VEGASPython Clip Stabilisation using Motion Tracking

VEGAS 17 introduced an update of the Motion Tracker including planar tracking. The motion tracker is part of the Bezier Nask Effect. Together with the new PIP (Picture-in-Picture) effect the motion tracker allows to attach media to an object. To achieve this the VEGAS extension „Copy motion track to PIP“ has to be used to transfer the motion tracking information from the tracker to the PIP effect.

Instead of letting a PIP follow an object in a clip, you can use the motion tracker for stabilising a clip too.

The VEGAS stabilzer is already very good. The advantage of using the motion tracker for stabilising is that you can select the object that should be stabilzed.

Using the motion tracker for stabilising is done by inverting the values copied from the tracker to the PIP. This neutralises the movement of the object and it does not leave its position on the screen anymore.

The script for inverting the copied tracking values is availabel here: invert_copy_motion_track_to_pip_values.py

1. add the clip to be stabilised on track A
2. add the same clip on track B that is above Track A at the same position
3. add the Bezier Effect to the clip on track A
4. set scale for the PIP to 1.0 so that the PIP clip covers the complete screen
5. add the PIP effect to the clip on track B
6. set the timeline cursor to the start of the clips (or to the reference frame)
7. execute the motion tracking as it is described in the VEGAS manual
8. select both clips (the timeline cursor has to remain on the first frame or the reference frame)
9. copy the motion tracking results to the PIP using the script/extension „Copy motion track tio PIP“
10. do not change anything
11. execute the script „invert_copy_motion_track_to_pip_values“

The clip on track B is now stabilized at the tracked object. If you want to get rid of the moving border you have two options:

1. change the scale of the pip (e.g. to 1.2) - in this case you have to copy the tracking values again as they have to take into account the scale. And you have to execute the invert again.
2. add the reference frame below track B. The reference frames covers all borders that are missing on the moving frames.