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SynthEyes Reviews & Product Details

Erik E.
EE
Animator Freelance
Higher Education
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
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SynthEyes Overview

What is SynthEyes?

SynthEyes is a program for 3-D camera tracking, also known as match-moving.

SynthEyes Details
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Product Description

SynthEyes is a program for 3-D camera tracking, also known as match-moving.


Seller Details
Seller
Boris FX
Year Founded
1995
HQ Location
Grand Haven, Michigan
Twitter
@SynthEyesHQ
1,035 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page
www.linkedin.com
80 employees on LinkedIn®

Recent SynthEyes Reviews

Verified User
I
Verified UserEnterprise (> 1000 emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Essential 3D Tracking & Match Moving Software"
The excellent feature is that simulating the motion of an actual camera to generate 3D virtual camera motions.
Verified User
U
Verified UserSmall-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
5.0 out of 5
"Great"
Help me find people when i loose them it is user friendly
Verified User
U
Verified UserSmall-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
4.0 out of 5
"Tracking with Ease."
Honestly, the most helpful thing about Synthe eyes is how much the program has allowed me to see and visualize the camera movement during and after...
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SynthEyes Media

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Video Reviews

9 out of 10 Total Reviews for SynthEyes

4.5 out of 5
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9 out of 10 Total Reviews for SynthEyes
4.5 out of 5
9 out of 10 Total Reviews for SynthEyes
4.5 out of 5

SynthEyes Pros and Cons

How are these determined?Information
Pros and Cons are compiled from review feedback and grouped into themes to provide an easy-to-understand summary of user reviews.
Pros
Cons
G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
Verified User in Automotive
IA
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

The excellent feature is that simulating the motion of an actual camera to generate 3D virtual camera motions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

When considering open-source or more simple tracking systems, full-featured versions are little costly for individual users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Incorporating computer-generated imagery (CGI) components into live-action video by precisely arranging them according to camera movements. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software
UC
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

Help me find people when i loose them it is user friendly Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

Graphics are old they could be better and cheaper Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Design new products we want to sell Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Restaurants
UR
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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(Original )Information
What do you like best about SynthEyes?

Honestly, the most helpful thing about Synthe eyes is how much the program has allowed me to see and visualize the camera movement during and after shots. I can position it in places where the program shows me the most objects. The tracking is accurate enough so that we can get different shots with different settings. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

In my honest opinion, I think tracking at the moment is still very "new" and still needs to be developed more in this field. I find myself needing to shoot multiple shots over and over again. The layout of the app could be optimized, but overall I think this program is worth the time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Tracking is so important for videos and VFX, that SynthEyes is helping. Commercials for the business come out better than if it was just static, and we've used SynthEyes over and over again. There are problems that SynthEyes don't solve, but we work around it with other applications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Motion Pictures and Film
UM
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

The best thing about SynthEyes is the ability to track patterns. There are various types of pattern identification and arrays of methods you can use in film. The survey shots are amazing as well as the reference geometry. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

The one thing that I dislike about SynthEyes is how setting up the layout of your environment is difficult. No node system is in the software, which means that I need to track my shoots over and over again to get what I want. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Tracking very difficult shots with a low budget is easy for SynthEyes, since you can just plan the layout of your shot and have the tracking software do the work for you. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Motion Pictures and Film
UM
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

SynthEyes' tracking algorithm is generally quite accurate, and has an array of options for different types of pattern identification (though I rarely find myself using anything other than rgb). Solving is also generally quite intelligent, although I do find I sometimes get different results when solving the same shot with the same settings? By far the best features are the use of survey shots or reference geometry, which allow for significantly more accurate solves on shots that otherwise seem impossible. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

I have thought for some time that SynthEyes (and other tracking software) would benefit from the ability to set up camera rigs as they were present on set to get more accurate results on a rail or dolly. It does have a constraints system that I use to similar effect, but it becomes tedious to try to layout your scene so that the X camera move will align with the X constraint and then re-solving your shot with these constraints applied. Such a rigging system would also account for the difference between the sensor and lens, and the rotational pivot of the camera on tripod shots, as this can very quickly become the bane of your existence on some nodal shots. As long as this feature remains unavailable, I think I am still going to have to keep taking 1/10 nodal shots into Maya post-track to counter-animate to account for this pivot misalignment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

SynthEyes allows for very accurate tracks and solves in tricky situations. I have tracked shots where the only features available are bokeh from specular highlights, and SynthEyes has somehow managed to pull a solve from my slide-y mess of trackers. Its relatively low bar for entry means it is quite a palletable introduction into the world of supervised tracking for users who previously lived in After Effects or Nuke, with plenty of features available to extend your knowledge further - I, personally, could never go back to these softwares for a 3D track. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Alonzo V.
AV
VFX Producer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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(Original )Information
What do you like best about SynthEyes?

SynthEyes has a clear, simple interface. It's not convoluted or under-designed. All the buttons are an easy read. It has a quick solution for automatic tracking as well as controlled, supervised track. It's an amazing program because it's reliable on fast, automatic track. There's also lot of tutorials from the actual inventor Russ Anderson. So this is someone who stands by their product. Even though I use an older version, it still works on the newer OS. I always appreciate this about any software that doesn't become obsolete when OSes are updated. So no forced to upgrade or money pit.

3D tracking has become a "thing" in recent years. Heck, even phones and social media has 3D face tracking. However, that doesn't negate the need for a Pro 3D tracking solution. Let me reiterate, it doesn't negate the need for a "specialized" pro 3D tracking system. Industry work takes industrial strenght software. Even After Effects has a 3D tracker nowadays, but it's not the same as software designed specifically for 3D tracking. SynthEyes handles shots that would not be doable with generalist tracking software. A true 3D tracker has layers of controls specifically for hard-to-track or "bad" shots. So you don't just run a filter over a scene and wish for the best. You can take control of slippage and predetermine the outcome of your tracks with supervised tracks. This supervised method of tracking separates the deep end from the kiddie pool. Some trackers are good at doing short, challenging tracks, but Syntheyes does long tracks well. There's other features in SynthEyes like replacing or rotoscoping out a car in a background. Syntheyes also has a measurement system for scale. It can also geometry from video. So SynthEyes can track objects and not just backgrounds or scenes. It's film production worthy because you can track on a low proxy and transfer the data to a larger resolution format. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

Now let's get really really. Though there's a lot of tutorials from Pluralsight, FXPhd and Gnomon, tracking can still sometimes be problematic. It's not really guess work because it is "iffy" sometimes. No fault of Syntheyes because most tracking software. Tracking just isn't easy. So professional studios assits tracks with in camera markets. In other words, you need to learn how to shoot so shots track well. How to place markers to get good paralax and how markers should be shaped to register well. Then you just like any other skill, you need to practice to get good at it. So you have to learn techniques that you can apply methodically to get the best solutions but like anything you get the hang of it. Syntheyes goes a long way of taking the guess work and errs out of the process with a error tolerance rating. It does a lot of work for you then give you control to handle it better yourself. For instance, say you weren't on the set to document the lens, or their focal length. SE can gives you a good solve without manual user input of these parameters but if you have them, you can still help the solve by applying the numbers to the solution.

Lens distortion and rolling shutter are common known problems when tracking but SynthEyes has ways of solving if not illuminating with a lens distortion workflow. You can literally see curves geometry from len distortion in SynthEyes. Upon all, I just look the look and feel of the app. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering SynthEyes:

At the cost and market penetration, it's a win. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Tracking is essential for VFX, Pre-visulation, music video, car commercials, aerial drone and architectural rendering. Syntheyes tracking in these 3 areas have been utilized over a decade. Yes, there are a lot of other solutions cropping up but Syntheyes has had a long standing foothold with interoperability. SE has an output solution for many applications. So when I help other with SE it's in several apps that I may not use, yet provide value. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Oleg S.
OS
CG generalist, Senior Compositor, Senior AFX Compositor, Motion Graphics Designer
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

SynthEyes is easy to use and inexpensive Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

No node system available. Sometimes I have to start tracking my shot over again. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering SynthEyes:

Best tool available for a small size vfx company Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Fast episodic tv turn overs Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Broadcast Media
UB
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

SynthEyes does what other, more expensive tracking software does, at a fraction of the cost. Good balance of autotrackers and the flexibility to use hand-placed tracking points, with easy to use masking features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

Layout is not always intuitive, but all the standard features are there and the online help is quite extensive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering SynthEyes:

Unless you already have Pftrack or some other more expensive solution, just buy SynthEyes! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

Tracking complex shots/3d objects on an indie budget is much more feasible with SynthEyes in the picture! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Juvenal V.
JV
Field Service Technician
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
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What do you like best about SynthEyes?

It really has a simple user interface. Tools and features are really not that hard to find. I really like how well the exported tracks work with programs like Maya and Lightwave. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SynthEyes?

The wonkiness of how it'll some times track terrible footage just fine, but yet it will struggle with clear defined footage at other times. It's a hit and miss, even when tinkering with the footage grading to make trackable objects more noticeable, it will completely ignore them and break the track. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering SynthEyes:

If your built in trackers in your compositors are not giving you the results you need, think about giving SynthEyes a try. It's not 100% but having several tools ready to use as alternatives can really save you a lot in production costs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is SynthEyes solving and how is that benefiting you?

I've used syntheyes to solve tracks for integrating CG elements to live action footage. Exporting the track to programs like Maya and Lightwave is farely easy with minimal tweaking in those programs to get it to work. When it does work great, it's helped cut production time significantly thus giving me time to focus on other elements on a shot. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.