Vision sensor dialog

The vision sensor dialog is part of the scene object properties dialog, which is located at [Menu bar --> Tools --> Scene object properties]. You can also open the dialog with a double-click on an object icon in the scene hierarchy, or with a click on its toolbar button:

[Scene object properties toolbar button]


In the scene object properties dialog, click the Vision sensor button to display the vision sensor dialog (the Vision sensor button only appears if the last selection is a vision sensor). The dialog displays the settings and parameters of the last selected vision sensor. If more than one vision sensor is selected, then some parameters can be copied from the last selected vision sensor to the other selected vision sensors (Apply to selection-buttons):

[Vision sensor dialog]


  • Enable all vision sensors: turns the vision sensor functionality on and off for all vision sensors.
  • Explicit handling: indicates whether the sensor should be explicitely handled. If checked, the sensor will not be handled when simHandleVisionSensor(sim_handle_all_except_explicit) is called, but only if simHandleVisionSensor(sim_handle_all) or simHandleVisionSensor(visionSensorHandle) is called. This is useful if the user wishes to handle the sensor in a child script rather than in the main script (if not checked the sensor will be handled twice, once when simHandleVisionSensor(sim_handle_all_except_explicit) is called in the main script, and once when simHandleVisionSensor(visionSensorHandle) is called in the child script). Refer also to the section on explicit and non-explicit calls.
  • External input: when selected, then the vision sensor's normal operation will be altered so as to be able to treat and filter external images instead (e.g. video images).
  • Perspective mode: allows selecting between the perspective projection type and the orthogonal projection type vision sensor.
  • Use local lights: if enabled, then only local lights parented with this vision sensor (i.e. built on top of this vision sensor) will be activated when displaying this vision sensor's image content. Lights can be made local in the light dialog.
  • Show volume when not detecting: if selected, the detection volume is shown when the sensor didn't trigger.
  • Show volume when detecting: if selected, the detection volume is shown when the sensor triggered.
  • Show fog if enabled: if disabled, then this vision sensor won't see any fog if fog is enabled. Also refer to the environment dialog.
  • Ignore RGB info (faster): if selected, the RGB information of the sensor (i.e. the color) will be ignored so that it can operate faster. Use this option if you only rely on the depth information of the sensor.
  • Ignore depth info (faster): if selected, the depth information of the sensor will be ignored so that it can operate faster. Use this option if you do not intend to use the depth information of the sensor.
  • Near / far clipping plane: the minimum / maximum distance from which the sensor will be able to detect.
  • Perspective angle: the maximum opening angle of the detection volume when the sensor is in perspective mode.
  • Orthographic size: the maximum size (along x or y) of the detection volume when the sensor is not in perspective mode.
  • [Detection value parameters of the orthographic-type vision sensor]


    [Detection value parameters of the perspective-type vision sensor]


  • Resolution X / Y: desired x- / y-resolution of the image captured by the vision sensor. Carefully chose the resolution depending on your application (high resolution will result in slower operation). With older graphic card models, the actual resolution might be different from what is indicated here (old graphic card models only support resolutions at 2^n, where n is 0, 1, 2, etc.).
  • Object size X / Y / Z: size of the body-part of the vision sensor. This has no functional effect.
  • Adjust default image color: allows specifying the color that should be used in areas where nothing was rendered. By default, the environment fog color is used.
  • Entity to render: allows specifying what entity should be rendered.
  • Show filter dialog: toggles the vision sensor filter dialog. That dialog allows specifying filters to apply to captured images.
  • Object colors: allows adjusting the various colors of a vision sensor.

  • Recommended topics

  • Vision sensors
  • Vision sensor types and mode of operation
  • Vision sensor filter dialog
  • Vision sensor filter composition
  • Renderable objects
  • Object common properties dialog