NREAL: Real-Time Computer Graphics for Professional Augmented Reality

NREAL is an eighteen-month applied research project that aims to develop new ways of combining live action

video, CGI and other assets, in real time, at very high quality. The approach is based on the combination of

industry leading professional augmented reality technology with a games engine (enhanced to handle live

video and camera system metadata), with a pipeline that can automatically integrate assets from a film or TV

VFX workflow. The project will create the first professional video-based VFX pipeline designed to run in a games

engine. The resulting system will be designed for use in live broadcast TV, episodic TV, and movie VFX

production, with downstream application to AR/VR experiences.

The project consortium is made up of an SME augmented reality technology developer (Ncam), the UK

subsidiary of the manufacturer of a world-leading games engine (Epic) and Europe’s largest VFX company

(DNeg).