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Anamorphic illusion on LCD screen
Posted: 24 June 2021 09:01 AM   [ Ignore ]  
Total Posts:  5
Joined  2020-03-12

At work I’ve been asked to create content for one of the big LCD screens during an upcoming event. It’s a screen around a corner that looks pretty similar to the Seoul LCD screen. See attached image.

I’m trying to figure out a way to recreate the same anamorphic illusion but need some help!

Current solve: recreate the complete situation in 3D and render the screen from the virtual location of the viewer. Then stretch the export in After Effects to the desired pixel resolution from the LCD.

However my guess is that this can be done better. Preferably all inside Cinema 4D.

Would be amazing to get some help with this!

Thanks, Rein


Videos of the Seoul screen: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLULaI1jLCXzx3a6omTDjWz6Agv5gIM4WL

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Posted: 24 June 2021 04:29 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Hi Rein,

Thanks for the source information. Those projects are one of my favorites.

The screen and sweet spot position of the audience will be essential. I assume that is not something new to you, but since I write in a forum, allow me to be more detailed.

To get the camera object relation the Camera Calibrator in Cinema 4D will be of great support.

The typical idea would be to have the action in the space you want to create as animation, and the camera is positioned from that one optimal viewing angle. This needs to be rendered first. In your examples, the round corner of the screen can’t be easily (if at all, without massive effort) flattened out. This flattening process is needed, and the screen is, after all, just 2D (even bent or whatever.) The geometry is in Cinema 4D, and as your question indicates correctly, that is the better way.

Given a square pixel as a base, the rendered result needs to be projected to a flat (bent, folded as the actual screen) while holding a UV map that is even, as if the screen would be flat. The result will then be baked into the object. The result is a flat rectangular image ready to be screened.

Here is an example
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/70zz1NSlBLWuMevHDdZuXCOVmaFCGKBE3WkiPqb9ncw
CV3_S24_drs_21_REpc_01.zip
I have used jpg here, not meant as a suggestion, more to keep the example small. During production, 8bit/channel has no place if the quality is vital.
You will find in this folder four files; each goes one step further in the process
Currently, the Camera Shader does not support this; otherwise, that would be a shortcut.

Let me know if you have any questions. … and please test this carefully, as I had no data from your side.

Cheers

Model and mocap: Mixamo.

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
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Posted: 24 June 2021 07:47 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
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P.S.: Here is a file that can use the high res rendering from the animation rendering and convert it instantly in a flat representation.
This technique is part of my next book, when I’m done with the current. A simple UV converter> Cam-Projection to UV.
(…your set up will be different, as I have no data)
The final render camera is pointed perfectly, and it can render these in the target resolution.

(I use a still AA here, as it has already motion blur baked into it. Since the data needs to be distorted, this is not the moment to add Motion blur nor anything else.)

The animation rendering should be at least twice as large as the final rendering. Otherwise, the quality might drop noticeably.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/JON2HEwKvUb94XR5GTwzzKs76xL3GLXx5JjoG4HdpWR
CV3_S24_drs_21_REpc_05.zip

Model and mocap: Mixamo.

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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Posted: 26 June 2021 10:16 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Joined  2020-03-12

Just Wow! So extremely helpful. I will test this out over the weekend and will come back with my findings. Thanks again!

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Posted: 26 June 2021 04:37 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]  
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Hi Rein,

You’re very welcome. I’m happy to share if you would like to see my procedure to get the Camera Projection from a bent object back to a flat one.

I have showcased it here for Little Planets (… something that I do since two decades)
https://youtu.be/ATEJsRHHblU?t=1850

Have a great weekend

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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Posted: 09 August 2022 05:06 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]  
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Hi,
I would love to see your procedure to get the Camera Projection from a bent object back to a flat one if at all possible?

Thanks so much!

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Posted: 09 August 2022 05:50 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]  
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Hi jasonphatton,

Is it really bend, or are there LED panels mounted to give something the appearance of being round? This needs to be known. If that is clear, and most of the time, AFAIK, it is based on panels, the work is just based on how savvy one is with UVs.

I think the key is here to have a plane that is bent into place, representing the exact geometry of the target “screen”, and a flat representation that has the exact same polygon set up. In that way, you can project and bake, then use the harvest (copied) UV, and you have it in a flat rectangular way.

In post two, I have shared all single steps with several files.

The key is to know exactly where one should stand to see the effect, as it falls apart when you move away, and to have a good “blueprint” of the video wall, flat, folded, or “bend”. Each is different.

The first step is certainly to get fluent with UVs. Without that, there is no option to understand that. So, since I have no clue if that is new to you or if you’re fluent with this, here is a little introduction drill. Has worked wonders with uncounted people so far.
https://www.cineversity.com/forums/viewthread/3551/#13850


The technology is moving on, and I believe that the LED Volume, with their real-time engines, will take care of that soon, as they do it already in all these new exciting studios that pop up. I’m not clear how accessible these functions field already, but I don’t see a big secret in it. (It was, after all, part of my final work to get my MFA back in the early ‘90s while creating a VR center, with anything we see these days, virtual studios and anamorphic displays.

One of the best videos I have seen is this here:
https://www.oscars.org/events/virtual-production-are-you-game

So far, I have followed it (with great interest, BTW.), the software in use is set up with the data from the LED Volume (i.e., bent wall), and then the input is calculated based on the tracking of the camera (which represents the sweet spot of these video walls like in Japan for example.

All the best

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
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Posted: 09 August 2022 08:47 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]  
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Thank you so, so much! The links and examples have been super helpful.

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Posted: 09 August 2022 02:53 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]  
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You’re very welcome, jasonphatton!

Let me know if there is something else. I’m happy to look into it.

Cheers

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
Maxon Master Trainer, VES, DCS

Photography For C4D Artists: 200 Free Tutorials.
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSassiLA/playlists

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