Maya Live Motion Tracking Tutorial

READ THIS IS YOU HAVE PROBLEMS LOADING VIDEO FILES INTO MAYA:
You have to load it in as an image sequence. To create an image sequence, you need to open your video file with After Effects (or quicktime pro, or final cut/premiere) and export the video as an image (png, jpeg, whatever).
IMPORTANT: the name structure of the image sequence needs to be like:

VideoName.0001.jpg

So you name the sequence whatever you want, then you have a dot(.) then you have the number which sorts the frames (so a 4 second long PAL video would be labeled 0001 to 0100, because there would be 100 images), then you have the file extension like jpg or png etc.


This is my tutorial for the Advanced 3D class in my BA(Animation and Interactive Media) course.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Maya
• Live
• Motion
• Tracking
• Match
• moving
• compositing

[ampcorp]

Maya live isn't in my plug-ins, where could I get it?

[khdownes1]

@ampcorp I'm pretty sure it should be. I haven't used Maya in a while (Have to use cinema4D for work), so I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it comes with current versions of Maya.

What version of Maya do you have? Maybe someone else here in the comments can help you.

[ampcorp]

@khdownes1

Well I have the 30 day trial version of Maya 2011, so maybe that it's the trial version. I did however notice that when I installed Maya it also installed another small program (which is compatible with Maya) called Autodesk Matchmove. Maybe that does something similar?

[khdownes1]

@ampcorp Okay, it sounds like they've replaced the maya live plugin with Autodesk Matchmove. It probably works better and easier than maya live, I'll have to look into it myself some time.

[khdownes1]

@ampcorp Okay, it sounds like they've replaced the maya live plugin with Autodesk Matchmove. It probably works better and easier than maya live, I'll have to look into it myself some time.

[catsolo9]

hey khdownes1, great tutorial. I have a problem uploading a video at the beginning. I have the avi file ( video ), but it comes up as an error. Might you know what I am doing wrong

[khdownes1]

@catsolo9 Hey, I just wrote an explanation of what you need to do  in the video description (although it doesn't seemed to have updated yet)

[HaInw1]

thx a lot, u really help me

[rupd259]

gr8 tutorial. thnx.



[kumaraanal]

Thanx a lot sir!!!! after whole day continuous trying maya live!! i finally got!!!!, I feel so good!!! Thanx alot for sharing ur skill.

[cdoamh]

my right ear...is...lonely now ;( why you soo evill!!!

[Geminisleviatan]

Maya live plugin is not in the newer versions of maya :/ you have to use matchmover meanwhile :(

[Ronoa90]

Great! but.... how to render all this? I mean, i've tried to render but i can't see the video in the background... also i dunno how to put the shadows... :)

[cuppacool213]

it doesnt centre around the centre origin? any idea

[cuppacool213]

Do you have any idea why the point constraint doesnt work, its rotated 10 in the z?