After Effects CS5 - Tracking a Layer using multiple nulls?

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[Mike of the Desert]
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After Effects CS5 - Tracking a Layer using multiple nulls?

Post by [Mike of the Desert] » Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:35 am

Hi guys. :]

I have a problem here.
I would like to add an alpha layer, following an object in the original video source, but it is often obscured and hidden by stuff while the 'camera' moves. Since the movement of the 'camera' is extreme, it's impossible to track the same point for the whole scene, so I thought to use multiple trackings applying them to multiple nulls, so that duplicating and 'trimming' the alpha layer I could be able to parent it effectively to every tracking. (One 'cut' to the first one, the second to the 2nd null and so on)

The problem is that when I parent the second part of the alpha it also "achieve" the position of the null, being it tracked to a different point of the original source, forcing me to play around with it's anchor point and making this action extremely dangerous, risking to make the movement 'glitch' or acting like a drop-frame. Is there anything I can do to parent multipe nulls to indeed multiple layers (being duplicates of the same), but making only the tracking affect it? Is there something important I'm missing about AE?

Sorry for the confusionary english, with professional video editing grammar/vocabulary I have some issues, but I thank everyone in advance for any given help. :)
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Mol
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Re: After Effects CS5 - Tracking a Layer using multiple null

Post by Mol » Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:31 pm

It's hard to figure out what you need from that somehow :uhoh:

but you might try to look for some scripts that will do it for you
i.e.
http://aescripts.com/add-parented-null- ... ed-layers/
you can get it for free if you change the price to 0 and update cart (it's legal ;)) and enter valid pos number/e-mail (it's good site : p)
Still better than that MMO.
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Re: After Effects CS5 - Tracking a Layer using multiple null

Post by Bauzi » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:03 am

Eh... I stopped reading after some time. I think I got the basic idea and I have one suggestion:

Learn Mocha For After Effects.
I would like to add an alpha layer, following an object in the original video source, but it is often obscured and hidden by stuff while the 'camera' moves.
Mocha can at least track it when it's partially hidden.

Give it a try:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r6HPndb ... re=related
You will love it!
You can find me on YT under "Bauzi514". Subscribe to never miss my AMV releases. :amv:

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Bauzi
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Re: After Effects CS5 - Tracking a Layer using multiple null

Post by Bauzi » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:16 am

One thing about Mocha: Point tracking in AE is still there, but it's obsolete and highly inefficient. It got replaced with Mocha.

Okay after re-reading it, I have a solution:
Don't change the anchor points of any object. Add an offset via script to the position value's X and Y coordinated of the linked object. I'm not fluid in scripting, but addition via script shouldn't be hard to figure out :jester:
You can find me on YT under "Bauzi514". Subscribe to never miss my AMV releases. :amv:

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