<p>some possibilities:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>You are trying to track a very general area. Try to track a smaller
area with well differentiated colors (maybe another footage).</p></li>
<li><p>You are using CC 2014. There are bugs that have been solved since
then. Why don't you try to update your After Effects version to
2015.3.</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-18T22:15:58.363Z
I use CS6, which preceeds 2014 CC and the tracker feature works great. Was that a known bug?
McFlySoHigh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-19T21:00:00.770Z
Maybe. There are several lists with known bugs. For example: https://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/known-issues-in-after-effects-cc-2015-13-5.
VJ Galaxy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-13T09:23:47.510Z
Answer 1 is not the answer, I've tried different sizes, different videos, different video resolutions, everything imaginable.
Sam Tubb
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-13T09:24:03.630Z
Answer 2 however could be possible. I'll get back to you on that.
Sam Tubb
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T17:28:47.310Z
2016-09-12T17:28:47.310Z
VJ Galaxy
<p>Make sure your trackers are being applied to points that are trackable. That is #1. Second, there are two bounding boxes, the inner box being the point you are tracking, the second, is the bias that AE will use to determine how much drift it will allow to maintain smooth motion / spline, or curve which requires zooming the footage and thus a loss of resolution. </p>

<p>There are Advanced options in the tracker panel, in terms of how the tracker will analyze the footage. Using RGB vs Luma is one. Second, make sure Detailed Analysis is checked. </p>

<p>The trackers shouldnt stray, as long as you've placed them on a point that has relatively decent contrast and a "point" of reference that moves -- IMPORTANT -- and stays -- within the outer bounding box of the next discreet frame. </p>

<p>If the track point, going frame by frame (you can analyze it that way, go frame by frame to test, and make sure that, on your next frame, the track point is still inside the outer bounding box, otherwise the tracker will lose it. </p>

<p>Think of the outer box as the "field of view" where the tracker looks for the point to follow. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-18T22:15:11.987Z
2016-09-18T22:15:11.987Z
McFlySoHigh
<p>I've tested this on numerous videos: whenever I try to track motion in a video, the track point just flys straight up.. no matter how many different ways I've tried it, it also does this. I've linked a gif of what I'm talking about.</p>

<p>I hadn't touched AE for a few months, and motion tracking worked fine before, the only difference between now and then is 1-2 windows updates.</p>

<p>Please help, I need this for a production due Friday (if this is the wrong place to ask this question please let me know)</p>

<p>gif of problem - <a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/l2SpXUaPwPEoz4LzW" rel="nofollow">http://giphy.com/gifs/l2SpXUaPwPEoz4LzW</a> </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-06T23:33:04.440Z
Is it only doing it on that piece of footage? Have a try on another video to see if the problem is localised to that file or a general problem with AE.
stib
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-07T00:53:08.100Z
as I stated in the question, I've tried this with SO many different videos and reinstalled AE.. i really am confused.
Sam Tubb
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-08T00:50:52.237Z
I'm far from an expert on AE, let alone motion tracking, but it looks like it is trying to track the bricks. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but does the same thing happen with a plain background?
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-08T02:53:56.217Z
yep. really confusing. and it's always a straight line, above the tracking point. Thanks for the reply!
Sam Tubb
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-13T12:51:13.110Z
@SamTubb I'd suggest convert the footage into an image sequence first to ensure that this is not an internal encoding issue (since the tracker seems to find nothing).
p2or
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-14T08:08:42.570Z
@SamTubb The built-in tracker is really bad (IMO). However, you can try to decrease the *search area* and pin it on the ear instead. Just let me know if this works or not. Otherwise I'll write some instructions. Are you allowed to provide the footage? Unfortunately I can't find something similar on my machine :)
p2or
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-14T18:29:43.137Z
I don't really have any of the footage anymore.. I used mask tracking to finish the project, and I turned it in last week (it turned out great still) but I just want to know what the issue is.
Sam Tubb
<after-effects><motion><tracking>
After Effects: Strange motion tracking problem
Sam Tubb
# After Effects: Strange motion tracking problem

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-06)

I've tested this on numerous videos: whenever I try to track motion in a video, the track point just flys straight up.. no matter how many different ways I've tried it, it also does this. I've linked a gif of what I'm talking about.

I hadn't touched AE for a few months, and motion tracking worked fine before, the only difference between now and then is 1-2 windows updates.

Please help, I need this for a production due Friday (if this is the wrong place to ask this question please let me know)

gif of problem - <http://giphy.com/gifs/l2SpXUaPwPEoz4LzW>

**Tags:** after-effects, motion, tracking

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Is it only doing it on that piece of footage? Have a try on another video to see if the problem is localised to that file or a general problem with AE.  
> **username_0**: as I stated in the question, I've tried this with SO many different videos and reinstalled AE.. i really am confused.  
> **username_2**: I'm far from an expert on AE, let alone motion tracking, but it looks like it is trying to track the bricks. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but does the same thing happen with a plain background?  
> **username_0**: yep. really confusing. and it's always a straight line, above the tracking point. Thanks for the reply!  
> **username_3**: @SamTubb I'd suggest convert the footage into an image sequence first to ensure that this is not an internal encoding issue (since the tracker seems to find nothing).  
> **username_3**: @SamTubb The built-in tracker is really bad (IMO). However, you can try to decrease the *search area* and pin it on the ear instead. Just let me know if this works or not. Otherwise I'll write some instructions. Are you allowed to provide the footage? Unfortunately I can't find something similar on my machine :)  
> **username_0**: I don't really have any of the footage anymore.. I used mask tracking to finish the project, and I turned it in last week (it turned out great still) but I just want to know what the issue is.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-09-12. Score: 1

some possibilities:

1. You are trying to track a very general area. Try to track a smaller
   area with well differentiated colors (maybe another footage).
2. You are using CC 2014. There are bugs that have been solved since
   then. Why don't you try to update your After Effects version to
   2015.3.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Answer 1 is not the answer, I've tried different sizes, different videos, different video resolutions, everything imaginable.  
> **username_0**: Answer 2 however could be possible. I'll get back to you on that.  
> **username_5**: I use CS6, which preceeds 2014 CC and the tracker feature works great. Was that a known bug?  
> **username_4**: Maybe. There are several lists with known bugs. For example: https://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/known-issues-in-after-effects-cc-2015-13-5.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-09-18. Score: 0

Make sure your trackers are being applied to points that are trackable. That is #1. Second, there are two bounding boxes, the inner box being the point you are tracking, the second, is the bias that AE will use to determine how much drift it will allow to maintain smooth motion / spline, or curve which requires zooming the footage and thus a loss of resolution.

There are Advanced options in the tracker panel, in terms of how the tracker will analyze the footage. Using RGB vs Luma is one. Second, make sure Detailed Analysis is checked.

The trackers shouldnt stray, as long as you've placed them on a point that has relatively decent contrast and a "point" of reference that moves -- IMPORTANT -- and stays -- within the outer bounding box of the next discreet frame.

If the track point, going frame by frame (you can analyze it that way, go frame by frame to test, and make sure that, on your next frame, the track point is still inside the outer bounding box, otherwise the tracker will lose it.

Think of the outer box as the "field of view" where the tracker looks for the point to follow.


---

