Motion Capture for the Masses
Main highlights:
For details see Release notes.
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Latest Enhancements To Advanced Markerless Mocap Solution Include Automatic Synchronization With Action Cameras For Improved 3D Character Content Creation; Up To 30-Percent Holiday Discount
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – December 10, 2018 — iPi Soft, LLC, developers of markerless motion capture technology, today announced several new updates to Version 4 of its popular iPi Motion Capture software application. Latest enhancements include real-time tracking for multiple depth sensors, as well as automatic synchronization of action camera videos based on flash detection.
Creative performance in iPi Mocap Version 4.1 now enables customers to use real-time tracking — in which users can preview the motion tracking result transferred to a 3D character at the time of performance — with multiple depth sensors connected to either a single computer or several computers connected via iPi Soft’s Distributed Recording feature.
According to Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft Founder and Chief Technology Architect, this is an important development milestone and one users have been anticipating since most iPi Mocap customers use the software with two or more Kinect sensors.
”We are excited to extend the benefits of real-time tracking to support customers using iPi Motion Capture with multiple depth sensors to obtain quality mocap data easily and quickly for an overall improved workflow without the need for multiple recording, tracking and motion transfer iterations,” Nikonov says.
Action Camera Synchronization:
Additional feature updates also include automatic synchronization of videos with action cameras like GoPro based on flash detection. The new algorithm detects flashes between separate videos and synchronizes them automatically. This greatly speed-ups the process of merging multi-camera footage into synchronized videos that can be used for motion tracking compared to time-consuming manual sync process supported in the previous version.
Pricing and Availability:
For the holidays, iPi Soft is currently offering a 30-percent discount for orders placed before December 31, 2018 (please use coupon code NY2019). This includes a discount off of iPi Soft’s perpetual license that includes two years of full support and software updates, as well as its subscription-based pricing model.
With the launch of iPi Motion Capture Version 4, iPi Soft introduced a perpetual license model. The perpetual license is not time-limited and includes two years with full support and software updates. iPi Motion Capture Version 4 is also available as a subscription-based model. Prices range from $165 to $1995 depending on the version of software (Express, Basic, Pro) and duration of subscription.
Additional information on iPi Soft license and pricing is available here.
About iPi Soft:
Moscow-based developer, iPi Soft, LLC, develops powerful markerless motion capture software technology that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s software is used by creative professionals and prosumers around the world to digitize the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it expressive in 3D characters for video games, computer generated films, as well as for medical, military and other applications. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing, product configurations or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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In case you missed it, at the Siggraph 2018 convention earlier this year, Brandon Parvini, designer/animator and long-time user of iPi Motion Capture, showcased the character development and animation workflow he and the creative team at Bemo created for the show “Dream Corp LLC.” The popular series airs on the Adult Swim network and is executive produced by actor/director John Krasinski and actor Stephen Merchant. See video presentation here (use of iPi Mocap is discussed starting from 39:40). Parvini uses iPi Soft markerless motion capture software in conjunction with Maxon’s Cinema 4D, to create animated sequences that distinguish between dreams and reality, leading to a mind-bending visual experience. According to Parvini, for the past year of post-production on the show the workflow has involved inheriting rotoscoped versions of the main characters and in turn tracking the source footage and building out environments for those characters to interact within. As the season went on and the needs of the show grew more complex, coupled with aggressive time constraints, Parvini found they needed to supplant moments in the show with full CG characters that simply couldn’t be shot on set. |
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“iPi Motion Capture was a natural solution to bring into the pipeline as it allows us to turn around ideas quickly and get them into scenes,” explains Parvini. “We needed custom animation all the time. Being able to leave a Kinect plugged into my computer, launch IPI Studio and get from capture to refining the results and back into Cinema 4D in under 15-minutes is what makes iPi Motion Capture an invaluable part of our post process. The speed and stability of the software have now opened new avenues and workflows for us as we continue to look forward to production on the upcoming season and other projects of similar ilk.” |
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Director Ian Chisholm Uses End-to-End Markerless Performance Capture Pipeline For Character Animation; Film Now Airing on YouTube
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – September 25, 2018 – For his most ambitious project to date, the feature length horror film Ticket Zer0, motion capture director/writer Ian Chisholm once again leaned heavily on iPi Motion Capture, the advanced markerless motion capture technology from iPi Soft. The 66-minute animated machinima cinematic production is currently available for streaming on YouTube or Blu-Ray here.
Ticket Zer0 is a follow-up to Chisholm’s Clear Skies trilogy series (viewed by hundreds of thousands on YouTube), which also used iPi Mocap throughout for performance capture. Ticket Zer0 tells the story of the night shift at a deserted industrial facility. When a troubleshooter is sent in to fix a mysterious problem, something far more sinister emerges than any of them could have imagined.
Chisholm notes production for Ticket Zer0 took almost five years to complete and used iPi Motion Capture for recording movement in every single frame for all the characters in the film.
“iPi Soft technology has proven to be an invaluable creative resource for me as a filmmaker during motion capture sessions,” he says. “There wasn’t anything on screen that wasn’t recorded by iPi Mocap. The ability to perform the motion capture was exactly what I needed to expand and improve the immersive quality of my film.”
Workflow Details:
For motion capture production, Chisholm used iPi Mocap in conjunction with six Sony PS3 Eye cameras along with two PlayStation Move controllers to track hand movements. With the large amount of video data produced, captured footage was recorded to a solid-state storage device and a dedicated USB3 card. An older quad core PC with ample USB bandwidth and disk speed was sufficient; CPU horsepower was not a requirement.
Handling the motion capture performances, Chisholm broke the Ticket Zer0 script down into one-to-two-page scenes and created capture schedules for each character to block out where each was on set, and then described exactly what each was doing per line of dialogue. Chisholm often performed the motion capture months later, so it was crucial to know if a character was standing or seated and the direction in which they were looking further making accurate capture critical from the start.
Once the motion capture footage was processed, character action was imported into Set Builder, part of the Hammer mapping tool for the Half-Life 2 engine in the Source Valve SDK. Following, choreography scenes were built in Faceposer in the Source engine and motion capture footage recorded in the game engine using the Fraps screen capture and recording utility and then edited using Vegas Movie Studio.
Accurate Mocap:
Advances to iPi Mocap’s processing capabilities since Chisholm produced Clear Skies ten years ago, were key to meeting the motion capture challenges in Ticket Zer0.
“It was almost spooky how well the software was able to handle performance tracking with the six camera setup,” Chisholm notes. “The accuracy of the capture that could be achieved now in iPi Mocap motion allowed me to have many more physical interactions in my film, and it conveyed body language extremely well.”
Today, many working CG animators are turning to markerless motion capture systems like iPi Soft because it accurately captures human motion data using inexpensive, off the-shelf cameras that do not require clumsy sensor suits and greenscreen stages. Moreover, the captured animations don’t exhibit artifacts like jitter or foot skate; and can be easily exported into many leading game engines, 3D software and animation rigs.
Michael Nikonov, founder/chief technology architect of iPi Soft, first became a fan of Chisholm’s work when he saw the Clear Skies film projects, and remains impressed at the level of creativity filmmakers like Chisholm achieve with the company’s markerless motion capture technology.
“We are committed to developing the most reliable and powerful markerless motion capture solutions to help filmmakers, animators and video game developers address their production challenges efficiently and affordably,“ Nikonov says. “We’re thrilled that our iPi Motion Capture technology offered the ultimate accuracy and flexibility to let Ian achieve his creative vision with this epic new film.”
About iPi Soft:
Launched in 2008, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture™, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing, product configurations or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.
Web Resources:
Press-release in PDF:
http://ipisoft.com/pr/iPi-Soft-Ticket-Zer0.pdf
Click here for more info about iPi Soft:
Click here to watch the “Ticket Zer0” Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3V4db5gDsY
Click here to watch the full “Ticket Zer0” film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qdj-xEDj0Q
For more info about Ian Chisholm:
https://ianchisholmva.wordpress.com/
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Media Contacts:
Vicky Gray-Clark, Ambient PR vicky@ambientpr.com 408-318-1980
Ray Ecke, Right Word Media ray@rightwordmedia.com 973-726-3797
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One of the things we’re most proud of at iPi Soft is the positive reaction to our software from many leading journalists covering the entertainment technology space. Veteran journalist Jay Ankeney, who recently wrote about the launch of Version 4 of iPI Motion Capture software in Broadcast Bridge says:
“Real time preview capability from a single sensor in a markerless motion capture system is a significant achievement because it allows you to see the result of your motion tracking transferred to animated 3D characters in real time during the rehearsal of an actual performance.”
Click here to read the full story: https://www.
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Advanced Markerless Mocap Solution Delivers Real-time Tracking For 3D Character Content Creation, Compatibility With Leading Sensor Technologies, GoPro Camera Support and New Perpetual License Model
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – July 3, 2018 – iPi Soft, LLC, developers of advanced motion capture technology, today announced iPi Motion Capture Version 4 a comprehensive next version of its popular markerless motion capture software. Version 4 introduces a highly anticipated real-time preview capability for a single depth sensor.
Other new features and enhancements in Version 4 include support for new depth sensors (Intel RealSense D415 / D435, ASUS Xtion2 and Orbbec Astra / Astra Pro); improved arms and body tracking; and support for action cameras like GoPro and SJCAM. With Version 4, iPi Soft also introduces a perpetual license model.
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New Depth Sensors |
Real-time Preview Screenshot |
“We are delighted to introduce real-time tracking feedback in Version 4 that allows users to preview the motion tracking result transferred to 3D characters at the time of performance,” Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft founder and chief technology architect, said . “The combination of real-time tracking, expanded support for the latest in depth sensor technology and wide-angle action camera compatibility in Version 4 elevates the content creation experience for high-end film, television and games customers where a fast and reliable workflow is essential.”
The new real-time tracking feature in Version 4 uses iPi Recorder, a free software provided by iPi Soft for capturing, for playing back and processing video records from multiple cameras and depth sensors, to communicate to iPi Mocap Studio software that tracks in real-time speed and instantly transfers motion to 3D characters. This allows users to see how the motion will look on a 3D character, and improve motion accordingly at the time of acting and recording without the need to redo multiple iterations of acting, recording and offline tracking.
Live tracking results can then be stored to disk for additional offline post-processing, such as tracking refinement (to improve tracking accuracy), manual corrections and jitter removal to provide end users with an accurate, flexible and efficient workflow.
iPi Mocap Version 4 currently includes the real-time tracking feature for a single depth sensor only. iPi Soft is scheduled to bring real-time functionality for multiple depth sensors by the end of this year.
Development of plug-ins for popular 3D game engines, including Unreal Engine and Unity, is also underway.
Real-time Tracking and Other Tracking Improvements
Support for New Sensors and Cameras
A complete list of the new feature enhancements in iPi Motion Capture 4 is available here.
With Version 4, iPi Soft is introducing a perpetual license model. The perpetual license is not time-limited and includes two years with full support and software updates. Afterwards, users have the option to subscribe to a support plan to continue receiving full support and software updates. Alternatively, they can continue using their latest software version.
iPi Motion Capture Version 4 is also available as a subscription-based model. Prices range from $165 to $1995 depending on the version of software (Express, Basic, Pro) and duration of subscription. The Basic edition provides support for up to 6 Sony PS3 Eye cameras or 2 depth sensors, and tracking of a single actor. The Pro version features full 16-camera / 4 depth sensors capability and can track up to 3 actors. A free 30-day trial for Version 3.0 is available here.
Additional information on iPi Soft license offerings is available here.
About iPi Soft:
Moscow-based developer, iPi Soft, LLC, develops powerful markerless motion capture software technology that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s software is used by creative professionals and prosumers around the world to digitize the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it expressive in 3D characters for video games, computer generated films, as well as for medical, military and other applications. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing, product configurations or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://tst.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
# # # Media Contacts: Ambient PR, Vicky Gray-Clark, vicky@ambientpr.com, 408-318-1980 Right Word Media, Ray Ecke, ray@rightwordmedia.com, 973-726-3797
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The new version includes improved calibration for depth sensors / light marker, new automation commands, important bugfixes and enhancements:
http://docs.ipisoft.com/iPi_Mocap_Studio_Release_Notes#ver._3.6.6.222
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Ukraine-Based Production Studio Relies On Markerless Motion Capture Solution For Character Animation; Video Series Attracts Millions Of Views
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – What began as an indie mobile game in 2014, Five Nights At Freddy’s has grown into a multimedia franchise with multiple games, novel adaptations and even a feature film in the works. There is also an array of fan-inspired videos – none more popular than those produced by the Kiev, Ukraine-based GoldenLane Studio. Led by Co-Founder Roman Maltsev (along with Alex Portman and Oleg Smolyaninov), the studio’s “Five Nights At Freddy’s” YouTube video series relies on the iPi Soft markerless iPi Motion Capture software solution for reliable character animation. The series continues to be viewed by millions, including an astounding 25 million that watched the initial trailer.
Maltsev noted that among the key benefits of using iPi Motion Capture (in conjunction with a Windows PC running on an Intel Core i7 8700K processor and NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti graphics card) is not having to rely on expensive green-screens and motion capture suits, and that animations can be exported into either SFM (Source Filmmaker’s proprietary format) or the more universal DMX format, to ensure a quick post production workflow.
Ideal For Creative Studios:
The motion capture tracking and design process begins at GoldenLane with a rough pre-visualization (previs), without animation and lighting. All characters are first created in T-pose, a standard default shape for humanoid game model content creation, to understand where action is going to take place, character placement, etc. Following, iPi Motion Capture is used to record and track motion to the previs scenes and then transfer to each character.
“iPi Motion Capture is ideal for small, creative studios like ours as it helps to simplify and significantly speed up production,” Maltsev says, who serves as the sole actor in his videos, often performing multiple parts. “It’s also a lot of fun for me to get to play the hero in my own movies.”
Although Maltsev is currently the only actor featured in the video production, should that change, the capabilities in iPi Motion Capture (Pro version) provide tracking features of up to three multiple actors at the same time without the need for manual sync.
Complex Kiss:
One particularly challenging scene for Maltsev was playing two characters named Zoe and Ellis that kiss. “I recorded the kiss using the iPi Recorder independently for each character, as a single-actor motion,” he recalls. “To accomplish this, I had to stand in the center of the room twice, hug the air and pretend to kiss someone. After that I synced motions manually inside Source Filmmaker. This seemingly simple act proved the most complex, and also was pretty amusing.”
The “Five Nights At Freddy’s” mobile game series is centered on the story of a fictional restaurant named Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a pastiche of restaurants like Chuck E. Cheese’s. The game involves the player working as a nighttime security guard who must use several tools, most notably security cameras, to survive the night shift against animatronic characters that become homicidal after-hours.
350K Subscribers:
GoldenLane borrows from the basic premise of the original Freddy’s series, but introduces new characters, settings and scenarios, such as the HAZMAT team investigating the dilapidated state of the Freddy’s restaurant; or the wandering traveler who is stalked by one of the animatronic characters.
According to Maltsev, the original characters he creates run the gamut from those that will appear only once, to more nuanced ones that will inevitably play important roles as the series develops.
“iPi Soft is a key content creation tool that helps to visually ‘describe’ a character through the use of motion,” Maltsev says. “We develop characters with the aim to give each a unique style. How a person moves can be very revealing into who they are. A military person might be more sure-footed and stride confidently into extreme situations, whereas a civilian might move more cautiously and awkwardly.”
Maltsev’s passion for the project and level he puts into his characters and plotlines has clearly resonated with fans as evidenced by millions of views and 350,000-plus subscribers on YouTube. The popularity of the series has also spurred donations via the crowd-funding site Patreon.com, enabling Maltsev and his GoldenLane partners to work solely on creating content for YouTube.
For Michael Nikonov, Founder and Chief Technology Officer at iPi Soft, the company remains committed to motion tracking software development that delivers exceptional processing speed optimization and tracking accuracy.
“We’re pleased that recent enhancements to iPi Motion Capture are providing indie filmmakers, like Maltsev, with the near real-time feedback capabilities they need to quickly track results that can be transferred to 3D characters at the time of recording motions and improved animation export features for an optimized workflow.”
“When I uploaded the first Freddy’s trailer, there were no plans on developing it as a on-going series,” Maltsev adds. “People clearly like our vision of this cinematic universe and when we saw how popular it had became, we decided to move ahead and will deliver new episodes later this year.”
About iPi Soft:
Launched in 2008 by CEO and Chief Technology Architect Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture™, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer generated films. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://tst.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Vicky Gray-Clark
Ambient PR
vicky@ambientpr.com / 408-318-1980
Ray Ecke
Right Word Media
ray@rightwordmedia.com / 973-726-3797
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iPi Soft’s team is sending best wishes to you and your family for peaceful and enjoyable holidays ahead. We hope the coming year will be full of exciting opportunities, enjoyable and a great success!
We’re working hard to release the new version 4 and support for realtime tracking with depth sensors by spring 2018. Stay tuned!
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