HELP FOR FUTURE CHALLENGE: Camera Tracking

#46

Just a thought,

Using the footage already provided. Using After Effects or equivalent, remove camera shake (or at least minimize it). You can add it back in during post.

Render the footage for use in compositing.

Use a stylize/find edges filter to outline the edges of the existing geometry such as the doors.

Using that filter you should even be able to get a clean track off of the floor as it outlines the floor tiles.

Render the footage for tracking.

I use Icarus to motion track (it was free and I have had it a long time) and the camera shake would likely be my undoing which is why I would probably take it out in order to track. I am going to try it both ways and see if I can get a clean track even with the shake. I am confident I can get it with the Find Edges filter.

Wade

P.S. Yes this is my first post

#47

as I know it is better to leave the original footage as it is if you are going to track it.
the only thing you have to consider is the lens distortion otherwise everything in RAW condition.

#48

unfortunately removing camera shake before tracking distorts the footage in a way that would make 3d tracking harder if not imposible.

#49

I’ve had some trouble dealing with 24p pulldown issues and tracking. We Got in the habit of shooting 30p. I know there are ways to remove the pulldown for tracking but I haven’t done it on my own. Anyone know what’s up with that and how to adjust footage at 24p to get an easier track?

#50

Ok I recorded two clips today.

On in 24p and the other in 30p

24p

http://free.mailbigfile.com/18bc077cb107488c2b8374b064707e8e/listFiles.php

30 p
http://free.mailbigfile.com/0699810f5e732491e34aea3d80f66a5a/listFiles.php

Lets see if you guys have problems with them.

-R

#51

Okay, A couple of points.

Chronic,

I don’t see what you mean that stabilizing distorts the footage making 3D trackng harder unless you intended to use the original footage in post. Obviously stabilizing the footage and tracking then trying to use the original ‘shaky’ footage in post would make no sense. My intent was to to add shake back in post. I only have experience with After Effects, but I am sure all of the other motion graphics software packages can add shake in post.

Mazm,

Although I would agree you want to use the original footage, most tracking software handles tilt/pans/zooms MUCH better than shaky handheld footage. If you have shaky footage that is stationary in the ‘z’ plane then it is not too bad but as soon as you add the ‘z’ motion, the track goes to pot. I tried to track the cleanest 10 seconds of the orignal footage last night and got nowhere. It was simply too difficult to get a clean track. Using a stylize/find edges filter did make it easier to lock onto trackable features though. Maybe with more powerful tracking software you can get a better track. Free old school Icarus is just not as good as some of the higher end packages.

To point to an earlier post, motion blur casued more problems than I thought it would from simply watching the footage. It is there but not as noticable until I started watching frame by frame during the track. I considered another option if the footage encompassed a lot of motion blur. If I were to convert the footage to an image sequence, could I drop the blurred frames and still get a decent track. I haven’t tried it but…I guess it depends on how stable the original footage is.

Wade

#52

if you can adjust the shutter on your camera > less motion blur is easier to track, although consumer cameras dont do to well in low light enviroments so it can be tough.

anyone else seeing blue at the beginning of the videos?

#53

Ok for those with an HV20 i nee help setting some settings for this:

Camera Settings:
Shutter Priority Mode
Shutter Speed: -
Exposure Locked:-
Color Correction: -

I found online some good reading on the subject:
http://dvxuser.com/jason/hv20/

I will do more tests tonight
-R

#54

i didn’t get it which video is for challenge?
thank you

#55

We are just testing camer settings…

I will be recording footage soon.
-R

#56

Ok here are three more test files:

[ul]
[li]http://free.mailbigfile.com/446ec1800c67e1ea2e121755914a1cdb/listFiles.php[/li][li]http://free.mailbigfile.com/36ae0b89efcc4d2a320e55cb4f4b9faf/listFiles.php[/li][li]http://free.mailbigfile.com/32abe3a7dfb703e7fa2dbe7be41ac64f/listFiles.php[/li][/ul]Filmed on cinema mode, on 24p

Tell me guys what you think.

-R

#57

I couldnt get a clean track. Still too much random camera movement. I was close but there was still too much drift on the 3D object I inserted. I don’t think the motion blur was too much of a problem. The tracking software tracks enough points that I think it can overlook that. I still think the biggest problem is with the overall camera movement simply being to random.

For the sake of argument, can you do the same footage in the alley using a simple pan on a tripod? It will answer the question of whether it is me or the footage.

I was considering setting my camera up in my driveway and filming a couple of cars going by. there would certainly be an extreme amount of motion blur but no other camera motion. The problem is that I could sort of cheat using After Effects to attach a seperate 3D layer using tracking in After Effects. I don’t currently ahve a tripod so I am limited in what I could do.

I don’t know at this point. I am not a pro at motion tracking so…

Also, I am anxious to see what others come up with using other tracking software.

And yes, I am also getting the blue segment at the front of the clip.

#58

links has gone:((

#59

Yes it is gone , but I will be recording some more test footage tonight.
I will be posting it as MPG4 video that has been processed in Sony Vegas…

-R

#60

Well as promised…
Guys please test these files…
If they work fine we go live next week.
[ul]
[li]http://www.savefile.com/files/1919055[/li][li]http://www.savefile.com/files/1919058[/li][li]http://www.savefile.com/files/1919064[/li][/ul]

#61

We go live in 48 hours…

Plese test the above files to see if we can get any tracking.

Thanks,
-R

#62

It would be great to know the focal lenght of the shots and it also would be fine if you could save it with a corrected aspect ratio.

Let’s see if I can track it.

#63

This sounds exciting! Tracking is one of my biggest nightmares! Look forward to seeing what the next challenge is!

#64

Hey Roberto,is it possible that u can put markers on the walls(posters,picture frames etc)and maybe some gum on the floor or just decorate the seen nicely with wuteva u want.Its just tracking clean walls and blurry floors is a nightmare!It makes me want to scream like a little girl!
,but then again maybe im just super untalented and suck big time at tracking…anyways

so yah dude “clean walls BAD dirty/busy walls GOOD”

over and out

#65

Hey guys, I been hit by a BAD flu. I promise we will go live, as soon as I can get horizontal.

-R