Output Sequence Types

Export Data by Format

Format

Mesh Output

Skeletal Animation (Retargeting and Object Attachment)

Temporal Mesh Compression

Texture Compression

Texture Output

Audio Output

OMS

X

X

X

AVV

X

X*

X

X

X

JPG

X

PNG

X

DDS(DXT1)

X

MP4

X

X

X

OBJ

X

PLY

X

FBX

X

X

ABC

X

MBO

X

WAV

X

MP3

X

* - AVV does not currently support skeletal retargeting

HoloEdit provides several export types for playback and integration into external pipelines. The following sections contains details on each output format.

Important

Each export type requires one or more relevant data streams in the current composition. Required data streams are listed in the Requirements section per Output Type.

Unless otherwise specified, every requirement must be present for each frame exported.

OMS

OMS is a compressed file format optimized for volumetric playback. OMS files contain mesh data, provide multiple optional compression techniques, and support skeletal data for retargeting. OMS Files do not include embedded texture information, and should be exported with an accompanying texture stream (from the MP4 or “Textures” output type)

Warning

Gaps in time without mesh or texture present are not supported by OMS playback. If you need a gap in playback without any data, consider exporting one OMS file for each contiguous section of volumetric video and managing timing at playback.

Requirements:

  • Contiguous mesh stream

  • Optional: Compress Mesh Segments (for compression)

Parameters:

  • Bitpacking: Enables Mesh Compression. See OMS Compression Features for more details. Bitpacking is required when exporting OMS files in HoloEdit

  • Retarget: Embeds retargeting skeletal data into OMS.

  • Minimum Segment Encoding Frames: This parameter sets the minimum number of frames per segment to be compressed and encoded into the OMS. Compressed mesh segments smaller than this number will be exported without compression. Too small of a number may produce visual errors during playback.

AVV

Important

AVV is a premium HoloSuite feature. Please contact sales@arcturus.studio to discuss licensing options.

The Accelerated Volumetric Video (or AVV) file format provides superior decoding speeds and scalability as a mesh and texture all-in-one export type. It uses mesh metadata (data gathered about a clip’s mesh) to preserve important mesh and texture details. The AVV workflow is a continuation of the regular processing workflow, adding one to three stages after compression is complete. These stages will produce the metadata that is used during export to AVV.

Requirements:

  • Mesh stream, Analyze Texture stage

  • Optional: Animation stream, Face Tracking stage, Transfer Normals stage

Parameters:

  • Resolution: Specify an override resolution for the video. The default setting, “Original” preserves the imported texture resolution. Selecting “Custom” will add a “Custom Size” field where you can specify manual X and Y resolutions.

  • Full Resolution %: The percentage of triangles (more specifically pixels) which will utilize texture data in the encoding. All other triangles will be textured with either multi resolution, or vertex colors.

  • Multi Resolution: When enabled, additional texture data will be stored at half resolution and quarter resolution. The amounts stored are dictated by the two additional resolution fields.

  • Minimum Segment Encoding Frames: This parameter sets the minimum number of frames per segment to be compressed and encoded into the AVV. Compressed mesh segments smaller than this number will be exported without compression. Too small of a number may produce visual errors during playback.

Multi Resolution: When exporting an AVV with textures at a high resolution, such as 4k, not all of that resolution has to have equal value. For example, a capture having their face in 4k has value, but having their pants in 4k has less value. When Multi Resolution is enabled the exporter will store some of the textures at, for instance, 4k, 2k, and 1k, with the remainder being vertex colors.

Resolution Percentage: The resolution options in the AVV Output Sequence window sets what percentage of triangles should be textured. The most valuable triangles (those that are identified as green by Analyze Texture) are chosen first. Without Multi Resolution enabled, a value of 20 means you want 20% of the triangles to be textured, and the remaining 80% is vertex colors. The default setting is 40%.

As an example, with a 4k texture input and the following settings, the export will apply 40% of the triangles at 4k, 30% of the triangles at 2k, 20% of the triangles at 1k, and the remaining 10% with vertex colors.

MP4

MP4 video format is the recommended compressed texture output for HoloEdit. The MP4 output exports your textures as a compressed MP4 video, along with any audio streams as an embedded 48khz audio track.

MP4 parameters are divided into two sections: Video Settings and Audio Settings.

Requirements:

  • Texture stream (Non-MVE)

  • Audio stream (Optional)

Parameters - Video Settings:

  • Framerate: Export the video at 30, 60, or 24 frames per second.

  • Bitrate: 10240, 20480, or 40960 kbps bitrates are available

  • Codec: Specify the codec for the output MP4. libx264 and libx265 codecs are supported

    • For most target platforms, we suggest using H.264 as your codec type, as H.265 lacks support on many devices. Because H.265 lacks broad system support, unless you control the playback device there is a risk of H.265 encoded videos being unable to play on a given target platform.

  • Resolution: Specify an override resolution for the video. The default setting, “Original” preserves the imported texture resolution. Selecting “Custom” will add a “Custom Size” field where you can specify manual X and Y resolutions.

  • Encode Frame Numbers: Embeds timing info into the texture stream video. This will show up as a small black and white strip at the bottom right of your textures, and is required for OMS Player playback on some platforms.

    • Encode Frame Numbers is not supported with resolutions lower than 100x100 pixels

  • Custom Quality Arguments: Enable this checkbox to expose a field for custom MP4 quality arguments

Parameters - Audio Settings

See Audio Export for audio settings.

Combined MP4+OMS

Requirements:

  • Contiguous mesh stream

  • Texture stream (Non-MVE)

  • Optional: Compress Mesh Segments (for compression)

  • Audio stream (Optional)

Combined MP4+OMS, or Multitrack Export, exports a single file containing OMS and MP4 data for every track in your current composition. Both the mesh and texture files are packaged in an .MP4 container. Combined MP4+OMS playback is supported in Unity by the HoloSuite Player plugin.

The texture streams from each track in the composition are composed into in grid to produce the final texture stream MP4.

Warning

When using the Combined MP4+OMS file format to export multiple tracks, leaving the Resolution setting at the default value of Original will produce an atlas large enough to fit each track’s textures at their original size, which may be too large for playback.

It is recommended you that set the “Resolution” option to Custom and enter a manual resolution under 4k for your output atlas.

See the OMS and MP4 sections below for details on individual OMS+MP4 export settings.

Streaming

Requirements:

  • Stabilized mesh stream

  • Texture stream

  • Audio stream (Optional)

  • Processing via Remote Job Server

HoloStream export packages meshes, textures, and audio for high performance adaptive streaming. For more information on embedding and playing HoloStream, see the HoloStream written documentation.

The Export to HoloStream parameters are divided into two sections:

Profile Outputs

The Profile Outputs section is used to specify the streaming quality profiles for export. For adaptive streaming we recommend using the default settings, which provide six outputs of varying quality.

Disabling the Use Default Settings toggle will expose controls to add individual exports (using the + button at the bottom left) and select from various quality profiles. This way, you can only export certain profiles per your project’s needs. Custom profiles contain the following settings.

  • Profile Name: Specify the profile name for your quality profile. This name is included in URLs and website source.

  • Display Name: Specify the display name for your quality profile. This name is displayed for quality selection in the HoloStream player.

  • Texture Bitrate: Set the bitrate for your profile’s MP4 output.

  • Texture Resolution: Set the square texture resolution for your profile’s streaming texture.

  • Mesh Quality %: Choose a percentage between 1-100. Geometry in this profile will be decimated to this percentage.

To select a preset profile, choose your profile from the drop down next to the “output” label.

To remove a profile, press the X to the right of the profile quality.

Uploading

The Uploading section provides options and information about your HoloStream Upload. It contains the following fields:

  • Media Service: Select the service to provide your HoloStream clips

  • Available Transcode Balance: Displays the current Transcode Balance on your HoloSuite Account

  • Clip Transcode Duration: Displays the Transcode time that uploading this clip will use up.

  • Final Transcode Balance: Preview the estimated Transcode time remaining in your Account after upload.

At the bottom of the Uploading section there is an form to verify that you understand and agree to be billed for the provided Transcode Duration. This contains a checkbox to accept these terms.

When configuration is complete, press the Save button to export your clip to HoloStream. If the Clip Duration exceeds your account’s Transcode Balance or if you have declined to accept the Disclosure Agreement the Save button will be unavailable.

Note

Export to HoloSuite requires the Remote Job Server. If you attempt to create a HoloStream export with the Local Job Server selected you will be prompted to activate the remote server.

After the export window has finished processing, HoloEdit will dispatch a job to the Job Server containing one or more HoloStream work units.

Export Results

When the HoloStream job has completed processing, the Upload Complete modal window will pop up to alert you. This window contains two pieces of information.

  • GUID: The unique ID for your HoloStream upload.

  • URI: The web link to your HoloStream content. This link can be provided to a player, such as the Unity HoloSuite Player Plugin, to play media directly from the HoloStream servers, or opened in a web browser to preview your streaming clip.

Warning

Take care to copy and paste your GUID and URI to a safe place to store them before dismissing the Upload Complete window. If you close this window without storing these addresses you will not be able to retrieve them later.

Textures

The Textures output exports your texture stream as an image sequence in the specified file format. This export outputs one texture file per frame.

Requirements:

  • Texture stream (Non-MVE)

  • Pad UV Islands and Encode Frame Numbers parameters require a mesh stream or OMS exported alongside textures

Parameters:

  • Compression: Select from PNG or DXT1 formats. See below for per-format details

    • PNG: PNG is a widely used image format supporting lossless compression and transparency

    • DXT1: DXT1, or BC1, produces a block compressed DDS file. DDS is a high performance texture format for real time graphics. DDS files can be used with the OMS player instead of MP4 on target platforms with specific performance constraints or without robust video support

  • Resolution: Manually specify resolution for the texture sequence. The default setting, “Original” preserves the imported texture resolution. Selecting “Custom” will add a “Custom Size” field where you can specify manual X and Y resolutions.

  • Encode Frame Numbers: Embeds timing info into the textures. This will show up as a small black and white strip at the bottom right of your textures, and is required for OMS Player playback on some platforms. Encoding may be visible in the output unless a mesh or OMS is exported at the same time.

  • Pad UV Islands: Apply padding to UV islands. The amount of padding is based on the maximum resolution versus the target resolution, to avoid cracks in textures after texture downscaling. This option will have no effect unless a mesh or OMS is exported at the same time.

  • Preserve Alpha Channel: This Export option will only be available when the export file type supports an alpha channel. Enabling will preserve existing alpha channels on export.

Meshes

The Meshes output exports your mesh stream as a file sequence in the specified file format. This export outputs one mesh file per frame.

Requirements:

  • Mesh stream

  • Optional: Skinning data (FBX), UVs

  • Optional: Mesh colors (PLY)

Parameters

  • Format: Select from OBJ, PLY, FBX, ABC, or MBO formats. PLY format supports vertex color output. See below on per-format details:

    • OBJ: The Wavefront .obj format is an open format widely used for 3D geometry. OBJ meshes positions, UVs, and normals per vertex, and is supported by a wide range of software and platforms.

    • PLY: The PLY format is a 3D geometry format supported polygonal meshes and Point Clouds with arbitrary per-vertex properties. HoloEdit exports binary .PLY files containing Mesh data including vertex position, normal, UVs, color via the Meshes Export.

    • FBX: The FBX format is a widely used interop format for 3D graphics supporting rigging and skinning data, vertex colors, and animation. HoloEdit exports binary .FBX files containing Mesh data including vertex position, normal, and UVs via the Meshes Export, and skeletal animation data via the Animations and Maya export.

    • ABC: The Alembic format (.abc) is a 3D geometry format for 3D graphics supporting mesh sequence animations. Exports using the .abc format will produce a single Alembic file containing the exported frame sequence at 30fps. This file will be automatically named according to the frame sequence, in the format [filename][startframe]-[endframe].abc. For example, “Filename0-100.abc”.

    • MBO: Mesh Binary Object, or MBO, is HoloEdit’s internal mesh format, used for importing and exporting mesh within HoloEdit. typically used for transferring meshes between compositions or workspaces, this format is a smaller and faster alternative to .obj’s when working in HoloEdit.

Animations

The Animations output exports embedded skeletal data (such as from a Generate Skeleton Stage) per frame as .FBX files.

Requirements:

  • Mesh stream

  • Animation streams (Skeleton and Skin Weights)

Parameters

  • No parameters

Workflows

Workflows are special exports intended for use with external tools or HoloSuite plugins. There are two workflows outputs in HoloEdit; Mari and Maya.

Parameters:

  • Workflow: Select between Mari or Maya Workflow.

Workflow: Mari:

The Mari Workflow output exports files ready for use with the HoloEdit Mari Tools Import Script. It will export stabilized segments as individual objects, with each frame as an individual UDIM Tile. It will export corresponding textures per a naming convention that matches the HoloEdit Mari Tools Import Script.

Requirements:

  • Stabilized mesh stream

  • Texture stream

Workflow: Maya:

The Maya Workflow output exports rigged .fbx files ready for use with the HoloSuite Maya Tools plugin.

Requirements:

  • Mesh stream

  • Animation streams (Skeleton and Skin Weights)

Parameters:

  • Max frames per FBX: Select a frame number to target on export. When you apply this export on clips larger than the specified Max Frames, HoloEdit will split your clip into multiple .fbx files.

Audio

Audio export supports MP3 and WAV file types. Audio export should be used to export your audio files for further editing in other software. To export audio intended for playback along with an OMS file, use the MP4 export.

Requirements:

  • Audio stream

Parameters:

  • Format: Select between WAV or MP3 format.

WAV format:

The WAV format has two additional settings: Samplerate and Encoding.

Parameters:

  • Samplerate: Choose between 44100, 48000, 96000, and 192000 samples per second. Higher sample rates encode more data at the cost of larger files.

  • Format: Determine the audio data format stored in the WAV container. HoloEdit exports the following formats:

    • PCM at 16, 24, and 32 bits

    • 32 bit Float

    • 64 bit Double

MP3 format:

The MP3 format has two additional settings: Samplerate and Bitrate.

Parameters:

  • Samplerate: Choose between 44100, or 48000 samples per second. Higher sample rates encode more data at the cost of larger files.

  • Bitrate: Choose between 128, 192, or 320 kbps. Lower bitrates provide more compressed, smaller audio files.