Hi All.
Been playing with the new tomato branch, and after having worked for many years with Syntheyes, I am absolutely astounded at the quality and innovation of Blender’s tracker. I have however, a question regarding object tracking workflow, that I imagine has already been asked, but I’ll ask again.
How does one perform object tracking with a static camera. (ie. how do I solve a camera in which to place my object).
Thx R.
If I understand your question correctly, there is no way that I know of to solve for a static camera. I believe you would just have to place your 3d objects by eye, and adjust your scene so it looks right.
If you’re keen you could shoot the footage differently though, e.g. at the start/end of the shot, moving the camera into/out of it’s locked-off position (preferable sideways on a dolly or something), and then using the moving footage to solve the camera and reconstruct the scene… Depends what you need to do I guess.
no need to solve camera if its static
the camera should have an object solver constraint
tutorial here: http://cgcookie.com/blender/2011/12/07/blender-overview-of-object-tracking-in-tomato-branch/
That tutorial starts out with a solved camera (which moves), then adds an object. For footage with a static camera and a moving object in the foreground, I think the only option currently is to not solve at all. Instead, track the points you want, select them all, then click “Link Empty to Track” under Reconstruction options. From there, you’ll have a bunch of empties that you can use for hooks.
In the latest svn versions, there’s a new feature called “Depth Object” under the constraints for the Empty objects created by “Link Empty to Track”. Before the empties were just all scattered along a 2D plane. With Depth Object, you can project them onto another mesh in 3D space.
you keep getting that error cause you need to place and track more makers, im not really sure why that error pops up sometimes cause their can be pleanty of markers on the screen and ill still get that error. ushally placeing more markers fixes it
AlexDS,
You need to select at least three trackers that are on the floor plane when you click that floor button. Your screenshot is cut off, so I can’t see the image with all of the trackers. Do you have three trackers selected that are tracking the floor in the image.
DavidT, they are 3 selected, but i get the “bundle” error. I don’t know what bundle means for the trackers, do you know ?
I’m not an expert with the motion tracker. I have only motion tracked a couple scenes, so maybe someone else could answer this better.
I believe “bundle” refers to the 3D positions of the track markers, kind of like a point cloud in the 3D view. I think you will get errors when trying to set the origin, floor, and axis until you have successfully solved the camera motion, so you will have to solve that problem first. You can’t set the origin or floor until you have those 3D positions in the 3D view. Setting the floor reorients that point cloud, but you don’t have that point cloud to reorient yet.
I think the best thing for you to do is probably try testing with different footage to see if you have better luck with something else. It might help you get better practice with motion tracking, so you can try that scene again with more insight into the process. You might try the free match moving practice footage at Hollywood Camera Works (http://www.hollywoodcamerawork.us/greenscreenplates.html). Several others on this forum have practiced with that footage with good results.
Thanks@DavidT
