Tracking and Calibration

Whenever you introduce a new actor/video source, you will be required to select a tracking model based on the type of footage that you're using and then perform a quick, one-touch calibration to optimize the software's ability to detect and track your actor.

Select a Face Tracking Model

In the Realtime Setup panel, there is a dropdown menu called Face Tracking Model that contains two options:

1. Stationary Camera - This refers to any camera that is static and does not move along with the actor's head. This can include webcams, tripod cameras, or phone cameras.
2. Professional Headcam - This model is specifically designed for head-mounted cameras and works best when the footage is vertical, with the camera pointing slightly upwards and the face taking up a large portion of the frame (see example below). The model is based on Faceware Head-Mounted Cameras but can be used successfully with nearly any commercial headcam.
    

Note: If you are using a headcam with the Professional Headcam model and still not getting ideal tracking, try using the Stationary Camera model instead. It can serve as a sort of catch-all if the headcam footage isn't working.

How to Calibrate

1.) Have the actor make a "neutral" facial expression with the mouth closed but relaxed, the eyes open normally and looking forward, and the brows in a relaxed state.

2.) Hold this expression for a few moments while looking into the camera and press the  Calibrate Neutral Pose button (pictured above, in the Viewports panel where your video is playing).

3.) Once calibration is complete, the software will start tracking the face and applying animation to the preview character. If you are unhappy with the results or want to get a better calibration, the Calibrate Neutral Pose button is replaced with Calibrate Face Again, which will recalibrate.

Example of a neutral pose with a head-mounted camera