GeoTracker

FAQ

Do I need a model to perform tracking?

Yes, you need a model of an object or a scene to perform tracking.

Should the model fit the scene perfectly?

No, it shouldn’t. But the better model you have the better results you obtain from every key frame.

How detailed should the model be?

The model should fit the scene. Minor details aren’t very important and could have negative impact on tracking performance

Do I need a motion capture rig to make it work?

No, GeoTracker can match the model movement on already filmed shots.

What if the object in the scene has semi-transparent or reflective parts?

You may use 3D surface mask to exclude semi-transparent or reflective parts from tracking process.

What if the object I’m tracking is partially overlapped?

If the overlapped area is relatively small GeoTracker will handle it. Otherwise you may use a 2D mask to exclude overlapping from tracking process.

What’s the output of GeoTracker node?

GeoTracker’s output is the transformed input geometry.

Do I need GeoTracker installed on every machine in my pipeline?

No. As soon as you’ve done tracking you may export the results as a usual Nuke node (TransformGeo or Camera node) to pass them to other machines.

How to export tracking results to use inside Nuke?

You can export the results as a TransformGeo or a Camera node on the Results tab.

How to export tracking results to other software?

You can use WriteGeo node to export geometry with its transformations.

Does GeoTracker work in Nuke Indie?

Yes! Starting from the 12.2v4 version.

FaceBuilder

FAQ

Is there a quick tutorial for FaceBuilder?

Yes, it's waiting for you in our Medium blog

Are there any examples to play with?

Sure! They're on our examples page.

Can I use FaceBuilder with a video as a source?

Yes, you can build a model using a video instead of a sequence of photos. Actually, there is no difference between the two ways.

What actually happens when I change a pin’s position?

Using all the pins from all the keyframes FaceBuilder recalculates the resulting model's shape and model's position in each keyframe.

Can I use FaceBuilder with a set of photos with different resolutions?

Unfortunately, no. All the photos should have the same resolution. But we might change it in future releases.

Can I use FaceBuilder with images taken with different Focal Length?

Unfortunately, it's not possible now.

I have a license for FaceBuilder in Nuke, would I need another license for another host?

No, licenses for our plugins are host-independent.

I have a license for FaceTracker, do I need a license for FaceBuilder?

Yes, our plugins licenses are independent.

Can I use my own custom head model?

No, it's not possible now, but we have it in our plans.

Can I save (export) the model as a file?

Yes, using Nuke's built-in WriteGeo node.

FaceTracker

FAQ

Where can I find a tutorial?

It's waiting for you here.

Do you have some examples to play with?

Sure! They're on the examples page.

What model should I use as an input for FaceTracker?

We assume that you're going to use FaceTracker along with FaceBuilder, using FaceBuilder's output as an input model for FaceTracker. But you can easily use FaceTracker without FaceBuilder, check the question about a custom model below to find out how.

Can I use FaceTracker without FaceBuilder?

Yes, the workaround is described in the Custom Model question below. You don't need a license for FaceBuilder to export a default model.

Can I use a custom head model?

You can export the default model of FaceBuilder, and then modify the shape keeping vertices count and order. Then you can import it back, and connect to FaceTracker. It uses vertices to understand what is what in the model (e.g. nose, lips, eyes, etc). So, you can manually move vertices if FaceBuilder's result doesn't suit you, remove or add faces, change normals and UVs, wrap a scanned model with our default model, etc.

Can I use custom blendshapes?

Not at the moment, but we are considering adding support for custom blendshapes in future.

Do I need to start tracking from a neutral face expression?

Not really, but it'd be easier if you can find a neutral expression to start from.

If I abort the tracking, the results would be lost?

No, the tracking information is saved frame by frame, so you can abort tracking at any moment keeping the tracking information you have already got intact.

I have a subscription for FaceBuilder, do I need another one for FaceTracker?

Yes, the FaceBuilder and FaceTracker are independent. You need subscriptions for both to work with both plugins. You can also get a bundle subscription.

How to export an animated model to a file?

You can use Nuke's built-in WriteGeo node with ABC format. After pressing "Execute" button specify the frames you want to export.

Can I use FaceTracker in Nuke Indie?

Yes! You'd only need to install Nuke 12.2v4 or newer.

PinTool

FAQ

How do I start using PinTool if I can't see an object through a camera?

Press ‘center geo’ button to position the object in front of the camera.

How do I remove a pin?

Click with right mouse button on a pin to remove it.

What camera is used when there is no camera connected to ‘cam’ input?

Nuke default camera is used in that case. The same as in ScanlineRender. Is has aperture of 1 and focal length of 1.

I’ve estimated focal length with no camera connected and gotten suspiciously small number. Is that OK?

As the default camera with aperture of 1 is used when ‘cam’ input is not connected, small (< 1) focal length values are absolutely normal.

Does PinTool work in Nuke Indie?

Sure! You will need Nuke 12.2v4 or newer.

ReadRiggedGeo

FAQ

Why doesn’t ReadRiggedGeo load some bones/nodes/e.t.c from my file?

ReadRiggedGeo’s goal is to introduce deformable geometry to Nuke so that the geometry can be deformed and animated. ReadRiggedGeo doesn’t imply making a fully functional 3D Creation Software from Nuke.

Can I export rigged geometry from Nuke?

Currently it is not possible to export rigged geometry otherwise than as a sequence of rigid geometries or as an FBX with animated points.

What formats does ReadRiggedGeo support?

ReadRiggedGeo supports a lot of geometry formats. FBX and Collada formats may be used to load rigged geometry when many others may be loaded with ReadRiggedGeo when ReadGeo in not enough. For example: Autodesk (.fbx), Collada (.dae), Blender 3D (.blend), 3ds Max 3DS (.3ds), Wavefront Object (.obj), Stanford Polygon Library (.ply), and some others...

Can I use ReadRiggedGeo in Nuke Indie?

Yes! You will need Nuke 12.2v4 or newer.

License Server

FAQ

Is the Internet connection required?

No. You can activate subscription keys manually from another computer with internet access using Manual Installation page. The Hardware ID can be found if you launch the License Server with the "run" command.

Where exactly License Server is trying to connect and why?

Host: services.keentools.io, port: 443. It happens when a subscription key is being installed and when a running instance of License Server is checking installed subscription keys from time to time.

Can I use environment variables to automatically setup licensing settings in plugins?

Definitely! When our plugins are loaded they check KEENTOOLS_LICENSE_SERVER variable, and if it contains a string with a host address and/or a port number, they try to connect using it and get a license. Here are some examples of what this variable could contain: localhost (the default port will be used), 192.168.1.42, server.local:4242, 10.0.0.66:7766.

My subscription keys get skipped, not loaded

This may happen with subscription keys of a wrong type. Only Studio subscriptions work with License Server.

Users can't connect to the license server

Check there are no firewalls between the user's machine and the machine with the license server. The default port used by License Server is 7096.

I can't access a status page or API on port 8080

Please, check there are no other processes using that port on the machine where License Server is being run.

How to install many subscription keys at once?

You can redirect stdout to the License Server executable, i.e.
"cat keys.txt | ./KeenToolsLicenseServer install"
or
"echo 'key1 key2 key3 ...' | ./KeenToolsLicenseServer install"

I've installed a subscription key, but users can't see/use it

The subscription keys are being read during the startup, so you need to restart the existing License Server process to make newly installed keys available for users.

Which OS is better for running License Server?

There's no difference if you know how to use the OS of your choice as a server.

Does it work with Virtual Machines?

Yes.

What is the license lock timeout?

Subscription key is locked for up to two minutes after it was used last time.

I'm losing a subscription key on my machine when other machine starts using it

In that case you either need to coordinate your work between two or more machines, or just get more subscriptions.

How to create a Windows service?

We recommend using Non-Sucking Service Manager, it's free and easy to use.

I get strange errors on Windows (dlls are missing or application is unable to start)

Please try to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package.

When I try to install subscription keys I see "handshake: certificate verify failed" error

This may happen when root certificates on your OS are obsolete.
To update them on old versions of Windows please follow instructions on this page. Usually launching this command is enough: "CertUtil –generateSSTFromWU Rootstore.sst".
Alternatively, you can activate licenses manually and then place activated license files in the license storage folder of license server.

Installation

FAQ

What is the simplest way to install KeenTools into Nuke?

The simplest way to install KeenTools for Nuke is to run the installer.

Does it work in Nuke Indie?

Yes, but only in Nuke 12.2v4 and newer.

What exactly does the installer do?

The installer copies KeenTools files to Nuke plugins directory:
• OSX: /Library/Application Support/NUKE/x.x/plugins/
• Linux: /usr/local/NUKE/x.x/plugins/
• Windows: C:\Program Files\Common Files\NUKE\x.x\plugins\
where x.x is Nuke version (10.5 for example).

I’ve installed KeenTools but I can’t see it in Nuke. What should I do?

You should check you’ve installed the correct KeenTools bundle (i. e. OS and Nuke versions match yours). If versions match and you can’t see KeenTools in Nuke try to perform manual installation.

How to uninstall KeenTools?

Remove KeenTools folder from Nuke plugins directory to uninstall KeenTools.
If you installed KeenTools using our installer, then the files would be placed in these folders:
• OSX: /Library/Application Support/NUKE/x.x/plugins/
• Linux: /usr/local/NUKE/x.x/plugins/
• Windows: C:\Program Files\Common Files\NUKE\x.x\plugins\

Is it possible to use KeenTools with NUKE Non-commercial?

No, Non-commercial version doesn’t support third-party plug-ins.

What is ‘manual’ directory for?

‘manual’ directory is only for performing manual installation. It isn’t required if you’re using the installer (i. e. you can only share the installer if it suits your needs).

How can I perform manual installation

• copy KeenTools folder from ‘manual’ directory to any place you want
• add the path to KeenTools folder to Nuke path by adding nuke.pluginAddPath('PATH_TO_KEENTOOLS') to init.py file.

How can I perform manual installation working for multiple Nuke versions and operating systems?

• copy KeenTools folders from ‘manual’ directories for every Nuke version and operating system you want to any place you want;
• add the path to all that folders to Nuke path.
For example if you want to work with different versions of Nuke on Windows you may:
• unpack WIN_KEEN_TOOLS.zip to C:/KeenTools (could be any directory);
• write the next lines to %HOMEPATH%/.nuke/init.py:
nuke.pluginAddPath('C:/KeenTools/NUKE8.0/manual/KeenTools')
nuke.pluginAddPath('C:/KeenTools/NUKE9.0/manual/KeenTools')
nuke.pluginAddPath('C:/KeenTools/NUKE10.0/manual/KeenTools')
nuke.pluginAddPath('C:/KeenTools/NUKE10.5/manual/KeenTools')
KeenTools will automatically choose which installation should be loaded.

Is there a silent installation/deployment flag for Windows?

Yes: "/S".

What will happen if I install KeenTools for different Nuke version or OS?

KeenTools won’t be loaded and an error message will be written to Nuke console.

Can I edit files and their location in KeenTools installation?

Making changes in KeenTools installation may break it’s operability.

How can I customize KeenTools menu?

You can find menu.py file in KeenTools directory and edit it as you see fit.