Hello,

This is my first post here, and I'm a relatively new user of LRTimelapse. I'm loving learning and practicing timelapse photography and am using the latest version of LRTimelapse6.0.3_ARM.mac.dmg

On a recent timelapse edit, I noticed some significant flickering and artifacts that cannot be removed with the visual deflicker tool. I've already attempted maxing out the smoothing feature and have the masks version set to 2.0 and the latest version of Adobe DNG converter installed.

I've attempted to use the reference area tool for deflickering and still no luck.

Attached is a link to the timelapse: https://youtu.be/Y626qaeySKI

Is anyone able to provide me with some information regarding this matter?

Thank you!

There seem to be flashes on the keyframes, this means that the auto transition couldn't transition all edits.
I'd do a clear reedit from scratch, starting by removing the sequence from Lightroom and then doing "Metadata / Initialize" in LRTimelapse.
Now take a screenshot of the preview with the curves.
Now do the workflow from scratch. When editing with Masks, make sure to only use the predefined masks that LRTimelapse created. Don't Add / Remove masks.
Do the workflow until the Visual previews, then add a reference area to the sky and take another screenshot of the preview with the curves.
Now do a multipass deflicker with 2 or 3 passes. The pink curve should be smooth now and the sequence should play back fine.
If not, do another screenshot of the preview with the curves and attach all 3 keyframes to your reply to this post.
Also adding the log (info menu) might help.

This post was last modified: 2022-04-26, 22:48 by Gunther.

Thanks for following up!

I went through the steps, and the problem persists. Attached are the 3 screenshots and the log file:

Appreciate the help!

Code:

License for: LRTimelapse 6, License type: private, Valid until: Unlimited for LRTimelapse 6

2022-04-26 13:50:13 [DEB] Created Log file: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Documents/LRTimelapse
2022-04-26 13:50:13 [INF] Reading settings from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Library/Application Support/LRTimelapse/LRTimelapse.config
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] LRTimelapse 6.0.3 (2022-04-20) Build 792
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] (c) 2022 Gunther Wegner
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] https://lrtimelapse.com
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Java version: 17.0.1 (64bit) from Oracle Corporation
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Running on: Mac OS X locale: en_US
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Running on Mac Silicon.
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] OS Version: 12.3.1
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Java runtime: 64 bit
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Found 10 processor cores.
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [INF] Licensed to: Jonathan Sadrgilany, Morristown - Private License.
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [DEB] Using 10 threads for Visual Previews.
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [DEB] Using 10 threads for Internal Export.
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [DEB] Registered Tiff-Reader: com.sun.imageio.plugins.tiff.TIFFImageReader@6b00f608
2022-04-26 13:50:14 [DEB] Registered Tiff-Reader: com.twelvemonkeys.imageio.plugins.tiff.TIFFImageReader@4c550889
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Launched LRTExport worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Launched Batch Processing worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [INF] Loading directory structure
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Initializing directory chooser
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Building user interface
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Building Table
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Setting header renderer
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Register cell editing
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Updating column widths
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Create table popup
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Enabling drag-drop
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Done creating UI
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Creating UI-bindings...
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Preview Color Management not activated. You can activate it in the Settings.
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Launched Visual Previews worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Checking for render tasks in: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Documents/LRTimelapse/LRTInterface.txt
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] Launching 10 instances of ExifTool
2022-04-26 13:50:16 [DEB] /usr/local/LRTimelapse/exiftool
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] ExifTool: 12.33
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Exif Tool available.
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] DNG Converter available.
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] MPEG Encoder available: /usr/local/LRTimelapse/ffmpeg-silicon
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] Detected 1 screen:
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] Screen 1: 1728 1117
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Setting window position
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Starting version check...
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Showing UI
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Initializing import dialog...
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Cleaning up temp dir
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [DEB] Using temp-dir: /var/folders/sy/ns_5tvpj2ngddxj_h8zq77dc0000gn/T/lrt_5125134241118061517
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] Locating last selected folder...
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] ...done locating last selected folder.
2022-04-26 13:50:17 [INF] Latest Version of LRTimelapse: 6.0.3 (2022-04-20), installed Version: 6.0.3 (2022-04-20)
2022-04-26 13:50:18 [DEB] ...done initializing import dialog.
2022-04-26 13:50:18 [DEB] Installed Version of Adobe DNG converter: 14.3 (14030000)
2022-04-26 13:50:18 [DEB] Latest Version of Adobe DNG Converter: 14.3.0 (14030000)
2022-04-26 13:50:18 [DEB] Memory: [max|13104] [used|621] [free|12483]
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [INF] --- Loading directory: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [WRN] Sequence properties-file not found.
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Launched Folder Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [ERR] Could not create snapshot dir!
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Finished loading XMP data in 0 sec.
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] JPG sequence with 1 images loaded.
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Memory: [max|13104] [used|677] [free|12427]
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Buffer size for ExifTool: 1
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Sequence shot in unknown mode
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Timestamp Data not complete!
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Switching to Filename-Sort.
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Sequence is new or was processed with LRT < 4.0
2022-04-26 13:50:30 [DEB] Launched Camera Previews Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] User chose not to save, removing helper dir /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/.lrt
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [INF] --- Loading directory: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [WRN] Sequence properties-file not found.
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] Launched Folder Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] Finished loading XMP data in 0 sec.
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] EMPTY sequence with 0 images loaded.
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [ERR] Could not create snapshot dir!
2022-04-26 13:50:35 [DEB] Launched Camera Previews Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [INF] --- Loading directory: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [WRN] Sequence properties-file not found.
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [DEB] Launched Folder Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [DEB] Finished loading XMP data in 0 sec.
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [DEB] EMPTY sequence with 0 images loaded.
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [ERR] Could not create snapshot dir!
2022-04-26 13:50:38 [DEB] Launched Camera Previews Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [INF] --- Loading directory: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/Timelapse
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/Timelapse/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [WRN] Sequence properties-file not found.
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [DEB] Launched Folder Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [DEB] Finished loading XMP data in 0 sec.
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [DEB] EMPTY sequence with 0 images loaded.
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [ERR] Could not create snapshot dir!
2022-04-26 13:50:41 [DEB] Launched Camera Previews Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:44 [INF] --- Loading directory: /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/Timelapse/04.22.2022
2022-04-26 13:50:44 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/Timelapse/04.22.2022/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 13:50:44 [WRN] Sequence properties-file not found.
2022-04-26 13:50:44 [DEB] Launched Folder Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:50:44 [ERR] Could not create snapshot dir!
2022-04-26 13:50:46 [DEB] Finished loading XMP data in 2 sec.
2022-04-26 13:50:46 [DEB] ARW sequence with 674 images loaded.
2022-04-26 13:50:46 [DEB] Memory: [max|13104] [used|835] [free|12269]
2022-04-26 13:50:46 [DEB] Buffer size for ExifTool: 67
2022-04-26 13:50:57 [DEB] Sequence shot in manual mode
2022-04-26 13:50:57 [DEB] Timestamp Data not complete!
2022-04-26 13:50:57 [DEB] Sequence is new or was processed with LRT < 4.0
2022-04-26 13:50:57 [DEB] Launched Camera Previews Loader worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 13:51:23 [DEB] Buffer size for ExifTool: 67
2022-04-26 13:51:23 [DEB] Completed TimeStamps. Switching to Date/Time sort.
2022-04-26 13:51:23 [DEB] Sequence shot in manual mode
2022-04-26 14:24:08 [INF] Reloading XMP only...
2022-04-26 14:24:08 [DEB] Loading sequence properties from /Users/JonSadrgilany/Desktop/Working Folder/April 2022/Timelapse/04.22.2022/.lrt/lrtsequence.properties
2022-04-26 14:24:09 [DEB] Detected a Masks 2.0 sequence.
2022-04-26 14:24:20 [DEB] Buffer size for ExifTool: 67
2022-04-26 14:24:20 [DEB] Sequence shot in manual mode
2022-04-26 14:24:43 [DEB] Detected a Masks 2.0 sequence.
2022-04-26 14:24:43 [DEB] Checking and fixing XMP values
2022-04-26 14:24:47 [DEB] Calculating Auto Transitions
2022-04-26 14:24:47 [DEB] Buffer size for ExifTool: 1
2022-04-26 14:24:47 [DEB] Sequence shot in manual mode
2022-04-26 14:32:33 [DEB] Launched Auto Refine worker with 10 threads.
2022-04-26 14:32:33 [DEB] Starting multipass deflicker with 3 passes.
2022-04-26 14:32:33 [DEB] Pass 1 with 560 frames to deflicker.
2022-04-26 14:37:00 [DEB] Pass 2 with 534 frames to deflicker.
2022-04-26 14:41:16 [DEB] Pass 3 with 368 frames to deflicker.
2022-04-26 14:45:00 [DEB] Loaded preview positions: 152/91 1728/1048

Technically everything is running well now. The pink curve is smooth that means, LRTimelapse deflickered correctly, the images have a smooth progression in luminosity.
Unfortunately I don't see the final video? Did you read metadata for the whole sequence? (Grid View, Filter on "Full sequence", select all -> Metadata / read Metadata from files). then use LRTExport to export / render. How does the video look like?

If you still see "flicker", this might be contrast flicker, introduced by heavy Lightroom editing, I've explained this in my expert tips video #5: https://lrtimelapse.com/tutorial/expert/

I think the biggest problem with this sequence is the big bump in the blue curve at the beginning. Most likely not all of the images are correctly exposed, but it's hard to tell. Generally, the more even such a holy grail sequnce is exposed, the better. Try always to stay in the dynamic range of the camera.