Camera tracker updates - alphas, point rejection, re-solve only after command

[oskarmatzerath]

The camera tracker is a little long in the tooth, and there are three big improvements I would suggest:

1) the ability to use an alpha/mask so it doesn't consider parts of the image when tracking (perhaps this exists, I've just yet to find out how to do it);

2) the ability to, after a track, automatically reject/delete points based on their error (i.e. all points above a tracking error of 1 (or whatever is chosen) are deleted across the entire track;

3) A button so that the camera only re-solves on command rather than every time tracking points are deleted, so points can be deleted across the entire track without having to wait for the solve every time.

[Rick Gerard]

Recognize masks by masking, then pre-compositing. Another workflow I use often is to duplicate the footage layer, trim to the part that needs Camera Tracking, Color grade to improve contrast, pre-compose again (making sure that trim to layer length is selected, mask or rotobrush the new Pre-comp, pre-compose again, then run Camera Tracker (or track in Mocha AE), Then set an origin and ground plane that makes sense, add my tracking solids (so I can see them in a preview, and complete the tracking requirements. Then the modified layer is made a Guide layer and turned off.

One other trick, any layer that is motion tracked or camera tracked has the position locked with a simple [thisComp.width/2, thisComp.height/2] expression to make sure it does not accidentally get moved.

Track marks can be deleted at any time, and then the solution is recalculated. The solution must be recalculated because you have removed points in 3D space. It would be nice if it worked faster, but as long as the shot has sufficient fixed geometry and minimal lens distortion, it works amazingly well.

Mocha Pro also has Camera Tracking and even object tracking if you need more capabilities.

[Sterphy]

That workflow seems so clunky.  I just want them to actually do something to improve the software so that we don't have to keep relying on unintuitive workflows. I've been using AE for 15 years and it's barely moved in that time. It feels so outdated. 

[oskarmatzerath]

The solve will ultimately have to be recalculated, but as it is it automatically recalculates each time a tracker is deleted, which makes for a lot of time that could be saved with a simple "update solve" button. (Same with an option to filter by error rate.)

AE got a whole lot better once "masks and effects" was an option when referencing a layer. It would be lovely if the camera tracker would just recognize a mask on the layer with less precomposing necessary.

Blender is way cheaper than Mocha Pro, and has become my go-to camera and object tracker (and, honestly, the only thing I use Blender for). It would just be nice, for the quick throw-a-text-layer-or-Element-object-in tracking for the camera tracker to be slightly less clunky. I would assume an option to delay the solve would be a pretty easy thing to add, as it wouldn't fundamentally change what is already happening.