GESA-based VRTV

The new version of VR TV application is realised on a new 3D engine GESA (Graphics Environment for Scripted Applications) that provides a much wider range of visually rich facilities.

It provides such effects as dynamic shadows, material shaders, lights effects and others that are not available on Shockwave engine on which version 1 was realised. Also GESA based applications are much less memory consuming, faster, lighter and easier to use.

The customised interface for the journalist to comment on the Virtual Replay in the studio and actually operate the application in the live broadcasting has more facilities and is more user-friendly.

It also enables the journalist to add more and of higher quality graphics such as

• ball track, shot arrows and off-side line, show players’ names and tracks and highlight as many players as needed

• follow a player and get the player’s medium and close-up view and other features.

The full description of the GESA based VRTV application can be downloaded here

What is VR TV?

VR TV is a perfect tool designed for TV journalists to broadcast Virtual Replays of different events on television.

VR TV concept provides a wide range of opportunities such as a possibility to broadcast Virtual Replays, add extra visual elements directly to the pitch during the broadcasting, reproduce Virtual Replays at different speeds, review Virtual Replays from different angles and distance.

To complete any operation SportFlashback supplies VR TV with a wide range of tools.

The tool supported by VR TV:

1. Visual elements related to players. These elements are aimed to emphasise a player. There several tools that can be used for this:

• Highlight. The highlight tool is designed to define a player on the pitch;
• Name. This tool gives the opportunity to display the name of the selected player;

2. Visual elements related to the pitch. This tool consists of several elements that can be displayed:

• Off-side line;
• Arrows;
• Penalty marks;
• Ball track;

3. Speed. This tool makes it possible to produce clips at the normal speed, 1/2 or 1/4 deceleration. Also this tool allows replaying clips backwards at the normal speed or 1/2 or 1/4 deceleration.

4. View. VR TV supports different angles of view, such as:

• Camera view;
• Close-up view;
• Top View;
• Eye view;
• Follow;

5. Zoom. This tool has 2 options:

• Dolly;
• Zoom;

To sum up, VR TV is a perfect concept with extended opportunities to enrich traditional ways of presentation of sports events on television.

How does VR TV work?

VR TV is an offline application including a special version of VR player, libraries of animations and textures.

Due to the offline nature all files are stored on the user's PC. The application includes the import feature to allow user to manage content.

Special version of VR player – consists of a part with a small 3 window and user interface with functionality to change viewpoints, highlight players etc and another part with a big 3d window.

Such a construction allows showing application on 2 monitors.

The application uses data files with description of a 3d scene. Then needed elements such as geometry, textures and animations are taken from user's hard-drive and complete visualization is assembled on the user's PC.

Scene descriptions (data files) are produced by SportFlashback team using custom in-house developed software.

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