Performance Capture at Siggraph 2015
August 2015 – At SIGGRAPH 2015, there were a number of companies showing both Motion Capture and Performance Capture systems for VFX and gaming applications. The majority of the capture systems use dots and other types of markers to “tag” the surfaces to be tracked by the capture system. While this simplifies the motion processing, it is challenged by the repeatable placement of the markers and the resolution limits of the marker density. Dimensional Imaging addresses these challenges with their stereo camera performance capture headgear that is a marker-less system.
Dimensional Image di4d Head Mounted Camera Rig
The system uses dual 3MP 60fps imagers that capture the face on a pixel basis rather than a marker basis. This stereo view gives a full 3D scan of the face which is used to create a digital double of the actor and a full 3D mesh that can be used as a basis for VFX. This content is the core of the digital transfer process for new character and creature development. The system creates a 3D scan per frame as well as tracking vectors on the mesh for facial movement.
At this time the system does not track the eye movement, however it does track the movement of the face around the eyeball itself. As the system uses the full 3D scan and a pixel level accuracy, there is no major re-registration of the system when it is removed and then put back on. This allows for very rapid restart after breaks in the shooting schedule.
The system is available in two versions an entry level monochrome system and a professional system that operates in color, and can support up to 6 simultaneous systems in operation at one time. The company is located in Scotland, and has partner facilities and staffing to support film and gaming production activities on a global basis.
One of those partners is Animatrik Film Design of Canada. Located in Vancouver, they support the Canadian and CA production facilities with personnel and workflows. The team has extensive experience in both motion capture and performance capture, and specializes in the creation of digital doubles of both body and face. Their pipeline and digital transfer suite supports both on-location outdoor and indoor set capture environments. Their services and models have been used for over 7 years in motion capture, and 15 year in VFX. The team has experience creating human and creature digital doubles.
