Tracking virtual camera with Real in LW

[Intuition]

Does anyone know of an existing software or hardware that will track cameras and objects in the real world and then be imported into lightwave to be matched virtually?

I am trying to help someone with a unique green screen shot but my 8 years of use with Lightwave hasn't crossed into this area.

Just wondering if there is a simple hardawre and or software plug in solution to this problem that exists now?

If not any thoughts on how to tackle this problem would be great.


The goal is to take a shot in reality and match it in 3d.

Now I know I could do a simple background layer of the realshot in Lightwave and try to match the movement and zoom in Lightwave by hand but am wondering if there is an available solution already?

Thanks in advance

[Digital_red]

Check out Icarus

http://aig.cs.man.ac.uk/icarus/index.php

It tracks the camera motion from the video, exports to all major 3d packages, reconstruct's the geometry in 3D with textures and it can even remove moving objects from the video.

Its quite fast and easy to use

And to top it all its FREE for non commercial use.

I used it on my cat scene http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=349

It even made it into the Icarus gallery

:)

[Digital_red]

Btw for tracking on green screen you will need to add some markers in the background for the tracker to pick up on. You will need to experiment on how many you will need to generate an accurate track.

On a green screen use blue markers. Then you can track the shot,
key out the green screen, then key out the blue markers. Or you might have to paint out the tracks by hand.

You can also export object motion from Icarus. Havent tried it yet but I from what I hear you can place markers on say an actors head, track using "user features" and export as a group of moving nulls to lightwave.