Rotomation Services
Body and object tracking that keeps CG locked to the performer.
Frame-by-frame matching of a 3D rig or proxy to live-action performance, so CG cloth, armour, digital doubles and shadows move with the actor.
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CG That Follows Every Movement.
Rotomation is the process of animating a 3D rig or proxy geometry so it matches a live-action performer, or a moving object, frame by frame in the plate.
A camera track tells your CG team where the lens was. It doesn’t tell them where an arm, a shoulder or a sword was on frame 1047. That is the job of rotomation. Once a body or object is matched in 3D, anything that has to touch it — a CG costume, a piece of armour, a prosthetic, a creature riding on a shoulder, a cast shadow or a hand that grabs a digital prop — has accurate geometry to attach to and collide with.
RotoEdge is a women-led, India-based VFX studio. Our artists build rotomation on top of a solved camera, matching the proxy to the plate silhouette and the underlying anatomy, and checking it from more than one angle so it holds up when lighting and simulation are added downstream. If you also need the camera solved, our matchmove & camera tracking team handles that side of the shot. The showreel here is our matchmove reel, which shows the tracking work rotomation is built on.
Where Rotomation Earns Its Keep.
Any shot where CG has to sit on, wrap around or react to a moving body needs accurate body or object tracking first.
- 01
CG cloth & armour
Costume extensions, armour plates, capes and wearable props that must sit on the body and deform with the performance without sliding or intersecting.
- 02
Digital doubles
A matched body pose that a digital double can take over from, or blend with, for stunts, transitions and partial replacements.
- 03
Contact & interaction
Hands gripping CG props, characters touching creatures or objects, and impacts where the timing of contact has to land on the right frame.
- 04
Shadows & reflections
Matched geometry for casting shadows and reflections onto CG surfaces, and for receiving them from CG elements, so lighting integrates.
Rotomation Deliverables.
Every shot is scoped with you before work starts. Whether we match your own rig or a proxy, and how the animation and geometry are handed over, is agreed per project to suit your CG pipeline.
- Full-body performance matching
- Partial body tracking (head, hands, limbs)
- Rigid & deforming object tracks
- Proxy geometry matched to the plate
- Contact points held on the right frames
- Animation checked against the solved camera
- VFX studios
- Post houses
- Streaming series
- Commercials
- Independent films
Rotomation is usually outsourced by facilities whose CG, FX or lighting departments need body tracks to start on, and who would rather keep their own animators on hero work. We work as an extension of your team, on India Standard Time (UTC+5:30), so tracks can progress while your studio is offline.
For how rotomation differs from rotoscoping, keying and camera matchmove, see our guide: roto vs keying vs rotomation vs matchmove.
How Rotomation Pricing Works.
Rotomation is quoted per shot, after we have seen the plates, because the effort depends on the performance rather than the running time alone.
A slow walk towards camera and a fast fight with overlapping limbs can have the same frame count and very different effort. We review each shot and give you a quote that reflects what is actually in it. For a wider explanation, read how VFX outsourcing pricing works.
- Frame count and the number of shots
- How much of the body needs matching: full body, upper body or a single limb
- Speed of motion, motion blur and occlusion by other actors or props
- Number of performers and objects tracked in the same shot
- Whether a camera solve, lens data and a rig are supplied or need to be created
- Required accuracy for the CG that will sit on top, and the number of revision rounds
From Performance to Matched Rig.
Every project follows the same five-stage pipeline, with quality control before anything leaves the studio.
To quote accurately, send- Plates or a sample of the footage, and the frame ranges
- The camera solve, or any camera and lens information from set
- The rig or proxy you want matched, or a description of the character
- What the CG will do: cloth, armour, interaction, shadows or a full double
- Your required delivery format and deadline
- 01Discovery & planning
Understand the CG
What will attach to the performer, how close the camera gets and which parts of the body must be precise.
- 02Shot preparation
Check camera & rig
Plates, camera data and the rig or proxy are reviewed so the body track starts on a reliable solve.
- 03Production
Match the performance
Artists pose the rig frame by frame against the plate, holding contact points and following the silhouette.
- 04Quality assurance
Review in context
Overlays through the shot camera and checks from other angles catch sliding, popping and depth errors.
- 05Final delivery
Deliver securely
Matched animation is delivered securely, ready for your CG, FX and lighting teams.
Rotomation Questions.
What is the difference between rotomation and matchmove?
Matchmove recreates the camera, and sometimes rigid moving objects, in 3D. Rotomation goes a step further and animates a body or deforming object to match the performance. Most rotomation shots need a camera solve first, which our matchmove team can provide.
Can you match our own character rig?
Yes, that is the usual approach, so the animation drops straight into your scene. If you don’t have a rig for the performer yet, tell us what the CG needs and we’ll agree the best option per project.
Do you only track full bodies?
No. Many shots only need a head, a hand, an arm or a prop matched. Scoping the track to what the CG actually touches keeps the work focused.
What if the camera solve isn’t ready yet?
Send the plates and whatever camera and lens information you have. We can solve the camera as part of the same job, or wait for yours if your team prefers to own it.
Do you use AI tools on rotomation?
We use AI-assisted tools where they help our artists, but every track is built and approved by people, and nothing is delivered without human review.
How do you keep client footage and assets confidential?
We work under Non-Disclosure Agreements, with secure workflows and controlled access to plates, rigs and data at every stage.