Adding extra servers or systems

Follow-Me 3D SIX + Extra Server

If want more than 6 targets/performers for a Follow-Me SIX system it is advised to add an additional licensed rack server.The original server can look after targets 1-6, whilst the newly added second server can look after performers 7-12. 

Both servers are of course networked, with the showfile from the original server duplicated and loaded onto the additional server.

So, one camera is shared between the two systems, that camera feed is split on a good quality SDI splitter with the intention of adding minimal extra latency. Therefore performers 1-6 appearing on one monitor, and 7-12 on a separate second monitor. With that duplicated showfile on the second server, simply delete targets 1-6 and create targets 7-12.

Now you have a dual server system operating and following up to 12 targets.

Follow-Me 3D SIX + Extra Systems

The supplied Follow-Me camera set with its included 3 lenses allows you to cover 80-90% of stage areas. But sometimes when covering a particularly wide, deep or abstract space, an extra solution is needed  – For example maybe a camera covering the main stage and another camera covering a B-stage & catwalk. In this scenario you need to have the extra camera(s) but the crosshairs need to move from one system/monitor to the other(s), so therefore in reality extra systems are needed – One system per camera view.

One Follow-Me system becomes the master / primary system processing the data (outputting PosiStageNet), whilst the other secondary systems are visualising the crosshairs in their respective areas when needed (receiving PSN).

So, we could create a full Follow-Me ecosystem where it is seamless, and multiple systems are linked. The crosshairs can seamlessly move from one system/monitor to another.

The amount of systems needed generally depends on the camera placements.

We have done setups with many systems, there is no hard limit on the maximum amount.

In the diagram below we use a primary Follow-Me System to cover the left hand side of a very wide stage – it’s camera is calibrated to Calibration Points 1-4. We add another Follow-Me System as a secondary to cover the right hand side of the stage, it’s camera is calibrated to Calibration Points 3-6. So you can see the systems share 2 calibration points. Meaning the crosshair moves from one system to the other. You can even overlap the views a little bit to really create a seamless move, so the operator doesn’t lose sight of the crosshair.

Extra System with no seamless crosshair movement

Here we can see a stadium setup with a main stage in green and a separate / unconnected b-stage in blue. A primary system will cover the green area, the secondary system will cover the blue area. Camera position and directions are shown too.

So these are two systems working together. The primary is working to cover the green area with fixtures refined and working only in that area. This systems outputs PSN to the secondary system.

That secondary system is using a different camera and fixtures on nearby trusses or the FOH tower. Any targets can work in both systems – Presets positions could be saved in either to allow for the crosshairs to be quickly and efficiently moved from one to another.

So re-orientating the diagram, below we can see the origin and 4 calibration points for the camera (and fixture) calibration for the primary system. These 4 calibration are (as normal) referenced from that origin point.

Then moving onto the B-Stage we can see 4 new / additional calibration points for calibrating that secondary system – again these new points are for both camera and fixture calibration.

So above we have created two systems working together, allowing an operator looking after target 1 to operate on both stages depending on where the performer is.

Follow-Me 3D TWO or SIX + Extra Cameras – 

This is a scenario involving one Follow-Me 3D system in a multi-purpose environment. So, it is using multiple cameras and therefore multiple camera positions for various shows. Maybe one show is a standard arena concert at one end of the arena. The second could be an ice hockey game following the performer as the enter the arena or when they score a point. The third could be a basketball game to follow performers walking on, being introduced and joining the line-up at the beginning of the game.

So, in this scenario it could easily be 3 separate camera sets (with lens specific to that view) permanently located in the 3 positions. All 3 camera SDI feeds go into one good quality SDI switcher. All the work really happens at the Follow-Me control/server position.

It is easy to achieve – the Follow-Me 3D server will have a showfile and camera position/calibration saved for each environment. As the shows happen on different days and times, the differing showfiles get opened as and when needed & the switcher is used to connect the relevant camera.

Showfile 1 could be a concert setup:

Showfile 2 could be an ice hockey setup:

Showfile 3 could be a basketball setup: