CinCraft Mapper is a new digital service that Zeiss claims will quickly and simply provide frame-accurate lens distortion and shading data for the visual effects industry. This data will enable digital compositing and matchmoving systems to achieve cinematic results that are as realistic and precise as possible.

Jonathan Demuth, Product Manager, Digital Cinematography for Zeiss, said: “Normally, lens grids must be recorded and processed in order to obtain this data – a process that is not only very time-consuming, but also error-prone and limited in scope. With just a few clicks, CinCraft Mapper now provides this data directly [based on] the metadata [lens type, focus distance, aperture] captured during film production. Lost clip metadata can also be added without difficulty. For compositing and matchmoving artists, this means that they can be sure they are not only receiving accurate data without having to rely on the preceding capture and workflow procedures, but also that the entire VFX process will be simplified and accelerated.”

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Zeiss CinCraft Mapper provides quick and easy frame-accurate lens data for VFX

It means complex shots with multiple and dynamic focusing distances, such as car chases, can be edited more easily, quickly, and completely, without the need to make assumptions due to incomplete data.

Christophe Casenave, Head of Cinematography Products at Zeiss, added: “CinCraft Mapper expands on the Zeiss eXtended Data (XD) technology that we introduced with the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.3 and have subsequently integrated into each new cine lens family.

“VFX artists no longer have to rely only on eXtended Data generated by lens and camera equipment on set. Now additional and historic lens family shading and distortion data can also be provided by the CinCraft Mapper service. At the same time, the service is also compatible with the existing XD technology.”

It delivers industry-standard ST Maps for distortion and Multiply Maps for shading, which can be used directly in Nuke, Flame or 3DEqualizer.

Stand Number: 12.G36

Company: Zeiss 

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