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Making Games With iPi Soft

Apr 08, 2012 at 12:00 am by Store Staff


New Jersey Mobile Game Developer Makes Markerless Motion Capture System Key Component to Creative Workflow

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The mobile gaming world is one of the fastest growing areas in media today, and for game developers like the Farmingdale, NJ-based company Mission Critical one of their competitive advantages is their reliance on iPi Motion Capture. The markerless multi-camera motion capture system has been incorporated into the studio’s production pipeline and has played an integral role in all of the games the company has developed.

Founded in 2007 by Erik “Foyleman” Guilfoyle and David Gonzalez, Mission Critical Studios specializes in the development of exciting video game experiences for iOS, Android, PC, Xbox 360, PS 3 and Wii platforms.

“It’s fantastic to be able to come up with an idea and in a few minutes record exactly what you want and apply it to your characters,” Gonzalez says. “iPi Motion Capture is what mocap should be all about — making your ideas reality in a matter of minutes.”

Getting Frantic

Among those ideas Mission Critical used iPi Motion Capture to bring to life is a game called “Frantic Freddy,” (available on the iOS, and soon on Xbox Live), which centers on a mentally unhinged character named Freddy who is forced to face his fears, such as his fear of roaches that gamers must stomp on to collect points.

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“’Frantic Freddy’ is a good example of how we use iPi Motion Capture,” Gonzalez notes.  “Our character’s movement takes place inside a padded room so we created a faux room using plastic hanging from the ceiling and had our actor act out each of the movements and sequences. The Frantic Freddy character needed to be able to slap the walls (to kill the bugs) so the flexibility of iPi Motion Capture to capture the footage was a distinct advantage. So was the ability to be unencumbered while performing and not strapped into traditional motion capture suits was a huge plus as well.”

Gonzalez explains that the simplicity of the iPi Motion Capture set-up proved extremely helpful when it became apparent that some motion would have to be re-shot.

“We realized later on that all of the movements were not coming through effectively because the Freddy animation was sped up — he has to step or slap the bugs as quickly as the person taps on the screen.  We had to go back and re-shot a new performance using more deliberate actions. The simplicity of the setup and processing of the data in iPi Motion Capture made the process painless.”

Mission Critical’s workflow also incorporates other software such as 3DS Max, Maya, Lightwave, Zbrush, Motion Builder and Photoshop – all of which are compatible with iPi Motion Capture.

Thanks to the success of “Frantic Freddy,” Mission Critical has been selected an Xbox Registered Developer and are currently in the process of producing for the Xbox Kinect.

Mission Critical is also using iPi Motion Capture on a music performance game that involves recording their client’s performance and then translating the performance onto animated avatars of the band members.

“The motion that is generated through iPi Motion Capture is very clean,” Gonzalez notes. “It is the only mocap solution that we use at our studio, and now with the multi-camera setup, which basically eliminates any occlusion issues we might have had in the past, we truly have become iPi fans.”

About iPi Motion Capture:

iPi Motion Capture is a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The scalable system supports dual Kinect cameras working at the same time on the same PC capturing complex motions, including 360-degrees turns. It also supports other inexpensive off-the-shelf equipment such as PlayStation Eye cameras and webcams.

iPi Motion Capture brings a totally new workflow paradigm to filmmakers, CG animator broadcast motion graphics designers, videogame developers and prosumers in entertainment, military and other vertical markets. Captured animations do not exhibit artifacts like jitter or foot skate and can be exported in popular animation formats including FBX, BVH and COLLADA. The software is compatible with many leading game engines, 3D software applications and animation rigs, including MAXON CINEMA 4D, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3D Studio Max, DAZ 3D DAZ Studio, Poser, Valve Source Engine, Unreal Engine, Unity and others. It also includes an integrated motion transfer engine and supports accurate motion retargeting for custom rigs. For more information, click here: http://ipisoft.com/products.php

About iPi Soft:

Launched in 2008 by CEO and Chief Technology Architect Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture™, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company’s breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer generated films. For additional information, on iPi Soft, product pricing or a 30-day free trial please visit, http://www.ipisoft.com.

All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Web Resources: Click here for more info about iPi Soft: http://www.ipisoft.com

Click here for more info about Mission Critical Studios: http://www.missioncriticalstudios.com

Click here for more info about Frantic Freedy Bug Stomp

iPi Desktop Motion Capture Express, Basic and Standard Editions are available in the Renderosity MarketPlace!


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