---
title: "Set up Vicon cameras"
canonical: "https://help.vicon.com/space/Tracker39/14058178/Set%20up%20Vicon%20cameras"
format: markdown
---
**To configure Vicon cameras for optical data capture:**


1. From the view pane tool bar, select **Camera**. The 2D data being captured by each Vicon camera selected in the **Resources** pane in the **System** list is shown in a separate **Camera** view pane.
2. View your capture volume in either of the following ways:
  - In the **Options** dialog box, under the **General View Options** section, select the **Target Volume** option. In the **Camera** view pane tool bar, from the **View** drop-down list, select **3D Overlay**. A virtual representation of your target volume is overlaid on the 2D data from the camera image.
  - In the capture volume, place a selection of static markers on the floor to roughly outline your target capture volume.
3. In the **System** list in the **Resources** pane, select the Vicon camera node whose properties you want to configure.
4. In the **Properties** pane, view or change settings for the relevant properties.
  When you first set up your Vicon system, you must configure at least the following properties in the order shown in the [Properties table](#table-1) below
5. When you have finished adjusting the **Vicon Camera** properties, in the **Settings** area, ensure that **Grayscale Mode** is set to **Auto**.
6. At the top of the **System** tab, click the **Save current configuration** button > Macro (inline-media-image)

 to save your system configuration settings to a .system file in one of the following folders:
  - If you select **Shared** the file will be saved in *C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vicon\Tracker3.x\Configurations\Systems*
  - If you select **Private** it will be saved in *C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Vicon\Tracker3.x\Configurations\Systems*

> Macro (anchor)



### Properties table

> ⚠️ **Important**   
> ⚠️ These properties affect the quality of the motion capture data. Therefore, it is important to optimize them before you collect data intended for later analysis. In subsequent sessions, you may want to configure additional properties to suit the needs of your motion capture application.

| **Section** | **Property** | **Notes** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Identification | Name | Only needed if you want to distinguish it from the others |
| Settings | Strobe Intensity | If adjusting these two settings does not easily enable you to eliminate reflections, create camera masks to eliminate reflections and other unwanted light sources that occur in parts of the capture volume. |
| Centroid Fitting | Threshold |
| Settings | Gain | Normally, leave at the default x1 setting, but if the markers seem faint or if the cameras have trouble distinguishing them, adjust this setting as required. |
| Grayscale Mode | Normally, leave at the default Auto setting. However, during focusing, it can be helpful to change this setting to All, then change it back to Auto as soon as the camera is focused. |