Long time PFTrack user here. I am confused as to why the Auto Track feature has become so stripped down as well as the logic behind other changes. I am afraid shots that were a doddle to track in previous versions are becoming nightmares to track in this newest release.It seems far less accurate, capable, and tweakable. Is there a way to revert my version back to 23.08.14?
This newest version is almost unworkable for us.
removing backwards tracking means tracks are shorter though and tend to not start as soon as they could.
IMO, it's a mixed bag vs. the previous auto tracker. Spending some time "playing" with and understanding the node might help. I think the biggest issues I've run into are that it is WAY more work to refine minor errors or trim tracks that have issues at the start or end. I would point to the example you posted Adam as a prime example of a workflow that has gotten worse with the current auto tracker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPnVMS5pJm4).
FWIW, I do appreciate the videos being created.
In the previous iteration you could do the following with ease within the auto track node. -Adjust a single point in a track. If there was a bump or minor error you could select the point, adjust it, use the graphs to analyze if you were moving things in the right direction (XY)
-If a track had an error at the start or end, you could trim data forward or backward and keep good sections in the middle -You could isolate individual tracks in the graph
Now, you have to go down stream to do this work. You need to bounce back and forth between the Auto Track and User Track with Fetch. You can't trim forward or backward in the node, there's no way to isolate a single track in the graph to see what it's doing (I spend so much time scaling and zooming in the Motion tab and I don't think it's saving me time. The Motion Tab is also too small, with longer tracks I spend so much time scrolling. I often accidentally delete trackers because minor bumps that deviate from the general flow can overap other good tracks. There's more but I don't want to focus on the negatives.
There are positives. It is WAY faster than the previous Auto Track. You can throw a couple hudnred of trackers at it and it flies through. The Motion tab graphs can be fast for removing bad data.
I honestly don't know if these are issues of just being so familiar with the previous node and trying to rethink my approach, or if it's really that the node needs a better balance between ease of use and fine control.
In the end, like most things with PFTrack, more node centric workflow documentation or videos would be a massive help to all users (old and new).
My wish list for future improvements -More control in the node (don't make me fetch everything I need to fix)
-Tear off or larger Motion tab graph
-Better selection and disable controls (need a way to select a track to see what it's doing and then disable it, now it's either or)
-Better workflow examples on complex shots.
-Tracker renaming in the node (again, don't require us to select and fetch in a second node)
Hello, Jaime. Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback and joining the community.
If you could send over some example shots, we could give you some feedback and suggestions on how best to use the new tools. Feel free to contact support through in-app messaging, and we’ll take a closer look if you are struggling with a shot.
I can explain the parameters in relation to the legacy tool to clarify:
Image Proxy: This was previously used primarily to increase tracking speed, but you should find the new node is much faster. If you need to pick features at a smaller resolution, you can use the new Feature Scale parameter.
Deformation: The feature windows will deform automatically during sub-pixel refinement. You can keep a running measure of this deformation by setting the Feature Template option to Adaptive.
Consistency: The Motion Prediction parameter now controls this. It can use image motion or metadata hints to help.
Back-track and spread: This is no longer needed as the new filtering algorithm will automatically pick the longest available trackers to cover your image area as best as it can.
Blur, Illumination: The new feature matching algorithm uses an illumination-independent image descriptor, so you shouldn't need to pre-blur the frame or tell it to account for any brightness variations.
We recommend attaching a User Track node directly beneath the Auto Track node and using the Fetch button there to fetch any tracking points you need to adjust. You can use all the tracking tools available in the User Track node to fine-tune or extend any tracking points as needed.
I will link you to a couple of quick videos that will show you how to disable and manually adjust trackers generated using the Auto Track.
How to adjust trackers manually:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPnVMS5pJm4
How to disable trackers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-7ZCg65bow