I’m a new user to Mocha Pro 2021. I’m using the latest Mocha Pro 2021 plugin with Adobe Premiere 2021 and looking for some help with tracking and linking text to a tracking layer.
All my attempts at tracking (add my spline layer) so far have come out bad … the tracking gets further and further out from the source video initial area defined. Not even close to some of the tutorial videos I’ve watched.
Can someone point me in the right direction, some good quick and easy tutorials (written or video)?
Directions are going to depend on what you need to do with the text. Do you need it to move in space or just follow the object and remain at a constant size? What’s your specific end goal?
I’d like the Text to follow the object/area with the text at a constant size. I’ve tried several strategies at trying to track the area I’m interested in but have no idea how to get the tracking from Mocha to work with a Text FX track in Premiere Pro?
Can you try tracking translation ONLY in Mocha? And then use the insert module to apply the text inside the Surface tool? To use the insert module, see our documentation: Boris FX | Mocha® 2021 User Guide
But your basic steps will be this.
Make sure the text layer is BELOW your clip layer/track
Apply the Mocha Pro plugin to your clip layer/track
In the plugin interface, select the insert layer dropdown and select your text layer
Launch the Mocha Pro plugin
Draw a shape around the mountains
Align the surface tool where your text should be, in this case, you probably want to use the “align surface” tool to extend the surface to the size of the frame on the frame where your text aligns inside of premiere
Track the mountains using TRANSLATION ONLY
Select the insert module tab
In layer properties, select the insert clip dropdown and select your “insert layer” option
Make any adjustments to the surface tool if needed, as the text will now appear in the surface tool
Save and close Mocha
Select the render checkbox and dropdown to insert composite
I don’t know what you mean by item #1? Text layers are on a separate video channel (in my case V2) as this is normal for Adobe Pr. Mocha FX is part of my primary video track (V1) per the need to setup a tracking box/spline.
I did test with “Translation only” but that didn’t seem to be any better for tracking, not sure why track box/shape is expanding so large?? (per my picture).
Not sure what you mean by “draw a shape around the mountains”? I used a rectangular spline to define the tracking area. I’ve also used the pen spline to define an area, but both produced what I think are some odd tracking results.
I’ll have to read up on the Align Surface tool as nothing seems to happen when I try to select it.
Item #10 – no text appearing? Not sure how it could since my Pr Text is in V2 and the tracking in from V1.
Thanks again for all you assistance, sorry if I seem “slow” at figuring this out.
I understand it is normal for Premiere, but if you have the EYE on for visibility on that track it will render twice, because you’re using it as a live insert layer.
I can see in your Mocha track that the tracking parameters are checked through to Perspective & Mesh. Make a totally new layer, track with translation only checked.
A rectangular shape is a shape and fine. I just want you to make a new one.
In order to see what Align Surface is doing, your surface has to be visible. Just turn on surface visibility.
Text will appear when you pipe it in via the insert clip.
Ok, made a new layer with Translation only using the rectangle spline. I tracked the a few seconds … seemed to be working well this time around. Not really sure why but I got a black box mid render?
“under” doesn’t really make any sense in the context of Adobe Pr … anyway, I moved the Text track to V1 and moved the main footage that has Mocha FX to V2 and that made no difference.
All I get is a “Black box” rather than text that is tracking:
What I’m not understanding is how does Mocha associate my Text Video track as the source for tracking? Is that handled thru:
Render = checked
Module = Insert: Composite
Insert Layer = Video 1 to 3?
Is there any straight forward tutorial anywhere that demonstrates how to accomplish text tracking using Mocha Pro from Adobe Premiere? I’ve Google searched and can’t find anything using Mocha Pro with Premiere only with other suites like Vegas … I see lots of tutorials on tracking for Mocha, but NOTHING for text tracking.
The reason you have to move it under is because you still have to have it visible. And when you have it visible, it will still render on top of your other video track. In this case you don’t want that behavior. You want Mocha to use that as an insert layer instead.
We do not have a tutorial for this specific workflow that you are trying to do. However, I will set something up in premier really quick and see if I can figure out where this is having a hiccup.
I really would appreciate that … as shown in my screenshots, moving the text video track below the footage video tracks doesn’t make any difference. Also, you can manage “Visibility” in Pr via the EYE icon on each video track, there is no need to re-arrange “under”.
Look forward to see whatever you come up with for Pr and will try it out my side.
If you turn visibility off on the layer you are inserting into the other, it will not be visible anymore. That’s why it matters. I know the functionality in Premiere, I am asking you to do the workflow this way for a reason.
OK, I tested this on my end. When the clip/text/graphic is VISIBLE and UNDER the footage it works. I used a graphic, so I had to nest it to get it to render properly.
The black is very likely because you have the visibility turned off and it is rendering black. Can you try that and let me know and nest it if you are still having issues? Think of the insert clip as a live layer that will be updated inside the insert. If you have it off, it is going to render black.
Ok, I did the workflow exactly as you outlined (per my screenshots). No, my visibility was on per my screenshots above.
Looking at your screenshot you have a “nested sequence”? How are you creating the nested sequence? I can’t see what value you set in Mocha FX in Pr for “Insert Layer”? (none, Video 1, Video 2, etc.)
Think of nesting as a wrapper, if there’s something going on with the clip that is rendering oddly, nesting it can act as a nice, sanitary little bubble to prevent any interaction between plugins or parameter changes.
The text is just a sequence/clip on a track, it shouldn’t matter what you are inserting, it should just insert. In Mocha, the surface tool is linked to the track by default, the surface tool is also the visual representation of the track. When you’re doing an insert, the surface tool is where the insert populates whether you are inserting text or a screen or whatever it is you need to insert, and whether or not that is an insert layer or an outside PNG you are importing into Mocha. There’s no need to link to any other track, as long as you’re using the surface tool on the layer you tracked for your insert.
Think of it like sticking a sticker over something. The surface tool is the border of the sticker.
If you have a number I can reach you at, you can email it to maryp@borisfx.com and I can call you, it might be faster than going back and forth here.