The PixCap team has announced the launch of their innovative, cloud-based 3D animation platform that allows users to create 3D animations in the browser.
PixCap aims to be an easy-to-use platform for 3D game developers and animators. The PixCap team has just wrapped up the final phase of its closed beta testing and has recently launched. Its closed beta was highly evaluated by hundreds of users, and the team at PixCap believes the platform is ready to be released to a wider audience.
There are several 3D animation software tools available to animators and game developers, some of them are quite complicated to use and PixCap’s approach is to make animation a lot easier to get started and augments this with features such as AI motion capture, auto rigging, and animation libraries to speed up the 3D animation process.
"A common challenge across the board for animators is the complexity and time expense associated with 3D animation. 3D content creation remains complex, time-consuming and expensive. PixCap aims to solve this by providing a much simpler editor for 3D than the industry standard.”, says CJ, Co-Founder of PixCap.
One of the most promising aspects of PixCap is that it is based entirely in the browser, which means that online mode is enabled by default, and that brings interesting perks to the 3D workflow including a constantly updating animation library, 3D store, and upgrades to the software that require no additional downloads.
PixCap’s feature set includes:
- AI Motion Capture
- Cloud-based system
- Web Publishing
- Drag-n-drop animation libraries and assets
- Easy IK setup for quick animation
As one of its most prominent features, AI motion capture (mocap) allows users to capture human motion in videos into 3D animations that can be applied to characters within the platform. This allows users to take advantage of the utility motion capture without the need for a large budget and motion capture suits.
Motion capture is often used in large-budget movies and AAA games. The implementation of AI mocap is an engaging value proposition for users of PixCap. It makes animation easier and faster for users, while also establishing the platform as a standalone all-in-one solution, which sets it apart from other AI-based motion capture companies.
Features under development
PixCap is working on new features including a ready-to-go community library and auto rigging that includes humanoids and quadrupedal 3D models. Auto rigging allows 3D modelers and animators to easily create skeletons or ‘rigs’ within existing 3D meshes. These meshes can then be animated by moving the bones or ‘rigging’.
PixCap is a tool that isn’t limited to animators, the company is focused on the overall market that includes game developers, designers, and AR/VR content creators. With the cloud-based solution, teams can collaborate regardless of their location, which means projects can move along faster and launch quicker. PixCap’s goal is to help change the 3D animation industry by providing budding animators and creators the support they need to bring their ideas to life.
Next Steps & Future Plans of PixCap
PixCap is currently working on implementing AI-based auto rigging as well as an animation library that includes quadrupeds. These features are currently scheduled for early 2022. For community development, PixCap plans to reach out to notable influencers and creators in order to generate high-quality content on its platform. PixCap envisions branching out into the wider target audience within 3D. This includes AR/VR developers, 3D modelers, and educators in the animation industry.
"We provide a unique set of tools aimed at making animation a simple and fun process. Our goal is to develop and share an animation platform that can be utilized by anyone, regardless of experience or budget. In doing so, we accomplish our mission to make “animation fun and collaborative", says the PixCap Team.