Zeiss has introduced CinCraft scenario, a camera tracking system for use in virtual production and live compositing.
The news follows Zeiss’s recent acquisition of Ncam Technologies, with the system combining Ncam tracking technology and Zeiss lens data. The tracking technology not only allows for tracking specially placed reflective markers – the industry standard – but also tracks features of the surroundings, like object edges. In addition, CinCraft Scenario also works with digital markers on LED walls that are invisible to the main camera.
In addition to its use in pre-visualisation and virtual production, CinCraft Scenario also lets the user record tracking data for post-production.
“CinCraft Scenario can bring major benefits to any production that includes VFX as it can record the tracking data on set to be then used in post-production, where it can help significantly optimize an artist’s workflow,” said Tom Evans, product manager and camera tracking specialist at Zeiss.
CinCraft Scenario also makes use ZEISS database of lens characteristics: “When used with Zeiss and ARRI/ZEISS cine lenses, Scenario benefits from the CinCraft lens characteristics. Their inclusion makes the system plug and play and eliminates the cumbersome lens mapping and calibration process,” adds Sundeep Reddy, product manager digital cinematography at Zeiss.
Designed to work with regular off-the-shelf equipment, CinCraft Scenario is natively compatible with major camera and lens encoder systems to provide all the data the system needs to track properly. It is comprised of several hardware and software components that can be individually configured to exactly match the users’ needs: CinCraft CamBar captures the raw data out of the environment and hands it over to CinCraft Origin that runs the main software and aggregates the data to compute position and movement. CinCraft Link connects CamBar and Origin and enables user interface access through mobile devices. The software components allow for computing position and movement and recording the data, exporting the recorded data to industry standard file formats as well as for real-time inclusion in Unreal Engine.
Users will be able to configure their CinCraft Scenario camera tracking system according to their specific needs or choose one of four pre-configured bundles. The system will be available through select dealers and the ZEISS CinCraft website later this year.