The Zeiss group, known for their technology in the fields of optics and optoelectronics, have recently announced the impending launch of their new camera tracking system with CinCraft Scenario as a part of their CinCraft ecosystem. The system incorporates Ncam’s unique tracking technology along with ZEISS’S expertise in lens data, thus resulting in an easy to use tracking system that is designed to match the film crew’s workflow.
The ZEISS CinCraft Scenario has been designed to be compatible with most major applications. It provides camera-tracking data that can be used in real-time rendering engines, thus making it ideal for virtual production or live compositing, while also allowing the users to record the tracking data for post-production. Tom Evans, Product Manager and Camera Tracking Specialist at ZEISS describes the advantages of the company’s new product, “While camera tracking is known to be extremely useful for pre-visualization and virtual 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 optimise an artist’s workflow.”
Owing to its unique hybrid tracking technology that tracks the specially placed industry standard reflective markers as well as surrounding features, the CinCraft Scenario can be used in most environments –– be it indoors or outdoors, on film sets, with green or blue screens and even in LED volumes. Additionally, it also has the ability to track digital markers on LED walls that are invisible to the main camera.
As a part of ZEISS’ CinCraft ecosystem, the CinCraft Scenario also enjoys access to ZEISS’s database of lens characteristics. Sundeep Reddy, the Product Manager of Digital Cinematography at ZEISS elaborates on the advantages of having the lens characteristics available to the camera tracking system, “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.”
Another advantage of the CinCraft Scenario is its design that makes it compatible to work with any regular off-the shelf equipment as well as major camera and lens encoder systems, thus making it versatile in its use and providing it with all the data it needs to track properly. It is composed of several modular hardware and software components that can be individually configured to precisely cater to the user’s needs. The users will be able to configure their tracking systems to adjust to their specific needs or choose from four already pre-configured bundles.
The CinCraft CamBar pulls out the raw data from the environment and then transmits it to CinCraft Origin that then runs the main software and compiles the data to compute position and movement. The CinCraft Link connects the CamBar and Origin and allows users to access the interface via mobile devices. These software components are what allow the system to compute the position and movement , record the data and then export the said recorded data to industry standard file formats as well as real-time inclusion in Unreal Engine.
The system is ready to be released in the market by timid-second half of 2023. It will be available through select dealers and the ZEISS CinCraft website.
Source: ZEISS CinCraft Scenario – powerful and flexible camera tracking
