Motion Tracking in After Effects: Recording Movements Accurately

Do you want to add dynamic effects and graphics to your video? If so, look no further than Motion tracking in After Effects. It allows you to analyze videos, detect moving elements, and anchor visual elements or objects. This guide is an eye-opener into motion tracking in Adobe After Effects and shows how to apply it to your videos. Let's dive in.

What is motion tracking in After Effects and when can you use it

Motion tracking entails analyzing an object's movement through a scene frame by frame to collect tracking data. Once you have obtained the data, you can apply it to other visual elements like pictures or text, causing them to match the movement of your object. You can even add new elements that weren't originally in the video. Below is a list of scenarios where motion tracking is applicable in videos:

• Censor objects in a video with motion-tracked memes.
• Create a fairy who follows a dancer's moves.
• Add a streak behind a skateboarder at a park.
• Add text that follows a character.
• Product names that swirl around showcased items in an ad.
• Track a stable element in a shaky frame and use its tracking data as a stabilization reference point.

How motion tracking in Adobe After Effects works

Adobe After Effects is a powerful and renowned multimedia editing software for motion graphics and visual effects. You can leverage it for post-production of all kinds of footage, including social media clips, documentaries, and YouTube videos. Amongst its suite of features is a built-in plugin for motion tracking. The Adobe After Effects tracker lets you track a specific area or object and attach elements to it. It is ideal for beginners but also comes with Mocha tracking After Effects. This is an award-winning planar tracking plugin for advanced and complex motion tracking. You can accomplish multiple types of motion tracking on After Effects, including single-point, two-point, and planar tracking.

6 ways to apply motion tracking in Adobe After Effects

From 3D camera tracking to spline tracking, Adobe After Effects lets you choose from up to six types of motion tracking, depending on your preferences. Check out these forms of tracking below.

1. Single-point tracking

Single-point tracking entails focusing on and tracking a single point of reference in a video. For example, you can use it to track the corner of a car. It is the most basic form of tracking and is ideal for objects moving in a single direction. However, it can struggle with complex movements or rotations.

Steps

1. Launch Adobe After Effects and Import your footage.
2. Click Layer from the top and select New > Null Object to create a null object. Assign the object a name.
3. Find a high contrast point you can track, then select your clip's timeline. Click Animation from the menu bar and select Track Motion. Drag the double square to the part you want to track.
4. Navigate to the Tracker panel in the bottom right and click Analyze to track the path.
5. Once done, click Edit Target from the panel, then select your null object in the next window.
6. Click Apply. You can then add an element to follow your object's movement.
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2. Two-point tracking

Two-point tracking allows you to add two different tracking points and track more than one type of movement. You can collect data on the object's position, scale, and rotation. It is ideal for motion tracking in instances where the camera is moving around an object and repeatedly zooming in.

Steps

1. Upload your footage to After Effects, then go to Layer > New > Null Object. Give the object a unique name.
2. Click Window from the panel at the top, and hit Tracker.
3. Select your video's timeline, then click Track Motion in the bottom right. Check the boxes next to Rotation, Position, and Scale.
4. You will notice two track points in your player window. Drag them to highlight the points you want to track.
5. Select Analyze to collect tracking data. Once the process is over, click Edit Target and select your null object to apply the motion to it.
6. Click Apply and add new elements to your video.
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3. Corner-pin tracking

This form of Adobe After Effects motion tracking is also known as four-point tracking. It lets you track every corner of a four-point surface, like a smartphone screen, in a scene. Corner pin tracking is popular in screen replacements and lets you seamlessly insert new images.

Steps

1. Launch Adobe After Effects and upload your media files. Select Layer > New > Null Object and assign the object a name.
2. Navigate to Window at the top and select Tracker.
3. Click on the video timeline, then go to your tracker window and select Track Motion.
4. Hit the drop-down menu next to Track Type and select Perspective Corner pin. This will automatically add four track points to your player window.
5. Drag the tracking points to highlight the area you want to track.
6. Click Analyze from the bottom right, then select Edit target and click on your null object's name.
7. Hit Apply. You can then apply the motion data to other visuals.
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4. Planar tracking

Planar tracking is an advanced After Effects object tracking method that utilizes the Mocha plugin included with After Effects. It is ideal for tracking a plane or a flat surface through a shot, such as a table. Planar tracking provides impressively accurate motion-tracking results.

Steps

1. Import your footage to Adobe After Effects, then select your clip's timeline.
2. Go to Animation and select Track in Mocha AE to launch Mocha.
3. Add a project name, select a location to save it, then click Okay.
4. If necessary, zoom in on the object you want to track, then navigate to the toolbar at the top and select a tool to outline the target object.
5. Draw a shape around the surface you want to track, then go to Layer controls and rename the new layer.
6. Click the Track panel to define how Mocha will track the plane you outlined. Also, leverage tools like Show Planar Surface and Show Planar Grid to highlight the part to track.
7. Once you're done, click Export Tracking Data from the Export Data section. This will take you back to the Adobe interface, where you can paste the tracking data on your layer.
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5. Spline tracking

If you want to leverage one of the most accurate motion-tracking techniques and don't mind a significant learning curve, spline tracking is for you. It lets you trace around an object you intend to track rather than focusing on one or several points. This technique is ideal for multi-object scenes and complex camera movements. It utilizes the Mocha plugin.

Steps

1. Upload your footage to Adobe After Effects, then select your clip's timeline.

2. Click Animation > Track in Mocha AE.

3. Once Mocha has started, create a project name, define where to save it, and hit Okay.

4. Select the Create X-spline layer tool, then draw a shape around the part you want to track. You can zoom in for preciseness.

5. Navigate to the Layer controls section to rename each new layer.

6. Click Export Tracking Data once you are done obtaining the tracking data.



6. 3D camera tracking

3D motion tracking on After Effects works by automatically generating multiple possible motion tracking points. You can then select which points you want to track. 3D tracking is ideal for creating in-set extensions to a scene or compositing images. This feature is integrated into Adobe After Effects and eliminates the labor of setting tracking points.

Steps

1. Open Adobe After Effects, import your footage to Adobe After Effects, then create a new composition.
2. Go to Window and select Tracker.
3. Select Effects from the right panel, then click Perspective > 3D Camera Tracker.
4. Click Track Camera from the Tracker Panel. The 3D tracked points will appear as tiny colored Xs.
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Are there any alternatives to Adobe After Effects motion tracking

Yes, many other video editing tools support motion tracking. Unfortunately, although Adobe After Effects is an advanced tool, it is complex and takes a while to learn. Thus, if you are looking to quickly track motion on a clip, an alternative tool like the CapCut desktop video editor is more suitable. It is easy to use and offers professional editing power. Read all about it below.

CapCut desktop video editor: Best alternative to motion tracking of After Effects

The CapCut desktop video editor is a top-of-the-line multimedia editing tool available for Mac and Windows. It is built to offer professional editing and comes with an integrated precise motion tracking feature. You can leverage this tool for all kinds of videos, whether business, social media, educational, etc. It is easy to select a tracking direction and start the tracker.



Key features

• Smart motion tracking
• CapCut's intelligent motion tracking feature allows users to easily track and follow moving objects in their videos. This is particularly useful in scenarios where users want to highlight or annotate specific objects or actions in their footage, such as tracking a moving vehicle in a travel vlog or highlighting a product in a promotional video.
• Automatically follow the tracked path with text
• With CapCut, users can attach text to follow the tracked path automatically, enhancing the visual storytelling of their videos. This feature is ideal for creating engaging titles, captions, or annotations that move seamlessly with tracked objects, adding a professional touch to videos.
• All-in-one editing tool
• Leverage basic and advanced video and audio editing tools to crop, trim, add effects, merge video, use transcript-based editing, adjust volume, etc. These features are valuable for enhancing video quality and optimizing editing workflows.
• Powerful AI features
• CapCut includes powerful AI-powered features that enable users to achieve studio-level editing results with ease. Users can leverage AI to relight scenes, enhance voice clarity, automatically reframe videos for different aspect ratios, create smooth slow-motion effects, and perform auto cutout for object extraction.
• A ton of media resources
• CapCut provides users with a vast library of media resources, including stock videos, audio tracks, video effects, transitions, filters, stickers, and text templates. This extensive collection allows users to easily enhance their videos with professional-grade assets, regardless of their editing experience or project requirements.
• Quick sharing
• With CapCut, users can instantly share their edited videos to popular social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube without leaving the editor. This seamless integration simplifies the sharing process, allowing users to quickly publish their videos and engage with their audience.

How to use motion tracking on the CapCut desktop video editor

The CapCut desktop video editor allows you to easily set tracking points and collect an object's motion data. Hit the link below to download this software and quickly track elements in your footage.

Step
1. Import
2. Install and launch the CapCut desktop editor on your PC. Select New project, then drag and drop your video. Alternatively, click the Import button and upload a video via your file explorer. If you would like to use a stock video, go to Library under the Media tab.
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Step
4. Apply motion tracking and edit
5. Right-click on your video timeline and select Copy. Paste a new video on the timeline, then drag it to a different timeline track than the original clip. Navigate to the right panel and select Tracking, then click Motion tracking. Select the drop-down menu next to Direction and choose forward, backward, or both. Moreover, toggle on Scale and Distance. Adjust the yellow box on the player window to define which object to track. Hit Start.
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7. Since the CapCut desktop editor is an all-in-one editor, it has a lot more to offer in addition to motion tracking. You can crop your video, adjust the color, add background music, relight to increase brightness, enhance the audio quality, etc. You can leverage features like mask, noise reduction, vocal isolation, voice changer, and more. It has plenty of media resources and text templates you can use for tutorials, lyrics, branding, and more. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. This editor has a lot more to offer.
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Step
9. Export

Hit Export in the top right then customize the resolution up to 4K, bit rate, codec, format (MP4 & MOV), and frame rate (up to 60fps). Click Export to save the edited video on your device. In the next window, you can share it with family, friends, and followers on TikTok and YouTube without exiting the CapCut desktop tool. When sharing to TikTok, you can keep the video's original aspect ratio or transform it to the 9:16 TikTok aspect ratio. Allow comments, duets, and stitches too.



Conclusion

Motion tracking can be the key to a captivating video that keeps viewers coming back. Fortunately, you can now leverage motion tracking in After Effects to collect an object's motion data and attach another element to it. However, while Adobe is the industry standard, it is complex and can take a while to perfect. Also, the app heavily strains system resources. Thus, we recommend you try the CapCut desktop video editor for professional but simplified motion tracking. The tracking tool is easy to access, customize, and apply. It allows for quick but precise motion tracking, allowing you to achieve studio-level results. Download the CapCut desktop video editor today and track motion like a pro.

FAQs

1. Is Mocha tracking in After Effects free?
2. Yes, Mocha AE tracking is bundled free with Adobe After Effects. However, since Adobe After Effects itself is not free, you will still need a subscription to use Mocha AE tracking. Fortunately, the CapCut desktop video editor lets you track motion on Windows and Mac for free. So what are you waiting for? Install the CapCut desktop video editor and track motion professionally.
3. How to perform After Effects object tracking?
4. To track an object on Adobe After Effects, you need to upload your footage and then select a tracking method such as single-point, two-point, 3D, etc. You should then outline the object you want to track, personalize the settings, then start tracking. However, you will need some experience in motion tracking to pull it off successfully. This is different from the easy-to-use CapCut desktop video editor. It is straightforward, and the tracking tool is simple to activate and customize. Try out the CapCut desktop video editor for precise motion tracking.
5. What is the difference between motion tracking and camera tracking in Adobe After Effects?
6. Camera tracking entails analyzing your footage to generate an object's motion path in 3D space. On the other hand, motion tracking involves identifying an object's movement within the 2D frame. Since Adobe After Effect's advancement makes it quite complex to learn, you can opt for the CapCut desktop video editor, a suitable alternative. It offers the same editing power while eliminating the complexity and long learning curve. Track Motion on the CapCut desktop video editor today and experience simplified tracking.