Joe’s Multi-Frame Blender combines up to 20 frames from before and after the current frame for a variety of effects. Multi-Frame blending can be used increase detail and reduce noise, very dark video can be lightened, also virtual long-exposure effects can be created to simulate motion trails or slow-shutter effects.
Additionally this plugin includes two motion differencing options to reduce artifacts from changing areas in a clip. The motion differencing options can be used to isolate and mark moving areas.
Example Images
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| Past Frames: | 5 |
| Future Frames: | 0 |
| Mask Highlights: | No |
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| Past Frames: | 5 |
| Future Frames: | 0 |
| Mask Highlights: | No |
| Motion Difference: | All Frames |
| Threshold: | 154 |
| View: | Colorize Motion |
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| Past Frames: | 5 |
| Future Frames: | 5 |
| Motion Difference: | 3 Frame |
| Threshold: | 234 |
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Multi-Frame Blending to lighten images
Combining multiple frames of video can also be used to bring out detail from extremely dark clips. Because images are combined from different points in time, this process works best on clips shot with a static camera.
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| Blend Method: | Add |
| Past Frames: | 4 |
| Future Frames: | 4 |
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| Blend Method: | Screen |
| Past Frames: | 8 |
| Future Frames: | 8 |
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Multi-Frame Blending and Levels
Another method is to combine Multi-Frame Blending and Levels to lighten the image. Combining multiple frames using the Matte blending method will smooth out the image without changing the lightness values. Using Levels on this smoothed image produces much better results than trying to use Levels on a single frame.
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| Multi-Frame Blender and Levels |
| Past Frames: | 8 |
| Future Frames: | 8 |
| Blend Method: | Matte |
| Levels: | 6, 0.4, 165 |
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| Levels only |
| Levels: | 6, 0.4, 165 |
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Controls
Frame Blending
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Blend Method (Matte, Screen, Add)
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The blending method to use for combining multiple frames.
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Past & Future Frames (0 - 10)
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Sets how many additional frames will be combined into the final image.
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PreMultiply (Straight, Black, White)
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Straight is a passthrough setting. When combined with Mask Highlights, white or black PreMultiplication will flatten the transparent image onto white or black. This can cause tremendous differences in the blending results.
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Mask Highlights
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Uses a clip’s averaged lightness as an alpha mask to reduce excessive glowing of bright areas.
Motion Differencing
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Motion Difference (None (off), 3 Frame, All Frames)
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Chooses whether to generate a motion difference mask for moving areas of the image. Three Frames uses only the current, previous and next frames to generate the mask, All Frames combines all the blended frames together for a more comprehensive motion mask. Note that these settings will significantly increase rendering time, especially the All Frames setting.
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Difference Using (RGB, YUV)
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Selects which color space to use for motion differencing.
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Threshold (128 - 254)
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Determines the sensitivity of motion differencing. Higher numbers select more pixels as moving, lower numbers select fewer pixels as moving. Setting the threshold to 254 is very similar to disabling motion differencing. Note that selecting RGB differencing may result in a slightly different colors due to the colorspace conversion.
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Soften (0 - 10)
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Softens the motion mask to reduce motion artifacting.
Motion Check
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View (Merged Output, Motion Mask, Colorize Motion)
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These settings are used to preview the motion differencing mask. Selecting Motion Mask will show the current motion mask as a grayscale image, white pixels represent moving areas. Colorize Motion will mark the clip’s moving areas with the mask color. Both of these options require Motion Differencing to be turned on to show any results.
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Mask Color, Color Opacity
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Used to specify how motion is represented when Colorize Motion is selected in the Motion Check View setting.
Fade With Original
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Opacity (0 - 100)
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Blends the final image back onto the original. This can be used to fade effects on and off using keyframes.
Feeds