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Set up and use video analysis

Analyze the motion of an object in a video or synchronize sensor data with a video. Track the motion of the object in a Video Analysis display and analyze the data in a graph display.

Get a video to analyze

Analyze motion in a previously recorded video, or record a new video directly from your computer.

  1. Click New Experiment to create a new Capstone file.

  2. Click the Video Analysis menu and select an option:

    • Open video file

      Select this option if you already have a video file to analyze.

      Tip

      If you need a video to start off with, you can download one from the LivePhoto Physics website.

    • Capture video

      Select this option if you want to record a video to analyze, using a camera connected to your computer.

      Tip

      See Video Capture for Video Analysis for a short introduction on how to record a video for video analysis.

    • Capture video with sensor data

      Use this option to collect data from a sensor and synchronize the data with a camera connected to your computer. This option will not be addressed in this tutorial.

  3. Add a video to Capstone. Follow the steps below based on the option you previously selected:

    • Open video file

      Select a video file to open on your computer.

    • Capture video

      1. Connect a camera to the USB port of your computer and set up the experiment.
      2. Click Record to begin recording video.
      3. Click Stop to stop recording video.

Track the object's motion

Use the measurement tools to set the scale in the video and click on the object to track its motion.

  1. Use the coordinates tool to set the coordinate system in the video:

    • Drag the handle on the origin to move the coordinate system.
    • Drag the handles on the axes to rotate the coordinate system.

  2. Use the calibration tool to set the scale in the video. In this example, a meter stick in the video is used to calibrate the scale.

    • Drag the handles to set the start and ending positions.
    • Double-click the number to set the magnitude.
    • Click the unit to change the units.

  3. Click the object in the video to start tracking its motion. After clicking the object, a marker appears on the video, a data point appears on the graph, and the video advances one frame.

    Note

    For accurate results, always select the same point on the object in each video frame.

    Tip

    • Instead of tracking from the beginning of the video, you can click Next Sample to advance the video to an alternate starting point.
    • Select the Magnification tool to make it easier to see the object when tracking it.

  4. Repeat the previous step for additional video frames. Stop clicking to end tracking.

Analyze the data

Analyze the data in the graph using the Graph tools. See the Graph display overview for information about the available tools and how to use them.