iPi Soft has released iPi Motion Capture 4.0, a new update to its markerless motion-capture software suite, adding support for previewing capture data in real time, and for tracking individual body parts.
The update also adds support for action cameras like those made by GoPro and SJCAM – and bucks an industry trend by reintroducing perpetual licensing on top of the previous rental-only model.
A two-part markerless mocap system for indie studios
iPi Motion Capture systems provide indie studios with a full-body mocap set-up based around commercial depth sensors and cameras.
That used to mean Microsoft’s now-defunct Kinect sensors or Sony’s PS3 Eye cameras, but you can also use Intel’s RealSense range, Asus’s Xtion 2 or Orbbec’s Astra Pro sensors; and Logitech’s C922 Pro webcam.
Each system consists of iPi Recorder, a free software package for capturing and playing back footage; and iPi Mocap Studio, the commercial software used to process the recordings into animation data.
Data processing is done offline, with data exportable in FBX and BVH formats.
New in iPi Mocap Studio 4.0: real-time capture preview, option to retrack individual body parts
New features this time round include the option to preview the capture in real time, with iPi Recorder streaming data to a 3D character inside iPi Mocap Studio in real time.
Final-quality data processing is still done offline.
The update also introduces the option to fix problem tracks by retracking individual body parts – the head, the torso, or any individual limb – while retaining the original track for others.
Support for action cameras makes it possible to track wide-angle footage up to 120fps
In addition, the update adds support for action cameras with wide-angle lenses, making it possible to track actors closer to the camera, and to enable tracking at frame rates of up to 120fps.
iPi Recorder can also now load unsynchronised videos from multiple cameras and sync it automatically.
Pricing and availability
iPi Mocap Studio 4.0 is available for Windows 7+ only. The update reintroduces perpetual licences for the software, previously dropped in version 3.0.
The Express edition now costs $195, and supports a single depth sensor sensor; the Basic edition costs $695 or $345/year, and supports up to two depth sensors or six cameras.
The Pro edition costs $1,995 or $995/year – down $200/year – and supports up to four depth sensors or 16 cameras, and also adds support for tracking up to three actors simultaneously and for dual-GPU processing.
Further add-ons provide automation and biomechanical analysis tools.
Read more about the new features in iPi Macap Studio 3.5 and 3.6 in the online changelog
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