Unveiling the Revolutionary Performance Capture Technology Behind Squadron 42

The long-awaited multiplayer space-trading game Star Citizen, developed by Cloud Imperium, has been in development for over a decade and has raised more than $867 million through crowdfunding. According to Cloud Imperium's CEO Chris Roberts, the game is expected to launch in 2027 or 2028, while its single-player spin-off, Squadron 42, is slated for release next year. Squadron 42 boasts an all-star cast, including Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Hamill, among others. To create digital replicas of these actors, as well as player characters and other NPCs, Cloud Imperium partnered with a Hollywood VFX company to utilize new 4D technology. Clear Angle Studios, a specialist in scanning technology for films and television, collaborated with 4D facial performance capture service DI4D and post-production company TexturingXYZ to launch a new 4D facial mocap service. As part of this collaboration, Clear Angle was involved in custom character creation and NPC scans. GamesIndustry.biz visited Clear Angle's headquarters to learn more about this collaboration and the company's cutting-edge technology, including a hands-on look at its head scanning system, Dorothy. The system features 76 cameras and 1,500 lights to capture both 3D and 4D textures. In an interview, Clear Angle's founder and director, Dominic Ridley, discussed how the companies came together to create the Dorothy setup and how they combined their areas of expertise. Ridley explained that the collaboration was seamless, with each company having defined sections to work on. The end visuals were largely down to TexturingXYZ and their render pipeline. Ridley also discussed the potential for photorealistic graphics, stating that the industry has achieved astonishing results, but there is still room for innovation, particularly in performance capture. The importance of representation and ensuring diversity of human experiences and appearances was also highlighted. Cloud Imperium's senior director of tools, tech, and content, Sean Tracy, noted that the potential for photorealistic graphics is far from exhausted and that the company is working to advance photorealism, inclusivity, and accessibility while keeping the technology affordable for players. Tracy also stated that the technology is designed to benefit all players, regardless of their platform, and that players will be able to experience the level of detail on base-price consoles as well as on high-end PCs. The implementation of this technology in Star Citizen and Squadron 42 was also discussed, with Ridley explaining that the game uses a range of people and captures 3D scans and 4D captures using head-mounted camera data. The high-res scan is driven by the performance from the head-mounted camera, allowing for more realistic facial movements. The affordability of performance capture for smaller or indie studios was also discussed, with Tracy noting that advances in technology have made it more accessible and affordable. Finally, Ridley expressed Clear Angle's desire to collaborate with more game studios in the future, stating that the company is trying to advance more into the gaming side of things and make its high-level scanning technology available to everyone.