Following the Motive 3.0.2 release, an internet connection is no longer required for initial use of Motive. If you are currently using Motive 3.0.1 or older, please install this new release from our Software webpage. Please note that an internet connection is still required to download Motive.exe from the OptiTrack website.
Important Update:
New licensing system in Motive 3. Please check the OptiTrack website for details on Motive licenses.
Security Key (Motive 3.x): Starting from version 3.0, a USB Security Key will be required to use Motive. USB Hardware Keys that were used for activating older versions of Motive will no longer work with 3.0, and they will need to be replaced with the USB Security key. For any questions, please contact us.
Hardware Key (Motive 2.x or below): Motive 2.x versions will still require USB Hardware Key.
USB Cameras
USB cameras, including Flex series, tracking bars, and Slim3U, cameras are not supported in 3.x versions currently. For USB camera systems, please use Motive 2.x versions. Go to Motive 2.3 documentation.
Required PC specifications may vary depending on the size of the camera system. Generally, you will be required to use the recommended specs with a system with more than 24 cameras.
| Recommended | Minimum |
|---|---|
To install Motive, you must first download the Motive installer from our website. Follow the Downloads link under the Support page (http://optitrack.com/downloads/), and you will be able to find the newest version of Motive or the previous releases if needed. Both Motive: Body and Motive: Tracker use the same software installer.
1. Run the Installer
When the download is complete, run the installer to initiate the installation process.
2. Install the USB Driver and Dependencies
If you are installing Motive for the first time, it will prompt you to install the OptiTrack USB Driver. This driver is required for all OptiTrack USB devices including the Security Key. You may also need to install other dependencies such as the C++ redistributable. After all dependencies have been installed, continue onto installing Motive.
3. Install Motive
Follow the installation prompts and install Motive in your desired file directory. We recommend installing the software in the default directory, C:\Program File\OptiTrack\Motive.
4. OptiTrack Peripheral Module
At the Custom Setup section of the installation process, you will be asked to choose whether to install the Peripheral Devices along with Motive. If you plan to use force plate, NI-DAQ, or EMG devices along with the motion capture system, then make sure the Peripheral Device is installed. If you are not going to be using these devices, you may skip to the next step.
Peripheral Module NI-DAQ
If you decided to install the Peripheral Device, then you will be prompted to install the OptiTrack Peripherals Module along with NI-DAQmx driver at the end of the Motive installation. Press Yes to install the plugins and the NI-DAQmx driver. This may take a few minutes to install. This only needs to be done one time.
5. Finish Installation
After you have completed all the steps above, Motive will be installed. If you want to use additional plugins, visit the downloads page.
Firewall / Anti-Virus
Make sure all antivirus software on the Host PC allows Motive.
For Ethernet cameras, make sure the windows firewall is configured to allow the camera network to be recognized. Disabling the firewall entirely is another option.
During installation, some antivirus programs (i.e. BitDefender and McAfee) may block Motive from being downloaded. Our software directly downloaded from OptiTrack.com/downloads is safe for use and will not harm your computer. If an antivirus program allows Motive to download, but you're still unable to view cameras in the Devices pane, or you are seeing frame/data drops, you'll need to reverify that your antivirus or firewall settings are allowing all traffic from your camera network to Motive and vice versa. In some rare cases with some antivirus software, you may need to completely uninstall the antivirus software if it continues to interfere with camera communication.
High-Performance
Windows power saving mode limits CPU usage. In order to best utilize Motive, set this mode to the High Performance mode and remove the limitations. You can configure the High Performance Mode from Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options as shown in the image below.
Graphics Card Settings
This is only for computers with integrated graphics.
For computers with integrated graphics, please make sure Motive is set to run on the dedicated graphics card. If the host computer has integrated graphics on the CPU, the PC may switch to using integrated graphics when the computer goes to sleep mode, and when this happens, the viewport may go unresponsive when it exits out of sleep mode. If you have integrated graphics on the computer, go to the Graphics Settings on Windows, and browse Motive to set it as high-performance graphics.
Once you have installed Motive, the next step is to activate the software using the provided license information and a USB Security Key. Motive activation requires a valid Motive 3.0 license, a USB Security Key, and a computer with USB C ports or an adapter for USB A to USB C.
For Motive 3.0 and above, a USB Security Key is required to use the camera system. This key is different from the previous Hardware Key and it improves the security of the camera system. The Security Keys will need to be purchased separately. For more information, please refer to the following page:
There are five different types of Motive licenses: Motive:Body-Unlimited, Motive:Body, Motive:Tracker, Motive:Edit-Unlimited, and Motive:Edit. Each license unlocks different features in the software depending on the use case that the license is intended to facilitate.
The Motive:Body and Motive:Body-Unlimited licenses are intended for either small (up to 3) or large-scale Skeleton tracking applications.
The Motive:Tracker license is intended for real-time Rigid Body tracking applications.
The Motive:Edit and Motive:Edit Unlimited licenses are intended for users modifying data after it has been captured already.
For more information on different types of Motive licenses, check the software comparison table on our website or in the table below.
Step 1. Launch Motive
First, launch Motive.
Step 2. Activate
The Motive splash screen will pop up and it will indicate that the license is not found. Click to open the license tool and fill out the following fields using provided license information. You will need the License Serial Number and License Hash from your order invoice and the Hardware Key Serial Number indicated on the USB security key or the hardware key. Once you have entered all the information, click Activate. If you have already activated the license before on another machine, make sure the same name is entered when activating.
Online Activation Tool
The Motive License can also be activated from online using the Online License Activation tool. When you use the online License Activation Tool, you will receive the license file via email. In this case, you will have to place the file in the license folder. Once the license file is placed, insert the corresponding USB Hardware Key to use Motive.
Step 3. License File
If Motive is activated properly, license files will be placed in the license folder. This folder can be accessed from the splash screen or by navigating to Start Menu → All Programs → OptiTrack → OptiTrack License Folder.
License Folder: C:\ProgramData\OptiTrack\License
Step 4. Security Key
If not already done, insert the corresponding Security Key that was used to activate the license. The matching security key must be connected to the computer in order to use Motive.
Notes on Connecting the Security Key
Connect the Security Key to a USB port where the USB bus does not have a lot of traffic. This is important especially if you have other peripheral devices that connect to the computer via USB ports. If there is too much data flowing through the USB bus used by the Security Key, Motive might not be able to connect the cameras.
Make sure the USB Hardware Key is unplugged. If both the Hardware Key and the Security Key are plugged into the same computer, Motive may not activate properly.
About Motive
You can also check the status of the activated license from the About Motive pop-up. This can be accessed in the splash screen when it fails to detect a valid license, or it can be accessed from the Help``→``About Motive menu in Motive.
License Data:
In this panel, you can also export license data into a TXT file by clicking on the License Data.... If you are having any issues with activating Motive, please export and attach the license data file in the email.
OptiTrack software can be used on a new computer by reactivating the license, using the same license information. When reactivating, make sure to enter the same name information as before. After the license has been reactivated, the corresponding USB Security Key needs to be inserted into the PC in order to verify and run the software.
Another method of using the license is by copying the license file from the old computer to the new computer. The license file can be found in the OptiTrack License folder which can be accessed through the Motive Splash Screen or top Help menu in Motive.
For more information on licensing of Motive, refer to the Licensing FAQs from the OptiTrack website:
For more questions, contact our Support:
When contacting support, please attach the license data (TXT) file exported from the About Motive panel as a reference.
| License | Motive Edit | Motive Edit Unlimited | Motive Tracker | Motive Body | Motive Body Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OS: Windows 10, 11 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i7 or better, running at 3 GHz or greater
RAM: 16GB of memory
GPU: GTX 1050 or better with the latest drivers and support for OpenGL 3.2+
OS: Windows 10, 11 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i7, 3 GHz
RAM: 4GB of memory
GPU that supports OpenGL 3.2+
Live Rigid Bodies
0
0
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Live Skeletons
0
0
0
Up to 3
Unlimited
Edit Rigid Bodies
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Edit Skeletons
Up to 3
Unlimited
0
Up to 3
Unlimited
