Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 5.1, which includes a dedicated In-Camera VFX editor (ICVFX), improved Remote Control APIs and expanded colour correction tools.
The ICVFX Editor supports a range of virtual production workflows, said the company, which eliminates the need for stage operators to search for specific objects and controls. UE 5.1 also adds UI, UX, and performance improvements for the Remote Control APIs, enabling users to construct custom browser-based remote controls more quickly and easily.
The ICVFX Editor also hosts an interface to an improved Light Card system that displays as a preview of the nDisplay wall, said Epic Games. This makes it intuitive and efficient to create, move, and edit light cards and save templates, the new light cards can retain their shape on the wall, eliminating distortion.
Also new in the ICVFX Editor are Colour Correction Windows (CCWs) that enable colour adjustments to be applied exclusively to anything behind them (similar to Power Windows in colour grading applications), together with the ability to apply colour corrections per Actor, which reduces the need for complex masking, added the company.
Unreal Engine’s virtual camera system has also been overhauled with a new underlying framework that utilises Epic’s Pixel Streaming technology for improved responsiveness and reliability, and an updated UI with a modern camera-focused design that will be more familiar to camera operators, said the company. Users also now have the ability to connect hardware devices, and will be able to customise the UI in the future.
Unreal Engine has now been used on over 425 film and TV productions, and is integrated into over 300 virtual production stages worldwide.
More details about the latest release are available here.
