Tracker 6.1.6

Tracker is an exceptional software designed specifically for Windows users, offering a wide range of features that make it an indispensable tool in the field of physics education. Built on the Open Source Physics (OSP) Java framework, Tracker serves as a free video analysis and modeling tool, seamlessly combining the power of videos with computer modeling.

One of the standout features of Tracker is its robust tracking capabilities. It allows users to manually or automatically track objects in videos, providing overlays of position, velocity, and acceleration data. Additionally, it enables the tracking of center of mass, offering comprehensive analysis options. The software also includes interactive graphical vectors and vector sums, allowing users to visualize and manipulate data with ease. Moreover, it provides RGB line profiles at any angle, time-dependent RGB regions, and facilitates the creation of models using the Model Builder. These models can represent kinematic and dynamic properties of point mass particles and two-body systems.

Tracker also supports the integration of external models, enabling the overlay of multi-point data from separate modeling programs such as spreadsheets and Easy Java Simulations. The software automatically synchronizes and scales these models to the video, facilitating direct visual comparisons with the real world.

When it comes to video playback and manipulation, Tracker utilizes the free Xuggle video engine, which ensures smooth playback and recording of various video formats such as mov, avi, flv, mp4, and wmv on Windows, MacOS, and Linux platforms. It offers a range of video filters, including brightness/contrast adjustments, strobe effects, ghost trails, and deinterlace filters. Moreover, Tracker includes perspective and radial distortion filters, which correct distortion issues that may arise when objects are captured at an angle or when fisheye lenses are used.

The software also boasts an Export Video wizard, which empowers users to edit and transcode videos with or without overlay graphics directly within Tracker itself. Furthermore, the Video Properties dialog provides essential information about the video, including dimensions, path, frame rate, and frame count.

In terms of data generation and analysis, Tracker offers various features to enhance user flexibility. Users can define fixed or time-varying coordinate systems, including scale, origin, and tilt adjustments. Multiple calibration options are available, such as calibration sticks, calibration points, and offset origin. Additionally, users can easily switch between different reference frames, including center of mass. The software supports data units, with SI metric units being the default, and allows users to customize length and mass units. Protractors and tape measures are available for effortless distance and angle measurements. Users can also utilize the circle fitter tool, which fits circles to three or more points, steps, or tracks. Custom variables can be defined for plotting and analysis, and editable text columns can be added for comments or manually entered data. The data analysis tool includes powerful automatic and manual curve fitting capabilities, while the software provides options to export formatted or raw data to delimited text files or the clipboard. Users can display measured values using custom number formats as per their preferences.

Tracker incorporates a Library Browser, which proves to be an invaluable organizational tool. The software saves Tracker projects as TRZ files, which are ideal for the Library Browser. The browser displays recently opened Tracker projects in a "recent local file" collection and allows users to open both local and online collections of videos and Tracker projects. Additionally, users can directly enter any Tracker file path into the URL field to access specific resources. The search functionality in the browser enables users to find projects and other resources based on name, author, keywords, or other metadata. Moreover, users can build and share their own collection of Tracker projects and support documentation.

Other notable features of Tracker include an integrated searchable help system and diagnostics for quick assistance, full undo/redo functionality with multiple steps, a page view that displays HTML instructions or student notes, and the ability to annotate videos with colored line drawings and labels. Users can also customize their preferences, such as GUI configuration, video engine selection, default language, and font size.

In summary, Tracker is a comprehensive and user-friendly software designed for Windows, offering an extensive range of features that seamlessly combine video analysis and modeling. With its powerful tracking capabilities, modeling tools, video manipulation options, data generation and analysis features, Library Browser, and numerous other functionalities, Tracker proves to be an invaluable asset in physics education and beyond.