Video Stabilization and Nested Timelines

Glenn-C wrote on 3/31/2020, 1:43 AM

I cannot for the life of me, get Video Stabilization to work, on even simple shots where an old film splice has juddered for three frames at the end of the shot. It makes the image zoom in and out on random frames, rather than freezing the image. Why is it asking me if I want Freeze Frame or Smooth Motion at the end of analysis?? Makes no sense. And, me believing that adjusting the settings post-analysis will actually Stabilize, it doesn't. Really really really poor plugin that is useless. This is trying Basic, Professional, and Expert. None work on what should be a piece of cake.

Also, I've tried Nesting these Stabilization shots into my larger timeline, and when rendered, any masking I have applied prior to the Nested Stabilize, does wonky weird stuff during random frames in my master timeline. Completely erratic and unstable. I've been a Vegas user since 13 but I'm kinda done, as I had to do ALL kinds of rendering workarounds when using basic Importing Projects/Nesting, in that version and above.

Can anyone tell me if they get regular good results with Stabilization? This shouldn't be this hard.

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Vegas Pro 17 (421)

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Microsoft Windows 10 Home
10.0.18363 Build 18363
System Manufacturer   LENOVO
System Model   81Q6
System Type   x64-based PC
System SKU   LENOVO_MT_81Q6_BU_idea_FM_Legion Y545
Processor   Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 2592 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date   LENOVO BHCN33WW, 10/10/2019
SMBIOS Version   3.0
Embedded Controller Version   1.33
BIOS Mode   UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer   LENOVO
BaseBoard Product   LNVNB161216
BaseBoard Version   SDK0R32862 WIN

Installed Physical Memory (RAM)   24.0 GB
Total Physical Memory   23.9 GB
Available Physical Memory   14.5 GB
Total Virtual Memory   27.9 GB
Available Virtual Memory   13.4 GB
Page File Space   4.00 GB

I/O Port 0x00003000-0x00003FFF   Intel(R) PCI Express Root Port #14 - A335
I/O Port 0x00003000-0x00003FFF   Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller

Memory Address 0xB4100000-0xB413FFFF   NVIDIA USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.10 (Microsoft)
Memory Address 0xB4100000-0xB413FFFF   Intel(R) PCIe Controller (x16) - 1901

Memory Address 0xB4300000-0xB43FFFFF   Intel(R) PCI Express Root Port #14 - A335
Memory Address 0xB4300000-0xB43FFFFF   Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller

I/O Port 0x00004000-0x0000407F   NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
I/O Port 0x00004000-0x0000407F   Intel(R) PCIe Controller

Comments

Grazie wrote on 3/31/2020, 2:52 AM

@Glenn-C - Yup reproed. Back to Mercalli - Rock Solid, done . . and done.

Jack S wrote on 3/31/2020, 3:48 AM

@Glenn-C - I use it all the time. My hands aren't as steady as they used to be. My Sony camcorder does a great job at smoothing out the minor shaking but my static shots still suffer from what I call 'camera drift'. The Video Stabilisation FX makes my static shots rock solid. I don't bother with all the settings, I just leave it at Basic and set the mode to Freeze Frame. I used to use Smooth Motion for my panned shots as it did a really good job of smoothing out the pan, until I found that the final render produced the odd skipped frame during the pan.

In conclusion, I think that this is one of the best plugins and I would be lost without it. The added bonus is that it's free.

3POINT wrote on 3/31/2020, 4:42 AM

I cannot for the life of me, get Video Stabilization to work, on even simple shots where an old film splice has juddered for three frames at the end of the shot. It makes the image zoom in and out on random frames, rather than freezing the image. Why is it asking me if I want Freeze Frame or Smooth Motion at the end of analysis?? Makes no sense.

You should first trim your event before attaching the Stabilizing FX. Difference between Freeze Frame and Smooth Motion is, Freeze Frame makes image rock solid as shot from a tripod without any camera movement, while smooth motion will leave intended motion of your camera unaffected, like a pan shot.

Grazie wrote on 3/31/2020, 5:56 AM

@3POINT - Ah, right! I’ll give that a go. Stoopidly thought it meant....oh, never mind.

Grazie wrote on 3/31/2020, 7:17 AM

Ah! Retested, works superbly with FREEZE FRAME.

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 4/4/2020, 11:19 AM

Been trying it today on a boogie piano performance where a tripod mounted remote camera was just off the left hand of the player. Who was bouncing an 800 pound piano all over the stage. The freeze frame seems to be the best and worst of all worlds for me. Found it worked really well when the cut to that camera was fairly short and I picked a reference frame in the clip with the least shake. It very nicely kept the stuff that was supposed to be still rock solid and left the piano free to move as it was actually doing. But on the longer solo it looked like it was also doing just fine playing it on the timeline but went a little bit wild when I rendered it... zooming in and out at times and going completely black at others. Leaving it set to smooth wasn't quite as good on playback but at least it rendered ok.

Btw, for this kind of shot I think it would work better for me if I could position the analysis box off center because the center is where my bouncing piano is located while there's stuff around the edges that absolutely should not be moving.

Glenn-C wrote on 7/2/2020, 10:50 PM

I've tried all of the above, including just TRIMMING the section I need FREEZE-FRAMED. Still, sometimes it works, sometimes everything goes tilt-a-whirl wonky for no reason. It's a plugin that needs to be rewritten from the ground up.

For instance, why do you have to run the Motion Analysis first and THEN select Freeze Frame?? Because you then have to RE-RUN the Motion Analysis AGAIN!! Why not be able to select it first and save the step?

Besides the fact that 70% of the time it takes an hour to get the plugin to work, if at all, properly, without it introducing motion artifacts and black frames and such. It really is a nightmare.

3POINT wrote on 7/2/2020, 11:48 PM

Besides the fact that 70% of the time it takes an hour to get the plugin to work, if at all, properly, without it introducing motion artifacts and black frames and such. It really is a nightmare.

I reinstalled build 387 of VPRO17. In that build the stabilisation plugin works (almost always) correctly and doesn't require a re-run of the motion analysis after selecting "freeze motion". This re-run is a bug that has been introduced in the last builds (also newly released VMS17 has this issue). I really hope that Magix will correct this before releasing VPRO18.

Glenn-C wrote on 7/3/2020, 1:01 AM

Thank you, I will give 387 a shot.
However, does going back to an old install erase anything newly-fixed of significance?

3POINT wrote on 7/3/2020, 1:33 AM

Thank you, I will give 387 a shot.
However, does going back to an old install erase anything newly-fixed of significance?

Not that I'm aware of. Projects created in a newer build are editable. Only disadvantage, you have to de-install Vpro17 first before you can re-install a previous build. Also after installing the previous build, you will get each time this annoying message that there is a newer build when you startup Vegas.

adimatis wrote on 7/3/2020, 7:05 AM

I only had failures with the new stabilization plug-in. :(

When I really need it I use the old Stabilize, which was fortunately still included up to now. I am afraid it will get removed completely before the new one is... stable enough.

EricLNZ wrote on 7/3/2020, 7:08 AM

@adimatis It's been removed from Internal Preferences in recently released VMS17 so I suspect, as you suggest, it won't appear in Pro 18. It's still hidden away somewhere as old projects that use it open with it.

adimatis wrote on 7/3/2020, 7:51 AM

😲 what?! Oh no, that's indeed worrying then. Have not updated to the latest build... but man, that's a bummer to hear! :(

D7K wrote on 7/3/2020, 4:46 PM

Worked on some, not on others. Mercalli works 100% for me (even on some it shouldn't). Expensive but can save a money shot.

Grazie wrote on 7/3/2020, 4:52 PM

Mercalli works 100% for me (even on some it shouldn't). Expensive but can save a money shot.

@D7K- Yup. I’m a Mercist 😀. Has paid for itself many times over.