Mova Unveils Contour Reality Capture System for CGI
San Francisco-based Mova has released its Contour Reality Capture System, enabling digital cameras to accurately capture photorealistic computer-generated imagery.
Mova, a San Francisco-based motion capture studio, has introduced its Contour Reality Capture System, a new technology designed to accurately capture photorealistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) using digital cameras.
The system combines visual and geometric information by employing two synchronized camera systems to produce high-resolution 3D digital images. This technology records subtle details of human performances, such as facial expressions, in real-time. Consequently, production costs are expected to decrease significantly, while content creators gain enhanced creative control over the visual effects process.
"Mova Contour takes us from motion capture to reality capture," stated Steve Perlman, Mova's founder and president. The system enables "volumetric cinematography," where scenes are captured in the round, deviating from traditional single-viewpoint filming. The technology is positioned for use in both the film and video game industries.
The high-quality, 3D data generated by Mova Contour can be directly imported into standard CGI animation software. It is capable of capturing the motion of any 3D surface, including deformable ones, with sub-millimeter precision at up to 120 frames per second. This is intended to substantially reduce the post-production work often required in traditional methods.
Mova collaborated with graphics processing pioneer NVIDIA on this technology, utilizing NVIDIA GPUs for the first time to accelerate the capture of 3D scenes, in addition to their usual role in rendering and display.