Our alpha release for Unreal Engine 5.8 (409.0) preview is now available in our Download Center.

To access the plugin, please join our Early Access program, as explained below.

In addition to the 5.8 preview release, there is also a 5.7 release (403.2) with updates:

• Complete refactoring of the Media Output Encoder with multiple new features and increased stability.

• Release of four new projection types for the 360 Camera: Fisheye, 180VR Fisheye, Cylindrical, Sterescopic Cylindrical

• Various bug fixes (see list below).

Early Access Program

• You can join our Early Access program to test out features before they are pushed to full release.

• To do so, go to your account page and click to subscribe to Early Access.

• Then go to our Download Center and you will see the Alpha versions of the plugin.

• If you don’t see the plugin, please make sure you are logged in and hard refresh.

Major Refactor: Direct Streaming and Recording from Unreal via FFMPEG

We have completely refactored our Media Output Encoder, significantly improving performance and stability, and adding various new capabiities:

• Encoding of multiple simultaneous outputs all via NVENC (GPU) so there is zero/ minimal FPS impact in Unreal.

• Streaming and recording the same output to multiple formats at the same time, for example, streaming to YouTube via RTMP while recording the same output to disk or also streaming to Amazon Elemental via SRT, all with no additional GPU or CPU overhead.

• Addition of h.265 support, for visually impercetible video compression.

• Effective video and audio bitrate utilisation to ensure maximum visual quality.

• Fixed frame rate output with quantisation to ensure exact frame distribution per second.

• Ability to encode at different resolutions to the input Render Target.

• Encoding of all Unreal audio formats, up to 7.1 and including Stereo Downmix for immersive Stereo streaming/ recording output.

• Support for Timecode metadata such as SMPTE, system time or an external timecode input.

Fisheye and VR180 Fisheye Projections

• We have added VR180 Fisheye projection and updated our Domemaster projection with Fisheye capabilities.

• Both projections now allow compositing fisheye footage from real-world cameras with Unreal generated footage, such as from the URSA Cine Immersive Camera for Apple Vision Pro.

• You can use the OpenCV standard K1-K4 settings to adjust the lens settings of the OWL 360 Camera so they are precisely aligned with the lens of your real-world camera.

• This works for both monoscopic and stereoscopic projection types.

Cylindrical and Stereo Cylindrical Projections

• We have added Cylindrical and Stereo Cylindrical projections to our 360 Camera which are a highly effective format for live events such as concert projections, product showcases and architectural installations.

• The projection has fully adjustable Horizontal and Vertical Field-of-View settings so it is precisely adjustable to different wall heights and venues formats (half cylinder etc.)

• Stereo Cylindrical currently outputs to a side-by-side projection format for delivery to media servers, but it is possible to add Anaglyph and Interlaced projections (like those on our Stereoscopic Cinecam) in the future if required.

Bug Fixes

• DLSS no longer obstructs face cropping in certain projections.

• Media Output Encoder respects relative path directories.

• Stitch pass job preset fix when no Deadline job present.

• Pixel color distortion in high resolution tiling fixed.

• Seamless bloom render target flicker fixed.

• 180 equirectangular projection no longer has missing faces when face crop used.

• Spout crash in unreferenced nDisplay node launch fixed.

Updates

• OWL Compositing Toolkit is deprecated from Unreal 5.8 onwards due to Unreal’s introduction of new, more efficient compositing framework.