Blender 2.8 Facial motion capture tutorial

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MY WEBSITE www.cgmatter.com
In this blender 2.8 tutorial we go over how we can use blender as a free facial motion capture solution. Track facial performance using just tracking markers and blender!

[@64kernel]

He even makes sure we don't die from ink poisoning during the process. Gotta give him all the credit he deserves.

[@CGMatter]

XD

[@PsyRaf]

Lmao

[@jeffstienstra3615]

I like how you casually close with "but that's all I have for you guys today..." as if this isn't the most thorough, compact, useful and info-loaded tutorial I've ever seen! It will take me months of learning Blender to achieve this! I hit that sub button like whack-a-mole! Thanks CGMatter!

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@madghostek3026]

Oh yes now I can recreate the magic mirror from shrek

[@idgg73]

I was thinking the exact same thing XD

[@Zi7ar21]

Top 5 KZbin Comments

[@avijarjo]

Litterly what I was thinking 😂💫🤭

[@ThisOLmaan]

LOL👍🏼

[@rr.studios]

I hope you know you'll get a lot more views and subs of you actually did this right?

[@michaelvaughan2888]

Hey CGMatter, your tutorials are absolutely amazing, I think you should have an extra section on your patreon for a $1,000 donation or more. Because there are some wealthy people out there and I don't think you realise the amount of value that you provide. It would've taken me 2-3 months to figure out what you put in this tutorial. And what is 2-3 months on a salary? could easily be $3-$4k or more especially as a professional 3D artist. Your tutorials provide MUCH more value than you think and people will want to give back for that value.

[@SimonZellox]

This software blows my mind on a weekly basis.

[@Quityelling]

its open source thats why.

[@f.ahimel8143]

Have you tried it yet ?

[@bigstr9178]

Ikr it's free to!!!!

[@akunekochan]

@@bigstr9178 *and that's a great price*

[@mohammadsaleh6615]

ikr

[@bu5hm45t3r]

apart from the tutorial, i respect on how many times you had put points on your face and washing again and repeat. thanks for the hard work and time you are putting for us man.. worth watching the whole video

[@wingboy0]

top quality tutorial in under 24 minutes taught me more than anything i've seen on the web, thank you!

[@csicee]

David Qebadze *under 25

[@cold_static]

16:20 Here's how you set the Depth Object for all Empties at once *WITHOUT USING A SCRIPT* : 1. Select all the Empties 2. Go to Constraints Tab 3. Click on the Box for selecting Depth Object, but when you select your Mesh, press ALT + Left Mouse Button. (Holding down "Alt" will apply the Depth Object to all selected Empties)

[@Tinmansplace]

I'm new to blender... Which is the object for selecting depth object? Need more info... Thanks.

[@DeepdivePTP]

Thank you so much. The first time i made this the script worked, but in the end I couldn't render the animation. Now when I'm trying it again, the script didn't work. Hopefully the render will work this time.

[@bdiazmusic]

This is really helpful because every script I've tried as failed, but the majority of the empties still won't conform to the depth. They just stay underneath the model. Am I missing something critical?

[@pravinm21]

@@Tinmansplace It's the face mesh. Click on face mesh and check what it's name in properties then select the name of the face mesh while applying depth object.

[@jovianfour20]

@@DeepdivePTP Just when you render? Does it work in the viewport? If so you should bake the animation first. In pose mode Edit>operator search>bake action

[@ganapathym3664]

20 hrs course in just 24 minutes

[@ThisOLmaan]

i dont know jack but i Love this stuff, my jaws drolling LOL, like whats all this. In Paid Class Courses they will teach you one mesh at a time in one week, so takes years, this video in under 25 minutes.

[@tishaprnucedteasha]

For free

[@VladIDrago]

Because UDEMY etc Lynda or other coaches need the money and made more longers tutorials, but not specifics.... .

[@Daniel_1060]

@@BULUCCHABTAN years of academy training wasted

[@Rockyhalder1]

And it's free also

[@YuriRadavchuk]

Omg, besides this sci-fi technology done in freeware tools, you're even showing how to script in Blender. My mind is blown. P.s. The scripting flow in blender is much easier than I imagined thanks to you.

[@chaosordeal294]

Yeah, I love it when they show something "futuristic" in a science fiction movie, and it's something you could actually do ten years ago.

[@unfa00]

I think this is one of the greatest Blender tutorials to date. I'm sharing this video everywhere. Thank you for your fanatstic work.

[@fadyi]

that's all i have for you today.... usually i watch 45 mins videos for just one piece of information that matters! my dude just layered 25 mins in brain melting knowledge. thank you !

[@dr.pixels]

this is a great solution for freelancers with zero budget to start into mocap. thank you so much

[@samuelhildebrandt9074]

You're a very good teacher. Doing something as simple as showing how to fix the one track point that was bugging out, will help alot of newbies. I almost know nothing about blender but was able to follow this through entirely.

[@CousinCringe]

Please continue these. You are one of the only Blender tutorial creators that actually does unique cool shit.

[@CGMatter]

will do!

[@ob4359]

Moosly dude deserves more subs and support IMO

[@AlexParkYT]

Wow now I get why Blender is highly praised even more.

[@sanjacobs6261]

My goodness man, you've got the best advanced blender tutorials I've ever seen. The pacing is great, the techniques are as advanced as they need to be, and yet you explain it perfectly well! Thank you!

[@anirudhpuranik5222]

This is how I want a behind the scenes video to be. Simple and to the point. The whole tutorial was kinda entertaining in its own right!

[@flynn3958]

This guys tutorials is so straight forward, makes everything that seems hard look so easy. I would like to see what he would teach if he did a full on course.

[@mfz5166]

I love KZbin algorithm ... I searched this tutorial for a year man ... I subscribe you without second thought, now

[@GavinLon]

I'm a C# developer and my channel focusses on C# tutorials. C# is great for Unity but I can see that I might have to increase my knowledge of Python because I absolutely love Blender. Amazing tutorial. Just subscribed!

[@PB-sq8vw]

Thanks for your tutorial. I am a engineer who focus on solving real-time facial applications and this video actually inspires me a lot. I think that its possible to detect the facial landmark with AI which makes the program more easy to use.

[@audiohacker5298]

I can use my pimples. No need sharpee lol

[@coows]

You can use your poop

[@akari3177]

@@coows ???

[@coows]

@@akari3177 !!!

[@badreny]

30G oh dang I’m constipated Time to call the poop dealer

[@d-o-n-u-t]

@@coows ahaha jokes regarding fecal mater are no longer of interest to *_s u p e r i o r_* mortals, a few notable examples of *_s u p e r i o r_* mortals include: -Me -Me -Me and last but not least, -Me I hope that you are more knowledgeable on the subject of *_s u p e r i o r_* mortals now thanks to me enlightening you. _:) but condescendingly_

[@NebMotion]

this tutorial is insane... can't believe it's free - what a world we live in!

[@Kreuzrippengewoelbe]

Aaawwhhh, yeah, now I finally have an excuse to put on make u- I mean, motion capture, yay! Thank you very much! Cheers!

[@CGMatter]

love this 😂

[@brightgarinson3099]

That's gonna be a yikes for me!

[@WolfsHaven]

Hey they call it guy liner for a reason. 😊

[@somename371]

_Genius_

[@DefiantFilmsTV]

Haha!

[@NBCmotion]

I mashed this method with your "Harry Potter newspaper" tutorial to track a warping tee-shirt and paint out a deforming surface. Can't thank you enough for the detailed explanations that help me understand Blender itself, and not just accomplish a specific task.

[@cgblenderespanol7181]

I just do not believe it, this is the video I 've been waiting so long, I just could find a very old tutorial from a kid and he speaks Dutch or some thing I do not understand, but this video is amazing, thank you so much. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@Yutiradon]

I've never animated in blender. I have no aspirations to animate in blender, yet here I am. Enjoying a video about doing just that.

[@wingflanagan]

Yes! This is one of the best Blender tutorials I have EVER seen. Practical, unique, and timely.

[@syedrizvi6408]

CG Mater must be wizard, he really made it so simple to understand video. Keep it up. You are doing a great job

[@haithamthehitman1997]

i got a pop up error saying my face is too ugly for this softwere pls help

[@leosmi1]

Lmao

[@bity-bite]

It didn't give me error, it kicked me...

[@VescoPlayer25]

Try edit your video footage of your face or use opencv. Its for programmers so it has a libary for specially deformed faces Also check your camera and see if it can get full 240p

[@blueguy5764]

use those trendy beauty filters 👍

[@edwardseverinsen5598]

Same, I've asked around. Apparently our manufacturers are to blame and there's nothing we can do about it.

[@GuilzVidz]

OMG, I had no idea Blender could be this flexible. This software is really something else. Thank you for this, man!

[@energynervuos9105]

That video is in the top 3 tutorials i have ever seen

[@CGMatter]

thank you so much :)

[@energynervuos9105]

@@CGMatter you welcome

[@DreamImagineListen]

Obviously most proffesional way to capture face motions, markers , thanks a lot. Blender proves again its best software on the world.

[@robinhouston788]

Brilliant dude. There's always some hidden feature I learn about in your videos, in this case it is the Depth field of the Follow Track constraint for doing the projection.

[@projinf3D]

Working on this tutorial now.. primarily a 3ds max user, knowing only the extreme basics in Blender will help take the edge off!... Love how you put this tutorial together.. so much information condensed into less than 30 mins and clearly explained too!... Awesome work!!!

[@sasodoma]

Never clicked so fast on a video

[@CGMatter]

hope you like it :)

[@sasodoma]

Let's just say I know what I'll be doing next :) I think this video is gonna really boost your channel.

[@melad5926]

SAAAME DUDE

[@FerGalicia]

Same here!!

[@eylonemuskson4177]

You my friend are an unappreciated genius. I've never signed up to Patreon but this video convinced me to. Fan-frigging-tastic.

[@CGMatter]

thank you! I really appreciate it

[@weeliano]

Another great tutorial! Reminded me of doing face tracking work on Warcraft. Instead of doing the 2d tracking method you did, undistorted footage from 2 small cameras were used. 2 cameras at the sides were used to triangulate the precise 3D position of each tracker. Once they are solved, they are transposed onto the actor's 3D face model which in turn is linked to the creature face. Lots of manual tweaking and frankly a pain in the butt to work on 😂.

[@CarlitoProductions]

I finally found a solution that I can use on my tight budget. Thanks man!

[@WolfsHaven]

I've been patiently waiting for this ever since your teaser. Excellent work and thanks for sharing.

[@khalatelomara]

one of the most impressive tutorials I watch from time to time ... genius

[@vincentsavoretti2201]

Now this is a tutorial channel I like

[@Brosion99]

Damn it, thats lit! It excites me every time how much one can do with blender when having the right tutorials! Thank you so much for making these awesome and free Videos!

[@CGMatter]

thanks for the comment :)

[@krypto61]

your tutorials are so useful and cool because you're describing also what could happen if you do mistakes and its well cut and narrated :)

[@TheIsleNarrator]

This is amazing my dude, I was taking a shower not half an hour ago and thinking how cool it would be if I found a way to make my own face with animation in blender and use it for a project, then out of nowhere this jumps in my recommendations... kinda creepy but also very lucky! Thanks for all the hard work and the tutorial!

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@EdwardDemin]

That's amazing! I used to think such procedure requires special equipment and software. Thanks for sharing!

[@animatorizwan]

For choosing respective empty..you don't need it's name..You can use the picker option which is available in the copy location constraint.. Saves more time of toggling empties..The Video is Amazing..My knowledge about scripting is zero but with this video I got some confidence that I can give a try of it..Thanks mate..😍😍✌✌

[@techtrend7286]

finally the video we were waiting for

[@KillerTerminator]

he is right

[@thei.g.p434]

I think he is right

[@koushikahmedsaad3563]

I am with him

[@atiatalukdar1123]

You said what I had to said

[@PotatoMcFry]

I had no idea that scripting in Blender was so simple. That just blew my mind.

[@issaHMD]

Dude, your tutorials are on another level. I'm saving these to come back in a couple of months when I'll actually use these on my own projects. Thank you!

[@anthonyrobinson6448]

Hey just wanna say that I really appreciate your video. Very cool! But besides that you explain things very well. I like that you dont just say what to do and the right way to do it, but you let us see potential problems that will be encountered and how to deal with them.

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@SEW1600]

I am sooooo exited.. I checked KZbin every day for only this video all days since previous

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@SEW1600]

@@CGMatter Oh, now speed is awesome! And this tutorial is one of the best! I'll try to make this on days) Thank you one more time!

[@eienjirosama916]

Thank you for the amazing content. This is one of the first videos I have seen of yours, as well as the first really good and helpful videos , probably in KZbin history for blender users who focus on realism. I am truly captivated now.

[@vstreet7583]

Just one word. BRILLIANT! You are BRILLIANT! Such a great tutorial and technique. A big big THANK YOU from an older guy trying to learn Blender. THANK YOU! Dg

[@omarakhtar3075]

Wish this polite knowledgeable guy would keep making tutorials

[@PrinceWesterburg]

Outstanding! One of the best Blender contributions of the year!

[@CGMatter]

thank you :)

[@clashero4425]

I'm 2 years late but this tut is still phoenomenal. Unique at original. Thank you for sharing this to us.

[@digital_down]

This is f**king amazing. You covered everything. I’ve been looking for a tutorial like this for so long!

[@HappyMadArtist]

This is something i was looking for from 2010 oh maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan you made the best tutorial ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@fabbrobbaf]

Who dared dislike this video?!?!!! Anyway thanks a lot. You deserve more patreons. Come on guys! Even the smallest contribution can help him

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@sillylittlecartoons4335]

First off, love you and the work you do, this is perfect for an animation I'm doing. Second, for anyone who is using the Script and have more than 100+ trackers you just need to add a bit more code. Line 52-61 contain the code for renaming your bones in the armature. Replace line 58 to say elif value >= 11 and value < 100: Then add a new line after 59 elif value>=100: bonename = "Bone." + str(value-1) The whole thing from line 52 thorough 63 should look like this. #rename bones in armature for value in range(1,iter): if value == 1: bonename = "Bone" elif value > 1 and value < 11: bonename = "Bone.00" + str(value-1) elif value >= 11 and value < 100: bonename = "Bone.0" + str(value-1) elif value >= 100: bonename = "Bone." + str(value-1) bone = bpy.data.objects['Armature'].data.bones.get(bonename) bpy.data.objects['Armature'].data.bones[bonename].name = 'Bone' + str(value) This will allow the script to run past 100 trackers. you'll have to do this again when you get to 1000. Happy Blending!

[@muzyszka6928]

i have 215 trackers and after ive change the code i still get an error "line 63 bone.99 not found"

[@indycinema]

This is amazing. The reason youtube exists. Thank you!

[@bushcollectors]

This is absolutely magnificent!

[@baroniket]

I was eagerly waiting for this videos since last week and this is really great ❤️

[@Masterbleu1]

This tutorial was just f@*king GREAT! On this one alone, I became a patron on Patreon.

[@CGMatter]

I really appreciate the support! Glad you liked it :)

[@Masterbleu1]

More then welcome. Great you are doing blender 2.8 tutorials. Can’t wait for the next one.

[@cgichecklist6005]

Your amazing man... Ur not an usual blender tutorial guy.. Ur tutorials has so much of new information and its very helpful.. Thank u so much😊😊

[@KiDKiSAM3]

I'm only 3 mins in and OMG thank you for being a cut abouve the rest!! I can really tell you put in the extra time and effort to have everything prepared and broken down will a smooth flow of instructions. Unlike EVERYONE ELSE who does things on the fly and explains jack shit.

[@AndyTanguay]

Brilliant. Searching for 'hulk avengers effects' turns up some really nice reference on where the big boys place their markers. I'd also recommend shooting at a high frame rate, then scaling the motion down for increased accuracy. Subtle motions happen so fast that they can easily take place between frames. If you shoot at 120 or 240 FPS, you're going to capture those subtleties.

[@WerrinLotsuvhats]

Great tutorial!! I'm Excited that there are people such as yourself that are willing to go through these more complicated processes in blender. Perfect timing for me to find it too! Thanks for all you do, my friend

[@ishangoswami7655]

YES ITS THE best ever tutorial in 24 minutes . I LOVED IT SO MUCH. BEST video on KZbin ever✌🤘

[@polymakegames]

I did the sharpie method. Now I am both single and un-hirable. Thanks dude!

[@samilmansur]

Clearly and concisely explained. Thank you, sir! You are doing a great service to the blender community.

[@CGMatter]

thank you :)

Face motion which can cost thousands of dolars And this amazing guy has shown us how to do without sparing money Thank you very much ^_^

[@IshBosamiya]

crazy awesome!!! I was always stuck that the depth part of it, it is such a simple fix :)

[@BoboTheImp]

Oh hey, you're the fellow working on the improved cloth simulation in blender. Nice to see the community coming together!

[@virtual_intel]

Yeah that lack of having a depth camera sure does suck :) I recently learned how to use Blender's mocap tools for facial mocap, but yeah got stuck. This tutorial is no joke! it will surely help me bypass some major issues my rigs have with it all.

[@MUNENESHADRACK]

thank you for taking the time to make such a technical process easy to understand in 24 min! awesome

[@CGMatter]

glad you liked it :)

[@MUNENESHADRACK]

@@CGMatter Sent you a message on your website, please respond :-)

[@Spook3D]

the makeup pencil thing from step 1 is a good mention. you can also use lipstick . i also want to add that you can make a head support for the camera with cardboard or( if you have money a bike helmet, screws and metal framing for drywall) so you eliminate the shake . then you can mask the face in after effects and use the stabilize fuction . you want to eliminate any shake from the face because when you have a full rig you don't want the face to sway in either direction. i do however use a different pipleline because i work in 3ds max but it's a similar process. great to see a good alternative !

[@xavierosorio28]

Bro this is amazing, u are a crack, how much time you invested knowing all these, i started last week to put normals and texture to objects and was feeling like a pro until i saw these video, still long way to get this level, Bro i congratulate you, amazing video, and thank you for sharing!! keep it up!

[@CGMatter]

thank you :)

[@godzoookie]

You just got your own folder in my Blender tutorials folder.

[@CGMatter]

bless :)

[@aiarch]

I cant describe the words I should thank you for providing this tutorial. solved all my problems 😍

[@t33th4n]

1, I had absolutely no idea that I have a professional video editing tool with Blender in my hand ( well... looks pro for me :D ) 2, You are still an awesome guy!

[@ivanandreev1958]

Awesome video. I am just stunned how much you can do in a free software! Thanks!

[@Ameyzing]

You r the best blenderer ever.....like no one distributes python script for free.....and I never knew you can link meshes to trackers

[@Mahm00dM0hanad]

Wonderful video, I just realized how advanced this guy is in blender

[@AdamnGif]

This is really a free masterclass..... May God bless you sir

[@jmagodude5171]

This is amazing. I can't believe blender is free, think about how far tech would go if more programs were free.

[@maczopikczu]

Super awesome! Exactly what I needed, and explained in a noob-friendly way. Thank you so much!

[@virtual_intel]

Wow! I think I can combine some of what I learned from you here to my Mocap techniques I been currently developing. Mine doesn't use scripts though, but yeah I like your techniques. Pretty accurate facial mocap using Blender.

[@DerekElliott]

Fascinating!

[@NoMustyDemonShallProsper]

Hello for those of you that are using cheap eyeshadow and it feels dry, put a few drops oil in the color you’re using. It makes it more creamy looking and the color might be brighter.

[@Knightfire66]

wow this looks so easy... to do this on my own i d have to read documentation that would fill in a library... thanks you dude!

[@kierancarter3693]

Blender is amazing for a free technology crazy that you can do this

[@Z5Z5Z5]

Finally a clear and understandable tutorial

[@yunghunt2644]

I love how there was a slight “FG” indent on the forehead even after removing the textures 😂

[@harrywilliams316]

top video man, i never usualy comment on videos but this video was quick, easy to understand and just a good videos. great job man

[@CGMatter]

thanks for reaching out! :)

[@MateoTeos]

Thank you for amazing tutorial! I have a small suggestion about how to improve motion tracking part... in theory. Because tracking goes relatively by colors and contrast of source pictures, you can filter and improve color/contrast via Photoshop/Gimp and etc. For example: Human white skin is mostly goes in red channel and blue dots... in blue. So filter by blue channel can give you much better contrast on dots and much better tracking in general. Also it will be better if you use soft light source to flatten out your face shadows. The most accurate option will be by working with UV spectrum (ink, camera and etc.)

[@frankuchechukwunkemcho8371]

Animating is crazy but it's the best I wonder how many years Disney made a 2hour film Nice tutorial Bro

[@Hassibayub]

Outstanding most mature youtube tutorial... great Work!!!

[@vincentproductions8963]

aaaaaaand my jaw has dropped, wow, amazing work, and here I am thinking I was a pro blender use just because I know how to model.

[@CGMatter]

:)

[@jayxofficial5126]

Great video you are the most helpful person I've found on this topic no cap.