The Chaos Group announced the launch of a new collaborative think tank to explore advances in rendering technology called Chaos Group Laboratories. Located in L.A.’s hub of design, visual effects and technology, Chaos Group Labs will serve as a place where artists, industry leaders and academic researchers are invited to contribute to development discussions and help solve key computer graphics challenges.
Significant progress has already been made on projects that focus on massively parallel rendering, cloud and GPU rendering, virtual performance capture, and rendering for next generation cinematic experiences.
“We are passionate about artists and rendering challenges, and we want to help move the entire industry forward,” said Lon Grohs, chief commercial officer at Chaos Group. “Chaos Group Labs allows us to bridge the gaps between hardware, software and artists’ needs at a much deeper level.”
Current initiatives include:
Digital Filmmaking
Chaos Group Labs is working closely with a number of independent filmmakers including the CONSTRUCT team to innovate new rendering workflows and improve the cinematic experience. These experiments include outputting imagery to be displayed at high dynamic range, high frame rates, and ultra-high resolution, all of which result in a significant increase in the rendering required. In addition, this research has led to advances in virtual performance capture, bringing ray traced rendering to the entire filmmaking process. Working with partners at NVIDIA, OptiTrack, and BOXX Technologies, Chaos Group’s newest prototype of V-Ray for MotionBuilder will be showcased at Real-Time Live during SIGGRAPH 2014.
The Wikihuman Project
To further realistic rendering and animation of digital humans, Chaos Group Labs has formed a panel of academic and industry experts from around the globe, including several members of the Institute for Creative Technologies at USC, including Paul Debevec. “This has always been one of the biggest challenges for CGI,” said Chaos Group creative director Christopher Nichols. “And the findings of this open project will be a milestone for the VFX industry.”
Virtual Reality
Chaos Group has also partnered with tech startup Nurulize to develop fully immersive, virtual reality experiences designed for the Oculus Rift.
