This is a quick animation I did some time ago to test our tracking software. Put simply, tracking allows us to identify the path a camera followed while recording, the lens used, and other characteristics. This information is then used to create a virtual camera in our 3D scene with the same parameters. Then, we can render an animation of something that does not exist, and match it into a real-world setting. You have seen this done hundreds of times, but may not have known it. This is how Gollum in Lord of the Rings , King Kong, and the recent HP and Levi's commercials were made to name just a few.
This test is poor quality, but that was by design. Rather than using a pro-level HD video camera, I used an inexpensive digital camera that shoots mediocre video. I figured if I can get a good track on a jerky 320x240 at 15fps, I can get a great match on smooth HD. After tracking the camera move, I dropped in a building from a past job, planted some trees, and added some moving cars.
Certainly not a product quality I would deliver, but proof that we can make very convincing matches with proper footage.
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This is so cool. I didn't notice the cars moving until I read the post and looked closely. Very smooth match there. It loses the integrity at the very end when the trackball gets in the way, but I'm sure you know that. Can't wait to see this actually used on a project.
ReplyDelete-Jason Jacobs
Yep. Didn't feel like getting nitpicky or rotoscoping on a silly test project. :)
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