Vicon iQ software features intelligent fitting algorithms. © Vicon.

New MoCap Innovations From Vicon
Speaking of Vicon, it debuted a new MoCap software solution that provides a single unified and future-looking toolset that supports the growing demands of realtime motion capture, full performance capture and on-set visualization, and makes processing and applying motion capture data for the 3D animation pipeline simpler and more direct.

The software includes the following capabilities and advancements:

• Scalable realtime motion capture: Connect and scale up systems to handle today’s ever-increasing camera counts and amounts of data. Manage multi-person capture shoots and realize radical improvements for realtime capture.

• Fast and efficient, kinematic solving and re-targeting: Bring clean and accurate motion data rapidly to a 3D application with the flexibility of House of Moves Diva software and the intelligent fitting algorithms of Vicon iQ.

• Post-processing for full performance capture: Batch and farm. Handle large quantities of facial, finger and body marker information derived from multiple performers and longer scenes. Tap into a completely customizable motion capture scripting engine that is deeply entrenched in the industry.

• On-set playback and visualization tools: Immediately visualize and verify results and how they work with other elements with realtime display of rendered characters meshes and lighting effects, video synchronization, audio and video camera overlay.

• Enhanced system setup: Streamline everything from system configuration to troubleshooting with enhanced intuitive management and control.

The new Vicon software can be configured as a simpler tool for smaller motion capture departments, or as a highly customized and hardware-scalable tool for very large studio uses. Key enabling capabilities include support for realtime playback of video and motion capture data, with fully rendered and lit digital characters either side-by-side with or composited over video. The software will also enable customers to replicate the point of view of video or reference cameras.

The Vicon software will be available in October as an upgrade to existing Vicon customers, and to new Vicon MX customers.

Meanwhile, the number of cameras for all-CG movies has increased from 64 on The Polar Express to 100 on Monster House to 200 on Beowulf. At the same time, volume size and density of character capture move quickly for production.

The latest line of cameras break up software to chain them in parallel and combine them later in smaller format, as animation gets closer to the MoCap stage. First unit Mocap of the kind ILM developed in-house for Dead Man’s Chest is being targeted for the future.

NVIDIA debuted the Plex 1000, the latest in its Quadro line. © NVIDIA.

NVIDIA Introduces Quadro Plex 1000 Visual Computing System
In addition to unveiling Gelato 2.1, NVIDIA premiered the Quadro Plex 1000, touted as the first external dedicated Visual Computing System (VCS). Dubbed by one as “the rebirth of SGI,” the Quadro Plex offers advanced scalability in a sleek desktop or dense 3U rackmount configuration for demanding professional applications such as those powering multiple streams of 4K high-definition video, 3D styling and design, scientific and medical visualization, oil and gas exploration or visual simulation and training. “People are constrained by graphics capabilities — this removes the constraints.”

Featuring NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU technology, the Quadro Plex is an external visual compute system delivering:

• Massive density of up to 20x when compared to traditional GPU solutions

• Performance of up to 80-billion pixels/sec and seven billion vertices/sec

• Resolutions as high as 148 megapixels on 16 synchronized digital-output channels and eight HD SDI channels

• Scalability beyond current solutions, offering multiple configurations ranging from a single system to a cluster to further scale system ability

The Quadro Plex 1000 is compatible with an officially certified set of x86 32- and 64-bit Intel and AMD processors running Windows and Linux operating systems. Quadro Plex is planned to be certified on all industry-leading applications and ship in September, with prices starting at $17,500.

Demos by GeoProbe (oil drilling data in 3D) revealed “Design & Context” applicability, while 3D mapping by Google Earth of before and after shots of Lebanon offered the power of 3D detail.

New features in Gelato 2.1 GPU-accelerated, final-frame rendering software include:

• Easier texture baking and full support for Maya bake sets.

• Faster ray tracing—an average 30% improvement over Gelato 2.0 with a smaller memory footprint for dense polygon meshes.

• Improved stereo rendering features a new off-axis projection mode and a better anaglyph (red/blue) display in the image viewer.

• A modified Mango plug-in supports Maya 8, 64-bit Maya, additional Maya shader nodes and volumetric effects from spotlight cones, texture bake sets and rendering of components.

• Windows 64-bit support for Gelato Pro rendering software.

• Powerful Sorbetto technology relighting feature in Gelato Pro software now offers interactive adjustment of camera parameters, including depth-of-field and stereo controls and support for dynamic shadows.