- After Effects Tracking An Object
- Object Tracking After Effects Kids
- Object Tracking After Effects Book
After Effects supports moving 3D objects or adding depth to other motion tracking effects. Control movement with a single-point tracker, two-point tracking, or customized tracking points that let you determine how graphical assets move.
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Whether it's removing camera shake or tracking a camera's movement, After Effects has you covered. You can apply a variety of techniques to smooth out the camera movement in a shot, using the After Effects Warp Stabilizer VFX effect, and track the camera to add objects into a scene realistically. Jul 26, 2020 Tracking in After Effects is an advantageous instrument to follow the movements of an object, which can be employed for various effects, animation, stabilization, color grading, screen replacement, or other visual techniques. We have discussed the basic six types of motion tracking in After Effects and where you can use them. One of the most powerful features to hit After Effects in recent years is the 3D camera-tracking tool. The tool essentially automatically creates dozens of track points in your footage and allows you to select which ones to use after the computer processes the footage. This is your best tracking option directly in After Effects.
There’s more than one way to pull off motion tracking in After Effects. Here’s a few of them!
After Effects is a fantastic tool for VFX work. This is especially true for motion tracking. However, the tracker you use to motion track your footage might not be the best choice depending on your specific clip. Let’s take a look at six different ways to execute motion tracking in After Effects and discuss when certain tracking features should and shouldn’t be used.
1. One Point Track
When to Use It: Very quick 2D tracking situations centered around a single point with no warping.
The single-point tracker built into After Effects has long been a go-to tool for motion artists, but you need to be careful with single-point tracks because footage doesn’t normally shake in 2D space only. After Effects uses contrast to find track points, so you’ll need to make sure you set your tracker on a well-defined point. If you’re in a rush, one-point tracking will work, but for most professional circumstances, you’ll want to at least use two-point tracking.
In this tutorial from Live Tech Australia, we take a look at how to use the single-point tracker in After Effects.
2. Two Point Track
When to Use It: On footage with mild to moderate levels of camera shake.
Two-point tracking is fantastic for simple camera movements, as long as there are a few contrasted elements for the tracker to track. Two-point tracking is notably superior to single-point tracking because it can track rotation and scale, not just position.
This video from Robert’s Productions shows us how to use two-point tracking to add text to a scene.
3. Corner Pin Track
When to Use It: Basic screen replacement.
If you do a lot of commercial or sci-fi work, then you probably do a lot of screen replacements. In order to help make screen replacements easier, After Effects has a built-in corner pin tracker that is designed to work with any four point surface. While it’s designed to work with screens, it can also work with picture frames, signs, and simple surfaces. In this video tutorial from LinkTCOne, we take a look at how to use the corner pin tracker to replace a picture frame in After Effects.
4. 3D Camera Tracking
When to Use It: Matte painting, set extensions, and compositing.
One of the most powerful features to hit After Effects in recent years is the 3D camera-tracking tool. The tool essentially automatically creates dozens of track points in your footage and allows you to select which ones to use after the computer processes the footage. This is your best tracking option directly in After Effects. However, the 3D camera tracker can take quite a while if you have a long clip.
This tutorial from thevfxbro shows us how to use the 3D camera tracker to ‘composite’ a Christmas tree into a shot.
After Effects Tracking An Object
5. Planar Tracking Using Mocha
When to Use It: Advanced tracking on flat surfaces.
If you have a very difficult-to-track flat surface, then the planar tracking feature in mocha Pro is the way to go. Unlike After Effects, mocha Pro will use predictive tracking to track the position of an object even if a portion of the tracked object is offscreen. Tracking data can then be exported from mocha into After Effects.
Object Tracking After Effects Kids
This quick video tutorial from short-form video shows us how to planar track in mocha.
6. Spline Tracking
When to Use It: Complex camera tracking jobs.
If you’ve exhausted all of the other options on this list, or simply want the most accurate track possible, then spline tracking in mocha Pro is the way to go. Spline tracking can track any type of shape because you custom create the tracking plane. Essentially, you trace around the object you want to track and mocha will try its best to keep track of the object. Data can then be exported to After Effects.
This tutorial from mocha planar tracking & vfx tools shows us how to use spline trackers to do beauty retouching in After Effects.
Have any other tips for motion tracking in After Effects? Share them in the comments below!
What you learned: How position keyframes and path points are interchangeable.
Create a path
- Select a layer and use the Pen tool to create anchor points for a path.
- Click and drag to add anchor points and expose the handles.
- Move the handles to adjust the shape of the path.
Use the path to create position keyframes
- Switch to the Select tool in the Toolbar.
- Select the layer which contains the path and press M to reveal the Mask Path property.
- Select the words Mask Path and then choose Edit > Copy to copy the path.
- Select the layer to which you want to apply the path and press P to reveal the Position parameter.
- Select the word Position in the Timeline and choose Edit > Paste to add the path data as Position keyframes.
Change the timing of the animation
- Deselect all the keyframes. Then drag the first or last keyframe to change the duration of the animation along the path.
Orient the object along the path
Object Tracking After Effects Book
- Go to Layer > Transform > Auto-Orient, and choose Orient Along Path.
- Press R to open the Rotation parameter, and scrub to rotate the animated layer to the proper angle on the path.