Virtual Production Planning Tool
Project Type: VR Tool | Role: Developer | Year: 2022-2023
About
A key factor in virtual production—just like in filmmaking in general—is thorough planning. To minimize time spent in an actual virtual production studio, I developed a virtual environment that simulates such a studio during my first term at Filmuniversität Babelsberg.
The reference for this project was the HALOSTAGE. Based on its technical specifications, the simulation was built in Unreal Engine 4 for the HTC Vive and later updated to Unreal Engine 5. While I handled all aspects of development myself, the concept and details were discussed in collaboration with the Babel-XR Team, primarily with Knuth Möde. Additional insights into the HALOSTAGE were provided Adrian Weber (Virtual Production TD at HALOSTAGE).
Key Features:
- Displaying a virtual scene on an LED wall
- Camera positioning within defined movement areas
- Modular setup of the LED wall
- Integration of a camera crane
My Tasks
After developing the concpet for the appliation together with Knuth Möde, I started to implement the various functionalities. This was mainly done by using Blueprints in Unreal Engine.
Building the Virtual Environment
To create a realistic simulation of the HALOSTAGE, I reconstructed the studio layout based on technical specifications and floor plans. I reduced the environemnt to its most important elements: the room size and the LED Wall.
Scene Display on the LED Wall
A crucial part of the simulation was ensuring that the virtual LED wall dynamically displayed a scene, video, or rendered content. I implemented a Scene Capture 2D system, which allows real-time visualization of a virtual set on the LED panels. To split the captured image correctly across individual LED cabinets, I developed a custom texture-mapping approach within Unreal’s material system. This process required multiple iterations to avoid scaling and orientation errors.
Camera Placement & Interaction
One of the main challenges in virtual production is positioning the camera correctly to avoid visual artifacts like Moiré patterns or unwanted color shifts. I designed an interactive system that evaluates the camera’s distance and angle relative to the LED wall. If placement issues arise, the system provides real-time visual feedback by highlightingthe LED Wall in red. The camera tool also includes a live feed monitor, allowing users to preview the camera image.
User Interface & VR Controls
To make the tool as intuitive as possible, I developed an in-VR menu system that allows users to switch between functions seamlessly. Unlike traditional UI overlays, the menu is attached to the VR controller, providing an immersive and ergonomic way to interact with the simulation. The UI was designed to be modular, allowing future extensions for additional features like equipment selection or scene customization.
Modular LED Wall System
I developed a dynamic building system that allows users to assemble an LED wall by placing individual panels. The system enables snapping, rotation adjustments, and modular expansions, ensuring flexibility in different setups.
Camera Crane Implementation
The crane itself was bought from the Unreal Marketplace. It already had the ability to be animated, for example in the sequencer. But the challenge was, to animate it, in the game mode using VR controllers. For that, I mapped the controls to the Vive controller via blueprints.