Toronto, Canada – April 7, 2011 – Dashwood Cinema Solutions, developer of stereoscopic software, is pleased to announce a quantum leap in its line of cutting-edge Mac®-based stereoscopic 3D products – Stereo3D CAT™. Stereo3D CAT™ is an unrivaled on-location calibration and analysis system that removes all of the complexities associated with stereoscopic 3D camera calibration in production. Unlike most 3D products on the market, stereographers with years of stereoscopic 3D production experience provided input to help build Stereo3D CAT™, resulting in the most accurate visual aide for stereoscopic calculations and calibrations in the industry. Stereo3D CAT™ is equipped with unique features, including an Alignment Tracker, a Stereo3D Visualizer™, and a Parallax Inspector™ to calculate the correct camera alignment points, illustrate the depth of the 3D scene and avoid divergence in record-breaking time.
“Dashwood Cinema Solutions has been building tools for years to speed up the process of aligning 3D camera rigs and we have been testing the effectiveness of those tools on real productions. We can now calibrate, perform the necessary stereoscopic calculations, and check that everything is within safe parallax limits … and we can do it faster than ever before. No more waiting to go into post to see if the shot looks good – stereographers can analyze it on the spot and make adjustments with certainty throughout the entire shoot,” says Tim Dashwood, stereographer and founder of Dashwood Cinema Solutions. “Our production company, Stereo3D Unlimited, has been testing Stereo3D CAT out in the field for months. After working on building its technology for so long, we look forward to finally presenting Stereo3D CAT to the world at NAB 2011.”
Stereo3D CAT™ Feature Highlights:
· Alignment Tracker* for lightning-fast rig alignment
· Stereo3D Visualizer to calculate dimensions of a scene, render a representation of the objects in the scene (including similitude), and warn against settings that may cause viewer discomfort
· Sync Checker to confirm appropriate shutter sync between cameras
· Parallax Inspector, or “magnifying glass,” to confirm that positive parallax will not cause divergence of the eyes
· Stereoscopic Preview Modes including anaglyph, difference, side-by-side, line-by-line, and top/bottom
· Depth Analysis Tools that include Depth Mapping and Depth Preview modes
· Discreet or Muxed stereoscopic input
· External Output in side-by-side, top/bottom, or anaglyph
· Transmits slate and disparity data to iPad for display in Dashwood 3D chart*
· Support for most Blackmagic and Matrox I/O cards
· Compatible with most Mac Pro and Macbook Pro models**
*For use with DSC Labs’ Dashwood 3D Chart
**Requires ExpressCard32 slot for Matrox MXO2 input
“I am humbled by the scope of Dashwood’s efforts to simplify the necessities of stereoscopy for motion picture applications,” says William Reeve csc, award winning IMAX cinematographer and world-renowned stereoscopic 3D authority. “This tool has the potential to become the bench mark 3D guide for the movie industry and will make the stereographer’s life much easier.”
Stereo3D CAT™ Availability
Stereo3D CAT™ will debut at the Dashwood Cinema Solutions booth in the 3D Pavilion (C10514D3) during the NAB 2011 show held in Las Vegas from April 11-14. It will be released for Mac OS X in Q3 2011.
Dashwood will also be showcasing its entire new product line, which automates complex production tasks and lends continuity to 3D workflows.
Visitors to the NAB show can also experience some of the new Dashwood Cinema 3D solutions in the DSC Labs (C10215), Matrox (SL2515), Stereo3D Unlimited (C10514D1), and Panasonic (C3707) booths.
To schedule a press briefing with Tim Dashwood at NAB, please contact Kathleen Langlois (Kathleen@zazilmediagroup.com).