Camera Tracker CS6 ProAnimator 6

[Matt Rhodes]

Hi Robert.

I spent some time this morning looking at AE’s camera tracker.
The following is a quick tutorial on how to use PA (or the Invig) with AE’s camera tracker.
I’ll be brief. Feel free to ask questions once you’ve looked at everything.

Step 1:
– Create a Comp and bring in the footage which has the camera to be tracked.
– For my example, I used a short video of my daughter.
– Select the footage in the Comp and track the camera. AE will do its thing.

Step 2:
– The tacker will create a bunch of tracked points. I decided to place the 3D name “Callie” on the pumpkin.
– I select three points on the pumpkin and see the target that represents a plane through the points.
– I could move the target around, but it’s in a good spot, so I’ll place the ProAnimator word there.

Step 3:
– I need to create a camera from the tracked data, but I also want something to track with ProAnimator, so I created a solid.
– I name the Solid “track me.”
– I could have created a NULL, but a solid is easier to see in the scene.

– The solid is created right on the target. I rotate it a bit so that it’s oriented on the pumpkin better.

Step 4:
– I created a 2D Solid and applied the ProAnimator effect. I created a New Scene.
– I open the ProAnimator Options (Set-Up) window.
– I created some 3D text and put a shadow catcher plane behind it.
– I’ll use PA’s lights, so I set up the lights so that the shadow projects as I want it.
– I added a Warp track so that it will look like it’s stuck to the pumpkin.

– I click OK to close the PA Set-Up window. I now have everything I need to track the name “Callie” to the Solid layer in AE.

Step 5:
– I select the “Use Comp Camera” checkbox in the ProAnimator effect. (DON’T FORGET THIS PART)
– I then select the “track me” layer as an External Tracker. I’ll use this inside the PA Set-Up window.

Step 6:
– Inside the PA Set-Up window, I select the first Pose of “Track.1.”
– I then select “External Tracker 1” as the Parent of the Pose.
– This tells ProAnimator to move the entire animation of Track.1 to be oriented in the same way as our Solid in the AE Comp.

– I click OK and see that it has indeed tracked to the Solid. It’s just too small.

– Inside the PA Set-Up window, I adjust the Scale of that Pose so that it’s about two times larger.
– Much better.

– I hide the AE Solid I’m using as a tracker and, voila! The name “Callie” looks stuck to the pumpkin.

Final render:
– It could use a little work, but the tracker did a great job. You can see the results by clicking here.

Final project:
– If you’d like to see the AE project, you can do so by clicking here.
  (AE CS6 and ProAnimator 6 required)

[John Urman]

Thank you so very much, Matt!
The clarity and usefulness of your post should be a guide for all!
This very question was on my mind and I vaguely thought these would be the steps. Your post will encourage more experimentation with this fine product.

[Robert Mcgowan]

Hey Matt

thanks a million for the great advice, I was concerned for a while about the compatibility with the camera tracker as it’s such an important feature for me, much appreciated

Thanks

bob