Boris Continuum Complete will do this (or you could just buy that module). I know they have a trial but I don't know what the limitations are of the trial.

j razz

If the object persists for only a short while, you could export that interval as an image sequence and then you could use tools available for PhotoShop or other image editor to remove the object.

Another option is to mask out the object, and replace the object with something else.

On the clip in question, click the "event pan/crop" button. Then, to the left of the timeline click the "mask" box. Create a mask, moving the cursor to follow the object for however long it takes to do it's thing.

At this point there are a million ways to skin a cat, either creating a child track and then replacing the masked area with the background from another track behind it. OR, what I've done in the past is actually make a copy of the original clip, put it on a new track above the original. Mask the unwanted area and then INVERT the mask in the mask settings so that the masked area is the only part showing (rather than cut out). Then blur or add other effects to the unwanted portion.

To be perfectly honest, I've also cheated where I've composited a poster over something on a wall that couldn't be in the video for legal reasons (I did it in After Effects though). It's also possible to do it in Vegas (probably more quickly), but I've never done it.

Just a thought.

Boris Red on empty event and import clip into Boris Red = apply = back into Vegas.

I watch the tutorial that you offered and feel that performing brain surgery would be easier. LOL

Does the object move? It can be very easy if its stationary. If it moves, I used a free animation program called blender. It now has camera and object tracking capabilities. Its fairly complex to use but at least it didn't cost anything and there are tutorials out there.

It involved tracking the object, creating an alpha channel, then duplicating the layer with offset so that a different part of the image showed through.

Does anyone know how to remove an unwanted object from video, while leaving the background intact?

I don't think you want to leave the background "intact" ... I think you want to re-create the background information in the portion of the video that was covered by the object.

I've done it with Syntheyes & texture extraction. It's complex but it's like doing your breaks on your car: sure, it looks complex, but do it a couple times and it's pretty easy.

Syntheyes does it two ways: if you want to remove an object that's moving in the scene, you make a 3D scene (as simple or complex as you want) via tracking points, then extracting a texture based on the scene on the area you don't want the object in. Then you bring up a card (aka a square) and apply the texture. The texture is based on the pixels in the area each frame.

The other way (which Boris & AE can easily do) is if you want to eliminate a stationary thing. You just get the points and place something else in front of it.

So which do you want, specifically? :D

An FYI, the higher quality/resolution your footage the better. Also CMOS cameras are the worst for any kind of motion tracking, CCD is better, but most are CMOS now.