iPi Soft, LLC, developers of the markerless motion capture technology iPi Motion Capture, announced a series of new enhancements supporting Unreal Engine suite of development tools for real time content creation. These enhancements include a new plug-in that allows for real-time motion tracking, motion transfer to 3D character and animation streaming into Unreal Engine.
Pavel Sorokin, iPi Soft’s recently named CEO, explains that closer integration with Unreal Engine via the new plug-in gives motion capture users the ability to stream tracking results to Unreal in both the live feedback and offline tracking mode, thus allowing creators to see how motion will look on their character in Unreal Engine and in their particular 3D setting. Additionally, users can have both iPi Mocap Studio and the Unreal Engine editor open simultaneously for viewing animation changes in real-time.
“We are excited about the creative possibilities the new plug-in will deliver to our customers already working with Unreal Engine,” Sorokin says. “Users can now preview captured motion in an actual game scene inside the Unreal Engine editor and integrate the animation stream from iPi Mocap Studio into Unreal Engine for a more seamless and immersive experience.”
Sorokin noted that previously iPi Mocap users working in Unreal Engine would have to export animation from iPi Studio to FBX or BVH files, then import assets to Unreal. “The tighter integration into Unreal is a huge benefit that will provide iPi Mocap content creators increased flexibility to create game, virtual production and other projects quickly and with more accurate results without the need to create custom code.”
Beta Results Prove Positive
New Discovery, a full-service digital agency based in Mexico and the US, took part in the iPi Soft beta-testing program of the closer integration of iPi Mocap and Unreal Engine for a VR documentary entitled, “Northern Route, Border Identity.'' Funded by the Secretary of Cultural Affairs of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, the project takes an empathetic look at the refugee experience that has slowly become part of the border region's social-economic fabric.
“We were incredibly impressed with the fidelity of the iPi Mocap data,” Jonalex Herrera, CEO and co-founder of New Discovery, says. “Even with two Kinect Azure sensors, the results were amazing. Best of all, we were able to push animation streams directly into Unreal to realistically share details of the refugees’ journey in search of a better future.”
Pricing and Availability
iPi Motion Capture Version 4 is available as a perpetual license or subscription-based model. Prices range from $165 to $1995 depending on the version of the software (Express, Basic, Pro) and duration of the subscription. Additional information on iPi Soft 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, configurations or a 30-day free trial please visit http://www.ipisoft.com.
