Pixotope has launched a new app that aims to put the power of a virtual production studio in the palm of the user’s hand.
Pixotope Pocket is available as part of the Pixotope Education Programme and aims to give users easy, unfettered access to augmented reality and virtual studio tools and workflows, said the company.
The idea is that students can use their smartphone to create content anywhere, without the need of a fully equipped studio.
“While the Pixotope Education Programme gives students access to virtual production tools within educational facilities, we recognise that many students do not have the opportunity to develop and practise their skills outside of those studios or labs,” Carina Schoo, education programme manager tells TVBEurope.
“Students only need their phones and a PC to be able to engage with virtual production tools and workflows and create powerful and immersive content wherever the inspiration strikes, even when it’s in their dorm rooms.”
The app, which is available internationally, uses the smartphone’s camera and sensors for real-time video and tracking data. It sends the synchronised video and tracking data (via SRT stream) to Pixotope Graphics software located on a workstation. Students can then combine the real-time video with augmented reality elements and/or virtual sets.
“Students can’t always have access to the large professional studio setups in their school’s media production labs, so the app provides an opportunity for students to experiment with what they have learned in the labs or test out new ideas in their own time,” explains Schoo.
“Just as an art student might practise the techniques taught in the classroom in their own sketchbooks, Pixotope Pocket provides virtual production students with a technical sketchbook of sorts.”
After downloading the app, users enter the IP address of their render machine, and then they can configure the Pixotope Graphics VS/AR Edition in Pixotope Director.
They then have to “explain” the depth of the scene to the phone by aligning the calibration overlay (intersecting red, green, and blue lines) on the screen with the floor and wall(s) of their scene. Once calibrated, the phone will know where to place the AR objects.
“After that fairly straightforward set-up, it’s on to the fun stuff!” adds Schoo. “Begin filming – whether that’s with a structured shooting plan or just experimentation – and the phone’s camera feed will appear in Pixotope VS/AR on the local render system. From there, users can add in the AR elements and see where their creativity can take them.”
The app is currently available for iOS, with Android support set to be added soon. “We value user feedback and continuously improve our tools based on real user needs,” states Schoo. “We’re especially eager to hear from young student users, as their fresh perspective and tech-savviness can bring innovative ideas to enhance the app.”
Pixotope Pocket is available to students enrolled in courses at establishments partnered with the Pixotope Education Programme.
