3D & Motion Capture & Games

Alien

Alien
Having just seen Avatar, I'm all exited now about 3D feature films.

I get back home to my PC, and find out Frontier have a motion capture suit,
http://img70.yfrog.com/i/d3vq.jpg/
and I've now started wondering (hoping) that Outsider or Elite IV will have 3D capability.

Do I have any hope of seeing Avatar quality 3D in PC/console games (in Elite IV ?) (HD TV hardware a given),
Or do I stand a better chance of exploring the universe without a ship or space suit (let me down gently please) ?

While we are on the subject of the motion capture suit,
Is that for development of Outsider, Elite IV, Both or other ?
(That info shouldn't breach confidentiality, if it does, apologies in advance).
 

Callum Rowley

Callum Rowley
I don't think the motion capture suit covers 3D quite yet :) I think we can expect the technology and the TV sets to advance a little further before we begin to see 3D games like we're seeing 3D films (we also need the uptake of 3D TVs in households to grow quite substantially to justify the costs).

The motion capture suit is currently being used by the animators to see how it compares to doing motion capture in a studio (the ones where you have infrared lights all around the capture area), and would be used for any Frontier game which require motion capture for a realistic feel. The first of which being The Outsider :)
 
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Alien

Alien
Thank-you for the answer, Liquilla.

I agree that the hardware needs to advance just a little bit further for 3D TV.
But I still think that is the way forward for films & games.

Do you all have to do a T position (or similar) to calibrate the software with the suit ?
(If you haven't guessed yet, I love learning about things like this, watching DVD extras etc)

The picture showed a table, with no reflectors on the table (which I think is normal),
the table (or whatever barrier it's meant to be) would have to be represented in the Mo-Cap software.
Have I got that right or does your software work differently ?
 

Steve O B Have

Steve O B Have
It's an interesting advance and one that has been a long time in coming especially when talking about a movie like Avatar. The cinema format and technology hasn't changed much since the introduction of Dolby Surround. It's time something new and interesting enticed people back into the cinema. it's a small step but a welcome one.

I'm just not sure how keen I am in sitting infront of my PC with special glasses on all the time...
 

Alien

Alien
I wouldn't worry Steve, I think we are closer to 3D without glasses than many may think.
OK so we are still nowhere remotely close to Star Trek's Holodeck,
but Spielberg is on the project.

Wikipedia said:
In late 2005, Steven Spielberg told the press he was involved in patenting a 3-D cinema system that does not need glasses, and which is based on plasma screens. A computer splits each film-frame, and then projects the two split images onto the screen at differing angles, to be picked up by tiny angled ridges on the screen.
Click to expand...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_film
 

Alien

Alien
Well if anyone's going to make it work, I'd bet on Spielberg.
He's in the industry, knows who to talk to and has the money to invest.

We are so close to polarised 3D (same as Avatar) at home, within the next few years, I'd say.
All you'll need is Blu-Ray & 3D capable HD TV or projector.
The biggest problem at the moment, IMO, is that there is no 3D standard.
Then it's just a step or two to do without glasses (OK so it's more complex than that, I know)

If it's possible to do at home, it would also be possible in games.
(OK, again, it's more complex than that, I know)

It will take innovators like Spielberg & Cameron to make it happen, I know that much !
 

Callum Rowley

Callum Rowley
Alien said:
Do you all have to do a T position (or similar) to calibrate the software with the suit ?
(If you haven't guessed yet, I love learning about things like this, watching DVD extras etc)

The picture showed a table, with no reflectors on the table (which I think is normal),
the table (or whatever barrier it's meant to be) would have to be represented in the Mo-Cap software.
Have I got that right or does your software work differently ?
Click to expand...

The 'T-pose' is needed in the Motion Capture Studio we visit, but I'm not sure whether you need to do it for the suit we've got (I'd presume we do).

Afaik we don't put reflectors on things like tables and chairs because those don't need to be animated, and the animations we capture need to stand alone without any props as in-game they need to work on multiple surfaces (like walls of a different height and breadth if we're doing cover poses) - so we use the tables and such as physical representations so the animation can be captured realistically. Though, weapon props and the likes DO have reflectors on them, to capture the movement of the weapon as the character moves with it.

Someone with more knowledge on the subject could probably shed more light on what the exact process is, but you'll need to wait for that - so we can show you with a little more context :)
 

Undo

U
The motion capture suit looks intriguing. It would be very interesting to know how that compares to the standard studio method. Because, while the results will give you some smooth animations, cleaning up that captured data can be a huge pain and endless work.

There's some nice advancements in facial motion capture, not requiring markers but using phosphorescent paint, with the benefit of high resolution and that the skin can be used for texturing as well. Around minute 2 and 2:30 it's interesting to see the same character being animated by male and female actors.

Alien said:
I think we are closer to 3D without glasses than many may think.
Click to expand...
There are screens already that work without glasses, like the ones using 3D WOW. In principle those work like lenticular prints and are ok if you look at them from the right positions. In between those the 3d effect is lost and you see distortions. The benefit is that there's no glasses, but I prefer polarize or shutter systems because of their much better quality, though 3d WOW technology is improving.

Stereoscopic blurays are supposed to hit market sometime this summer (I guess Avatar would be the perfect candidate?). Playstation 3 apparently is already capable of playing two full HD video streams, so all one would need is a new display, firmware update and shutter glasses. :)
 

eaorobbie

E
At Xsimulator.net site they have managed to create a game plugin that produces a 6 forces , Roll,Pitch,etc.
Would this help you in the venture of 3d motion. ??
We have 3D film motion coming to the software , well beta worked well.
 
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