KeenTools has launched FaceTracker for Blender, now available as a free open beta. Previously exclusive to Nuke, this markerless facial-tracking tool enables users to capture an actor's facial movements from video footage and export the resulting animation or FACS data for use in Blender or other DCC software.

FaceTracker is part of KeenTools 2024.2, the latest update to their plugin suite, which also includes the 3D head-generation tool FaceBuilder and the tracking add-on GeoTracker.

| A marker less facial tracking add-on for Blender

Originally released six years ago as a Nuke plugin, FaceTracker offers a markerless facial tracking solution for animation, visual effects, and motion graphics.

The tool functions by aligning a 3D head model—created using KeenTools’ FaceBuilder technology, integrated within FaceTracker but also available as a standalone plugin—to the actor’s head movements.

FaceTracker automatically captures the actor’s facial performance from video footage, along with the motion of either the head or the camera.

Users can refine the tracking accuracy by utilizing built-in stabilization tools or by masking out elements that obscure the actor’s face, such as hair, hats, or props.

The generated facial animation can be exported in various formats, including Alembic (ABC), Collada (DAE), FBX, and glTF/GLB, for use in other DCC applications. It can also be exported as FACS animation data in CSV format.

For visual effects, the tool enables texturing of the 3D head model directly from the video footage, allowing for 3D reconstructions of the actor’s face, which can be used in de-aging or digital makeup projects.

More details on how FaceTracker for Blender works.