--- title: "Configure video cameras for digital video capture" canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/Nexus220/897713226/Configure%20video%20cameras%20for%20digital%20video%20capture" format: markdown --- Manage the identification and configuration settings for each digital video camera connected to your Vicon system with the **Video Cameras** node in the **System Resources** pane. Using this node, you can also remove or reorder video cameras. > ![Video Cameras node in System Resources panel of Vicon Nexus.](media://be4ba1e5-bcf6-40ef-969a-a08a8d98eb4d) > ℹ️ **Note** > ℹ️ References to "Vicon video camera" apply to the use of Vicon Vue cameras. > ℹ️ For basic information about configuring the settings for a FLIR camera, see [Configure FLIR cameras](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#FLIRConfiguration). > ℹ️ For details of how to set up a Vicon system that includes FLIR cameras, see the *[FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716153)*. > ℹ️ For details of how to set up a Vicon system that includes video cameras, see *Vicon system setup information* in the [Setup and Connectivity documentation](https://help.vicon.com/space/Connect). The **Video Cameras** node is displayed under the **Local Vicon System** node when one or more video cameras is connected to the Nexus host PC and Vicon Nexus is in Live mode, or when a previously saved file containing video cameras is loaded. It lists each video camera connected to your Vicon system. For each camera, the node name includes the camera number, the camera type in parentheses and the frame rate in brackets, for example, **#DV1 Over Door (Vue) [120Hz]**. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) You can connect supported video cameras to the GigE port on the Nexus host PC via a PoE switch, or connect supported FLIR cameras via a Vicon Lock, and then capture reference video for use with your optical motion capture data. You can overlay the Vicon optical motion data onto the digital video images from the video cameras in the **Camera** view using the **3D Overlay** option, from the **View** menu. If required, you can burn this information into the digital video image and export the video file (.*mp4* or .*avi*) for viewing in another application using the **Export 3D Overlay Video** operation. > Macro (anchor) > ℹ️ **Requirements for JPEG-compressed video capture** > ℹ️ Nexus 2.19 and later supports JPEG-compressed video capture. To benefit from this type of compression, ensure your system meets the following criteria: > ℹ️ > ℹ️ ▪️ The Vicon host computer must have a supported NVIDIA GPU that has a CUDA Compute capability of 8.6 or higher. This means that the PC requires an RTX 3050 GPU (or anything better than that, as listed in [CUDA GPU Compute Capability](https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus)). For details of the GPUs we’ve tested, see [Vicon PC specifications](https://help.vicon.com/space/PCSPEC/8585218/Vicon+PC+specifications). > ℹ️ > ℹ️ ▪️ The required NVIDIA libraries are installed (they are installed by default with Nexus 2.19 and later). > ℹ️ > ℹ️ If your system meets the above requirements but you are unable to view the options for JPEG-compressed video data (see Video Payload and JPEG Quality in [Set appropriate video image parameters](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#SetVideoParameters)), please contact [Vicon Support](mailto:support@vicon.com). > ⚠️ **Caution** > ⚠️ If you’re using FFDShow transcoding, you cannot use the options for JPEG-compressed video capture. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) **To configure video cameras for digital video capture:** 1. Ensure Nexus is in Live mode (in the **Resources** pane, click **Go Live**). 2. In the **System Resources** tree, select the node whose properties you wish to configure: - **Video Cameras** node, for all digital video cameras - A sub-node, for a specific video camera Note that if you are configuring a Vicon video camera, the node will not become green until you specify the **Destination IP Address**. Also note that cameras with gray icons are connected to the network but are not contributing data. For example, if you have connected Vicon Vue video cameras but your Vicon connectivity device does not support jumbo packets, the icons for the Vicon video cameras will remain gray. For more information and help with upgrading your system, contact [Vicon Support](mailto:support@vicon.com). 3. In the **Properties** pane at the bottom of the **System Resources** pane, view or change settings for the required properties. When you first set up your Vicon system, you must configure at least the properties listed in [Initial properties setup](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#InitialPropertiesSetup) in the order shown. In subsequent sessions, you may want to configure additional properties to suit the needs of your motion capture application. For further details about the **Video Camera** properties, see [Configure FLIR cameras](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#FLIRConfiguration) in this guide and [Video Cameras node](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897715593) in the *Vicon Nexus Reference Guide*. For more detailed information about all aspects of setting up FLIR video cameras for use with Nexus, see the *[FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716153)*. 4. At the top of the **System** tab, click the Save button to save your system configuration settings to a .*system* file in the **Systems** configurations folder (see [Manage configurations in Vicon Nexus](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713011)). > ✅ **Tip** > ✅ When you plug a video camera into the Vicon system, the system automatically assigns it a number. To reorder video cameras, select the camera in the **Reorder Devices** dialog box and click **Move Up** or **Move Down**. Then click OK. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ## > Macro (anchor) Initial properties setup | Section | Property name | | --- | --- | | Hardware | **Destination IP Address** (Vicon video cameras) | | Settings | **Capture Path** (enter a separate HDD or an SSD drive for each camera) **Video Gain** and **Brightness Offset** (Vicon video) | | Frame Rate | **Requested Frame Rate. **The video frame rate must exactly divide into the system frame rate. | | Settings | **Shutter Duration** See [Set appropriate video image parameters](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#SetVideoParameters). | | Calibration | **Focal Length** (mm) (if you will be using **Aim Cameras**) | > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > Macro (anchor) ## Configure FLIR cameras Vicon Nexus 2.13 and later supports using FLIR Blackfly S cameras to provide synchronized, calibrated video captures. The following information relates to configuring FLIR Blackfly S cameras in Nexus for digital video capture. - For additional information, see also [Calibrate video cameras](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713254). - For information on hardware setup and further details of software setup, see the *[FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716153)*. **To access the settings for a FLIR camera in Nexus:** - In the **System Resources** tree, select the relevant node and in the Properties pane, view the current settings. If the FLIR camera isn't displayed in the System Resources tree, or if it's displayed with a yellow warning triangle, or if you haven't already set the system frame rate, see [Set up the software for a Teledyne FLIR camera system](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269) in the *FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide*. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) When you have displayed the FLIR camera settings, you can configure them as described in the following topics. > Macro (toc) > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ### > Macro (anchor) Choose the pixel format The camera performs better when it is providing data in its native pixel format. This is a Bayer format, such as BayerRG8. > ![FLIR camera settings in Vicon Nexus, with Pixel Format selected.](media://918ece7c-4a13-4668-958e-c5a8f5c1da4e) No bandwidth is saved by selecting Luminance8. B8G8R8 and B8G8R8u8 use three and four times as much bandwidth, so are not generally recommended. If you choose another format, the camera may be restricted to lower frame rates, for the following reasons: - Time is taken for onboard processing from one pixel format to another (eg, converting 8-bit Bayer to 8-bit grayscale). - The new format results in larger images and therefore uses more bandwidth to transmit (eg, converting 8-bit Bayer to 24-bit RGB results in an image 3 times larger). Occasionally, a different pixel format may be appropriate, for example, in these cases: - Camera's onboard conversion may be better in some circumstances than the software conversion. - Camera is running at a low frame rate and there is plenty of spare bandwidth. However, these cases are unusual and we recommend selecting the native BayerRG8 format if you're in any doubt. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ### Select the trigger source Go to the **Frame Rate** section, and from the **Trigger Source** list, select the option that will provide the camera’s trigger signal. Ensure that the option that you choose in the software matches the physical cable connection. After you select the correct trigger source, the camera icon turns green after a couple of seconds. > ⚠️ **Important** > ⚠️ You can assign multiple FLIR cameras to the same Trigger Group but you must set them all to run at the same frame rate. If you do not, a warning is displayed and data from all cameras in the group is deactivated. To run FLIR cameras at different rates, assign them to different Trigger Groups (or connect them solely to an output-specific trigger, eg, Trigger Output 1). For further details, see [Set up the software for a Teledyne FLIR camera system](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269) in the *FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide*. ### Choose the frame rate We recommend choosing the **Requested Frame Rate** after you set the pixel format. The frame rates available in the drop down menu are determined by these factors: - The frame rate of the Vicon system (see [Set the system frame rate](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269/Set+up+the+software+for+a+Teledyne+FLIR+camera+system#SetSystemFrameRate) in the *FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide*). The video rate must exactly divide into the system rate. - The limits of the camera/sensor. These are fixed and cannot be changed. - The current pixel format of the camera. - The Area of Interest (window) set on the camera. > ![Selecting Requested Frame Rate for FLIR camera in Vicon Nexus.](media://ac978f19-44d9-4dfc-bbef-1fa29667351f) Usually it is desirable for the system rate to be the same as or higher than the video frame rate. For example, if the system frame rate is 120 Hz, the permitted video frame rates will include 30 Hz, 60 Hz and 120 Hz. > ⚠️ **Important** > ⚠️ If you assign multiple FLIR cameras to the same Trigger Group, you must set them all to run at the same frame rate. If you do not, a warning is displayed and data from all cameras in the group is deactivated. To run FLIR cameras at different rates, assign them to different Trigger Groups (or connect them solely to an output-specific trigger, eg, Trigger Output 1). If you change the system frame rate, the camera stops streaming and you must select a new frame rate from the drop-down list. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) > Macro (anchor) ### Set appropriate video image parameters Ensure you set the video image parameters appropriately. > ![Video image settings for FLIR cameras in Vicon Nexus.](media://479c35a8-22f1-4def-841b-ad0f60c16818) - **Pixel Format** See [Choose the pixel format](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#ChoosePixelFormat). - **Shutter Duration** The shutter duration time is given in microseconds. The exposure is limited to the length of the frame period. If it is set too high, the camera might not be ready for the next frame before the trigger is received and the software inserts black frames to maintain synchronization. This is usually undesirable behavior, so to avoid this, decrease the exposure slightly until the warning disappears. - **Camera Gain** If the image is too dark, adjust the gain to compensate. Avoid using too much gain when a longer exposure time or better lighting is needed instead. Excessively high gain results in a noisy image. - **Black Level** This property controls how dark the darkest areas of the image appear. Adjust this as desired. - **Saturation **The gamma property affects the *actual data* sent from the camera, not just the display. It is only enabled when the camera converts from its native pixel format to 24-bit or 32-bit RGB. It is disabled when using the camera's native Bayer format. By default the camera uses the Bayer format, so this option is disabled by default. - **Auto White Balance** This property uses an algorithm on the camera to improve the appearance of color in the image. If you require more predictable color, you can disable it and set the green/red and green/blue balance manually. - **Green/Red Balance** When auto white balance is disabled, allows the green/red balance to be adjusted. - **Green/Blue Balance** When auto white balance is disabled, allows the green/blue balance to be adjusted. - **Capture Path** Enter or browse to the location to where the data is to be captured. Provide a separate HDD or an SSD drive for each camera. - **Camera Gamma** (Advanced property) The gamma property affects the gamma level of the *actual data* sent from the camera, not just the display. - **Video Payload** Select from: - **Uncompressed**: (default) Records the video frames to a .*vvid* file exactly as provided by the FLIR API, with no conversion or compression. - **JPEG (GPU)**: Transforms and compresses the video frames to JPEG using the GPU, producing a smaller .*vvid* file than the Uncompressed option. :ISO_warning: **Important**: If your system includes 8 or more FLIR cameras (this functionality is available in Nexus 2.19 and later), we recommend that you select this option, particularly for frame rates of 100 Hz or higher. - **JPEG Quality** Leave at the default (80) or select from the range between 30 (lower quality, smaller file size) to 99 (higher quality, larger file size). > ✅ **Tip** > ✅ If the last two properties are not displayed, check that your Vicon system meets the requirements listed in [Requirements for JPEG-compressed video capture](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897713226/Configure+video+cameras+for+digital+video+capture#JPEG-compression). For further details, see [Set up the software for a Teledyne FLIR camera system](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Nexus220/pages/897716269) in the *FLIR Video Cameras Setup Guide*. > Macro (scroll-pagebreak) ### Set area of interest and binning > ![Video image area and binning settings for FLIR cameras in Vicon Nexus.](media://e938fb28-23a8-41d6-83b1-9f58611d661b) There are two supported ways of reducing the image size: setting an area of interest (AOI) or enabling binning. - **Area of Interest Width** Desired width of the AOI in pixels. - **Area of Interest Height** Desired height of the AOI in pixels. - **AOI Left/Right** Horizontal position of the area of interest: 0 means to the far left, 0.5 means centered, and 1 means to the far right. - **AOI Top/Bottom** Vertical position of the area of interest: 0 means at the very top, 0.5 means centered, and 1 means at the very bottom. - **AOI Applied **This is the AOI as applied by the camera. It might not be exactly the one requested because of limitations of the camera and pixel format. - **Pixel Binning **The binning options are None (no binning) or 2x2 (a square of 4 pixels are reduced to 1 pixel). Binning reduces the bandwidth and consequently the capture file sizes by a factor of 4, by effectively halving both the horizontal and vertical resolution.