XR basically entails a technology-mediated experience that combines biological and digital realities. It includes a wide range of hardware and software, which includes the apps, sensory interfaces, and infrastructures that leads to content creation for AR, VR, CR, and MR. An XR studio has all the tools needed to generate advanced forms of realities by bringing digital factors into the physical world and making a shift in content creation.
So, if this sounds interesting, shall we check out more details to set up an XR studio with the LED screen wall and other components?
Many content-creating organizations have started to integrate immersive experiences in their content processes and pipelines. At its core, XR has become the ultimate foundation, which is the process of filming, broadcasting, and producing live event coverage with a virtual production LED wall.
XR Studio Workflow:
With the latest XR studio, the new stages allow the users to stand in an environment to see around them and are projected onto the LED screens with the media servers. It enables the actors and presenters to interact with the environment rather than imagine it, promising better content and performances.
An XR studio creates an immersive space where the presenters can interact or see the surroundings rather than being stuck in virtual studios where they cannot see anything. It is surely offering a new way of presenting content and putting on new shows, but it’s more difficult than just simply switching on the screen and rolling the camera equipment.
That’s because there is a specific workflow and multiple technologies work in coalition to achieve professional yet natural results. Some parts of the workflow include:
1. Create A Background Screen for Content & AR Graphics
When it comes down to setting up the XR studio, it starts with the base – it usually includes creating the background screen and setting up the augmented reality graphics to interact with. Settings up these points help combine the market images with the preferred AR content to create a real-time image. The AR graphics help create augmented reality to create immersive and engaging content development.
2. Project AR Graphics onto LED Walls & LED Floor Screens Through Camera Movement
Once the background screen content and AR graphics are ready, the AR graphics are projected onto the LED floor screens and walls with the help of cameras. For cameras, the star tracker IP (8 STM) is used along with gear wheels for lens encoders to fit different types of lenses, high-resolution lens encoders (usually with 400,000 counts), and infrared sensors to capture the content to perfection without compromising on resolution and contrast.
3. Camera Outputs More Realistic Than Real-Time Images:
Given the high-end equipment used in the XR studios, it’s capacitated to create more realistic images on the screen as compared to what we usually see on the screens. In simpler words, the content is far more immersive and creates a better visual experience.
Here is the conclusion of the XR studio’s workflow:
Firstly, the virtual environment is transmitted to the on-site LED display screen, and the material will be sent back to the real-time graphics rendering engine.
At the same time, the video server uses localized operation logic operations to analyze character gestures and render graphics, output stereoscopic and realistic AR content and interactive presentation of shooting materials, and the content presented in front of the screen is exactly the XR scene.
It is worth noting that strong network support is also required on-site to provide strong support for the realization of XR low-latency interaction, panoramic video, and other content large-bandwidth distribution.
Simply put, the XR scene is based on the real scene, combined with the cool AR content in the background. The realistic content is actually a great way of connecting with the audience in an introspective manner and it’s actually an apt way of combining art and drama.
Components of XR Stage
When it comes down to the XR studios, multiple pieces of equipment are needed to create content that makes an immersive and engaging visual experience, such as:
1. Real-time Rendering Engines
These engines utilize modeling, animation, materials, and lighting with specialized components that have the capacity to render in real-time.
2. Media Servers & Platforms
It stores all the digital media files, including videos, images, and audio, to make everything available on the network.
These systems help measure the performance of content after the content production and distribution processes.
4. LED-Wall
These walls help visualize the content and create a seamless image. It can be zoomed to any size and transformed into whichever shape is needed.
iDisplay’s Technical Details to Build an XR studio
So, how to present a perfect XR stage? Let’s see what kind of materials do iDisplay uses to build an XR studio. The configuration that iDisplay uses to build an XR studio includes:
• LED wall
• Novastar MX40 XR video processor
• Video signal cabling–assorted DP, HDMI 2.1, and SDI
• LED data cabling from processor to LED screen
• Power distribution single phase 16amp
• Power distribution from three-phase to single-phase
• Ground support structure–flat and curve option
• Camera tracking
• MO-SYS star tracker IP (8 STM) for cameras on cranes, jibs, pedestals, and handheld cameras – Infrared sensor
• 500 x Adhesive stars, 75mm diameter for studio height 8-10m
• High-resolution lens encoders (40000 counts ) slimline version, generation V3, focus & zoom, excluding gear wheels
• Gear wheel for lens encoders to fit Fujinon lenses
• Gear wheel for lens encoders to fit Canon lenses
• Gear wheel for lens encoders to fit Film lenses
• Mounting bracket for lens encoder on ENG lenses
• Mounting bracket for lens encoder on 15mm lens rods.
• PSU, 19v, W connector
• Star tracker power cable D-tap to Weipu–40cm
• VP Pro XR software–combined XR and AR solution for LED volume, comprises mesh mapping, set extensions, color correction tools for set extensions, cinematic XR focus (Preston hardware required for cinematic XR focus not supplied)
• ConductAR–2x PC’s (1 with 3090 GPU, 1 with A6000 + sync2) + 1 x network switch 10Gb – renders 1 x UHD 4 K stream (3840 x 2160) + MO-SYS cable for cinematic XR focus (Preston hardware required for cinematic XR focus not supplied)
• 22” Dell PC monitors
• Long star tracker sensor bracket
• Star tracker camera/sensor mounting BKT for 15mm
• 55” OLED preview and program monitors
And the LED data will cable from the processor to the LED screen. Each configuration has different parameters for customers to choose from.
XR studios are the future of content creation, and they need special LED wall screens to cater to content production and visualization needs. While there are many companies offering the screens and related LED equipment, we have a high-end research and development team as well as full-time engineers who keep innovating the LED projects. If you have any questions about building an XR studio, don’t hesitate to contact us.
