The company will show a new way to create, edit, and populate virtual production scenes using real people, recorded in three dimensions.
Volumetric video studio Arcturus announced it is going to show a new way to create, edit and populate virtual production scenes using real people, recorded in three dimensions, at the conference on computer graphics SIGGRAPH 2022. The studio says content creators will be able to take live performances created using volumetric capture and insert them into a digital scene, resulting in better quality and lower cost.
The characters will then appear on LED walls to ensure more realistic background characters, while also offering a faster turnaround.
“The demand for virtual production is so high that it has begun to change the way filmmakers and content creators approach visual effects,” said Kamal Mistry, Arcturus CEO. “By adding volumetric video tools into that mix, it makes virtual production more realistic, while also giving creators new options for storytellers.”
Arcturus says that by using a game engine, virtual production creators can generate a full, photorealistic three-dimensional digital scene, depicting anything they want. They can capture a live-action performer in a volumetric stage to generate a 3D model of them, viewable from any angle. Artists and filmmakers can then upload that asset into Arcturus’ HoloSuite volumetric video toolset, where they can edit everything from the movement to head positioning.
The volumetric character can be uploaded directly into a game engine and placed into a 3D virtual environment. From there, the asset can move through a set pattern, or stand in a group, "the results are a living, populated scene with characters that avoid the pitfalls of CG character design, including the uncanny valley."
The company claims the process is significantly faster than with traditional CG character creation. Volumetric characters are compatible with most game engines, including Unreal Engine 5.
Arcturus will have three presentations at SIGGRAPH, each showing a different side of volumetric video’s benefits to virtual production:
- Departure Lounge – Arcturus will team up with Departure Lounge (DLXR) to give select showgoers a private tour of a virtual stage featuring a 20-foot LED wall running a virtual environment. This environment has been created for the presentation, complete with volumetric humans, courtesy of Arcturus and DLXR.
- Dell – On the SIGGRAPH show floor, the Dell Booth (#527) will play host to a unique Arcturus demo focused on spatial computing and highlighting how HoloSuite can be used to edit and deliver volumetric video, including to streaming platforms. A Looking Glass display will offer attendees a peek at how volumetric video can be used across multiple industries, from e-commerce to entertainment and more.
- HP – At the HP Booth (#1011), attendees will be able to experience a full, 3D virtual production environment in VR. Using HP’s Reverb VR headset, showgoers can explore a fully-realized digital environment running in Unreal Engine, populated by volumetric characters.
Arcturus is also planning a major announcement regarding the future of its HoloSuite tools.
If you'd like to book an appointment to tour the new Departure Lounge virtual production studio or see the demos at the HP and Dell booths, you can contact Arcturus here.
SIGGRAPH 2022 will take place 8–11 August, in person in Vancouver and online.