is there any possibility of being able to insert a still image on to the video screen or a key position. So for example a key position has a performer frozen , it would be good if I could have on the screen a still of an elite performer frozen at the same position in the movement for comparative purposes
Hello.
A still better option is to use the "observational reference" and insert an *.svg picture of an athlete. They can be prepared with Inkscape and turned into straight colour pics, line drawings etc.
I tried it - it works fine 
I'd agree - that would do exactly what you want and is very easy
Download Inkscape Page
I haven't used it much but it's intuitive and after a bit of practice I just created from a photo and put a still image onto a video as an observational reference *.svg in about 30 seconds
The nice thing is also that you can put them onto your streaming video and they will be "recorded" on top of your instruction. Helps a lot! Another useful program in "Paint", with which you can build series of picture with the "lasso"-tool aso. to use on the videos. Keep it up - it´s fun
- jon
- Member
- Offline
Hi all,
Thanks for some great ideas. This method is very useful especially when athletes are starting from the same location. A direct comparison can be made between different skills and even different athletes.
Jon
....Nice...The next step would be us coaches making a forum for discussion and event specific libraries on these videos + *.svg pictures. I would be very interested in having different skill levels and suggested corrective measures/methods to apply. There is wisdom out there...
- joan
- Admin
- Offline
Ha ! nice trick with the SVG import/export
Having an "Image tool" has also been suggested previously. Admitedly, this type of image tool, would mainly serve for comparison with reference, so it might indeed make more sense to provide it with the "guides" feature rather than as a "drawing tool".
Maybe a menu under Observational Reference, before the list of svg, "Import an image", that would allow one to directly overlay an image file (jpg, png, bmp). Maybe even import an .svg as a guide on the fly…
joan wrote:
Maybe a menu under Observational Reference, before the list of svg, "Import an image", that would allow one to directly overlay an image file (jpg, png, bmp). Maybe even import an .svg as a guide on the fly…
Either would be very user friendly and allow very useful feedback to the subject. It would certainly remove a layer of obstruction to the process
- joan
- Admin
- Offline
Also, when comparing two videos, it would be nice to be able to directly take the current frame from one screen and import it as an image overlay on the second screen.
Combined with the resizing controls and maybe opacity property, it should allow for a good deal of flexibility.
Good idea, Joan. I suggest that one should be able to do a partial image overlay - just picking out the part to be compared. Otherwise the resizing and placing adjustments will blur the total picture. A simple square cutting/copying tool?
- jon
- Member
- Offline
joan wrote:
Combined with the resizing controls and maybe opacity property, it should allow for a good deal of flexibility.
Yes, an opacity tool would be very useful for the image overlay. Furthermore, it would also be ideal if opacity could be adjusted when superimposing video together.
I agree with Alexander, a crop tool will allow you to move the image without changing the aspect ratio. It is almost like the magnification tool but with just a still image.
- joan
- Admin
- Offline
The way I saw it, in its simplest form, was to have a menu on the right click saying "Send this image to the other screen".
With this, if we use the actual image drawn, one could already have some cropping functionality by means of the zoom function. (You zoom in, then send the zoomed image to the other screen).
Admittedly this will not have the same level of flexibility than a rectangle selection tool, but for a start I think it will avoid some interface headaches.
- jon
- Member
- Offline
Yes i agree, this would be the simplest shortcut to create an image overlay. Regards to the 'zoom' function, would the image created will be similar to an observational reference object? If it is, the image could be moved/resized through handles of the rectangle.
This feature sounds promising 
14 2011-03-01 10:55:13 (edited by Alexander 2011-03-01 11:06:07)
The new quick picture insert and send function in 8.13 is great! Would it be possible to give the image a"persistence-setting" for insertion in a dynamic video?
And as I get going "crazy", would it later be possible to send a series of pictures (sequence) to a defined spot on the other video. Let´s say I need five pictures of the penultimate step of a longjumper. I load a video of my athlete and a video of a well performed lowering before the plank. "Push a button" andv I have a sequence for comparison on the upper edge of my athletes videoperformance...:)?
- joan
- Admin
- Offline
Thanks for the feedback and even more ideas !
First of all, I think this will only be considered for later integration. I feel the current image/svg tool to be "good enough" for a formal release, so I'd like to wrap up the capture screen and publish a formal version for the general public.
Regarding sending a sequence of pictures, it is something that crossed my mind too. Seeing this image standing there coming from the other video, I'm tempted to click play on it to see what happens next
But there is a convergence between this and the blending mode. And it will be confusing to have two completely different tool serving the same purpose.
This will need to be thought over to see what can be done.
Maybe when the "aligned merge" function is in place the blending mode can be removed completely, and the image tool enhanced to allow for "Send video to the other screen", where instead of overlaying the video on top of the other at 50% opacity, we put it in a small - resizable insert. (In that case you'd have to keep both screens open)…