Creating Z-Depth with 2D video footage in AE

chromeboy007

chromeboy007

Well-known member
Hi,

I was watching some tutorial on how AE can use 3D assets from AutoCAD or whatnot, with Z depth values, to take advantage of 3D channel effects. I thought these are the coolest things, except I'm a videographer not a 3D animator or modeller.

So I wonder, is it possible to create Z depth with 2D video footage? Obviously they will never be as precise as anything you import from 3D models programs. But I was thinking perhaps After Effects can recognize grayscale and 'create' Z depth values based on the grayscale. Or maybe there are other ways AE can create Z depth values.

I find this plugin called Buena Depth Cue. I don't think it can do what I'm asking for though I don't know. Their demo videos don't wow me.

Thanks
 
The grayscale method is definitely one way to do it. I've had mixed results with exporting stuff with a depth channel from Maya in the past, so I've done the workaround which is to render a depth matte using just grayscale values.

However for 2D video footage, how are you going to create this matte? I'm sure some filter tweaking could get you started, but wouldn't that take some painstaking roto work as well? And I don't think the result would look that great.
 
If you could get an xbox kinect video feed I imagine you could tweak that and use that for zdepth but the luminance values of a video shot that isn't lit for zdepth wouldn't work too well. I imagine a strong single light source in a controlled environment could get you close but the footage would be really odd if you were using the same stuff for your edit.
 
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