VidSync News

I've been gradually making small improvements to a new version of VidSync that works with both Intel and the new Apple M1 processors, and with the latest versions of MacOS (Big Sur and Monterey).

The only feature missing from the new version is "portraits," the ability to save screenshots of particular subjects (like the markings of a fish) within a VidSync file, e.g. for keeping better track of individual animals if they go off-screen and come back. I don't know of anybody actively using that feature right now. I plan to add it back in to the new version, but Apple completely removed the under-the-hood technology I was using to create it, so I'll have to rebuild it from scratch with all new code. I'm not sure when I'll have time to do that.

There are still a handful of minor bugs to be worked out, but most users won't encounter them, and none of them affect measurement accuracy or make the program unusable. I've used the new version extensively myself and have sent it by email to about half a dozen people who requested it, and nobody has reported back with any major bugs. So it's not as polished as the old version, but at least it works with newer Macs.

Head on over to the Downloads page to get the new version if you need it.

I'm just posting quickly to let people know that VidSync does NOT work yet on MacOS 11 (Big Sur). Apple made some major changes under the hood, breaking some of the underlying technologies VidSync relied on. There are new and improved versions of all of these deprecated tools, and I'm working on implementing them in VidSync. When I'm done (hopefully early February 2021), I'll post a new version of VidSync that should be compatible going forward with the next several versions of MacOS and with the brand new Macs using Apple Silicon chips. In the meantime, anyone actively using VidSync should hold off on upgrading to Big Sur.

I know that when I'm looking into a new piece of software, I see a blog that hasn't been updated in a few years and wonder, "Does it still work?"

I'm updating this just to let people know that VidSync is still working just fine, as of macOS version 10.15.1 (Catalina) in mid 2020, and there's nothing on the horizon to suggest that will change. I am still checking it with each new OS version, and if something breaks I'll be quick to fix it.

There haven't been any updates to the program in four years because nothing has broken that would require an urgent update. I have collected a list of minor new feature requests and improvements to be made at some point, but I'm not sure how soon that will happen.

I am still happy to hear about projects for which you're using VidSync (or might plan to use it), and to answer any questions potential or current users might have about the program.

This past summer, the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences published an article describing the mathematical methods underlying VidSync, testing its accuracy, and demonstrating an application to juvenile Chinook salmon research.

See the How to Cite page for details on the article, including how to obtain a copy.

VidSync user Neil Wi has posted a nice timelapse of measuring a bunch of marine fish lengths in VidSync. You can watch it on his Vimeo channel.