Set up a VS level

Academy Tutorial - Introduction to Virtual Studios

• Learn how to create Virtual Studios in Pixotope including camera input, key, comp plane, and shadows workflows.

Create a new show

If you already have a show you work on you can skip this step.

1. Go to START > Storage > Shows

2. Click on "Create new show" and select "from template"

3. Select the project type "VS Project"

4. Select the location where the new project should be created

5. Enter a name for the show and click on "Create new show"

6. Click on "Open show”

Launch a level

In the Director

1. Go to SETUP or PRODUCTION > Show > Launch

2. Open the PixotopeVSTemplate level by clicking on "Launch in EDITOR"

Create a new empty level

You can reuse the PixotopeVSTemplate level, or create a new empty level:

• Right-click in the Content Browser and choose "Level"

  1. Name your level

  2. Open it by double-clicking the level icon

  3. In the "Save Content" dialog that appears, click "Save Selected"

• Or choose "New Level..." from the "File" menu

  1. Choose the "Empty Level" template

  2. Save the level by clicking "Save current" from the "File" menu

  3. Name your level

Pixotope automatically adds the following objects to the level:

• CameraRoot - your virtual reference point for the studio origin

• TrackedCamera - your real tracked camera transferred into virtual space

• PostProcessHandler - enables post-processing effects like camera effects and color correction

• MaterialHandler - runs essential shaders for compositing

Set up a color-managed viewport

If using a color-managed workflow, you can enable a color-managed viewport in the Editor to preview your work in the correct output color profile.

1. Make sure you are working in Linear space

   1. In Director check: SETUP > Show > Show settings > Compositing color space

2. In the OCIO menu in the viewport, click "OCIO Viewport Enabled" in the OCIO

3. The color profile of the viewport is now linked to the color profile selection of the chosen (routed) output (Director: SETUP > Configure > Routing)

   • To manually override the color profile, just select any other ACES color profile

Color-managed working in the Editor is currently only possible using a single viewport.

Create a virtual studio

1. Add or import your 3D assets.

Scaling

When you add or import assets, remember to work in scale. The Unreal unit system is 1 unit = 1 meter.

Place asset

If your CameraRoot was matched correctly with the Studio origin, placing your asset in the scene is as easy as entering the measured values where the asset should be seen in the real world.

Add an internal compositing plane

1. Add a VS Internal Compositing Plane from the Pixotope Editor > Place Actors > Pixotope panel

   • The Virtual studio template already has a compositing plane included, so this step could be skipped

2. Check to see whether the video input is shown on the compositing plane

   • If you do not have a video live feed, turn on "Debug Video Input" in World Settings > Pixotope World > Debug Configuration

3. To avoid clipping of the compositing plane with the floor, convert the floor object to "VS floor"

   • Learn more about Object types in Pixotope

Key the video

Position and scale the compositing plane

1. Position the compositing plane in-depth

2. Scale it to cut away surrounding unkeyed garbage areas

3. Tweak the Z-position so the keyed video intersects nicely with the floor and realistic shadows are cast on it

   • If no shadows appear, make sure you have a directional light set up and the compositing plane has "Cast virtual shadows" activated

Adjust compositing

Adjust how video and graphics are composited together.

1. Go to the "General" tab in PRODUCTION → Adjust → Video Composite

2. Fine-tune the compositing plane

This can also be done directly in the Editor.

Next step

Continue to Making adjustments