Edit Track Motion By Frame

[KaylaLove]

I am new to After Effects. I taught myself in 2019 how to use it but stopped for almost a year and now back to it again. I am an advance PS and AI user. 

Anyways, I am having trouble with the track motion feature. Everytime I try going frame by frame to make the track motion perfect, I hit play on the track motion and then it complete writes over the adjustments and doesn't "save" my work. I know there is a way to edit this frame by frame, but I can't seem to find any forums, youtube videos, etc. on how to do this. For some idea of what I am doing, I am using the perspective corner pin option and 1 corner bounces around a lot. 

Thanks!

[Szalam]

The tracker panel doesn't have any "play" buttons. Those are "track forward" and "track backward" buttons.

You should move through your comp with page up and page down keys on your keyboard to frame forward and back instead. Or, since you have keyframes there, J and K keys will also work.

[Warren Heaton]

Expanding on what Szalam wrote, it sounds like you're inadvertently restarting the track by using the Track Forward/Track Backward buttons.

Those are only used when you want AE to do the track.

After the track is complete, you need to use the Preview controls.

[KaylaLove]

Okay- I get what you both are saying. So basically, I am doing it to myself when hitting play again haha.

Just to clarify, if I change my points frame by frame, I shouldn't hit play because that is when it is writing over itself? And, if I adjust my points frame by frame, it will "save" the changes I made to it?

I think that is where I am getting confused because I was hitting play on the track motion instead of the preview like Warrren said.

Thanks for your help! It's fun learning something new but tricky when it's self-taught with no one to ask questions to 🙂