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L8 PREVISUALISATION DESIGN CHALLENGE The brains behind L8 previsualisation software reflect on #L8Battle21 – a competition providing show designers and scholars something to strive for during this uncertain time. TPi’s Jacob Waite reports…
It is no secret that one of the main factors in the success of any live event is preparation. The time to agree on a design can be crucial, with slight refinements or amendments taking anywhere from hours to days, or in some cases, weeks. As a result, when designers arrive at a venue, there is very little time left to experiment or margin for error. The solution? L8 software, which today – like its pre-visualisation counterparts – has become an integral part of show development for curators of live experiences, not least in lockdown. “L8 is an incredible software package for visualising various disciplines related to real-time shows, lighting design, automated DMX-controlled objects, laser, pyrotechnic and other effects in a photorealistic environment,” L8 Founding Director, Dmitriy Giventar began. “The realism and speed of our software is right up there with the best in the industry.”
L8 software has always been distinguished by a high level of realism in the visualisation market, providing ample opportunities to implement the most daring ideas of stage designers the world over. Implementation in L8 support of NDI video streaming has allowed users during lockdown to create virtual concerts, shows, DJ-setups and not only continue their activities, but also explore new realms of creativity. Giventar has been writing his visualisation software for over 15 years. He explained the benefits of the technology to show designers. “It’s a tool that helps you come up with lighting design ideas. There is a huge library of DMX fixtures with over 6500 profiles from different manufacturers. Built-in onboard DMX control lets you quickly explore new lights.” Speaking to TPi in March 2019, Giventar discussed his research into Ray Tracing technology. Two years on, L8 has now integrated visualisation of 15
