About Pixellot

1.0 Introduction

As part of the initial setup and configuration of the system, it is necessary to configure the Calibration and Color Balance for the system. This procedure should be done by a trained Pixellot support engineer. The calibration procedure defines the areas of the image that is relevant to the game action, enabling the Pixellot Automatic Production AI algorithms to focus on the essential activity.

1.1  About the Pixellot’s Baseball Multi-Angle System

Pixellot’s Baseball Multi Angle system is comprised of a specially designed CHU (Camera Head Unit) that captures a panoramic image of the entire playing field and a VPU (Video Processing Unit) which processes the image feed and prepares it for distribution.

1.2  Calibration Prerequisites

The calibration procedure can only be done after the installation has been completed. For an explanation of the installation process, see Pixellot’s Multi-Angle Baseball Installtion Guide. Before beginning the Calibration procedure make sure that the following elements are in place:

·       The CHU is properly installed

·       The VPU is installed and powered ON

·       The Camera Pairing has been done and the CHU settings have been finalized

In addition, the following prerequisites must be in place in order to do the calibration procedure.

·       The entire court/field is lit up by daylight or full stadium lighting (with no areas covered in shadow)

·       The sidelines and corners are clearly marked (for a soccer field, it is preferable for the corner flags to be in place)

·       The VPU is accessible with a monitor, keyboard and mouse attached

1.3  Logging into the Engineering Station

The Calibration and Color Balance procedures must be done at the venue by accessing the VPU directly by connecting a monitor, keyboard and mouse. The Calibration and Color Balance are performed using the Pixellot Engineering Station application.

1.      In the Pixellot Applications folder on the Desktop, click VPU Management.

The VPU Management UI opens.

2.      Select the Configuration tab.

The VPU is activated and the Engineering Station application opens showing the Configuration tab.

It takes a few minutes for the system to initialize. Once the initialization has been completed the Engineering Station will become active. You may need to minimize some windows showing technical data to make the Engineering Station window visible.

 

2.0  Multi-Angle Baseball Calibration Overview

The calibration 'teaches' the VPU how to process the video feed from the panoramic image in order to create a unified image of the entire playing field.

There are two parts to the calibration procedure.

·       Stitching the Image – this procedure aligns the two images so that there is no visible 'seem' where the two images meet.

·       Frame Calibration – this procedure defines the Field Region which is monitored by Pixellot Automatic Production for identifying game action. It also sets a Panoramic Image Frame that designates how the full panoramic image is shown.

2.1  Calibrating UI Elements

The calibration screen contains the following UI Elements:

·       Navigation Tab – the main navigation for selecting various tabs in the Engineering Station UI.

·       Top Command Bar – includes command buttons for selecting the sport type and controlling the overall progress of the calibration procedure (e.g. Approve, Undo and Reset).

·       Main Image Window – shows the full panoramic image of the field, combining input from both cameras. Clicking on the image shows a zoom-in view of the selected area, which is used for marking key points throughout the configuration procedure.

·       Calibration Controls – contains the input fields and buttons that are used for the various stages of the calibration procedure.

·       Panorama Adjustment Controls – contains the buttons used for adjusting the panoramic frame shown in the Main Image window.

·       Calibration Details Pane – view and edit details of the field dimensions and view details about the various points marked for calibration.

·       Field Region Schematic Diagram – a schematic diagram of the field dimensions with indicators for marking the various field points.

2.2  Calibrating the System

The following procedures describe the basic workflow for performing the initial calibration for the Pixellot Multi Angle Baseball system.

2.2.1  Starting the calibration procedure

1.      In the Engineering Station application, select the Calibration tab.
The Calibration screen is displayed, showing snapshot images of the panoramic view cameras.

2.      Click Sport Type in the top command bar.
The Sport Types screen is displayed.

3.      Click Add next to Baseball.

4.      Click Close.

2.2.2  Adjusting the Position of the Panoramic Image

You can adjust the panoramic image if needed.

1.      In the Position Adjustment section, click Expand.

2.      Select the speed that you are comfortable working in.

3.      Use the arrows to adjust the position.

The position of the panoramic image should be as centered as possible, this will affect the way the final output is viewed both in panoramic image mode and the HD Auto Production output. Ensure that there is enough space on the outer edges of the field as well as enough height for situations where players appear out-of-field.

2.2.3  Initializing the Calibration

1.      Under Field Type, select Baseball.

2.      The points on the green baseball diagram represent various positions. Study the positions and then go to Point Addition Type and select Line Points in the dropdown menu.

3.      Point the cursor to the white line and click on the image along the outline of the left side of the baseball field. You need to click 4 or 5 points at regular intervals. You can drag the image to move forwards and backwards.

4.      Do the same for the right side of the field.

5.      When finished click Add Line and click Close.

6.      Under Calibration Profile click Calibrate.

7.      Under Point Addition Type select Ground Points

8.      There are various ground points on the green diagram. Click them in numerical order starting the dot marked in purple.

 If you cannot recognize one of the points, you can skip one specific point, and the algorithm will compensate.

10.  The panoramic image may move following calibration. Use the arrows under Position Adjustment to correct any unwanted movement.

11.  Click Advanced. The Advanced Options screen opens.

12.  To validate that the calibration succeeded, click Show field regions. The selected region will appear in pink on the field. Ensure it covers the entire field.