Realviz is using SIGGRAPH to present version 4 of its 3D tracking solution MatchMover. MatchMover combines 3D material with live-action footage. From existing footage, it calculates an almost entirely automatic virtual camera with the same position, rotation and focal length as the real camera used for the shoot. Tracker points placed in the image are fundamental to the process, allowing MatchMover to identify image distortion and calculate the camera parameters.
For version 4, the tracker has been substantially improved and works six to ten times faster than its predecessor. Export to other 3D formats has also been improved. The Perl, Python and TCL scripting languages are now fully integrated.
The new tracker, named SMART (Scalable Matching Architecture for Tracking), is also used in MMTrack and MatchMover Pro 4 MoCap. MMTrack is available as a plug-in for 3ds Max and Maya. It effectively integrates MatchMover into the 3D application so that it can be operated without leaving the host program.
MatchMover Pro MoCap is an extension of MatchMover for tracking more complex objects, such as a face, and also benefits from the new SMART technology.
Realviz is also showing version 2 of its previs and storyboarding solution StoryViz. The software imports elements from 3D programs and combines them into a film preview using virtual cameras and lights. Comments and drawings can also be added. Generating HTML pages allows a storyboard to be output in a conventional format.
New StoryViz 2 features include animated textures, editable guide paths for object animation, transition effects, drag-and-drop support for .gbx and .obj files, and the import of Filmbox files (.fbx).
