Brainstorm At NAB 2017

Brainstorm has announced that it will feature the latest versions of its product line of virtual sets and motion graphics solutions, as well as showcasing several industry-first technologies, at NAB 2017.

Virtual Sets, Motion Graphics and Augmented Reality
At NAB Brainstorm will enhance its InfinitySet virtual set solution with advanced graphics features. InfinitySet not only integrates Aston projects, but now also includes all the features of Aston so it can edit, manage and create any kind of 2D/3D motion graphics and CG from scratch.

Thanks to the TrackFree technology and its TeleTransporter feature, InfinitySet can interchangeably use real, live or pre-recorded footage as the background set for the chroma keyed talent. This functionality permits a remote talent to become a virtual traveller and be teletransported to any location at any time, and seamlessly interact with real and virtual elements.

This interaction is made possible due to the 3D Presenter feature which transforms the talent into a full 3D object which is then able to integrate within the 3D environment as well as an AR world.

The new VirtualGate feature which integrates the presenter not only in the virtual set but also inside additional content within it. Yet another development of the TrackFree technology, VirtualGate allows the talent in the virtual world to be teletransported to any video with full broadcast continuity.

Brainstorm will also launch VideoCAVE, a Mixed Reality application using monitors in a real set performing as a CAVE multiple window, with virtual elements coming in from the virtual windows to the real scene as viewed from a tracked broadcast camera. 

Support for Oculus Rift and third-party render engines
Brainstorm will announce support for Mixed Reality hardware such as Oculus Rift. In addition, the company will demonstrate its support for third-party render engines, with special interest in gaming and architectural engines such as Unreal Engine.

These complex engines provide photorealistic scenes. When integrated with the Brainstorm eStudio render engine, this allows InfinitySet not only to show rendered and realistic background scenes, but also to integrate graphic elements in the final scene, such as 3D motion graphics, lower-thirds, tickers, CG and many other elements.

VisualMedia
Also at NAB, Brainstorm and never.no will announce a joint solution to provide real-time 3D graphics visualization based on social media feeds and second screen data, one of the results of both companies' partnership in 'Project VisualMedia', developed from the Europe 2020 Horizon platform. InfinitySet and Aston can take full advantage of VisualMedia which allows for real-time representation of structured social media information by means of data-driven 3D motion graphics.

Template-based solutions
Brainstorm has developed a range of template-based solutions all built on its eStudio render engine and which ensures high render quality and real-time performance for any kind of 3D graphics and virtual set templates.

At NAB 2017 Brainstorm will release SmartSet which is a template-based playout solution designed for smaller and local TV stations, and which provides advanced Virtual Set and Augmented Reality applications without the need to create the sets themselves. Brainstorm's template solutions play out content to air which has been created by using pre-defined or purpose-built templates designed on Brainstorm applications. Depending on the complexity, sophistication and flexibility of the template, this in turn dictates how 'smart' the set can be.

Integration with third-party hardware
Brainstorm will demonstrate integration with third-party hardware such as the FOR-A, NewTek and Blackmagic studio switchers. Brainstorm and FOR-A's long partnership has resulted in the creation of a number of products and OEM solutions for the benefit of the customers of both companies. With NewTek, Brainstorm is supporting software-driven IP workflows using NewTek's Network Device Interface (NDI).

Brainstorm integrates NDI into its Infinity Set family of products to be recognizable as a source by other NDI-enabled applications and devices connected to a standard Ethernet local area network. With Blackmagic, Brainstorm expects to build an integrated configuration to present a best-of-breed production switcher based solution.

brainstorm3d.com

(MH/LM)