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Stereoscopic Compositing in After Effects

[under conctruction]

The objective : Ergonomics, i.e. Productivity, Quality, Invisibilty.

Until recently, editing a stereoscopic movie was basicaly editing two movies, one per eye. Every and each edit point on the left eye movie has to be repeated on the right eye. With all the time consuming and error probing issues you can think of. Plus, you didn't get a stereoscopic control until you'd rendered both movies

Considering the stereoscopic hype shaking Hollywood, the major NLE editors should soon offers native stereoscopy in their suite. My approach in that project was "Don't wait for them, let's build a stereoscopic NLE".

What would you expect of a S-NLE ?

  • An unchanged 2D compositing workflow, for you want all the tools and ergonomics you're used to work with.
  • Real-time stereoscopic parameter setting, for you want in 3D that very same level of productivity that you're used to in 2D
  • Real-time stereoscopic visual control, for post-render control is just not an option.

How can one make this happend ?

Whatever clever you are, at the end of the day, you'll need to render two movies. The objective is to have theses two movies rendered automaticaly from a single regular composition. Basicaly, you want to output either the left or the right view, using a switch. I added that smartness using expression that check if you're currently looking at the left or the right movie. Once you're able to do this, for both eyes, at the same time, and in real time, you've got the Stereo NLE you're looking for.

Due to inherent limitations in AE scripting (geekly, no "pointers") this could only happend with actually two compositions. To solve this issue, I made the left and right compositions beeing perfect clone of each other, and i scripted that cloning. To the user, there's only one composition, even if the system duplicates it.

The methodology

The solution I've implemented uses expressions and scripting to make regular monoscopic compositions behave actively as either left or right comps. A flock or expressions check on assets names and compositions names to generate the adequate content.

We're using :

  • A strict Asset Management including Left / Right / Center identification of every end each asset
  • Clonable, Actively Left-and-Right compositions using AE 7.0 expressions
  • Automatized cloning of the timelines using AE 7.0 Pro scripts
  • A stereoscopic composition host the stereoscopic controls, unsing AE 7.0 Expression Controls

The workflow is :

  • Assets are "stereo-ized" using one-fit-all generic scripts supersetting Anchor Point and Opacity.
  • Effects and transitions are set up, just like in a regular "flat" movie.
  • Modifications are left/right replicated automaticaly
  • Stereoscopy is controled in real-time using anaglyph or active stereo glasses.
Next time, next project, another life, I would implement this features :
  • Go to real 3D layout with L/R cameras.
  • Automatize the L/R source swap in stereoscopic layers, by implementing it in the replication script.
  • Automatize the insertion of expression into Anchor Point and Transparency, by implementing it in the replication script.
  • OpenGL active stereo, please Adobe !
  • More CPU power, please Santa Moore.

 

 

Bernard Mendiburu
Multimedia R&D Officer - New Media Director
3554 Sawtelle Blvd , Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA
Voice: +1 310 313 3437 // Cell: +1 310 447 4097


6, rue Civiale, 75010 Paris, France
Tel : +33 1 53 38 96 36