Match move workflow for live-action production using game engine

 

 

Zhou Jia Ni*, Hyung Woo Jin*, Kwang Ho Baek*, Tae Soo Yun**

 

Department of Visual Contents*, Division of Digital Contents**

Graduate School of Dongseo University*, Dongseo University**

Busan, South Korea

moses472530@gmail.com, chrisnio@naver.com, onejatan@gmail.com, yntasoo@gmail.com 

 

 

 

Abstract

 

This study suggested a work flow which can apply the match move data to the game engine as a way to utilize game engine in the production of live-action contents. As a result of test, the match move data can be applied to the game engine by creating keyframe to 3D software based on the camera data created from match move data, and delivering this. It was also possible to obtain the same results from 2Dsoftware, 3Dsoftware and game engine. This study is expected to be utilized as a way to use the game engine in order to improve the efficiency of post-production producing live-action contents in the future.

 

 

Keywords - component; post-production; matchmove; game engine

 

1. Introduction                                                     

 

The game engine is the software which was developed for the production of game. According to the development of hardware and software, the utilization range of game engine has increased recently. The merits of game engine have brought the utilization in the digital contents production area.

One of the biggest merits of game engine is real-time PBR (Physically Based Rendering) through capture method. These merits are expected to bring the big change in the video production pipeline in the future.

Machinima manufactured by game engine until now is restricted to the game video and animation, the research about live-action production has not reached to the commercialization stage. This study intends to suggest the workflow which applies match move data to game engine as a way to improve the efficiency of post-production stage in manufacturing live-action using game engine.

 

2. Work flow design

 

2.1. Experiment environment design

 

In order to compare the data linkage result between software, the test is carried out in 2 methods in total. The former test is a test which applies match existing move data to the game engine directly. The latter is a test which applies match existing move data with the game engine via 3Dsoftware.

For the workflow which this study intends to suggest, the test environment is formed by selecting Post-production software which is most frequently used in actual work. For 3Dsoftware, Maya of Autodesk was used. For match move software, PFTrack of the pixel farm was used. For deliver data between each software, FBX data was used while Unreal4 was used for game engine. 

 

2.2. Application of test

 

As a result of the former, when FBX Data extracted from PFTrack is delivered to Unreal, the animation data of camera was not delivered. That’s because the animation of camera created from PFTrack is dependent to Interest Point dummy indicating the viewpoint of camera.

In the test of latter, the camera animation, which caused problem in the former, was bake simulated to transform the dependent animation data into independent form. In addition, scene axis of 3Dsoftware and game engine was tested in two ways.

If Maya scene axis is setup into z-up like unreal world setup, there was no problem in import of animation data of camera, it caused the error of axis of scene. If Maya scene axis is setup into existing y-up, camera animation data and scene axis were normal. match move data can be delivered into unreal by bake simulating camera animation data in the basic setup of Maya.

Table 1. shows the comparison of Camera Animation Value between Maya an Unreal.

 

Table 1. Camera Animation Value Data Graph

                                                                         

 

Translate Value and Rotate Value were divided and compared. Due to the difference of interface between software, it was shown overall value has the same shape despite of difference in width of graph.

 

2.3. Workflow suggestion

 

In order to increase the accessibility of worker in the late of existing video, this study maintained existing match move workflow, and focused the stage of deliver scene.

The workflow which this study intends to suggest is as shown in Fig. 1.

 

Fig. 1 The proposed match move delivery Scene Workflow

 

As shown in the result of test, it is possible to match move shooting data, pass through 3Dsoftware and use in the game engine. Afterward, it is possible to reduce the resource consumed in the rendering by using real-time PBR of Unreal.

 

 Table 2. Comparing the time spent in rendering

                                                                         

 

Table 2. compared the rendering image which used PBR of game engine with 3Dsoftware, and the time consumed in rendering. Each was rendered at a resolution of 1920 * 1080. The PBR of software is set based on default setup.

When comparing the consumed hours in rendering of workflow using game engine and workflow using existing 3Dsoftware, it shows the difference of about 500 times based on 100frames. Therefore, if the suggested workflow is used, it is expected that the time consumed in rendering can be used for the improvement of contents detail.

 

 

3. Conclusion

 

This study suggested a workflow which can apply the match move data to the game engine as a way to utilize game engine in the post-production of live-action contents.

As a result of test, the match move data obtained from live-action can be used to the game engine, by passing through 3Dsoftware.

In addition, the rendering time consumed in post-production can be reduced through workflow suggested.

The workflow suggested by this study maintained the existing match move workflow, focused on the stage of delivery scene in order to increase the accessibility of work in the post-production. As a result, it is judged to be utilized to the actual work very soon. This study is expected to be utilized as a way to use the merit of game engine to the production of live-action contents in the future.

 

References

 

[1]    T. Dobbert, “Matchmoving: the invisible art of camera tracking,” John Wiley & Sons, pp.5-10, 2006.

[2]    M. Nitsche, “Film live: An excursion into machinima,” Developing interactive narrative content: Sagas_sagasnet_reader, Vol.210, 43, 2005.

[3]    D.H.Eberly, “3D game engine design: a practical approach to real-time computer graphics,” CRC Press,pp.8-66, 2006.

[4]    A.Indraprastha, M.Shinozaki. “The investigation on using Unity3D game engine in urban design study,” Journal of ICT Research and Applications, Vol. 3(1), pp.1-18. 2009

[5]    M.Pharr, W.Jakob, G.Humphreys. “ Physically based rendering: From theory to implementation.” Morgan Kaufmann. pp.356-496. 2016.