Video File Location Changed After Retracking – Cannot Access Original Video in Track Editor
Last updated: Oct 29, 2026
Problem
After retracking videos in EthoVision XT, the original video files are moved to a new folder location. EthoVision can no longer find the videos, and users cannot compare the retracks to the original footage in Track Editor.
Details
Affects EthoVision XT users who move or reorganize video files after tracking has been completed. EthoVision stores the original file path of the video at the time of tracking. If the file is subsequently moved, EthoVision cannot automatically locate it. When the user opens Track Editor, EthoVision will prompt once to re-select the video in its new location. If the user does not remap the file at that prompt, or dismisses it, the video cannot be remapped afterward and EthoVision defaults to displaying only the background image captured during arena setup.
Solution
1. When you open Track Editor and EthoVision cannot find the video file, it will display a prompt asking you to locate the file in its new location. This prompt appears only once — use it to navigate to the new folder and select the correct video file.
2. If you missed the prompt or selected the wrong file, there is currently no built-in way to remap the video file after dismissing the initial prompt. EthoVision will fall back to showing the static background image captured during arena setup.
3. To recover full video access in Track Editor, you have two options:
a. Move the video file back to the original folder path that EthoVision recorded at tracking time. The path can sometimes be inferred from the experiment file or folder structure.
b. Retrack the trial from scratch using the video file in its new location, ensuring EthoVision records the updated path.
4. To prevent this issue in the future: do not move, rename, or reorganize video files after tracking. If reorganization is necessary, do so before opening Track Editor, and remap promptly when prompted.
5. If tracking data (XY coordinates, results) is the priority and you do not need the video in Track Editor, the analysis can still be performed using the existing tracking data — the video is only needed for visual review in Track Editor.