color trace used for each trajectory. If the trace for any additional
elements is not visible, use the Fit Horizontally, Fit Vertically, or Fit Both
Horizontally and Vertically buttons.

4. If you want to save a particular graph view (for example, specific trajectories
that you have selected), save your configuration using the Configuration
menu button next to the View Type list on the Nexus toolbar. 

You can visualize raw analog signals in a Graph view by selecting Show Raw from
the device node context menu in the System Resources pane.

Graphing joint kinematics

1. Select the joints that are of interest. 

2. From the Graph Type list in the Graph view pane toolbar, select the
Kinematics option under the Joints section to plot the joint angles for the
selected joints.
Kinematic components for root segments include Tx, Ty, and Tz,
accompanied by Rx, Ry, and Rz. These components can be further
differentiated to also include Rx', Ry', Rz', Rx'', Ry'', Rz'', Tx', Ty', Tz', Tx'', Ty'',
and Tz''. Designate the T's as translations and the R's as rotations between
the two segments that the joint connects.
Note: The ' and " designations are used to indicate velocity and acceleration,
respectively.

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Tip
You can plot the Mean and Standard Deviation values for a component
in a Graph view pane.
To do this, in the Options dialog box, select Graph from the list on the
left.
Click Show Advanced and then select the Show Mean and SD check
box.

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Subject viewer
The Subject Viewer pane enables you to display the base pose for the labeling
skeleton template (VST) of the currently selected subject. This helps you ensure
that your subjects adopt the correct base (neutral) pose. 

You can also use the Subject Viewer to assist with manual labeling by making it
easy to correlate reconstructions with the appropriate marker. To do this:

1. Ensure the Label/Edit Tools pane is displayed and that the view pane displays
both a 3D view of the subject whose markers you are labeling and the Subject
Viewer.

2. Select a marker in the Subject Viewer.

Nexus switches to labeling mode. The mouse pointer changes to display the
name of the currently selected marker and the marker is highlighted in the
Manual Labeling list.
This works both ways: selecting a marker in the Manual Labeling list highlights
the marker in the Subject Viewer.

3. In the 3D view, click on the marker that is the equivalent of that highlighted in
the Subject Viewer and the Manual Labeling list.
The next marker is automatically highlighted, ready for you to continue
labeling.

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Time bar
You manipulate offline trial data with time and synchronization characteristics in
the time bar.

The time bar is available at the bottom of all types of view pane when you play
back data from a saved trial. It is displayed only when the system is in Offline
mode (click the Go Offline button), and contains the following controls:

• Play/Stop button
Play forward continuously through trial. When clicked, the
button switches to its Stop setting.

• Jump to Previous Event button

Play backward one event (when in Event Identification Mode).

• Enter Event identification mode button

Switch between modes in which you can manipulate data based on time
(button off) or events (button on). For details on manipulating data, see Add
events to trials in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• Jump to the next event button

Play forward one event (when in Event Identification Mode).

• Ellipsis

Display a context menu from which you can select the following options to
manipulate trial data (you also can display the context menu by right-clicking
anywhere on the time bar):
• Zoom to Trial Reset the ruler to the full trial timescale after zooming in or
out.

• Zoom to Region-of-Interest Reset the ruler to the range of frames identified

by the Start Range Frame indicator and the End Range Frame indicator (for
details on these indicators, see below).

• Set Current Frame Opens the Go to Frame dialog box, in which you can
specify the required frame. When you click OK, the current time indicator
moves to the specified frame.

• Set Region-of-Interest Opens the Set Region of Interest dialog box, in

which you can specify the start and end frames for the region of interest.

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• Play Every Frame When selected, the datastream ships all frames.
(Rendering is unaffected.) Select this option only if you want to perform
calculations on the datastream data.

• Replay Speed Specify the playback speed relative to real time by selecting
one of the following sub options: 1/10, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, or Other. The Other
option displays a dialog box in which you can set a specific value.
Default: 1

• Trajectory Tails Specify the length of tails for selected trajectories, as a

value in frames before and after every gap by selecting one of the following
from the displayed context menu: 0 frames, 25 frames, 50 frames, 100
frames, 200 frames, or Other. The Other option displays the Trajectory Tails
dialog box in which you can set a specific value.
Default: 100 frames

• Clear All Events Clear all marked events from the ruler. Note that you can
also use the Delete Timebar Events pipeline operation to delete events
from a specified range of frames.

• You can also manage data playback using the keyboard. For example, you can
use keys and mouse actions to manage the timescale displayed in the
timeline, the time bar data displayed in the workspace, and event
identification mode. For more information see Hot keys and shortcuts in the
Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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You identify or manipulate trial data based either on time or event, depending
on the whether the Enter Event Identification Mode button is on or off with the
following areas of the time bar.

• Timeline
The overall time span and the range of frames currently viewable in the
workspace. The timeline is split into default contexts:

• Left The top rule on the timeline contains markers for any events specified
for the left context.

• Right The middle rule on the timeline contains markers for any events
specified for the right context.

• General The bottom rule on the timeline contains markers for any events
specified for the general context.

• Selected frame The number of the currently selected frame is displayed at

the bottom of the timeline.

• Timescale
Displays the overall span of time for the range of frames that can currently be
selected. The current frame of trial data is displayed in the label on the left
side of the scale at the bottom of the timeline. You can move the visible
portion of the timescale or zoom in or out of it (for details, see Shortcuts for
working with the time bar in the Vicon Nexus User Guide).

• Indicators
Indicate a selected characteristic of the trial data for playback. You can move
the indicators along the timeline to manually move the data playback forward
or backward and display the desired frame in the view pane. Indicators are
displayed when appropriate for the playback operation:
• Current time indicator

Indicates the current time of the data playback along the timeline. This
vertical bar spans the entire height of the timeline. In Event Identification
Mode, the current time indicator follows the mouse cursor. You can click
and drag the mouse for slow-motion playback. When you release the
mouse button, the event context menu is displayed.

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• Start of range indicator

Indicates the frame specified as the start of the range of trial data to play
back or process. This blue triangle is initially positioned on the first frame at
the top of the timeline.

•   End of range indicator

Indicates the frame specified as the end of the range of trial data to play
back. This blue triangle is initially positioned on the last frame at the top of
the timeline.

• Event markers
Indicate a specific event to be applied or displayed in the currently selected
frame of the trial data:
• Foot Strike The point at which the trial subject's foot contacts the
ground.

• Foot Off The point at which the trial subject's foot leaves the ground.

• General A point at which the trial subject performs a user-defined event.

• Custom A point at which the trial subject performs a user-defined event
that can be named.

• Delete Event <Type> Deletes the selected event.

• Delete All Events at Frame x Deletes all events previously set for the current
frame.

• Clear All Events Deletes all events previously set for the entire trial.

To work with an event, you must be in Event Identification Mode (see Enter
Event identification mode button, page 298).

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Tools pane
Configure settings, run tools, and view data processing results in the sections
below the toolbar in the Tools pane. The contents of this section depend on the
button you select in the Tools pane toolbar.

The Tools pane contains the following tabs:

• System Preparation tools, page 303

• Subject Preparation tools, page 313

• Capture tools, page 314

• Label/Edit tools, page 319

• Pipeline tools, page 320

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System Preparation tools

System calibration is a process by which Vicon Nexus calibrates the system based
on specialized calibration objects (whose dimensions and relative marker
positions are known). It consists of several procedures:

• Camera calibration The camera calibration process calculates the physical

position and orientation of each Vicon camera in the capture volume based on
the movement of the calibration object. Nexus uses this information to
determine each camera's physical position and orientation in the capture
volume, to correct for any lens distortion, and to set internal camera
parameters.

• Set volume origin During this process, Nexus measures the position of the
calibration object and uses this information to identify the origin of the world
(center of the capture volume) and its horizontal and vertical axes. These
volume origin and axes are referred to as the global coordinate system. The
global origin coordinates are always (0,0,0). The global axes coordinates are
given in the form (x, y, z), where x is a horizontal axis, y is the horizontal axis
perpendicular to x, and z is the vertical axis. If the floor of your volume is
uneven, you can also use the Set Floor Plane option as part of this process.

For basic step-by-step instructions on how to complete these procedures, see

Calibrate a Vicon system in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

To enable you to perform these procedures, the System Preparation Tools pane
contains the following sections (to show additional options, click Show Advanced
in the relevant section).

• Video Calibration Setup section, page 304

• Mask Cameras section, page 304

• Aim Cameras section, page 304

• Calibrate Cameras section, page 304

• Set Volume Origin section, page 306

• Static Video Calibration section, page 306

• Manage Camera Calibration section, page 306

• Camera Calibration Feedback section, page 307

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Video Calibration Setup section

Enables you to activate video calibration mode by clicking the Activate button.
Note that if you haven't saved the current configuration, you will be prompted to
do so before you can proceed.

You automatically activate calibration mode when you click Start in the Mask
Cameras section, the Aim Cameras section or the Calibrate Cameras section.

To exit calibration mode, click the Deactivate button in the Video Calibration
Setup section.

Mask Cameras section

Enables you to automatically create cameras masks to obscure all reflections
visible to the Vicon cameras. By enabling the Advanced properties, you can
choose to mask all cameras or just selected cameras.

For more information on how to mask cameras, see Mask unwanted reflections in
the Vicon Nexus User Guide. 

Aim Cameras section

Enables you to check the positioning of Vicon cameras around the capture
volume with real-time feedback. You normally perform this step before you
begin calibration check.

For more information on how to aim cameras, see Aim Vicon cameras in the the
Vicon Nexus User Guide. 

Calibrate Cameras section

Enables you to calibrate the Vicon cameras to determine their positions,
orientations, and lens properties, which enables Nexus to produce accurate 3D
and 2D (video) data from motion data captured throughout the capture volume.
The Advanced properties contain the following options:

• Wand The calibration object to be used during the dynamic stage of the
camera calibration process.
Default: Active Wand v2 (both optical cameras and digital video cameras are
calibrated with an Active Wand)
• Calibration Type Specify whether to use a Full Calibration or a quicker
Calibration Refinement. (If you have not already calibrated or aimed all
cameras, you cannot perform a calibration with the Calibration Refinement

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option.) For more information on calibration options, see Understand camera

calibration refinement, page 311.

• Cameras to Calibrate Can be All Cameras or Selected Cameras (that is, the
cameras selected in the System Resources tree). The selection is applied when
the Stop button in the Calibrate Cameras section is clicked.
Default: All Cameras

• Refinement frames The minimum coverage (in number of frames) required per
camera in the final phase of the refine camera calibration process.
Default: 1000. For more information, see Understand camera calibration
refinement, page 311.

• Wand Ratio Tolerance (Advanced setting) Tolerance of the distance between

the markers on the wand (expressed as a ratio), to enable it to be labeled in
2D.
Default 0.2.

• Wand Straightness Tolerance Tolerance in alignment of wand markers

(relating to the maximum angle allowable between the markers), to enable it
to be labeled in 2D.

• DV Calibration frames The minimum coverage (in number of frames) required

per DV camera for the calibration to autostop (if Auto Stop is selected).
Default: 500
• Auto Stop Whether or not Nexus is to automatically stop the camera
calibration process when sufficient data has been collected.

For more information on how to calibrate cameras (both optical and video), see
Calibrate Vicon cameras in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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Set Volume Origin section

Enables you to define the global origin and the axes of the world (in the context
of the capture volume).

The Advanced options are:

• L-Frame The calibration object to be used for setting the volume origin.
Default: 5 Marker Wand & L-Frame

• Start/Set Origin and Cancel buttons Enable you to start, set the origin and
cancel setting the origin.

• One Marker Enables you to set the origin to the selected marker.

• Three Markers Enables you to set the origin to the selected three markers.

• Set Floor Plane Enables you to set the position of the floor plane in Nexus by
using markers in the volume to automatically define it. For more information,
see Calibrate the floor plane in the Vicon Nexus User Guide. 

Static Video Calibration section

If you are not using an Active Wand, you use this section to calibrate digital
video cameras included in your Nexus system. This enables 3D overlay from
Vicon cameras to be displayed with the 2D video from the digital video cameras. 

Manage Camera Calibration section

Contains the following controls:

• Auto number cameras Ensure you have aimed the cameras (see Aim Vicon
cameras) before clicking this button. Automatically numbers the currently
connected Vicon cameras in ascending order, according to their position in
the capture volume. Automatic numbering starts with the camera furthest
from the volume origin. The cameras are then numbered in a clockwise
direction around the volume. If your cameras are positioned at different levels,
the cameras in the level that contains the most cameras are numbered first.
• Reset Removes all non-existing cameras, clears the calibrated position for
existing cameras, and reverts all calibration parameters to their default
settings. This enables you to recalibrate the system from a clean starting
point.

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• Load Navigate to and select a previously saved camera calibration (.xcp file)
defining settings for the Vicon cameras and any supported digital video
cameras in your Nexus system.

Camera Calibration Feedback section

Enables you to view system calibration processing progress and status
information. This section contains the following controls:

• Progress bar This bar displays a percentage indicating the progress of the
overall camera calibration process.

• Camera This column contains the device ID for each Vicon camera being
calibrated.

• Wand Count For each Vicon camera, this value identifies the number of
frames it has captured containing the calibration object. Initially, the entry for
the number of wand frames is displayed in red; the entry turns green when
Nexus has acquired enough wand data to calibrate that camera, typically 1000
frames.
By default, the calibration process stops when the camera with the lowest
frame count reaches the number of frames specified in the Refinement frames
parameter in the Calibrate Cameras section.

• World Error Displays the calibration error in millimeters. World error is

calculated per camera from the Image Error in pixels and the distance of the
camera to the center of the volume. Cameras further away, with the same
image error, display a larger world error.  

• Image Error This value (RMS distance in camera pixels) indicates the accuracy
of the 3D reconstruction of the markers. This value represents the difference
between the 2D image of each marker on the camera sensor and the 3D
reconstructions of those markers projected back to the camera's sensor.
Acceptable values depend on factors such as the size of the capture volume
and the camera lens type.

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Additional features in this section enable you to export your calibration, to

identify calibration issues or to ensure that the current calibration conforms to an
established standard.

• Export a calibration as a CSV file, page 308

• Compare calibrations, page 308

• Set calibration error threshold, page 309

• Sort columns, page 310

Export a calibration as a CSV file

You can export the current calibration as a .csv file. This helps you to monitor
your calibration standards over time.

To export a calibration as a CSV file:

1. In the Camera Calibration Feedback section, right-click and then click Export.

2. Enter a file name, ensure the file extension is .csv and click Save.

Compare calibrations
You can compare the current calibration results with the results from the previous
calibration.

To compare the current and last calibrations:

• In the Camera Calibration Feedback section, right-click and then select Show
Differences.
The World Error and Image Error columns display the differences between
the two calibrations.
If the results from the latest calibration are better (ie produce smaller errors)
than the previous one, the columns are displayed in green to yelllow.
If the results from the latest calibration are worse (ie produce larger errors)
than the previous one, the columns are displayed in red to orange.

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Set calibration error threshold

You can specify a maximum calibration error, above which cameras are flagged
as having an error that is higher than the threshold that you have set.

To set a calibration error threshold:

• At the bottom of the the Camera Calibration Feedback section, set the error
threshold (World or Image).

After calibration, in the Camera Calibration Feedback section, cameras with an

error greater than this value are displayed with a yellow warning icon instead of
the normal blue camera icon. The default setting (0.000) turns off any warnings.

In the following example, the error threshold is set to 0.5mm, so that the three
cameras with a calibration error greater than this are displayed with a warning
icon:

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Sort columns
If you are working with a large number of cameras, it is useful to be able to sort
the results to enable you to quickly identify problematic cameras. You can now
sort the columns in the Camera Calibration Feedback section by clicking on the
required column heading.

The default sorting is on the camera number (low to high):

To make it easy to find cameras with the highest errors, you can sort on World
Error or Image Error, displaying the cameras with the highest errors at the top of
the column:

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Understand camera calibration refinement

Calibration refinement provides a fast, reliable way to fine-tune an existing
camera calibration, for example, as part of your daily calibration workflow before
beginning the day's captures.

Full Calibration consists of an initialization phase, followed by a multi-pass

process to optimize the camera positions.

Calibration Refinement uses exactly the same process as full calibration, but
without the initialization phase. It provides a reliable way to refine existing
calibration data to produce a calibration that is as good as a full calibration of
the same system, but is much faster.

 Important
As Calibration Refinement operates on existing data, you must have
loaded a full calibration into Nexus before running the refinement
calibration.

To save time while maintaining accuracy, you can perform both full and
refinement calibration on any selected camera(s), as well as on all cameras.

Under most circumstances, the default value for Refinement frames produces
good results. If you need to improve the results, particularly if you are using
larger numbers of cameras, try increasing this value. 

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Note that the value specified for Refinement frames applies to the number of
frames used:

• By Auto Stop

• In the refinement phase of a Full Calibration

• When running a Calibration Refinement

When to use a refinement calibration

The following table gives guidance on when to use each type of calibration:

Scenario Type of calibration

A full calibration of all cameras has recently Full Calibration on just the moved
been performed, but since then, several cameras, with a short wand wave that
cameras have been repositioned to another concentrates on the moved cameras.
part of the volume.

A full calibration of all cameras has recently Full Calibration on the bumped
been performed, but during the trial, one camera, with a short wand wave that
camera was accidentally slightly bumped. concentrates on the bumped camera.

Since yesterday's full calibration, Calibration Refinement of all cameras,

environmental factors may have caused small with a normal length wand wave that
changes in the camera positions and it is includes all cameras.
necessary to re-calibrate them accurately and
quickly.

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Subject Preparation tools

You must create a Vicon labeling skeleton template (.vst file), or import an
existing one, for each type of subject whose motion is to be captured and
analyzed in Nexus. You only need to do this once for each type of subject.
Sample .vst file are provided under the Nexus model templates folder (by
default, C:\Program Files (x86)\Vicon\Nexus2.#\ModelTemplates).

You must then calibrate the .vst file to create a Vicon labeling skeleton (.vsk file)
that is scaled for each specific subject of that type. You must do this the first time
you intend to capture a new subject and each time you want to use a different
marker arrangement on the same subject. 

For detailed information about creating and using custom Vicon labeling
skeleton templates, see Creating Labeling Skeleton Templates (VSTs).

 To enable you to produce .vst and .vsk files, the Subject Preparation Tools pane
contains the following sections: 

• Subject Select a specific Vicon labeling skeleton template (.vst file) or Vicon
labeleling skeleton (.vsk file). The contents of this list depends on the subject
nodes enabled for capture (ie displayed with a check mark next to them) in the
Subjects Resources pane.

• Subject Capture Enables you to capture a brief trial to obtain subject data.
You can use the subject data to build or calibrate a Vicon labeling skeleton
template and to manually label a subject.

• Subject Calibration Enables you to manage the subject calibration process to

create a Vicon labeling skeleton (.vsk file) for a specific subject.

• Labeling Template Builder Enables you to build a generic Vicon labeling

skeleton template (.vst file) for a type of subject (for example, humans,
wearing a particular marker set). You subsequently use this .vst file to calibrate
a Vicon labeling skeleton (.vsk file) for a specific subject of that type (for
example, Jane, wearing the same particular marker set).

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Capture tools
The Capture Tools pane enables you to collect motion data.

Collecting motion data involves identifying where in a motion capture trial

database to store the data, specifying the type of source data that is to be
captured, optionally configuring any remote triggering, optionally determining
any automated processing to be performed, and managing the capture process.
You can capture trials manually or configure Nexus to capture trials
automatically.

For basic instructions on collecting data, see Capture movement trials in the
Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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The Capture Tools pane contains the following sections:

• Trial Type list Create or manage configurations for the motion capture trial
types specified in the Capture Tools using the configuration management
section at the top of the pane. (For information on managing configurations,
see Manage configurations in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.) 

• Next Trial Setup Specify identification and information details for the way
Nexus is to store data for this trial in a motion capture database:
• Session A link to the active subject\session node in the currently loaded trial
database. Click the link to open the Communications window, displaying
the Data Management tab, or bring it to the front if it is already open, with
the active node highlighted. If you make a different session the active node,
the Session link is updated.
Default: Identified by system

• Trial Name The name under which to save the trial data in the motion
capture database.
Default: Blank if you are creating a new trial in a new session, or if the trial is
the latest of several in a session and Auto increment is selected (see below),
the system automatically names it after the preceding trial and increments
numbering by 1.
Do not use the following special characters in a trial name:
\ backslash
. period
/ slash
, comma
< left angle bracket
? question mark
> right angle bracket
* asterisk
: colon
" double quotation mark
| vertical bar
% percent
$ dollar sign
• Description Enter any description you want to specify for the trial. This
description is displayed on the Data Management tab in the row associated
with the captured trial.
Default: Blank

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• Notes Enter any notes you want to specify for the trial. These notes are
displayed on the Data Management tab in the row associated with the
captured trial.
Default: Blank

• Auto increment trial number Choose whether or not to have Nexus

automatically add a numerical suffix to the trial name for each subsequent
trial, for example, Trial001, Tria002, Trial003, etc.
Default: Selected

• Permit overwrite of existing files Choose whether or not to have Nexus

overwrite an existing data file without prompting you with a warning that it
has the same name as that specified in the Trial Name field with this trial
data.
Note that if Auto increment trial number is selected and the file name that
would be created using the next sequential numerical suffix is the same as
that for an existing file, that previous file is overwritten.
Default: Cleared

• Data Source Setup Specify the type of motion data to be captured by your
Nexus system in the Data Source Setup section of the Capture Tools pane:
• Device Data Analog signals captured by any third-party devices such as
force plates or EMG devices.
Default: Selected

• Optical Camera Data Marker images visible to the Vicon optical cameras
Default: Selected
• Video Camera Data Digital video captured by any connected digital video
cameras.
Default: Selected
• Auto Capture Setup You can configure Vicon Nexus to automatically capture
trials using the following controls:
• Range Use an external remote control device to trigger data capture in your
Vicon system. The remote control device must be connected to an MX
Giganet or Vicon Lock+ unit in your Vicon system (for details, see Go
Further with Vicon MX T-Series or Vicon Vantage Reference Guide), and the
sync outputs (GPO pins) for the remote functionality must be configured
under the relevant Vicon Connectivity node in the System Resources pane.
• Capture before Start Specify the number of seconds of data to
record prior to capture being triggered either manually (with the
Start button) or automatically (based on timecode or a remote
control device).

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• Stop after duration Specify the number of seconds of data to record

after which capturing will automatically stop.

• Triggers Use a labeling percentage value that you specify or an external

timecode source to trigger data capture in your Vicon system. The
timecode source must be connected to an an MX Giganet or Vicon Lock+
unit (for details, see Go Further with Vicon MX T-Series or Vicon Vantage
Reference Guide), and the corresponding timecode options must be
configured under the relevant Vicon Connectivity node in the System
Resources pane.
• Start on Labeling (%) Captures automatically start when a subject first
fully enters the volume. Set the labeling percentage (ie, the
percentage of markers expected from the total number of markers in
your subject's labeling skeleton) that needs to be recognized by
Nexus within the capture volume for the subject to be considered as
fully in the volume and therefore to trigger capture start.

• Stop on Labeling (%) Captures automatically stop when the subject

leaves the volume. Set the labeling percentage (ie, the percentage of
markers expected from the total number of markers in your subject's
labeling skeleton) that needs to be recognized by Nexus within the
capture volume for the subject to be considered to have left the
volume and therefore to trigger capture stop.

• Start/Stop on remote trigger Start and/or stop capture on the

activation of a remote trigger. This option is disabled if no remote
trigger devices are recognized.
Trigger the start of the capture from your remote control device.
After you have acquired the data you need, trigger the stop of the
capture from your remote control device.
• Start on Timecode Select this check box and specify the timecode at
which capture should automatically start.
• Stop on Timecode Select this check box and specify the timecode at
which capture should automatically stop.
For further details on the use of timecode functionality in Vicon
systems, see the Vicon Vantage Reference Guide or Go Further with
Vicon MX T-Series.
• Start/Stop over network Broadcast a UDP message over an intranet or
direct network cable connection to or from another application (or instance
of Nexus) to trigger capture start and stop.
• Address Enables you to select the network interface (first field) and UDP
port (second field) on which to broadcast.

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• Arm button To set the system to a state where it is ready to accept a trigger
signal for automatic capture based on a remote control device, click the
Arm button.

• Lock button If you want to enable the system to remain ready to receive
subsequent remote capture signals after the capture is stopped, click the
Lock button to the right of the Arm button.

• Post-Capture Pipeline Setup Enables you to specify any automatic post-

processing that you want Nexus to perform on the captured data:
• Run pipeline after capture Whether or not to run a previously defined
pipeline immediately after the trial is captured. Select the pipeline that you
want from the drop-down [Link]: Cleared

• Capture section Enables you to manage the motion capture process and view
the number of frames captured and the current duration in seconds during
processing:
• Start/Stop Click this button to start a capture. When clicked, the button
switches to the Stop [Link] you have set the Stop after Duration or Stop
on Timecode settings in the Auto Capture Setup section, or if there is data
in the buffer that has still to be written to disk, the button switches to
Stopping until the capture has completed. If you click the button while it
displays Stopping, the capture stops, and you will lose any data that was
due to be captured, or that is currently in the buffer but not yet written to
disk.

• Cancel Click this button to cancel an active capture.

• Frames Captured Displays the number of frames captured in the current

trial. This number increments until the motion capture process is stopped.
• Trial time The amount of time elapsed during the current capture is
displayed in hh:mm: ss(ff) format, where hh is hours, mm is minutes, ss is
seconds and ff is frames. For example, a 2.5 second capture at 50 Hz (125
frames) is displayed as 00:00:02(125).

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Label/Edit tools
The Label/Edit Tools pane enables you to manually label trial data and fill any
gaps in trial data. It contains the following sections:

• Subject You select the subject to manually label or edit in the Subject list at
the top of the Label/Edit Tools pane. To appear in this list, the subject's node
must be selected (ie, its check box must be selected in the Subjects tree in the
Resources pane).

• Manual Labeling You manually label reconstructed trial data for the selected
subject using the controls in this section. For instructions, see Manually label a
trial in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• Backward, Whole, and Forward buttons. Label the currently selected

trajectory either for the whole trial, or backward or forward from the current
frame. Use Whole if you are confident that the trial data contains very few
mislabels or swaps. Use Backward or Forward to label the trial data backwards
or forwards from the current frame, without affecting other frames.

 Tip
When you are manually labeling a subject, to help you place the
selected label onto the correct 3D reconstruction, in the 3D
Perspective view pane the pointer changes to include a tooltip that
identifies the label. You can also use the Subject Viewer to help you
identify the markers (see Subject Viewer, page 297).

• Auto advance selection When selected, Nexus automatically advances to the

next marker in the Manual Labeling list. Default: Selected

• Find Next Unlabeled Trajectory When you click this button, Nexus advances
to the next frame that contains an unlabeled marker trajectory.

• Swap Marker Labels To correct swapped marker labels, select the relevant
two marker trajectories and then click this button.

• Gap Filling Enables you to identify and fill gaps in reconstructed marker
trajectories. See also the FAQ What gap-filling algorithms are used in Nexus
2? on the Vicon website29.

29 [Link]

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Pipeline tools
The Pipeline Tools pane enables you to create and manage a customized
sequence of operations to automate the processing of a trial.

Pipeline processing is optional, but is useful for automating the data processing
operations that you use frequently or on a large number of trials.

The Pipeline Tools pane contains the following sections:

• Available Operations section

The Available Operations section enables you to select the type of pipeline
you want to create and the operations to run. Operations are grouped under
the following types:
• File Import operations, page 324 For automating the import of trial files into
Vicon Nexus from third-party software packages.

• Core Processing operations, page 325 For automating reconstruction,

labeling, and kinematic fitting to produce 3D trajectories from raw marker
data.

• Subject Calibration operations, page 326 For automating the processing of

system and subject calibration.

• Events & Timebar operations, page 328 For automating operations involving
events and/or normally performed using the time bar.

• Fill Gap & Filter Data operations, page 330 For automating the post-
processing of data, such as gap-filling.

• Data Processing operations, page 335 For automating the production of

model outputs (forces and moments, joint angles, etc).

• File Export operations, page 338 For automating the export of trial files from
Nexus to third-party software packages.

• System operations, page 340 For automating offline camera calibration and
applying a codec to video.
• Legacy operations, page 341 For automating the processing of legacy trial
data.

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• Current Pipeline section

At the top of the Current Pipeline section, the configuration management
controls enable you to create or manage configurations for the settings
specified in the Pipeline Tools pane.

The middle of the Current Pipeline section enables you to manage the
pipeline operations and view their status with the playback controls and
progress bar.

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In the list at the bottom of the Current Pipeline section, you can view the
operations included in the currently loaded pipeline.

For information on using pipelines, see Work with pipelines in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide.

 Tip
Pipeline operations are run in the order they appear in this list. You
can drag operations into the desired position in the list. Alternatively,
you can run an individual operation by right-clicking on it and clicking
Run selected Op.

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• Properties pane
You can view or change settings for the selected pipeline operation in the
Properties pane at the bottom of the Pipeline Tools pane.

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Pipeline operations
Pipeline operations are found in the Pipeline Tools pane, in the Available
Operations section.

• File Import operations, page 324

• Core Processing operations, page 325

• Subject Calibration operations, page 326

• Events & Timebar operations, page 328

• Fill Gap & Filter Data operations, page 330

• Data Processing operations, page 335

• File Export operations, page 338

• System operations, page 340

• Legacy operations, page 341

File Import operations

Use File Import operations to automate the import of trial files to Vicon Nexus
from third-party software packages.

Operation Description

Import AVI Import a video .avi file to be saved and associated with the current
trial.

Import MP Import subject parameters specified in a .mp file into the active
subject.

Import VSK Import a labeling skeleton (.vsk) file.

Import XCP Import a calibration file (.xcp) into the current trial to replace the
current calibration.

Add Theia Normally run after running Theia processing on Nexus video trials,
Data either by using the Theia pipeline operation, page 337 or the Theia
Batch Interface. Combines rotation data from Theia with a Nexus
trial. See also Run Theia processing on video files in the Vicon Nexus
User Guide.

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Core Processing operations

Use Core Processing operations to automate the processing of offline
reconstruction, labeling, and kinematic fitting to produce 3D trajectories from
raw marker data.

Operation Description

Combined Performs one or more of: reconstruction, labeling, and subject

Processing motions. Running this operation is faster than running each process
individually.

Reconstruct 3D trajectories are reconstructed from the raw 2D marker data.

Label Controls how 3D trajectories are labeled with subject data

Kinematic Fit Controls how the labeling skeleton contained in the .vsk is kinematic-
fitted to the marker data. In addition to specifying the frames on
which to operate, you can adjust settings for:
• Prior importance: Weighting given to the uncalibrated values
from the VST. Range is 0-100, default is 25.
• Mean pose ratio: Ratio of tracking pose as prior (where 0 =
mean pose only; 1 (default) = external (or tracking) prior only.)

Tip
The equivalent settings for Live processing can be found in the Local
Vicon System properties, page 197, found in the System Resources
pane.

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Subject Calibration operations

Use Subject Calibration operations to automate the processing of labeling
skeleton calibration.

Operation Description

Set Autolabel Pose Sets the pose for Autolabel Static to be the pose at the selected
frame.

Autolabel Static Run on a reconstructed static trial to automatically label the

labeling skeleton in a single frame, using information from
the .vst file. It matches the shape of the reconstruction to the
shape of the subject template for that pose.
The labels are applied to the whole trajectory, not just the
chosen frame. It works best when all the markers have been
reconstructed and there are no additional markers or clutter in
the scene.
This operation does not require a .vsk file.

Scale Subject VSK Scales the labeling skeleton to be the same size as a labeled set
of reconstructions on a particular frame. The scale factor is
calculated assuming that the subject is in the same pose as was
used for Autolabel Static (see above).
(Note that this scaling respects any constraints that you may
have specified in the template. For example if your template
specifies (ie a StaticParameter) that a segment is 100mm long,
the segment will not be scaled. Only parameters are considered
for scaling.)

Functional Calibrate the subject's bone lengths, joint locations, and marker
Skeleton locations from a whole trial. Use to calibrate a whole ROM trial.
Calibration

Functional Calibrate the subject's marker locations from a whole trial. This
Skeleton is useful, for example if a marker becomes detached from the
Calibration - subject and you need to re-run the calibration with the replaced
Markers-only marker.

Static Skeleton Calibrate the subject's bone lengths, joint locations, and marker
Calibration locations from a single frame. Use to calibration a static
calibration, as in versions of Vicon Nexus earlier than 2.0.

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Operation Description

Static Skeleton Uses a single frame to update the marker locations for the
Calibration - labeling skeleton. This operation both fits the subject pose (that
Markers-only is, the pose that was defined when the labeling skeleton was
created) to the labeled reconstructions and calibrates the
marker locations.
Fitting the subject pose allows for the likely situation of your
subject standing close to the template pose. Again, this
operation respects any constraints specified in the labeling
skeleton template and changes only parameters.
This operation is useful, for example if a marker becomes
detached from the subject and you need to re-run the
calibration with the replaced marker.

Update Skeleton Initial label booting can be improved by providing more

Parameters representative data from a movement or ROM trial. This
operation enables you to do this by updating the default values
of a selected skeleton with movement or ROM trial data
contained in the current calibrated labeling skeleton (VSK). The
options for this operation are:
• Update Marker Covariances Marker covariance is used by
the labeler to account for skin motion, so the default for this
option is Selected.
• Update Parameters If you have calibrated a skeleton from
the Labeling Template Builder, select this check box.
• Update Joint Mean & Covariance Joint covariance is used
in booting the labeling. If you have a very flexible subject, a
larger covariance will help, so select this check box.
• Update Joint Ranges Joint ranges can be enforced to
detect infeasible joint angles. If you have a very flexible
subject, larger joint ranges are needed, so select this check
box.

Calculate Skeleton Measure the subject's labeling statistics from a whole trial.
Joint & Marker
Statistics

Calibrate OCST Finds the Optimum Common Shape

Calibrate SCoRE/ Calibrate joint positions using the Symmetrical Center of

SARA Rotation Estimation and Symmetrical Axis of Rotation Analysis.

See also Labeling skeleton calibration in detail, page 24.

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Events & Timebar operations

Use Events & Timebar operations to automate processes relating to events and
the timebar.

Operation Description

Auto Crop Trial For trials where the subject starts outside the volume, moves
into the volume and then exits, Nexus can automatically
determine the first and last frame where the subject is fully in the
volume.
• First Frame and Last Frame Set these options to the frames
during which the subject enters and leaves the volume.
• Start % and End % Set these options to the required
minimum percentage of markers (ie, the percentage
expected from the total number of markers in your subject's
labeling skeleton) that must be labeled in each case.
• Frames Required If necessary, adjust this option to set a
minimum number of frames where the Start % criterion must
be met. This is helpful if early single frames of data meet the
percentage, but the point at which the trial is intended to
start (ie, the point at which the percentage is maintained
over a number of frames) is later in the trial.

Autocorrelate Based on user-defined parameters, this operation detects the

Events pattern of the tracked marker at the set events and defines
these events for the rest of the trial. The available parameters
are: marker being tracked; the X, Y, or Z component of the
marker; and the position, velocity, or acceleration of the marker.
An Advanced property (Correlation Method) enables you to
choose the correlation method to automatically place events at
the correct location in the time bar, from the choice of Legacy,
Least Squares or Pearson Coefficient (see Correlation Method
parameters, page 329). Autocorrelate Events is normally used
after the Detect Events from Forceplate operation.

Detect Events from Automatically detects gait cycle events and adds them to the
ForcePlate time bar throughout the trial using vertical GRFs measured by a
force plate connected to the Vicon system. Includes the option
to set the force threshold and the label of the markers attached
to the front and back of the foot for both sides.

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Operation Description

Delete Timebar Delete events from the specified range for the subject(s).
Events Advanced options lets you choose:
• Range to Delete Whether to delete events that are inside or
outside the specified range of frames.
• Context Whether to delete events from All, Left, Right or
General contexts.

To delete custom events:

1. Click the downward arrow next to the Context field
and clear the Macro check box.

2. In the Context field, enter the name of the custom

event.

3. Run the pipeline.

Correlation Method parameters

• Legacy (reproduces the behavior from Nexus 2.5 and earlier)
Maximizes the value of:

• Least Squares (default)

Minimizes the value of:

• Pearson Coefficient
Maximizes the value of:

Where indicates the mean of x over the sample range

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Fill Gap & Filter Data operations

Use Fill Gap & Filter Data operations to automate gap-filling and other post-
processing.

Operation Description

Fill Gaps - Cyclic For trials that contain captured data that is cyclic in nature (for
example, when a motion on a treadmill or other repetitive
motion is captured), fills gaps using patterns from earlier or later
gait cycles. You can specify the Gap Length, Units, First and Last
Frame, and select the trajectories to fill.

Fill Gaps - Fills all gaps in trajectories that pass through a selected
Kinematic segment, based on calculated kinematics. To run this operation,
you must have already obtained the kinematic data on which to
base gap-filling, for example, by running the Nexus Legacy Fit
Motion pipeline.

Fill Gaps - Pattern Fills the selected gap using the shape of another trajectory
without a gap. Use this tool only if there is a suitable marker with
a trajectory similar to the one whose gap you wish to fill.

Fill Gaps - Rigid Fills gaps in a trajectory based on other trajectories in a rigid
Body body. This option is the Nexus equivalent of the Replace 4
option, which is available in BodyBuilder. Use this option when a
rigid or semi-rigid relationship exists between markers.

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Operation Description

Fill Gaps - Woltring Run on labeled dynamic trials to fill in gaps using Woltring
quintic spline interpolation. Includes the option to choose
maximum gap frame length to fill.
You can configure the following settings in the Properties
section:
• Max Gap Length The maximum length of any gap in a
marker trajectory that will be filled with this operation.
Default: 5
• First Frame The first of the range of frames in the region of
interest of the trial that you wish to analyze. For example, if
the capture includes the subject entering the capture
volume, you are strongly advised to set the range of frames
to exclude this portion of the capture. That will simplify the
job of cleaning up your data. You can specify the following
settings:
• First Frame: The first frame of the trial.
• Selected Start: The frame indicated by the Start Range
Frame indicator on the time bar ruler.
• Current Frame: The frame indicated by the Current Time
indicator on the time bar ruler.
• First Full Frame: First full frame of range to process
Default: Selected Start
• Last Frame The last of the range of frames in the region of
interest of the trial that you wish to analyze. For example, if
the capture includes the subject leaving the capture volume,
you are strongly advised to set the range of frames to
exclude this portion of the capture. That will simplify the job
of cleaning up your data. You can specify the following
settings:
• End Frame: The last frame of the trial.
• Selected End: The frame indicated by the End Range Frame
indicator on the time bar ruler.
• Current Frame: The frame indicated by the Current Time
indicator on the time bar ruler.
• Last Full Frame: Last full frame of range
Default: Selected End

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Operation Description

Filter Analog Data Filter analog device data using a low-pass digital Butterworth
- Butterworth filter. The filter is by default setup as recommended in Winter,
D.A. Biomechanics of Motor Control and Human Movement to
filter out signal noise above 300 Hz using a fourth order filter
with zero lag (see descriptions below for an explanation of these
parameters).
Note: For force plates, only the calculated Force and Moment
signals can be filtered. Raw and Center of Pressure signals
cannot be filtered.
You can configure the following settings in the Properties
section:
• Cut-Off Frequency The filter cut-off frequency, separating
the low-frequency signal from high frequency noise. Data at
frequencies above the cut-off frequency are attenuated
increasingly as the frequency increases. The attenuation
exactly at the cut-off frequency is designed to be "half
power," or -3 dB. Note Cut-off frequencies greater than half
of the analog device sampling frequency (often called the
Nyquist frequency) cannot be used and will result in an error
message and no filtering of the data.
• Filter Order The Second Order filter performs a single pass
of the filter in the forwards (increasing time) direction,
resulting in a "lag," or "phase shift" in the analog data. The
Fourth Order filter performs two passes of the filter, in first
the forward, then the reverse direction, resulting in any lag
being cancelled out (hence "zero lag"). The parameters of
the Fourth Order filter are adjusted, such that the
attenuation exactly at the cut-off frequency is maintained at
"half power," or -3 dB.
• Filter Type Can be Low Pass (the default) or High Pass.
Select High Pass to filter low-frequency noise from your
data.
• Devices A comma separated list of Devices, Outputs and
Components can be typed, or the Macros All or Selected
can be used. All will always filter the data from every device
currently connected and Selected will filter the data from
the devices, device outputs, and output components with
names matching those currently selected in the System
resource pane and in the 3D Perspective view.

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Operation Description

Filter Model Filter subject model outputs using a low-pass digital Butterworth
Outputs - filter. The filter is by default setup as recommended in Winter,
Butterworth D.A. Biomechanics of Motor Control and Human Movement to
filter out signal noise above 6 Hz using a Fourth Order filter with
zero lag.
You can configure the following settings in the Properties
section:
• Cut-Off Frequency Same as Analog Data above.
• Filter Order Same as Analog Data above.
• Model Outputs A comma separated list of Model Outputs
can be typed, or the Macros All or Selected can be used. All
will always filter all Model Outputs calculated for a subject
and Selected will filter Model Outputs with names matching
those currently selected on the Subjects tab of the
Resources pane and in the 3D Perspective view. You can use
the * wildcard for all model outputs.

Filter Trajectories - Filter trajectories using a low-pass digital Butterworth filter. The
Butterworth filter is by default set up as recommended in Winter, D.A.
Biomechanics of Motor Control and Human Movement to filter
out signal noise above 6 Hz using a Fourth Order filter with zero
lag.
You can configure the following settings in the Properties
section:
• Cut-Off Frequency Same as Analog Data above.
• Filter Order Same as Analog Data above.
• Trajectories A comma separated list of trajectories can be
typed, or the Macros All, All Labeled, or Selected can be
used. All will always filter every trajectory, including
unlabeled ones, All Selected will filter every currently
labeled trajectory, and Selected will filter trajectories with
names matching those labeled trajectories currently
selected on the Subjects tab of the Resources pane and in
the 3D Perspective view.

Filter Trajectories - Vicon Gait Model event VCM Spline Filter

VCM Spline

Filter Trajectories - Filters the data using the Woltring filter to ensure smooth
Woltring trajectories for calculating kinetics.

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Operation Description

Residual Analysis - Enables you to run a residual analysis to determine the optimum
Butterworth cut-off frequencies to apply for a low-pass filter for your devices.
Results are displayed in the Log and saved in the trial History.

Important: This feature is for low pass filtering analysis only, eg,
for force plates and plantar pressure plates, and not for high-
pass filter devices like EMG.

In the (Advanced) Properties section, in addition to the usual

First Frame, Last Frame options (see above), you can configure
these settings:
• Filter Order See Filter Analog Data - Butterworth, above.
• Devices Select whether to apply the value to All or Selected
devices.
• Steps Specify the number of frequencies to evaluate.
Default =50, minimum = 5 and maximum = 200.
• Rho Squared Specify the minimum rho-squared value to
accept. This is used to determine the linear region of the
residual-frequency curve via a simple linear regression.
Default = 0.95, minimum = 0 and maximum = 1.

After running the pipeline, the results of the analysis for each
channel are displayed in the Log, enabling you to decide which
channel output to use to apply as the cut-off frequency for the
Filter Analog Data - Butterworth pipeline operation.
The filter cut-off is dependent on the type of device to which it is
applied, eg, how noisy a force plate is: this may differ for analog
vs. digital devices.
You can use the Residual Analysis as part of a batch process.
Results of the Residual Analysis are saved in the trial History.

Delete Optional Run on a any trial to delete a specified group of subject markers
Subject Marker from the marker list that will not be used during the dynamic
captures.

Delete Unlabeled Run on a fully labeled trial to delete any remaining unlabeled
Trajectories trajectories. Includes the option to choose maximum length of
unlabeled trajectory to delete.

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Data Processing operations

Use Processing operations to automate real-time and offline motion capture
data processing.

Operation Description

Process Static Runs the static Plug-In Gait model on the active subject of the
Plug-in Gait Model current trial.
For more information, see Modeling with Plug-in Gait in the
Vicon Nexus User Guide and the Plug-in Gait Reference Guide .

Run Static Oxford Runs the static Oxford Foot Model pipeline operation (installed
Foot Model as part of Nexus) that was previously available as a separate
legacy VPI.

Run Static Runs the static BodyLanguage model

BodyLanguage
Model

Process Dynamic Runs the dynamic Plug-In Gait model on the active subject of
Plug-in Gait Model the current trial.
For more information, see Modeling with Plug-in Gait in the
Vicon Nexus User Guide and the Plug-in Gait Reference Guide .

Run Dynamic Runs the dynamic Oxford Foot Model pipeline operation
Oxford Foot Model (installed as part of Nexus) that was previously available as a
separate legacy VPI.

Run Dynamic Runs the dynamic BodyLanguage model

BodyLanguage
Model

Process OCST Finds the coordinate system trace using the Optimum Common
Shape Technique.
For more information, see Biomechanics workflow, page 96.

Process SCoRE / Generates joint position model outputs using Symmetrical

SARA Center of Rotation Estimation and Symmetrical Axis of Rotation
Analysis.
For more information, see Biomechanics workflow, page 96.

Calculate Gait Calculate Vicon Gait Model temporal parameters and enables
Cycle Parameters calculation of step width and limp index. Includes the option to
set the output units.
For more information, see Calculate step width and limp index
in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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Operation Description

Calculate Gait Generates a GDI (Gait Deviation Index) score for the subject of
Deviation Index the current trial. 1
When you run this operation on a trial, two GDI values (left and
right), are output to the log and saved as subject parameters.

To output these values when you run the Export ASCII pipeline
operation, select the Export Gait Cycle Parameters option.

Run MatLab Execute MATLAB script.

Operation For information on using MATLAB with Nexus, see Modeling
with MATLAB, page 62.

Run ProCalc Run ProCalc scripts/models directly from Nexus.

Operation For information on Procalc, see the Vicon Procalc
documentation.

Run Python Execute Python script.

Operation For information on using Python with Nexus, see Modeling with
Python, page 73.

Run Theia ProCalc Generate ProCalc joint angles from Nexus trial data that
Scheme contains Theia rotations. Run this operation on the data after
you have run the Add Theia Data, page 324 pipeline operation.
See also Run Theia processing on video files in the Vicon Nexus
User Guide.

Delete Model Enables you to delete from the current trial the selected model
Outputs output(s), all model outputs, or to specify a comma-separated
list of model output names.
Tip: You can also access the same options by right-clicking the
relevant node in the Subjects Resources tree.

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Operation Description

Add Trial to Quick Adds the current C3D to the Quick Reports window.
Report For more information, see Quick Reports, page 356.

Theia Runs Theia processing on one or more Nexus video trials.

Normally run before the Add Theia Data , page 324 operation.
See also Run Theia processing on video files in the Vicon Nexus
User Guide.

CGM2 - Calibration Run on static trials.

For more information, see Run the static CGM2 model, page 88.

CGM2 - Functional Provides knee calibration with two options: 2DoF Calibration or
Calibration SARA. Run between the static/calibration trials (see CGM2 -
Calibration, above) and the dynamic/fitting trials (see CGM2 -
Fitting, below).
For more information, see Run the knee calibration (CGM 2.6),
page 90.

CGM2 - Fitting Run on dynamic trials.

For more information, see Run the dynamic CGM2 model, page
91.

1. For supporting information on the scientific basis and validation of Vicon's

implementation of the calculation of the GDI score, see:
Schwartz, M. H., and Rozumalski, A., The gait deviation index: A new
comprehensive index of gait pathology, Gait & Posture 28 (2008), p351–357.

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File Export operations

Use File Export operations to export of data from Vicon Nexus for use with third-
party software packages.

Operation Description

Export 3D Export a copy of the reference video .avi file(s) with the 3D
Overlay Video Perspective data overlaid onto the video image. You can choose
which 3D view option to display and select the codec used to
compress the new .avi file.
You can configure the following settings in the Properties section:
• View Options Set The .options configuration files that have been
saved in the Options dialog box (F7). You can select settings for
the 3D data to be exported with the .avi file. Select a
configuration file from the drop-down list. If you do not specify a
file, the current view options are used.
Default: blank
• Video Codec The video compression method to use when
exporting the .avi file. Select a codec appropriate for the digital
camera used to capture the .avi file.
Default: (None)
• First Frame and Last Frame Enables you to specify the range of
frames to export.

Tip: If you want to export labeled subjects in the Nexus 3D

workspace, use instead the Export Workspace to AVI button
(available on the View pane toolbar) . For more information, see
Export 3D Workspace as AVI in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Export ASCII Export delimited ASCII format to a .csv or .txt file, or another format
that you specify by clearing the Macro check box (click the
downward arrow at the right of the extension list) and entering the
required extension. You can select commas, tabs, or line feeds as the
delimiter.

Export C3D Export the current state of the processed data to a .c3d file. You can
then import the data into other software for further processing or
report generation. For example, in Vicon Polygon you can visualize
the trajectories, kinematic model elements, and kinetics data.
If you manually import the corresponding .vst file into Polygon, it
also visualizes the bones.

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Operation Description

Export MKR Export an .mkr file. You can choose whether the exported file name
is based on the active subject name(s) or active labeling skeleton
template name(s). If you choose Active Labeling Skeleton Names,
the name of any labeling skeleton template attached to the subject
(for example, PlugInGait FullBody Ai) is used as the name of the MKR
file. If more than one subject is present with the same model
attached, a log message indicates that only one MKR file will be
exported.

Export MOT Export files in .mot format for use in OpenSim.

Export MOX Export Nexus data files in .mox format for MoXie
([Link]

Export MP Export the current subject parameters to an .mp file (subject

parameter file compatible with legacy software).

Export TRC Export a .trc file.

Export VSK Export a labeling skeleton (.vsk) file

Export XCP Export the current calibration file to an .xcp file in a specified
location.

Save Trial - Save the files associated with the currently open trial.
C3D + VSK

For more information on how to use the export operations, see Export trial data
in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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System operations
Use System operations to automate oflline camera calibration and applying
codecs to video files.

Operation Description

Process Run on a captured trial of a calibration wand wave to calibrate a

Offline system (instead of calibrating the system live).
Camera
Calibration

Transcode Automates transcoding the raw video files associated with the
Video for Trial current trial. Enables you to choose the required codec.

Apply Codec Applies a codec to all AVIs associated with the current trial. You can
to Video select which codec to use, whether to keep the original movie file,
and whether to remove interlacing.
Important: Reverting to the backup file to re-do the de-interlacing is
not supported in Nexus. For more information, see De-interlace AVI
files in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

Reset force Resets the force plate offsets. Enables you to specify the range of
plate offsets frames on which to operate, the affected device(s), and the range of
frames to use for zeroing the force plate.

Set Delay Sets the delay compensation for selected devices. After the pipeline
Compensation has been run, the Delay Compensation value is saved and is
displayed on the History tab.

Set Camera Sets the camera calibration origin using a calibration object.
Calibration
Origin

Run Monitor Enables you to run a monitor as part of a pipeline. To do this:

1. Create the monitor you want to use (see Create a monitor,
page 40 in the Vicon Nexus Reference Guide).

2. Ensure Nexus is in Offline mode.

3. Add Run Monitor to your pipeline and in its Properties,

select the required monitor from the Monitor
Configuration list.

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Legacy operations
Use Legacy operations to automate the processing of legacy trial data:

Operation Description

Nexus Legacy Run on fully reconstructed trials to label the subject as a whole
Labeler instead of frame-by-frame as in the Core Processor. This operation
requires a .vsk file.

Nexus Legacy Run on fully labeled trials to Kinematic Fit the trial as a whole instead
Fit Motion of frame-by-frame as in the Core Processor.

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Communications pane
The Communications pane enables you to view and manage the state of your
Vicon system, and streamline your motion capture workflow.

The tabs at the bottom of the Communications pane enable you to switch
between the available monitoring tools.

Tip
To avoid the pane taking up too much onscreen space, you can choose
to hide the Communications pane when you load a trial. To do this, on
the Window menu, select the Close Communications Pane on Trial
Load option. Alternatively, to temporarily hide/reveal the
Communications pane, so that the tabs are minimized to the bottom of
the screen without completely closing, double-click any of its tabs.

For information, see:

• Data Management tab, page 343

• Quality tab, page 344

• History tab, page 345

• Monitors tab, page 345

• IMeasureU tab, page 347

• Theia tab, page 349

• MATLAB tab, page 350

• Status tab, page 351

• Log tab, page 352

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Data Management tab

The Data Management tab contains the following controls:

• Database location You can view the full path of the active node in the trial
database at the top of the Data Management tab. To access the files in
Windows Explorer, click the hyperlink.

• Navigation buttons You open the Manage Databases dialog box,

go forward a node, go back a node and move up a level using the navigation
buttons at the top left of the Data Management tab.

• Search button Displays or hides the Search window. For more

information, see Advanced data searching, page 18.

• Show Trial Loading Options button Displays or hides the Raw Data
Loading Options area, in which you can specify your requirements for loading
large trials.
For more information, see Load large trials, page 20.

• Show File Transfer/Batch Processing Interface button Displays or hides

the Remote File Transfer/Batch Processing pane on the right side of the Data
Management tab.
For more information, see Work with digital video files in the Vicon Nexus
User Guide and Batch process trials, page 21.

• Data Management toolbar You create and manage nodes in the database
hierarchy using the buttons in the toolbar at the top right of the Data
Management tab. From left to right, the buttons are:

• New Patient Classification button

• New Patient button

• New Session

• New Polygon Report

• Database hierarchy nodes You view a visual representation of the structure
and contents of a trial database, and select individual data types for loading in
Nexus, in the nodes on the Data Management tab.

• Data type icons   You can view and select individual motion
capture files using the icons that represent the data saved for the trial.

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• Data fields You can view or enter descriptive text or numerical data associated
with a specific node in the trial database in the fields in the columns to the
right of a node name.

For information on using Data Management in Vicon Nexus, see Data

management with Nexus, page 7.

Quality tab
The data Quality pane, a tab in the Communications window, provides an
overview of data quality for a subject across a whole trial and enables you to
examine the health of individual trajectories. It also provides a way to navigate to
the highlighted issues.

The display options in the Options column enable you to configure the display
options for this tab. Alternatively, you can open the Options dialog box (F7), click
Data Quality Panel Options on the left, and change the properties as required.

The Trajectory Sort Value list contains the following options:

• Percentage Labeled Orders blobs with the highest labeling percentage first
(from top left).

• Max Gap Orders blobs with the trajectories containing the longest gaps first
(see the Max Gap Length column of the Gap Filling section in the Label/Edit
Tools).

• Model Order Displays blobs in the same order as the markers are listed under
the Markers node in the Subjects Resources tree.

• Number Of Gaps Orders blobs with the trajectories with the highest number
of gaps first (see the #Gaps column of the Gap Filling section in the Label/Edit
Tools).

• Trajectory Length Orders blobs with the longest trajectories first.

You can also select other options in the Options column to tailor the display to
your requirements.

To save any changes to these settings, click the Save current configuration
button in the Options dialog box.

For information on using the Quality tab, see Assess trial health with the data
Quality pane in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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History tab
The History tab in the Communications pane enables you to review all
processing that has been performed on a loaded trial file.

This ensures that, even if you have not worked with the data before, you can
continue to work on the trial without missing or duplicating processing steps
performed by another Nexus user.

To display information about a particular event, click on the event on the History
tab. Details about the settings used to run the event are displayed in the
Property and Value columns on the right.

In the Notes field, you can add notes that will be useful to you or anyone else
working with the same trial. Your notes are saved with the trial.

 Note
A processing history is available only for files processed in Nexus 2.3
and above.

Monitors tab
The Monitors tab enables you to configure monitors that you create in the Graph
view pane to detect motion capture events.

For information on creating and using monitors and detailed descriptions of the
options, see Using monitors, page 39.

The Monitors tab contains the following areas:

Monitors configuration management area

You manage monitor configurations in the Monitors tab using the configuration
management section at the top of the pane.

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Monitors area
The Monitors area enables you to define the monitor behavior. It contains the
following components:

Component Description

Monitors list Lists the currently defined monitors. Select the check box next to a
monitor name to enable the monitor, or clear the check box to
deactivate the monitor. Select a monitor in the list to view or
configure its properties.

AND button When multiple monitors are selected from the list, this button adds a
Boolean AND monitor that triggers an action when all of the monitor
trigger conditions are present.

OR button When multiple monitors are selected from the list, this button adds a
Boolean OR monitor that triggers an action when at least one of the
monitor conditions is present.

Remove Removes the selected monitor from the list.

button

Clear button Removes all monitors from the list.

Actions area
The Actions section of the Monitors tab enables you to view or modify monitor
action settings. It contains the following components:

Component Description

Actions list Actions that you add will execute when the monitor threshold and
trigger conditions are met.

Add button Click to add the selected action to the Actions list. Select from:
Capture, External trigger, Timebar Event, Progress Bar, Range
Overlay, Sound Tone, Toggle Monitor and Play Sound File.

Remove Click to remove the selected action from the Actions list.
button

Clear button Clears all actions from the Actions list.

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IMeasureU tab
The IMeasureU tab enables you to work with data recorded from Vicon IMUs
(Inertial Measurement Units).

After you have finished capturing data and have plugged the IMUs into the PC,
you use the IMeasureU tab to work with and transfer the data from the IMUs to
the Nexus Session folder.

For information on working with IMUs and Nexus, see Work with Vicon IMUs in
the Vicon Nexus User Guide .

The IMeasure U tab contains the following areas:

• Transfer pane, page 347

• Alignment pane, page 348

Transfer pane
The Transfer pane of the IMeasureU tab lets you transfer data captured with
Vicon IMUs to the current Session folder in Nexus. It contains these components:

Component Description

Transfer list: The Trial column lists the trials currently stored on
Trial column and connected IMUs.
Progress column The Progress column displays the current transfer
status of each captured trial.

Select All button Selects all the trials for each sensor that is listed in
the Transfer pane.

Select None button De-selects all selected trials that are listed in the
Transfer pane.

Select Transferred button Selects all trials for each sensor that is listed with
Transferred progress status

Select Untransferred button Selects all trials for each sensor that is listed with
Not Transferred progress status

Select Connected button Selects only IMUs that are connected to Nexus

Select Disconnected button Selects only IMUs that are not connected to Nexus

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Component Description

Remove Selected Trials button Removes selected trials from the list. Existing data
for these trials remains on the device but is not
accessible via Nexus.

Clear Selected Devices button Removes selected devices from the list. Existing
data remains on the device but is not accessible
via Nexus.

Erase Selected Devices button Erases all data from the selected devices.
Successfully cleared trials are removed from the
list.

Transfer Files button Transfers selected trials from connected IMUs to

the current Session folder in Nexus.

Cancel Transfer button Cancels the current transfer operation.

Alignment pane
For information on using the controls in the Alignment pane, see Align IMU data
with the Vicon world in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

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Theia tab
The Theia tab enables you to process Nexus video data from within Theia3D,
without having to launch Theia3D and manually process the data.

The Theia Batch Interface on the left enables you to select the required video
files to process and to run Theia processing on all the files in the specified
session folder. The files are processed through Theia3D, resulting in the output
of C3D file(s) that contain rotation data for each subject. You can then run Nexus
pipeline operations to merge the rotations into your Nexus subject and to
calculate the joint angles, all without leaving Nexus.

The Theia tab contains the following areas:

• Theia Batch Interface, page 349

• Theia processing results area, page 350

For more information, see Run Theia processing on video files in the Vicon
Nexus User Guide.

Theia Batch Interface

Component Description

Folder field Enter or browse to the full path of the video trials that you
want to process in Theia. 
Note that when you exit and relaunch Nexus, the path is
remembered. 

Theia executable field Enter or browse to the full path for the [Link] file, for
example, C:\Program Files\Theia\Theia3D.
Note that when you exit and relaunch Nexus, the path is
remembered. 
If Theia closes, Nexus tries to relaunch Theia for a single
retry for a trial. If the trial won't open, it moves on to the
next trial. If you want to stop Theia launching, click Cancel
processing.

Theia preferences field If you want to use the preferences that you use in Theia,
enter the full path to the required Theia prefererences file.
This must be exported from Theia and saved as a PXT file
on the local machine.

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Component Description

Create folder hierarchy If you want a folder hierarchy to be created, using the trial
check box video files, ensure that this check box is selected. Unless
you have a specific reason to save your files elsewhere,
leave this option selected.

Process trials in folder Click to process the files specified in the Folder field.
button

Theia processing results area

In this area on the right of the Theia tab, the results of processing the specified
files are displayed. Details include the time and the current status of the
processed files. When processing is finished, the right side of the Theia tab
displays the text 'Batch Processing: Finished.'

MATLAB tab
Enables you to execute a MATLAB script from within Vicon Nexus. For more
information, see Modeling with MATLAB, page 62.

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Status tab
Enables you to monitor the state of your Vicon system during any stage of the
Nexus motion capture workflow. This is useful for identifying problems and
determining the Nexus system component that needs to be examined.

The Status tab contains the following sections:

• Status Summary
View a visual summary of the status of system components in the Status
Summary section of the Status communications pane:
• Vicon Cameras
View the status of Vicon cameras.

• Video Cameras
View the status of digital video cameras.

• Connectivity
View the status of Vicon connectivity units.

• Capture
View the status of capture sessions in Nexus.

 The background in each summary corresponds to the icon displayed

for the devices in the System Resources pane. The color of a
summary border reflects the status for the set of components:
• Green: All components OK

• Yellow: One or more components are on standby

• Red: One or more components are down

• Status Details
View details of the status of a system component in the Status Details section
of the Status tab. The contents of this section depend on the component you
click on in the Status Summary section.

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Log tab
Enables you to monitor Nexus system activity and troubleshoot any errors. For
example, if a pipeline operation fails (indicated by a red X next to the operation
in the Pipeline Tools pane), you can find information as to why the failure
occurred on the Log tab.

The icon on the Log tab automatically appears to scroll to indicate that
a warning is displayed (for example, a new log entry indicating that an operation
has failed).

You are alerted to important errors by popup notifications that are briefly
displayed at the bottom right of the Nexus window.

If you are using the default sounds supplied with Nexus and have audio enabled,
a relevant sound clip is also played.

To view further details about the error in the Log, click the notification.

The notification disappears after four seconds.

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Menu bar
The Nexus menu bar contains the following controls:

• File menu, page 353

• Edit menu, page 354

• Window menu, page 355

• Help menu, page 371

File menu
The File menu contains the following options:

• Save (shortcut CTRL+S) Saves the current data for subjects enabled in the
Subjects Resources pane to the .c3d file for the current trial.

• Copy As Displays the Choose a c3d file dialog box in which you can enter or
select the name of the file to copy to. Makes a copy of the current
trial .c3d, .vsk, and .mp files. Using this feature, you can archive copies of
a .c3d file to document its processing progression.

 Tip
You are prompted to save the copy in the same location in the Data
Management hierarchy as the original file, and after saving it will be
available in the Data Management pane.

• Import XCP Displays the Choose an XCP file dialog box in which you can
select the desired Vicon camera calibration parameters (.xcp) file to load in
Nexus. Use this command to import .xcp files created in Vicon Nexus.

• Export XCP Displays the Choose an XCP file dialog box in which you can
specify a calibration parameters (.xcp) file into which to export the current
Vicon camera settings. Use this command to export .xcp files created in Vicon
Nexus.

• Exit Closes the Vicon Nexus application window. If you have not saved any
changes made to trial data, Nexus displays a prompt to enable you to save
changes to trial data, subjects, or both, before it closes.

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Edit menu
The Edit menu contains the following options, which take effect only when the
system is in Pause or Offline mode:

• Undo (shortcut CTRL+Z) Undoes the last action. This command is available
only after a relevant action has been performed. The name of the Undo
command changes to reflect the latest action, for example, Undo Import XCP.
You also can hover the mouse pointer over the Undo button to display a
tooltip that identifies the action to be undone. Some actions, such as
reconstructing data, cannot be undone.

• Redo (shortcut CTRL+Y) Reinstates the previously undone action. This

command is available only after an Undo command has been performed. The
name of the Redo command changes to reflect the latest action, for example,
Redo Import XCP. Hover the mouse pointer over the Redo button to display a
tooltip that identifies the action to be redone. Any action that was undone can
be redone.

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Window menu
The Window menu contains the following options:

• Simple Capture Mode (shortcut CTRL+H). Displays a window containing only

the minimum of controls necessary for capture, facilitating the capture of
multiple trials. See Use Simple Capture Mode in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• New floating workspace. Opens a separate floating view pane. See View
pane, page 281.

• Reset to default layout Resets the Nexus panes to their layout when Nexus
was installed.

• Toolbar Opens the Customize Toolbar dialog box, in which you can add,
remove, and customize buttons on the Nexus toolbar. See Customize Toolbar
dialog box, page 374.

• Quick Reports (shortcut F4) Opens a Quick Reports window, in which you can
display multiple graphs of model outputs. See Quick Reports, page 356.

• Sounds (shortcut F6) Opens the Sounds dialog box, in which you can view or
change the sounds that are used to alert you to Nexus events. You can also
turn off the sounds individually or turn off all sounds. See Sounds dialog box,
page 364.

• Options (shortcut F7) Opens the Options dialog box, in which you control how
data is displayed. See Options dialog box, page 366.

• Plug-ins Displays the Plugins dialog box in which you can view and manage
plug-in modules that have been loaded in Vicon Nexus.

• Manage Control Authorizations Opens the Vicon Control dialog box, where
you can authorize or revoke authorizations for instances of Vicon Control that
are connected to the Vicon system. See Vicon Control dialog box, page 368.
• Footstrike Monitor Settings Lets you set options for foot strike monitoring.
See Automatically assess foot strikes in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.
• Close Communications Pane on Trial Load Enables you to show or hide the
Communications pane when you load a trial. If selected, the Communications
pane is minimized at the bottom of the Nexus window the next time you load
a trial. The Communications pane stays hidden until you double-click one of
the tabs at the bottom of the Communications pane. Your choice for this
option is retained when you exit and restart Nexus. It can be set as required
by each Nexus user.

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• Error Message Settings Opens the Error Settings dialog box, where you can
adjust the length of time that popup notifications are displayed and the
maximum number of notifications that are displayed. See Error Settings
dialog box, page 369.

Quick reports
The Nexus Quick Reports window enables you to display multiple graphs of
model outputs normalized over the gait cycle (like a simplified Vicon Polygon
graph view).

To display model outputs in Nexus Quick Reports:

1. On the Window menu, click Quick Reports, or press F4 to open the Nexus
Quick Reports window.

2. In the main Nexus window, ensure that the trial (*.C3D file) that you want add
to Quick Reports is the current trial.

3. From the Pipeline Tools pane, expand Data Processing and double-click Add
Trial to Quick Report to add it to the current pipeline.

4. In the Current Pipeline list, right-click the Add Trial to Quick Report
operation and click Run select Op.

5. For each trial that you want to add, repeat step 2–4.

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 Tip
To add trials to Quick Reports, you can also:
• Drag and drop one or more trials (*.C3D files) from Windows
Explorer into the Quick Reports window; or

• Click the Add To Quick Report button on the Nexus toolbar (adds
the current trial); or

• On the Data Management tab, mark the required files and in the
Quick Reports window, click Import Marked.

6. In the Nexus Quick Reports window, the added trials are displayed in the
Trials list, by default on the right of the window.

7. From the Display Mode list, select the required option.

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• Single Displays either one context (Left or Right) or both (Left and Right) for
a specific cycle, for example: Left = Cycle 1, right = Cycle 1. This option
displays data as a normalized gait cycle 0-100.

• Overlaid Displays either one context (Left or Right) or both (Left and Right)
for all cycles. This option displays data as a normalized gait cycle 0-100.

• All Displays either one context (Left or Right) or both (Left and Right) for all
cycles. This option displays data as frames and is not normalized, in a
similar way to the previous All cycles feature in Quick Reports.

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8. Ensure the required cycle is selected in the Left and Right columns.

 Tip
To change the options for all the trials, in the Trials section, click the
appropriate option at the top of the columns.

9. To display model outputs in the graphs, in the Model Outputs list, expand
the relevant node and then select the required check box(es).

The selected outputs are displayed as graphs in the Nexus Quick Reports
window.

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To display only the required components, in the Model Outputs tree, clear
the check boxes for the unwanted components.
For example, if you are interested in AnkleMoment X only, you can select this
only.

 Tip
By default a red line represents data from the left side and a green
line represents data from the right. The trial currently selected in the
Report Options list is represented by a heavier line on the graphs. To
change green and red to solid and dashed lines, in the Options
dialog box (press F7), on the left, click Quick Reports and then clear
Use Context Colors. To change the colors displayed for each trace
on the graph, click the color(s) that you want to change.

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10. Expand the Gait Cycle Analysis section at the bottom left of the window and
ensure the Distance Markers and Units are as required.

 Tip
If the nodes are not expanded, the Parameter column displays
average values (in bold) across all selected trials. To view the average
value for each trial, ensure the relevant parameter nodes are
expanded.

11. To export a PDF of the data in the Nexus Quick Reports window:
a. Expand the Export Options section and clear or select as required.

b. From the Title Alignment list, select the required option.

c. Click Export and in the Export to PDF dialog box, enter or browse to the
required location.

d. Click Save.

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12. To save your work, click the Save button at the bottom of the Report Options
pane and select the appropriate option:
• *. qrd (Quick Reports Document): Saves the current Quick Report. Select
this option if you have to suspend work on the report and want to carry on
where you left off later.

• *. qrt (Quick Reports Template): Saves the layout of the Nexus Quick
Reports window (ie the options currently selected in the Quick Reports
window). Select this option if you want to produce reports of the same type
of information for later trials. Quick Reports templates that are saved to the
default location:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\Nexus2.x\Configurations\QuickReports
are listed when you click the Apply Report Template button .

About the Nexus Quick Reports window

The Nexus Quick Reports window comprises two sections:

• Controls are contained in a dockable Report Options pane, which by default

is displayed to the right of the window. Expand the Trials, Model Outputs and
Export Options sections by clicking the downward arrow to the right of each
section divider. To move the controls pane, drag the Report Options title. The
pane can be floated or docked to the left or right.

• Graphs of the data selected in the Report Options pane are shown in the
main workspace. The current subject’s name and model template are shown
as a title at the top.

To the bottom left of the main workspace, Gait Cycle Analysis parameters for the
loaded trials are displayed.

In the large text box on the right, you can enter a description or notes, etc, which
can be formatted using the buttons on the toolbar above the text box.

To close the Nexus Quick Reports window, press F4.

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Report Options controls

In the Report Options pane, the following controls are available:

Control Description

Subject field Enables you to select the subject whose data you want to view.

Trials list Lists the trials that you have added to the report. In this list, you can
select or clear the relevant check boxes to display the required
trial(s). To show/hide all trials, expand the Trials section and select or
clear the check box at the top. The outputs for selected trials are
displayed in each graph.
The Cycle dropdown lists at the top and in the Left and Right
columns of the Trials list enable you to select which gait cycles to
show for the left and right contexts for each trial.
To select trials, click (or Shift+click/Ctrl+click) in the Trial column of
the required row(s) in the list. The selected row(s) in the list are
highlighted with a blue background and by thicker lines in the graph.
To remove selected trials from the report or to mark selected trials in
Data Management (eg, for use in Vicon Polygon), click Remove
Selected or Mark Selected at the bottom of the list.

Model Displays available model outputs from the trials that have been
Outputs list added to the report.

Export button Opens the Export to PDF dialog box, which enables you to save the
contents of the current Nexus Quick Reports window to a *.PDF file,
with a name and location that you specify.

Save button Enables you to save the current Quick Report either as a document
(*.qrd) or a template (*.qrt).

Open button Enables you to enter or browse to a Quick Report document (*.qrd)
or a template (*.qrt).

Apply Report Enables you to apply a report template that was saved to the default
Template location (C:
button \Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\Nexus2.x\Configurations\QuickRep
orts).

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Sounds dialog box

Nexus can play sounds through your PC's speakers to alert you when a Nexus
event has taken place (for example, operation completion, system status, and
issues). This keeps you informed of system status while you're still in the volume,
so that you don't have to spend time returning to the PC to look at the screen.

You can access this dialog box from the Window menu or by pressing F6.

By default, Nexus uses speech sounds to alert you to the following events:

• Calibration start

• Wand Wave complete

• Calibration complete

• Calibration failed

• Origin set

• Capture started

• Capture ended

• Capture failed

• Camera bumped

• Pipeline ended

• Pipeline failed

Nexus is supplied with a set of default sound files (.wavs). You can modify the
sounds that are used for each event and you can turn off sounds individually or
turn off all sounds.

To turn off all sounds, in the Sounds section, clear the Enabled check box.

To turn off one or more sounds, click the relevant drop-down arrow and select
(None) from the list.

To choose one of the other sounds supplied with Nexus, click the drop-down
arrow and select the required sound from the list.

To substitute your own sounds for those supplied with Nexus, click the relevant
ellipsis (...) and enter or browse to the location of the required .wav files. 

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Use the configuration management area at the top of the Sounds dialog box to
name, to save, delete and if necessary protect the sounds that you have
allocated to Nexus events. After you have saved sounds configuration files, you
can select them from the menu at the top of the dialog box and can use the
Configuration menu to manage them.

The sounds configuration file (*.AudioScheme) is saved into an AudioSchemes

folder, in the same location as other Nexus configuration files (see Managing
configurations in Vicon Nexus in the Vicon Nexus User Guide).

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Options dialog box

The Options dialog box enables you to control the way data is visualized in the
view panes . You can access this dialog box from the Window menu or by
pressing F7.

The Options dialog box includes a configuration area:

This enables you to save any changes you make in the Options dialog box to a
configuration file, with the extension .Options. You can then re-use your saved
configuration file as required, for example, you could save a different set of
options for each type of motion capture application that you use.

In addition to creating customized Options configurations, the Configuration

menu button enables you to rename, import, reload and delete configurations,
and refresh the list.

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To configure settings in the Options dialog box:

1. Open the Options dialog box in either of these ways:

• Click the Window menu and then click Options; or

• Press F7.

2. In the list of options on the left side of the dialog box, click an option whose
properties you wish to view or change. You can now:
• Select the check box to switch on the functionality or clear the check box to
switch off the functionality for the option.

• In the Properties section on the right side of the dialog box, view or change
settings as desired for any available properties. (To see additional settings
that may be available for an option, click Show Advanced.)

3. Repeat step 2 for each property whose settings you wish to configure.

4. To save your settings, do one of the following:

• To save your settings as the current configuration and close the Options
dialog box, click Close; or  

• To give your configuration a name, so that you can easily find it for re-use
later, click the Configuration menu button, then click Save As, enter a name
in the dialog box, click OK, and then choose whether to save your
configuration as Shared or Private.

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Vicon Control dialog box

To open the Vicon Control dialog box, on the Window menu, select Manage
Control Authorizations.

The Vicon Control dialog box enables you to carry out the following operations:

• To grant unprompted access in future, ensure the relevant device's check box
is selected in the Known Devices list.
In future, the device will be able to connect without having to be re-
authorized.

• To permanently revoke access, clear the device's check box in the Known
Devices list.
The device is disconnected and in future, it will not be able to connect. This is
useful if you accidentally authorized a device, or if you need to remove an
authorized device from the system, for example, if it is lost or sold.

• To remove a connected device from the Known Devices list and force re-
authorization on the next attempt to connect, select the device and then click
Forget Device.
To reconnect, the device will have to send an authorization request and be re-
authorized.

• To remove all connected devices from the Known Devices list and force re-
authorization on the next attempt to connect by any of the listed devices, click
Forget All.

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Error Settings dialog box

The Error Settings dialog box enables you to adjust the length of time that
popup notifications are displayed and their maximum number.

To control popup notifications:

1. On the Window menu, select Error Message Settings.

2. In the Error Settings dialog box:

a. Change Popup timeout to the length of time (in seconds) that you want
the messages to be displayed, up to a maximum time of 10 seconds.
Note that if you set Popup timeout to 0, the error message remains unless
you either click on the message or the Max Errors to Show is reached,
when this error message is automatically removed.

b. Change Max Errors to Show to the number of error messages that you
want to be displayed at any one time, up to a maximum of 10 messages.

The default popup timeout is 5 seconds and the default number of

messages is 5.

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If more errors occur within the Popup timeout period, the oldest error is
removed from the top of the stack and newest is displayed at the bottom
of the stack.

To open the Log, click on any of the error messages.

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Help menu
The Help menu contains the following commands:

• View latest help from [Link] Displays the most recent version of the live
online help.

• View installed help Displays the help file (PDF) that was installed with Vicon
Nexus.

• Check for updates Detects whether any Nexus updates are available.

• Check for firmware updates The Checking Firmware Version dialog box
displays information about the latest released firmware version. See also
Update firmware in the Vicon Nexus User Guide.

• About Vicon Nexus Displays the Vicon Nexus startup screen, in which you can
view version and license server information about the installed release of
Nexus.

• Hotkeys Displays a list of Nexus shortcuts and hot keys.

• Vicon Product Licensing Displays the Vicon Automated Unified Licensing Tool
(VAULT), which enables you to manage your Vicon product licensing.

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Toolbar
The Nexus toolbar contains the following controls . For information on how to
change the standard toolbar, see Customize Toolbar dialog box, page 374:

• Save Saves the current data for subjects enabled in the Subjects
Resources pane to the .c3d file for the current trial.

• Close Closes the current trial and clears data. You are prompted to save
any unsaved changed before closing the current trial. 

• Undo Undoes the last action. This command is available only after a
relevant action has been performed. Hover the mouse pointer over the Undo
button to display a tooltip identifying the action to be undone. Some actions,
such as reconstructing data, cannot be undone.

• Redo Reinstates the previously undone action. This command is

available only after an Undo command has been performed. Hover the mouse
pointer over the Redo button to display a tooltip identifying the action to be
redone. Any action that was undone can be redone.

• Reconstruct Runs the Reconstruct pipeline defined in the Pipeline

Tools pane. For information on Reconstruct settings, see the equivalent Local
Vicon System settings (Reconstruction section, page 203), which control the
same functionality for realtime.

• Reconstruct and Label Runs the Reconstruct and Label pipeline

defined in the Pipeline Tools pane. For information on Reconstruct settings,
see the equivalent Local Vicon System settings (Reconstruction section, page
203). For information on Label settings, see the equivalent Local Vicon System
settings (Labeling section, page 206), which control the same functionality for
realtime. 

• KinFit Runs the Kinematic Fit pipeline defined in the Pipeline Tools
pane.

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• AutoInitialize Runs the Auto Initialize Labeling pipeline, which

consists of the Autolabel Static, Scale Subject VSK, and Static Skeleton
Calibration - Markers-only pipeline operations.. For more information, see
Subject calibration operations, page 326.

• Auto Gap Fill Runs the Auto Intelligent Gap Fill pipeline,
which consists of Nexus gap-filling operations (see Fill Gap & Filter Data
operations, page 330). This enables you to quickly fill all gaps in your trial,
without having to choose which fill method is best for each gap.

• Add To Quick Report Adds the current trial to a Quick

Report. For more information, see Quick Reports, page 356.

• View Type list Create or manage the

layouts specified in the View pane using the View Type list at the top of the
pane.
The view type includes the layout of view panes as well as any cameras,
hardware devices, and subject elements that were selected in the System
Resources pane or the Subjects Resources pane when the view type was
saved.
For example, if you save a view type with all cameras selected and a Camera
view specified for each, the next time you select that view type, all of the
cameras are automatically selected and displayed in separate Camera views.
If you save a view type with a Graph view showing the EMG channels, when
you next select this view type, the correct EMG device is selected.
If you save a view type with a Graph view showing the distance between two
specific markers, when you next select this view type, these two markers are
selected.

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Customize Toolbar dialog box

You can add, remove, and customize buttons on the Nexus toolbar using the
Customize Toolbar dialog box. 

To access this dialog box:

• On the Window menu, click Toolbar.

The toolbar settings are saved in the appropriate configuration file: the default
Nexus toolbar is stored in the Shared configuration folder; if customized, the
toolbar is saved in a Private configuration folder and loaded the next time you
start Vicon Nexus.

The Save, Undo, and Redo buttons always appear on the Nexus toolbar in their
default positions on the left of the toolbar; you cannot customize these buttons.

You can add new buttons to run a specified pipeline, load a previously created
View Option configuration, or display a View Type configuration. For each
button, you can define a tooltip, associate an icon, and associate a text string.
You can group related buttons together on the toolbar with separators or
reposition buttons along the toolbar.

You can customize your toolbar in the following ways:

• Add or change toolbar buttons, page 375

• Change a button's position on the toolbar, page 376

• Group related buttons with separators, page 377

• Remove a button or separator from the toolbar, page 377

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Add or change toolbar buttons

To add or change a toolbar button in the Customize Toolbar dialog box:

1. Click Add Button. A new button entry is added to the bottom of the Toolbar
Buttons list and is highlighted and selected. Alternatively, select an existing
toolbar button.

2. In the Button Properties area, configure the following information for the
selected button:
• Caption: The label to be displayed on the button.

• Icon: The icon to be displayed for the button. Select an available icon from
the drop-down list.

• Tooltip: The text to be displayed to indicate the operation to be executed

when the button is pressed.

3. Select the check box for one of the following actions to be taken when the
button is pressed:
• Load View Options: Apply the specified view options settings. Select a
previously created View Option configuration from the drop-down list. If
you have not created any configurations, this check box is not selectable
and this list is empty.

• Load View Type: Apply the specified view type. Select a previously created
View Type configuration from the drop-down list. If you have not created
any configurations, this check box is not selectable and this list is empty.

• Run Pipeline: Run the specified pipeline. Select a pipeline file supplied with
Nexus or a previously created custom pipeline from the drop-down list.
4. Click Apply to preview the button on the Nexus toolbar. If you are not happy
with the result, change the button details in the Customize Toolbar dialog
box and preview the changes again.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for each button you want to add to the Nexus toolbar.

6. Click OK to save the customized toolbar and close the dialog box.

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Change a button's position on the toolbar

To change the position of a toolbar button in the Customize Toolbar dialog
box:

1. In the Toolbar Buttons list, select the entry for the button whose position you
want to change.
Button entries in this list from top to bottom correspond to the button
positions on the toolbar from left to right.

2. Change the button's position on the toolbar using the buttons:

• Move Up: Move the selected button up one position in the list, that is, left
one position on the toolbar.

• Move Down: Move the selected button down one position in the list, that
is, right one position on the toolbar.

3. Click Apply to preview the changed button location on the Nexus toolbar. If
you are not happy with the result, change the position again in the Customize
Toolbar dialog box and preview the position again.

4. Click OK to save the customized toolbar and close the dialog box.

 Important
Nexus executes any customized buttons in the following order:
1) View Option
2) View Type
3) Pipeline
Vicon recommends that you lay out your custom toolbar buttons in this
order to avoid the potential for losing unsaved changes if you press
multiple buttons before saving a configuration.

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Group related buttons with separators

To group related buttons together on the toolbar in the Customize Toolbar
dialog box:

1. Click Add Separator. A new separator entry is added to the bottom of the
Toolbar Buttons list and is highlighted and selected.

2. Change the separator's position on the toolbar using the buttons:

• Move Up: Move the selected separator up one position in the list, that is,
left one position on the toolbar.

• Move Down: Move the selected separator down one position in the list,
that is, right one position on the toolbar.

3. Repeat steps 1–2 for each separator you want to add between buttons on the
Nexus toolbar.

4. Click OK to save the customized toolbar and close the dialog box.

Remove a button or separator from the toolbar

To remove a toolbar button or separator in the Customize Toolbar dialog box:

1. In the Toolbar Buttons list, select the entry for the button or separator you
want to remove from the toolbar.

2. Click Remove. 

3. In the displayed confirmation dialog box, click Remove Item. The entry is
removed from the list and button or separator is removed from the toolbar.

4. Click OK to save the customized toolbar and close the dialog box.

If you want to discard any changes you have made in the Customize Toolbar
dialog box, click Cancel.
Nexus displays a warning message for you to confirm that you want to lose any
changes you have made.

If you want to reload the default Nexus toolbar, click Reset.

Nexus displays a warning message asking you to confirm that you want to
discard any customizations you have previously saved.

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