Mesh Tracking Tools (Beta) - with all tutorials

UPDATE 09.06.2012:

  • Improved “offset algorithm” which should give now much more accuracy. Here is an example connected with masking feature test: https://vimeo.com/43720050

MESH TRACKING TOOLS

I created something I called: Mesh Tracking Tools.

Goal of Mesh Tracking Tools is (or was supposed to be):

  • make some basic effects in Movie Clip Editor easier to make
  • make some fun effects in Movie Clip Editor possible to make
  • allow You to use Object Based Reconstruction (which is also a script I created)

Here’s a small preview of what can be done using Mesh Tracking Tools (object based reconstruction was improved since than, so please don’t be discoureged!):

I was planning to make 3 short and simple tutorial to explain how to use it. Unfortunately I discovered that I suck at making tutorials. Nevertheless here they are (Sorry for my english, unfortunately I don’t have many occasions to practice).

In the beginning (and at the end) of every tutorial is an effect which I am trying to explain in tutorial.

Tutorial 1 - Tracking Frames:
(if You are only interested in Mesh Tracking Tools Part watch only from 6:19):

Tutorial 2 - Face Scar Effect:

Tutorial 2a - Face Morphing Effect:
(OK… Final effect is as “effective” as I hoped it to be, but please try to imagine how it could look with a little bit more of work put into it! :wink: ):

Tutorial 3 - Object Based Reconstruction:
(Static part: reconstructing 3d scene and solving focal length using objects known shape)
(If I messed up this tutorial please say so and I will try to make something easier to understand)

Tutorial 3a - Object Based Reconstruction in animation:
(Animation par: reconstructing moving object and solving focal length dynamically)
(This tutorial is also messed up a little bit, but please try to understand from it as much as possible)

IMPORTANT
I forgot about one important thing when making this tutorial. Objects You are tracking should be about it’s real sizes (in EDIT MODE 1 blender unit = 1 meter). If they will You will get more accurate matches and focal should be solved correctly. Though in my examples the scale was off and I still got some acceptable looking results!

I have also a few more ideas for different effects, but didn’t found time yet to test them. Hope I will be able to show You something more soon.

To install Mesh Tracking Tools You need to download .zip file from here:
Blender 2.67 version: http://allblue.pl/allblue_tmp/mtt.zip (not properly tested yet)
and extract it to Addons folder in Blender.

Remember it’s still Beta version and probably have many bugs. I will try to make it more stable as soon as I will :).

Have fun. If You will find this addon useful please say so, if not also say so!

UPDATE:

Plans for the future:

  • Make Mesh Tracking Tools final demo to show this addons full capabilities.
  • Add one fun future to Static Object Based Reconstruction to make it more useful.
  • Fix some bugs.

If I will decide this addon has future:

  • Add Shaped Based Reconstruction to Object Based Reconstruction :wink:
  • Move slowest parts of Object Based Reconstruction to C.

this is realy interesting tools

Location Poland

is that girl from Poland?
while watching that video i kept thinking to myself “she looks Polish :)”

Glad You find it useful :slight_smile:

Congratulate on Your good eye :wink:

awesome tools & tutorials
thanks :slight_smile:

ps, I had to laugh when blender crashed, happens to me too sometimes.

Great stuff man! This’ll be really useful

This is usefull, tx for your effort!

great tutorial! gonna try this out with your new tools as soon as I get a chance… thanks so much for doing this!

Wow, fewer points is a great idea! I have found that DSLR footage often is skewed when there is fast movement, I wondered whether I could distort footage by tracking points and assigning constraints to a mesh that has the image reprojected on it. That way the image would be distorted inversely to the skew. I will have a look at these tools for that I think.

sftd…will your script still work with the immanent release of bmesh blender aka 2.63? I would hate to abandon it now that I just began to love it :slight_smile:

Thank You all for such positive comments :slight_smile:

Well I haven’t tested it yet, but I am almost sure it will need at least a few changes.

The plan is as follows:

  • make one fix in Object Based Tracking and make tutorial on using it
  • add 2 features to Mesh Tracking Tools (quite simple ones, but I think they will be very useful)
  • make mesh tracking tools work with 2.63
  • make mesh tracking tools more stable
  • add a few more features I have in mind (but they are a little bit more complicated)
  • make Mesh Tracking Tolls work faster (move some code from python to c++)

Oh… And one thing. If You will make something interesting (even ifYou don’t think it is), please post it for example here or notify me in some other way. If I will know what are You using Mesh Tracking Tools for maybe I will get some ideas how to improve it.

Thank You all once again! Hope I will be able to share something interesting soon.

Cheers! :wink:

Remember to change the link to the script in the first post of the thread here as you update it. Many people will not go beyond that first post and it will save you answering a lot of questions about why the script will not work.

blender does not crash it exits silently !

great addon by the way , thanks for sharing.

Hi

I am using Blender 2.63 and when I try to use the “unwrap from tracks” button I get the following error.

Any ideas?

When I then render the mapped plan it has the image sideways :frowning:

thanks!

location:<unknown location>:-1
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “C:\Users\spatdsg\Downloads\Blender_2.3_6921_win7.x64-46007\Win7.x64-46007\2.63\scripts\addons\mesh_tracking_tools\unwrap_from_tracks.py”, line 163,
in execute
unwrap_to_tracks(obj)
File “C:\Users\spatdsg\Downloads\Blender_2.3_6921_win7.x64-46007\Win7.x64-46007\2.63\scripts\addons\mesh_tracking_tools\unwrap_from_tracks.py”, line 121,
in unwrap_to_tracks
for i, uv in _face_uv_iter(obj):
File “C:\Users\spatdsg\Downloads\Blender_2.3_6921_win7.x64-46007\Win7.x64-46007\2.63\scripts\addons\mesh_tracking_tools\unwrap_from_tracks.py”, line 33,
in _face_uv_iter
yield (i, uv_layer[i].uv)
AttributeError: ‘MeshTexturePoly’ object has no attribute ‘uv’
location:<unknown location>:-1
location:<unknown location>:-1

Please don’t use my addon with blender 2.63. It won’t work and more or less I know why. I added today last changes to Mesh Tracking Tools, will make tutorial on Object Based Reconstruction in days and than make Mesh Tracking Tools work with 2.63. I hope it will be really soon. Please be patient!

Hi,

I made a version of Mesh Tracking Tools that will work with 2.63 now:
http://allblue.pl/mtt.zip

I also finished working on Object Based Reconstruction (though I have in mind one in my opinion quite interesting feature). 2 tutorials will appear within 48 hours :wink:

Have fun!

And here is the first tutorial on Object Based Reconstruction. I failed a little bit at recording it, so if it is unclear please say so and I will try to make something more understandable:

This worked great for 6.23 and the mesh tracking! thanks!

Very good & interesting !

Thank you @sftd http://statusicons.cgcookie.netdna-cdn.com//user-offline.png :yes:

And here is my last tutorial on Mesh Tracking Tools:

  • reconstructing 3d scene based on known object shape and solving focal length of camera dynamically in animation
  • I recommend to watch my previous tutorial (Tutorial 3) if You are interested in this part

Have fun and please share your results if You will get something interesting.

Tutorial:

IMPORTANT
I forgot about one important thing when making this tutorial. Objects You are tracking should be about it’s real sizes (in EDIT MODE 1 blender unit = 1 meter). If they will You will get more accurate matches and focal should be solved correctly. Though in my examples the scale was off and I still got some acceptable looking results!