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3DEqualizer/Maya/Nuke workflow

Applying the grid to the scene

In this video I demonstrate how to add a grid to the scene before I export the scene to Maya to facilitate the tracking.

Points have been previously tracked using the system learned during the first weeks. I show the process in another video further down below .

Exporting from 3DE

- Track at least 30 marks

- Once the tracking is done Calc from scratch

- Add distances and allign to XZ and to origin

- Apply the grid

- Bake scene

- Export the lens

Creating lens distorted footage for Maya

- Add blackoutside node

- Import lens

- Add reformat node, change to scale and modify value to 1.1

- Change resize value to none

- Write node to create the sequence

Creating image sequence

- Apply timeoffset, set it one frame before the actual footage, in my case 1000 because footage started at 1001

- Write node and click on the file folder, select the raw folder as destination and add to the name of the file the extension "%04d" which refers to the numeric unit that we are going to use (in this case we are in the thousands, frames go from 1001 to 1286)

- Add jpg as extension for the file

- Click on render

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Importing to Maya using MEL

- Select the script editor at the bottom right

- Open the MEL script and run

- Parent ImagePlane to the generated camera

- In the ImagePlaneShape select the folder icon and open the first file, tick the UseImageSequence voice

- Modify size adding =(number)*1.1

- Select the camera and modify camera aperture following the same system

- Select view, imageplane, imageplaneattributes, imageplaneshape and change timeoffset to 1 frame before the beginning of the actual footage

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Importing the model

- Importing the model previously created

- Scale to fit the camera, paying attention not to move the camera imported

- Place lights in the scene

- Looking through the imported camera select imageplaneshape and change display mode to none

- Open the render options, modify to desired

- Add render passes, also make sure to render all passes together

- Select render sequence

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Merge footage to backplate

- Import rendered object and footage

- Add timeoffset to object

- Add a reformat node

- Add the lens

- Merge object to footage

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Removing markers

- Bring in a track node to attach to the footage

- Place the tracking box on the marker

- Track forward

- Go back to first frame and change transform to match move 1pt

- Press on set to current frame, paying attention to be on the first frame

- Bring in rotopaint node, add a layer and import the translate and center value from the track to the rotopaint

- Select the clone brush and cover the marker

- Change lifetime to all frames

Here an example of the footage before and after I removed the markers

Roto the extra parts off the model

- Bring in a track node to attach to the footage

- Place the tracking box on the marker

- Track forward

- Go back to first frame and change transform to match move 1pt

- Press on set to current frame, paying attention to be on the first frame

- Bring in roto node, select the bezier to create a mask

- Manually check that the roto follows the object frame by frame and adjust accordingly.

- Add blur node, connect to a copy node. Connect to a premult node and place the track right after it.

Adding second footage to frame

- Bring in a planartrack node and set four points to track

- Track forward

- Generate a cornerpin 2D absolute

- Apply a grid and select modify track

- I've adjusted the track to the inner parts of the frame, I found that it was easier to work this way because the outer corners of the frame were more visible and for that purpose easier to track in the first place

- I then brought in a merge node and plugged the A in the cornerpin and the B in the planartrack

- Finally I've reformatted before I attached to the rest

Grading the object

- Add a grade node. Change RGB to luminance and modify the gamma to match the footage

- Add a second grade node, in my case the footage was predominantly green, so I reduced the red and improved green and blue in the scene to make it sit better in the scene

- I also decided to reduce the saturation slightly, but the difference is barely visible

Here an example of the footage before and after I applied my changes

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Node Graph Overview

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