Motion stabilization

I am working on a stop-motion sequence in after effects and have a question about how to stabilize the motion of the sequence. We have a series of photos which have been taken progressively of a building beening built and the camera was accidentally moved a few times from its original position. The photos have been imported in series of JPEG sequences. I used the motion tracking panel to attempt to correct the problem (set 1 track point, analyzed it, and then clicked apply)...
I noticed that the track point often has a difficult time sticking to where it was first placed...from the first frame to the next (where the camera jump occurred)...

Try Magic Bullet Steady. Simple tracking will not solve your issue anyway. What you need is a way to average the pixel differences and that requires more magic than simply pinning one point. You will not avoid manual adjustments, though. Some items will be too far off, so you need to manually position them in a sub-comp, then run the stabilization with MB Steady on the sub-comp layer in your main comp.
Mylenium

Similar Messages

  • Dropping frames after Motion stabilization

    Hello,
    I'm having a weird problem with Motion and FCP. I'm running FCP Studio 2 (FCP 6) on a MacPro Intel Dual-Quad Core with 2GB of RAM and a Kona 3 card. My media is on 2 internal hard drives - SATA 7200, 500GB each, speed=3gigabits.
    I'm working in Apple Prores 422 HQ. When I open my project and play my sequence it plays back fine. I send a clip to Motion (with embed motion content and launch motion checked) and apply motion stabilization; save then quit. I go back over to FCP and I can't play my timeline for more than a couple of seconds before I get dropped frames. It's not just when I play the new Motion clip in the timeline - it's everywhere and it's random. This happens before and after I render. If I remove the motion clip I still get dropped frames. If I shut down FCP without saving and reopen the project (no Motion work having been preserved) it plays back fine. I've tried trashing prefs to no avail. Any advice? I like the elegance of this workflow...if it works! I'm wondering if this is a bug that updating to FCP 6.0.1 will fix.
    Thanks in advance for any thoughts...

    Alright...I tried a clip using Smoothcam and you're right - fabulous results, analyzation and render times were actually quite fast. However - same dropped frame problem I was getting with Motion. Exact same problem. My system is beefy enough for this, right? I have 2 GB of RAM - I had 5 GB but AJA had me remove 3GB so that I could capture Prores HQ (apparently the Kona 3 with v 4.0 software has a bug that won't allow it to work well on systems with over 2GB of RAM - i.e. couldn't capture prores without dropping frames)
    I'm trashing prefs and restarting my system. If this doesn't work I'm going to try updating everything unless anyone out there knows what might be the culprit.

  • Effect or script to smoothly center a layer after motion stabilization

    Suppose I've used the motion tracker to perfectly stabilize a feature of interest. As a result, the feature is dead still within the frame. What I'm trying to achieve is to stabilize the jerky motion but preserve the overall motion of the feature around the frame.
    For example, suppose that at the start of the footage, the feature is in the left half of the frame, then moves to the right, and then to the top. After stabilization, the feature is stationary while the layer is shifted to the right, then to the left, then to the bottom to compensate. What I'd like to see instead is that it stays generally in the left half, then generally in the right, then at the top, like it did initially, only with sudden jerks smoothed out.
    To do what I want, I'm now thinking of having the (stabilized) layer get gently "pulled" towards the center of the frame, so that sudden shifts due to the stabilization are still there, but overall the layer returns to the center eventually.
    Another way of looking at this is that I'd like to apply a high-pass filter to the tracked path, removing low-frequency motion from the path.
    Does anyone know of a ready-made effect or script to achieve this?

    You're overthinking this. Retaining smooth motion while remove jerky motion is built into the Warp Stabilizer effect. You don't need to run a script afterward or anything. I show how to remove jerks while retainng a camera pan in this video:
    http://www.video2brain.com/en/lessons/overview-of-warp-stabilizer-effect
    I strongly recommend that you work your way through these materials before trying to use the Warp Stabilizer effect:
    http://blogs.adobe.com/toddkopriva/2011/04/warp-stabilizer-in-after-effects-cs5-5.html

  • After Effects CS3 Motion Stabilize Irritation

    Hello!
    I am pretty new to After Effects, and I've been trying to learn learn learn. Though, I am having a strange and annoying problem.
    Imagine you set the table for dinner. and everything is perfect. Then when you go to put dinner on it. everything is messed up again!
    Aside from the analogy, lemme explain my problem... I have some pretty shakey footage I am working with. I am trying to stabilize it. It is only standard def, but I have a point in the video that I can easily track.
    I'll set it up by:
    Clicking the layer
    Opening the Tracker Controls box
    Clicking Stabilize Motion
    Setting up the tracker point
    Then I'll click the analyze button. It tracks it fine. I then hit apply. It worked! I made it perfect for me!
    Then the problem arises. For what reason, I am not sure. But anytime I RAM preview it again, or render it, it gets worse!
    The picture gets jumpier each time. I'm absolutley baffled. I went closer to try and figure it out. I checked frame by frame and it seems that the motion tracker gets knocked a little early or late or something. For example, in a video 3 frames in length. The first 2 targets are in the center, and then it moves right, and the tracker follows this fine. Then I watch it again, and the first frame is correct, then the 2nd frame moves where the 3rd should be, and the 3rd frame is correct. If that made any sense.
    I am hoping that someone out there has any advice for me. I'm starting to get frustrated.
    Thanks,
    ~Bill L.

    Thanks for the help.
    I makes sense that it is the frames.
    So I'm checking the frame rates now. Under the video file interpretation,
    Frame Rate: "Use frame rate from file: (29.970 fps)"
    Fields and Pulldown: Spereate Fields=Off
    Square pixels.
    Under the Comp(which was made from just dragging my file to the timeline)
    Frame Rate: 29.97 Frames per second
    Advanced:
    ~Preserve frame rate when nested or in render queue is UNCHECKED
    ~Preserve resolution when nested is UNCHECKED
    Not sure if there is something I didn't list here that would need to be. I still can't get the video to work and these seem like the right settings.
    Is there something I'm not seeing? Or is this something I just don't know to check ?
    Thanks again,
    ~Bill L.
    ******EDIT******
    P.S. I also tried stabilizing the footage when the video's frame rate was set to "Conform to frame rate 29.97" Same issue, everytime I RAM preview/render the footage gets jumpier and jumpier.

  • Motion Stabilize vs Shake Smooth Cam

    Hello all,
    I am a Final Cut Express user that is looking to take some camera jitter out of a few clips I've taken. I know that FCE has and image stabilizer filter but for the life of me I can not seem to get good results by using it. This may or may not be operator error but in my defense I have done some research on using it. I also have access to Motion as well as Shake and in my research I've discovered that these apps also have tools for image stabilization.
    I've also discovered iStabilize which is much more consumer based (probably a good thing based on my sklills) but it would require purchasing it and it mostly likely will not provide the results of Motion or Shake (if I can figure out how to use them).
    To remove the video camera shake, which app will most likely produce better results and what additional considerations should be noted?
    Keep in mind that I have a decent background with FCE but virtually no background in Shake or Motion. I have however reviewed the manuals and watched a few demos. I've also launched both apps and have taken a stab at both (again with limited results). In motion I was able to apply the Stabilizer behavior and actually export the clip but I'm pretty confident I'm not utilizing it to the fullest as my clip is still very shaky. In Shake I was able to start a new script and add the Smooth Cam node but I could not figure out how to export the clip. Can I export as a quicktime file so I can easily put it back into my FCE project?
    So I guess my main questions are:
    Which app will remove camera shake better?
    How do I actually do it?
    Before I switched to Mac I used a very basic app for image stabilization. It was not a pro app but it was easy to use and produced decent results. I liked the fact that it had a split screen view where I can compare the clip before and after. From my poking around in Motion and Shake I can't seem to find a similar view.
    Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
    ps. Here is an example of the videos I make. Its non-professional but I do like my projects to look decent. If I can learn a little about Motion or Shake and successfully have a good workflow for removing camera shake I will be thrilled. Thanks!
    http://www.splitboard.com/vids/somewhere.mov
    Message was edited by: bcrider

    hi,
    I'm not a big Shaker user but i believe you have to apply an Output node in order to render stuff out. However Specialcase is correct since Motion and Shake use the same technologies the results should be pretty similar. Motion is obviously easier to use. Just play around with the settings you'll get there. Motion doesnt have the split pane view, but you can just toggle the filter on and off to compare.
    Had a look at your film, and it looks very nice, the images are really stunning, well shot. Does that have camera stabilization in it. Looks pretty good. But did you know that the music track is only coming out of one channel?
    Keep at it
    regards
    adam

  • Motion Stabilizer vs Shake Smooth Cam

    Hello all,
    I am a Final Cut Express user that is looking to take some camera jitter out of a few clips I've taken. I know that FCE has and image stabilizer filter but for the life of me I can not seem to get good results by using it. This may or may not be operator error but in my defense I have done some research on using it. I also have access to Motion as well as Shake and in my research I've discovered that these apps also have tools for image stabilization.
    I've also discovered iStabilize which is much more consumer based (probably a good thing based on my sklills) but it would require purchasing it and it mostly likely will not provide the results of Motion or Shake (if I can figure out how to use them).
    To remove the video camera shake, which app will most likely produce better results and what additional considerations should be noted?
    Keep in mind that I have a decent background with FCE but virtually no background in Shake or Motion. I have however reviewed the manuals and watched a few demos. I've also launched both apps and have taken a stab at both (again with limited results). In motion I was able to apply the Stabilizer behavior and actually export the clip but I'm pretty confident I'm not utilizing it to the fullest as my clip is still very shaky. In Shake I was able to start a new script and add the Smooth Cam node but I could not figure out how to export the clip. Can I export as a quicktime file so I can easily put it back into my FCE project?
    So I guess my main questions are:
    Which app will remove camera shake better?
    How do I actually do it?
    Before I switched to Mac I used a very basic app for image stabilization. It was not a pro app but it was easy to use and produced decent results. I liked the fact that it had a split screen view where I can compare the clip before and after. From my poking around in Motion and Shake I can't seem to find a similar view.
    Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
    ps. Here is an example of the videos I make. Its non-professional but I do like my projects to look decent. If I can learn a little about Motion or Shake and successfully have a good workflow for removing camera shake I will be thrilled. Thanks!
    http://www.splitboard.com/vids/somewhere.mov
    Message was edited by: bcrider

    YOU DA MAN captain mench!
    That was just the type of thing I was looking for. It really helped bring the pre-existing knowledge I've gathered from my readings and 1st attempt into scope. I've now got the motivation and confidence to get back into shake and try it again. Thanks!
    In regards to the camera and video. Thanks and glad you liked it. I shot it with the Canon HV10. The video I posted wasn't so much an example of the camera jitter as much as it was just an example of what I do. Thanks for the advice either way. I'm looking forward to doing more color correction in my projects too. Up until now I've settled for less. As I learn the apps I'm more interested in making the absolute best I can. I'm sure I don't have to tell you it's a work in progress.
    Thanks again. I'll be back if I need more help.
    ps. Does color correcting the clip first have any effect on how well Shake and SmoothCam will remove jitter? Also, when I send from FCP to Shake does it remove the interlacing? I noticed that SmoothCam only works with de-interlaced footy. Thoughts?

  • Send to Motion & Stabilize

    Sending to Motion interlaced footage from FCP6 and applying Stabilize behaviour, the last frame is not stabilized.
    How to avoid this field error tracking?

    When you send a clip from FCP to Motion the Play Range it's already marked and not extensible.
    I would want to add that this happens when using tracker.
    Deepening the issue i have found three ways to resolve it:
    Select the behavior Stabilize applied and
    1) in the Keyframe Editor move the last keyframe of Track Result X or Y or both after the out point
    2) in the Keyframe Editor use the command After Last Keyframe/Generate Keyframes
    3) position the playhead on the last frame and analyze in reverse

  • MOTION : Stabilize - Smooth Problem

    Hi all! I have a problem with stabilize... I need to smooth some steady shoot. The problem is that when I cross, i.e. a tree or a column, or I find a lens flare, the stabilizator make strange things...
    I tried to track the pixels, but it never work. Instead, every time I stop the analysys it restart from the beginning.
    Some tut or suggestions?
    Thanks to all...

    The supplementary help pdf (under the Help menu) explains how to use an offset track to deal with these issues - but it is tricky to get it to work correctly.

  • Slow Stabilize Motion. Any better Premiere plugins?

    When I press Proceed Forward after setting my tracking points etc in the Stabilize Motion box in AE, the process proceeds at an extremely slow rate - a few frames per minute. Then, after a while, it picks up, starts playing the video in slow motion, but stops moving around the tracking points. When it does this, the confidence metre is at 100% - even though in reality the feature box has gone off, sometimes way off. And then AE is really slow to responding to my pressing Stop.
    I'm running a high-performance machine; Premiere runs great. I realize video playback in AE, which is not optimized for it (that's another thing - even when I turn down the playback res it still says it's not playing back at full 29.97 fps), is maybe gonna be worse, but we're talking molasses slow here with the Stabilize Motion function. I'm trying to get Adobe to upgrade me to 5.5 so I can use the Warp Stabilize function, but so far I'm disappointed with AE's performance, and disappointed with the results of the Stabilize Motion even when it works well (I'm dealing with shaky camera footage). In my old Premiere (circa 2004 - cs2, I guess?) there was a 2d3 Motion stabilizer effect that you could just apply directly to the video. This plugin was a demo, but it worked like a charm - much better results with a few clicks than what I got out of AE after several long attempts.... Apparently 2d3 doesn't offer this for Premiere anymore - or not at least, anyway, without a chunk of money. Well, I just blasted a big chunk of money into the CS5 Production Premium. Maybe I am just impatient with AE stabilization's higher learning curve, but I'm disappointed that Premiere CS5 doesn't have a comparable function as the old Premiere did - a function which was damned easy. Any advice?

    The larger the search area the slower the tracker will run. Make sure you're not tracking more than you need to track. In most cases you'll get a better and a much easier to work with track if you use Mocha. It comes with AE and there are a bunch of tutorials out there on how to use it.
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  • Adobe After Effects CS5.5-Warp Stabilizer analyzes but doesn't Stabilize.

    First of all,Hello everyone.I'm new around here.Hope you all having a good time.
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    The most common explanation for failed motion stabilization is the user has fialed to go through the steps properly. We know this form manyyears of answering thsi question and we know from manyyears of using the tool ourselves. It can be a bit confusing the first coule fo times you try to use it but it does work and it works beautifully. So, before we go through many posts and questions and suggestions, please review the Help section one more time and try to initiate and apply the stabilizer again. Do it slowly. One step at a time.

  • Stabilize a Multicam Clip

    This is driving me nuts!    I'm used to being able to right click on a clip in an FCP timeline and say send to motion - stabilize *just that part of the clip* and return to FCP.  Job done.   Not so in Premiere Pro AE it seems.
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    Perhaps, I missed something... Correct me, if I'm wrong...
    Supposing, I had several long multicam shots. I placed footages into nested comp and synchronised them (specially for you: total movie length is of about 55 min):
    Then made cuts on Master sequence via Multi-cam Monitor:
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    OK. Made two extra cuts on 15:00:00 and 15:05:00:
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    It took of about two minutes to calculate all the stabilisation within AE

  • How do you send a clip to Motion and back?

    I've done a search on the internet and I don't see a simple answer!
    I've filmed some stuff which is shaky so I want to do this:
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    Put it in Motion
    Stabilize it
    Bring it back to FCPX exactly where it is in the timeline
    How are you guys doing this? My process of exporting/importing  seems very laborious!

    Right click a clip or marked portion of it...
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  • Image Stabilization in CS5 (no Mercalli Support)

    I have preordered CS5, and currently make use of the mercalli FX plugin to stabilize shaky video clips.  It doesn't appear that mercalli will be compatible with CS5 for a while, is there some other plug in I can use to provide high quality image stabilization?
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    For now I guess I will stabilize clips in Premiere Elements, export them, then use the pre-stabilized clips in CS5 but that will get cumbersome fast.
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    Using the new version is far easier than the old, as you no longer have to select the best preset - the software now does this automatically in the initial analysis.  It is still possible to tweak the various individual settings manually.  With the old version you had to buy the expensive "Expert" version for this feature, but this time around there is only the one version - the expensive one of course!
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    transitions - if you apply Mercalli to a clip in your timeline and then apply transitions to the end(s) of the clip, the analysis will have to be done again, as you have introduced previously unconsidered areas to the clip.  I normally apply Mercalli to the clip on a second timeline, render and export the clip, making sure that I include all the material that I may want to use, if I apply transitions.  I generally apply colour correction, etc before exporting to avoid as far as possible quality loss due to repeat rendering.  I usually apply 10% sharpen filter at this stage too.  The new version offers a stand-alone version, which I like very much as it marks in red areas of the video in which extreme correction has to be applied, opening up scope for selecting the "less-unstable areas of video for use.
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    Message was edited by: Alan Craven

  • AE motion stabilizing (not Mocha)

    I am tracking motion in a clip in order to stabilize it. I'm using AE CS4's motion stabilizer (not Mocha). It's an aerial shot and so eventually the tracking box goes off screen.
    How do I continue to track the shot? The help manual is not clear (at least to me) on exactly what I need to do next.
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    If you do a search, you should be able to find a post about a technique involving Null objects and parenting to stitch multiple tracks together. Basically you do one track, but apply the motion to the Null, parent the layer to be tracked to it to get the motion, then track the second segment. The reasonb here is, that appended tracks will often have completely different values, so directly continuing almost never works. Another classic tip is, to place multiple duplicates of the clip side by side in a pre-comp, but with differnt time offsets, so it looks like one big panorama. then this pre-comp could be tracked and the result used with some manual intervention...
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  • Creating a handheld look in post

    Any suggestions on creating a handheld look in post?

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