🎞️CameraTwin Recording Asset

Overview

The CameraTwin Recording Asset is a dedicated asset type developed to streamline the transition from virtual production capture to post-production within Unreal Engine. While it shares similarities with standard Image Sequence assets, such as referencing the image files for each camera frame, it extends functionality by also maintaining a direct link to per-frame metadata, the recorded audio file, and the corresponding Sound Wave asset. In addition, the Recording Asset stores key technical information, including the total number of frames, capture framerate, resolution, and the camera’s origin at the time of recording. This comprehensive approach enables users to efficiently review, organize, and integrate their recorded shots into Unreal Engine sequences, ensuring a smooth and reliable workflow from shooting on set to editing in post.

Recording Asset Editor

The Recording Asset Editor is your central hub for inspecting and managing all aspects of a recording. When you open a Recording Asset, you are presented with a clear layout that includes a Preview Viewport on the left and two detail panels on the right: the Details Panel for general asset information and the Media Details Panel for media-specific information. This organized interface ensures that everything you need to know about your recording, such as camera parameters, audio references, and storage locations, is available at a glance, making it easy to verify and utilize your captured content in your workflow.

Information Available in the Recording Asset Editor

The editor is divided into several panels, each providing access to specific information and controls:

1. Preview Viewport This viewport is the standard media viewport of Unreal Engine where you can open the media and playback using the control buttons on the bottom\

   
2. Media Details Panel This panel summarizes the technical characteristics of your recording’s media files. Here you can quickly check:

   • Format: The image format used for the sequence (e.g., JPEG, PNG).

   • Frame Rate: The framerate at which frames were captured (e.g., 30 fps).

   • Frame Count: The total number of frames in the recording.

   • Dropped Frames: The number of frames dropped during capture (if any).

   • Consecutive Dropped Frames: The maximum number of frames that were dropped in a row

   • Duration: The total duration of the recording.

   • Resolution: The captured resolution (e.g., 1280x720).

   • Resource Size: The disk space used by the asset.\

   
3. Details Panel The Details Panel displays comprehensive metadata and configuration options for your recording asset. Here you will find:

   • Version: The version of the recording asset

   • Metadata File: Location of the metadata file.

   • Timestamp & Date/Time: When the recording was captured.

   • Recorder Settings: Settings used for the recording session.

   • Camera Characteristics: Camera-specific values that are constant

     • Camera Intrinsics

     • Distortion Coefficients ^{*they might be zero if not available}

     • Sensor Size in millimeters

     • Focus Distance Calibration

       • 1 if it's calibrated, 0 if it's not

   • Camera Parent Transform: Transform of the camera's parent actor at the start of the recording.

   • Recording Files Root: The root folder that contains all media and metadata of the recording asset

   • Audio : Asset reference to the SondWave Asset

   

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How to Use the Recording Asset in Sequences

The Recording Asset is designed for seamless integration into your production pipeline, supporting two primary workflows: applying the asset to an existing sequence or creating a new sequence directly from the asset. Both methods ensure that all camera, media, and timing information is synchronized and ready for efficient review or further editing.

Applying the Recording Asset to an Existing Sequence

You can apply a Recording Asset to any existing sequence that already contains a camera actor. When this action is performed, the system automatically sets the camera’s parent transform to match its position at the start of the recording. For each frame, transform keys and all captured camera parameters, such as white balance, tint, depth of field, and focus distance, are inserted. The sequence is further updated with a camera cut track, a media track for previewing the recording, and an audio track, all of which are aligned using the recording’s timecode information. This workflow is ideal for integrating captured shots within the context of your ongoing project.

Creating a New Sequence from a Recording Asset

Alternatively, you can generate a brand new sequence from a Recording Asset using a camera actor blueprint of your choice. This process creates a sequence with all the necessary tracks and keys: the camera actor with its parent transform, per-frame tracking and camera parameter keys, a camera cut track, a media track for composure playback, and an audio track. All tracks are precisely aligned using the captured timecode, ensuring frame-accurate playback and editing. This workflow is particularly useful for rapid review or when building new sequences from scratch based on your recorded material.

You can also customize which camera actor blueprint is used when creating a new sequence. The default blueprint can be changed to any compatible camera actor blueprint to fit your specific production needs. For more information on configuring the default camera actor blueprint, see the related settings documentation.