The Pixel Farm (http://www.thepixelfarm.co.uk) has unveiled PFMatchit, a Mac OS X compatible, 2D/3D camera-tracking/matchmoving software package.
The new product is announced as part of wider realignment of the company’s core VFX product range, including the renowned PFTrack. It’s released in response to customer demand for a lower entry point to The Pixel Farm’s technology, is the first product to harness the company’s new 64-bit, node-based flowgraph architecture. This approach dramatically improves the core processes involved in camera tracking, one of the most critical aspects of successful VFX creation, according to the folks at The Pixel Farm.
The new architecture gives users a logical, visual overview of tracking workflows, and a procedural, non-linear environment in which to work. Digital artists have full control over every aspect of each individual operation within a workflow, and can experiment non-destructively with different approaches to a shot to achieve the best possible result.
Optimized as a GPU-accelerated, 64-bit application, and running natively on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, the new architecture is underpinned with metadata management, fully-integrated Python scripting, workflow customization and other features, such as in-built rolling shutter correction and image-distortion tools.
PFMatchit can solve an unlimited number of camera and object motions per shot, with each contributing to another, and then export the data as a single file. It can also solve for lens distortion, when no grid or alignment data exist, and save this lens profile as a preset for automatic use within the workflow.
The Edit Camera node provides manual controls enabling the user to animate the position of a camera in 3D space over time. It allows previous camera solves to be edited, and can generate hints to influence how a 3D camera moves, with the result that shots can be solved that were previously considered untrackable.
There are new lens distortion tools, in combination with in-built rolling shutter correction, support for Red Raw without conversion, plus stereo review tools. PFMatchit, which is set to ship at the end of August, will be priced at US$700.
