---
title: "Manually assign objects and calibrate characters"
canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/Evoke18/397969598/Manually%20assign%20objects%20and%20calibrate%20characters"
format: markdown
---
1. As described in the [automated workflow](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Evoke18/pages/397969552), set up the name, template, and retarget file, and select the required templates for the slots (see [Create characters](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Evoke18/pages/397969439)).
2. At the right of the **Character** line, click **Create**. The new character is added to the Tracking tree, with the populated slots as child nodes. Slots for which smart objects were selected are automatically named to match the character and slot (eg, Subject1_Head in the following example). The yellow warning icons indicate that some information is missing.
  :check_mark: **Tip**: After you have created a character, you can create multiple new characters based on the same configuration without having to use the Advanced properties. In the **Tracking Setup** panel, enter a new character name and click **Create**.
  You then assign objects to the empty fields as described in the next step.
3. Assign objects (these can be a single smart object, a composite smart object or a basic object) to the slots. To do this:
  1. Ensure the objects are positioned in the volume in a way that makes it easy to tell which one is which (you may want to place them on a person or mannequin).
  2. In the **Tracking** panel, select the relevant objects, and in the **Properties** pane, ensure that **Auto Assign Enabled** is cleared.
  3. In the 3D View, select an object andCtrl+select its slot in the Tracking tree, then right-click either the object or the slot and select **Assign Object**.
  4. In the same way, assign the remaining objects to the appropriate slots.
  In the Tracking tree, the slots now all have the correctly assigned objects, which are also displayed in the 3D View.
4. If you have set up characters or composite smart objects, but have not linked Pulsars to them (eg, if you created smart objects from the supplied templates for some or all of the slots in a new character), link the new smart objects to the correct devices. To do this:
  1. Select an object andCtrl+select the required smart object in the Tracking tree.
  2. Right-click either object and select **Swap Cluster**.
  3. If either of the smart objects is a composite smart object, from the sub-menu, select which device slot is to be affected by the swap.  
For more information, see [Swap clusters](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Evoke18/pages/397968596/Manage+smart+objects#SwapClusters).

When you have finished assigning objects, you can calibrate the character (see [Calibrate characters](#CalibrateCharacters)).

To display or hide character slots and assigned objects in the Tracking tree, click the + or - symbol next to the character icon.

You can clear slots that you have assigned manually at any time after creation:

- To clear manual slot assignments, in the Tracking tree, right-click one or more character slots and then select **Unassign object(s)**.

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Calibrate characters

You must ensure each character is calibrated, but depending on the way in which you create your characters, the workflow is slightly different:

- If you use the [automated workflow for object assignment and character calibration](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Evoke18/pages/397969552), both object assignment and calibration occur when you click **Calibrate**. Calibration assigns the clusters for which **Auto Assign Enabled** was selected to empty character slots; scales the source skeleton; and accounts for differences between the 'reference' position and where the clusters were actually placed on the participant, eg, if the participant was wearing heels, the clusters slipped, or the backpack straps were loose, etc (see [About cluster calibration](#AboutCC)). Calibration also starts retargeting (if required).
- If you have used the manual workflow for object assignment and character calibration and have therefore manually assigned the clusters to the slots, calibration does not perform any further cluster assignment and just scales the source skeleton to the participant and accounts for differences between the reference position and actual cluster placement (see [About cluster calibration](#AboutCC)). Calibration also starts retargeting (if required).   
To calibrate your characters, complete the following steps.

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    **To calibrate characters:**


1. Ensure each person to be calibrated is standing in the volume in a neutral pose (known as an N-pose), which is a relaxed pose with the hands by the sides.
2. In the **Tracking** panel tree, select the character(s) that are to be calibrated and right-click.
3. In the context menu, click **Calibrate **(or to calibrate all characters, press the shortcut Shift-C).  
(If the selected character is already calibrated, **Recalibrate** is displayed on the context menu. If you select this option, the existing calibration is overwritten.)
  Each character is calibrated and Evoke renders the character in the **3D View**. You can set the **View Filters** to show either the character source (solving) view or the retargeting view. The scale value that Evoke calculates for each character is used by the Unreal or Unity Plugin to render the character at the correct size for each participant.

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About cluster calibration

Cluster calibration corrects for minor variability in Pulsar placement on the feet and spine, along with refining the skeleton to give more lifelike character-solving. This helps adapt Characters From Clusters (CFC) to inconsistent application of the clusters to the body for specific objects on certain common axes. This happens automatically when you calibrate characters.


    **Example of a misaligned foot cluster:**


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**Without cluster calibration** | > Macro (inline-media-image)

   
**With cluster calibration** |

> ℹ️ **Note**   
> ℹ️ Not all clusters are calibrated on all axes. This feature adapts to minor deviations for foot and spine orientation and position to adjust for commonly misplaced locations.