Best way to get Kinect into Isadora

Ilir Gruda

Hi there,

I know that there are lot of questions about Kinect and Isaodra but I want to know the best way to do it. I need to realise some projection mapping of a person (project visuals), therefore I am planing to use Kinect. I know that there are lot of ways to do it but I need some help to find the right one. I was thinking firstly to use this Quartz Composer and Kineme plugin but than I I started to think maybe using Synapse with Quartz Composer is better. I know that also I can use NI-Mate into Syphon. So if anyone can tell me with which methods should I go ?

Cheers

Ilir

Ilir Gruda

Actually I have just started to use Kinect and I am having one problem. I am trying to connect Kinect through Kineme plugin and QC but I am not having any output in QC. I have seen that the green light in Kinect is blinking constantly. Do I need to do anything else for Kinect (drivers or anything else) exept I am following this document http://www.jamiegriffiths.com/kinect-into-isadora/.

dbini

The blinking green LED on the Kinect usually means that there is no data available because there is no skeleton in front of the camera. I use NiMate, which gives an option to syphon out an RGB image which is useful for checking connectivity.

primaldivine

Hi Ilir
Can you look on the bottom of your kinect and check that the model is 1414? (written very small in top right corner)
The kineme plugin doesnt work with newer models numbered 1473.

My tutorial for the kineme plugin into Isadora works very well, but was written quite a while ago now. Kineme are no longer supporting the plugin on Mavericks, although I am still able to use it myself on Mavericks without any problem, using the same method I described in my tutorial.

Using NiMate is certainly an option, but you have to buy the software or suffer annoying lapses when it prompts you to do so.
What OS are you using? I am going to be writing an updated tutorial for this in the next couple of weeks.

Jamie

Ilir Gruda

Thank you four your replies @Jamie and @dbin,

I have a Kinect 1414, but as I can understand from your reply the problem has to do with my OS because I am using OS X 10.9.5\. And should the green light stop blinking when everything is OK ?

primaldivine

Sometimes QC is buggy. Try to restart the computer with your kinect camera plugged in, and then restart the QC file. Make sure you have a viewer window open in QC.
Also make sure that Isadora is not runnin****g when you do this. They will compete with each other for the camera.

After you see the camera image in QC, then Quit QC and start Isadora.
When you set up the 'Broadcaster' file, as per my tutorial, you must 'Show Stages' on that file, at least once to initiate the video stream.
After that you can 'Hide Stages' again.
Then set up the second Isadora file with the Listener actor/s to receive the video stream and begin to have fun :)

jamie

Ilir Gruda

Sorry for bothering you again Jamie but I am having a problem.

I am plugging the Kinnect in the power supply and than in USB and from that point the green light is starting to blink. And than when I am trying to use the Kinect in QC I am not getting any data. Also I have tried to install Synapse for Kinect but again in QC I am not getting any value, but during all the time Kinect is blinking. Do u think that there may be other problems with Kinect such as power supply or something else or should I install something else (driver or anything else), because in my render view I am not saying anything ?

primaldivine

Make sure you plug the USB directly into your laptop not into a USB hub, since some hubs will not send enough power over usb.
A blinking green light is not in itself a problem (as dbini mentions above, it simply means it doesnt recognise a skeleton, but if you are just wanting to grab the depth map image you are not worrid about this).

Have you tried the demo version of NiMate? Its annoying to install and will lock the serial number of your kinect camera to that computer (preventing that kinect working with other computers using NiMate), so if the camera is only borrowed, ie not belonging to you, you should ask the owners permission first. If you try NiMate and it works then you will know that the problem is QC related.

Also please read carefully the blog tutorial again and make sure you have placed all the required files int hr ight places in yoru directories. It is possible that QC is not finding the plugin properly.

I am on my second Kinect camera. The cables can break, and dead kinects are not uncommon. Did you buy it secondhand? Have you ever seen it working?

Jamie

Ilir Gruda

Yes actually I have bought it in second hand and I have not seen it working before. But I will try it firstly with NiMate and than I will try with another Kinect to see where is the problem.

Thank you very much I really appreciate the help

Ilir