1. A system for characterizing a manual welding operation; said system comprising: a stand structure comprising a horizontal welding platform and a vertical portion; where said horizontal welding platform comprises a plurality of point markers having a predetermined relationship, and where said horizontal welding platform is configured to hold a workpiece to be welded in a manual welding operation; a calibration device, said calibration device used to calibrate a position and orientation of an operational path for a weld joint on said workpiece; a welding tool, wherein said welding tool is operative to perform said manual welding operation, and where said welding tool includes a plurality of point markers mounted thereon in a predetermined pattern, where said predetermined pattern defines a rigid body; an optical camera system comprising a plurality of optical cameras, where said optical camera system is coupled to said vertical portion of said stand structure such that said plurality of optical cameras can image said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform during said calibration and said plurality of point markers on said welding tool during said manual welding operation; and a data processing component coupled to said optical camera system to receive images from said plurality of optical cameras, where said data processing component determines each of: the position and orientation of said operational path for said weld joint on said workpiece, where said position and orientation of said operational path is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding a positioning of said plurality of point markers on said horizontal welding platform and said calibration device, and a position and orientation of said welding tool relative to said operational path during said manual welding operation, where said position and orientation of said welding tool is determined using images from said optical camera system regarding the-a position of said plurality of said point markers on said welding tool, wherein said data processing component determines each of a work angle, a travel angle, a travel speed, a bead placement and a tool standoff distance, where said determinations are based on said determined position and orientation of said welding tool for said manual welding operation and said defined rigid body.