Creative software developer Foundry, has announced the launch of Cara VR 2.0, the next chapter for the cutting-edge virtual reality plug-in toolset for Nuke.
Building on the first-of-its-kind plug-in debuted in 2016, Cara VR 2.0 boasts improved stitching and stabilization, allowing for more efficient creation of seamless VR and 360 video content with the highest levels of quality. The new version features major updates in stitching, the introduction of 360 match-move tracking and automatic stabilization, with new tools for stereoscopic corrections using the cutting edge algorithms from Ocula.
Craig Rodgerson, CEO of Foundry commented: “To fully realize the potential of VR, we need to enable content creators to build experiences that are more immersive than anything before. The first iteration of our Cara VR toolkit was hugely well-received, and this latest version will help usher in the next level of VR experiences. Artists can now better meet the demand for VR content thanks to our industry-leading creative toolset.”
Cara VR 2.0’s new GlobalWarp node speeds up delivery of stitches while producing a high quality 360 stitch with minimal ghosting. Global Warp adds additional controls for lining up key features in overlapping areas and allows you to add constraints to reduce warping on known straight lines, even for objects overlapping multiple camera views, helping users achieve the highest quality stitch faster.
Cara VR 2.0 includes a redesigned Tracker which accelerates the process of stabilization and match-moving for a more comfortable VR experience and easier alignment of 3D elements. Automatically track a 360 stitch for stabilization and create a 360 match-move camera to assist in 3D corrections and CG insertion. The Tracker node now simplifies stabilization, adding 3D stabilisation to remove parallax changes, and brings match-moving to Cara VR.
Cara VR 2.0 also includes a suite of tools adapted from the powerful Ocula toolset which have now been optimized to work with 360 video, making these powerful algorithms accessible to VR content creators and more efficient to use in a 360 video workflow.
These tools take the headache out of stereo cleanup, allowing for efficient correction of alignment, focus and color across stereo views resulting in sharp and accurate stereoscopic content. This release includes updated versions of the Disparity Generator node, which generates high quality disparity vectors for depth estimation, Disparity To Depth for calculating depth from the disparity vectors, a new Stereo Colour Matcher for unifying color between left and right views, and New View, allowing you to rebuild one stereo view from another, all optimized for use with 360 footage.
Cara VR 2.0 is available for purchase on Foundry’s website and via accredited resellers.
