Mocha_RotoScoping_Actor_Asset_Planar_Track

[Simon Faris]

HI RoRK,

I am not sure if I can post pics on this site? Here is a link to Adobe where I was also asking about this challenge. https://forums.adobe.com/message/5388417#5388417 If you scroll down towards the bottom you will see my screen grabs of Foreground actor in Green and Splines or placement of track in Red/Blue.
I am trying to find a good tutorial on manual tracking as I have given up on auto track. If you look at that link and scroll down to the bottom you will see how my track jumps off the building, NO matter where I place that track, smooth it, or add sub tracks to it it still jumps. Hence the idea of manual track.
Yet, when I try to adjust the manual track, I have no control of it as a whole track via marquee the shape to slide back into position as it moves forward frame by frame.
I am discovering little secrets not divulged in these tutorials. IE: You must create a sub-comp to use corner pin of an asset. Not to just cut and paste your tracking data into an asset. As Mamoworld did with his logo on a monitor. I am using AE cs6 with the bundled Mocha, maybe that is it?
Regards
SF

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

I suggest that you start from scratch then do the following –

1) track the foreground object (man) with a loose tracking spline. Keyframe the tracking spline as often as needed to ensure that the foreground object is always enclosed within the tracking spline.

2) create a new tracking spline for the background. you have lots of co-planar areas to track. therefore, use multiple tracking splines when tracking the background – you should use the Add X-spline (or B-spline) tool to add a second or subsequent tracking spline onto the same layer. Ensure that your tracking splines here are sufficiently close to the area you want to track – this is to ensure that you do not force/ask mocha to track superfluous movement in the background.

3) track the background layer once the tracking splines are in place. it is always a good idea to begin your track at the frame which gives mocha the most pixel information. When tracking the background, ensure that the foreground layer sits at the very top of the Layer Controls Panel – and ensure that it’s Process switch (cog icon) is off, to disable tracking it again.

You shouldn’t require Manual Tracking unless your foreground object fully covers the background tracking area. Even then you will only require a few frames of Manual Tracking when auto tracking is impossible to achieve.

What you should try to do at the end of your tracking procedures is to use mocha’s Adjust Track module/tab/feature to tweak your results – if required.

HTH
RoRK

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE

[Simon Faris]

RoRK,

I uploaded a few pics, but do not see anything more then that one in that Zip file. I have tried a new project 5 times thus far.
Can you tell if that is a Parallax shot or not? I tried to figure that out for tracking reasons, but I cannot tell? I read the definition but do not know how to tell if a shot is parallax after the shot has been taken? Thanks for the follow up on this thread.
SF

S.Faris
https://www.NetCommercial.Net

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

I don’t see a zip file. If you can, upload the footage soon, I’ll give it a go. However, please go through the steps I laid out in my previous post before doing anything else. It’s pointless telling me that you’ve done something a hundred times if you do not do what I’ve asked you to do – just give it a try.

At each step, think carefully what you are doing and why you are doing it – this introspective analysis will help you to solve other tricky tracking shots in the future.

The occasion of parallax is not required for successful 2D (2.5D) motion tracking. Its only relevance is in defining co-planar regions which may be used for Offset Tracking. Offset Tracking is a tracking strategy where you pick a co-planar area for tracking when the main tracking area is occluded by a foreground object for a sufficiently long duration.

When the foreground occlusion is minimal, in terms of duration, combining Manual Tracking with auto tracking is oftentimes a better solution (but this depends on the experience and skill of the user).

HTH
RoRK

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE

[Simon Faris]

Thank you RoRK,
I will be giving it, yet my 6th try tomorrow. I am sure you would be able to get it done. You are probably using 3.0 or better as well. While I am using 2.4.
I have asked about a loose track in other forums and as you stated; “Make sure you encompass the unwanted foreground.” I did a half screen mask previous. Cut the whole bottom off from floor to top of actor’s head.

I asked about parallax to pick more, or better submasks (whatever they are called) Having more then one spline in a layer. From what I gather it is when a camera angle switches angles. Instead of a pan from top to middle, while keeping the top and middle in ‘frame’, conversely a pan from top to bottom would cause a parallax.

The Zip file is a couple posts back, a screen grab. it is atop of the post earlier today. Funny I posted 4 more pics as you requested but for some reason I did not see those.
I will let you know how it goes. The only difference on this next try will be a culmination of sub masks added to the track layer. As close to the desired area as possible.
Regards & Thanks,
SF
P.S dont have the grabs on this computer to repost.

S.Faris
https://www.NetCommercial.Net

[Simon Faris]

OK RoRK,

I re tracked. Had some luck. One of two differences. I tried to track at the best point as suggested opposed to start or end. I waited and used the part where the track would fly off. Moved a couple frames ahead of that and tracked to the end before trying to track back over that ‘whippy part’ where the track constantly would jump. I also used the subtract drop down for the Foreground track. I am not sure if the Subtract has any consequences?

I tracked the Building in mind of not the final spot where I want to Roto or use my corner pin. I instead used an area as you suggested, not to far from the final comp, yet be concerned with having a good track nearby, using a sub mask. (as pictured)

I then used a Roto for the desired spot and linked it to my B.ground track.
Following along this vid
https://www.imagineersystems.com/videos/04_advanced_tracking.m4v/view

Used the adjust track as you can see the many KF’s (Ripple Pic) to keep that one roto spline track still. I then exported using both corner pin (Bottom pics) export options taking care to export the adjusted track export. With no luck.
I place the tracking data into a like sized comp as you can see in the screen grabs. Where I tried 3 different ways of using the Blur, and Shear option of Corner Pin. Along with a Raw export of NON Adjusted track data to see if that was a hinder.

My end result is that of data that makes my sign so small and is not visible with fly away’s half way through. Leaving me to re size the sign to only fly away

*Note: I also had a weird challenge in Mocha where I was using the adjust track and the Zoom windows show on point where my mask shows a ripple in the track (See PIC Ripple)

Please take a look at my screen grabs with open layers to maybe find where I am going wrong if you would?

Export gives me a balled up track.

3RD Try with Perspective ON

Mocha Screen Grab for the above result

Back Ground Track Which the Roto’s are linked to.

That Ripple I got in Mocha Adjust Track where my Zoom Views are on but my track is Not

Example of Track flying off intended area

Corner Pin Export with Blur

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

It’s impossible to tell what you are doing wrong if you do not follow the instructions I have provided in an earlier post. Here is what I posted earlier –

I suggest that you start from scratch then do the following –

1) track the foreground object (man) with a loose tracking spline. Keyframe the tracking spline as often as needed to ensure that the foreground object is always enclosed within the tracking spline.

2) create a new tracking spline for the background. you have lots of co-planar areas to track. therefore, use multiple tracking splines when tracking the background – you should use the Add X-spline (or B-spline) tool to add a second or subsequent tracking spline onto the same layer. Ensure that your tracking splines here are sufficiently close to the area you want to track – this is to ensure that you do not force/ask mocha to track superfluous movement in the background.

3) track the background layer once the tracking splines are in place. it is always a good idea to begin your track at the frame which gives mocha the most pixel information. When tracking the background, ensure that the foreground layer sits at the very top of the Layer Controls Panel – and ensure that it’s Process switch (cog icon) is off, to disable tracking it again.

You shouldn’t require Manual Tracking unless your foreground object fully covers the background tracking area. Even then you will only require a few frames of Manual Tracking when auto tracking is impossible to achieve.

What you should try to do at the end of your tracking procedures is to use mocha’s Adjust Track module/tab/feature to tweak your results – if required.

Follow each step and let me know of the results at the end of each step. You only require two layers, the foreground and the background to get the tracking data into AE.

The roto for the foreground (3rd layer) and come later – once you’ve got a solid track. Let’s concentrate on the track for now.

HTH
RoRK

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE

[Simon Faris]

I suggest that you start from scratch then do the following –
I Opened AE and imported into Mocha as a new project. Did you want me to re-render my MTS files into JPG2000 then restart? I restarted the whole project as well as do not have Cache files checked. Using my original MTS to JPG 2000 .mov

2) create a new tracking spline for the background. you have lots of co-planar areas to track. therefore, use multiple tracking splines when tracking the background – you should use the Add X-spline (or B-spline) tool to add a second or subsequent tracking spline onto the same layer. Ensure that your tracking splines here are sufficiently close to the area you want to track – this is to ensure that you do not force/ask mocha to track superfluous movement in the background.
I did follow your instructions…. My only add was a second (+ X Spline) tied to the same BG Layer… for a better track or more information to track… (See BG pic)

1) track the foreground object (man) with a loose tracking spline. Keyframe the tracking spline as often as needed to ensure that the foreground object is always enclosed within the tracking spline.
As mentioned I used the foreground track making sure to keep the man encapsulated in the track. Which I used the subtract drop down, as mentioned for that foreground track. Which I asked if there were any consequences to using the subtract matte for the Foreground track, albeit set as a top layer anyways. See (BG pic) for track of man, caring to keep shadow encapsulated too.

What you should try to do at the end of your tracking procedures is to use mocha’s Adjust Track module/tab/feature to tweak your results – if required.
This is how I ended up asking you about the Ripple that occurred, even though the zoom windows show on track the Planar or Matte shows a ripple (See Pic)
That is what I did….? See (Pic Ripple) with adjust track Tab being utilized

It’s impossible to tell what you are doing wrong if you do not follow the instructions I have provided in an earlier post. Here is what I posted earlier –
I have posted 7 detailed pics for your review to see what went wrong on the export? However you are under the impression I did not follow your instructions. Rather I did, with one exception as mentioned “about the subtract matte” and being at the top of the stack as aforementioned…Yet after reading, it seems that is a null point due to the hierarchy of the stacked layers. FG being atop. Do you think that is an issue? Using Subtract Matte on the foreground even though it is atop the stack? Imagineer videos say NO. That is the ONLY deviation of your explicit instructions, as I laid it out above using Bold and underlines. Your thoughts?

Appreciate any help on the bad export data. Hence me giving thorough responses and pics, for your review.

Regards,
Simon

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

This is a better reply Simon. Now I can read, in context, what you’re doing in relation to the steps I’ve proposed.

[Simon Faris] “Yet after reading, it seems that is a null point due to the hierarchy of the stacked layers. FG being atop.”

FG must always be at the top of the Layer Controls Panel. To be safe, use the tracked FG layer and not the tighter spline of the FG which I assume you linked to the originally tracked FG.

Selecting Subtract Matte is not required as mocha is programmed to use any layer above the currently tracked layer as a Subtract Matte.

[Simon Faris] “Using Subtract Matte on the foreground even though it is atop the stack? Imagineer videos say NO.”

You must have misunderstood this. What Imagineer meant was what I said in the previous para on the redundancy of explicitly specifying a layer as a Subtract Matte.

Here are a couple more tips –
1) You can view mocha’s Track Matte to see exactly which area(s) mocha tracks. mocha’s nomenclature for a Track Matte is quite different from AE’s or other apps. For mocha, a Track Matte defines the tracking area.

See the top-left of the screen cap below on how to set up the Mattes menu to view the Track Matte of selected layers.

The canvas area clearly shows that the head of the FG has been excluded from the Track Matte. This means that the FG (head) area will not be tracked.

The last tip is to set/resize your insert clip to fit the size of the tracking comp. Then precomp the insert layer PRIOR to applying mocha’s tracking data.

BTW, use the Adjust Track only as and when required, ie when your track is less perfect.

HTH
RoRK

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE

[Simon Faris]

RoRK,
Good we are in agreement on my steps and your instructions. I understand Subtract matte.

I do not understand this:

RoRK-The last tip is to set/resize your insert clip to fit the size of the tracking comp. Then precomp the insert layer PRIOR to applying mocha’s tracking data.

Simon-Do you mean placing my helpwanted sign in it’s own Pre comp that matched the footage then placing that precomp into the final comp of the same matching settings of, in this case 1920×1080? I did that. See the pic you used as an example you will see a pre comp labeled helpwanted in the final comp. Paying attention to the setting of 1920×1080….

Still leaving me a bad export of a fly around track… Not staying on target
Thanks for the help
Simon

S.Faris
https://www.NetCommercial.Net