2-Point Stabilizing

Use 2-point stabilizing when the motion you want to remove involves changes in scale (zoom) and/or rotation (roll). For example, your camera may be zooming out from someone in a rocking chair.

As in tracking, when you choose to stabilize combinations of position, scale, and rotation simultaneously, the roles of each of the points are additive:

• If you track both scale and rotation, the first point indicates the pivot point of the rotation; the second indicates the arc of the rotation; and the distance between the two indicates the scaling changes.
• If you track position at the same time, the first point also indicates the vertical and/or horizontal motion you want to eliminate.
• If you track scale, choose two reference features that are at the same Z-depth throughout the shot. For example, if you have two rows of trees lining a driveway, choose two trees at about the same Z-depth (distance away from camera).
• If you track rotation, choose two reference features that are as far as possible from each other. This gives the Tracker the maximum amount of "roll" to analyze and correct.
• If you do 2-point stabilizing, each of the two reference features stays fixed throughout the stabilized clip. That is, if you are stabilizing scaling, the scaling change is eliminated. If you are stabilizing rotation, the rotation is eliminated.

To stabilize position, scale, and/or rotation:

1. Choose Operators | Stabilize | Stabilize 2 Points.

The Stabilize 2 Points controls appear.

2. Click the Stabilize Point 1 Set Position button, or use the X and Y fields to place the crosshairs over a point that represents the motion(s) you want to eliminate. This point is also at the center of your reference feature.
3. To avoid inadvertently moving the crosshairs, click the Set Position button again to disable it.
4. Repeat the two previous steps for Stabilize Point 2.
5. In the Stabilize 2 Points controls, set the Mode, Borders, and Border Color options.
6. Enable Position, Scale, and/or Rotation depending on the type of motion that you want to remove from the clip.
7. On the Tracker panel, click the Position button.

In the viewport, two tracker boxes appear.

8. Reposition the tracker and reference boxes over the reference features in the viewport.
9. On the Tracker panel, click Select All Trackers.
10. On the Tracker panel, set the options for Mode, Position, Type, and Tolerance.
11. On the Tracker panel, click the Analyze Forward button to start the analysis.

The Trackers follow the reference features in the viewport, and data is applied to the Stabilize 2 Points object in the Timeline.



12. Play the clip.

The unwanted motion is eliminated.

13. Click the Off button in the Tracker panel when stabilizing is complete.