First demos of the only end-to-end Virtual Reality toolset and workflow encompassing dailies, conform, color grading, composting, finishing and mastering to be showcased at the 2016 NAB Show.
SANTA CLARA, CA -- ASSIMILATE has announced its new SCRATCH VR Suite, the only professional VR end-to-end workflow with an all-inclusive, real-time toolset for working naturally within a 360 environment; dailies, conform, color grading, composting, finishing, and mastering in any format, any resolution. It’s a complete and powerful virtual reality (VR) toolset that enables a high level of quality and productivity. The first public SCRATCH VR Suite demo will be at NAB 2016, the ASSIMILATE booth N8525 in the VR Pavilion, north hall.
The SCRATCH VR Suite includes the latest post-production tools and features of SCRATCH V8.4. Content creators will automatically be upgraded to SCRATCH 8.5 when it’s announced. SCRATCH VR also includes SCRATCH Web, and creative tools that are specific to the VR suite. SRATCH Web is a key component of the SCRATCH VR data-workflow and ecosystem, enabling real-time, on-line collaboration and review via Google Cardboard and Samsung GearVR headsets.
“It’s clear that high-quality VR content is really taking off in real-world applications, science, technical and vocational training, education, and of course entertainment, and ASSIMILATE is at the forefront of this next revolution in visual content,” commented Lucas Wilson, VR producer at ASSIMILATE. “While the excitement is in the content, it’s the behind-the-scenes software and hardware that give filmmakers and content creators the needed tools to make quality VR happen. Working in a new technology like VR can be complex, and the SCRATCH VR Suite simplifies the workflow so that creators can stay focused on the content while maintaining high levels of productivity and quality.”
“The SCRATCH VR tools have proven to be very useful within a VR pipeline, and have been actively used as part of jobs with Samsung, Reebok, Momofuku, FOX, and many others,” added Jeff Edson, CEO at ASSIMILATE. “VR is a new visual realm that requires the best advanced VR technology, and that’s what we provide.”
Special Price for NAB 2016
For a limited time, the SCRATCH VR suite is being offered at $995 US - a $1,995 US value - receive regular updates for new and improved tools and feature sets.
“Content creators can now afford to use the best and most complete VR toolset and workflow on the market, with no need to settle for anything less,” said Edson.
New SCRATCH VR Suite Creative Tools
In recent months ASSIMILATE has extended the capabilities of SCRATCH and SCRATCH Web with a series of tools and functions to offer a streamlined VR workflow. A basic set of these tools is available in the standard versions of SCRATCH, SCRATCH Play and SCRATCH Web. The new SCRATCH VR suite includes these basic tools, as well as the new advanced grade and composite tools.
Control panel for Oculus Rift – All the Play controls used to browse through your timeline become available in the Oculus display as an overlay on top of the image. Use the mouse pointer to operate the controls while still looking in all directions of the image. This way you can start, stop, jump forward, back, or browse through your timeline without removing the Oculus headset or having another person operate the Play controls. Many colorists are able to operate their color panel blindly. In this case, the Oculus Playback control allows you to do the basic grade of your production without ever taking off the Oculus.
Pan 360 framing controls – New Yaw, Pitch and Roll controls to re-orient a 360-equirectangular shot. This allows you to control the point-of-interest of a shot, making sure it is in the middle. When editing multiple shots one after the other, you can ensure the point-of-interest of each shot is in the same direction. Examples of how to use the controls:
- Create a pre-defined path in a 360 video. So even though the end-viewer will still be able to view in all directions, you, as a creator, can already define a path that the viewer will follow.
- Stabilize a shot (future builds to include linking the tracker/stabilizer directly to these parameters).
Effects wrapping – When applying an effect, such as a blur or clarity, SCRATCH samples pixels from the opposite side to calculate the effect on the left / right side of an image. This prevents a seam in the middle of the image when viewing it in a 360 projection.
360 repeat option – When the canvas falls over the left or right edge of the main image, it will be repeated on the opposite side. The shape will automatically wrap in a 360 projection without any seam. Note that the handles of the shape are only drawn on one side of the canvas; the outline of the selected image is also drawn around its counterpart.
Pan 360 – Use the equirectangular-2D effects node to blend any 2D element into your 360 projection, or to include a text, logo, effect (e.g. lens flare) or graphic element (of different size than the source image) neatly into the 360 scene. Use the Yaw, Pitch and Roll controls to position the element into your 360 scene. You can further tweak the position and perspective of the element by using the canvas parameters of the layer of the element on the color frame.
This quite easily evolves into a substantial composite tree, which gives substantial controls for positioning and blending in the element. Product updates will make this even more straightforward with a less complex composite tree.
More detailed information about the SCRATCH VR Suite is available here.
Source: ASSIMILATE
