Yolo26 TouchDesigner Update: Free Depth Model
Hey! I just added Monocular Depth Estimation to the Yolo26 TouchDesigner plugin, so you can now estimate real-world distance in meters from a standard camera feed.
Example Project + Visualization Tools
I also have the example Patreon project here (project file at the bottom of the linked post) that shows how to use the depth map with POPs. This is the example with the 3D metallic lines in the image above.
The Patreon project also includes visualization helpers for multi-person pose tracking, object tracking, segmentation, and depth.
Livestream + Tutorial
I recently did a livestream walkthrough of the YOLO26 component, covering how to get started and use the different tracking and visualization tools:
I’m currently editing this into a shorter tutorial and will be updating it to include the new depth estimation features as well.
A Note About the Depth Map
The raw depth map can look a little washed out because it encodes real-world distance values rather than a display-ready image. That extra data makes it much more useful for positioning and drawing elements in 3D space, which I show in the Patreon example project.
For example, the depth map may contain pixel values from 0–20 meters, while TOPs in TouchDesigner normally display values from 0.0–1.0.
Download the Free Plugin
The update is free and available on GitHub here. Just scroll down and click the big green Download Latest Release button.
And if you find the project useful, please consider giving the repo a ⭐ Star!
NOTE: This update requires TouchDesigner 2025.33070 or newer.
License + Commercial Use
Please make sure to review the AGPL-3.0 license (the standard license used by these YOLO models), especially if you're considering using this in a commercial setting.
Excited to see what you all create!
Thanks again for all the support!