The list below has some tips, tricks, and best practices for working with Redaction Studio.
Note: After processing is complete, Axon recommends that you watch the entire video to verify the video is correctly redacted.
- If you have a long video and only need to share a redacted portion, it is recommended that you first create a clip, extract a video from the clip, and then redact the extracted video.
- For redactions where there are multiple masks on a video, complete the redaction work for one mask before working with a different mask.
- Use the Start and End time field inputs to precisely set mask segment start and end times. This is especially useful when setting the length of audio masks.
- The selected blur level is applied to the complete mask segment. If you need to change the blur level for only a portion of a mask segment, you should add another mask.
- Blackout blur level offers the best coverage for masks, followed by heavy blur. Light and Medium blur levels are best used for non-Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
- When redacting with a Manual Mask:
- It is generally easier to reduce the end time for a mask segment than to keep extending it. When a manual mask is placed the mask segment length is approximately 3 seconds. After placing a mask, extend the length of the mask segment and then reduce the end time as you view the video.
- Try using Spray Paint redaction for redactions where the object being redacted does not dramatically changes position.
- You can split a manual mask segment by pressing the Del key. This basically deletes the manual mask from that video frame. This action can be used with Spray Paint redaction to create a larger gap between the new mask segments.
- When redacting with an Object Tracker mask:
- It is generally easier to redact objects using larger masks.
- If the mask is not tracking the object very well, go back to the beginning of the mask segment and resize the mask to tighten it around the object.
- If the object being tracked leaves the video and mask remains on the video, slowly rewind the video to the point just before the object leaves the video and resize the mask.
- When an object first enters a video, don't use an Object Tracker mask until at least 1/2 the object is visible. Use a Manual mask for redaction until 1/2 the object is visible.