ZEISS releases CinCraft Scenario 2.1: Now Featuring Full Manual Calibration for Any Spherical Prime or Zoom Lens

The latest Software Updates of CinCraft Scenario 2.1 and Export 2.0 offer now more flexibility and compatibility.

Oberkochen, Germany | 7th November 2024 | ZEISS Consumer Products

ZEISS announces a significant update of the ZEISS CinCraft Scenario camera tracking system. With the latest software release 2.1, the powerful and flexible solution now allows users to manually calibrate lenses when no pre-filled template is available. This opens the possibility to work with any spherical lens. “With this software update, we are greatly increasing the flexibility in lens choice and compatibility with virtual production stages and broadcast applications,” says Christophe Casenave, Head of Business Unit Cinematography at ZEISS.

ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release 01
ZEISS CinCraft Scenario 2.1: Increased flexibility due to full manual calibration of any spherical prime or zoom lens.
ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release
The CinCraft Scenario calibration process is guided and designed to be easy to conduct.
ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release
The CinCraft Scenario calibration process is guided and designed to be easy to conduct.

Manual Spherical Lens Calibration – Increasing Compatibility

The CinCraft Scenario calibration process is guided and designed to be easy to conduct. Users can now initiate a calibration by inserting lens details (e.g. engraved barrel marks like focus/iris/zoom) into the CinCraft Scenario Software and performing an initial calibration using a chart. They can then adjust and finetune the calibration until satisfactory results are achieved. The calibration steps for spherical lenses are designed to be straightforward and easy to deploy while still delivering excellent results. “This update allows CinCraft Scenario users to create a lens template from scratch with ease, enabling tracking with any third-party lenses,” summarizes Casenave.

Manual CamBar Offset & Clip Name

With the latest software release, users can manually enter measurements for the CamBar to main camera offset instead of relying on the automated ‘Offset Assistant’. “This offers a faster method to update the offset without needing the chart method, which can sometimes be restrictive on set," explains Tom Evans, Product Manager for ZEISS CinCraft. Users can quickly input manual measurements without temporarily switching to a wider lens and can store commonly used offsets, making it easy to apply these values when switching between known camera setups.

Moreover, CinCraft Scenario 2.1 now automatically detects the clip name on ARRI and Sony cameras and stores this alongside the tracking data, simplifying the process of matching the correct take in Export. For cameras that don’t provide a clip name automatically, users can manually input it during recording.

Export 2.0 with Undistortion ST Maps and Point Cloud

The ZEISS CinCraft Scenario system also features an enhanced Export 2.0 update. “With Export 2.0 we are increasing comfort and value in use of tracking data for post-production”, says Evans. The new Undistortion ST Maps can be used to undistort camera plates, eliminating the need for shooting lens grids during camera prep. When paired with the matching distortion maps from Export, this allows for easy reapplication of lens distortion in the final stages of compositing.

Additionally, the Export Point Cloud provides VFX artists with data detailing the camera's position during production. The point cloud contains all the features that were used for tracking and will help visualize the space around the camera, which makes aligning the camera in post-production much easier. The point cloud will be provided in two formats: PTS for Unreal Engine and FBX for Nuke.

Availability

The new release is available for all users starting November 7. Several online live demo sessions with product specialists going through the calibration process will be held in the weeks to come. The dates will soon be published on the ZEISS Cinematography social media channels and the CinCraft website.

Additional training videos and documentation are available to further assist.
The full release notes for CinCraft Scenario 2.1 can be found at: zeiss.ly/scenario2-1
CinCraft Export 2.0 can be downloaded here: zeiss.ly/export-download

Press Contact

Benjamin Hagen
ZEISS Cinematography
Phone: + 49 7364 20-3979
Benjamin .hagen @zeiss .com

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 10 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2023).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 44,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, 35 research and development facilities, and 35 production facilities worldwide (status: 31 March 2024). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

ZEISS Consumer Products

ZEISS Consumer Products combines the company's business with camera and cine lenses, binoculars, spotting scopes and hunting optics. The unit is allocated to the Consumer Markets segment and is based in Oberkochen and represented across the globe.

Press Contact

Benjamin Hagen
ZEISS Cinematography
Phone: + 49 7364 20-3979
Benjamin .hagen @zeiss .com

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ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release 01
ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release
ZEISS CinCraft Scenario Release
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