Mocha for After Effects +Corner Pin thread

Mocha for After Effects, a standalone motion tracking tool based on Imagineer’s 2.5 D planar tracking system, is included in CS4.

Getting things done in Mocha is a bit different than using the tracker in AE. Besides UI, workflow, and file format support differences, masks themselves are not exported. And data is exported from Mocha -- so you have to make sure start frames are aligned and frame rates and CS4 aspect ratios match. Jeff Foster details his experience in his recent post Tips for Motion Tracking with Mocha for After Effects CS4. (Update: later Jeff added a summary, 3-minute Podcast: Mocha for After Effects CS4 Workflow)

Mylenium adds another caveat, "Now the only unresolved matter is finding a corner pin effect that supports motion blur and provides some more features, for which you can use Revision FX’ RE:Map Planar or the Corner Pin effect included in the soon to be released Red Giant Warp from Red Giant Software." Back in May 2008, Chris & Trish Meyer noted how to use animation presets and expressions to simplify the use of CC Power Pin (instead of Corner Pin filter) with Mocha AE; see mocha AE to CC Power Pin (you get the preset too). Basically Chris automates a tip from Forest Maready and Ross Shain to replace the filter label to CC Power Pin in the AE keyframe data.

(Update: A thread on the AE-List provides additional answers to corner pin problems; see posts by Chris Zwar, David Torno (update), Phil Spitler, and Jim Curtis.)

Here's a few video tutorials for exploring MochaAE; no doubt more are on their way:

• After Effects CS4 Mocha by Richard Harrington shows the basics, perhaps more succinctly than Morning After Effects on Adobe TV.

• Imagineer Mocha Perspective Corner Pin Effect by Aharon Rabinowitz on Creative Cow (which also has an Imagineer Forum).

• Imagineer has several more tutorials for Mocha for After Effects.

If you're in the NYC area, you can checkout these upcoming events:
12-Nov-2008: Free Imagineer training clinic in New York City
28-Oct-2008: Imagineer and Adobe at AENY in October