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In visual effects work, it is common to have an element in the live-action footage that needs to be tracked. This is often the case when you need to add an effect to an actor's face, attach a CG object to a moving vehicle, or even add lip sync to an animal's performance. In this DVD, Tim Dobbert shows you how to track an object's motion using matchmoving software. You'll learn how to use the solution to drive an object's animation in Maya and how to properly evaluate your results. He'll also show you advanced object tracking techniques such as how to solve for an object's motion when the camera is also in motion, and how to invert the camera's motion with that of the object. Tim uses a variety of software packages for this lecture including Maya, Boujou, MatchMover and After Effects.

In this DVD, Tim Dobbert walks you through the steps involved in a typical production-level matchmove, also known as camera tracking. In order to integrate CG elements with live-action footage, the essential first step is to align the 3D camera with the real-world camera. Tim demonstrates how matchmoving software uses photogrammetry to reproduce the camera-move and how to get the best results possible. The DVD covers all aspects of the matchmoving pipeline from 2D tracking and calibration, right through to placing the camera in an environment and delivering the final scene. The lecture also emphasizes how to troubleshoot the tracking solution when things don't go well and how to choose the best workflow for the shot. Tim uses a variety of software packages for this lecture including Maya, Boujou, MatchMover and After Effects.

Wayne England presents an introduction to the creation of digital fluid dynamics using Real Flow, that includes a systematic breakdown of methods used to generate photo-realistic fluid dynamic effects. The viewer takes a step-by-step look at the fundamental procedures and parameters within Real Flow that together establish an essential, practical, working knowledge of the program. This includes a thorough overview of features important in establishing a production-ready workflow, such as questions of scale, particle meshing, Real Flow Node control via the command line, the data exchange pipeline to other 3D packages and many other practical and creative methodologies. Within the context of the tutorial projects, digital fluids with highly realistic characteristics are developed. The material covered in this DVD is intended for both students and professionals who wish to strengthen their practical understanding of the huge range of aesthetic possibilities in Real Flow.

NUKE, short for "New Compositor", began as the in-house compositing and effects application at Digital Domain, where it won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement. NUKE is built primarily for visual effects film work at a variety of element resolutions and color spaces, all within a floating point 2D and 3D environment. This lecture covers the essentials of working with film-based and CGI elements in a professional, extensible and fast compositing pipeline. Utilizing many techniques for speed and efficiency, NUKE is able to provide rich output results and ultimate customization for the user. In this DVD, Rob covers all the major aspects of NUKE and reveals many areas where the casual user would not have known to go at first glance. Rob also provides sensible approaches for how to lay a good foundation for proper compositing in your own projects. Rob uses Nuke 4.3 to teach this tutorial.