When tracking a mask in After Effects, can I switch the method during?

[Letty2019]

Just a basic face mask, there is movement during the scene.

When tracking the mask, I've been using "positition and rotation" in the Tracker panel. (manually clicking the arrow frame by frame.)

But what if in the middle of the the clip, I switch to "position" only?

Does that screw up AE?   or does AE remember each mask adjustment depending on each tracking method setting??

Thanks!
Letty

[Mylenium · Accepted solution]

You can't switch the method halfway through, as AE simply will erase all prevous data, anyway. That aside, it's a terrible workflow. The proper way to do it is to simply run multiple tracks with different methods on duplicate layers, apply the data and then merge the results by copy & pasting keyframes (or blending them using expressions) and tweaking the result.

Mylenium

[Rick Gerard]

Split the layer when you want to use different tracking methods. I'm with Mylenium, figure out exactly what you need, and then use duplicates, split layers, and different tracking and stabilizing methods on each layer to accomplish your goals. I often take the original footage, duplicate it 3 or 4 times, pre-compose one copy so I can add color correction to make the tracking work better, Motion Stabilize a copy if I need to have something stop moving in the shot so I can simplify masking, Corner Pin track or use Mocha to surface track something in the shot, or Camera track the footage.  All of the copies, in one form or another, are used to create the final composite. Many of my composites would be nearly impossible if I tried to use one copy of the footage. 

[Letty2019]

Thanks both of you!  Great answers.  Problem solved.

I could only give one the "correct" so gave it to Mylenium, caz he was the early bird.

Thanks again!

Letty