How do I track X and Y separately in CS6 Ae?

[Bassquake]

I'm simply trying to track some footage once along the X axis, then I track again along the Y axis. Its just much more solid tracking if I do them separately. But whenever I apply the stabilised motion it keeps overwriting the other. Even though I choose to apply it just on to the X or Y axis when the option pops up when Apply.

Its really annoying!

So how can I create 2 tracking keyframes and apply them to the same footage? I don't want to have to render out one tracked footage, then re-import and track again. That seems daft. So help appreciated. Thanks.

ps: If anyone's interested, the reason I have to track separately is because I'm tracking sprocket holes on film and need to eliminate weave.

[Rick Gerard]

I suspect that your feature region is not big enough. There is no difference in tracking if you use the same points. You do not get better results if you apply to the X-axis first, then apply to the Y.

Your question actually does not make any sense. Tracking sprocket holes on film ??? If you have had the film scanned and you can see the sprocket holes then the most reasonable thing to is Motion Stabilize the footage using most if not all of a sprocket hole as the feature region. If you are trying to eliminate gate weave or other problems, and the footage is just 8MM home movies then you don't have pin registered footage so locking the sprocket holes in position will not smooth out the footage in the same way it would if the footage was shot with a professional camera that has good pin registration.

[Bassquake]

Yes its 8mm and 9.5mm film.

I cant track the whole sprocket hole as its too large. It would take about 5 minutes to do one frame. Tracking just one small area to focus on is far quicker so I track say just the bottom of the sprocket hole to eliminate jumping, or I do the side of the sprocket to eliminate weaving. They both work great, but as I've said, I cant seem to apply them both.

Is there no way to "bake" the tracking then do another track and apply it too?

I don't want to stabilise the footage itself, I just want to remove the jumping and weaving effect.

[dj.summitt]

Regardless of whether that's a good workflow or not, just do your first track (let's say this is for the X). Now apply that to a null. Right-click your position value of the item you want to apply the motion to - then choose Separate Dimensions. Pickwhip the X to the X value of the null. Then repeat for the Y.

[Bassquake]

i tried what you suggested thanks but all it does it moves the null. I can't choose Stabilise in the options when applying the tracked motion to the Null, it has to be Transform. So how do I get it to do the opposite motion so it negates the weave and jumping?

[Bassquake · Accepted solution]

Cant seem to edit comments. Anyhoo, I got it working by doing the following:

• Track for the X axis to a Null using Type Transform in Stabilise setting Edit Target to (named it) xNull.
• In the xNulls layer dropdown for Transform, right click Position and Separate Position Values.
• On the movies Anchor Point, drag the wiggle to the xNulls X position in the xNull layers Transform dropdown.
• Now track for the Y axis, naming the null layer yNull.
• Separate the yNulls position values.
• Now on the movies Transform Anchor Point, you should see the Expression stuff showing. Rewrite the code as:

xPos = thisComp.layer("Xnull").transform.xPosition;

yPos = thisComp.layer("Ynull").transform.yPosition;

[xPos, yPos]

• Add another Null. Parent the movie to this null. You can now position the movie where you want with the tracking applied.

This works perfectly for what I need. Hope will be of use to others.

[Bassquake]

Edit: drag the wiggle = drag the pick whip

[Bassquake]

Edit: In the expression, "Xnull" and "Ynull" should be "xNull" and "yNull". Same to what you named your layers as.