Multitrack

software, built from the concepts behind the previous Antennate software, is the base of our multi-agent tracking software.

Table of Contents I/O Tutorial Input Output Usage

I/O

We strive to keep our data in open, accessible formats so that the information can be reused and modified by our other software components, or by external software such as Adobe After Effects or biotracking software from other organizations.

Screenshot of Multitrack

Tutorial

Video Walk Through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7L_DCtZUE&list=UUR2TVXxuZB7WK81L34QYG3w&index=1&feature=plcp MultiTrack Walk Through

Input

• Video file
  • Highest resolution and quality version of the video you want tracked
  • accepts most file types playable by VLC
  • tested with Quicktime h.264 encoded .mov files
• Background file
  • .png image format
  • same dimensions as Video file
• Model file
  • .png image
  • black and white
  • white pixels indicate shape of target to be tracked
  • black pixels indicate non-target pixels
  • keep same dimensions as targets in original video
  • center your model within this cropped image
    • centerpoint of this image == reported centerpoint from tracking

Output

• BTF data (carriage return delimited data)
  • X coordinates (pixels)
  • Y coordinates (pixels)
  • Rotation coordinates (radians)
  • Timestamps (milliseconds)
  • ID (tracked target ID)

Usage

This is a fast icp model based tracker for multiple 2D agents.

A) Load

-Load a video file to track. -Load a background file (same dimensions as video)

500px

-Load a model

File:AntModelCorrectRotate.png

-the model can be a user-created black and white image the size of the actual agent in the full resolution video

File:AntModelGenerated.png

-or you can use the included program ModelMaker to generate a full-color model from a still in the video

-(optional) Load a mask file

*the mask file needs to be the same dimensions as the video. It will exclude from tracking consideration any areas in black.

B)Run

-When all components have been loaded you can hit the PLAY button to run the tracking.

File:Multi_ready.png

-Test different combinations of values to tune your tracker to a video.

File:Reset.png

-When the tracking is looking good, hit the RESET button to start a set of fresh tracks for the entire file.

-When finished, choose a save folder, and click SAVE BTF DATA

*Give it a custom project name if you wish

C) Parameters

File:Multi_analysis.png

Analysis Resolution Divisor

--What fraction of original resolution do we track at?

File:Bg_sub.png

BG Subtraction Threshold

---Lower/lighter/more detections Higher/Darker/fewer detections

File:Model.png

Model-Data % Threshold (used to be called ICP asso thresh)

--- How many data points (detection pixels) need to be in an area under the model to be considered a healthy track (As a percentage of total pixels within a model)

File:Track_search.png

Track Search Distance

--- This is a distance threshold that the will not look beyond in order to shift the position of the model. Some versions of Multitrack omit this function, and simply always search over the entire image for a matching set of pixels. In this case the Track Search Distance is considered infinite.

File:Lost_track.png

Lost Track Life

--- How long should an abandoned track persist on the screen in hopes of finding its target

File:SepThres.png

Separation Threshold

--- ICP tracking aligns a model with a set of detected points. Then it removes those detected points, and a certain radius around the model. You can now set this radius to help prevent track stealing.

D) Settings

Your settings now can persist even after you close Antennate!

You can load, save, and restore default settings of the parameters too!

File:settings.png