In this article:
Below is a list of the most common user errors and detailed instructions on how to resolve them.
Pre-troubleshooting: Initial configuration and best practices
Many issues with the Coil Pro are caused by missing some critical configuration steps.
This section provides a checklist to ensure your system is optimized for peak performance.
Connect your Smartsuit Pro and Smartgloves to Rokoko Studio. Then inspect the Devices tab, found on the right hand side of your screen. All sensors should display a green indicator, signifying they are functioning correctly.
If the sensors of your Smartsuit Pro or Smartgloves often turn yellow in the Devices panel, this is likely due to magnetic interference. You will need to optimize or change the environment you are recording in.
This helps you to check for any environmental interference and confirm that the Coil Pro's EMF technology is functioning correctly before connecting the Smartgloves to a Smartsuit.
First, connect your Smartgloves and the Coil Pro as illustrated here.
Next, take a walk around the Coil Pro while wearing the Smartgloves to test the spatial positioning. Ensure that the EMF signal strength stays above 95%. You can see this in Rokoko Studio under the Devices tab on the right hand side of your screen. If the signal drops below this threshold of 95%, you're likely experiencing field warping. In these instances, we would advise you to select a different area for your capture space, or identify the offending EMF interference culprits and remove them.
- Choose a location for the Coil Pro where the EMF signal quality in Rokoko Studio is consistently as close to 100% as possible.
- Position the Coil Pro in a way that avoids accidental entry into the saturation zone (i.e right next to your computer). The saturation zone is shown as a red sphere in Studio - approximately 0.5m from the device. Entering this will require recalibration.
- Confirm that the Coil Pro is perfectly level, as it sets the 3D space origin for Studio recordings. You can use a leveling app on your Smartphone to measure this.
- Mount the Coil Pro on a tripod or non-metallic, level object, about 1m high to expand the capture zone and minimize floor-based interference.
- Place the Coil at least 1m from walls or large furniture to enhance the recording space and reduce interference.
When recording with more than one actor, we advise manually adjusting the Coil Pro's height in Studio by ticking the Set distance to floor checkbox. You can find this option by selecting a Coil Pro connected Actor or the Coil Pro icon in the Scene Outliner.
The Coil Pro height is automatically calculated upon calibrating. However, environmental factors and/or non accurate Actor profile measurements may cause the automatic Coil Pro distance to floor value to differ from Actor to Actor. Using the exact measurements from the floor to the bottom of the Coil Pro’s casing can mitigate such issues.
If your shoulder appears to be consistently skewed, manually adjusting the manual Coil height value can often help compensate for environmental interferences - even if it doesn't match the real-world measurements.
USB-C power-banks and batteries used by the Smartgloves can interfere with the EMF signal emitted by the sensor on the gloves. Therefore, it’s critical that you do not store your battery near the arm-sensor, such as tucking it into the glove. This includes tucking the battery into the glove on the other side of the wrist. Our suggestion is to use your pockets with a longer USB–C cable.
Common Issues (and how to resolve them)
My Coil Pro seems affected by magnetic warping. How can I fix it?
If your Coil Pro signal quality is showing a low value in orange or red, the Coil Pro is being affected by magnetic warping. The easiest way to diagnose this issue is to move around your current location and see how the the value changes in Rokoko Studio, to identify where any magnetic "hot spots" are. Alternatively, move the Coil Pro to a new location (after switching it off), or remove items that may have ferromagnetic qualities (like most metal objects). When in a new location, you can check the ‘signal quality’ in the diagnostics panel to see if it improves.
The Coil Pro can also act like a metal detector to find those "hotspots" in your space where the magnetic interference is coming from. To do this, connect your Coil Pro to an extension cord for mobility, calibrate the Coil Pro in a clear area, and then approach various objects. If your Coil Pro flashes with a red light, this indicates magnetic disturbances. This will help you determine what you need to stay away from, and where you should set up and optimize your capture space. Please remember to calibrate/power cycle the Coil Pro after this activity before using the product to ensure it has reset.
What factors can influence a magnetic field?
Performance degradation can occur when the magnetic field is warped.
This can be caused by:
- Material Composition: Certain materials in the environment can disrupt magnetic fields. For instance, ferromagnetic materials like iron, nickel, and cobalt can alter magnetic fields due to their ability to become magnetized themselves. Most metals will influence magnetic fields, but to greatly different extents.
- Physical Obstructions: Physical barriers can block or redirect magnetic fields. For instance, placing a ferromagnetic object between a magnet and its target can shield the target from the magnetic field.
And while less likely, the Coil Pro can also be influenced by:
- Radiation: High-energy radiation, such as gamma rays or X-rays, can disrupt magnetic fields by altering the alignment of magnetic domains in materials or by affecting the behavior of charged particles.
- Electric Currents: Electric currents produce magnetic fields, and changing electric currents can disrupt existing magnetic fields.
- External Magnetic Fields: Strong external magnetic fields can interfere with or distort the original magnetic field. This is why sensitive instruments such as compasses can be affected by nearby magnets. This is not something that is normally observed.
I’m experiencing jitter on the gloves. What can I do?
To alleviate jitter on the gloves, first ensure the arm sensor is correctly extended upwards, without any fabric bunching near the hub. Gently adjust the glove by manipulating the fabric, being careful not to tug on the sensor or cable. For those using SSP1 or the non Glove-ready Smartsuit Pro II, it's crucial to position the battery so it doesn't interfere with the glove sensors. Also, make sure to maintain a distance from the Coil's saturation area, which is about 0.5m around the device, and avoid using props made of ferromagnetic materials to ensure smooth performance.
Hand jitter can also appear if your Smartglove arm sensor and hub get too close to each other or if two Smartgloves gets their hub and arm sensors too close to each other (eventually leading to oversaturation of the signal). This is because the Smartglove hub itself is using EMF technology and creates its own (much smaller) electromagnetic field for the finger sensors. The Coil Pro/arm sensor on the Smartglove will get too much noise if it gets too close to this field, similar to if it gets too close to the Coil Pro itself.
If you continue to experience jittery hands, there may be an issue with your gloves. We recommend reaching out to support@rokoko.com for assistance.
One of my limbs seems to be acting weird. How can I fix this?
When experiencing unusual limb behavior, it's critical to ensure that the sensors are properly placed and rotated, and securely strapped to prevent any shifting. Verify that all connections and cables are in good working order. Begin by testing the suit's functionality without the Coil to isolate the issue.
If the problem persists only when using the Coil Pro, it's essential to re-examine and adjust the Actor profile measurements, as well as the Coil Pro distance to floor. These adjustments will ensure optimal performance when using global positioning data, or help compensate for environmental factors that might cause warping.
The calibration of my actor doesn't seem to have worked - what should I do?
If you've set your Coil Pro up, and are using a scene in Rokoko Studio that was created prior to switching the Coil Pro on, it is possible that the existing data in the scene will cause issues with the Coil's calibration. A quick and easy way to resolve this, is to simply create a new scene within your project. You should then be able to calibrate your actor without issue.
If these steps don't resolve your issue, the sensors might be at fault. For further assistance, please download your log files and prepare a recording of the issue, capturing both your screen and the device in action, and reach out to support@rokoko.com.
The Rokoko team is constantly working on improving the magnetic field model that is the foundation for our system accuracy, and are investigating ways where the Rokoko system can be more adaptive to the environment. These improvements will be pushed to customers in firmware and Studio updates as they are tested and validated by our team of experts.