KeenTools releases FaceTracker for Blender free in beta
KeenTools has released FaceTracker for Blender, the new Blender edition of its markerless facial-tracking tool, as a free open beta.
The add-on, previously only available for Nuke, can extract an actor’s facial movements from video footage and export the animation or FACS data for use in Blender or other DCC software.
It was released as part of KeenTools 2024.2, the latest version of KeenTools’ suite of plugins, which also includes 3D head-generation tool FaceBuilder and tracking add-on GeoTracker.
An intuitive markerless facial tracking add-on for Blender
First released six years ago as a Nuke plugin, FaceTracker is a markerless facial tracking tool for animation, visual effects or motion graphics work.
It works by matching a 3D head model generated by KeenTools’ FaceBuilder technology – built into FaceTracker, but also available as a separate plugin – to the motion of the actor’s head.
FaceTracker automatically extracts the actor’s facial performance from the video footage. along with either the motion of their head or the camera itself.
Users can improve the accuracy of the solve by using the built-in stabilization tools, or by masking out objects obscuring the actor’s face in the source video, like hair, hats and props.
The resulting facial animation can be exported in Alembic (ABC), Collada (DAE), FBX or glTF/GLB format for use in other DCC applications, or as FACS animation data in CSV format.
For visual effects work, it is also possible to texture the 3D head model from the video, generating a 3D reconstruction of the actor’s face for use in de-ageing or digital makeup work.
Pricing and system requirements
FaceTracker for Blender is available for Blender 2.80+ on Windows, Linux and macOS. The plugin is currently available free in open beta.
KeenTools hasn’t announced pricing yet, but FaceTracker and FaceBuilder for Nuke are available rental-only, and cost $27/month or $269/year for individuals, or $749/year for studios.
Read an overview of FaceTracker for Blender on KeenTools’ website
Read more about how FaceTracker for Blender works in the online documentation
Read a full changelog for KeenTools’ plugins
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