Data-driven graphics 

For applications like Elections, Sports or Entertainment, data–driven graphics are essential to display large amount of data in a visually attractive manner. Displaying complex data is extremely easy with eStudio. Data can be easily linked to template forms and can be input manually or automatically from external sources such as databases, spreadsheets, RSS feeds, etc., and allowing for unlimited input sources per production and data cross-references.

SmartTemplates: Modular Graphic Creation 

eStudio’s graphics are based on SmartTemplates that vastly outperform the traditional page-based creation. Graphics, of course, can be animated, allowing their internal elements to interact, being built on screen or use a particular behaviour to display the data as required.  

SmartTemplates can feature unlimited animations, and as complex as required, which can be triggered at any time. SmartTemplates also allow their elements to change dynamically as data changes, as they can automatically look up data and redraw graphics accordingly. Data can be edited manually or linked to databases, spreadsheets or real-time feeds for automatic retrieval, and scripting can be included, if required.

On top of that, objects can interact with other objects within the template of screen. And as a graphic can be made out of other graphics, the final structure is contained in a project, which holds all the graphics, templates, data pages and the StormLogic which defines the templates’ interaction.

StormLogic: scalable animation logic 

To add flexibility to graphics creation and playout, Brainstorm developed StormLogic, an approach to intuitive template interaction with an advanced object-based animation. It is a tree structure of templates, and groups of templates, that defines the logic between them. The object structure of the StormLogic defines the animation logic and hierarchy, and all the templates contained within it will follow those rules.  

StormLogic allows building complex animations and interactions between elements with no need of scripting or complex animation matrixes.

Augmented Reality 

Augmented Reality requires the interaction between sets, talents and virtual objects, often created out of external data sources such as statistics, charts, bars, and many other. These in-context data driven objects allow for visually engaging and better explained representations of the data.  

During election nights, news, sports or entertainment programs, data bars and other statistics can interact with the talents creating an attractive augmented reality environment for the audience.  

eStudio can seamlessly integrate real-time graphics and virtual studio projects, including the graphics’ animation logic and structure which enhances the creation, management and use of graphics content for Augmented and Mixed Reality. Of course, graphics can use in-context data coming from external sources, linked to the graphics behaviour, and updating them automatically, even when using AR with Unreal Engine.

Custom interface creation 

eStudio support FORMS, which enable the easy drag-and-drop creation of customized interfaces for simple and intuitive control. The user can have just a few buttons for basic animations or detailed control panels for complex tasks. Simple drag-and-drop controls allow for full control any element in the eStudio software to build their own applications. 

The custom interfaces capabilities of eStudio have been developed up to the point of being able to create individual products based on it, such as Aston or InfinitySet. New options include multi–splitters for interface panners or IconTrees allowing to insert portions of interface in the folder. 

FORMS are effectively custom interfaces created for a project, that control whatever is required in such project, and allowing for customizing the resulting graphics as required.

TrackFree™ 

TrackFree is a patented camera-tracking independent technology that provides just what its name claims: the total freedom for operators to use any tracking system, trackless or fixed cameras, or a combination of these at the same time.

Combined Chroma Keying 

TrackFree ™ allows users to choose the keying method of their choice, by using eStudio’s internal chroma keyer, an external chroma key hardware or a combination of both, even within the same production. 

Advanced TrackFreee™ features 

• TeleTransporter 
• 3D Presenter 
• Virtual shadows and selective defocus 
• Virtual Camera detaching 
• MagicWindows: VideoGate & VideoCAVE 
• Dynamic Light Control 

Enhanced Internal Chroma Keyer 

eStudio features an advanced internal, resolution independent Chroma Keyer, supporting controls for main key, spill correction, detail recovering and colour correction. 

eStudio automatically creates a secondary key for feet tracking, independent from the main one. This key permits the calculation of the talent’s feet position for the FreeWalking feature and for creating virtual shadows and reflections.

TeleTransporter 

TeleTransporter seamlessly combines virtual sets with live or pre-recorded video feeds of the presenters and 3D objects from remote locations, all moving accordingly with precise perspective matching. TeleTransporter allows a remote talent to enter any scenario at any time, while seamlessly mixing real and virtual elements. 

Tracking data coming from real cameras or third-party tracking software can be included as metadata in live feeds or pre-recorded videos, and immediately be transferred and applied to the virtual camera’s parameters.

3D Presenter 

Converts the live feed of the talent into a true 3D representation of the talent from a video feed. The presenter becomes an actual 3D object embedded within the virtual set, casting real shadows and reflections of the talent over virtual and real objects and interacting with volumetric lights.

Dynamic Light Control 

eStudio can remotely control and adjust in real-time external light panels via DMX, and external Chroma Keyer settings, allowing for changing the lighting conditions of the real set to match those of the virtual set.

Real-time post-production 

Although chroma keying technology and virtual sets have been around for a long time, the latter have sometimes been criticized for the relative lack of realism compared to other non-real-time applications such as composition and VFX technologies.  

The ability of eStudio to work as a preview hub, allows for substantial savings in the costs of filming and post-production, ensuring the different shots are adjusted (chroma, camera movements, tracking, etc) prior to enter in post-production, and even directly delivering the final production master.