CAMERATRACKER for After Effects® allows you to pull 3D motion tracks and matchmoves without having to leave AE. It analyses the source sequence and extracts the original camera's lens and motion parameters, allowing you to composite 2D or 3D elements correctly with reference to the camera used to film the shot.

You can now match camera moves within Adobe® After Effects® 2.5D environment, opening up new, robust options for the placement of composite elements, such as the creation of Fringe / Heroes style 'in scene' titles, insertion of animated design elements, match-moved virtual set extensions, motion-tracked projection mapping and much more...

This 3d motion tracking technology was previously only available in NUKEX, the Foundry's high-end film compositing tool. You can now do all this in Adobe® After Effects® without exiting your application.

Domino

In this sequence, Alexander Lehnert of Haus&Gross communications demonstrates 3D camera tracking with CAMERATRACKER inside After Effects®, exporting to Cinema 4D, projection mapping, rendering, reimporting to After Effects® and comping. He also shows the use of KRONOS retiming plug-in to add visual impact to the shot's timing.

https://www.vimeo.com/13881402/

Camera Tracking Test

By Matt Silverman

Matt demonstrates in-scene text with shadowing using CAMERATRACKER for After Effects, along with integration with Red Giant's Trapcode Particular via composition cameras.

https://vimeo.com/13608228/

AE Camtracker - Shot Breakdown - The Door

By Alexander Lehnert of Haus&Gross communications

Alex demonstrates the use of CAMERATRACKER for After Effects to generate mask mattes quickly and easily, and to insert text on to a scene element.

https://vimeo.com/13881203/

Core Tracking Workflow

CameraTracker analyses a source sequence and allows creation of an After Effects camera, which matches that with which the original sequence was shot. The basic process is 3 stages, namely:

• Track - automatically seeds a number of track points, based on a series of user configurable parameters, and tracks them through the sequence. The tracks are dropped and new ones are reseeded if they fall below a certain quality threshold, and then are verified in a reverse tracking pass.
• Solve - Solve - builds a model of the 3d feature positions of the track points, and the camera with which they were shot, based on the parallax observed in a number of key frames, picked according to a series of user configurable parameters.
• Create Scene - creates and After Effects camera and null which embody the shot analysed. The null can be used to control overall scene parameters, such as the scale, offset and rotation.

Object Creation

CameraTracker features a unique in viewer menu which allows the user to interactively select a series of feature points and create After Effect's Solids and Nulls at their location.

Ground Plane

CameraTracker allows the user to configure a ground plane, thus setting the entire scene's orientation and offset. This can be additionally tweaked manually using the scene null.

Point Cloud Feature Preview

once a shot has been solved and a scene created the user can flip the CameraTracker into rendering a 3d feature preview. This details the positions of the individual feature points, and their current selection and frame state. This can be used to visualise and assist in setting ground planes and creating objects.

Stats Readouts & Refine Workflow

CameraTracker features a comprehensive solve stats and refinement workflow. Parameters are setting showing a number of useful statistics, both after the track phase and the solve phase. Particular features can then be easily isolated individually using the track finders, or deleting en masse using the refinement thresholds and deletion functions.

Other features

• Lens Distortion - CameraTracker is able to estimate for and both flatten and redistort lens distorted plates.
• Matting Workflow - to enable selective tracking for dealing with more tricky shots.
• Powerful display functions - showing track and feature quality measures both qualitatively and as an overview
• In-track display options - to allow the user to elect feedback or not during the tracking process.
• Fully float image processing.