New user, tracking hints and how to link Text to tracking layer?

Mocha Pro
#1

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)?

Cheers, Rob.

#2

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?

#3

Hi Mary,

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?

Here is the Mocha setup

MochaPro1
MochaPro15120×1400 559 KB
MochaPro2
MochaPro25120×1400 618 KB

Here is the Premiere Pro setup

MochaPro3
MochaPro35120×1400 652 KB
MochaPro4
MochaPro45120×1400 532 KB

Objective is to track the Mt. Diablo peaks from my video (from aircraft).

Cheers, Rob.

#4

Hi Rob,

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.

  1. Make sure the text layer is BELOW your clip layer/track
  2. Apply the Mocha Pro plugin to your clip layer/track
  3. In the plugin interface, select the insert layer dropdown and select your text layer
  4. Launch the Mocha Pro plugin
  5. Draw a shape around the mountains
  6. 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
  7. Track the mountains using TRANSLATION ONLY
  8. Select the insert module tab
  9. In layer properties, select the insert clip dropdown and select your “insert layer” option
  10. Make any adjustments to the surface tool if needed, as the text will now appear in the surface tool
  11. Save and close Mocha
  12. Select the render checkbox and dropdown to insert composite

Your text should now follow.

#5

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.

Cheers, Rob.

#6

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. :slight_smile:

Hope that helps,
Mary

#7

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?

MochaPro5
MochaPro55120×1400 463 KB
MochaPro6
MochaPro65120×1400 233 KB

Just to be clear, I added the Mocha Pro FX to my primary video V1 in Pr. The Text I’ve created in Pr is on V2.

In Pr V1 Mocha FX is set to:
Render = checked
Module = Insert: Composite
Insert Layer = Video 2

Should I be seeing the text (V2 from Pr) in Mocha? Either way, my V2 text in Pr isn’t tracking?

I guess I don’t understand how Mocha will use my V2 text track? Using “Insert Layer = Video 2” seems to render a what Mocha renders (black box)?

Cheers, rob.

#8

That’s your insert layer. Video 2. Is Video two visible? And not underneath Video 1?

#9

V2 (Video Track 2 where my Text resides) in Pr is visible and resides above V1 (Video Track 1). Both V1 and V2 are set to visible.

V1 = my main footage where I use Mocha FX for tracking the Mountain peak
V2 = my text (“Mt. Diablo”)

Is the odd “Black box” that is being rendered in V1 supposed to be my V2 track with the text?

Cheers, Rob.

#10

Your Text needs to be under your footage.

Try nesting your text and let me know how it is brought in. But move it under your video track, please.

#11

“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:

From Mocha:

MochaPro8
MochaPro85120×1400 232 KB

From Pr:

MochaPro9
MochaPro95120×1400 471 KB

Render In/Out makes no difference.

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.

Cheers, Rob.

#12

Hi Rob,

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.

#13

Hi Mary,

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.

Cheers, Rob.

#14

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.

#15

test.PNG
test.PNG3118×2151 965 KB

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.

#16

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.)

#17

I right click on the sequence and select the nest option. The value is Video 1 for the Insert Layer.

#18

Still not working here. Is the nested sequence a requirement for text tracking?

I’m still not clear on how the Text Video track gets “linked” to the tracking data in Mocha? Am I missing something obvious?

#19

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.

#20

The good news is, nesting the text fixed the issue. :slight_smile: That’s a really good thing to try when things do not work as planned. Nest or precomp the problem.