Tracking - I MUST be missing something.

[JimmyDPhotography]

Actually I KNOW I'm missing something because I can't imagine something this obvious would have been missed by Adobe.

I blur a face with automatic tracking. It does a decent job, but there are a few spots that need some adjusting. I want to use my arrow keys to step through the clip one frame at a time, and use my mouse to re-position the mask on a given frame. Yeah that doesn't work. Why? Because in order for the arrow keys to step through frames, the clip has to be highlighted. But in order to use the mouse to move the mask the effects/mask window has to be clicked, thereby making the arrow keys no longer step through frames.

So go ahead... tell me what I'm missing.

[gened78432486]

I don't quite understand your description of the issue, but I'm going to assume you have your program monitor open so you can see the clip you are affecting there. Then I'll also assume you have your Source window open with the Effects tab visible. As you arrow through the video you see it move in your program monitor and on the source side you see it move frame by frame in the Effects panel. When you come to the point in your video visible on the program monitor where you want to adjust your keyframe, click into the Effect control panel and make your adjustment to the keyframe. Both sides should move in harmony.

[JimmyDPhotography]

Let me try to be more clear. My auto tracking is done, but I need to reposition the mask in many spots. I am looking at the program monitor window. I can use my arrow key to move through the clip one frame at a time. When I get to a frame where I want to reposition the mask, I click into the program monitor window and I can now use my mouse to manually drag the mask where ever I want. BUT... now when I try to use the arrow keys to move to the next frame, it does not work because the program monitor window has the focus.

[gened78432486]

Instead of dragging the mask in the program monitor, click on the preview/source monitor (with Effects Control open). When you find the point you want to adjust the mask, make sure "Mask" is highlighted and reposition there. Now, the program monitor does not have focus and you should be able to move frame by frame in the preview/source monitor while your program monitor follows you along as you click the arrows.

[JimmyDPhotography]

I hope you're not saying I have to use the tiny position controls to move the mask. I simply want to use my arrow keys to move to the next frame, and without clicking anywhere else, use my mouse to move the mask. Every free video editing program lets you do this. Can you try and see if you can do what I'm asking?

[gened78432486]

https://vimeo.com/745165137/a4313d93d1

[JimmyDPhotography]

You just perfectly illustrated my point. Every single time you want to move the mask you have to click on the left, move the mask, then click somewhere else to make the arrow keys work again, and repeat this process every time. What a huge glaring miss in ux design. Imagine just simply being able to arrow to the next frame, move mask with mouse, arrow, move, arrow, move, all without having to worry about what window has the focus. This is how other software does it and it saves a staggering amount of time. Thank you for trying. Huge fail for Adobe

https://vimeo.com/745165137/a4313d93d1

By @gened78432486

[gened78432486]

You can if you use the keyframe arrows rather than the arrows on your keyboard.  I know using the keyboard for speed is always preferable, but just giving you a different option that should be close to just as fast - it's clicking your mouse rather than clicking the keyboard.

[JimmyDPhotography]

Think about what you're suggesting. Moving the mouse across the screen to click tiny little key frame arrows, then move the mouse to the other side to move the mask, then back and forth potentially hundreds of times. As a 30 year software developer I can tell you this is unacceptable. Back to DaVinci Resolve for me. It doesn't have glaring ux holes like this. Thanks again.