Synchronization Tool     Change picture to:   Normal     Move Rear Camera 2 Seconds Forward   This tool can be reached from the Main screen, using the Synchronization Tool button. Sychronization of multiple input files can be easily adjusted and previewed using this tool. Select the input file that you want to adjust from the tool's drop-down list, then adjust its synchronization with other input files in your project by changing its "Starting Position in Input File" time index. If you use the buttons or bar to make adjustments, the main preview window will be automatically updated. If you change the text box, press Enter to update the preview window. Click here to see an example (look at the rear view mirror in the picture above... In this example, it has been moved 2 seconds forward, while the front camera and data display objects remain the same.) Play Speed - Adjusts the playback rate of this input file, which may be useful for fine-tuning synchronization, as well as slow-motion or fast-forward effects. 1.0 is normal speed, 2.0 is double speed, 0.5 is half speed. Offset Within Project - This is an advanced option that allows an input file to start playback deeper into the project, rather than at the very start of it. Set this to the time index within the current project where this input file will appear and start playing. By default, this is set to "00:00:00.00", which causes the input file's playback time to start running at the very beginning of the project, even if it is not being shown by a Display Object at that time. If you set this option to a later time in the project, the input will not appear or start playing until that time, which intentionally impacts synchronization with other input files. If you simply want a Display Object to not appear until later in the project, without affecting input file synchronization, the timeline functionality can be used to do that. If you want to join video or audio clips together sequentially, you should use the Join function on the Main screen. Data Sync Wizard - Easy guided tool that helps you synchronize a data input based on an event that is also visible in your video (or other displayed inputs). Select a Data Event (start/stop moving, crossing start/finish line, changing gears, etc.), seek the main preview to where the video shows that same event, and then click the button to synchronize that data file's timing. (This button only appears when you have selected a Data input file) Synchronization Tips The synchronization tools are essentially just trimming the start time of the selected input, so it may be helpful to first base your project on the input that started recording last, and then sync everything else to that. If you instead have an input that started after the start of your project, then you would need to use the "Offset Within Project" option to delay its start time in the project, which adds a little more work and complexity. When synchronizing two videos, look for an event that both cameras captured, then adjust one or the other's timing so that the event occurs in the main preview window at the same moment for both videos. For motorsports footage, the best reference point is often the activation of brake lights on a vehicle that both cameras can see at the same time. Other common reference points are when flags are thrown, or when a vehicle reaches a distinct mark on the track. If synchronizing multiple cameras on the same vehicle, another possible reference point is when the vehicle starts moving from a stop, or comes to a stop. If audio is available from each camera, you may be able to detect incorrect synchronization by listening to the combined audio. If a distinct sound happens twice, when the actual event only happened once, try adjusting the synchronization until the doubled sound overlaps and blends together. This can be made more apparent by using stereo headphones and configuring audio balance in the video display objects so that one video's audio goes only to the left speaker and the other to the right. For datalogger files, you can use the Data Sync Wizard to synchronize it to the project based on an event that you can see in your video file, such as starting/stoping movement, crossing the start/finish line, changing gears, etc. Otherwise, use the indicated position on the track map to get your video synchronization within a few seconds of the data, then fine-tune it by looking at the speedometer or G-force plot. Watch the speedometer or G-force for the start of heavy braking, or watch the G-force for it to swing between left and right when going through a turn, and then match that event up with the corresponding moment in your video footage. If your data captured engine RPM or transmission gear, you can also verify synchronization by listening to the audio during a gear change, and comparing that to the timing of the tachometer or the gear indicator. Depending on the data system, there may be a slight delay in the RPM and/or gear data, but it should still be reasonably close.