Motion Tracking Software

I was wondering what the best motion tracking software was to use with Blender (I have had little luck with Icarus)

Rad Tiger

 

Well, Icarus is really probably your best bet, since the price is certainly right. Depends on exactly what kind of thing you're trying to do, though.

 

I just need to import the camera motion into blender that matches my live footage

 

Icarus really is very good, it's also the only free camera tracking software I would use.

For programs that cost money:
Syntheyes-$399 Used on many films now adays
3D Equalizer-I don't know about pricing, but it's probably in the $1,000 range, however there is a Personal Learning Edition you can learn on but can't export.
Realviz Matchmover-Highly used, many tutorials out there, most expensive version is $3,900 and cheapest version is $680, there is also educational pricing for $1,398 (off the $3,900 price) at studica.com
2d3 Boujou-Used in many movies also, it also has tutorials out there. $10,000

So those are all of the money costing programs I can think of right now. Probably the trouble you are having with Icarus is because of your camera. The first step with camera tracking is that you have to have good footage to work with, it won't work with webcams or with cheap cameras, I've got both, an old webcam and an old camcorder from like five years ago and neither of them can have good camera tracking (or at least nothing beyond only tripod shots) because of lens distortion and general bad picture quality. The best footage is to have an HD source, if not then I would say you really need something at least with 3CCD, even with official motion pictures using film cameras they have times where something they shot just isn't usable.

So I would say keep trying to learn with Icarus, there were some video tutorials a while back which can be helpful to beginners and get you on the right track using it specifically with Blender.

 

Here you go.

http://www.peerlessproductions.com/tuts/pages/Icarus.html





P.S. My icon's better than yours.

 

Thanks a lot for all that it proved to be really useful.

P. S. DK_Force I definitely think that my icon is cooler

 

Ok, I've got a question, and this seems like a good place to ask... Where could I get a motion capture camera, and suit?





-Jacob

 

I'll also recommend you start with Icarus, but there's another free option out there - Voodoo camera tracker.
There's no great resource of tutorials for it, though, not like what Colin's put together for Icarus.

 

Ok, I've got a question, and this seems like a good place to ask... Where could I get a motion capture camera, and suit?





-Jacob

You'd need a system of around ten or fifteen cameras, the machines to capture the data, and even then motion-capture still needs lots of cleanup. A suit is less expensive, generally, at around $25,000.

 

Well, they are extremely expensive, you need many cameras, and a special 'computer box' that they connect to which processes the footage and then sends it to a computer which displays it. Although there are some systems out there that don't use the camera method and just have special tracking sensors on the body, however those systems tend to be even more expensive (although that may have changed) still, it's very expensive. As far as the suit goes, I think they just make up their own suits.

 

Try going with a program like Endorphin. Very cool software.

 

Yeah, endorphin is a cool program.





-Jacob

 

Endorphin isn't even like motion capture and hardly even related, it's just useful for realistic physical interaction.

 

I think he suggested Endorphin as a substitute to actual motion capturing with a suit and cameras, not another program you could use for motion tracking.

 

I know, but Endorphin isn't an all-out animation program, in fact I don't think you can actually do the animation like you would regularly in an 3D application, you usually have to import animation parts you've already done and then use Endorphin for stuff that require physical interaction with something.

 

Actually motion capture can be done with endorphin... At least according to the creators of the program...





-Jacob

 

Motion capture can be done with 3ds Max... At least according to the creators of the program...

 

Please right click, save as...

 

So those are all of the money costing programs I can think of right now.

There's also PFHoe from the Pixel Farm, which is a low cost solution for motion tracking. It's based on their PFTrack software.

 

Oh yeah, forgot about that one, has some integration with several different programs too. Used on lots of good movies.

 

Does it work with Blender?

EDIT: Yes It Does

 

There is also some organization (I really can't remember what it's called, but I know some people here participate in it) where they offer tutorials and classes on different programs, I believe Realviz Matchmover is in there in which it's included in the price (like $100 or something) that you get to use. I can't remember the name at the moment, but I'm sure someone else could.

 

PixelCorps, baybee.

 

Yeah, that's it (I can't believe I forgot the name). But you can get some great teaching with that and experience with lots of expensive programs that you might not otherwise.