I know Vegas always cuts out my Winamp when
Vegas comes up.
Anyone here using Vegas and AE together?

no need, vegas does pretty much everythign AE does... if not more... (and nicer too :) )

forgoot to mention, vegas overtakes your audio driver, so it depends on your config as to how and what is playable while vegas is running...

for eg, i cant run Logic Audio or Cubase with ASIO drivers as Vegas is already using the drivers.. BUT i can run 2 instances of vegas both with ASIO drivers... this can be an issue when syncing he rest of the studio to the video im working on... so i run virtual midi ports to work around that...

long and involved, and prolly not what you were lookin for...
sorry

Actually, Vegas is VERY program friendly. When it is the active application, it will take the resources it needs. When it is the inactive application, it will release those resources. Some other programs are not that friendly.


Many people are using AE and Vegas together. The generally accepted method is to render the section you need in AE to UNCOMPRESSED AVI, work on it in AE, render back to uncompressed AVI, and import that back into Vegas.

As an alternative, Boris Red is now integrated with Vegas and can be accessed directly from the Vegas timeline.

<<<-- Originally posted by Peter Jefferson : no need, vegas does pretty much everythign AE does... if not more... (and nicer too :) ) -->>>

While Vegas does alot, it doesn't by any means do "pretty much everything AE does." There is no real method of manipulating 3D objects and layers in Vegas, as well as other limitations. While I do use Vegas for 90% of what most people use AE for, it doesn't do it all.

Edward, I didn't quite catch you there on the workflow.
If you render to uncompressed AVI with Vegas, then work on the section in AE as uncompressed, why would you have to "render back to uncompressed AVI" if it's already in that form in AE?
And what is the advantage to working on it
uncompressed in AE versus compressed?

You would render the changes made in AE back to an uncompressed AVI for importing back into Vegas.

There are some known problems when AE tries to read a Vegas DV-AVI file or Vegas tries to read an AE DV-AVI file. If you use uncompressed to go each way, the problems are eliminated. So, this is the "safe" known workflow.

If you don't want to create TWO uncompressed files, you could frameserve from Vegas to AE.

So, the whole time you're in AE, you're working with
a section that had been uncompressed in Vegas. So you are working in AE with only uncompressed
files. You make your changes in AE, then render
those changes as uncompressed to be sent
back to Vegas. Right?

Yes

Is AE a stand alone program?

Yes :)

as for comparing, well, im only referring to compositing, filters and lighting effects.

but now with boris 3gl (be it a lil expensive) we can do all this 3d stuff as well

In addition, by using Boris Red, you can also use many of the AE plug-ins as well providing you with even MORE tools. That, and the render savings, may very well be worth the difference in price.

im still waiting for someone to write up a spiel about these 2 beasts working hand in hand...

i wont pay over a grand for a SW package and find out that it doesnt work to my flow, but from the demo ive used, it seems to be ok for my style of working...
anyone know where i can find info on the integration of thee 2>?? Im only using boris as a standalone... :(

I'm working on some things for the next newsletter.

<<<-- Originally posted by Edward Troxel : In addition, by using Boris Red, you can also use many of the AE plug-ins as well providing you with even MORE tools. That, and the render savings, may very well be worth the difference in price. -->>>

The problem with my difference in price is that I already have AE, but not Boris. In that situation, the price difference is starting with $0 on one side. :(

In that case, yes I would use AE! It's hard to beat "already own". And the two will work fine together - just not integrated.

Another workflow option:

1. Frameserve from Vegas to After Effects using Satish's free Plug-in Pac (www.debugmode.com)

2. Build composition in After Effects

3. Render out as uncompressed (or lossless codec like HUFFYUV) video.

4. Reopen rendered video file in Vegas as needed for final cut.


Unfortunately, there's no way to frameserve OUT of After Effects, and Vegas DV Codec is not accessible to any program other than Vegas.

But I've used this method quite successfully with Vegas and AE.

I just read an article on the Watchdog pages by Daniel Broadway about simulating a 35mm motion picture clarity signature. Given your knowledge of Boris Red, I wondered if you could answer some questions for me.

Do you know if the "formula" he used in After Effects would be pretty much the same in Boris Red? It sure would be nice accessing BR from the Vegas timeline.

Here's the link to the article if you need it: http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/filmlook/broadway1.php

This is veering off-topic, but I've also read a little about Magic Bullet and seen some great footage on the Web (though we're looking at output to DVD). Could the end result of Mr. Broadway's technique and Magic Bullet be similar?

Thank you, in advance, for your help!

I've been doing some messing around in Vegas, and it looks like it has a strong set of tools to give you control over your image.

The typical brightness, saturation and contrast filters in just about every NLE and image editing program aren't that good. The curves filter in Vegas and the saturation adjustment filters offer much better control!

Getting more "contrast" out of your image:
Use the curve filters and look through the presets. The "contrast" preset gives the same effect as the normal contrast filters in every program. You can do better. Make the curves look like an "s" (it's in the "Simulating 35mm Motion Picture Color Saturation" article you mentioned). This simulates the "soft shoulders" inherent in film, and also happens to make your image look more contrasty.

Saturation:
Use the saturation adjustment filter instead. It's like curves except for saturation. Try boosting up the lower end more than the highs. Some films have this characteristic (colours get more saturated in underexposure).

White balance:
Film white balanced for daylight will turn out yellow indoors. I forget the exact way of getting this effect with curves. If you know how to use curves in Photoshop you know Vegas' curves. Boosting yellow involves boosting the red+green channels so they are concave and look like a hill. You want to boost the red+green channels because red + green = yellow.

You can get great results once you master Vegas' color correction tools. The most useful ones seem to be curves, saturation adjustment, 3-way color corrector, and the secondary color corrector.

Effects:

You can also apply soft focus and film grain (not to be confused with video noise!) with Vegas. Vegas' film grain filter is good for film grain (I don't know any better ones). Soft focus you achieve by duplicating the video onto itself, blurring the top with gaussian blur, and lowering the opacity of the top clip. There are a whole bunch of other things you can do with the duplicating video onto itself trick.

Thanks, Glenn--that's a lot of good info! I had read the trick about soft focus before but forgotten it, so this time I'll print what you wrote and start practicing.

Appreciate you taking the time to give detailed tips/explanations. They'll help a lot.

http://www.freewebs.com/vegas4/vegas4.htm
More ideas there :)

Gosh, I'd forgotten how much I miss Alex K. (haven't *seen* him around here in quite a while). Quite the talented young man, plus good for a laugh. Loved that quip at the bottom. :)

Thanks; I'll practice from that tutorial as well.

Where is the best place to read up about Boris Red? Also do all new versions automatically support Vegas or is there a specific version made for Vegas?

Oh yeah- I was wondering where Alex has been myself. Haven't seen him post in quite some time. Think the last post was around Sept. Guess school is keeping him really *busy*.

Only the latest version supports Vegas. I suppose the BEST place would be at BorisFX.com and/or the manuals.

Currenlty, Vegas is supported by:
Red 3GL
Graffiti 3
FX 7