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Using the Track Matte effect

Video / Image editing, advanced techniques, computer settings, third party software, shortcuts, workarounds ... share your tips and tricks here.

Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Kitwn » Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:51 am

I decided it would be fun to use 'Indiana Jones' style maps as part of my epic production about our US holiday last year. This is where we see a tracking map with an aeroplane dragging a red line across it. I’ve put an example in the gallery under ‘kitwn’. Hopefully the following link will work:

http://muvipix.com/cpg/albums/userpics/ ... _Map_1.wmv

This was done using the ‘Track Matte’ effect and required 2 separate video tracks of the background map, with and without the red line, to be panned in sync and both the matte layer and aeroplane to move as well.

Normally you only see the uppermost video track on your timeline. The track matte effect works by using the uppermost track (track 3), consisting of a white shape on a black or transparent background, to cut a hole in the video on track 2 to reveal an area of track 1. The white on black image on track 3 is not visible itself.

The combined movement of the map layers and matte is used to slowly reveal part of the lower map layer, which has the red line on it. Since both map layers are otherwise identical, the red line appears to grow across the map. Another layer then adds the moving plane above that.

The Track Matte effect is known to be pretty flaky in pre and here are a few tips I found to make it work for producing the moving map:

1) As recommended elsewhere on Muvipix, make the effect sequence a separate, new project.

2) Read the excellent free sample chapter on the track matte from Steve's book ‘Cool Tricks & Hot Tips” at
http://muvipix.com/cooltricks.php

3) Where the video tracks and/or matte layer are composed of still pictures larger than a standard video frame which you will be panning across, put each picture on it’s relevant track then right click and uncheck ‘scale to fit’.

4) Get the movements for each layer worked out using keyframe animation. To make two layers of video pan in sync (as needed for the maps here) get the movements correct on one layer, then right click that track and select 'copy'. Right click on the other track and 'paste attributes'.

5) The track matte effect gets very confused if the video tracks used consist of images which reach beyond the normal edges of the video frame. Once you have your 3 layers (the aeroplane is added later) and their animation worked out, export (click ‘file’,’export’ or use the ‘share’ menu) each layer separately as an AVI file (right click on the individual tracks and toggle 'enable' to get the layers one at a time).
Once you are sure these AVIs are OK, delete the original video tracks and replace them with the AVIs.
At Last (!) you can apply the track matte effect and see the results of your efforts. A red line growing across a map.

If you’re happy with it, add the aeroplane as another animated layer and finally export the whole thing as an AVI file which you can insert into the main project. You will also need to rip the music off your ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ DVD.

To get the map I used the ‘Print Screen’ key to grab areas of Google maps and used pse7 to stitch together several screen grabs to get the final map. Some playing about with the original map resolution in Google maps and with the ‘resize’ tool in pse was needed to get exactly the scale and detail I wanted in the final product.

A lot of hair pulling and trial and error to begin with, but once the detail was worked out I quickly produced maps for the other flights and the car journeys as well. :yh:

Have fun

Kit
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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Chris B » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:21 am

Nice explanation Kit. Track matte has got to be one of the most powerful/flexible effects in PE - but it is fussy! Perhaps there should be a warning dialogue every time it's used "Warning this is a one time operation - no further editing can be done after applying this effect!" ;)
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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Kitwn » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:16 am

Thanks Chris.

It's always dificult to know how much detail to include and what to leave out of an explanation like this. The devil is most definately in the detail and knowing just what to right click on and which option to select/deselect at a dozen different steps along the way is crucial to sucess. On the other hand you don't want to baffle the novice user with too much detail in one hit! You actually need to master a number of separate techniques for this kind of work. Including some detailed image manipulation in Photoshop Elements and keyframe animation to start with.

Probably the two most critical parts of making this project work in PRE are the 'paste attributes' tool which is what makes it possible to have a moving map rather than a static background and the idea of converting each track to a new AVI file before applying the track matte effect which overcomes some very quirky behaviour in the effect itself. Other tricks, such as zooming in and out of the map or adding drop shadows to the plane and red line would actually be quite simple to include.

I'm still amazed at what is possible using an ordinary home computer (in this case a mere laptop!) and a quite cheap piece of software at home. It's only twenty years or so since I was very impressed by the shiny new-fangled non-linear editting suite installed at the BBC training centre where I then worked. It could do less than PRE can do now and would have cost me several years wages to install at home. And it filled most of a 19 inch rack. I couldn't tuck that under my arm and do video editting on the lounge table.

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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Paul LS » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:28 am

Yes very nice Kit. And some good tips on using the Track matte effect, I hope they save other folks some headaches.
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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby momoffduty » Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:06 am

Great how-to Kit. Should be very helpful to anyone trying this effect. :tup:
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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Bill Hunt » Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:31 pm

Well done, and thank you for sharing. I feel that I will be linking to your article quite often.

Looks like you landed at MSY (New Orleans' Louis Armstrong airport). Did you visit the city, or just launch out from there?

Appreciated,

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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Chuck Engels » Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:37 pm

They actually landed in Florida Hunt
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Re: Using the Track Matte effect

Postby Steve Grisetti » Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:34 am

Great fun, Kit! Glad you were able to use the effect!
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