TopoTrack
Industry-leading mesh tracking and stabilisation for head asset creation
TopoTrack is a new service offered by Clear Angle Studios, using technology built on the pioneering research of the team at DI4D. The service extends our current FACS capture and processing pipelines to offer highly accurate and efficient mesh tracking and stabilisation of a client-provided base mesh onto a set of our 3D FACS scans, or 4D sequence frames, as well as providing a bridge to HMC performance data.
It provides clients with the ideal basis for next-generation facial rig creation, meaning your team can get to the important creative work much faster and waste less time processing scan data.
TopoTrack 3D
Our core service, TopoTrack 3D, is perfect for any FACS based facial rig pipeline. Once the client wraps the neutral scan with their preferred basemesh, TopoTrack will track this mesh cleanly and efficiently across all of the other FACS shapes.
This state-of-the-art process uses sub-pixel optical flow tracking in multiple camera views to minimise any subjective manual clean-up. TopoTrack stabilises the geometry for isolated deformations, establishes a consistent world space, tracking the eyes and jaw, and ensures highly stable UVs as part of its processes.
TopoTrack 3D is available as an add-on for data captured in any of Clear Angle Studios’ systems globally, whether that’s one of the three Dorothy head-scanning rigs or from the integrated head camera arrays built into each one of our 18 full-body systems.
How does it work?
Step 01:
FACS Scan Capture
Ultra-high resolution FACS scans are captured in one of our industry-leading capture systems; CAS Dorothy (head), or CAS X-series (full body).
Step 02:
Neutral Scan Wrapped
The neutral scan is supplied by CAS to the client VFX team for wrapping with their preferred base mesh. This defines the topology and UVs, and provides the internal eyeball and teeth geometry.
Step 03:
Topology Tracking
The wrapped neutral scan is delivered back to CAS for the topology to be transferred and tracked to all individual FACS shapes. This state-of-the-art process uses pixel level tracking accuracy from multiple cameras to stabilise the geometry for isolated deformations. It also establishes a consistent world space and tracks the eyes and jaw.
Step 04:
Texture Map Generation
TopoTrack assets have extremely stable and consistent UVs which transition seamlessly across all FACS shapes. Each TopoTrack 3D delivery comes with diffuse maps as standard.
Step 05:
Enhanced Map Creation
If photometric data was also captured, multi-channel displacement, normal and specular maps can also be generated, all with a highly consistent UV layout. The process also makes it easier for third party partners, such as TexturingXYZ, to produce additional enhanced maps.
TopoTrack HMC
Building upon the technologies from the 3D pipeline, TopoTrack HMC provides a bridge between our high quality scans and your HMC performance data.
First, TopoTrack processes the 3D FACS or 4D pangrams, tracking each shape or frame with pinpoint accuracy. Then it tracks the neutral basemesh to the selected performance takes from the HMC footage, using the 3D FACS or 4D pangrams to help guide the tracking, giving you a stable, re-topologised 3D sequence of data ready for the next stage of your pipeline.
How does it work?
Step 01:
Source Data Capture
An ultra-high resolution neutral head scan is captured in one of our photogrammetry rigs. Additional 3D FACS shapes or 4D pangrams are also captured during the same session.
Step 02:
HMC Performance Capture
An actor wearing a head-mounted stereo camera system performs the scene.
Step 03:
Neutral Scan Wrapped
The neutral scan is supplied by CAS to the client VFX team for wrapping with their preferred base mesh. This defines the topology and UVs, and provides the internal eyeball and teeth geometry.
Step 04:
Initial Tracking
TopoTrack tracks the 3D FACS or 4D pangrams, to help it learn how the subjects face moves. This helps reduce the subjectivity of manual cleanup and makes sure the final output is as faithful as possible to the original performance.
Step 05:
HMC Track and Solve
The HMC footage is tracked, then solved to the re-topo-ed FACS shapes. The result is compared to the source footage by a member of the Clear Angle Studios processing team. Any imperfect areas are identified and reprocessed until the tracking and solve is visually identical.
To find out more, get in touch via the contact form here