Learn how to do one point tracking in After Effects in this tutorial. Perfect for beginners looking to improve their motion tracking skills! In Adobe After Effects, tracking is the process of analyzing the movement of pixels in a video so you can attach other elements (like text or logos) to that movement. Here is a breakdown of the different types of tracking and when you should use each one. 1. Point Tracking (The Traditional Method) Located in the Tracker Panel, this is the most basic form of tracking. It uses small squares to follow specific high-contrast pixels. Single-Point Tracking: Tracks Position only. Best for simple objects like a floating name tag above someone’s head or a glowing orb following a hand. Two-Point Tracking: Tracks Position, Scale, and Rotation. Use this when the object you are tracking gets closer/further from the camera or rotates. Four-Point (Corner Pin) Tracking: Tracks four points to define a surface. This is the "old school" way to do screen replacements (putting a new video onto a phone or laptop screen). 2. Planar Tracking (Mocha AE) Planar tracking doesn't just look at one point; it looks at an entire flat surface (a plane). After Effects comes with a built-in version of Mocha AE for this. Best For: Screen replacements, signs on walls, or tracking surfaces that get partially blocked by other objects. Why use it? It is much more robust than point tracking. If a person walks in front of the screen you're tracking, Mocha can "guess" the movement based on the surrounding pixels, whereas a point tracker would simply fail. 3. 3D Camera Tracking Instead of tracking an object in the video, this tracks the camera itself. It analyzes the entire scene to create a virtual 3D camera that matches the real-life one. Best For: Placing 3D objects (like text or 3D models) onto the ground or into a scene so they look like they truly exist in that physical space. When to avoid: If you only need to attach something to a moving car or a person, use Point or Planar tracking. 3D Camera Tracking is for when the camera is the thing moving. 4. Mask Tracking This allows you to draw a shape (mask) around an object and have that shape follow it automatically. Best For: Blur effects (like blurring a face or a license plate) and basic rotoscoping. Key Feature: You can right-click a mask and select "Track Mask" to open the Mask Tracker panel. It’s fast but doesn't provide "data" you can easily parent other layers to without extra steps. 5. Warp Stabilizer While technically an effect, it uses tracking to smooth out shaky handheld footage. It analyzes the background and applies "counter-moves" to keep the frame steady. 00:00 Introduction 16:53 Marker 1