How to Find Bib Numbers in Race Video Automatically
Runners remember their bib number better than anything else. With Find bibs automatically, 9Pic Motion reads the bibs in your footage, so a runner types their number and gets their clips. You see every bib it found, and every one it held back, before anyone searches.
In short: in Motion, go to Configuration, turn on Bib Number Search and Find bibs automatically, and save before you process. Then check Tools, Bibs found in your videos. Bibs Motion is unsure about are hidden, with the reason. Keep the participant list filter on, and add a CSV row for any runner it missed.
How it works
While a video processes, Motion reads the bib numbers it can see in the frames and notes where each one appears. When a runner types their bib, they get a clip of their pass in each video, cut with your clip length. With Multiple clips per video on, a lap course gives a clip for every pass. A bib can return up to 20 clips.
Reading numbers from moving video is harder than from a still photo, so Motion is cautious. It only makes a bib searchable when the reading is strong enough, and it tells you why it held others back.
Step 1: Turn it on before processing
Open the event, go to Motion, then Configuration and Search methods. Turn on Bib Number Search, then Find bibs automatically under it, and select Save changes.
Videos processed from then on are read while they process. In the Process confirmation, Processing prepares shows a BIB search chip, so you can check before you start.
Already processed some videos? Open the Tools tab and select Read bib numbers in N videos. Motion reads the frames it already saved, so nothing is uploaded or processed again. It takes about a minute per video. A video that was processed with no search on at all has no saved frames and shows Needs reprocessing.
Step 2: Review the bibs it found
The Bibs found in your videos card on the Tools tab has two views:
- Searchable: bibs runners can search now.
- Hidden: bibs Motion saw but is not confident about.
Each row shows the bib, how many frames it was seen in, the read quality (Clear read, Good read or Fair read), the videos and times, and a close-up. Select a bib to see the frame with the bib boxed, and a line such as "Participants who type 52662 get 1 clip." Search for a few bibs you know crossed the line and check they look right.
Why a bib is hidden
| Reason shown | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like a misread of another bib | One digit away from a stronger reading nearby, such as 1824 next to 1324. | Usually nothing. The stronger bib is the real one. |
| Not on your participant list | The number is not one of your runners' bibs. | Check the list is complete. A real runner missing from it should be added. |
| Seen in only one frame | A single glimpse, which is easy to misread. | Add a CSV row if you can confirm the runner and time. |
| Seen too briefly to be sure | On screen for too short a time. | Same as above. |
There is no switch to force a hidden bib into search. That is deliberate: a wrong bib would hand one runner's clip to another. To give a real runner a clip, add a row with their bib to Clips from your CSV.
Step 3: Tune the detection settings
Under the list, Detection settings control how strict Motion is:
- Participant list: Use it when uploaded (recommended) only keeps bibs on your list, when you have one. Always requires a list. Never ignores it. The list comes from the event's bibs with names, such as the name search CSV you upload for photos, or results data.
- Seen in at least 2 frames (recommended) or 3. More frames means fewer misreads and more hidden bibs.
- Read quality from 80% to 98%, with 90% recommended.
Select Save and update list. Motion rebuilds the list from the readings it already has, without reading the videos again, so you can try a setting and compare.
The participant list does the most work. If you have your entry list before race day, upload it. Numbers that are not real bibs, such as a sponsor's phone number on a banner, are then kept out of search.
Camera tips for readable bibs
- Point the camera at the front of the runners, where bibs are pinned.
- Frame tightly enough that a bib is a clear patch of the picture, not a few pixels.
- Pick a spot where runners slow down or spread out, such as just after the finish line.
- Avoid shooting straight into the sun. Backlit bibs are hard to read for people and software alike.
- Keep selfie search on as well. When a bib is folded, covered by a jacket or blocked by another runner, a face may still match.
Combining it with a CSV
You can run Find bibs automatically and Clips from your CSV together. For each video, CSV rows for a bib win, and bibs found automatically fill in the other videos. The bib's panel shows this as "your CSV is used here". It is a practical way to cover elite runners or a camera you already have exact times for, and let Motion handle everyone else.
FAQ
Do runners need to do anything different?
No. They choose Video Clips in the gallery, type their bib and select Find my videos. Upper or lower case does not matter, but leading zeros do.
Does reading older videos cost another processing run?
No processing run is needed. Motion reads the frames it saved the first time. Only a video processed with no search on has to be reprocessed.
What happens when I change a setting after going live?
The list is rebuilt and searches use the new list straight away. A note on the card tells you when the list needs a rebuild.
What to do next
Upload your participant list, turn on Find bibs automatically, and process one finish video as a test. Then spend five minutes in the Hidden view: it shows you how your camera position reads. For the full setup, see how to set up race video clips, and for every option, the 9Pic Motion page. Bib search on photos works the same way with 9Pic BibTrack.