What is 3D Tracking and what can it do?

What 3D tracking can do:

• track 2D positions – the X and Y axis
• solve the 3D position – the additional Z axis
• reverse engineer camera movement, camera angle and lens angle
• attach data to another layer or object

What 3D tracking cannot do:

• track pixels if they are obscured by another object
• track pixels if they are obscured by motion blur

Below is a quote to help understand the meaning of 3D motion tracking:

“Match moving is a technique that allows computer graphics to be inserted into live-action footage with correct posiston, scale, orientation, and motion. Also known as motion tracking, it’s what allows movie monsters to run down Main Street and robots to run through crowds- and look real.”

Dobbert, T. 2012

 

We experimented with 3D tracking using a box again. This time I placed text on the Z axis and added a shadow. When the camera moves around the object, the object doesn’t change.

Original video:

Edited 3D tracking video: