Matchmover does not support AVIs, even if the docs have not been updated to say so. So in short you must use a sequence, which as mentioned is the expected worflow in a pro pipeline for more reasons than I can be bothered to repeat again.
Do you happen to know why MatchMover is so… useless? |
I'm not so sure it is useless, those who know it well don't think so. But they seem few and far between. So I think that it's actually most of the users that are useless and just don't know how to use it. Or to be fair, there seems to be very little learning resources for the software, and therefore a huge knowlege vacuum, which is a real shame as it has potential to be a very useful and powerful application, if you know what you are doing.
Or do the movie studios use other programs for that function? |
There are other out there, Boujou, Syntheyes and more, there is even a free one called Voodoo camera tracker. Google them to find out more.
After Effects is a more general video production tool, and works with .avi (and other video formats) as well as image sequences. It also does motion tracking (although you will not get the better Mocha type with the trial version). |
AE is a compositor, and although most compositors have some form of motion tracking, you need to bear in mind there are differnt types of motion tracking, for different uses.
Programs like Matchmover, Boujou etc... are true 3D trackers. The main purpose of which is for helping the intergratinon of live action and CGI by replicating the movement of the camera in 3D space. This process will generally involve a few programs. The matchmoving or tracking software. Then the camera tracking data is exported to the 3D animation software (Maya, Max or similar) where the CGI stuff is created and rendered. Then the rendered CGI and the original live action is brought together in a compositor (such as AE, Toxic, Fusion, Nuke etc...).
My point being, the tracking you get in a compositor is not the same thing, you don't get 3D camera data from it. MM can also do motion capture, but that's another subject.
BTW, there is a section for MM questions
here.