Summer 2022 - Igloo Capture

Software	Release Version	Icon

Software	Release Version	Icon
Igloo Capture	3.5.x

Function:

Igloo Capture is an application that allows users to display a multitude of different content types on their Igloo, outside of the images and videos Igloo Warper is capable of directly ingesting. Igloo Capture allows for flexible generation of Capture Inputs with features like capturing regions of interest, alpha channel support and the ability to composite multiple capture sources into a single Capture Input.

The User Interface:

Igloo Capture is split into 3 well defined areas. Capture Inputs are on the left hand segment of the window. Included are the sender names of the capture inputs, along with small previews of the input. The top right segment includes controls for the capture inputs, and the bottom right segment is a larger preview of the currently selected input.

Below is a list of all available capture inputs.

Blackmagic: For Blackmagic branded physical capture cards

DirectShow: For Microsoft DirectShow devices such as physical capture cards and webcams.

NDI (Network Device Interface): For devices that create NDI senders. This can include media servers with relevant software (NewTek NDI Tools, Vmix Desktop Capture, NDI for Adobe CC etc) and BirdDog NDI PTZ cameras.

Desktop: Captures the local desktop. Will capture any desktop on the same graphics card as your primary display

Video: Plays a video file using the same rules as Igloo Warper.

Image: Displays an image file using the same rules as Igloo Warper.

Stream: Captures RTMP and RTSP streams.

Spout: Captures spout senders form the local machine. This could be individual cameras from an external input, or from plugins like the blender to spout plugin.

Navisworks: Capture stills from Navisworks. Igloo Navisworks plugin required.

Revit: Capture stills from Revit. Igloo Revit plugin required.

Window: Captures an individual window on the desktop screen. Operates like desktop capture but regions it around a specific window of interest in that it’ll capture whatever is “in front” of that window.

Youtube: Provide a URL and a canvas size and Igloo Capture will stream the youtube video directly.

This is an excellent way to watch 360 degree youtube videos!

Kona5: Capture input for the AJA Kona5 I/O PCI card.

DataPath: Capture input for DataPath capture cards including the Datapath Vision SC-DP2

PDF: Displays a PDF using an inbuilt PDF reader.

Microsoft Teams: Opens a web browser running Microsoft Teams at a custom resolution.

Zoom: Opens a web browser running Zoom at a custom resolution.

Mentimeter: Provide a URL and a canvas size and Igloo Capture will create a custom browser to host the Mentimeter presentation (https://www.mentimeter.com/).

Loopback: Create a copy of an existing Capture Input (less performance intensive)

Input controls:

With an input selected, input controls appear in the top right segment:

The coordinate pad at the very top represents the Warper Canvas, and the current selected position on that pad determines the capture input’s position on the Warper canvas.

Enable/Disable: Toggle button that shows/hides the capture input on the Warper canvas.

Auto Scale: Automatically scales the input based on the aspect ratio of the input against the aspect ratio of the Warper’s rendering pipeline

Flip: Mirrors the input (as it’s viewed on the Warper canvas) on the Y-Axis

Invert: Mirrors the input (as it’s viewed on the Warper canvas) on the X-Axis

Stretch to Canvas: Stretches the input to match the canvas width. Does not preserve aspect ratio

Reset: Resets all settings

Bring to front & Send to back: Sets the order of capture inputs. Front most will display on the canvas if two inputs share the same canvas space

Size: Uniform x&y axes scaling of the input

Scale: Independent bars for x and y axis scaling

Wrap: Changes the position on the input that the input begins being drawn. Any content that would “spill” is instead drawn on the other side

Playback controls:

Accessible when video-like inputs are selected, the Playback tab gives the same Playback controls accessible on many video players. Videos can be selected and controlled individually where multiple videos are composited together

Pause/Play: Pauses the current video input, or starts video playback, depending on video state

Stop: Stops video playback, and sets the playhead position to 0

Audio: Enables/disables audio output from the selected video

Loop: Checkbox - video will playback again when the video ends if checked

Autoplay: Checkbox - video will immediately begin playback when the capture save file is loaded

Speed: Sets the playback speed of the video

Start: Sets the start point of the video. Will not affect a video set to loop

Editing inputs:

Width & Height: Resolution of the capture output’s canvas. Defaults to native resolution of the first input.

Add input: Allows inputs to be composited together to form a single output

The Advanced menu allows for greater flexibility, allowing a user to crop inputs, and create regions of interest on an input:

X & Y: The inputs start position on the output’s canvas

W & H: The resolution of the input. Defaults to the native resolution of the input

This can be used to stretch or squish an individual input

SX & SY: “Source X and Y”. Defines the coordinates on the source that the capture begins

Functionally, as SX & SY increases, crop the capture source from the left and the top respectively.

SW & SH: “Source Width and Height”. Defines the width and height of the capture region

Input/Output Translation:

Igloo Capture can perform translations on a variety of different well-known VR content types. This can be done on an individual capture input as input translation, or as output translation on a composition of inputs. This allows users to translate common VR formats such as circular fisheye to fit a panoramic scene (See image below), or to create cubemaps from multiple inputs and perform a cubemap to equirectangular translation on the output to convert the entire composition to equirectangular.

TruePerspective:

This feature generates a correct perspective view for a section of the Igloo canvas. The view is generated from a source equirectangular image. Custom to each installation, this requires that the Igloo projection space has been defined using the Igloo Settings tool as described here: https://360igloo.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EDoc/pages/3270609261

The content pulled depends on the canvas space available - i.e, ignoring the floor region if no floor projection is present in the space. Note that this also scales the content automatically to the aspect ratio of the space - no need to stretch or otherwise scale the content in any other direction.

Saving and Loading

Igloo Capture can save capture configurations as custom .ivc files. This is done in file → save as

The most recently used save file will be loaded on startup.

Settings:

Frame Rate: Allows for the monitoring of the application framerate and also allows a setting of a target framerate

High Performance mode: Improves application performance by disabling any input previews.

Show input names: Adds the capture sources as a label on any inputs sent to Igloo Warper

Audio: the audio submenu contains further submenus for handling Sources, Channel mappings, Output device and Master volume. They are described here: https://360igloo.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EDoc/pages/3293151235

Show/Hide Console: toggle the display of the console window.

Other:

360 Mode: choose between Default and Perspective for the handling of equirectangular content.

Enable/Disable Auto Mute Disabled Channels: toggles the auto muting of audio when a channel is disabled. For example, a Capture channel may be displaying a video with audio on the Warper canvas. If the Capture channel is subsequently disabled, the video will continue playing but the audio will be automatically muted.

Enable/Disable Optimise Disabled Channels: toggles the preview of Capture channels when the channel is disabled to improve system performance.