Persistent Motion Tracking and Performance Issues in High-Speed Gameplay Editing

[snappy11]

Hi I'm new here!

I’m a video editor working with an agency, and I’ve hit a roadblock while creating a dynamic gameplay video for a client (snakeaimtool.pro) where I need to anchor effects like heat distortion and UI overlays to the game’s crosshair. Despite trying standard workflows, I’ve hit three stubborn issues and would love guidance.

First, motion tracking struggles with rapid camera movements. The crosshair jitters or loses alignment during quick pans, even with AE’s Camera Tracker and 3D Camera Tracker. Manual keyframing fixes misalignment temporarily but creates choppy results. Could planar tracking (e.g., Mocha AE) or specific plugins improve stability for such fast-paced footage?

Second, effects gradually detach from tracked points. Heat distortion and UI elements drift over time when parented to nulls derived from tracking data, especially in scenes with motion blur or compression artifacts. Are there compositing techniques, blending modes, or matte adjustments to lock these elements more reliably?

Third, performance tanks with stacked effects. Using CC Particle World for bullet trails and Turbulent Displacement for heat haze causes severe lag, even on my high-spec setup (32GB RAM, RTX 3080). Pre-rendering and lowering preview resolution haven’t helped. Are there proxy workflows, cache optimizations, or GPU tweaks to maintain smooth playback without sacrificing quality?

Additional context: The source footage is 1080p/60FPS with compression artifacts, and the crosshair blends into similarly colored environments (e.g., desert maps). Most tutorials assume slower footage, so niche solutions—like Lockdown for texture tracking or scripting workarounds—would be invaluable.

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

Try using Mocha AE for your tracking. It is a much better tool.

Here is a list of a bunch of good training: https://borisfx.com/free-training/mocha-essentials/

Check out the tracking section first.

[snappy11]

Thanks Rick Gerard.