GeoTracker for Blender

Frequently Asked Questions

• — I have an idea or feedback

  If you think you found a bug, please report it here.
  If you want to share feedback, please fill this form, we'd be really happy to know what you think!

• Setup

• — How to install GeoTracker add-on into Blender?

  Please have a look at this video. Also, here's the comprehensive written guide.
  In short: you can do this if you open Blender settings, find the "Add-ons" section, there’s the “Install…” button which you need to press and choose the download add-on ZIP-file. Please note, that some operating systems and web-browsers unpack downloaded files automatically — to avoid this don’t click the file in the downloads list of your web-browser, just go to Blender and find the add-on file in your downloads folder. If you're a macOS user, you'll download a DMG (Apple Disk Image) file, you need to mount it first (double click), the add-on ZIP-file is inside.

• — How to remove GeoTracker from Blender?

  You need to open the add-ons preferences pane, find KeenTools, click the "remove" button and relaunch Blender.

• — How to update GeoTracker add-on?

  If you have the Internet connection on the machine with Blender, our add-on will check for updates from time to time. When there's a new version, you'll be offered an automatic update.
  
  If you want to update it manually, you need to reinstall it. Before installing a new Core Library you need to restart Blender. The recommended process would look like this: remove the old add-on, restart Blender, install a new version of the add-on and then install the new Core Library.

• — I have installed it but cannot see it anywhere/it doesn't work

  First, it's always good to review the installation instructions in our guides and tutorial videos.
  Anyway, if you have installed something and it doesn't work it's better to remove it first and relaunch Blender. Then please make sure you're installing the add-on zip file on the Blender add-ons page and then you're installing the KeenTools Core library from the installed FaceBuilder settings page.

• — I downloaded a DMG file, where's the ZIP-file?

  For macOS users, we provide the standard DMG file instead of a ZIP file. If you double-click the DMG-file, it'll be mounted as a disk, where you can find the add-on ZIP-file. You can use this ZIP-file on any OS, but DMGs work out-of-the-box only on macOS.

• — I see no photos or black screen after switching into pin mode

  It looks like your GPU (video adapter) is not fully supported by Blender so it cannot work in 3D mode. You can either address your question to the Blender community or try a machine with a better GPU.

• — The add-on has disappeared after relaunching Blender

  First, try to press "N" key in the viewport — you should see a toolbar sliding in on the right side of the viewport. If there's no GeoTracker tab, open Blender settings and try to searching KeenTools in the add-ons list (the Add-ons section can be selected in the left column). If there's no KeenTools, it means it has been deleted — please check that your antivirus software didn't remove it. If it did — add the Blender add-ons directory to the white-list and install GeoTracker again.

• — I get error "[Errno 9] Bad file descriptor" when trying to install the add-on

  It looks like the add-on ZIP-file is corrupted, please download it again and check there's no antivirus software that locks or modifies the add-on package.

• — I've installed Blender from a Linux repo, the add-on doesn't work

  Unfortunately, you need to download the official version of Blender from Blender.org website, since custom builds are often relying on unsupported versions of Python.

• — Can I use GeoTracker with Blender 2.79 or older?

  Unfortunately, no. Blender 2.80 or newer is required.

• Tracking

• — Do I need a 3D model to track something?

  Yes. The good news is that you can use any 3D model imported or created in the currently loaded Blender scene. You can also create a head with FaceBuilder and track it in one scene.

• — How detailed should be the model?

  Finer the model — better the tracking results. But it's advisable to keep a balance — 3D models with tens of thousands of polygons will require a lot of resources.

• — Should a 3D-model perfectly fit the object that I want to track?

  In an ideal case — yes. But GeoTracker is smart enough to even track a car with a cube. Hint: try using the primitives for tasks where precision is not critical.

• — Do I need markers to make tracking with GeoTracker work?

  No, you don't need anything like that. But having markers can improve tracking results because they'll work as distinct features that are easy to follow.

• — Can GeoTracker handle occlusions, reflective, transparent or unfixed parts?

  Usually — yes, that's not a problem. But to improve the results, you can use 2D masks to exclude the confusing parts of the video from tracking. You can also employ 3D masks to exclude unneeded polygons of the 3D model from tracking without modifying the geometry.

• Licensing

• — Do I need a subscription for GeoTracker for Blender?

  Not for the GeoTracker add-on itself, but for the tracking module of KeenTools Core library.
  You can use it without a subscription for 15 days after the first launch with no restrictions or limitations. After that you'll need to subscribe.

• — I have a subscription for GeoTracker for Nuke / After Effects / Houdini, do I need another one for Blender?

  Yes. Each platform requires its own separate license. A GeoTracker license for Nuke, After Effects or Houdini does not include Blender.

• — I have a subscription for FaceBuilder for Blender, do I need another one for GeoTracker?

  Yes, these add-ons use different modules of KeenTools Core Library, which rely on separate licenses.

• — Is the KeenTools GeoTracker open source? Where's the repository?

  The add-on is an open source adapter for KeenTools Core Library, its Git repository can be found here.

• General

• — I see an error or experienced an issue which is not described here, what should I do?

  If the error message belongs to GeoTracker, please try following the instructions that are included into the error message, it should help. If it doesn't help, try to remove and install the add-on again (don't forget to relaunch Blender after removing the add-on). If the error belongs to Blender, it's advisable to search for similar errors in your favourite search engine on the Internet. You can also look for answers in Blender community. If nothing helps, please drop us a message, we'd be happy to help if it's possible!