Motion Capture for the Masses
The new version includes improved calibration for depth sensors / light marker, new automation commands, important bugfixes and enhancements:
http://docs.ipisoft.com/iPi_Mocap_Studio_Release_Notes#ver._3.6.6.222
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Ukraine-Based Production Studio Relies On Markerless Motion Capture Solution For Character Animation; Video Series Attracts Millions Of Views
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – What began as an indie mobile game in 2014, Five Nights At Freddy’s has grown into a multimedia franchise with multiple games, novel adaptations and even a feature film in the works. There is also an array of fan-inspired videos – none more popular than those produced by the Kiev, Ukraine-based GoldenLane Studio. Led by Co-Founder Roman Maltsev (along with Alex Portman and Oleg Smolyaninov), the studio’s “Five Nights At Freddy’s” YouTube video series relies on the iPi Soft markerless iPi Motion Capture software solution for reliable character animation. The series continues to be viewed by millions, including an astounding 25 million that watched the initial trailer.
Maltsev noted that among the key benefits of using iPi Motion Capture (in conjunction with a Windows PC running on an Intel Core i7 8700K processor and NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti graphics card) is not having to rely on expensive green-screens and motion capture suits, and that animations can be exported into either SFM (Source Filmmaker’s proprietary format) or the more universal DMX format, to ensure a quick post production workflow.
Ideal For Creative Studios:
The motion capture tracking and design process begins at GoldenLane with a rough pre-visualization (previs), without animation and lighting. All characters are first created in T-pose, a standard default shape for humanoid game model content creation, to understand where action is going to take place, character placement, etc. Following, iPi Motion Capture is used to record and track motion to the previs scenes and then transfer to each character.
“iPi Motion Capture is ideal for small, creative studios like ours as it helps to simplify and significantly speed up production,” Maltsev says, who serves as the sole actor in his videos, often performing multiple parts. “It’s also a lot of fun for me to get to play the hero in my own movies.”
Although Maltsev is currently the only actor featured in the video production, should that change, the capabilities in iPi Motion Capture (Pro version) provide tracking features of up to three multiple actors at the same time without the need for manual sync.
Complex Kiss:
One particularly challenging scene for Maltsev was playing two characters named Zoe and Ellis that kiss. “I recorded the kiss using the iPi Recorder independently for each character, as a single-actor motion,” he recalls. “To accomplish this, I had to stand in the center of the room twice, hug the air and pretend to kiss someone. After that I synced motions manually inside Source Filmmaker. This seemingly simple act proved the most complex, and also was pretty amusing.”
The “Five Nights At Freddy’s” mobile game series is centered on the story of a fictional restaurant named Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a pastiche of restaurants like Chuck E. Cheese’s. The game involves the player working as a nighttime security guard who must use several tools, most notably security cameras, to survive the night shift against animatronic characters that become homicidal after-hours.
350K Subscribers:
GoldenLane borrows from the basic premise of the original Freddy’s series, but introduces new characters, settings and scenarios, such as the HAZMAT team investigating the dilapidated state of the Freddy’s restaurant; or the wandering traveler who is stalked by one of the animatronic characters.
According to Maltsev, the original characters he creates run the gamut from those that will appear only once, to more nuanced ones that will inevitably play important roles as the series develops.
“iPi Soft is a key content creation tool that helps to visually ‘describe’ a character through the use of motion,” Maltsev says. “We develop characters with the aim to give each a unique style. How a person moves can be very revealing into who they are. A military person might be more sure-footed and stride confidently into extreme situations, whereas a civilian might move more cautiously and awkwardly.”
Maltsev’s passion for the project and level he puts into his characters and plotlines has clearly resonated with fans as evidenced by millions of views and 350,000-plus subscribers on YouTube. The popularity of the series has also spurred donations via the crowd-funding site Patreon.com, enabling Maltsev and his GoldenLane partners to work solely on creating content for YouTube.
For Michael Nikonov, Founder and Chief Technology Officer at iPi Soft, the company remains committed to motion tracking software development that delivers exceptional processing speed optimization and tracking accuracy.
“We’re pleased that recent enhancements to iPi Motion Capture are providing indie filmmakers, like Maltsev, with the near real-time feedback capabilities they need to quickly track results that can be transferred to 3D characters at the time of recording motions and improved animation export features for an optimized workflow.”
“When I uploaded the first Freddy’s trailer, there were no plans on developing it as a on-going series,” Maltsev adds. “People clearly like our vision of this cinematic universe and when we saw how popular it had became, we decided to move ahead and will deliver new episodes later this year.”
About iPi Soft:
Launched in 2008 by CEO and Chief Technology Architect Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture™, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer generated films. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Vicky Gray-Clark
Ambient PR
vicky@ambientpr.com / 408-318-1980
Ray Ecke
Right Word Media
ray@rightwordmedia.com / 973-726-3797
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iPi Soft’s team is sending best wishes to you and your family for peaceful and enjoyable holidays ahead. We hope the coming year will be full of exciting opportunities, enjoyable and a great success!
We’re working hard to release the new version 4 and support for realtime tracking with depth sensors by spring 2018. Stay tuned!
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Read Jay Ankeney’s interview with our CTO Michael Nikonov in Broadcast Bridge. “The latest version 3.5 software from Russia-based iPi Soft achieves up to 3X faster rendering speed, coming very close to the Holy Grail of real time markerless MoCap rendering when used with a Microsoft Kinect sensor set-up.”
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| Listen to Bob Dawe, PhD, Assistant Professor, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, talking to DigitalProductionBuzz show host Larry Jordan about how iPi Soft markerless motion capture technology is helping the Rush Alzheimers Disease Center’s research team collect data to predict future brain health: http://www.digitalproductionbuzz.com/interview/bob-dawe-use-mocap-to-test-brain-health/ |
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Ko Maruyama’s article in Digital Producer on how researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center are using our iPi Mocap filmmaking technology for biomechanical data collection strategies for Alzheimers research and prevention:
http://www.digitalproducer.com/article/iPi-Soft-Aides-Researchers—–4990274
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Version 3.5 of Markerless Mocap Solution More Than Doubles Tracking Speed; Includes Faster, More Accurate Calibration
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – iPi Soft, LLC, developers of advanced markerless motion capture technology, today announced significant upgrades to its iPi Motion Capture software application, including 2.5 times faster tracking speed when used with a Kinect sensor set-up, enhanced animation export functionality, as well as availability for single-actor projects and single-GPU configurations.
According to Michael Nikonov, founder and chief technology architect for iPi Soft, the new iPi Motion Capture tracking algorithm works faster than when the raw data is recorded via a Kinect sensor, with tracking speeds now available up to 60-70 fps (when using high-end video cards), versus previous Kinect recording rates of 30 fps. “The new enhancements to the software will allow us to implement a real-time feedback feature so users can see the tracking result transferred to 3D characters at the time of recording motions for optimized workflow,” Nikonov said.
Nikonov also noted that the new 3.5 version offers faster calibration for the Sony PS3 Eye camera set up, which now takes less than three minutes (dependent on the number of cameras used) when using a high-end video card. In addition, increased calibration precision has resulted in more accurate noise and defect filtering.
Customers working with Sony PS Move motion controllers to precisely track hands and head rotations, a process that used to take up to 10 minutes depending on length of recordings, now will enjoy nearly instant application of motion controllers data. iPi Soft development also continues to bring faster algorithms for use with Sony PS3 Eye and other RGB camera set-ups, scheduled for release later this year.
In addition to 2.5 to 3 times faster tracking speed (for Kinect sensors) – which is essentially real-time rendering, a long time benchmark for adoption with high-end users working in entertainment – the new 3.5 version features additional animation settings for working in third party applications for a smoother integration.
Other key features in iPi Motion Capture 3.5 include:
• Availability for single-actor projects and single-GPU configurations.
A complete list of the new feature enhancements in iPi Motion Capture 3.5 is available here.
Real-Time Feedback Development:
In addition to more than doubling the tracking speed with this latest version, the company remains focused on achieving real time rendering before the end of 2017.
“Our development efforts are focused on processing speed optimization and we expect to release a new version of iPi Motion Capture that will essentially offer real-time capability this year to deliver customers an overall improved markerless mocap workflow,” notes Nikonov.
Pricing and Availability:
iPi Motion Capture Version 3.5 is available on a subscription-based pricing model. Prices range from $45.00 to $2,495.00 depending on the version of software (Express, Basic, Pro) and duration of subscription. The Basic edition provides support for up to 6 Sony PS3 Eye cameras or 2 Kinect sensors, and tracking of single actor. The Pro version features full 16-camera / 4 Kinect sensors capability and can track of up to 3 actors. A free 30-day trial for Version 3.0 is available here: http://ipisoft.com/download/
About iPi Motion Capture:
iPi Motion Capture is a markerless motion capture software tool to track human body motions to easily produce 3D animation. The scalable system is capable of tracking of up to 3 actors and is compatible with first and second-generation Kinect sensors working at the same time on one or several computers to capture complex motions, including 360-degrees turns. It also supports other inexpensive off-the-shelf equipment such as Sony PS3 Eye cameras.
The software is also compatible with many leading game engines, 3D software applications and animation rigs, including MAXON Cinema 4D, Autodesk 3D Studio Max / Maya / MotionBuilder, Unity, Valve Source Filmmaker / Source Engine, DAZ Studio, Poser, iClone, Unreal Engine, and others. iPi Motion Capture supports motion transfer and export to popular animation formats including FBX, BVH and COLLADA.
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, product configurations or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Ambient PR, Vicky Gray-Clark, vicky@ambientpr.com, 408-318-1980
Right Word Media, Ray Ecke, ray@rightwordmedia.com, 973-726-3797
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Computer Graphics World article on Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center using iPi Motion Capture in their research:
http://www.cgw.com/Press-Center/In-Focus/2017/Mocap-Aids-in-Alzheimers-Research.aspx
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Innovative Motion Capture Solution Helps Quantify And Improve Alzheimer’s
Biomechanical Data Collection Strategies
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MOSCOW – April 27, 2017 – Researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (the RADC), a department at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, currently focused on several large ongoing studies of aging and dementia that include more than 2,000 individuals, have found a new tool in their battle against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia: markerless motion capture.
According to Bob Dawe, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology, there is an increasing recognition in the role gait, mobility and physical activity play in influencing the brain health and successful aging and quality of life in older adults. Because many of the seniors in the study are not able or willing to travel to the facility, a team of RADC researchers are using iPi Soft motion capture technology in conjunction with Microsoft Kinect motion sensor devices to go into different communities to meet with participants and conduct annual tests of cognitive ability, health status questionnaires, blood draws and other research with the goal, he says, of better understanding the factors most influential in staving off these diseases.
“Using iPi Motion Capture software paired with Microsoft Kinect we now have a very accurate digital record of participants’ motions as they complete different motor performances, from which we can better quantify myriad facets of gait, balance and mobility,” Dawe says. “We compared some of the metrics extracted with iPi Motion Capture to the gold standard optical tracking system in the motion analysis laboratory and the timing measures are spot on, and the accuracy of estimated joint angles is also very respectable. On top of that, the iPi Soft motion capture system is more user-friendly than the professional motion tracking rig.”
Dawe explained that the RADC first became interested in using the Kinect as a tool to capture aspects of mobility in its older research participants, but soon learned that the device alone would not be substantial enough to yield accurate results.
“iPi Soft’s iPi Recorder and iPi Mocap Studio are very polished products that did not require extensive programming knowledge,” Dawe notes. “I was thrilled when it worked right out of the box in just a few moments, with the installation package taking care of all the necessary components without any of the cryptic error messages I’d become accustomed to with some of the open source packages I’d worked with in the past.”
The RADC testing measures about a dozen performances, such as walking a straight line, rising from a chair, standing with eyes closed for 20 seconds, standing on one foot, etc. Dawe explained that iPi Motion Capture integrated perfectly with their current gait and mobility-testing collection strategies in that it imposed no additional testing burden on participants, such as the need to shed clothing or wear sensor suits.
Additionally, the systems worked intuitively so the RADC researchers were not preoccupied with the computer during the testing session and could therefore maintain their focus on the study participants. Using iPi Motion Capture with Kinect sensors also yielded better spatial and temporal resolution and a wider field of view and combined with its portability and easy set up made it ideal for conducting research, especially when going into the field into participant’s homes with limited open space.
“Adding iPi Soft and Kinect was just a matter of training our researchers and devising a consistent placement strategy for the hardware and figuring out how to handle all the data,” Dawe notes.
”We are particularly excited to know that the renowned Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center is relying on our markerless motion capture solution to advance meaningful research to help fight those afflicted with Alzheimer’s,” Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft founder and chief technology architect says. “As more medical and research professionals continue to become familiar with the benefits of markerless tracking and visualizing as a professional and reliable alternative for capturing human motion data without the need for expensive facility space, clumsy sensor suits with reflective markers or a team of technicians, we see endless possibilities for its use in solving important medical problems.”
About iPi Soft:
Launched in 2008 by CEO and Chief Technology Architect Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture™, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer generated films. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Ambient PR, Vicky Gray-Clark, vicky@ambientpr.com, 408-318-1980
Right Word Media, Ray Ecke, ray@rightwordmedia.com, 973-726-3797
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