Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1006097
www.postmagazine.com 8 POST JULY 2018 BITS & PIECES MOSCOW, RUSSIA — iPi Soft, LLC, (www.ipisoft.com) developers of advanced motion capture technology, have announced iPi Motion Capture Version 4, a comprehensive, next version of its popular markerless motion-capture soft- ware. Version 4 introduces a realtime preview capability for a single depth sensor. Other new features and enhancements in Version 4 include sup- port for new depth sensors (Intel RealSense D415/D435, ASUS Xtion2 and Orbbec Astra/ Astra Pro); improved arms and body tracking; and support for action cameras such as GoPro and SJCAM. With Version 4, iPi Soft also intro- duces a perpetual license model. "We are delighted to introduce realtime tracking feedback in Version 4 that allows users to preview the motion tracking result transferred to 3D characters at the time of performance," says Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft founder and chief technology architect. "The combination of realtime tracking, expanded support for the latest in depth sensor technology and wide-angle action camera com- patibility in Version 4 elevates the content creation experience for high-end film, television and games customers where a fast and reliable workflow is essential." The new realtime tracking feature in Version 4 uses iPi Recorder, a free software provided by iPi Soft for capturing, play back and processing video re- cords from multiple cameras and depth sensors, to communicate to iPi Mocap Studio software, that tracks in realtime speed and instantly transfers motion to 3D characters. This allows users to see how the motion will look on a 3D charac- ter and improve motion accordingly at the time of acting and recording, with- out the need to redo multiple iterations of acting, recording and offline tracking. Live tracking results can then be stored to disk for additional offline post processing, such as tracking refinement (to improve tracking accuracy), manual corrections and jitter removal to provide end users with an accurate, flexible and efficient workflow. iPi Mocap Version 4 currently includes the realtime tracking feature for a single depth sensor only. iPi Soft is scheduled to bring realtime functionality for multiple depth sensors to users by the end of this year. Development of plug-ins for popular 3D game engines, including Unreal Engine and Unity, is also underway. Realtime tracking and other tracking Improvements include: Realtime track- ing support of human performance for live preview for a single depth sensor (Basic and Pro configurations); motion can be transferred to a 3D character; improved individual body parts tracking, after performing initial tracking, allows users to re-do tracking for selected body parts to fix tracking errors more quickly; and tracking improvements of head and hands when used in conjunc- tion with Sony's PS Move motion controller that takes into account joint limits. Support for new sensors and cameras includes: Support for Intel RealSense D415/D435 depth cameras, Asus Xtion2 motion sensors and Orbbec Astra/ Astra Pro 3D cameras; support for action cameras such as GoPro and SJCAM, including wide-angle cameras, allows users to come closer to the camera decreasing space requirements; ability to calibrate individual internal parame- ters of any camera, which helps users to correctly reconstruct 3D information from video for improved overall tracking quality; and the ability to load unsyn- chronized videos from multiple cameras and then use iPi Recorder to sync and convert footage to .iPiVideo format used by iPi Mocap Studio. With support of action cameras, video frame rate can reach up to 120fps to allow for tracking extremely fast motions. With Version 4, iPi Soft is introducing a perpetual license model. iPi Motion Capture Version 4 is also available as a subscription-based model. Prices range from $165 to $1,995 depending on software version and subscription duration. IPI SOFT ANNOUNCES IPI MOTION CAPTURE VERSION 4 SANTA MONICA, CA — Recently-launched integrated content studio Brickyard Filmworks (www.brickyardfilmworks.com) has debuted new work for Dixie via agency WolfgangLA. Directed by Brickyard's Benji Davidson and an- imated by Brickyard's Anton Thallner, the cam- paign showcases Dixie's new AR teeth brushing app for kids through two live action spots that incorporate whimsical animated characters and other elements seen both in the app and on Dixie's paper kids cups. The two spots, Molar Monsters and Molar System, show how the AR app helps kids brush their teeth for the full dentist-recommended amount of time, as different experiences offer them a fun and educational way to pass the time. Molar Monsters brings to life various crea- tures, each infused with distinct personality traits from character bios provided by Dixie, while Molar System illustrates various friendly planets and a spaceship. Davidson directed the live action, while Thallner brought the animated elements to life in Adobe After Effects using character-rigging techniques to lend personality and the ability to merge into the live-action scenes. From concepting through delivery, the Brickyard Filmworks team worked on the project for four weeks. "It was really fun to get inside a kid's imagina- tion and illustrate different stories that they might be thinking about while they're using the Dixie app," says Thallner. "The worlds inside the app are well thought out, so each character already had names and backstories which was helpful in bringing them to life and making it a real story rather than just an illustration." Davidson adds: "Everyone from Brickyard wore many hats on this project, and it was a really nice collaboration with the team at Wolfgang. The kids were great to work with and had wonderful atti- tudes despite being crowded with the crew into a tiny, functional bathroom all day!" BRICKYARD FILMWORKS BRINGS DIXIE'S KIDS CUPS TO LIFE The team brought elements to life via Aer Effects. Version 4 intro's a realtime preview capability.