Integrates with Dynamixyz to offer film and game studios more realistic character animations.
OXFORD, U.K. -- Vicon, the motion capture technology specialist for the entertainment, life sciences and engineering industries, is set to launch Cara Lite at this year’s SIGGRAPH conference and expo. The new “Lite” version of the Cara facial capture system will expand the market to more film and game studios, looking to achieve a higher-quality facial capture with a lower cost of entry.
Having launched Cara, the pioneering facial capture system at SIGGRAPH 2013, Cara Lite builds upon this proprietary design. Offering one or two-cameras to deliver a more flexible system, which has a far quicker set-up time. With full wireless connectivity and seamless integration with existing Vicon motion capture systems, Cara Lite reinforces Vicon’s commitment to provide cost-effective and practical motion capture solutions.
Partnering with Dynamixyz, specialists in facial analysis and synthesis, film and game studios can now integrate Dynamixyz’s Performer solution into the Cara Lite production pipeline. Using a mixture of marker-less and physical tracking, users will be able to capture precise and minute facial details – especially for complex eye and inner lip movements, which have traditionally been inaccessible to marker-based systems. As a result, this provides a more complete solution, meaning users save time editing these subtle movements in postproduction.
With ever-increasing demand from studios to streamline and integrate their production operations, Cara Lite also facilitates the integration of third party helmets and the use of numerous headsets simultaneously. This gives users the option to incorporate additional hardware into the capture volume, increasing efficiency on set. Most recently 10 Cara systems were used simultaneously on Sony Pictures’ Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV movie. What’s more, Cara Lite is also compatible with other facial capture systems such as Faceware and Cubic Motion’s facial pipeline.
“Combining Vicon’s powerful motion capture systems with Dynamixyz’s forward-thinking vision for facial analysis, allows us to open up new opportunities for studios to create high-quality facial animation -- regardless of size,” said Dynamixyz CEO Gaspard Breton. “Working closely with Vicon, we can address the current workflow and production challenges the film and games industries face.”
“Cara’s evolution has always been about increased flexibility and meeting the needs of the industry,” said Vicon VFX product manager Tim Doubleday. “We recognize that a four-camera marker based system isn’t for everyone. Cara Lite’s support of markerless capture with stereo cameras, offer the perfect balance between set-up time and quality. Our partnership with Dynamixyz allows us meet this demand, and ensures we continue to provide studios with the flexible technology they need.”
At SIGGRAPH (Booth #523), Vicon will also be demonstrating its recently launched VFX motion capture software, Shōgun. With live calibration and high fidelity real-time data, Shōgun provides customers with intelligent real-time system monitoring. Delivering the most streamlined workflow on the market, Shōgun helps customers accelerate their productions and increase the efficiency of their post- production pipelines.
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.
