Shared mixed-reality environments driven by motion-capture data.
An immersive content presentation system can capture the motion or position of a performer in a real-world environment. A game engine can be modified to receive the position or motion of the performer and identify predetermined gestures or positions that can be used to trigger actions in a 3-D virtual environment, such as generating a digital effect, transitioning virtual assets through an animation graph, adding new objects, and so forth. The use of the 3-D environment can be rendered and composited views can be generated. Information for constructing the composited views can be streamed to numerous display devices in many different physical locations using a customized communication protocol. Multiple real-world performers can interact with virtual objects through the game engine in a shared mixed-reality experience.
TECHNICAL FIELD (1) This application discloses technology related to the fields of computer animation, virtual reality environments, and digital content generation. Specifically, this application discloses technology for using a real-time gestures to drive computer-generated assets in a multi-device viewing environment. BACKGROUND (2) Augmented reality includes a live view of a real-world environment that is augmented by computer generated sensory input(s), such as GPS graphics, video, sound, data statistics, and so forth. In contrast to virtual reality, which replaces the real-world environment with a simulated one, augmented reality elements are often displayed in real time in semantic context with elements of the real-world environment. For example, sports scores can be displayed on a television during a basketball game on a same screen. Headmounted displays can also be used to place the virtual images over a view of the physical world such that both are in the user's field of view. (3) Virtual reality is very similar to augmented reality in that it entails an interactive computer generated experience. However, virtual reality takes place within a simulated, immersive environment. Current virtual reality technology commonly uses virtual-reality headset or multi-projected environments to create realistic sensations, sales, and images that simulate the user having a physical presence in the virtual or imaginary environment. This effect is usually implemented using a virtual-
1. A method comprising: receiving a first motion or position of a first performer in a first real-world environment; identifying the first motion or position as a first predefined motion or position; altering a virtual representation of the first performer in a 3-D virtual environment based on the first motion or position of the first performer in the first real-world environment; altering a virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the first motion or position as the first predefined motion or position; receiving a second real-time motion or position of a second performer in a second real-world environment; identifying the second real-time motion or position as a second predefined motion or position; altering the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the second real-time motion or position as the second predefined motion or position; rendering a first 2-D video stream of the virtual representation of the first performer and the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment; and compositing the first 2-D video stream with a live view of the second performer in the second real-world environment on an augmented reality device such that the virtual representation of the first performer exchanges possession of the virtual asset with the second performer such that they all appear to be live in the second real-world environment when the second real-world environment is viewed through the augmented reality device. ||
8. An immersive content presentation system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving a first motion or position of a first performer in a first real-world environment; identifying the first motion or position as a first predefined motion or position; altering a virtual representation of the first performer in a 3-D virtual environment based on the first motion or position of the first performer in the first real-world environment; altering a virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the first motion or position as the first predefined motion or position; receiving a second real-time motion or position of a second performer in a second real-world environment; identifying the second real-time motion or position as a second predefined motion or position; altering the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the real-time second motion or position as the second predefined motion or position; rendering a first 2-D video stream of the virtual representation of the first performer and the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment; and compositing the first 2-D video stream with a live view of the second performer in the second real-world environment on an augmented reality device such that the virtual representation of the first performer exchanges possession of the virtual asset with the second performer such that they all appear to be live in the second real-world environment when the second real-world environment is viewed through the augmented reality device. ||
15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving a first motion or position of a first performer in a first real-world environment; identifying the first motion or position as a first predefined motion or position; altering a virtual representation of the first performer in a 3-D virtual environment based on the first motion or position of the first performer in the first real-world environment; altering a virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the first motion or position as the first predefined motion or position; receiving a second real-time motion or position of a second performer in a second real-world environment; identifying the second real-time motion or position as a second predefined motion or position; altering the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment in response to identifying the second real-time motion or position as the second predefined motion or position; rendering a first 2-D video stream of the virtual representation of the first performer and the virtual asset in the 3-D virtual environment; and compositing the first 2-D video stream with a live view of the second performer in the second real-world environment on an augmented reality device such that the virtual representation of the first performer exchanges possession of the virtual asset with the second performer such that they all appear to be live in the second real-world environment when the second real-world environment is viewed through the augmented reality device.