need help aligning a set of photos

[void star]

I have a set of images that I'm trying to align together.

A sample set of the image sequence is here:  https://app.box.com/s/s1urccnz60zoxu0dq97rm634kz4a27rm

I tried from the command line:  align_image_stack.exe -a aligned -C *.jpg

Maybe the Windows build is broken, its been running for several days (I assume it is actually deadlocked inside).

Then I tried to just load all the images into Hugin and click Align, but that didn't get me very far.

I've done a similar thing with astrophotography photos using PixInsight, but it has an easier job aligning stars on a black background.   In this case, maybe the fire hydrant or the mailbox could be used.

After the alignment, I'll probably want to crop each image  down (focusing on the tree).

Suggestions appreciated!

-Steve

[Greg 'groggy' Lehey]

On Wednesday, 26 April 2017 at 22:26:36 -0700, void star wrote:
>
> I have a set of images that I'm trying to align together.
>
> A sample set of the image sequence is here:
> https://app.box.com/s/s1urccnz60zoxu0dq97rm634kz4a27rm
>
> I tried from the command line: align_image_stack.exe -a aligned -C *.jpg
>
> Maybe the Windows build is broken, its been running for several days (I
> assume it is actually deadlocked inside).

It might be a Microsoft problem. On my (FreeBSD) machine it took
about 2 minutes.

But that doesn't help much. align_image_stack can't handle changes of
perspective, and the result is useless. You need to take all the
images from the same place, preferably mounted on a tripod.

> Then I tried to just load all the images into Hugin and click Align,
> but that didn't get me very far.

I tried that first. There's also a question of constant exposure. In
this case the images are exposed between 7.9 EV and 12.6 EV. That's
fine for align_image_stack, but not for the control point detectors.

What do you want to do with the images? Just line them up so that
they all line up? That will work if you take them from the same
position. There should be a tutorial on the web site, but it seems to
be hiding.

Gerg
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[T. Modes]

Am Donnerstag, 27. April 2017 09:07:30 UTC+2 schrieb void star:

I tried from the command line:  align_image_stack.exe -a aligned -C *.jpg

Maybe the Windows build is broken, its been running for several days (I assume it is actually deadlocked inside).

I can't reproduce it. With your sample images it works here fine on Windows.
 

Then I tried to just load all the images into Hugin and click Align, but that didn't get me very far.

I've done a similar thing with astrophotography photos using PixInsight, but it has an easier job aligning stars on a black background.   In this case, maybe the fire hydrant or the mailbox could be used.

After the alignment, I'll probably want to crop each image  down (focusing on the tree).

 
For this case I would recommend to use cpfind with --linearmatch option. (Maybe you need to add a new control point detector setting for cpfind with parameter "--linearmatch --output=%o %s")
(You can also create a mask before to mask all moving/varying parts - e.g. mask type exclude from all images of the same lens, and remove the mask after cpfind)
Then optimize positions, in the fast preview window then select HDR crop on crop tab to select only areas which are contained in all images.

[Abrimaal]

The photos are not taken from the same point.
To align them you should work manually.

If you used a control point detector before, there are many control points on the trees and leaves, better to start a new project than remove them any photo vs any.

First, you should decide what objects are important to your vision.
1 Static walls and blurred trees or 2 blurred walls and multiplied tree branches.

If 1 - Add control points on the highest contrasts of the buildings (white wall edges vs bricks). Not on the hydrant. The cars could have moved too.
If 2 - Add control points at the base of the trees and between bricks of the closer fence on the right.

Add vertical lines only on the white edges on the walls.
Perhaps you should mask some less visible hydrants and cars, or leave only one to avoid multiplication.
The best projection for trees is Mercator, but in this case, the top of the tree will be cropped. Use rectilinear.

[void star]

> Maybe the Windows build is broken, its been running for several days (I
> assume it is actually deadlocked inside).

It might be a Microsoft problem.  On my (FreeBSD) machine it took
about 2 minutes.

Thanks (to all) for taking the time to even take a look.   My full set is 19 images, I just posted 10 to try to keep things smaller/simpler, and I had assumed align_image_stack would have the same problem with that sample set.   Based on other people trying, I tried again with just the sample set -- I concur, the problem isn't repeated with the reduced sample size.  So one of the other 9 is causing some processing problem -- but as already mentioned, in either case, it doesn't work with this set of images.   Here was the output I got with the sample set of 10,as executed under Windows 10  ("align_image_stack version 2016.2.0.be8da0221960 built by Thomas")

 --------------------

Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Error: Directory Samsung2: Next pointer is out of bounds; ignored.
Run called
Inner 512 458752: 2048 2560 - 1280 2176
Starting 512: 2048 2560 - 1280 2176
Starting 256: 2048 4096 - 256 2176
Starting 128: 2048 4352 - 0 2176
Starting 64: 1920 4480 - 0 2304
Starting 32: 1920 4480 - 0 2368
Starting 16: 1888 4480 - 0 2368
Starting 8: 1888 4480 - 0 2368
Starting 4: 1880 4480 - 0 2376
Starting 2: 1876 4484 - 0 2376
Starting 1: 1876 4486 - 0 2378
Set crop size to 1875,0,4487,2378
Written aligned images to files with prefix "aligned"
 --------------------

I'll try some of the other suggestions and report back.

[void star]

As more background:  My daughter found an old camera.  So as a fun project, she wanted to make a time lapse of the season changing this past Spring at her grandparents house.   She got excited about time lapse videos she saw on TV.      She did use a tripod and I told her to try to setup in the same location and frame it the same -- she even chalked spots on the drive way where she setup (which of course got rained away!).   But naturally they had to use their driveway, and we didn't want to leave the camera out in the weather -- so it couldn't be a real time lapse photo across a month.   I tried to rig it where she could image from an inside a window, but she wanted the whole tree in the frame.   

I didn't want to discourage her -- at six years old, she learning about framing an image!      I did tell her to try to capture a corner of the roof to be more consistent, and at least she did try... She was hoping for like an animated GIF of the leaves growing.   I can put the images into NeroVision, and do some amount of manual alignment (except I wish NeroVision had an option to make one image like 50% transparent on drag or temporarily -- to make it easier to manually align).   But then I have to rotate some of the images also -- and then I can't consistently crop it all down (or, well, I guess after I export the video, then there are other tools to crop an AVI or MP4).

So I got to thinking, if she tries again -- a few frames is ok, but an automated alignment would be handy for a longer sequence.  From an algorithm perspective, I realize it's a tough problem.  Maybe next time I'll try to get her to use manual mode, to get the exposures more consistent.   And use a backyard tree, where it will be easier to keep the camera in some kind of weather box.