VidSync was developed for measuring positions and dimensions on video, but several of its other features are useful when the scientific record consists of observations rather than spatial measurements. It can provide precise video navigation, structured event records, permanent and temporary bookmarks, notes, and exportable data from one video or from several synchronized videos.
This workflow is suitable for behavior logging, presence or absence sampling, reviewing disturbances, marking equipment operations, and other studies concerned with when an observation occurred and how it should be classified. Spatial calibration is unnecessary when the project does not require real-world coordinates.
Set up a logging project
Add one clip or several clips that show the same observation period. Multiple clips can be synchronized so that they play and step together. Give the clips descriptive names and save the VidSyncDocument early; the Managing video clips page covers naming, saving, relocation, and multi-computer use.
To show the advanced playback controls when only one clip is loaded, check “Show advanced playback controls with only one video clip loaded” in VidSync Preferences, under the File menu on the Misc tab.
Create the Object and Event types needed for the study before logging observations. The shared Measuring Objects and Events page explains the hierarchy, protocol definitions, marker settings, automatic Event creation, Notes fields, and editing procedures. Those instructions apply equally to spatial measurement and event-logging projects.
Playback controls for scientific review
Ordinary play, pause, backward play, and frame stepping allow an observer to find the frame that meets a study’s definition. The advanced controls support several kinds of repeated or sampled review:
- Instant replay repeats the preceding few seconds so a brief action can be watched again without manually searching backward.
- Play-while-pressed permits a short inspection without changing the intended stopping point.
- Fixed-duration playback shows the same amount of video for every sample.
- Random-duration playback can vary the reviewed interval when the sampling design calls for it.
- Interval stepping moves through a video at a consistent sampling interval.
- Two temporary bookmarks hold frames that should be revisited during the current session. They disappear when the project is closed.
Select the playback and sampling procedure before reviewing a comparable set of videos. Record the settings in the study protocol so that each observer uses the same method.
Record and organize observations
A one-camera behavior project might use one Object for each animal and Event types for feeding attempts, aggressive interactions, or periods out of view. Use instant replay and frame stepping to identify the qualifying frame, record the Event, and add a standardized code in the Notes field when the observation needs a qualification. A click can also retain the subject’s position on the screen even though that position is not converted to real-world coordinates.
Use Annotations for named permanent bookmarks, comments about disturbances, or a timer showing elapsed analysis time. Use temporary bookmarks for places that only need to be revisited during the current session. Observations intended for the dataset should be recorded as Events.
Review and export
Revisit uncertain observations before export and compare a sample among observers when consistency matters. The Exporting Data page explains CSV, XML, clipboard output, image and video capture, and the checks to perform after export.
Instructions shared with other VidSync projects
- Managing video clips in VidSync: loading, naming, saving, relocation, storage, and backups.
- Measuring Objects and Events in VidSync: protocol design, hierarchy, type settings, repeated Events, and editing.
- Annotations: permanent bookmarks, timers, mirroring, and XML behavior.
- Exporting Data from VidSync: output formats, capture, and validation.
- Keyboard shortcuts: faster playback and measurement control.