Professional Virtual Camera
DragonFly is a professional cross-platform virtual camera for Unreal Engine and Maya, that gives you the power to view your computer-generated environments, character performances and scenes, just as if you were doing a live action shoot, but virtually. Rendering shots in real-time through the camera’s viewfinder, your LCD monitor or iPad, DragonFly lets you visualize your virtual world, record, bookmark, create snapshots and even replicate real camera moves.
Putting creative control back into the hands of directors and cinematographers working with CG, DragonFly gives you the power and immediacy to make creative decisions on the fly, upfront, saving time and expense during post.
Bringing the creative freedom of live action to CG
Harnessing leading game-engine and motion tracking technologies, DragonFly puts directors and DPs center stage in a CG production. Giving you all the tools you need to drive a camera, in real-time, just as you would your favourite real-world camera, DragonFly lets you test camera angles and moves for your CG scene and actors performance, and view the creative result live. Explore, execute, record, and even export the most complex camera movements from start to finish, with DragonFly you get the same freedom to experiment as a director on a live action film set.
Powerful time-saving virtual cinematography made easy
DragonFly is designed to be a tool that works for you and not the other way around. Supporting multiple platforms and hardware agnostic, DragonFly gives you the freedom to work with a range of display and tracking solutions for whatever setup you’re running without the need for you to be an expert in game engines. ARKit support gives a light-weight wireless mobile virtual camera out of thebox, plus professional tracking system support, including Optitrack and Vive, ensure you can scale with DragonFly as you evolve your virtual production setup.
Powerful time-saving virtual cinematography made easy
DragonFly is designed to be a tool that works for you and not the other way around. Supporting multiple platforms and hardware agnostic, DragonFly gives you the freedom to work with a range of display and tracking solutions for whatever setup you’re running without the need for you to be an expert in game engines. ARKit support gives a light-weight wireless mobile virtual camera out of thebox, plus professional tracking system support, including Optitrack and Vive, ensure you can scale with DragonFly as you evolve your virtual production setup.
Production proven virtual production workflow
Built in collaboration with leading Hollywood studios to break down barriers in virtual production. DragonFly gives you an efficient end-to-end virtual cinematography solution from a highly optimized workflow for pre-viz, location scouting, rapid iteration on set, through to reviews and dailies, and if you’re working in a traditional pipeline, straight into post-production.
DragonFly for Unreal and Maya In The News
Netflix Away Case Study
Learn how Ingenuity Studios navigated filming challenges and saved time in post production on Netflix's "Away" by using Unreal Engine and the DragonFly for Unreal virtual camera for pre-visualization.
Battlesuit Case Study
Watch as Haz Dulull takes you behind the scenes of his latest sci-fi short: Battlesuit. Created entirely in real-time inside the Unreal Engine, see how Haz uses the DragonFly Virtual Camera to bring the war zone sequences in this comic adaptation to life.
Xsens and Glassbox Webinar
Xsens and Glassbox Demonstrate Streaming Motion Capture Data and Virtual Production Techniques through a Virtual Private Network
Supports Unreal & Maya
DragonFly supports both Unreal Engine and leading 3D DCC Autodesk Maya, and offers a like-for-like workflow out-of-the box on both platforms. This means that with our DragonFly virtual camera in your toolkit you’ll never find yourself relearning controls when you move across your favourite production tools.
Apple Companion App
DragonFly comes with its own Companion App for Apple devices, giving users fast and simple access to everyday camera hardware for virtual cinematography. This means users can now turn any space into a volume, without the need to invest in a motion capture stage, giving you the mobility and accessibility to test out scenes before committing, iterate faster, block animation, and virtual location scout anywhere.
Apple Companion App
DragonFly comes with its own Companion App for Apple devices, giving users fast and simple access to everyday camera hardware for virtual cinematography. This means users can now turn any space into a volume, without the need to invest in a motion capture stage, giving you the mobility and accessibility to test out scenes before committing, iterate faster, block animation, and virtual location scout anywhere.
Joystick Bindings
DragonFly’s handy Joystick Bindings allow users to bind settings for their most commonly used camera features to a joystick, game vice controller or the iPad controls. When using the Bindings users can change reference axis (global or local), giving them the ability to cover large distances or allow for fine tuning. In addition, DragonFly comes with an API Function for Joystick Bindings, giving advanced users the ability to bind custom DragonFly API functions or analog sticks for extensive control over the camera directly through the joystick.
Camera Tracking
DragonFly supports Vive Tracker, ARKit and OptiTrack natively for Camera Tracking. With ARKit both professional and aspiring virtual cinematographers can get to work anywhere without the need for any additional technology or the use of a motion capture stage. For those users already working with the Vive Tracker, MoSys, Vicon or other specialist motion capture systems, DragonFly seamlessly integrates into your existing workflow thanks to its native integrations and Custom Tracking Input API. DragonFly also supports camera track FBX export, meaning users can export recorded sequences as FBX files for use in 3D applications.
Camera Tracking
DragonFly supports Vive Tracker, ARKit and OptiTrack natively for Camera Tracking. With ARKit both professional and aspiring virtual cinematographers can get to work anywhere without the need for any additional technology or the use of a motion capture stage. For those users already working with the Vive Tracker, MoSys, Vicon or other specialist motion capture systems, DragonFly seamlessly integrates into your existing workflow thanks to its native integrations and Custom Tracking Input API. DragonFly also supports camera track FBX export, meaning users can export recorded sequences as FBX files for use in 3D applications.
Platforming
Platforming allows the virtual cinematographer to see from the point of view of a camera from any object in the scene, allowing the user to quickly and easily move around the scene and record from any view point. For example when creating a point-of-view shot for an animated object, Platforming to the object and including its rotation lets the virtual camera move exactly like the object itself. This is particularly helpful to hone in on an area of the scene for more specific takes or can be used to navigate a large virtual scene when virtual location scouting.
Snapshots
DragonFly’s Snapshot feature allows users to store the position and location of the virtual camera, as well as a specific time on the master sequence so that the user can quickly re-do camera takes without changing settings, or redo takes starting from the same point on the master sequence. This allows users to very quickly and easily generate multiple takes of the same shot, and compare preferred versions.
Snapshots
DragonFly’s Snapshot feature allows users to store the position and location of the virtual camera, as well as a specific time on the master sequence so that the user can quickly re-do camera takes without changing settings, or redo takes starting from the same point on the master sequence. This allows users to very quickly and easily generate multiple takes of the same shot, and compare preferred versions.
Movement Scaling
DragonFly’s tracking system allows the user to specify a per-axis scaling value to convert real world motion into the virtual world. This enables the user to scale up or down movement to fit either a stage or the dimensions of a virtual scene. This motion can also be combined with the joystick controls to support fine or large movements.
Review & Recording
DragonFly’s Review and Recording systems let users playback pre-recorded sequences directly on the virtual camera or via the mobile companion app, and with advanced recording controls users can efficiently capture difficult sequences. Using the "recording speed" setting, you can slow down your scene animation to capture quick camera motions whilst keeping the sequence FPS unchanged, facilitating the seamless transition between recording and reviewing a shot.
Review & Recording
DragonFly’s Review and Recording systems let users playback pre-recorded sequences directly on the virtual camera or via the mobile companion app, and with advanced recording controls users can efficiently capture difficult sequences. Using the "recording speed" setting, you can slow down your scene animation to capture quick camera motions whilst keeping the sequence FPS unchanged, facilitating the seamless transition between recording and reviewing a shot.
Slow Motion Playback
With Slow Motion Playback users can set a speed factor that enables smooth motion as well as tracking of fast movements, with this feature users have the flexibility to playback either at normal speed or in slow-mo, whereby time appears to be slowed down.
Recorded Clip Smoothing
Recorded Clip Smoothing gives users detailed level controls to smooth camera position, sensor settings and rotation, or smooth the recorded camera motion. This is particularly useful when working with a shot that was recorded in slow motion and as a result has registered jitter in the camera track.
Recorded Clip Smoothing
Recorded Clip Smoothing gives users detailed level controls to smooth camera position, sensor settings and rotation, or smooth the recorded camera motion. This is particularly useful when working with a shot that was recorded in slow motion and as a result has registered jitter in the camera track.
Mixed-Reality Simulcam Mode
Simulcam mode adds mixed reality capabilities with native VIVE Mars CamTrack support. Users can now preview CG and live performances at the same time, through real-time compositing of Unreal Engine scenes with live-action media plates. Automated Composure Setup, 1-Click TimeCode and Genlock Set Up, and Visual Status Troubleshooting Indicators, mean mixing the real and virtual world together has never been easier.
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DragonFly for Unreal: Installation Tutorial, Part 1 of 4
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DragonFly for Unreal: Set-Up Tutorial, Part 2 of 4
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DragonFly for Unreal: Recording & Playback Tutorial, Part 3 of 4
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DragonFly for Unreal: Review Workflow Tutorial, Part 4 of 4
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DragonFly for Maya: Virtual Production Made Easy Tutorial
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DragonFly 3.1 Available Now
DragonFly 3.1 brings the innovative features of DragonFly 3.0 to Unreal Engine 5.1, Maya 2022, and Maya 2023. Extending DragonFly’s customization capabilities to further streamline virtual camera workflows, DragonFly 3.1 also delivers significant time savings and increased productivity thanks to: upgrades to the lens simulation system and lens profile workflow, level-aware Snapshots, improvements to the blueprint and camera controls, and recording pre-roll functions, as well as a UI makeover to deliver an enhanced user experience.
What's new?
LEVEL-AWARE SNAPSHOTS AND TAKES
DragonFly 3.1 simplifies virtual camera workflows by recognizing which Unreal levels are in use at any given time, allowing DragonFly to automatically open the correct level and sublevels when loading a snapshot or reviewing a take. DragonFly 3.1 enables users to filter the list of Snapshots, or recorded takes, in the Review panel, whilst hiding entries that don't belong to the currently open Unreal level. For users organizing separate scenes, or virtual sets, through levels, filtering by level simplifies access to the content that is contextually relevant to the project's narrative timeline.
MORE WAYS TO CONTROL CAMERA ROTATION
Control your DragonFly camera from a gamepad, FPV-style, or emulate physical camera movements with DragonFly 3.1's upgraded movement input that includes rotation control (tilt and pan) and is available both in joystick binding and through DragonFly blueprint functions.
MORE WAYS TO CONTROL CAMERA ROTATION
Control your DragonFly camera from a gamepad, FPV-style, or emulate physical camera movements with DragonFly 3.1's upgraded movement input that includes rotation control (tilt and pan) and is available both in joystick binding and through DragonFly blueprint functions.
RECORDING PRE-ROLL
With the release of 3.1, DragonFly now allows users to specify a number of pre-roll frames that will add a time buffer between pressing the Record button and the actual start of the recording together with the beginning of the master sequence playback.
LENS SIMULATION AND WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS
DragonFly 3.1 facilitates more realistic lens simulation through the introduction of variable lens distortion, allowing for effects such as focus breathing. You can now create custom camera and lens definitions more seamlessly, directly from DragonFly's Operator Main panel. And workflows utilizing the Unreal Lens Calibration Utility, or the HTC Vive Mars CamTrack lens calibration system, benefit from the added ULens file import which automatically converts into a DragonFly lens profile, including distortion and per-lens nodal point offsets.
LENS SIMULATION AND WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS
DragonFly 3.1 facilitates more realistic lens simulation through the introduction of variable lens distortion, allowing for effects such as focus breathing. You can now create custom camera and lens definitions more seamlessly, directly from DragonFly's Operator Main panel. And workflows utilizing the Unreal Lens Calibration Utility, or the HTC Vive Mars CamTrack lens calibration system, benefit from the added ULens file import which automatically converts into a DragonFly lens profile, including distortion and per-lens nodal point offsets.
DRAGONFLY UI MAKEOVER
DragonFly 3.1 delivers key UI updates: The Operator Main panel is now more intuitive, with improved naming and clearer structure, making it easier to find individual UI elements. The condensed layout keeps each UI element consistently positioned on screen, removing the need to scroll. Additionally, input fields now explicitly state their unit of measurement (for example millimeters for focal length, degrees for rotation, etc.) to make interacting with them easier.
VIEWPORT OVERLAY SYNC
In DragonFly 3.1, overlays like grids, crosshairs, letterboxes, and safe frames can be displayed in the Unreal plugin viewport. Viewport overlays can now be synchronized between Unreal and the Companion App. This makes changing the setup easy and increases interactivity.
VIEWPORT OVERLAY SYNC
In DragonFly 3.1, overlays like grids, crosshairs, letterboxes, and safe frames can be displayed in the Unreal plugin viewport. Viewport overlays can now be synchronized between Unreal and the Companion App. This makes changing the setup easy and increases interactivity.
COMPANION APP UI SCALING
DragonFly 3.1 now allows you to change the size of on-screen Joysticks and Buttons. This is especially useful when using the DragonFly Companion app with the smaller screen size of iPhones or large 12.9-inch iPads.
DRAGONFLY FOR MAYA: DEDICATED INSTALL WIZARD
DragonFly 3.1 delivers a simplified installation process for Maya users, thanks to its new dedicated installer making setting up DragonFly for Maya a breeze.
DRAGONFLY FOR MAYA: DEDICATED INSTALL WIZARD
DragonFly 3.1 delivers a simplified installation process for Maya users, thanks to its new dedicated installer making setting up DragonFly for Maya a breeze.
