In Broadcast - November 2012 - 44

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WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 14 - NOV/DEC 2012

InFOCUS

Motion Capture And Video Graphics Solutions
Motion capture is a fundamental part of image processing, David Kirk looks at the solutions in use for many video effects rich media…
Motion capture is a very human activity, performed inside the brain each time it strips away visual detail to evaluate critical everyday questions: Is this a leopard or a doughnut that I see before me? If the former, does its speed and direction require any response on my part? Motion capture found early use in ﬁlm as a way of simplifying the task of cartoon animation. Rather than compose a walking ﬁ gure purely from imagination, an artist could ﬁlm a human actor making the relevant movements. The resultant images could then be traced frame by frame to transfer the required outlines which then formed a basis for creative inﬁll. This technique was, and still is, known as rotoscoping. As computer-generated graphic animation became affordable in the 1970s, automated motion capture became a natural successor to rotoscoping, motion capture allows a predeﬁned image to be animated from a very small amount of data. The traditional way of capturing motion from real-life actors is by placing point-source light emitters or high-contrast reﬂectors at suitable locations on their clothing. A similar technique can be used to capture changing facial expressions. At its most advanced, this approach can be performed by unadorned image recognition. Once captured, the data can be exported in one or more motion capture formats, typically BVH, TRC or C3D, to animate related elements of a prefabricated cartoon ﬁgure or even a mechanical device.
David Kirk

Compix’ Persona character generator uses an overlay composition structure

Character Tools
A wide range of software is available to convert motion capture data into animated sequences. Perhaps the best known in the television graphics business is Autodesk’s Maya which includes tools for animation, modelling, simulation, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing. San Francisco-based Mixamo recently announced what it claims is the ﬁrst online character animation service. The company offers free scripts for Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max users that allow an artist to create a fully rigged 3D biped in less than a minute starting

from a character model. Mixamo’s Auto-Rigger service automatically fits a skeleton and calculates skinning weights on an uploaded character model mesh. “Until now the automatically rigged character could be animated in Maya and 3ds Max using forward kinematics or by setting up a custom control rig,” comments Mixamo CEO Stefano Corazza. “The released scripts automatically convert the rigged character into a Biped system or CAT rig for 3ds Max while creating a custom IK/FK control rig for Maya users, making the animation editing process much faster.” Animazoo’s Animaview OS software incorporates a realtime data recorder and view, fully configurable anthropomorphic model, key-frame editor and plugins for programs such as Autodeck MotionBuilder. Boris FX’ new ‘Final Effects Complete 7 AE’ graphics software features 3D particle effects, a complete range of auto-animating transitions, and a selection of text and edge treatments. It contains 120 designer effects and transitions for Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows versions of Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro CS6, CS5.5, CS5, and CS4. The new Version 7 release features 32-bit ﬂoat support, integration with After Effects mask path controls, new Beat Reactor integration for Adobe Premiere Pro, and ten new ﬁlters and transitions. Brainstorm Multimedia introduced at IBC 2012 the Aston 3D graphics creation system, based

on its eStudio on-air graphics and virtual studio rendering processor. The new system allows operators to create, manipulate, animate and perform last-minute changes. Aston 3D also inherits eStudio’s 3D-stereo capabilities. Compatible with Brainstorm’s range of graphics products, it can be fully controlled by news and playout systems such as BrainNews or Brainstorm’s OnDemand, or be seamlessly integrated into more complex newsroom environments like Avid iNews. Compix’ Persona character generator uses an overlay composition structure. Each overlay has its own timeline and including unlimited object layers such as 3D, images, and clips. Logos, channel IDs, lower thirds, scoreboards, over-the-shoulder graphics, text crawls, RSS feeds and temperature displays can be inserted or removed. 3D text and

shapes can be created internally. 3D objects from applications such as 3ds MAX, Maya, and LightWave can be placed directly in the canvas for real-time playback. Adobe Photoshop ﬁles and Adobe Illustrator ﬁles may be imported into Persona complete with their original individual layers. A live input source can be captured and used in the graphic layout as part of the design. All graphics created can be rendered to disk as an image sequence for use with any non-linear system, such as Apple Final Cut Pro. Faceware Technologies Inc has launched its Faceware Professional Product Line, a low-cost, start-toﬁnish face animation tool suite built to capture, analyse and create realistic facial performances up to ten times faster than hand keying the same performance. The Faceware Profes sional Product Line includes completely updated versions of the Faceware Head-Mounted Camera System (HMCS) and Faceware Retargeter, and a brand new product called Faceware Analyzer. The LightWave 3D division of NewTek announced LightWave 11.5 at SIGGRAPH 2012. This new version of its 3D modelling, animation and rendering software. This contains many new features to streamline productivity, including a Genoma character animation and rigging system, predator and prey flocking, Instancing, soft-body bullet dynamics, interchange
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Maxon has introduced Cinema 4D version 14

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In Broadcast - November 2012

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