creating additional text layers plenarily using 3d camera tracker

[jonathang6084273]

Ok, so, I have learned how too use the 3d camera tracker to stick a text layer on a ground plane and stay fixed in that ground position despite the camera movement. But, how do I set an second target using that 3dn camera tracker data points and then link a another  text layer to the second target. When I tried this, my original text layer jumped to a new location as soon as I clicked on "Create text and Camera"

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

You first set an origin and ground plane that is approximately in the center of the geometry you are tracking. In your case that would be approximately the center of the fairway. You have to make sure that the target's perspective looks right.

Then you add a camera and either a solid, a null or a text layer. Personally I prefer to add a solid, then apply the Effects>Generate>Grid effect and then I scale up the layer, adjust the rotation and make sure that it lines up with the ground plane. Again, it's important that the perspective on the target looks right.

If you want to add other 3D elements to the secene you scroll through the timeline until you have the plane where you want to add the new layer centered in the screen, pick some tracking points, make sure that the perspective looks right and then you add just a solid, null or text layer. You DO Not add another camera. If the perspective of the target looks right you can add as many layers as you want but you never add another camera.

If you want to add another 3D element and replace something like a solid you just add a new layer to your comp, make the layer 3D and then hold down the shift key and parent the new element to the existing 3D layer. This is how I replace my first solid that was created when I created the camera with a text layer. The 3D layer will snap to exactly the same position, rotation and orientation as the parent. You can then delete the placeholder layer and move on.

All of this information is explained very well in the help files for the 3D tracker. I suggest you study up.

There is one thing you have to watch out for when you are dealing with footage shot with a wide angle lens. Real lenses have lens distortion. The wider the lens, like the lens on a drone camera, the greater the distortion. AE's camera is perfect. There is no distortion so if you do not remove noticeable distortion from the shot before you do the Camera Tracking, no matter how careful you are or how good the track is, the placed layers will slide around a bit when they get to the corners or edges of the frame. Your sample video looks pretty good, at least on my iPad, and it is short so you may get away with omitting the correct lens distortion step. I just wanted to point that out in case you had some success with your project but the track looked off when the text layers got close to the edge of the frame. Many folks run into that and think it is a bug but it is not. it is just something that every compositor doing quality work must deal with. For precise compositing work that involves Camera Tracking or even motion tracking you always have to make corrections for lens distortion. The wider and cheaper the lens, the more trouble you will have with drift at the edges of the frame.

[jonathang6084273]

Thankyou very much Rick. Your shared knowledge is greatly appreciated and will be well put to use.

By the way. It isn't drone footage. It's just using the navigation controls in google earth pro.

http://wampanoagcoursemapflyover.businesscatalyst.com/index.html

[Rick Gerard]

Google earth footage may be difficult if not impossible to camera track because the geometry is synthesized. The same thing applies to game play footage. If you happen to get away with it consider yourself lucky. Standard motion tracking may be a better solution.