Where to buy tracking markers?

[anthony113]

anyone know of a good place to buy adhesive tracking markers? preferably triangular (triforce) shaped.

[MartinL]

Duck tape is the shit

Do you really need special material for your tracking markers?!!

[jemi]

Go to your local hardware store's paint aisle and swipe a handful of paint chips. Stop by the double-sided tape aisle as well.

[anthony113]

hm... yeah that might work but it's for a production and the real deal would be great.

[nathan]

They make special triangle tape for tracking?

I think buying some colored tape and taking three stripes of it forming a triangle is all you need. Im sure a craft store or Home Depot has a selection of colored tape to choose from.

[ShrunkenHead]

there's a market for this? hmmm? I'll sell you some genuine trackers...but it'll cost ya!

[anthony113]

hmm... i dunno. i've seen a lot of different tracking markers used. they seem to be adhesive, like a sticker. i've seen them a lot on behind the scenes stuff or production stills. any recommendations?

[nathan]

Well most of what you see is X's made from 2 stripes of tape.

The more fanciful circles or triangles that have black and white patterns can be made with paper and tape on the back.

You might wanna read the FXGuide "Art of Tracking part 2" article - link.

While choosing a distinct type of marker might help out for a situation there really is no different between putting a cup coaster on the ground or using tape. So looking for a PROFESSION TRACKING MARKER really isn't going to have any sort of difference in what the end result it.

[ShrunkenHead]

I heart google

http://www.naturalpoint.com/optitrac...-tracking.html

[Hugh]

That link is for tracking markers for specific mocap systems, which have to be highly reflective - I'm not sure they'd be so good for scene tracking....

[tinitron]

Get some round laser or ink labels (for example: Avery Laser - Round Labels) and print the triangular tracking marker or any other form of marker by yourself.

[padre_gg]

3D tracking software, use to have better results with triangular shapes, so anthony113 is right when he ask for profesional markers, and if you are VFX supervisor, and the director suddenly want to make a shoot with a camera movement that wasn`t in the filming plan, and you should star to climb stairs to put some markers it`s a lot better and faster to have a bulk of stickers that you only take out and put it in the wall.., than have to take your tape with one hand, the other holding the stair, trying to cut the tape with your teeths...
Try to image this situation with all the crew waiting for you to start the shoot, obviusly sticker triangular markers are the best.
So if you couldn`t find anywhere to buy, just make a pattern in Illustrator, and send them to print to some professional plotter house, and make 100 or 200 sheets with differents sizes.
I hope it could helps you..
BESt regards

[Gentle Fury]

Green grip tape does the trick.

[Bob1dp]

Generally I have just used magenta tape on green screen. They work great on wide shots with lots of depth of field. But the tighter I get the more out of focus they get and the less useful they are.

[sgr]

I remember reading about some one using LED light for this (I can't remember where) but it sounded like a good result - but does any one have something to say about that?!

woops Just found the article it was on vfxhack here a direct link to the article.