You set up, initiate, and apply motion tracking with the Tracker Controls panel.

Motion Source

The layer that contains the motion to track.

Note: Layers are available in the Motion Source menu if they have source footage items that can contain motion or if they are composition layers. You can precompose a layer to make it available in the Motion Source menu.

Current Track

The active tracker. You can modify settings for a tracker at any time by selecting the tracker from this menu.

Track Type

The tracking mode to use. The motion tracking itself is the same for each of these modes; they differ in the number of track points and how the tracking data is applied to the target:

• Stabilize tracks position, rotation, and/or scale to compensate for movement in the tracked (source) layer. When tracking position, this mode creates one track point and generates Anchor Point keyframes for the source layer. When tracking rotation, this mode creates two track points and produces Rotation keyframes for the source layer. When tracking scale, this mode creates two track points and produces Scale keyframes for the source layer.

• Transform tracks position, rotation, and/or scale to apply to another layer. When tracking position, this mode creates one track point on the tracked layer and sets Position keyframes for the target. When tracking rotation, this mode creates two track points on the tracked layer and sets Rotation keyframes for the target. When tracking scale, this mode creates two track points and produces Scale keyframes for the target.

• Parallel Corner Pin tracks skew and rotation, but not perspective; parallel lines remain parallel, and relative distances are preserved. This mode uses three track points in the Layer panel—and calculates the position of the fourth—and sets keyframes for four corner points in a Corner Pin effect property group, which is added to the target. The four attach points mark the placement of the four corner points.

• Perspective Corner Pin tracks skew, rotation, and perspective changes in the tracked layer. This mode uses four track points in the Layer panel and sets keyframes for four corner points in a Corner Pin effect property group, which is added to the target. The four attach points mark the placement of the four corner points. This option is useful for attaching an image to an opening door or the side of a bus that’s turning a corner.

• Raw tracks position only. Use Raw to generate tracking data that you won’t apply using the Apply button. For example, you can copy and paste the keyframes for the Attach Point property to the Position property for a paint stroke; or, you can link effect properties for the Stereo Mixer effect to the x coordinate of the Attach Point property using expressions. Tracking data is stored on the tracked layer. The Edit Target button and the Apply button are not available with this tracking option. You can add track points to a tracker by choosing New Track Point from the Tracker Controls panel menu.

Motion Target

The layer or effect control point that the tracking data is applied to. After Effects adds properties and keyframes to the target to move or stabilize it. Change the target by clicking Edit Target. No target is associated with a tracker if Raw is selected for Track Type.

Analyze buttons

Begins the frame-to-frame analysis of the track point in the source footage:

• Analyze 1 Frame Backward : Analyze the current frame by moving back to the previous frame.

• Analyze Backward : Analyze from the current-time indicator backward to the beginning of the trimmed layer duration.

• Analyze Forward : Analyze from the current-time indicator to the end of the trimmed layer duration.

• Analyze 1 Frame Forward : Analyze the current frame by advancing to the next frame.

Note: While analysis is in progress, the Analyze Backward and Analyze Forward buttons change to a Stop button, with which you can stop analysis when the track drifts or otherwise fails.

Reset

Restores the feature region, search region, and attach point to their default positions and deletes the tracking data from the currently selected track. Tracker Control settings and keyframes already applied to the target layer remain unchanged.

Apply

Sends the tracking data (in the form of keyframes) to the target layer or effect control point.