SANTA CLARA, CA — Assimilate (www.assimilateinc.com) has released Version 8.5 of its Scratch VR Suite - the company’s professional, realtime VR toolset for working within a 360-degree environment. Scratch VR Suite 8.5 extends its headset support to now include the HTC Vive headset. The release also supports the Oculus Rift VR and smartphone-powered headsets, such as SamsungGR and Google Cardboard for its online player.
“We introduced the SCRATCH VR Suite at NAB and are already announcing a product update to provide the ultimate VR workflow and toolset,” notes Jeff Edson, CEO at Assimilate. “VR is a new visual realm that requires the best advanced VR technology, and we’re committed to offering bleeding-edge tools that help creative professionals increase their innovation and productivity in storytelling.”
Version 8.5 provides playback and review capabilities from the desktop, including stereo or mono, single or split view, single or dual monitor, SDI out to a reference display or projector, and flat view or spherical projection. Users can output directly to the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headsets and have all player controls available from within the headset.
With Scratch Web, users can securely share, review, and collaborate on 360-degree media through their own Web channel. And on the editorial side, users of Version 8.5 can re-center 360-degree shots to ensure the object of interest is maintained from shot to shot in the timeline. The can also stabilize an equirectangular shot or animate a new motion path to guide a viewer through a 360 scene.
Grading and compositing features include the ability to apply blur, clarity or other effects without creating a seam in 360-degree projection. Users can add grading layers that are automatically repeated on the right or left side to the equirectangular image.
The Scratch VR Suite 8.5 is available for $1,995.