This first release in 2023 by KeenTools features an updated 3D object tracker for After Effects: built-in generic head primitive and surface masking. Inside are also bug fixes and minor improvements for Nuke Package and FaceBuilder for Blender.
KeenTools – Out-of-the-box 3D head tracking in AE
The new 5th primitive – generic head model – has been added to the existing 4: Plane, Sphere, Cube, and Cylinder. From now on, tracking the character’s head in the footage is ever so easy. No searching out for a random 3D model either to replace the head, attach anything to it or dress up the scene in some other way. Just select Head from the list of the primitives, adjust its width and height, align it with the character’s head, and then track it. That will do the trick in most cases.
With Geo Tracker 2023, you can now manage occlusion when tracking a clip in After Effects.
If precision is crucial, more accurate head models can be created with FaceBuilder for Blender and passed directly to GeoTracker for After Effects.
In addition, all primitives now can be exported from GeoTracker as .OBJ or .FBX with the same parameters as in the original After Effects project.
KeenTools – Surface Mask
2D masks are good friends for many After Effects users and help greatly to mask out overlapping elements that go over the tracking area. But sometimes various objects in the footage get in the way of tracking such as reflections on car windows or a fringe bouncing on the character’s forehead. Those things can make tracking go off the rails.
For tasks like these, KeenTools came up with a new type of mask – Surface mask – that excludes selected areas on the 3D model from tracking. The new tutorial video about masks in GeoTracker explains how it works in detail.
Nuke package and FaceBuilder for Blender
Though this release touches primarily on GeoTracker for After Effects, Nuke package and FaceBuilder for Blender have also undergone updates with bug fixes and some minor improvements.
The full list of GeoTracker for After Effects improvements:
– Built-in generic head model
– Surface masking
– 3D models export
– UVs for built-in primitives
– Adaptive opacity
– Minor improvements and bug fixes
What’s new in Nuke plugins and FaceBuilder for Blender:
– Minor improvements and bug fixes
Download the plugins from the KeenTools link. (15 days of fully-functional trial for new users.)