Video Annotation

Documentation Index

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This tutorial covers annotating video data in Avala, including frame navigation, drawing annotations, and tracking objects across frames.

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What You’ll Learn

• How to open and navigate video data in the viewer
• How to draw annotations on video frames
• How to track objects across frames with interpolation
• How to review and export video annotations

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Prerequisites

• A dataset containing video data (MP4, MOV, or image sequences)
• A project created with the appropriate task type (bounding box, polygon, etc.)
• Labels defined in your project taxonomy

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Step 1: Open the Video Viewer

1. Navigate to your dataset in Avala
2. Click Sequences to see your video sequences
3. Click on a sequence to open the video viewer
4. The interface displays:
   • Canvas: The current video frame with annotation overlay
   • Timeline: Scrubber bar showing all frames
   • Object list: Panel listing all annotated objects
   • Toolbar: Annotation tools along the top or side

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Step 2: Navigate Frames

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Playback Controls

Use the playback controls below the canvas:

• Play / Pause: Click the play button or press Space
• Step forward: Press → to advance one frame
• Step backward: Press ← to go back one frame
• Skip forward: Press Shift + → to skip 10 frames
• Skip backward: Press Shift + ← to go back 10 frames
• Jump to start: Press Home
• Jump to end: Press End

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Timeline Scrubber

Click anywhere on the timeline to jump directly to that frame. Keyframes for tracked objects are marked on the timeline with colored indicators.

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Step 3: Draw Annotations on Frames

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Bounding Boxes

1. Select the Box tool from the toolbar (or press B)
2. Click and drag on the canvas to draw a bounding box around the object
3. Release to complete the box
4. Select a label from the dropdown
5. Adjust the box by dragging its edges or corners

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Polygons

1. Select the Polygon tool (or press P)
2. Click to place vertices around the object outline
3. Close the polygon by clicking the first vertex or pressing Enter
4. Assign a label

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Other Tools

All annotation tools available in your project work on video frames. See the Annotation Tools guide for the full reference.

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Step 4: Track Objects Across Frames

Object tracking lets you follow the same object through multiple frames without re-drawing it on every frame.

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Creating a Tracked Object

1. Draw an annotation on the current frame (this becomes the first keyframe)
2. The object is assigned a unique tracking ID
3. Navigate forward to a later frame
4. The annotation persists from the previous keyframe
5. Adjust the position or shape to match the object’s new location (this creates a new keyframe)
6. Avala interpolates the annotation for all frames between keyframes

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Interpolation

Between two keyframes, Avala linearly interpolates the annotation properties:

• Position: Smoothly transitions between keyframe locations
• Size: Gradually scales between keyframe dimensions
• Rotation: Interpolates rotation angle

Interpolated frames are shown with a lighter indicator on the timeline, while keyframes are shown with a solid marker.

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Managing Keyframes

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Step 5: Edit Tracked Objects

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Adjusting an Object

1. Select the object on the canvas or in the object list
2. Modify its position, size, or label
3. Changes on an interpolated frame automatically create a new keyframe

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Marking Occlusion

When an object is temporarily hidden:

1. Navigate to the frame where the object becomes occluded
2. Select the object and toggle the Occluded attribute
3. Navigate to where the object reappears and adjust its position
4. Interpolation handles the transition

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Deleting a Tracked Object

• Delete on one frame: Right-click → Remove from this frame (ends the track at this frame)
• Delete entirely: Select the object → press Delete → confirm to remove across all frames

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Step 6: Review and Export

1. Play through the entire sequence to verify annotations
2. Check that tracked objects maintain correct IDs throughout
3. Verify interpolated frames for accuracy
4. Submit for review when satisfied
5. Export annotations in your preferred format (COCO, Avala Format, etc.)

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Tips for Efficient Video Annotation

• Start with keyframes at transitions: Place keyframes where objects change direction or speed, not on every frame
• Use playback to verify: Play the sequence at normal speed to catch interpolation errors
• Annotate one object at a time: Track a single object through the full sequence before starting the next
• Use the object list: Keep track of all objects and their frame ranges in the side panel
• Leverage shortcuts: Frame stepping with arrow keys is much faster than clicking the timeline
• Save frequently: Press Ctrl+S regularly to avoid losing work

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Next Steps

• Explore Annotation Tools for the full tool reference
• Learn about AI-Assisted Annotation to speed up your workflow
• Check Keyboard Shortcuts for the complete shortcut list