TrackX 4 Documentation

CoreMelt TrackX 4 allows you to track inserted graphics into your video, and has many uses.  First, here is a quick reference guide to the user interface. We then we recommend you look at our video tutorials, and the hotkey guide sheet.

User interface overview

Press the "open editor" button after you add an effect from the category "C2 TrackX 4" to a clip. The TrackX interface will open full screen as shown below.  You can scrub the length of the current shot using the play controls at bottom.  See the image below for a summary of the controls.  When finish, press the "save changes" button to return to the main FCP X screen with your tracked graphic inserted in the shot.

Workflow for Screen Replace

When using the Screen Replace effect you can immediately click on the four corners of the screen you are replacing in the order top left / top right / bottom right / bottom left.  It's suggested you set the insert image using the drop zone before you pick the four corner points.  With the the Surface Image Layer selected you can then adjust the options for how the insert image is scaled to the screen area using the the "Fit Image" controls.  Once you have set the screen area you can immediately track, see the video tutorial for more information.

Workflow for Track Callout

Often when tracking a callout you will want a different track area to the insert area.  This is done by using a polygon shape attached to the surface image layer and changing it's blend mode from add to replace.  Please see this tutorial.

Workflow for Track and Lockdown

This effect is for keeping an object locked in the center of the screen.  Create a shape that matches the object you want to center, track then change from source to result in the Track and Lockdown parameters at bottom left. See this tutorial for more details.

Workflow for Track Layer

Track Layer is mostly intended for cases where the insert graphic is not a simple rectangle. There are numerous ways this can be done.  See this tutorial.

Using a mask to put the background back over the insert graphic.

Track Layer, Screen Replace and Track Callout all have a mask layer that it switched off as a default.  This mask layer allows you to deal with an obstruction between your screen insert and the camera and track it separately from the screen or insert layer.  Please see this tutorial.

Guide to tools in the palette

	Select Tool: use this to transform or move any point or shape after it has been created.
	Pan Tool: use this to move around the image if you are zoomed in (see viewer zoom at top right)
	Rounded Rectangle / Circle Tools: drag to create rounded rectangles with a control which can be moved to change the shape to a circle
	Polygon shape tool: draw shapes with a straight line from point to point
	Bezier shape tool: draw shapes with tangents controlling the curvature at each point
	Freehand shape tool: draw a shape by freely moving the cursor in any direction

 For examples of usage of the above tools, please take a look at our list of TrackX tutorials

Tips for best usage

TrackX has many uses, so we can't detail every single case. There will be a certain amount of trial and error in learning to track inserted graphics efficiently.  Keep in mind that you can always track a different shape to the actual position of the insert graphic. . Creating a new shape after tracking keeps the same tracked motion and can be a powerful technique.

Use the checkboxes on nodes to toggle them on and off.  This can help fine tune your work.

Layers & Strokes & Nodes Window

 This window lets you select nodes, turn them on and off, and change their opacity.  All TrackX  templates (except Track and Lockdown) have a background layer and an effect layer.  Use the shape and named node (eg Blur Shape Mask) to set the effect as wanted.  Selecting the named node eg "Blur Shape Mask", loads the specific parameters for this effect into the bottom left parameter inspector.

 Layer Tracking Window:

This window has the controls for setting tracking parameters before you track, starting the track either forwards and backwards from the current frame, and manipulating track data, including deleting track data.  See this video tutorial for a detailed explanation.

 Effects Parameters Window:

​The parameters in this window vary in each template in TrackX 4.  This is where the unique parameters for each template are located (e.g. saturation and blur controls parameters for Screen Re[;ace).  Each parameter is described in the tutorials on each effect here.