Best Practices for Image Tracking in Aryel

Before you choose a target image for Aryel's image tracking campaigns, it’s a good idea to check these best practices.

In this guide we will find out how to:

• Choose a good target image the camera can easily identify.

• Consider the placement of the target in the world - for example its proximity to the camera.

Choosing a good target image

First, make sure your target image follows these principles, so your WebAR campaign will work when the target is detected by the camera.

Medium to Low Quality vs. High Full HD

Using High Quality or Full HD images for WebAR campaigns on Aryel is not the best choice in terms of results. It is strongly suggested to use lower quality images, such as 500x300 or 800x800 pixels.

First, because the algorithm finds it easier to map and process them than high-quality ones, second, because they occupy less space on your media library and can be processed faster and smoother on the platform.

High contrast

Both color and black and white images will work. Either way, all images should have high tonal contrast. This means images with lots of pastel colors are not an ideal fit.

The image on the left would make a good target as there’s lots of contrast. The image on the right wouldn’t:

Try turning your target image to grayscale to check there’s enough contrast. If it’s all a similar shade, there probably isn’t.

High Resolution

Make sure your image has a resolution of at least 300x300 pixels.

Sharp details

Try to stay away from smooth or soft edges and textures with a lot of gradients.

The image on the left is a good example of a target with lots of sharp edges:

Asymmetrical patterns and compositions

Avoid symmetry and repeated patterns. Images that can easily be inverted might not track as well.

The image on the left is a good example of an image that will track well. The image on the right has a lot of symmetry, so would not make a good target:

Complex images

Simple images might not work well. You should also avoid repeating the same motifs.

The image on the left has enough complexity, plus other good practices like high contrast and sharp details. The image on the right is too simple with too much repetition:

Find flat surfaces

Images on curved surfaces like bottles won’t work well, as target tracking is meant for flat surface images.

In the image on the left the target is flat against the front of the can. This will make a good target. With the can on the right the image is curved along the side which won’t be easily detected by the camera:

Clear target shapes

Target images can be all sorts of shapes. They don't have to be rectangular or square. However, you should still think about how clear the target image will be.

For example, a target image on thin paper like money will move and distort because the paper is thin, making it difficult for the camera to identify the target. With the image on the left, the target is flat and static, creating a clear target.

Avoid blank space or transparency

Avoid targets with lots of transparency or blank space around the actual image, like in the image below on the right:

The placement of the target

Target AR effects work best when the camera is closer to the image, so it fills a large portion of the device frame.

The example on the left is a milk box. This is a fairly large object that people can easily get close to for a good length of time.

The example on the right, a billboard, might not work well. It’s unlikely someone could get close enough to the billboard for a good length of time.