Nuke W11: 3D tracking

3D tracking

1. Preparation of the Footage

Import: Bring your footage into Nuke.
Pre-Processing: Ensure the footage is ready for tracking. This includes deinterlacing, stabilizing if necessary, and removing any lens distortion. You can also treat it by brightening or sharpening the shot.

2. CameraTracker Node

CameraTracker analyses the motion in a 2D footage and extrapolates this movement into a 3D camera path. It tracks various points in the footage (usually high-contrast or distinctive features) across frames to determine how the camera was moving when the footage was shot.

3D tracking only works on stationary objects
Roto out area that you want to avoid tracking (things that move/not static, be mindful of reflective objects). Then connect to CameraTracker node via ‘mask’.
In the use of Roto, change mask type to ‘Mask Alpha’
In CameraTracker settings, choose the type of source and mask. If you’re unsure about the Lens Distortion and Focal Length, leave settings as default

In Settings, turn on Preview Features to show trackers

After configuring all the setting, click ‘Track’

Several properties in this tab can help achieve a better track:

Number of Features: The amount of automatic tracking points created by the tracker. If you increase this, reduce Feature Separation.
Detection Threshold: The higher the number, the more precise the tracker has to be in finding trackable points.
Feature Separation: The higher the number, the farther apart the tracking features have to be. If you increase Number of Features, reduce this value.
Camera Motion: This setting tells Nuke whether the camera is handheld or Free Camera, meaning a free-moving camera, or if it’s Rotating Camera, meaning a camera on a tripod.