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Motion Analysis Offers Multi-Person, Realtime MoCap System

Motion Analysis Corp. recently delivered its multi-person realtime motion-capture system to XTrackrZ Inc. A 20- camera Eagle-4 Digital system was used for capturing six performers at 120 fps in realtime in the Los Angeles studio of XTrackrZ. Each performer was wearing 42 markers. The Eagle-4 cameras captured and Motion Analysis EVaRT software tracked the motion, solved and retargeted the data of all six performers in realtime.

We captured six performers in a volume of 41 feet long by 39 feet wide by 14 feet high, said Mark Greenberg, president of XTrackrZ. It was quite impressive to see a volume of that size covered with relatively few cameras. We used 16 cameras around the perimeter and four overhead in the interior of the volume. The cameras facing each other were 70 feet apart. We did a test to see how far a camera could see a marker that was 10mm in diameter. The cameras were able to see the marker with four lines of resolution at 53 feet. I was astonished.

Using a dual AMD 64-bit Opteron powered computer, we were able to track and identify six characters in realtime. A first for us. We had performers rolling on the floor, interacting with each other, and entering and leaving the capture volume at random. The Eagle-4 system tracked all of the performers flawlessly.

Greenberg added that they also solved for six DOF skeletal segmental data using MACs Calcium software in realtime. This was an industry first to track, solve and retarget data for six performers. If we hadnt been limited by the character-rendering computer, we would have been able to animate seven or eight characters in realtime. The limit of six characters is a result of being out of clock cycles (we tried seven but it was just too much). The solution for that is already here AMD has a dual core processor. Multiple character realtime motion-capture capabilities represent a major productivity improvement for the animation industry.

Multiple character previsualization has been an industry request for many years, added Rita Maloney, vp of marketing for Motion Analysis. This capability is unmatched in the MoCap industry.

Motion Analysis Corp. (www.motionanalysis.com) of Santa Rosa, California, is a leading provider of optical motion-capture systems in entertainment, videogames, film, broadcasting, virtual reality, medicine, sports and research. Recent film projects include KING KONG, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, I, ROBOT, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW and THE MATRIX trilogy.

XtrackrZ Inc. (www.xtrackrz.com) is a cutting edge character animation company with its primary focus on using realtime performance tools to generate animation. Incorporated in 2001, XtrackrZ provides motion-capture services to clients, including Midway Games, Henson Interactive, Microsoft and Digital Anvil.

Bill Desowitz's picture

Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.

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