---
title: "Active Crown usage tips"
canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/ActiveCrownDocs/299926264/Active%20Crown%20usage%20tips"
format: markdown
---
The following tips provide guidance on obtaining the best results when using Active Crown.

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> 
> > ⚠️ **Important**   
> > ⚠️ When interacting with your Vicon Active Crown:
> > ⚠️ 
> > ⚠️ - Handle it carefully to avoid damaging the  base or the stalks.
> > ⚠️ - Do not drop it or subject it to any impact that could cause damage.
> > ⚠️ - Do not expose it to unsuitable environmental conditions such as wet or dusty environments.

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## Optimize Active Crown configuration 

> ✅ **Number of stalks**  
> ✅ For the best tracking data quality, we recommend that you use all 6 stalks.

For the best tracking performance with Active Crown, whenever possible, use the stalk layouts shown in this table.

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Socket number** | **Layout 1** | **Layout 2** | **Layout 3** | **Layout 4** |
| 1 | – | Long | Short | – |
| 2 | Short | Long | Medium | Short |
| 3 | Long | Short | Short | Long |
| 4 | Long | Medium | Short | Short |
| 5 | Short | – | – | Long |
| 6 | Medium | Short | Long | Short |
| 7 | Short | Short | Long | Medium |

## Optimize the system for Active Crown

> ✅ **Tip**   
> ✅ When setting up your system, you may obtain best results with camera apertures closed to minimize 'blooming' of LEDs in the camera views.

Use Active Crown with the Object Tracking pipeline in Shogun Live for best tracking performance.

For the best object tracking, we recommend that you use the settings as described in [Set Active Crown to use Object Tracker with an Object Preset](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ActiveCrownDocs/pages/299926221/Set+up+Vicon+Active+Crown+software#SetToObjectTracker).

## Improve Active Crown booting

To ensure the Active Crown is booting, even when some LEDs are not visible to the cameras, set up an Active Crown object preset with a Threshold of 0.5 (50%). For more information, see [Set Active Crown to use ObjectTracker with an Object Preset](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ActiveCrownDocs/pages/299926221/Set+up+Vicon+Active+Crown+software#SetToObjectTracker).

## Replace knocked stalks

When a stalk is knocked from a socket, as long as it is not damaged, you can replace it in the socket and continue to track in Shogun Live.

If a stalk is damaged, you must replace it with another stalk. Replacement stalks of the same length placed in the socket will continue to track in Shogun Live. If the replacement stalk is a different size, you must recreate the tracked object or update the model by adding the new markers to the model. For more information on updating the model, see [Update the Active Crown configuration](#UpdateActiveCrownConfig).

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## Update the Active Crown configuration

If you need to change the stalks layout for an existing tracked Active Crown:

1. Remove the markers of the stalks you are changing.
2. Swap the old stalks with the new stalks.
3. Add the markers of these new stalks to the model.

For more information, see [Add or remove prop markers](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ShogunLive121/pages/1253212364) in *Getting started with Vicon Shogun Live*.

> ✅ **Prop alignment**  
> ✅ To preserve any changes to the tracked object's root, which is used for alignment, we recommend that you remove the old stalk markers and then add the new stalk markers to the model.
> ✅ 
> ✅ If the root position is not important, we recommend that you create a new tracked object when you change stalks.

## Prepare multiple Active Crowns

When adding a one or more Active Crowns to a volume for tracking, ensure each Active Crown has a unique stalk layout before continuing. For recommended stalk layouts, see [Optimize Active Crown configuration](#OptimizeConfiguration).

Ensuring each Active Crown has a unique stalk layout is important for Vicon Shogun Live to differentiate the objects during tracking.

In Shogun Live, create a new tracked object for each Active Crown, remembering to turn on **Track with ObjectTracker**.

> ✅ **Set Entrance Threshold of Object Preset**  
> ✅ For best booting performance, remember to set an Object Preset for each new tracked object with an Entrance Threshold of 0.5 (50%).

For more information on setting up tracked objects and on setting a suitable Object Preset, see [Set Active Crown to use ObjectTracker with an Object Preset](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ActiveCrownDocs/pages/299926221/Set+up+Vicon+Active+Crown+software#SetToObjectTracker) and [Create props](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ShogunLive121/pages/1253212215) in *Getting started with Vicon Shogun Live*.