Puppet tool in moving object

[Jua36437208mrjw]

HI, I'm interested in using the puppet tool in a video, with moving objects.
The object moves (the cat), therefore I commanded the puppet tool pins (which are linked to null objects) to tracking the cat's mouth.

The problem is that as soon as the camera moves a little, the whole mouth goes wrong.

The question is simple - how can I use the puppet tool in a moving object in a video without it ruining the effect?

Thanks in advance

[Rick Gerard]

The puppet pin creates the mesh as soon as you add the first pin. That frame will be used for the entire duration of the layer. 

You will have to motion stabilize the cat's face (Mocha AE will work the best), then apply Puppet Pin, pre-compose, move all attributes, and then put the motion back in the pre-comp. Collapsing transformations will also have to be applied to the pre-comp. 

[Jua36437208mrjw]

Thank you for your quick reply!
After I've stabilized the cat's face, how do I "dress" them back into the main video? Because I tried and it doesn't fit exactly, kinda jumpy.

[Rick Gerard]

1. Duplicate the footage layer, name the top copy "Stabilized"
2. Add Mocha AE to the bottom copy of the footage, draw a spline around the cat's mouth, track Transform, Scale, Rotation, and Skew (not perspective), name the layer Stabilize, and save the track
3. Return to AE and Spin Down "Tracking Data" in Mocha's ECP (Effects Control Panel)
4. Click Invert in Tracking Data, Create Track Data, and choose Stabilize
5. Under "Export Options," choose Stabilize, then Choose Transform from the Export Options and apply the tracking data to the Top "Stabilized" layer
6. Preview the track - The cat's mouth should not move. If it does, repeat the track until you get a good one
7. Pre-compose the top "Stabilized" layer, moving all attributes, and find a frame where the cat's mouth is open. Apply a mask around the cat's mouth to get something you can animate
8. Apply Layer/Time/Freeze Frame to capture the cat's open mouth, then Pre-compose again, moving all attributes, and name the layer Mouth
9. You should now have a layer of the cat's open mouth that does not move and stays in the same position on the screen
10. If the mouth does not move, pre-compose again and name the layer "Puppet," and use the Layer/Open Layer menu to open the Puppet layer in the layer panel
11. Use Puppet Pin to animate the mouth
12. Return to the Main Comp, select the footage layer (with Mocha applied), and turn off Invert in the Tracking Data area
13. Make sure that the Puppet layer (layer 1) is selected and Transform is selected in the Export Options and hit apply
14. You should be done

If you already have an animated mouth and the layer is in the right position on frame one, you can apply the Transform tracking data from Mocha directly to the animated mouth layer. 

I do this kind of thing all the time. If you get a good track, your animated mouth will stick to the cat's face as the camera and the cat move.

[Jua36437208mrjw]

You are the man!

Thank you so much Rick, you helped me alot.