Virtual Production Series 01 | Using Composure tool live compositing camera feed | Unreal Engine 5.1

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of using the Composure tool for live compositing camera feeds in Unreal Engine 5.1. Virtual production techniques, such as digital compositing, are increasingly important in the film and gaming industries, allowing creators to blend real and virtual elements seamlessly.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Environment

• Ensure you have Unreal Engine 5.1 installed on your computer.
• Prepare your camera setup:
  • Use a DSLR or mirrorless camera connected to your computer via a capture card.
  • Make sure the camera settings are optimized for video capture (consider resolution and frame rate).

Step 2: Connecting Your Camera to Unreal Engine

• Open Unreal Engine and create a new project or open an existing one.
• In the project settings, configure your capture card:
  • Navigate to Edit > Project Settings.
  • Under the Platforms section, find Windows and enable your capture card settings for video input.

Step 3: Adding the Composure Plugin

• Ensure the Composure plugin is enabled:
  • Go to Edit > Plugins.
  • Search for "Composure" and enable it.
• Restart Unreal Engine if prompted.

Step 4: Setting Up the Composure Compositor

• Create a new Composure Compositor asset:

  • Right-click in the content browser and select Composure > Composure Compositor.
  • Name your asset and open it.

• Add a new Layer for your camera feed:

  • In the Compositor window, click on Add New Layer.
  • Choose Camera Layer and configure it to use your connected camera feed.

Step 5: Configuring the Chroma Key

• Set up a Chroma Key effect:

  • Add a new Chroma Key layer to your compositor.
  • Adjust the key color to match your green screen or background.

• Tweak the settings to refine the keying:

  • Modify the Tolerance, Edge, and other settings to achieve a clean composite.

Step 6: Live Compositing

• Preview your live composite:

  • Go back to your main viewport and ensure the Composure compositor is active.
  • Check the live feed from your camera and ensure it displays correctly with the keyed background.

• Adjust any settings in real-time to improve the quality of your composite.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up and use the Composure tool for live compositing in Unreal Engine 5.1. By following these steps, you can effectively combine real camera feeds with virtual backgrounds, paving the way for advanced virtual production techniques. As a next step, consider exploring more advanced features of Composure, such as adding effects and integrating additional layers for a richer virtual set experience.