OT-ish . . Dynapel "SteadyHand" - WOW!!

Grazie wrote on 9/9/2003, 3:51 AM

Just used this remarkable software. It's turned "marginal" shaky footage of mine into rock solid tripod-like video. Now I can use it within V4 . . . I had some footage of my trip to Liverpool . . great sunsets over the the Irish Sea where the wind had gotten hold of the my swaying XM2 . . now I can use it! Also some more than decent wide pans and zooms onto the Liver Buildings . . can now use them too . . .

I highly recommend it. I use it in conjunction with V4 at the "Review" stage or the draft timeline layout. Once I've got things into shape I can then select the event I want to StaedyHand and either toggle to or click on SteadyHand's open window pane - excellent! Once completed I can then use the "Replace" option within a V4 Bin to switch to the newly stabilized footage. Review in V4. Don't like it? - Then all I do is use Undo in V4 - back to where I was! Simple as that!

I'm a very happy bunny now.

Grazie

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Grazie wrote on 9/11/2003, 2:21 AM

John, first off big thanks for reponding - conference any good? Key Points?

Next - Yes, now I understand about setting to 000 for turning off.

I'll play with "Strong" and see what I gain

Your helpful, "how far forward and back in time the algorithm looks now makes it clearer to me how this remarkable software works.

"Target Windows Settings." I've seen this, but it is greyed out. Maybe I need to do what you say to get it active -yes?

" Because DV video must be 720x480 (NTSC) " errr... PAL here done stuff and it looks good to me. PTTed no problem I can see PAL 720x576. I've even produced a XDVD from Movie Factory - looks good too.

HOOOOOO . . .. "2d3 called Steadymove" - thanks for spending my money! Well not yet anyway. It would be good to know if we could compare SH with SM to see the ups and downs. But on the face of it it looks very simillar. I've gone through the examples. THEY ARE AMAZING!!!! - The Upward shot of the balcony - wow . .. and the traffic shot .. . . .

I'm starting to come round to the idea there are a lot of more than average camera people out there. If you wanna get good stable shots you need to invest major pound notes = ca$h to get near to what I want to do. Having SH gives me that little extra confidence in shooting AND shows up how poor I really am . . for me a very, very salutory lesson indeed . . this is/has been another "advantage" of SH.

But yes, SM does look interesting - caveats on comparisons with SH notwithstanding . . .

Cheers,

Grazie

FuTz wrote on 9/11/2003, 6:22 AM

I just wrote to their staff and asked about a Vegas application for SteadyMove... maybe if we're 500 to ask they will , hum, move on?

Tom Pauncz wrote on 9/11/2003, 7:35 AM

John,
I had SPOT (DSE) provide a SoFo contact to the president of 2D3 as soon as I saw their announcement some months back.

Have not had any feedback and have not followed up. Perhaps a Vegas plugin is already in the works.

Cheers,
Tom

johnmeyer wrote on 9/11/2003, 12:28 PM

... conference any good? Key Points? ...
I was in the lobby when we had to evacuate. Never got in. I looked in as I was walking out, and the show looked really small -- probably 15% of what it was just a few years ago.

"Target Windows Settings." I've seen this, but it is greyed out.
You have to first open your AVI file before you'll be able to click on this.

Steadymove
I contacted them about working with Vegas. This is the reply I received:

Unfortunately SteadyMove PRO will not currently run on Vegas. However, we have received several requests for this and so are investigating the feasibility of producing a Vegas version.

We will keep you informed of any progress we make in this matter,

johnmeyer wrote on 9/11/2003, 12:30 PM

See my post above about 2d3's response to request to work with Vegas.

Grazie wrote on 9/11/2003, 1:04 PM

Thanks for that John. D'yer think it might be good if I emailed SteadyMove too? - Can't do any harm - eh?

I'm reading the ONline help file about Target WIndow Settings. Hmmm... complex - eh? Found the German use of quotes > „Settings“ < quite disconcerting! I'll keep on hacking through the directions - I'm finding it a wee bit . . daunting? - I'll persist though . . .

Grazie

johnmeyer wrote on 9/11/2003, 3:02 PM

D'yer think it might be good if I emailed SteadyMove too?

Definitely send them an email. Don't forget to mention that Vegas is now a Sony product. This makes it much tougher to put at the bottom of the priority list.

FuTz wrote on 9/11/2003, 6:46 PM

hee hee, that's exactly what I did (I used "Vegas (Sonic Foundry/Sony)") in my formulation ;)

wcoxe1 wrote on 9/11/2003, 10:09 PM

I have also dropped them a line mentioning a request to make a plug-in for Sony Pictures Digital (SonicFoundry) VEGAS. They responded with about an hour that they would "endevor" to let me know if they persued that course. Hmm!

Oh, well. Didn't hurt anything. And, it might have helped.

SteadyMove an another program they have both remind me of Icarus. Did anyone else notice that?

TDolce wrote on 9/11/2003, 10:44 PM

I too just e-mailed 2d3 and voiced my opinion and hopes for a Sony Vegas 4 supported plugin.

Todd

TDolce wrote on 9/12/2003, 8:39 AM

Just received a reply from 2d3 as well:

Response (Martin Stone) 12/09/2003 08:28 AM
Todd,

We have received a number of requests for Vegas support. We are currently investigating the feasibility of making SteadyMove available on this platform.

We will keep you informed of any updates in this regard,

Regards,
Martin Stone
SteadyMove team

Grazie wrote on 9/12/2003, 10:08 AM

Yup, emailed yesterday . . . the clock is ticking . . . .

"Ladies and Gentlemen - In the left-hand corner we have SteadyHand and in the right-hand corner we have SteadyMove - Which one will wobble first?"

C'mon guys, we know you're reading this . .. . . get to those pcs and write programmes!

Who's gonna be the first to come up with a plugin for this newly acquired Sony NLer - yeah?

Grazie

FuTz wrote on 9/13/2003, 6:58 AM

I second that Grazie!!!
AND as a PLUGIN please, by the way...

*\Ü/* (not obvious but this is a smiling cheerleader...)

JJKizak wrote on 9/13/2003, 7:43 AM

Can anyone detail why SteadyMove is better than SteadyHand?

JJK

johnmeyer wrote on 9/13/2003, 11:06 AM

Can anyone detail why SteadyMove is better than SteadyHand?

I was the one that originally brought this up. I have used Steadyhand extensively and am aware of its shortcomings. It can correct some types of camera movement, but not others. I haven't used SteadyMove, but the demos on their site showed it correcting camera moves that would have definitely stumped Steadyhand.

Of course, a demo is just a demo, but I was intrigued enough that I would be willing to try the product to find out how good it is.

JJKizak wrote on 9/13/2003, 11:26 AM

The reason I ask is with scope on a letterbox format if you use the vertical correction with Steadyhand the people in the picture are steady but the picture is jumping up and down which is not a good thing. Also I have footage with a chopper in the distance (real tiny) and as it travels accross the screen it is in perfect focus although it is jumpy. After SteadyHand the chopper goes in and out of focus and sort of temporarily looses part of the structure in about 1/4 sec. increments. That's at max settings on Steadyhand converting to original DV codec with the vertical, zoom and rotate correction turned off. I did not pursue this much further but maybe cutting the settings back would help. But if somebody makes a better dingus lets rock.

JJK

PAW wrote on 9/13/2003, 1:05 PM

I have SteadyMove Pro and have used it as a plugin to Boris RED (it allows after effects compatable plugins).

It can be fooled and not deliver the results you may expect. I tried SteadyHand and found it to be unstable i.e. a few crashes.

The best options I have settled with are

1. VirtualDub/VirtualDubmod with the deshaker plugin - easily as good as the Steady Move/Hand.

2. The motion Stabalizer in Boris RED which allows maximum control and refinement of the image.

If I were to choose either Steady Hand/Move it would be the one that offers a vegas plugin (if they can do it for this, it may not be possible) otherwise go with option 1.

Hope that helps, Paul