The Track To Constraint is a constraint tool in Blender that allows us to make one object always face another object. The “Track-To” may be referred to as the “Look At” or “Aim” function in other 3D software.
It is commonly used for cameras to track objects or for a character’s eyes to follow an object, but the “Track-To” Constraint can be used for other purposes. Here is one of my videos explaining the Track-To Constraint, but step-by-step instructions are below.
Step 1: Select the object that will track another object
The first step is to select the object we want to follow or face the target object. In the video, I select the camera to follow the Suzanne monkey head. [00:14]
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Step 2: Add the Track To Constraint
Once we have selected the object, navigate to the properties panel and select the constraints tab. [00:20] In the constraints tab, click on “Add Object Constraint” and select “Track To” from the menu. [00:27] This will add a Track To Constraint to the selected object.
Step 3: Choose a Target Object
After adding the “Track To” constraint, we will need to choose a target object for the tracking. This will be the object our selected object follows. We can do this by choosing from the list or by using the eyedropper tool to select the target object in the viewport. [00:30]
Step 4: Refine the Tracking
If the object is not tracking the way you want it to, we can adjust the “Track Axis” and “Up” settings in the constraint properties. [01:08]
We can also adjust the influence of the constraint to control how well the object follows the target. [01:13] An influence of 1 will follow the target perfectly, while an influence of 0 will not follow at all.
We can also add keyframes to the influence setting to animate the tracking over time. [01:30]
Configuring the Axis & Alignment (If Needed)
Proper orientation is the most technical part of the Track-To Constraint. Here are some of the settings not fully covered in my video:
Target Z: Use this to align the “Up” axis with the target’s local Z-axis instead of the global world Z.
Track Axis: This is the local axis of your object that should point toward the target. For bones, this is typically the Y axis.
Up Axis: This defines which local axis should point “up” in the world to prevent the object from spinning.
Note: Your Track Axis and Up Axis must be different. If you set them to the same axis, the constraint icon will turn red and stop working.
Conclusion
The “Track To” constraint is a useful tool in Blender. By following these steps, you can easily implement tracking in your projects.
Here’s the Blender Manual’s page on the Track-To Constraint for further reference.
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Take care and stay creative!
Brandon Stocking
