Press Release from iPi Soft

MOSCOW, RUSSIA -  iPi Soft, LLC, announced that iPi Motion Capture™ Version 2.0 -- the next generation in the company’s scalable line of markerless motion capture technology -- is scheduled for availability in Spring 2012. Featuring improved accuracy and workflow enhancements, the new version increases support for female characters, as well as an array of motion sensor devices, including ASUS Xtion and Kinect for Windows.

Michael Nikonov, Founder and Chief Technology Architect of iPi Soft, notes that given the interactive nature of today’s 3D video games, designers need reliable and accurate desktop tools that go beyond recording a traditional 2D video of an actor to help meet the challenges of compositing believable characters into immersive 3D environments. 

“Motion capture is such an expressive medium for video game developers and digital filmmakers and the advancements coming to version 2.0 will provide users the ultimate solution of a personalized, markerless motion capture desktop solution for creating truly believable 3D character motion,” said Nikonov. “Despite the incredible diversity of CG worlds created by today’s video game designers, realistic human characters remain the core of compelling storytelling in most videogames today.”

Introduced in 2009, iPi Motion Capture has been gaining momentum as a professional and reliable alternative for capturing animation data without the need for expensive facility space, clumsy sensor suits with reflective markers or a team of technicians. The software uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body and lets users shoot video using one or two MS Kinect motion sensing input devices or three to six Sony PlayStation Eye cameras. The digitally captured movement is then applied to a 3D character and rendered as part of a video game or a computer generated movie. One area of growing interest is with machinima, the animation genre in which filmmakers use iPi Motion Capture and existing graphics from videogames to create something wholly original.

For David Gonzalez, President of Mission Critical Studios, a New Jersey-based developer of mobile games, the software has proven to be a game-changer in how they work.

“iPi Motion Capture is so powerful and cost effective,” Gonzalez says. “It’s fantastic to be able to come up with an idea and in a few minutes record exactly what you want and apply it to your characters. iPi is what mocap should be all about -- making your ideas reality in a matter of minutes.“   

Key Highlights of iPi Motion Capture Version 2.0 

With the new iPi Motion Capture Version 2.0, customers can take advantage of: