Answers.Body: <p>You can access the position of a point in a mask with expressions (in AE CC 2017+) with expressions. To access the first point of a mask called "Mask 1" on layer called "my Layer" you'd use</p>
  
  <pre><code>pts = thisComp.layer("my Layer").mask("Mask 1").maskPath.points();
  pts[0]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>note that the points are numbered from 0, so the second point is pts[1], etc.</p>
  
  <p>I'm not 100% sure I understand what you';re trying to do, have you tried doing a standard motion track using the inbuilt motion tracker or Mocha?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-22T11:40:46.877Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-03-22T11:40:46.877Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: stib
Answers.Body: <p>Finally I found this answer</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/868241" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/868241</a></p>
  
  <p>But it's pretty involved.  Is there a better way?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-22T08:53:39.113Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-03-22T08:53:39.113Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: tomh
Body: <p>I want to put a 2D hat on a video clip of a person, whose head is tilting as he speaks.</p>
  
  <p>I can face-track the face using After Effects CC 2017.
  I end up with detailed tracking data, which includes face orientation information.
  I can link the orientation information to a 3D null, but how do I link the positional information of the head?
  The head appears to only be expressed as a percentage (of what?).  </p>
  
  <p>Is there an easy way to connect this percentage data to 3D positional data on a null?</p>
  
  <p>Equally, if I do a simple face track, I get an animated mask.  What's the right way to translate one of the points from that mask into a null that could be parented to another object?</p>
  
Tags: <after-effects><after-effects-expressions>
Title: How to translate face tracking offset values into a 3D null position
UserDisplayName: tomh
ThreadText: # How to translate face tracking offset values into a 3D null position
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-12)
  
  I want to put a 2D hat on a video clip of a person, whose head is tilting as he speaks.
  
  I can face-track the face using After Effects CC 2017.
  I end up with detailed tracking data, which includes face orientation information.
  I can link the orientation information to a 3D null, but how do I link the positional information of the head?
  The head appears to only be expressed as a percentage (of what?).
  
  Is there an easy way to connect this percentage data to 3D positional data on a null?
  
  Equally, if I do a simple face track, I get an animated mask. What's the right way to translate one of the points from that mask into a null that could be parented to another object?
  
  **Tags:** after-effects, after-effects-expressions
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-22. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  You can access the position of a point in a mask with expressions (in AE CC 2017+) with expressions. To access the first point of a mask called "Mask 1" on layer called "my Layer" you'd use
  
  ```
  pts = thisComp.layer("my Layer").mask("Mask 1").maskPath.points();
  pts[0]
  
  ```
  
  note that the points are numbered from 0, so the second point is pts[1], etc.
  
  I'm not 100% sure I understand what you';re trying to do, have you tried doing a standard motion track using the inbuilt motion tracker or Mocha?
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2018-03-22. Score: 0
  
  Finally I found this answer
  
  <https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/868241>
  
  But it's pretty involved. Is there a better way?
  
  
  ---
  
  