At the 2011 NAB Show, Dashwood Cinema Solutions, based in Toronto, will unveil a new line of Macintosh-based stereoscopic 3-D software tools designed to accelerate 3-D productions from camera lens calibration to mastering. The company said its new product line automates complex production tasks while addressing gaps in typical 3-D workflow.
Visitors to the NAB Show can also see some of the new Dashwood 3-D solutions at the DSC Labs (C10215), Matrox (SL2515), Stereo3D Unlimited (C10514D1) and Panasonic (C3707) booths.
Among the new tools is Stereo3D CAT, an on-location software calibration and analysis system that simplifies the calibration of left- and right-eye cameras. Equipped with an eyestrain warning system, Stereo3D CAT scans 3-D footage and calculates the correct camera alignment points. Feedback guides illustrate the depth of the 3-D shot and provide directors and cinematographers with a visual aide for making convergence adjustments and proper interaxial separation.
There’s also a new Dashwood 3D Chart, developed in conjunction with DSC Labs, which automates the display of accurate 3-D rig calibration. When integrated with the new Dashwood Stereo3D CAT calibration software or Stereo3D Toolbox v3, the chart’s visual code trackers work alongside the applications to automatically track to 1/1000th of a pixel for ideal stereo alignment. The chart also offers an interface for live feedback to assist in automating camera alignment, sync testing and slating, and color and gamma calibration. For those aligning manually, the Dashwood 3D Chart offers a new manual pattern alignment that features DSC Labs’ FiddleHead spirals for corner-to-corner focus.
Dashwood will also showcase its new utility applications. These tools support ingest of 3-D material from new cameras on the market and output of stereoscopic files to monitors and recording devices.
See Dashwood Cinema Solutions at the 2011 NAB Show in Booth C10514D3.
