separate tracking circle from video onto it's own layer

[heatherc77398538]

Hi,

I'm really stumped as to how I can have a cursor tracker following the path of a time-lapse drawing. As you can see on the attached screen cap, the cursor circle (yellow at the bottom) is on the same layer as the drawing. Is there a fairly simple way to separate it onto it's own layer in After Effects or some other video editing program? I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

-Heather

[Towerguy · Accepted solution]

Hi. One way:

Precompose the image/ add Keylight and key out the yellow/ create a yellow solid, move to below the image/ set the solid's track matte to Alpha Inverted - you will now have the dot only.

In your main comp place the precomp above your image (on your original image add the Change To Color effect and set the 'From' Color to the yellow and change the 'Change' setting to Hue Lightness and Saturation - the yellow dot will now be white (disappear).

[heatherc77398538]

Thank you so much Towerguy​, I'm a newbie so not sure what any of this means but it will set me in the right direction. I really appreciate it!

-H

[Andrew Yoole]

EDIT:  Beaten to the punch by Towerguy, with a very similar approach. 🙂

If I understand your question, you have a video file (recorded with Camtasia, presumably) of a drawing being progressively drawn.  The cursor position is represented throughout that video as a yellow circle.

You can seperate the yellow cursor indicator with keying.  My approach would be:

Put a white solid layer below your footage layer.

Apply a Linear Colour Key to the footage, and sample the yellow colour.  Adjust settings until the yellow cleanly disappears.

Duplicate the footage layer.  Create a new solid layer that is the colour you want the cursor to be - maybe the same yellow, maybe another colour. Place this solid layer below the uppermost footage layer.

Set the Track Matte option on the new colour solid to "Alpha Inverted Matte".

Precompose the new color solid and upper footage layer (if you want to keep things tidy).

Now you have a cursor layer and the footage layer, independent of each other.

You could also motion track the yellow cursor and then replace the cursor entirely with whatever indicator graphic or shape you wanted.

[heatherc77398538]

Thanks Andrew! Once again, I'm fully green when it comes to AE, so really have no idea what you're talking about but this will send me on a good trail to getting this done. What would be easier, your first suggestion or motion tracking? If only iPad drawing apps had tracking cursor options, or any cursor options at all. The tablet's so good to draw on but not built for animation files.

Really appreciate your response!

-H

[heatherc77398538]

Amazing! Done. This has been a 30 hr search, I am very thankful.