Configure a Join Point Clouds View

Combine the point clouds from multiple camera sources and project them to be from the point of view of target_frame:

On the COMPONENTS subtab, navigate to the Create Component menu. Enter a name for your camera, select the type camera, and select the join_pointclouds model.

Creation of a Join Point Clouds view in the Viam app config builder.

Fill in the attributes for your join point clouds view:

Configuration of a Join Point Clouds view in the Viam App config builder.
{
    "name": "<camera_name>",
    "type": "camera",
    "model" : "join_pointclouds",
    "attributes": {
        "target_frame": <string>,
        "source_cameras": ["cam1", "cam2", ... ],
        "proximity_threshold_mm": <integer>,
        "merge_method": "<naive|icp>",
        "intrinsic_parameters": {
            "width_px": <integer>,
            "height_px": <integer>,
            "fx": <float64>,
            "fy": <float64>,
            "ppx": <float64>,
            "ppy": <float64>
        },
        "distortion_parameters": {
            "rk1": <float64>,
            "rk2": <float64>,
            "rk3": <float64>,
            "tp1": <float64>,
            "tp2": <float64>
        },
        "debug": <boolean>
    }
}

The following attributes are available for join point clouds views:

NameInclusionDescription
target_frameRequiredThe frame of reference for the points in the merged point cloud.
source_camerasRequiredThe camera sources to combine.
proximity_threshold_mmOptionalDefines the biggest distance 2 points can have in mm to be considered the same point when merged.
merge_methodOptionalnaive or icp. Defaults to naive.
intrinsic_parametersRequiredThe intrinsic parameters of the camera used to do 2D <-> 3D projections:
  • width_px: The expected width of the aligned image in pixels.
  • height_px: The expected height of the aligned image in pixels.
  • fx: The image center x point.
  • fy: The image center y point.
  • ppx: The image focal x.
  • ppy: The image focal y.
distortion_parametersOptionalModified Brown-Conrady parameters used to correct for distortions caused by the shape of the camera lens:
  • rk1: The radial distortion x.
  • rk2: The radial distortion y.
  • rk3: The radial distortion z.
  • tp1: The tangential distortion x.
  • tp2: The tangential distortion y.
debugOptionalEnables the debug outputs from the camera if true. Defaults to false.

View the camera stream

Once your camera is connected, go to the CONTROL tab, and click on the camera’s dropdown menu. Toggle “View Camera”. If everything is configured correctly, you will see the live video feed from your camera.

Example Camera view inside Viam app

Next Steps