Pixotope just released its new XR Edition for extended reality (XR) productions. It makes its debut between 9-12 September 2022 at IBC2022 in Amsterdam. Based on Pixotope’s award-winning Virtual Production graphics software, its new XR Edition simplifies XR workflows and optimizes hardware usage. Its multi-wall support also makes LED volume use more accessible.
Pixotope XR Edition
Developed in response to the growing trend of LED volume use in virtual production and the need for hardware optimization, Pixotope’s XR Edition includes a range of tools to simplify setup and operation. It does so by reducing the technical complexities and associated resource costs of XR workflows and environments.
Pixotope XR Edition “cubes” virtual set.
With XR Edition, Pixotope is removing a major barrier to Virtual Production adoption. It is addressing the fundamental challenges that have historically made it difficult to leverage XR outside of major blockbuster productions. With its streamlined, simplified setup and purpose-built tools that address common operator difficulties, Pixotope XR Edition effectively removes the need for expensive proprietary hardware. Thus providing its users with a relatively affordable, off-the-shelf XR solution.
Key features include
- ICVFX (in-camera visual effects) color matching functionality for AR<->XR workflows.
- LED mesh import and automatic alignment for converting CAD and geometry representations of LED volumes to virtual LED projection surfaces.
- Reduced and optimized hardware usage and multi-wall support.
- System health and diagnostics monitoring for system resilience and failover.
ICVFX color matching functionality for AR<->XR Workflows
This unique color-matching tool enables users to match the colors of ICVFX quickly and easily. It also matches colors appearing through the LED volume for seamless AR/XR workflows and visual effects. This is particularly useful when AR (augmented reality) is used alongside XR (extensible reality) for set extension. It is also useful when adding virtual elements to a scene. This is because color reproduction is affected by both the camera and LED volume, making it difficult to color match accurately by eye.
LED mesh import and automatic alignment
By combining procedural geometry creation tools and tracking technology, Pixotope XR Edition provides its users with an automated method for converting CAD and geometry representations of LED volumes to virtual LED projection surfaces. These are further refined using computer vision to ensure perfect registrations for XR and AR set extension. This significantly reduces the time needed to setup and configure the system.
Reduced and optimized hardware usage and multi-wall support
When using more than one camera in an XR setup, the images on your LED volume and your AR rendering need to synchronously change perspective when switching between cameras in a single frame. With in-software switching, Pixotope XR Edition ensures this operation is accurate and trouble-free without the need for additional hardware.
With multi-wall support, Pixotope can drive several LED walls from a single workstation. This not only reduces the amount of hardware needed and therefore cost, but it also mitigates many common issues, such as output synchronization and sharing of assets over multiple machines.
System health and diagnostics monitoring for system resilience and failover
Failure is deeply undesirable in live virtual production. With Pixotope XR Edition, its clear and comprehensive health and diagnostics monitoring system enables users to address proactively any issues that might arise. Users can quickly troubleshoot problems that may occur during dung production. In the case of a system failure, the system can seamlessly fail over to a backup machine. This makes Pixotope XR edition resilient, robust, and reliable.
Pixotope Chief Revenue Officer David Dowling explains:
“In the past, XR productions have been limited to select teams with highly specialized technical resources. With our XR Edition, Pixotope has developed an easy-to-use solution that enables wider adoption with tools specifically designed to address pain points like color matching, LED meshing and alignment, camera switching, hardware consolidation, and system resilience. As a result, XR is no longer limited to a small group of specialists, it’s a viable option for productions of all sizes.”
Pixotope XR Edition brings virtual production a step forward in sustainability efforts thanks to the ways it optimizes hardware usage. XR Edition’s multi-wall support, features one input and three outputs to render one virtual scene.
Extended Reality for Everyone
XR Edition will be available to new and existing Pixotope users from September 2022. Pixotope has also launched its Pixotope Education Program to help build out the pipeline of next-generation virtual production talent. For a complete list of Pixotape XR Edition features and capabilities, please click here.
About Pixotope
Pixotope is at the forefront of virtual production technology. and empowering content creators with accessible solutions for boundary-pushing immersive storytelling. Pixotope features in some of the world’s most demanding live production. It offers media producers a reliable and sustainable virtual production platform upon which to build their media businesses.
Pixotope allows media creators to tell stories with the visual impact similar to high-end feature films, combined with the connected and scalable nature of online content and the immersive and social experience of video games. To learn more about Pixotope, please click here.
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