If you’re trying to figure out how to rotoscope footage in Adobe After Effects, you may have noticed that the tools have changed. With the introduction of the Object Matte Tool in After Effects 2026, Adobe has added a new way to automatically select and isolate subjects from their backgrounds.
The Object Matte Tool makes it easier to create masks around people, objects, and other elements in your footage without manually drawing around every detail. Whether you’re trying to remove a background, isolate a moving subject, or create a more advanced motion graphics composition, this tool can significantly speed up your workflow.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use the Object Matte Tool in After Effects, where to find the original Roto Brush-style selection tools, and how to refine your selections for cleaner results.
What Is the Object Matte Tool in After Effects?
The Object Matte Tool is a selection and rotoscoping tool in Adobe After Effects that uses AI-powered subject recognition to identify and isolate objects in your footage.
Instead of manually drawing a mask around a subject, you can hover over different objects in your footage and click to select the one you want to isolate. After Effects will automatically generate a matte around that subject.
This is particularly useful when working with footage of people, moving objects, or other elements that you want to separate from the background.
The Object Matte Tool is also useful for motion graphics workflows where you need to place text, graphics, or other visual elements behind a person or object.
1. Where to Find the Object Matte Tool in After Effects
If you’ve updated to After Effects 2026 and are wondering where the rotoscope tool went, you’ll find the new Object Matte Tool in the Tools panel.
To access it:
- Open your composition in After Effects.
- Locate the Tools panel at the top of the interface.
- Click and hold the selection tool menu to reveal the additional tools.
- Select the Object Matte Tool.
When you expand this menu, you’ll also find other selection tools that can be used to isolate different areas of your footage.
The Object Matte Tool is the new option for automatically identifying subjects, while the Quick Selection Tool provides a more traditional brush-based selection workflow.
2. How to Rotoscope a Person Using the Object Matte Tool
Let’s walk through an example of isolating a person from the background.
For this example, I’m using a video clip of a person running. The goal is to remove the background and create a matte around the person so that they can be used independently in the composition.
Follow these steps:
- Select the Object Matte Tool from the Tools panel.
- Open your video layer in the Layer panel.
- Hover over the person or object you want to isolate.
- After Effects will highlight recognizable subjects in magenta.
- Click the subject you want to select.
After you click, After Effects will automatically generate a selection around the subject.
One useful part of this workflow is that you can keep the Layer panel open alongside your Composition panel. This allows you to make selections in the Layer panel while seeing how the resulting matte looks in your actual composition.
You can immediately see which areas of the footage are being included or removed, making it easier to identify parts of the selection that need additional refinement.
3. How to Use the Quick Selection Tool in After Effects
If you’re looking for the original rotoscope functionality, you’ll find a similar workflow through the Quick Selection Tool.
To access it, double-click your video clip in the timeline. This opens the selected layer in the Layer panel.
From there, select the Quick Selection Tool and click and drag over the subject you want to isolate.
The tool works similarly to the traditional Roto Brush workflow, allowing you to make selections by brushing over your subject.
You can also hold down the Option key on your keyboard to remove areas from your selection.
Quick Selection Tool vs. Object Matte Tool
Both tools can help you isolate subjects, but they work differently.
- Object Matte Tool: Automatically recognizes subjects when you hover over them, allowing you to select an entire object with a click.
- Quick Selection Tool: Lets you manually brush over areas to build or adjust your selection.
- Selection Brush Tool: Allows you to brush over specific areas of the image without automatically snapping to a recognized subject.
The Object Matte Tool is a great starting point when After Effects can clearly identify your subject. The Quick Selection and Selection Brush tools are useful when you need more control over exactly what gets included in your selection.
4. How to Refine Edges in After Effects Using the Refine Edge Tool
One of the biggest challenges when rotoscoping footage is getting clean edges around complicated areas like hair, fast-moving objects, and other soft details.
Even when After Effects does a good job selecting your subject, some fine details may be missing from the initial matte.
This is where the Refine Edge Tool comes in.
To use it:
- Select the Refine Edge Tool from the Tools panel.
- Zoom in on the area you want to improve.
- Click and drag around the edges of your subject.
- Brush over areas such as hair that you want to include in the selection.
For example, if After Effects cuts out part of someone’s hair, you can brush around the hairline to help bring those missing details back into the matte.
The Composition panel will show how these adjustments affect the final result.
The Refine Edge Tool is especially useful for subjects with complicated edges where a standard selection might look too sharp or remove important details.
5. Best Object Matte Settings for Cleaner Rotoscoping Results
After creating your initial selection, you can further refine the matte using the advanced settings in the Effect Controls panel.
One advantage of the Object Matte Tool in After Effects is that it provides additional controls for refining your selection.
Two settings worth paying attention to are Use Motion Blur and Decontaminate Edge Colors.
Use Motion Blur
Enable Use Motion Blur to help preserve the appearance of motion-blurred areas around your subject.
This can be particularly useful when isolating people or objects that are moving quickly. Without motion blur, the edges of a moving subject can look unnaturally sharp compared to the original footage.
Decontaminate Edge Colors
Decontaminate Edge Colors helps improve the appearance of edges when separating a subject from its original background.
When you remove a background, the original background colors can sometimes remain visible around the edges of your subject. This can create an unwanted outline or halo effect.
Enabling Decontaminate Edge Colors can help make the edges look more natural by addressing those leftover background colors.
For the running-person example, enabling both options helps preserve more of the hair detail and creates a more realistic-looking matte.
6. How to Preview and Render Your Object Matte
Once you’re happy with your selection and matte settings, you’ll need to preview the result across the entire clip.
To do this:
- Make sure your video layer is open in the Layer panel.
- Move the playhead to the beginning of the clip.
- Click the Play button in the preview window or press the Spacebar.
- Allow After Effects to process the matte across your footage.
- Review the result in the Composition panel.
After Effects will process the selection as the footage plays, allowing you to see how well the subject remains isolated as it moves.
Once the processing is complete, review the entire clip to make sure the matte is consistent.
If you notice areas where the selection isn’t quite right, you can return to the Object Matte Tool and use the available selection tools to add or remove parts of the subject.
You can also make further adjustments through the Effect Controls panel to refine the overall matte.
7. Tips for Getting Better Rotoscoping Results in After Effects
The Object Matte Tool can make isolating subjects much faster, but it’s still important to review your results and make adjustments where necessary.
Here are a few tips to get better results:
- Use clear footage when possible: Footage with a visible subject and distinguishable edges can make selection easier.
- Check complicated edges: Pay special attention to hair, motion blur, and areas where the subject blends into the background.
- Use the Refine Edge Tool: Brush around difficult edges to bring back details that may be missing.
- Enable motion blur: Use the Motion Blur setting when working with fast-moving subjects.
- Try Decontaminate Edge Colors: This can help reduce unwanted background colors around your subject.
- Preview the entire clip: Don’t judge your matte based on a single frame. Check how it performs throughout the footage.
- Combine selection tools: Use the Object Matte Tool for the initial selection, then use the Quick Selection or Selection Brush tools to make additional adjustments.
A good rotoscoping result often comes from combining automatic selection with a little manual refinement.
Final Thoughts: Is the Object Matte Tool Replacing Roto Brush in After Effects?
The Object Matte Tool introduces a new way to isolate subjects in After Effects 2026, making it easier to select people and objects without manually brushing around every edge.
If you’re wondering where the rotoscope tool went, the Quick Selection Tool provides a similar brush-based workflow to the original rotoscope functionality. Meanwhile, the Object Matte Tool offers a faster way to identify and select recognizable subjects.
For the best results, I recommend starting with the Object Matte Tool, refining complicated edges with the Refine Edge Tool, and using the advanced Effect Controls settings to clean up your final matte.
If you’re new to After Effects and want to learn how to create professional motion graphics from start to finish, check out my After Effects course linked below.
Have questions about the Object Matte Tool or rotoscoping in After Effects? Leave a comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Object Matte Tool in After Effects
Where did the Roto Brush tool go in After Effects 2026?
In After Effects 2026, the Object Matte Tool provides a new way to automatically select and isolate subjects. If you’re looking for the original brush-based rotoscoping workflow, you can access the Quick Selection Tool by opening your video layer in the Layer panel.
What is the Object Matte Tool in After Effects?
The Object Matte Tool is a selection tool that identifies recognizable subjects in your footage. You can hover over a person or object, click to select it, and After Effects will automatically create a matte around that subject.
How do you remove a background in After Effects?
You can use the Object Matte Tool to select a person or object in your footage and create a matte that separates it from the background. After generating the selection, refine the edges and preview the result to make sure the subject is properly isolated.
What is the difference between the Object Matte Tool and Quick Selection Tool?
The Object Matte Tool automatically identifies recognizable subjects when you hover over them, allowing you to select them with a click. The Quick Selection Tool uses a brush-based workflow, allowing you to manually paint over areas to build or adjust your selection.
How do you fix bad edges when rotoscoping in After Effects?
Use the Refine Edge Tool to brush around complicated areas such as hair and soft edges. You can also enable Use Motion Blur and Decontaminate Edge Colors in the advanced settings to help create a more natural-looking matte.
What does Decontaminate Edge Colors do in After Effects?
Decontaminate Edge Colors helps improve the appearance of the edges around an isolated subject by addressing leftover colors from the original background.
Can you rotoscope moving subjects in After Effects?
Yes. The Object Matte Tool can isolate moving subjects, and you can preview the matte across the footage to see how well the selection holds up as the subject moves. You can make additional refinements using the available selection tools and Effect Controls settings.