Real Time Video Tracer

The Real Time video tracer is designed to be used with input from either a Web Camera or Kinect device. The Trace start button begins the tracing process. The tracer generates laser content frames. To access the frame properties, click on the Property button on the toolbar. Two other buttons allow you make the points and blanked lines visible.

The Real Time video tracer can be used as any other editor; it has its own output that is controlled by the buttons Show It Now and Zones. An alternative mode is “Tracer Output Image” which takes the output of the Real Time video tracer and allows its use in a Timeline or a Workspace Cue.

There are several video Processing modes; “2 Levels”, “3 Levels”, and “Delta” each define a method of simplifying the video frame. The tracing process has a few steps. The first is to simplify the video frame, the second is the actual tracing of the outlines, and finally the processing of tracer pixels.

Raster brightness adjusts the input video frame, along with controlling the dynamic range, and setting a boundary for the separation of levels.

Raster contrast is an additional parameter that is important for delta tracing. Decreasing the contrast decreases the delta (distance) between the pixels, and works as a smooth filter.

The Blur slider defines how many times the blur filter will be applied. Blur is really to decrease noise and other related small “motions”.

Density - defines spacing between points in the outputted laser frame.

Fixed color - is an option to allow recoloring of the frame to one color; this is useful during testing and setting the trace parameters.

For extra processing to the resulting laser frame you can use Effects and Tracer Output Image.