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Stabilization
I have some hand held footage which is remarkably stable – but not “perfect.” Using AE CS3, I did the stabilization process and it improved considerably, but not as much as I would have expected. I made an uncompressed avi out of it and then re-stabilized the footage as before. This definitely improved it, but still not as good as I had hoped. My question is this, using CS3 alone, is there some way to run the stabilizer a number of time, perhaps forward and backward, and then average the data before applying it to achieve a better stabilization product? If not, is the work-flow I described reasonable or is there a better way (again, CS3 only). Thanks. Dale
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4 Replies
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Running a few tracks and then averaging is the way to go. This precludes re-rendering each time you decide to re-stabilize the footage.
For averaging tracks, you may use a Null as a container for the different track’s information. An instance of the Expression Point Control may be used as a container for a single tracker. Subsequent trackers get a new Expression Point Control.
Finally, perform your average with an Expresion such as –
//Start Script
Tracker01Value = “pickwhip to the appropriate Expression Control”
Tracker02Value = “pickwhip to the appropriate Expression Control”
Tracker03Value = “pickwhip to the appropriate Expression Control”
(Tracker01Value+Tracker02Value+Tracker03Value)/3// End Script
HTH
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Thanks Roland. Just did a double check. When I ask AE to stabilize a piece of footage and go to edit target, even with a null object layer, AE will only let me use the original footage as the target. Do I need to copy the anchor point and rotation keyframes to the null, then deleted them from the footage, and then go to repeat this till I get a few more to average? Dale
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When you Stabilize, AE’s Target Layer is the layer itself and depeding on your selection for points; Anchor Point, Rotation and Scale values for the Stabilization track are pasted onto the layer itself.
Since you’re going to average the result of the tracks it’s best that you have a duplicate, untouched original (unstabilized source)to work with the Expressions after your tracks.
You will also want to have a duplicate source layer for each instance of a Stabilization Track. This will keep things neat and tidy when pick whipping.
For the Null Layer, just set up one instance of an Expression Point Control for each tracked layer’s Anchor Point and an instance of an Expression Angle Control for Rotation. Repeat for as many tracks as you have.
Once the Null’s Expression Controls have all of the information from the tracked layers, you”ll use the Expression I provided earlier for the Anchor Point and Rotation for the untouched, unstabilized layer.
HTH
RoRKSell your AEPs with broadcastGEMs’ DVD series of templates. Click here for more
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I’ll give it a try. Thanks. Dale
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