Tracker

Tracker is free video analysis and modeling tool built on the Open Source Physics (OSP) Java framework. It is designed to be used in physics education. Tracker video modeling is a powerful way to combine videos with computer modeling. Tracker includes a Java JRE runtime and Xuggle video engine.

Features and Highlights

• Manual and automated object tracking with position, velocity and acceleration overlays and data.
• Center of mass tracks.
• Interactive graphical vectors and vector sums.
• RGB line profiles at any angle, time-dependent RGB regions.
• Model Builder creates kinematic and dynamic models of point mass particles and two-body systems.
• External models animate and overlay multi-point data from separate modeling programs such as spreadsheets and Easy Java Simulations.
• Model overlays are automatically synchronized and scaled to the video for direct visual comparison with the real world.
• Free Xuggle video engine plays and records most formats (mov/avi/flv/mp4/wmv etc) on Windows/OSX/Linux.
• Video filters, including brightness/contrast, strobe, ghost trails, and deinterlace filters.
• Perspective filter corrects distortion when objects are photographed at an angle rather than straight-on.
• Radial distortion filter corrects distortion associated with fisheye lenses.
• Export Video wizard enables editing and transcoding videos, with or without overlay graphics, using Tracker itself.
• Video Properties dialog shows video dimensions, path, frame rate, frame count, more.
• Fixed or time-varying coordinate system scale, origin and tilt.
• Multiple calibration options: tape, stick, calibration points and/or offset origin.
• Switch easily to the center of mass and other reference frames.
• Data include units (SI metric units by default, settable length and mass units).
• Protractors and tape measures provide easy distance and angle measurements.
• Circle fitter tool fits circles to 3 or more points, steps or tracks.
• Define custom variables for plotting and analysis.
• Add editable text columns for comments or manually entered data.
• The data analysis tool includes powerful automatic and manual curve fitting.
• Export formatted or raw data to a delimited text file or the clipboard.
• Display measured values using custom number formats if desired.
• Tracker saves Tracker projects as TRZ files ideal for the Library Browser.
• The browser shows recently opened Tracker projects in a "recent local file" collection.
• The browser opens local collections of videos and Tracker projects.
• The browser opens online collections of videos and Tracker projects.
• Search for projects and other resources by name, author, keywords or other metadata.
• Build and share your own collection of Tracker projects, videos, and support docs.
• Integrated searchable help and diagnostics.
• Full undo/redo with multiple steps.
• Page view displays Html instructions or student notes.
• Annotate videos with colored line drawings and labels.
• User preferences: GUI configuration, video engine, default language, font size, more.