NLE software recommendation? at DVinfo.net

Steve Brady · September 23rd, 2007, 11:17 AM

I've been using Vegas for a while, but I've been working on a project that incorporates quite a bit of "Ken Burns" style still work, and I've found Vegas to be somewhat lacking.

Specifically, I dislike the fact that Motion Blur/Supersampling is controlled by envelopes on the Video Bus, rather than per track or (better still) event, and the lack of Bezier keyframes available in Pan/Crop.

Can anybody recommend some reasonably priced software which is superior to Vegas in this respect?

Jim Day · September 23rd, 2007, 02:02 PM

Maybe you don't have to leave Vegas. Take a look at Ultimate S 3.1 plugin from VASST. It will probably do what you want it to do and is much cheaper than having to purchase another prosumer NLE and then having to go through the learning curve (of the new NLE).

Glenn Chan · September 23rd, 2007, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Specifically, I dislike the fact that Motion Blur/Supersampling is controlled by envelopes on the Video Bus

If you want, anything complicated can be put into its own .veg
You can then nest that .veg into your master project.

Quote:

the lack of Bezier keyframes available in Pan/Crop.

Pan/crop doesn't have bezier keyframes. However, you can right click the keyframe and select the "smooth" mode to get keyframes that ease in/out.

2- I'm not entirely sure what you're after, but programs like After Effects, Shake, and Combustion offer a lot more options and have steeper learning curves. They are not NLEs.

Steve Brady · September 23rd, 2007, 03:48 PM

Thanks, guys.

Glenn, the nested approach is what I've settled on at the moment, but it would be much less complicated if everything were in the same project file, of course, and I'm still not really happy with the amount of control Vegas allows me over the motion blur. I'm working on a 25P project, so a "normal" 180 degree shutter corresponds to 2%, and the only other useful choices available are 1% (90 degrees) and 3% (270 degrees).

I'm fairly adept with After Effects; what I'd really like is an NLE like Vegas that also happens to have the functionality that's available through AE's Transforms (and the CC Force Motion Blur effect).

Jim, I don't think that Ultimate will help. The only Vegas plug-in I've found that will do what I want is Boris FX, which doesn't really integrate all that well with the Vegas workflow, and is a little more expensive than I'd like.

Emre Safak · September 23rd, 2007, 05:36 PM

Bezier masks are keyframable. You mean the Mask tool in Pan/Crop, right? It's explained under Create a Bézier mask in the help file.

Glenn Chan · September 23rd, 2007, 09:26 PM

Emre, I initially thought that Steve was looking for keyframable bezier masks... but the "bezier" in this case refers to bezier handles on keyframes. Vegas gives you choices like smooth and linear, but not bezier handles (like in the ProType Titler, or in AE or other programs).

2- Maybe Premiere would be helpful? I don't use it myself, but it has integration with AE and you might be able to use AAF to convert projects between Vegas and Premiere (*no idea if the AAF works perfectly and transfers all the settings you need).

2b- FCP has bezier keyframes for motion. I think motion blur is limited to increments of frames??

September 23rd, 2007, 11:17 AM	#1
Steve Brady Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Rainham, Kent, UK Posts: 69	NLE software recommendation? I've been using Vegas for a while, but I've been working on a project that incorporates quite a bit of "Ken Burns" style still work, and I've found Vegas to be somewhat lacking. Specifically, I dislike the fact that Motion Blur/Supersampling is controlled by envelopes on the Video Bus, rather than per track or (better still) event, and the lack of Bezier keyframes available in Pan/Crop. Can anybody recommend some reasonably priced software which is superior to Vegas in this respect?

September 23rd, 2007, 02:02 PM	#2
Jim Day Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: El Paso Posts: 35	Maybe you don't have to leave Vegas. Take a look at Ultimate S 3.1 plugin from VASST. It will probably do what you want it to do and is much cheaper than having to purchase another prosumer NLE and then having to go through the learning curve (of the new NLE).

September 23rd, 2007, 03:48 PM	#4
Steve Brady Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Rainham, Kent, UK Posts: 69	Thanks, guys. Glenn, the nested approach is what I've settled on at the moment, but it would be much less complicated if everything were in the same project file, of course, and I'm still not really happy with the amount of control Vegas allows me over the motion blur. I'm working on a 25P project, so a "normal" 180 degree shutter corresponds to 2%, and the only other useful choices available are 1% (90 degrees) and 3% (270 degrees). I'm fairly adept with After Effects; what I'd really like is an NLE like Vegas that also happens to have the functionality that's available through AE's Transforms (and the CC Force Motion Blur effect). Jim, I don't think that Ultimate will help. The only Vegas plug-in I've found that will do what I want is Boris FX, which doesn't really integrate all that well with the Vegas workflow, and is a little more expensive than I'd like.

September 23rd, 2007, 05:36 PM	#5
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	Bezier masks are keyframable. You mean the Mask tool in Pan/Crop, right? It's explained under Create a Bézier mask in the help file.

September 23rd, 2007, 09:26 PM	#6
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Emre, I initially thought that Steve was looking for keyframable bezier masks... but the "bezier" in this case refers to bezier handles on keyframes. Vegas gives you choices like smooth and linear, but not bezier handles (like in the ProType Titler, or in AE or other programs). 2- Maybe Premiere would be helpful? I don't use it myself, but it has integration with AE and you might be able to use AAF to convert projects between Vegas and Premiere (*no idea if the AAF works perfectly and transfers all the settings you need). 2b- FCP has bezier keyframes for motion. I think motion blur is limited to increments of frames??