BlackTrax
Infrared optical tracking that feeds lighting and video the same position data — in lockstep, at 100 Hz.
What it is
BlackTrax is a vision-based tracking system from CAST Software: performers or objects carry infrared LED beacons, ceiling-mounted cameras triangulate them, and the system streams 3D and 6D (position plus orientation) data at 100 Hz over the RTTrP protocol. Its strength is multi-department reach — the same stream that drives lighting can drive media servers and real-time engines, which is why it shows up on large-scale spectacle and immersive work.
How we work with it
We design and commission BlackTrax deployments: camera placement against the rig plot and sightline reality, beacon strategy per performer and prop, and the downstream routing that lands identical position data on lighting and video. On touring spectacle we've commissioned systems that had to hold calibration across venue changes — the documentation and re-survey workflow is part of the deliverable.
Camera coverage design against real sightlines
Beacon assignment for performers, props, and scenery
Lighting + video lockstep via RTTrP / PSN routing
Commissioning, calibration, and venue-to-venue re-survey workflow
Right when
- Lighting and video must react to the same movement — projection following a performer while fixtures do the same.
- The show needs orientation, not just position — 6D data for objects that rotate as they move.
- Large venues where camera infrastructure can be rigged with clean coverage.
Look elsewhere when
- The rig lives in heavy haze or scenery breaks camera sightlines constantly — UWB radio tracking degrades more gracefully there.
- The production timeline can't absorb camera rigging and survey — simpler direct-to-desk systems commission faster.
BlackTrax or Zactrack?
The honest answer is: it depends on the show. BlackTrax is optical — it needs camera sightlines but delivers orientation data and very high update rates that video departments love. Zactrack is radio — indifferent to haze and occlusion, faster to deploy in hostile sightline conditions. We don't take commissions from either, so the recommendation follows the show, not the contract.
Can BlackTrax drive media servers?
Yes — RTTrP is consumed by major media servers and real-time engines, which is exactly why BlackTrax fits shows where video and lighting share the tracking data.