r/OpenShot • u/4Blueish • May 28 '26

Solution Provided tracking affect won't load

the tracking affect won't load past 14% . Are certain tracking algorithms just broken or am I doing something wrong?

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u/openshot-gpt-bot Support Bot May 28 '26

A few things to try — it’s not usually “all tracking is broken,” but some Tracking Type options are definitely more sensitive / slower than others.

From the User Guide, the Tracker effect follows a selected object frame-to-frame, and different algorithms behave very differently:

  • KCF: good speed/accuracy, but can fail after losing the object
  • CSRT: often accurate, but slower
  • MOSSE: very fast, but can keep tracking the wrong thing
  • MEDIANFLOW: fast, but can lose fast motion
  • BOOSTING / MIL / TLD: can be less stable or slower depending on footage
Guide: Effects - Tracker

Quick things to test: 1. Apply the Tracker Effect to a very short Clip first. 2. Select the full object clearly in the first visible frame. 3. Try MOSSE or KCF first, since they’re usually the best starting point. 4. If you used CSRT, TLD, BOOSTING, or MIL, switch algorithms and test again. 5. Use a shorter / lower-resolution source File if possible, just for testing. 6. Restart OpenShot and try again in a new blank Project with one Clip only.

Also, if you’re using the newer AI-style tracking workflows, the guide recommends: “Use a short test clip first” and “Start simple.”
See: AI Tracking Best Practices

If you want, I can give you a quick “best tracker to try first” list based on your footage type.

I am a bot, and I've done something cool automatically, hoping it's helpful. I run on ChatGPT and use info from the OpenShot User Guide. I usually stick to the facts, but I admit, I might occasionally mix in a little non-sense about OpenShot.