Previewed to widespread acclaim at SIGGRAPH 2010, OptiTrack’s Insight VCS virtual camera system is now available to customers worldwide. Offered at a third of the price of competing systems, the Insight VCS is ideal for previsualization and production in game and CG film projects of any scope, ranging from AAA games to independent films.

“Professional motion capture products have historically been prohibitively expensive,” said Jim Richardson, NaturalPoint® co-founder and lead engineer for the OptiTrack motion capture line. “With the release of the Insight VCS, we are proud to once again alter the CG production landscape by bringing the latest motion capture technology to market at a price that is accessible for all studios.”

The perfect tool for bringing real-world camera work into your virtual productions, the Insight VCS has already been adopted by leading previsualization, film production and video game development companies across the globe. Early launch customers include Nvizage, USC School of Cinematic Arts, Monolith Productions, Halon Entertainment, Animatrik Film Design and Spark Unlimited.

“Our previsualization teams are often put in situations where clients need shots very quickly with the flexibility to shoot as if they are on set,” said Nvizage Previs Supervisor, Faraz Hameed. “The Insight VCS allows us to do that. Shots that used to take days can now be completed in hours.”

A two-part system, the Insight VCS consists of a hardware camera rig and software interface. As the hardware rig is tracked throughout the motion capture volume, absolute 6 DOF position and orientation data is streamed live via a software plug-in, to either Autodesk MotionBuilder or Maya, to drive the virtual camera within the 3D application. Real-time reference video is streamed out of MotionBuilder or Maya back to the VCS display, creating a low-latency visual feedback loop, similar to the viewfinder of a digital camera.

“Not only does the Insight VCS allow us to service the needs of VFX supervisors and directors, but also the art department,” continues Hameed. “Production designers are finding it a useful tool to help design film sets and demonstrate ideas on the fly. It’s like virtual set building in real-time!”

To ensure complete compatibility with a variety of production pipelines, the Insight VCS has a universal option for interoperability with any existing optical motion capture system – including OptiTrack, Vicon and Motion Analysis – that can track marker-based rigid bodies and stream data to Autodesk MotionBuilder.

Pricing and Availability
The Insight VCS is available immediately, with camera rigs ranging in price from $199 USD to $5,000 USD. Software plug-ins to MotionBuilder and Maya for OptiTrack systems are $1,000 USD. The universal plug-in to MotionBuilder for other motion capture systems is $2,000 USD. For more information, please contact the company’s headquarters in Corvallis, Ore. at 1-888-865-5535, or visit www.optitrack.com.

About OptiTrack
OptiTrack™ is the leading brand of affordable, high-performance motion capture technology. The OptiTrack product line includes: ARENA™, Expression™, and Tracking Tools™ motion capture software; the S250e, V100:R2, and V120:SLIM high-speed motion tracking cameras; and the Insight VCS virtual camera system. Used by facilities worldwide in a variety of markets ranging from film and games to sports training and biomechanics, OptiTrack customers include Halon Entertainment, Nvizage, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, Method Studios, Lockheed Martin, NASA, John Deere and other top studios and developers around the world.

OptiTrack is owned by NaturalPoint®, one of the foremost companies specializing in optical tracking technology. For more information, visit www.optitrack.com.

About NaturalPoint
Based in Corvallis, Ore., NaturalPoint® is the creator and manufacturer of the OptiTrack™, TrackIR™ and SmartNav™ family of brands. NaturalPoint specializes in providing innovative control solutions through optical tracking technology, and has developed tracking systems for computers, video games, military simulators and unique display systems. For more information visit NaturalPoint.com.