New version of Vicon’s pioneering facial mocap system to feature hardware improvements and updates to CaraLive and CaraPost for faster, more efficient facial tracking.
Oxford, UK -- Vicon, the motion capture technology specialist for the entertainment, engineering and life science industries, will launch a series of updates to Cara, the world’s first out-of-the-box facial motion capture system for film and games production, at SIGGRAPH 2014 next week. The latest version boasts significant quality enhancements that accelerate facial capture workflows for fast-paced performance capture productions, right out of the box.
A new version of CaraLive, the software at the heart of the system during set up and capture, vastly improves overall operating performance, while reducing precious capture and post-production costs and time.
CaraPost, which provides the engine and tools to extract high-quality 3D point data from marker-based CaraLive capture footage, officially launches out of beta and features a range of radical enhancements and workflow efficiency improvements influenced by Cara’s real-world production use.
Vicon also designed and developed a custom controllable rig of four on-board lights enabling customers to work in environments with insufficient or changing ambient light. The accessory kit has been extended to provide greater flexibility and comfort over a wider range of head sizes.
“The Cara updates reflect our continuing commitment to delivering modular, high-performance facial motion capture that’s accessible to all,” said Phil Elderfield, product manager, Vicon. “Based on customer feedback from Cara’s use in real-world production environments since its launch a year ago, Cara now offers even more flexibility with features like the Cara Lighting Kit, as well as faster, more efficient workflows that enable users to focus on the creative process. Cara continues to set the standard for affordable, accessible, high-quality character realism.”
Cara updates will be on show at Vicon’s SIGGRAPH booth, #733.
Some of the exciting new features in the Vicon Cara System include:
CaraLive
- Improved auto exposure for variable lighting conditions
- The ability to specify a region of interest on which to base your exposure settings
- Improved blob detector for more accurate tracking
- Quicker and easier wifi setup
- View navigation improvements, allowing you to choose between single camera or multi-camera view
CaraPost
- Faster, more accurate blob detector for more accurate 3D dots
- Hugely improved, time-saving automated tracker and tracking tools
- The ability to initialize once and use across multiple takes
- Much faster delivery of higher 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.
