KeenTools ships GeoTracker for After Effects 2023.1

KeenTools has released GeoTracker for After Effects 2023.1, the latest version of its real-time 3D object tracking plugin for Adobe’s compositing software.

The update adds a built-in human head model, streamlining the process of tracking an actor’s face, plus a new surface masking system for controlling parts of the 3D model to be excluded from the track.

An intuitive 3D object tracking tool designed for artists, not specialist match-movers
Released last year, GeoTracker for After Effects is intended to make everyday motion tracking tasks accessible to VFX and motion graphics artists as well as specialist match-movers.

The plugin uses an intuitive workflow with users clicking in the viewport to ‘pin’ a tracking object – usually 3D primitives, but you can import custom 3D models – to the corresponding object in video footage.

To refine the track, artists can use 2D masks to exclude parts of the frame occluded by foreground objects.

GeoTracker then reconstructs the motion of the object throughout the course of the footage, generating both a 2D track that can be used directly inside After Effects, and a 3D track for use in other apps.

New human head primitive for tracking faces, plus new Surface Mask type
GeoTracker for After Effects 2023.1 adds a generic built-in human head primitive, making it possible to track actors’ faces without the need to import your own custom 3D head model.

There is also a new mask type, Surface Mask, used to exclude parts of the model from a track.

You can see it in use in the video at the top of the story to exclude the parts of the actor’s forehead obscured by his hair to improve the quality of the resulting track.

Users can also now export any of the built-in primitives, including the head, in OBJ or FBX format.

System requirements, pricing and release date
GeoTracker for After Effects is compatible with After Effects 17.0+ on 64-bit Windows and macOS. The Mac edition supports Apple Silicon Macs.

The software is rental-only, with subscriptions also providing access to GeoTracker for Nuke. Individual Freelancer subscriptions cost $18/month or $179/year; floating Studio subscriptions cost $499/year.

Read more about the new features in GeoTracker for After Effects 2023.1 on KeenTools’ website