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Optical Motion Capture Software

Visualize, and edit motion data with unmatched precision in the world’s most advanced motion capture software

Get Motive

What is Motive?

Motive software pairs with OptiTrack cameras to track and capture the motion of small retroreflective markers attached to people and objects, and delivers real-time motion data with industry-leading accuracy.

Motive offers simple setup, supports larger volumes and produces clean data. Tracking data is used in numerous ways from robotics and movement sciences to video game animation, cinematic virtual production and location-based virtual reality.

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Duplex Mode™

Duplex Mode adds the ability to capture both object mode and MJPEG mode from the same camera at the same time. This allows cameras to be used for both tracking and reference video, unlocking markerless workflows.

Skeletal Solver

Motive 3’s precision solver delivers accurate skeletal movement, higher confidence in performance capture, and reliable tracking even with hidden or lost markers. This reduces editing time and improves results across applications.

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Active Tracking vs Passive Tracking

Active Tracking

Active tracking uses battery-powered LED markers that emit light in a coded pattern, allowing each marker to be uniquely identified. This enables robust tracking in difficult environments, like brightly lit LED stages or multi-object scenarios.

Passive Tracking

Passive tracking uses reflective markers that bounce infrared light from OptiTrack cameras back to the lens. It’s ideal for complex tracking volumes where cost-effective, lightweight markers are preferred.

Key Features

Leveraging advancements in machine learning, Motive now enables you to track and label anything you can imagine all in real time.

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One-click subject calibration.

Calibrate new performers, subjects, patients, athletes and skeletons in an instant, with a single button click. You can even do so with multiple subjects in the volume at once. The character pipelines into Unreal Engine, Unity, MotionBuilder, and several others are polished for production ease and reliability.

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Continuous Calibration

After your initial setup, Motive auto-calibrates during normal use. Calibration no longer degrades over time with changing temperatures or building movement—it is always a “fresh” calibration delivering precision tracking.

Flexible Real-Time Streaming

Motive allows you to stream real-time data into Visual3D, InSight, MotionMonitor, Unreal, Unity, MotionBuilder, or build custom interfaces with our free SDKs.

Streaming Types

  • NatNet (UDP with Multicast/Unicast options)
  • VRPN

Lab Integrations

  • STT InSight
  • TheMotionMonitor
  • Visual3D
  • MATLAB
  • LabView

Plugins

  • Unreal Engine
  • Unity
  • MotionBuilder
  • OpenVR (HMD Tracking)
  • Maya (VCS only)

Camera Setup and Operation is Easy.

Motive makes system setup easy. Aim Assist, auto-masking, one-click rigid body creation, versatile hardware and the industry's longest range cameras make even large systems easy to set up with just one person.

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Forcelate and EMG Integration

Native, plug-and-play support for all major digital force plates (AMTI, Bertec and Kistler), Delsys EMG, and analog devices, providing researchers the tools they need most for real-time display, reporting and analysis.

Motive:Tracker can send unlabled 3D marker position data to STT InSight, a complete, real-time scientific and clinical 3D human motion analysis solution.

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User Customization

Motive’s workflow makes it easy to create and customize hundreds of new trackables, initialize a dozen performers, return to yesterday’s work, or to start trials for a new patient.

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Hotkeys

Redesigned to visualize hotkey assignments, allowing for extremely fast navigation among viewports, and fully customizable workflows.

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Custom Scripting

Python and C# batch scripting tools with powerful templates—ready be used out of the box, or as a starting point for custom workflows.

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Mouse Presets

Match assignments to other 3D packages, including Maya, Blade, MotionBuilder and Visual3D, or make custom presets in seconds.

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New Viewports

Create the perfect workspace with improved visualizations, 3D rendering, and per-viewport customization options.

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Manual 3D digitization ready

Precisely digitize objects both large and small using the OptiTrack Micron Probe. Easy to use software workflows enable fast and accurate 3D characterization of an infinite number of surfaces and objects, with world leading accuracy.

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Mix and Match Cameras

Primeˣ cameras work together seamlessly to build the perfect system for any use case.

Ready to build your system? Our team will tailor a motion capture solution to your space, goals, and application — so you get the best performance from day one.

© 2025 NaturalPoint, Inc. DBA OptiTrack