Prolycht has announced ImageTrack RT which is a simple way to track the changing colors of backgrounds and plates. ImageTrack RT is the result of a technical partnership with Accsoon. All you need are lights, an Accsoon SeeMo and an iPad running ImageTrack RT.
The system uses the Accsoon SeeMo Pro SDI or SeeMo HDMI to feed the video image from your camera or playback device into the Prolycht Chroma Link app on iPad or iPhone.
The app then ‘sees’ the image and using ImageTrack RT you can assign points on the screen to be tracked and assigned to different Prolycht Orion or Dedolight neo color LED lights.
We first saw a prototype of the ImageTrack RT at NAB 2023. You can see our interview above.
Prolycht is touting the system as being ideal for lower cost virtual production where it would have previously required a complex computing setup to accomplish a similar result.
Once the Chroma Link app has the ability to ‘see’ the image a color can be matched either using the Color Picker tool as a one-time setting, or set to Real-time tracking where the assigned point of the image is used to mirror fast changing dynamic lighting.
On the simplest level, the Prolycht/Accsoon system can be used to choose a static color to match the image the camera ‘sees’ when sampled. This is higher accuracy than relying on the iPhone or iPad’s internal cameras with their alternative angle on the scene and alternate color processing. A typical use case might be to adjust the color temperature output of Orion lights to accurately match the changing color of sunlight during a shoot. The ImageTrack RT system can also be used to track rapidly changing colors. This is especially useful for virtual production setups where it has previously been complicated to make lights track quick changes in colors on a virtual background or plate. A typical example might be to quickly mimic street lights and neon shop signs passing as a car drives at night.
How does it work?
A small, medium or large sized area on the screen can be selected as the sample area. This is then positioned over the desired portion of the image and a reading is taken. The sampled color is then sent to the Orion light by the app and can also stored as a preset to be recalled later. Multiple sample areas can be selected for tracking and assigned to different lightsFor Full-time tracking the user can then select up to eight points to track on the image and assign a different Orion LED light, or group of lights, to match each one. The intensity of each light, or group of lights, can be set separately.
Try ImageTrack RT at Cine Gear Expo 2023
ImageTrack RT will be shown at Cine Gear Expo this week and is also released immediately as a public beta via the app store. You can see ImageTrack RT for yourself at the Prolycht booth S1408 at Cine Gear Expo.
Prolycht Fixtures
The Prolycht Hyperlight RGBACL LED engine found in its Orion spotlights intelligently mixes light output from Red, Green, Blue, Amber, Cyan and Lime emitters to create extremely accurate colors over a wide spectrum. It achieves this with a higher level of saturation and intensity than competing RGBW systems that use white emitters. This has significant advantages when used for virtual production where high-intensity color light may be required at some distance from the subject or area being lit. The Prolycht Orion 675FS RGBACL LED light. This Hyperlight color engine is used by the Prolycht Orion 675 FS and 300 FS LED spotlights, as well as the new dedolight neo color fixture. All three fixtures can be controlled by the Chroma Link app and will work with Imagetrack RT.
Accsoon SeeMo
Accsoon SeeMo Pro SDI and SeeMo HDMI are the world’s first affordable professional MFi-certified HDMI adapters for iOS that connect via Lightning or USB-C. The small boxes work with later generations of iPhones and iPads and use Accsoon’s own SEE app to transform them into monitors when connecting your camera or other HD sources via cable. The result is a high-quality image with low latency. The SeeMo does far more than just transform your iOS device into a monitor, it creates a gateway for harnessing powerful iOS processing to perform complex video tasks using apps. It forms a connectivity center in an emerging ecosystem of iOS apps to enable video creators to work smarter.
