26 Tracking and 3D Matchmoving plus After Effects Tutorials

As more and more computing power comes to the desktop it is becoming easier to make hollywood style effects for any project. Among these is tracking and 3D Matchmoving which is the process of extracting 3D camera information from a handheld camera to be able to composite in other elements with After Effects. In this week’s roundup Topher found some of the most compelling tutorials from around the web which show you how to master these techniques.

26 Tracking and 3D Matchmoving
+ After Effects Tutorials

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  Video Copilot – 3D Crater

  In our last tutorial roundup, we had the 3D Meteor tutorial series featured, in this article we are going to explore how to create the aftermath using Boujou to get the camera solve, export the data to After Effects and 3ds Max, create the meteor hole in Max, and composite everything together in After Effects. This is a 3 Part tutorial so we’re starting it off right.

  Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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  AEtuts+ – Create a Mograph Urban Jungle

  In part 1 of this 2-parter, Naim Alwan uses Boujou to 3D track the shot to get a camera solve, and import the data into After Effects. In Part 2 he creates the vector elements and then uses MochaAE to composite everything together.

  Part 1 Part 2

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  VFXworld – Terminator Eye

  This is a huge 8 part tutorial series on creating a hole in someone’s face so that you would be able to see the metal and red eye of the terminator inside. Using Syntheyes, 3ds Max, Photoshop, and After Effects, Hendrik and Florian take you extensively through every step to create a very nice, polished final effect.

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  VFXworld – Boujou For Beginners

  The guys from the last tutorial have a 3 part tutorial on the basics of Boujou, so in case you don’t have Syntheyes, you could possibly use this tutorial to fill in the blanks for the last tutorial.

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  Nahuel VFX – Matchmoving Text with Boujou

  This is another 3D matchmoving tutorial series using Boujou, 3dsMax to create the text, and After Effects to composite, create shadows, and color correction.

  Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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  Boujou To AE Troubleshooter

  I know this isn’t a tutorial, but almost everyone has some complications when they are trying to import Boujou tracking data into After Effects via the .ma format. This document from finthrow.blogspot.com explains quite extensively why this happens, and the workarounds and fixes there are.

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  Basics of Matchmoving in Boujou 4.1

  Here is another “Basics of Boujou” tutorial. Good thing about this one, is it is only one video. This one breaks it down really quickly on getting the solve in Boujou and use the data in After Effects without going into a 3D program beforehand.

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  Syntheyes to After Effects

  This is a tutorial that takes a shot and matchmoves it in Syntheyes, exports the tracking data directly into After Effects. This an official video from Andersson Technologies, the creators of Syntheyes.

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  Icarus to Blender to After Effects

  Before PFTrack was PFTrack, it was Icarus, a free 3D Matchmoving software. Some people still use it since it is free, and hey, I can’t blame them. This written tutorial takes you through getting the solve in Icarus, bringing that data into Blender, modeling a gun, and then compositing the passes in After Effects.

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  Boujou Bullet to Cinema 4D to After Effects

  Boujou Bullet is a more automatic, less intense version of Boujou 4. It is made for more of the streamlined, easier shots to track. This .pdf tutorial takes you through getting a quick camera solve, modeling some simple 3D text in Cinema 4D and then compositing everything together in After Effects.

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  Colin Levy – Icarus Training

  Colin had some entries in our 31 VFX Breakdowns article last week, and this week I stumbled upon his old Icarus training series he produced. It fully covers all you need to know in Icarus as well has how to export the tracking data for Blender and After Effects.

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  Voodoo to Blender to After Effects

  Voodoo is another camera tracker that is free, and is available on Windows or Linux. Best thing about this 2 part series, is it teaches you how to matchmove and 3D model using free programs. You will initially get your camera solve, and tweak your settings in Voodoo, bring that into Blender via Blender Python Script, and then, like always, do your final compositing in After Effects.

  Part 1 Part 2

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  JK Studios – Me & Mandy

  This is probably the biggest tutorial series in this article… 10 parts. James Kearsley takes you through the numerous steps putting a human face on a lizard’s. Sounds easy enough but it isn’t. Watch as he tracks using PFTrack, models in 3ds Max, and composites in After Effects and uses some handy techniques with the Liquify tool.

  Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

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  Tracking Multiple Squares with Mocha and After Effects

  This is a really cool tutorial by Sasa Jokic of Formation Edit. It shows you how to track 48 different squares in one shot. It actually uses relatively basic tracking skills, but really beats the knowledge into your head after doing it 48 times.

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  Aharon Rabinowitz – Perspective Corner Pin Effect

  This is mainly a Mocha tutorial with a little bit of After Effects thrown in. It goes through a screen replacement technique where you track the screen within Mocha, and either replace it within Mocha with something or you can import the data into After Effects and do it there.

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  Adjusting Tracks in Mocha

  This is a very useful tutorial if you are using any version of Mocha. Ross Shain walks you through tracking a grainy, motion blurry, moving bus shot in Mocha, but there is another problem… the bus passes behind an obstructing lightpole! What to do? Ross Shain has the answer for compensating for obstructions and other things that may complicate your tracking and roto jobs.

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  Exporting Mocha Data to After Effects

  If you are just looking for how you do some simple tracks in Mocha and export that data to After Effects for compositing,this is the tutorial for you. Short, sweet, and to the point.

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  Mocha for AE v2 Workflow for Paint and Roto

  This is a little more of an advanced tutorial, but it goes more in depth to teach you how to adjust certain parts of your workflow to speed things up and get better results.

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  David Torno – Face Replacement

  David Torno of AEIOweYou and Side FX Ink takes you behind the scenes of the making of the music video for Pistol Youth – In My Eyes. The techniques David explains is how to take video of a man’s face, with the same motions of that of a Golden Girls’ video, and realistically composite it over the top of each character using After Effecs and MochaAE.

  Part 1 Part 2

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  Steve Whatley – MochaAE Basics

  In this episode of the Creative Suite Podcast Steve takes you through placing a post on an object in an alley way in a moving backward shot using MochaAE.

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  CMIVFX Mocha Crash Course

  This set of tutorials doesn’t actually deal with After Effects at all, but I figure since there are so many tutorials with Mocha as part of the subject matter, it might do good to post a couple of crash course tuts to further your knowledge to take your tracking skills that much further.

  Basic Tutorial In Depth Tutorial

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  Sin City with Silhouette Roto

  Michele Yamazaki has this old tutorial in the depths of Toolfarm. It is a written tutorial created in the ages of After Effects 6.5, but if you have the Silhouette FX Roto plugin, you will do just fine in any version of After Effects. The tutorial goes through roto-ing out a girl’s red fingernails to keep them red and turn everything else greyscale.

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  Graymachine – Basic Tracking and Replacing

  In this tutorial, Harry Frank walks you through the steps of using After Effects’ built in tracker to replace the lettering on an awning sign.

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  Graymachine – Advanced Tracking and Replacing

  Similar to the last tutorial, Harry will teach you how to track a shot and replace some signage. This tutorial though also deals with some expressions and rotoscoping.

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  After Effects’ Tracker Explained

  CGSutra has a good written tutorial explaining all the aspects of After Effects’ built in tracker, from all the drop down menu options to all of the steps to get an awesome track.

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