New VFX motion capture software provides increased performance alongside intelligent real-time system monitoring with a streamlined workflow to help users maximize studio time.
OXFORD, U.K. -- Leading motion capture technology specialist Vicon has announced the launch of its new VFX motion capture software, Shōgun at FMX 2017, now underway in Stuttgart, Germany. Capitalizing on more than 30 years of motion capture experience and years of research and development, Shōgun offers the entertainment industry a new level of efficiency and quality to meet the growing demands of Game, Film and VR production.
Designed from the ground up and based on feedback from the industry and customers alike, Shōgun’s innovative new feature set delivers increased performance alongside intelligent real-time system monitoring. A streamlined workflow delivers high fidelity real-time data, helping mocap users maximize studio time in order to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Live Calibration
Shōgun eliminates the previously time-consuming process of calibrating performers from captured data in Post. Performers now simply enter the capture space and are automatically detected and labelled, the calibration is then run in the background during the Range of Motion. Boasting a new skeletal mesh model, the software is designed to be highly functional, making data solving easy, visual and immediate. This cuts down the traditionally time consuming process of labelling subjects, cleaning data and calibrating markers.
“With today’s large productions featuring anything between five to 15 actors, Shōgun has been designed to help industry professionals streamline their captures, saving time and money,” said Vicon VFX product manager Tim Doubleday. “Subject Calibration -- a process that used to take 20 minutes can now be achieved in less than a minute.”
Streamlined Workflow
Shōgun’s unrivalled data quality ensures that labelling and solving stays true. With Shōgun’s un-breakable real-time it’s possible to capture multiple actors undertaking complex interactions, such as folding arms, hugs and stunt work with props. With direct support for all the major real-time game engines, the pre-visualization and animation processes are enhanced – providing direct visualization of the final scene.
Users are also able to record their data direct to disk, meaning onset review is almost instantaneous. This saves hours of post-production time and allows artists to focus on the remaining pipeline. These enhancements help accelerate productions, shaving days off the post production pipeline while increasing data quality and efficiency.
Intelligent Insights
Re-calibrating motion capture systems can cost time onset, especially for large studio shoots involving multiple actors. Working with Vicon’s industry leading cameras, Shōgun provides intelligent, real-time feedback to users on all the important factors affecting camera and system health. Enabling teams to quickly recalibrate cameras on the fly within minutes, whilst continuing to capture performances. New features such as the Data Heat Map assist users capturing very challenging shots, as Shōgun automatically finds, highlights and navigates users to frames where data may require attention.
Alexandre Messier, technical director at Ubisoft a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, who has been beta testing the Shōgun software for several months alongside Vicon, said: “Most of our game teams are now asking for real-time previsualization, with Shōgun’s auto skeleton calibration, we can now stream accurate data into 3rd party’s solution in seconds - allowing teams to maximize their precious time on the shoot floor. Shōgun is adding speed to our data processing pipeline. Most importantly, that speed is not sacrificing any data quality. Instead it exceeds what we’re producing with Blade.”
“Shōgun is a step change in the way our customers use Motion Capture,” said Vicon CEO Imogen Moorhouse. “Whether you’re running a large production with a hundred cameras or a small start-up with a handful of cameras, Shōgun has been designed to save you time, save you money whilst delivering the highest quality data.”
Source: Vicon
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
