---
title: "Create props"
canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/Shogun16/13340512/Create%20props"
format: markdown
---
In Shogun Live, you can create simple, single-segment (and therefore rigid) props.

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For information on creating a prop as a custom L-frame, see [Set the origin with a custom L-frame](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Shogun16/pages/13341878/Calibrate+cameras#CustomLFrame).

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## Place markers on props

When placing markers on props, note that a minimum of four markers is recommended for each prop. Be sure to:

- Place the markers across the prop object to reach the extremities as far as possible.
- Avoid placing markers in a straight line and/or on the same plane.
- Avoid placing markers symmetrically.
- Prevent marker swaps by avoiding placing prop markers too close to the hands or where the actor will interact with the prop. For example, if a performer interacts with a prop, place markers at the extremities of the prop, but not directly in the location where the interaction occurs, as shown below, where a performer holds a sword:

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**To create a single-segment prop:**

1. Ensure the markers are positioned on the prop as described above.
2. Place the prop in the volume.
3. In Shogun Live, in the **Settings** menu, click **Preferences** (or press SHIFT+P).
4. In the **Preferences** dialog box, on the **User **tab, go to the **Folders** section and ensure that the **Props** folder is as required, or if not, click the button to the right of the Props line to specify the appropriate folder.
5. In the **3D Scene**, select a minimum of four reconstructed markers. To ensure that Shogun Live places the bone logically within the prop, select (CTRL+click) the markers in the following order:
  - The first selected marker defines the origin (base) of the prop bone.
  - The second selected marker defines the end of the prop bone.
  - Any other markers can be selected in any order.
6. In the **Tracking** panel, in the **Prop** field, enter a name for the prop and click **Create**.
  A single-segment prop is created from the selected markers and appears in the **3D Scene** in the orientation defined by the order in which you selected the markers in the previous step. The prop is displayed as a node on the **Tracking** panel on the right of the Shogun Live window, under **Props**.
  The prop's .*mcp* file is saved to the location specified in step 2 above.
7. If required, to select a mesh for the prop, or to change its color, ensure that the prop is selected in the **Tracking** panel and then choose a mesh and/or color on the **Properties** tab. Prop meshes are FBX files, by default stored in:  
*C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\PropMeshes*.
8. To rename or to remove a prop from the current scene, in the **Tracking** panel, right-click the prop, and then click the relevant option. (You can also double-click on the prop to rename it.)
  After you have saved props, you can import them into subsequent takes as required.

Note that in addition to creating simple, single-segment props, you can also import both simple props and more complex, multi-segment props by clicking the **Import Subject** button at the top of the **Tracking **panel.

> ✅ ** Tip**   
> ✅ An efficient way to evaluate filter performance to ensure the smoothest possible tracking for selected objects is to create object presets with different values for the filtering properties. You can then apply them to selected objects using the saved object presets. For more information, see [Create and apply object presets](https://vicon-help.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/Shogun16/pages/13340629/Understand+object+tracking+in+Shogun+Live#ObjectPresets) in *Getting more from Vicon Shogun*.

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## Move props

To move props in Shogun Live, you use the Object Manipulator, at the top of the 3D Scene view.

**To use the Object Manipulator:**

1. Pause the real time (press the spacebar or click the Pause button or the Play/Stop button) and in the **Tracking** panel on the right, select the object that you want to move.
2. If the Object Manipulator isn't displayed, click the Object Manipulator button or press M.
  :check_mark: **Tip: **To scale the manipulator, press the + or - keys.
3. Drag to move the prop in the 3D Scene view or enter the required values in the Object Manipulator fields.
4. To change between global and local values, click the Object Manipulator symbol:

You can use the manipulator to quickly align a prop to the world axis.

**To align a prop to the world axis:**

1. Pause the real time and in the **Tracking** panel on the right, select the prop you want to align and press M to display the Object Manipulator. In the Workspace (**3D Scene** view), the Object Manipulator is displayed. By clicking on the Object Manipulator symbol (top left), you can set it to **Local** (values at zero) or **Global** (values relative to the scene origin).
2. To align the selected prop to the scene origin, ensure the Object Manipulator is set **Global** and change all the values to zero.