Vitruvius simplifies development of Kinect for Windows apps
Many of the posts in this blog demonstrate how the latest Kinect sensor and software development kit (SDK 2.0) comprise a powerful platform that you can use for developing interactive experiences—but as any developer knows, creating great apps requires hard work, no matter how potent the platform is. Anything that eases that workload should come as welcome news—which is why Kinect for Windows developers might want to take a look at Vitruvius.
Vitruvius provides a framework that simplifies many aspects of Kinect for Windows app development. For example, it eases the process of avateering, allowing you to animate 3D models by using your own body and a single line of code. It even provides a pair of rigid models, one female and one male, along with multiple textures. Check it out in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_UMDyHIYPLE
The product also alleviates a lot of the heavy math associated with implementing motion tracking in advanced Kinect apps. Vitruvius lets you easily calculate joint angles and find the heights of tracked users, the length of specified segments in the 3D space, and the rotation of the body in the X, Y, and Z axes.
Vitruvius also provides simplified bitmap manipulation and lets you take full advantage of the latest Kinect for Windows facial tracking prowess. And its gesture detector makes it easy to add waves, swipes, and other movements that facilitate Kinect for Window’s human-computing interactions.
Created by a team of engineers led by Vangos Pterneas, a Microsoft Kinect Most Valuable Professional, Vitruvius comes in different configurations, with different price points, ranging from free to a “platinum” package that goes for $1,099. But even the free version, which you can find on GitHub, comes loaded with features that speed up Kinect app development, including bitmap generators, background removal tools, angle calculators, and gesture detection. The platinum packages adds a host of advanced features, such as support for Unity 3D, high-definition face extensions, and avateering tools, and it includes free updates, phone support, 24-hour response time, and an hour of consulting with Pterneas himself. Priced in between the free and platinum versions are an academic version, at $199, and a premium edition, at $399. View the complete list of features for each version on the Vitruvius website.
The Kinect for Windows Team
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