Mocha, or Camera Tracker?

[Ben G unguren]

The general rule of thumb is that Mocha works great if your graphics are ATTACHED to an EXISTING surface (like a logo on the side of a building, or changing the words on a sign). If you’re trying to add something in 3D space (like graphics that “hover” around the building, and seem to actually be there), then you need a 3D solution.

Mocha and AE’s internal trackers give you 2D solutions. Mocha’s solutions are a bit more sophisticated, producing corner-point information that mimics 3D, but [this is key] it doesn’t produce a 3D camera.

Syntheyes and similar apps will give you an animated 3D camera as well as target points that simulate the world you’re tracking (target points for the ground, buildings, etc — whatever you’ve managed to track and can get a 3D “solution” for). This is A LOT more information than what Mocha or AE’s internal tracking can get you.

One other point: when the camera is only panning and tilting (not actually changing it’s own position) then a 2D solution can (sort of) mimick a 3D camera solution. So if all you’re doing is panning and tilting, then you could track that in Mocha, then use that data to animate objects (that are given perspective, for instance). You would be able to achieve a lot of the graphics in the video you linked to using that technique, as they’re using a lot of static cameras.

Ben Unguren
Motion Graphics & Editing
http://www.mostlydocumentary.com

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[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

I agree with Ben. In most of the shots from your example Mocha can be used. I suspect that some of those shots where not really video files, but still images cleverly transformed in a 2.5d comp where camera moves can be animated in AE – so no tracker there.
Here’s a good tutorial for what Mocha can do:
https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/magic_tracking/

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Andrew Donaldson]

Thanks guys,

I have been playing with Mocha a fair bit, and can do the basic corner pin tracking easy enough, but was struggling to make it work with the shots i have.

I’ll have a look at that tutorial, it might throw up a few little nuggets to help me out.

I’ll keep plugging away with Mocha…

Thanks again!

[Darren Goldsmith]

I, too, wondered about a camera tracker (in this case The Foundry’s plug in for AE) vs. Mocha. I want to create an effect like this:

https://twitpic.com/ajrlja/full

Where the orange block would be a pad or similar electronic device… with a hologram-style image hovering at a 90 degree angle above it.

Is this possible with Mocha… or would I really need to use a proper 3D tracker?

Cheers,

Darren.

[Ross Shain]

You can achieve this look with mocha AE v3.

The difference is mocha AE v3 adds true camera solve, so it will be easier to adjust in 3D space, whereas mocha AE that is bundled with Adobe uses corner pin.

More info on mocha AE upgrades:
https://www.imagineersystems.com/upgrade-guide

Ross Shain
Imagineer Systems
http://www.imagineersystems.com

[Darren Goldsmith]

Cheers, Ross!