Marker Tracking

 

Lens Studio’s Marker Tracking gives you the ability to a Lens which tracks content to a unique physical image. Marker Tracking is ideal for Lenses which are meant to be used in the presence of a custom image. For example, you can create a Lens that places an animated 3D character overlaid on a poster or mural of your own design. You can also set up a Marker Tracking Lens to detect and track Snapcodes.

This guide covers how to create a custom tracking Marker and include it in a Lens.

Creating a Marker Tracking Lens

This section covers how to create a Marker Tracking Lens in a new project. You can also follow these steps to add Marker Tracking to an existing Lens.

The quickest and easiest way to create a Marker Tracking Lens is to use Lens Studio’s Marker Template. To learn more about how to use this template, visit the Marker Template guide.

Prepare an Image for Tracking

If you're planning to use a custom image as a tracking marker, keep the following guidelines in mind to make sure that it will have smooth and accurate tracking:

• Make sure your image has a lot of detail and contrast
• Avoid repetitive patterns
• Avoid low resolution images
• Use a PNG or JPG with a resolution of 2048 x 2048 or less

Here are some examples of bad markers:

Here are some examples of good markers:

Create a New Project

Create a new project by selecting File -> New Project from the Lens Studio menu.

Alternatively, you can select New Project from the Lens Studio launcher.

Create a Marker Tracking Object

Marker Tracking requires a Marker Tracking object to be added to your Scene. Your Lens can use either Image Tracking or Snapcode Tracking.

Adding Image Tracking

To set up your Lens to track a custom Image:

1. In the Objects panel, select + -> Marker Tracking -> Image Tracking

   

2. Select a custom image file from your computer and select Open

3. In the Objects panel, you should now see an Image Tracking object parented to your main Camera object

   

4. In the Resources panel, you should now see an Tracking Marker resource

   

5. Select the newly created Tracking Marker resource in the Resources panel

6. In the Inspector panel, note the Marker Height field. You should set it to match the expected vertical size of the physical image, in centimeters (cm). For example, if you are planning to create a Lens which tracks content to a printed sticker that’s 8 cm in the vertical dimension, you should set your Image Marker’sMarker Height to 8.0.

   

Adding Snapcode Tracking

1. In the Objects panel, select + -> Marker Tracking -> Snapcode Tracking

   

2. In the Objects panel, you should now see a Snapcode Tracking object parented to your main Camera object

   

3. In the Resources panel, you should now see a Snapcode Marker resource

   

4. Select the newly created Snapcode Marker resource in the Resources panel

5. In the Inspector, note the Marker Height field. You should set it to match the expected vertical size of the physical Snapcode, in centimeters (cm). For example, if you are planning to create a Lens which tracks content to a printed sticker that’s 8 cm in the vertical dimension, you should set your Snapcode Marker’s Marker Height to 8.0.

   

Image Tracking and Snapcode Tracking objects must be parented to your Scene's main Camera in order to track properly.

You can include up to 10 Marker images in a Lens, as well as a Snapcode Tracking objects to your Scene. For image tracking, only one image will be tracked at a time. For Snapcode tracking, only one Snapcode will be tracked at a time. That said, a single image and a single Snapcode can be tracked at the same time.

Orienting the Marker Tracking Object

The Marker Tracking object you created should be oriented in Lens Studio to match the expected orientation of the physical marker.

For example, if you expect users of your Lens to encounter the tracking marker on a horizontal surface, like a table, the Marker Tracking object should be oriented horizontally.

If, however, you expect users of your Lens to encounter the tracking marker on a vertical surface, like a wall, the Marker Tracking object should be oriented vertically.

By default, the Marker Tracking object is created in a vertical orientation.

Placing Content

Any content you want to track to your marker should already be imported to your Scene and set up as a Scene Object. This Scene Object should be parented to the Marker Tracking Object you created in the previous section.

To set up your content:

1. In the Objects panel, select the Scene Object you want to track to the Marker

   

2. Click and drag the Scene Object so that it’s parented underneath the Marker Tracking object you created

   

3. In the Scene panel, align the Scene Object’s position with the position of the Marker Tracking object

   

4. Scale the Scene Object as you see fit. Remember that the Marker Height property you set on the Marker resource represents the size in centimeters in physical space. You can use its size as a relative guide for scaling your content

   

To learn more about importing 2D and 3D content to your Scene, visit the Lens Studio guide on Importing and Updating Resources.

Previewing The Lens

To properly preview your Marker Tracking Lens in the Preview panel, you’ll need to import a video of your Marker. To import a video file from your computer:

1. Select the dropdown at the top of the Preview panel

   

2. Select + From Files at the bottom of the dropdown

   

3. Find the video file and open it

4. In the Preview panel, select the video you just imported

   

5. You should now see your video playing in the Preview panel. Your content should be aligned to the Marker when it’s on screen.

   

Additional Information

The Marker Template

The quickest and easiest way to create a Marker Tracking Lens is to use Lens Studio’s Marker Template. To learn more about how to use this template, visit the Marker Template guide.

Marker Resources

Marker Tracking requires a Marker resource. The Marker resource defines the target image the Lens should track, as well as is expected physical size. There are two types of Marker resources: Image Marker and Snapcode Marker.

While a Marker Resource is created automatically when you add an Image Tracking or Snapcode Tracking object to your Scene, you can also create one manually.

Creating an Image Marker Resource

If you want your Lens to track a specific image, you can create an Image Marker.

To create an Image Marker:

1. In the Resources Panel, select + -> Image Marker

2. Select a custom image file you want to track from your computer and select Open

3. Select the newly created Image Marker resource in the Resources panel

4. In the Inspector, note the Marker Height field. You should set it to match the expected vertical size of the physical image, in centimeters (cm). For example, if you are planning to create a Lens which tracks content to a printed sticker that’s 8 cm in the vertical dimension, you should set your Image Marker’s Marker Height to 8.0

   

Creating a Snapcode Marker Resource

If you want your Lens to track Snapcodes, you can create a Snapcode Marker.

To create a Snapcode Marker:

1. In the Resources Panel, select + -> Snapcode Marker

2. Select the newly created Snapcode Marker resource in the Resources Panel

3. In the Inspector, note the Marker Height field. You should set it to match the expected vertical size of the physical image, in centimeters (cm). For example, if you are planning to create a Lens which tracks content to a printed Snapcode that’s 8 cm in the vertical dimension, you should set your Snapcode's Marker Height to 8.0

   

Printing a Marker Resource

For convenience, you can print your Marker for use in testing. To print your Marker:

1. Select your Marker Resource (Image or Snapcode) in the Resources panel

2. In the Inspector panel, select the Print button