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Frame Pincher

ToolSets / Utility

Utility

2026-09-07

ToolSets/utility/framePincher.nk

utility

retime

oflow

optical flow

time

cleanup

frame

View on GitHub

Retime a shot around a chosen frame with optical flow, using neighbor balance to pinch out or bridge a problem frame.

Frame Pincher retimes footage around a single target frame so you can bridge or minimize a bad frame without a hard cut. It drives Foundry OFlow from the input range you set, with the pinch frame as the timing anchor.

Set Frame to the frame you want to pinch. Neighbor Balance blends the retime target between the frames before and after that point. Enable Motion Analysis for optical-flow retiming; turn it off when you want the simpler neighbor hold path. Channels and Input Range are passed through to OFlow, with Reset available for the range.

In a comp, place it on a plate or precomp where one frame breaks continuity—flash frame, hit, tracking glitch—and scrub the pinch frame and neighbor balance until the motion reads clean through the join.

Script code

set cut_paste_input [stack 0]
version 9.0 v7
push $cut_paste_input
Group {
 name framePincher
 tile_color 0x421010ff
 label "\[value frame2Pinch]"
 selected true
 xpos -1338
 ypos 6443
 addUserKnob {20 User l framePincher}
 addUserKnob {41 retimedChannels l Channels T OFlow2.retimedChannels}
 addUserKnob {41 input.first l "Input Range" T OFlow2.input.first}
 addUserKnob {41 input.last l "" -STARTLINE T OFlow2.input.last}
 addUserKnob {41 resetInputRange l Reset -STARTLINE T OFlow2.resetInputRange}
 addUserKnob {3 frame2Pinch l Frame}
 frame2Pinch 1024
 addUserKnob {6 moa l "Motion Analysis" -STARTLINE}
 moa true
 addUserKnob {41 which l "Neighbor Balance" T Dissolve1.which}
 addUserKnob {26 ""}
 addUserKnob {26 label_1 l "" +STARTLINE T "Frame Pincher v1.1"}
 addUserKnob {22 btn l DerekVFX.ca +STARTLINE}
}
 Input {
  inputs 0
  name Input
  xpos 458
  ypos 290
 }
 NoOp {
  name NoOp1
  xpos 458
  ypos 370
 }
set Naa78f400 [stack 0]
 TimeOffset {
  time_offset -1
  time ""
  name TimeOffset1
  xpos 94
  ypos 402
 }
push $Naa78f400
 Switch {
  inputs 2
  which {{"parent.frame2Pinch <= frame" i}}
  name Switch2
  xpos 94
  ypos 513
 }
set Nae0ff000 [stack 0]
 OFlow2 {
  input.first 1001
  input.last 1116
  retimedChannels rgba
  timing2 Frame
  timingFrame2 {{parent.frame2Pinch-1+Dissolve1.which}}
  vectorDetailLocal 0.01
  smoothnessLocal 0.22
  Shutter 1
  Advanced 1
  flickerCompensation true
  name OFlow2
  xpos 94
  ypos 611
 }
set N41fab400 [stack 0]
push $Naa78f400
 Switch {
  inputs 2
  which {{"parent.frame2Pinch == frame" x8 0 1 0}}
  name Switch4
  xpos 94
  ypos 711
 }
push $Naa78f400
 FrameHold {
  first_frame {{parent.frame2Pinch+1 i}}
  name FrameHold6
  xpos 745
  ypos 516
 }
push $Naa78f400
 FrameHold {
  first_frame {{parent.frame2Pinch-1 i}}
  name FrameHold7
  xpos 563
  ypos 522
 }
 Dissolve {
  inputs 2
  which 0.5
  name Dissolve1
  xpos 563
  ypos 606
 }
push $Naa78f400
 Switch {
  inputs 2
  which {{"parent.frame2Pinch == frame" i x8 0 1 0}}
  name Switch1
  xpos 458
  ypos 719
 }
 Switch {
  inputs 2
  which {{parent.moa}}
  name Switch3
  xpos 458
  ypos 885
 }
 Output {
  name Output1
  xpos 458
  ypos 943
 }
push $Nae0ff000
 OFXuk.co.thefoundry.time.oflow_v100 {
  method Motion
  timing "Source Frame"
  timingFrame {{parent.frame2Pinch-1+Dissolve1.which}}
  timingSpeed 0.5
  filtering Normal
  warpMode Normal
  correctLuminance false
  automaticShutterTime false
  shutterTime 0
  shutterSamples 1
  vectorDetail 0.2
  smoothness 0.5
  blockSize 6
  Tolerances 0
  weightRed 0.3
  weightGreen 0.6
  weightBlue 0.1
  showVectors false
  cacheBreaker false
  name OFlow1
  xpos -89
  ypos 567
 }
push $N41fab400
 Viewer {
  frame_range 1001-1116
  name Viewer1
  xpos -89
  ypos 593
 }
end_group