Multi-Ball Tracking Compilations
After an over has been completed and Vision AI has analysed each delivery, you can generate a Ball Tracking animation. This animation can include all balls from a single over or from any query created in Match Stats Wizard, combining the selected deliveries into a single visualisation that shows the path of each ball in delivery order. The resulting animation is saved as a new ball clip in the Ball by Ball panel.
The Ball Tracking animation includes:
- Animated ball trajectories, showing the path of all deliveries made in an over overlaid on a still image of the bowler at the point of release.
- A pitch distance guide, displaying distances from the batter in metres.
- Colour-coded length zones: Short (blue), Good (green) and Full (yellow).
This visualisation is a valuable coaching tool for assessing a bowler's consistency, and for illustrating the effect of varying lengths, angles, impact points, bounce and so on. You can also add Ball Tracking animations to your highlights packages to showcase bowler performance.
Creating a Ball Tracking Animation from Match Stats Wizard
To create a new Ball Tracking animation from Match Stats Wizard:
- Open Stats Wizard (Statistics > Match Stats Wizard)
- Create a Stats Wizard query to filter the data according to your analysis needs
- Add your Multi-Ball compilation to Video Package Manager by opening the Play Video contextual menu and selecting Add Multi-Ball Trajectories to Package
- A new ball clip is created and added to the Video Package Manager Timeline, containing an animated compilation of all deliveries in the selected query. Note that only balls that were detected and analysed by the Vision AI system will be included in the animation.
- From Video Package Manager you can control what elements you would like to display in the Multi-Ball Tracking compilation from Pitch Map, Ball Tracking, Release Point, Ball Pitch, Ball Impact, Ball Arrival and Measurements details
- Use the Colour by option to colour the elements by category, or select None for the default colour scheme. Available categories are:
- None (default colouring)
- Wickets
- Appeals
- Batting Hand
- Pace v Spin
- Power Play
- Session
- Innings
- Bowler (maximum of 11 can be displayed)
- Batter (maximum of 11 can be displayed)
- Add a Title and Sub-Title in the free text fields to give your viewers context for the image, such as the bowler's name, the query applied, or the match details
- From Video Package Manager you can choose to save your package locally, share directly or insert immediately into your live stream.
Multi-ball tracking requires all ball clips to be from the same end with minimal camera movement between deliveries..
Creating a Ball Tracking Animation from an open match
To create a new Ball Tracking animation from an open match:
- Right-click any ball in a completed over in the Ball by Ball panel (View > Scorecard Data > Ball by Ball). A contextual menu opens.
- Click the Ball Tracking for Over menu option. A new ball clip is created and added to the Video Package Manager Timeline, containing an animated compilation of all balls delivered in the selected over. Note that only balls that were detected and analysed by the Vision AI system will be included in the animation.
- Use the Colour by option to colour the elements by category, or select None for the default colour scheme. Available categories are:
- None (default colouring)
- Wickets
- Appeals
- Batting Hand
- Pace v Spin
- Power Play
- Session
- Innings
- Bowler (maximum of 11 can be displayed)
- Batter (maximum of 11 can be displayed)
- Add a Title and Sub-Title in the free text fields to give your viewers context for the image, such as the bowler's name, the query applied, or the match details
- From Video Package Manager you can choose to save your package locally, share directly or insert immediately into your live stream.
You can also use the Ball by Ball panel to manually add Ball Tracking clips to a highlights package.
Ghost Tracking
Ghost Tracking draws a "ghost" path showing where the ball would have gone without its swing, without its movement off the pitch, or without either. Use it to show a seamer getting movement, a spinner getting turn, or a swing bowler moving the ball in the air.
The ghost is a transparent white line in the same style as the ball tracking. It is drawn underneath the ball tracking, so the real flight stays on top, and it is revealed in step with it.
There are three ghost options:
- No Deviation: follows the real flight up to the pitch, then carries straight on, as if the ball did not move off the pitch. Use it to show seam movement or spin.
- No Swing: leaves from the same release point but flies straight, so it pitches in a slightly different spot, then behaves as the real ball did off the pitch. Use it to show swing.
- No Movement: removes both swing and deviation, as if nothing moved the ball.
Only one ghost is drawn at a time.
Showing Ghost Tracking in the Video Player
- Open the ball clip in the Video Player.
- Open the AI menu and find the Ball Tracking group.
- Select the ghost you want to show:
- Ball Tracking No Swing for the No Swing ghost
- Ball Tracking No Deviation for the No Deviation ghost
- Both options together for the No Movement ghost
Your selection is remembered, like the other AI menu options. To save the clip with the ghost included, use Save Clip with Vision AI.
Adding Ghost Tracking to a highlights package
- In Video Package Manager, select the clip.
- Make sure Ball Tracking is on for the clip.
- Under Ball Tracking, use the Ghost drop-down to choose No Deviation, No Swing or No Movement.
To apply a ghost to every clip automatically, set the Ghost option in Default Clip Options in Video Package Manager, or go to Video > Video Package > Generate Highlights Package.
Changes to the default settings only apply to new packages. Clips already in the timeline keep their current settings, so start a new package after changing a default.
Ghost trajectories are created when Vision AI processes a delivery. Clips processed on an earlier version of NV Play Cricket for Windows have no ghosts. To add them, process the clip again with Process Vision AI.
Ghosts are only available when Vision AI has tracked the ball's full flight. If the video quality is low or the ball wasn't tracked clearly enough during the delivery, no ghost is shown.
For further help, refer to: