Dimensional Imaging unveil new facial capture tech at SIGGRAPH

UK-based Dimensional Imaging (DI4D) has announced its new performance capture at SIGGRAPH 2017.

The newest iteration of the DI4D motion scanning technology will allow for 4D data collection using 3D scans of the surface of a subjects face using a fixed topology mesh. What this means is that a greater amount of detail can be captured and recorded with better fidelity than before. The technology also uses no markers, fixed lighting or makeup, so that capture is much more focused on the behaviour of, for example, an actors face. An example of the depth of this capture can be seen in the image above.

“We always try to present something new and exciting at SIGGRAPH and this year we will certainly do that by showing the highest fidelity DI4D facial performance capture data so far," explains DI4D CEO, Dr Colin Urquhart. "We have increased the resolution of cameras used on one of our DI4D Pro systems by a factor of four from 3 to 12 mega-pixels and we have also significantly enhanced our 4D processing and mesh tracking software. As a result we can capture much higher fidelity data and track even denser meshes than with our current DI4D Pro system.”

If you are at SIGGRAPH, then there is also a demonstration of how the technology can be applied to virtual reality projects. “We are also demonstrating the use of DI4D data in VR for the first time on our booth," adds Dr Urquhart. "The level of detail of facial performance we are now able to capture really needs to be seen – or even better, experienced in VR – to be believed.”

DI4D technology has been used for high budget facial capture for triple-A games like the heavily performance focused Quantum Break, and is also implemented in promotional material such as trailers for Halo Wars 2 and the Destiny: Rise of Iron expansion.