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Resolve tracking issues: crashes and ram demands: possible causes and preventive methods
Tracking is necessary for life as we know it when applying masks over time.
But my experience–and apparently that of others also–is one of frustration arising from seemingly random crashes and massive database and ram memory demands.
To be sure, my projects routinely are much longer than most takes: these can be an hour or more, not seconds. And there may be multiple windows or masks simultaneously.
While innumerable online tutorials demonstrate Resolve tracks can be done successfully, their demonstation invariably uses takes that are only seconds in duration.
Longer situations seems to invite crashes and massive memory demands (such as a full commit of the 32 GB ram and then another 100+ GB of virtual ram. Of course it is unworkable at this point, if it has not already crashed. )
There does, however, seem to be a way to make long-duration tracking work.
The answer seems to be two-fold: first, do NOT use the color keyframe timeline usually used for masking. Instead, use only the tracking keyframe timeline. This is a much smaller keyframe timeline window but it can work. Perhaps the internals try to marry the two timelines if they are both used; not hard to imagine database shrapnel flying.
Adjustments as needed are made only on the tracking timeline. (Note of course that one will have to select the Clip or Frame made as appropriate for the immediate change needed.)
Second, it seems that point tracking–not cloud tracking–is less problematic for longer takes. Point tracking seems to be far more successful at sticking to the intended object over time. Furthermore, the database and ram memory hit is far smaller and does not jeopardize stability. Of course this makes sense in that there is only one point that is tracked, not the dozens that may be found automatically when using the cloud method.
The result is that long takes now seem to be trackable when using only point tracking and only the tracking timeline, avoiding interaction with the standard color keyframe timeline.
Comments invited! Thanks, Mike
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4 Replies
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I have no problem with either manual tracking or cloud tracking. Once in awhile, I can’t move the Point tracking crosshairs and instead the cursor moves the entire window (which is a problem going back several versions), but generally this gets fixed in an updated version.
Your individual machine, CPU power, GPU power, drive speed, and type of files will all have an effect on tracking performance (and performance in general). The program is not unstable if you throw tons of hardware at it and use reasonable source file formats.
I just finished a 6K Red feature project two weeks ago and I had shots with four simultaneous tracking windows in some cases, plus chroma keys, plus secondaries, often more than 16 nodes per clip. The only time I ever even hit a slow down was with TNR clips, but once cached, they were fine to deal with. This is on a stock Trashcan Mac with dual D700s and 64GB of RAM, and I pre-allocate the max (12GB) of RAM in prefs. No question, the machine is smokin’ hot during renders (with the resultant glitches), but crashes are very, very rare.
My solution to tracking is that sometimes, the Point Tracker is a better choice, and sometimes the Cloud Tracker works better. I often wind up using combinations of manual tracking and autotracking just to finesse the mask and make 100% sure there’s no spill or leakage. Occlusions are always challenging, but there are ways to deal with that quickly. I would point to MixingLight.com (which is a pay site) as having good resources on tracking techniques for difficult color situations.
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Marc; very welcome perspective, that this sort of problem can be solved by throwing sufficient hardware at it. Seriously.
FWIW, I recently tried to upgrade my 32 GB, buying the exact brand and part number to match. Quality G.Skill items. Didn’t work. Why? Their tech support–a knowledgeable real person who answered the phone reasonably quickly!–said this is not uncommon and they can only guarantee their memory sold as a complete SET. Even additional sticks of the same part number cannot be guaranteed to work. I guess the technology now is so refined that this is the case.
And yes, my Nvidia 1080 series card made such a huge improvement that another one begins to seem, considering your comments, like a certain fix for some situations.
Thanks again, Marc.
Mike -
I’ve also had random crashes for the last year or two when tracking. The crash always happens right in the beginning when starting tracking. Three different Windows Resolve systems have done the same thing, versions 11, 12, 12.5. Now working with 6950X, 64GB ram, GTX 1070 + dedicated gui GPU.
I’m in the habit of always saving the project before tracking, which is a pita since it takes some time in larger projects. Have been in contact with Blackmagic but they have not been able to help with this. So it’s the CTRL+S before tracking method for me.
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Exactly same for us here, on windows super micro workstation. It works well on mac so it’s a resolve windows issue.
Many friends companies have the issue. BM doesn’t seem to care very much…
They only suggest to move to linux…
Config : Mac Pro 2010, 12×2,4Ghz, 32Go Ram, 3xTITAN,GT120, Decklink 3D+, RED Rocket, system on Crucial SSD 500, RAID FC 8gb Lacie 24To, CYCLONE PCI expander, Resolve 10.0.2
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