MatchMover Pro update

will debut SMART ('Scalable Matching Architecture for Tracking'), a powerful new automatic tracking engine at NAB 2005 next week. The company says that an updated MatchMover Pro, due in June 2005, will be the first product powered by SMART and that it will demo SMART, MatchMover Pro, MatchMover Pro MoCap and StoryViz at booth No. SL4065 next week. "SMART is the distillation of many years of technological research and long-standing experience of the effects industry," said Luc Robert, REALVIZ CTO. "For some years now, our 3D tracking technology has been singled out by leading software vendors and studios as the best available. SMART is the continuation of this tradition of excellence, with a new generation of algorithms."

"Combining this new-generation tracking technology with an unbeatable range of features as always, the forthcoming version of MatchMover Pro powered by SMART, due before this summer, will be the beginning of radical changes in the world of tracking," continues Robert. "More than ever, we welcome the challenge of even the most demanding users, the ones with THE shot that cannot be solved, and are ready to prove, that unlike other similar applications, which often hit a brick wall in these kinds of situations, REALVIZ MatchMover Pro will always find its way to the solution. I think our existing users, and anybody who hasn't taken a look at MatchMover Pro for a while, as well as any newcomers to tracking, will be pleasantly surprised at what we are bringing to the market this year."

The company says that RealViz MatchMover technology has been used to create "stunning" visual effects in many recent major movies, including: 'The Life Aquatic', 'Alien vs. Predator', 'King Arthur', 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers', 'Troy', 'The Last Samurai', 'Hellboy' and 2005 Academy Award Nominee, 'A Very Long Engagement'.

MatchMover Pro 3.1, the current version, is available for Mac OS X 10.3: the standard version is $3,500, while its "MoCap" module is a flexible solution for motion capture of non-rigid objects (e.g., bodies, faces) from any number of fixed/moving cameras (2 minimum). It is available for $11,500 and Includes scripting capability and floating server license, but requires MatchMover Pro 3.1. Upgrades will be free to all new purchases until the new version ships in June 2005.

by MacNN Staff