How to Use Blender Tracking for Amazing VFX

Blender is a free and open-source software that can be used for creating 3D models, animations, games, visual effects, and more. But did you know that Blender also has a powerful feature for creating vfx with tracking? Tracking is a process of analyzing a video footage and extracting information about the motion of the camera, objects, or planes in the scene. This information can then be used to insert 3D elements into the footage, creating realistic and immersive vfx.

In this article, we will show you how to use tracking for creating vfx in Blender. We will cover the basics of camera tracking, object tracking, and plane tracking. We will also give you some tips and tricks to improve your tracking results and enhance your vfx. Whether you are a beginner or an expert in Blender, you will find something new and useful in this article. So let’s get started!

Blender Tracking Camera

Camera tracking is a type of tracking that analyzes a video footage and reconstructs the motion of the camera that filmed it. This allows you to match the perspective and movement of the 3D elements that you want to insert into the footage, creating a seamless integration. To perform camera tracking in Blender, you need to follow these steps:

• Import your video footage into Blender by going to File > Import > Movie Clip. You can also drag and drop your video file into the 3D viewport.
• Switch to the Movie Clip Editor by changing the editor type of any window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F10. This is where you can view and edit your video footage.
• Switch to the Tracking workspace by clicking on the workspace selector at the top of the window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Page Up. This is where you can access all the tools and settings for tracking.
• Add some trackers to your video footage by using the Add tool or by pressing Ctrl + Left Mouse Button. Trackers are like markers that follow a specific feature or point in your footage. You can adjust their size, position, pattern, search area, and other settings in the sidebar.
• Track your trackers through your video footage by using the Track tool or by pressing Ctrl + T. This will make your trackers follow their corresponding features or points frame by frame. You can also use different tracking modes, such as forward, backward, current frame, or selected frames.
• Solve your camera motion by using the Solve tool or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + S. This will calculate the position, rotation, scale, focal length, distortion, and other parameters of your camera based on your trackers. You can adjust these parameters manually or automatically in the sidebar.
• Set up your tracking scene by using the Setup Tracking Scene tool or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + U. This will create a new scene with a 3D camera that matches your tracked camera motion. You can also set up your floor level, origin point, scale factor, orientation axis, background image, and other options in the sidebar.

Now you have successfully performed camera tracking in Blender. You can now insert any 3D elements into your tracking scene and render your vfx. For example, you can add a 3D model of a spaceship, a text object with your name, or a particle system with some sparks. You can also use modifiers, effects, and compositing to enhance your vfx.

Here is an example of how a vfx shot could look like after using camera tracking in Blender:

Object Tracking

Object tracking is a type of tracking that analyzes a video footage and reconstructs the motion of an object in the scene. This allows you to replace, modify, or interact with the object in the footage, creating realistic and immersive vfx.

To perform object tracking in Blender, you need to follow these steps:

• Import your video footage into Blender by going to File > Import > Movie Clip. You can also drag and drop your video file into the 3D viewport.
• Switch to the Movie Clip Editor by changing the editor type of any window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F10. This is where you can view and edit your video footage.
• Switch to the Tracking workspace by clicking on the workspace selector at the top of the window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Page Up. This is where you can access all the tools and settings for tracking.
• Add an object track to your video footage by using the Add Object Track tool or by pressing Shift + Ctrl + Left Mouse Button. An object track is like a container that can hold multiple trackers that follow the same object. You can adjust its name, color, and other settings in the sidebar.
• Add some trackers to your object track by using the Add tool or by pressing Ctrl + Left Mouse Button. Trackers are like markers that follow a specific feature or point on the object. You can adjust their size, position, pattern, search area, and other settings in the sidebar.
• Track your trackers through your video footage by using the Track tool or by pressing Ctrl + T. This will make your trackers follow their corresponding features or points frame by frame. You can also use different tracking modes, such as forward, backward, current frame, or selected frames.
• Solve your object motion by using the Solve Object Motion tool or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + O. This will calculate the position, rotation, and scale of your object based on your trackers. You can adjust these parameters manually or automatically

the sidebar. You can also set up your object origin, axis, and scale in the sidebar.

Now you have successfully performed object tracking in Blender. You can now replace, modify, or interact with the object in your tracking scene and render your vfx. For example, you can add a 3D model of a hat, a text object with a slogan, or a particle system with some smoke. You can also use modifiers, effects, and compositing to enhance your vfx.

Here is an example of how a vfx shot could look like after using object tracking in Blender:

Plane Tracking

Plane tracking is a type of tracking that analyzes a video footage and reconstructs the motion of a plane in the scene. A plane is a flat surface that can have any shape and size. This allows you to attach, modify, or interact with the plane in the footage, creating realistic and immersive vfx.

To perform plane tracking in Blender, you need to follow these steps:

• Import your video footage into Blender by going to File > Import > Movie Clip. You can also drag and drop your video file into the 3D viewport.
• Switch to the Movie Clip Editor by changing the editor type of any window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F10. This is where you can view and edit your video footage.
• Switch to the Tracking workspace by clicking on the workspace selector at the top of the window or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Page Up. This is where you can access all the tools and settings for tracking.
• Add a plane track to your video footage by using the Add Plane Track tool or by pressing Shift + Alt + Left Mouse Button. A plane track is like a polygon that defines the shape and position of the plane. You can adjust its name, color, and other settings in the sidebar.
• Add some trackers to your plane track by using the Add tool or by pressing Ctrl + Left Mouse Button. Trackers are like markers that follow a specific feature or point on the plane. You can adjust their size, position, pattern, search area, and other settings in the sidebar.
• Track your trackers through your video footage by using the Track tool or by pressing Ctrl + T. This will make your trackers follow their corresponding features or points frame by frame. You can also use different tracking modes, such as forward, backward, current frame, or selected frames.
• Solve your plane motion by using the Solve Plane Motion tool or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + P. This will calculate the position, rotation, and scale of your plane based on your trackers. You can adjust these parameters manually or automatically in the sidebar. You can also set up your plane origin, axis, and scale in the sidebar.

Now you have successfully performed plane tracking in Blender. You can now attach, modify, or interact with the plane in your tracking scene and render your vfx. For example, you can add a 3D model of a poster, a text object with a message, or a particle system with some fire. You can also use modifiers, effects, and compositing to enhance your vfx.

Here is an example of how a vfx shot could look like after using plane tracking in Blender:

Tips and Tricks for Tracking in Blender

Tracking in Blender can be a fun and rewarding process, but it can also be challenging and frustrating at times. Here are some tips and tricks to help you improve your tracking results and enhance your vfx:

• Choose a good video footage for tracking. Ideally, your footage should have a high resolution, a high frame rate, a low compression, a good lighting, a good contrast, and a good motion blur. It should also have enough features or points that are visible, distinct, and consistent throughout the footage.
• Choose a good feature or point for tracking. Ideally, your feature or point should be sharp, clear, contrasted, and stable in the footage. It should also have a unique shape, color, and texture that can be easily recognized by the tracker. Avoid features or points that are blurry, noisy, occluded, distorted, or moving independently from the camera or object.
• Choose a good pattern and search area for tracking. Ideally, your pattern should be as small as possible to fit the feature or point that you want to track. Your search area should be as large as possible to cover the possible movement of the feature or point in the next frame. You can adjust the size and position of the pattern and search area by using the mouse wheel or by using the sidebar.
• Choose a good tracking mode for tracking. Ideally, you should use the tracking mode that best suits your footage and your goal. For example, you can use the forward tracking mode to track from the first frame to the last frame. You can use the backward tracking mode to track from the last frame to the first frame. You can use the current frame tracking mode to track only one frame at a time. You can use the selected frames tracking mode to track only some frames that you have selected.
• Choose a good interpolation type for solving. Ideally, you should use the interpolation type that best matches your camera or object motion.

For example, you can use the linear interpolation type to solve a camera or object that moves at a constant speed and direction. You can use the bezier interpolation type to solve a camera or object that moves with acceleration and deceleration. You can use the constant interpolation type to solve a camera or object that moves with sudden changes and jumps. You can use the custom interpolation type to create your own interpolation curve. You can change the interpolation type by using the sidebar or the right-click menu.

• Choose a good tracking scene setup for vfx. Ideally, you should set up your tracking scene to match the scale, orientation, and position of your video footage. For example, you can set up your floor level by selecting three trackers that lie on the same plane and pressing F. You can set up your origin point by selecting one tracker and pressing Shift + S. You can set up your scale factor by selecting two trackers and entering their real-world distance in the sidebar. You can set up your orientation axis by selecting one tracker and choosing one of the options in the sidebar. You can also set up your background image by enabling the Background Images option in the sidebar and choosing your video footage.
• Choose a good modifier, effect, and compositing setup for vfx. Ideally, you should use modifiers, effects, and compositing to enhance your vfx and make them more realistic and immersive. For example, you can use modifiers to generate, deform, color, and modify your 3D elements. You can use effects to add blur, glow, noise, and other effects to your Grease Pencil layers. You can use compositing to combine your Grease Pencil layers with 3D objects and backgrounds using nodes.

These are some of the tips and tricks for tracking in Blender. Of course, there are many more things that you can learn and explore with tracking in Blender. The best way to improve your skills and knowledge is to practice and experiment with different footage, features, points, modes, types, parameters, options, settings, tools, windows, editors, modifiers, effects, nodes, and vfx.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to use tracking for creating vfx in Blender. We have covered the basics of camera tracking, object tracking, and plane tracking. We have also given you some tips and tricks to improve your tracking results and enhance your vfx.

We hope that you have learned something new and useful from this article. We also hope that you have enjoyed creating your own vfx with tracking in Blender.

We encourage you to try out tracking and share your creations with us. You can also ask us any questions or give us any feedback in the comments section below. Thank you for reading this article and happy tracking!

FAQs

I have nothing more to say about tracking in Blender. I hope you found this article helpful and informative.