From ascen@world.std.comMon Dec 12 18:30:13 1994 Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 19:48:43 GMT From: Ascension Technology Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: Ascension at Meckler New York Nov 29th - Dec 2 NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact: Jack Scully (802) 860-6440 Internet: ascension@world.std.com ASCENSION'S FLOCK OF BIRDS CHOSEN FOR MOTION CAPTURE VIRTUAL REALITY BY MAJOR ANIMATION STUDIOS AND MOVIE MAKERS ALIAS, SOFTIMAGE, WAVEFRONT, AND AUTODESK OFFER ANIMATION SOFTWARE FOR FLOCK'S REAL TIME MOTION-CAPTURE Meckler VR Expo '94 New York, November 29, 1994 -- Animation and Virtual Reality industry leaders are capturing human motions in real time and creating some dazzling new computer-generated characters who possess the "look and feel" of real people. In the last year, Ascension's long-range Flock of BirdsTM has become the workhorse for capturing human motions for computer animation. Industry leaders, such as ILM, PDI, Windlight Studios, Kleiser-Walzak, Sony, Lamb and Company, Mr. Film, Colossal Pictures and R\Greenberg Associates, have chosen the Flock for motion capture after evaluating competitive technologies. Animation software from Alias, Softimage, Wavefront, and Autodesk now includes device drivers for the Flock. Moreover, they recommend Ascension's Flock of Birds motion-capture equipment as the preferred method of capturing the motions of live actors in creating computer creations. Autodesk's latest 3D Studio release brings motion-capture down to the PC platform. Performance animation integrates computer-generated characters with realistic, fluid human motions. The process starts when an actor straps on 10-15 Flock receivers (sensors) to accurately record his movements in real time. That information is mapped "on the fly" onto the corresponding anatomical features of a computer-generated character. The resulting computer creation displays natural, smooth movements, often difficult and costly to produce with traditional techniques. Recent motion capture credits for the Flock include: R/Greenberg's Shell Oil ad campaign, Lamb and Company's Donnie Domino ads, Windlight's Weldon Pond pilot for CBS television, Mr. Film's Fantastic Four film, Colossal Pictures' Moxie Show, and Universal Studio's Jurassic Park tour. "Motion capture is the future," says Alias's product manager, Gary Mundell. His sentiment is echoed by Robert Greenberg, president of R/Greenberg Associates, creator of a series of award-winning tv ads, featuring sports cars dancing with Shell gasoline pumps. It lets us "simulate human motions" in ways difficult to do with "cel animation or 3D computer graphics," he says. The Flock itself is an easy-to-use motion-capture product, enabling a user to simultaneously track up to 29 receivers referenced to a transmitter emitting pulsed DC magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are used because they overcome some of the vexing problems of earlier optical, magnetic, and video-based trackers -- non-real time tracking, acute sensitivity to nearby metal, blocking/occlusion, alignment errors, and extremely high cost. "The Flock represents a cost-effective solution to animators faced with the need to create large amounts of computer animation," says Ascension's vice president, Jack Scully. "Animation time is now routinely being reduced from weeks to hours." The Flock transmitter provides ample coverage for a person to move about a 16-foot diameter. Receivers send their sensed position and orientation signals back to a central bank of electronics for processing and output to a host computer. For ease of movement, receiver cables are often bundled and suspended via a bungee-type cord from an overhang on the work stage. Ascension, based in South Burlington, VT, has extensive experience in developing, manufacturing and marketing multi degrees-of-freedom tracking devices for various graphics markets. --