5DT Data Glove Ultra Series User manual

5DT Data Glove Ultra Series
User’s Manual
Fifth Dimension Technologies
www.5DT.com

5DT Data Glove Ultra
User’s Manual
Copyright © 2007 5DT (Fifth Dimension Technologies), All rights reserved. No part of
this manual, software or hardware may be copied, reproduced, translated or reduced
to any electronic medium or machine readable format without the written consent of
5DT (Fifth Dimension Technologies).
All trademarks and trade names are the respective property of their owners.
Version 1.2 January 2007

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................1
2. Setup and Installation.............................................................................................2
2.1. Package Contents........................................................................................2
2.2. Connecting the Glove ..................................................................................2
3. Software Installation...............................................................................................3
3.1. CD Contents ................................................................................................3
3.2. Installed Software ........................................................................................4
4. Using GloveManager..............................................................................................5
4.1. Starting GloveManager................................................................................5
4.2. Opening USB Gloves...................................................................................5
4.2.1 Scanning for Gloves .............................................................................5
4.2.2 Opening Gloves....................................................................................6
4.3. Opening Serial and Wireless Gloves ...........................................................8
4.3.1 Scanning for Gloves .............................................................................8
4.3.2 Opening Gloves....................................................................................8
4.4. The Graph View.........................................................................................10
4.4.1 The Menu Bar.....................................................................................11
4.4.2 Toolbar................................................................................................12
4.4.3 Tab Bar...............................................................................................13
4.4.4 The Sensor Graphs ............................................................................13
4.4.5 The Sensor Info Box...........................................................................14
4.4.6 The Status Bar....................................................................................16
4.5. The Sensor Selection View........................................................................16
4.6. Glove Calibration .......................................................................................17
4.7. Recording...................................................................................................19
5. Using the Gloves in Kaydara MOCAP™..............................................................20
5.1. Installation..................................................................................................20
5.2. Opening the Glove.....................................................................................20
5.3. Opening Wireless Gloves...........................................................................21
5.4. Calibration..................................................................................................23
5.5. Model Binding............................................................................................24
6. Using the SDK......................................................................................................27
6.1. Introduction................................................................................................27
6.2. Using the SDK ...........................................................................................27

6.3. Sample Source Code.................................................................................27
6.4. Supported Gloves......................................................................................28
6.5. Sensor Mappings for the 5DT Data Glove 5 ..............................................28
6.6. Sensor Mappings for the 5DT Data Glove 16 and 14 Ultra........................29
6.7. Gesture Definitions ....................................................................................30
6.8. Auto-Calibration.........................................................................................32
7. Troubleshooting and Support...............................................................................33
7.1. General Troubleshooting ...........................................................................33
7.1.1 Physical Connection Problems...........................................................33
7.1.2 Software Connection Problems ..........................................................33
7.2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)...........................................................33
7.3. Support ......................................................................................................34
8. Warranty Information............................................................................................35
8.1. Thirty (30) Day Customer Satisfaction Guarantee .....................................35
8.2. One (1) Year Product Warranty .................................................................35
8.3. Exclusions..................................................................................................35
8.4. Warranty Claim Instructions.......................................................................35
9. About 5DT............................................................................................................37
Appendix A – Hardware Specifications ....................................................................39
Appendix B – Serial Protocol....................................................................................40
Appendix C – SDK Function Descriptions................................................................42

1
1. Introduction
The 5DT Data Glove Ultra is a hand data motion capturing solution for
animation and virtual reality.
The 5DT Data Glove Ultra is the second generation of 5DT’s high-end data
glove and has been completely redesigned and optimized for the best
performance and ease of use. This glove measures finger flexure as well as the
abduction between the fingers. Finger flexure is measured at two places (1st
joint (knuckle), 2nd joint) on each finger.
Among the features of this kit are:
•The glove is comfortable with an improved design for differently-sized
hands.
•The accurate and sensitive sensors give a clean signal, minimizing the
need for additional filtering.
•Diagnostic software is included with the capability to record hand data.
•The package includes a plug-in for Kaydara MOCAP™.
•The gloves’ functions and data are accessible via the 5DT Data Glove
SDK.
•The glove data stream from the optional serial kit is an RS-232 data
stream with an open protocol allowing for various platform
implementations.

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2. Setup and Installation
2.1. Package Contents
When first unpacking your glove, please ensure that all the parts are there. If
you are missing anything please contact 5DT or your reseller immediately.
The 5DT Data Glove Ultra consists of the following:
1. 5DT Data Glove Ultra (5 or 14 Sensor)
2. 5DT Data Glove Ultra Series USB cable
3. 5DT Data Glove CD
2.2. Connecting the Glove
Connect the glove to the PC as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 – Connecting the Glove to the PC.
You can use GloveManager to test the operation of the glove. Detail on this is
given in Section 4of this manual.

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3. Software Installation
Your package comes with a CD that contains documentation and utilities to help
you get up and running with the gloves as quickly as possible.
Most of the supplied programs and software are intended for 32-bit Windows,
and require Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP.
The setup program should run when you insert the CD, but if it doesn’t, run the
program setup.exe in the install directory and follow the on-screen instructions.
When prompted, check the 5DT Data Glove Ultra box to install the software for
this product.
3.1. CD Contents
The CD contains the following directories:
…\Acrobat
This copy of Adobe®Acrobat®Reader will allow you to read the documentation.
…\DirectX
The CD-ROM also contains the redistributable version of DirectX 9.0. You will
need this if you want to run the DirectX implementations of the Glove Demos
(DirectX and OpenGL demos are supplied). To install DirectX 9.0, open the
folder and run dxsetup.exe.
…\Install
This contains the software installation files.

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3.2. Installed Software
By default the setup program will install your files to the following directory:
C:\Program Files\5DT\Data Glove Ultra
The installation contains the following directories:
…\Demo
This folder contains the 3D glove demo. Click on GloveDemo.exe to start the
demo1.
…\Documents
This directory contains the electronic copy of this manual in pdf format and
application notes as they become available.
…\GloveManager
GloveManager is a program that allows you to test your gloves and access
advanced glove functions which may not be available in the plug-ins. More
detail on this is given in Section 4.
…\Plugins
This directory contains the plug-in for Kaydara MOCAP™ which replaces the
built-in Kaydara glove plug-in. More detail on this is given in Section 5.
…\SDK
This directory contains the 5DT Glove SDK files. These are described in detail
in Section 6.
1The 3D glove demo will not function with the Data Glove Ultra USB.

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4. Using GloveManager
The 5DT GloveManager is a useful tool accompanying the Data Glove which
may be used for the following:
•Testing the 5DT Data Glove
•Obtaining good calibrated values for the 5DT Data Glove
•Logging data obtained from the 5DT Data Glove
Note: All images are shown for the Data Glove 14 Ultra. Images will differ
slightly for the Data Glove 5 Ultra.
4.1. Starting GloveManager
Start the program by running GloveManager.exe, which is installed in the
\Data Glove Ultra\GloveManager\ folder by default. The setup tab window will
appear (see below).
Figure 2 – The Setup Tab Window
4.2. Opening USB Gloves
4.2.1 Scanning for Gloves
Clicking the button in the setup tab window causes GloveManager to
scan the USB for available gloves. This is useful if you have plugged in the

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glove after starting GloveManager. Once the USB scan is complete the USB
device tree will be updated to show available gloves.
Figure 3 – Result of the USB Scan
As can be seen in Figure 3, the Port Scan has found two wireless gloves on
COM1. The right hand glove is plugged into Port A of the wireless transmitter
unit. The left hand glove is plugged into Port B.
4.2.2 Opening Gloves
A glove may by opened by clicking the button after a USB glove has
been selected in the device tree.
Figure 4 – Selecting the Glove to be Opened
If the glove has been successfully opened the tab window will automatically
switch to the newly opened glove, as shown in Figure 5. Double-clicking on a
USB glove will also cause GloveManager to attempt to open the glove.