Vegas Pro 8 Pro Type Titler

[Chris Barcellos]

I'm sure there will be questions on the titler, so I'll start it out.

1. I drug an empty frame to the timeline.

2. I click and open the top icon on the frame to open edit.

3. I select "Collection" at the bottom of the opened editing window, and up pops some collection with some neat animations. I can drag that down to the box in the low left corner, and that cool animation is added, and the small time line shows what happens with that particular item.

So question, how do I create and edit my own similar type custom items ?

[Jerry Wiese]

No clue. But I am impressed that you figured out that you needed to drag the effect to the box. You got farther than I did!

I really like Vegas, but IMHO, the usability of the Pro Type Titler is pretty poor. I wish it were more intuitive, like the rest of the tools in Vegas.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Jerry Wiese

No clue. But I am impressed that you figured out that you needed to drag the effect to the box. You got farther than I did!

I really like Vegas, but IMHO, the usability of the Pro Type Titler is pretty poor. I wish it were more intuitive, like the rest of the tools in Vegas.

And that, Jerry, is the reason for having forums like this! So that we can share our collective knowledge to further each other along.

-gb-

[Chris Barcellos]

Okay, so messed around a bit more.

If you drag the Collection items to the box at the bottom left, you now can go in and edit text to change it.

Plus, you have some kind of envelopes and controls on the mini time line. The envelope appears to be from the curve controls at the bottom of the title window. Click on that and you can add more curves to the time line, shortening and lengthing. You can also grab certain points on the line, and adjust the curves, and action of the text more....

Next step is to learn what to do from scratch, but I got an idea now how that works.

This is getting to be a something more that originally thought.....

[Jerry Wiese]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

And that, Jerry, is the reason for having forums like this! So that we can share our collective knowledge to further each other along.

-gb-

Well said, and it's what keeps bringing me back! There's always great info here.

[Ian Stark]

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

And that, Jerry, is the reason for having forums like this! So that we can share our collective knowledge to further each other along.

-gb-

Absolutely agree with that sentiment Jerry, although it would still be nice to have somewhat more than a passing reference in the User Manual and rather better guidance in the Help file!

For me the best learning aid has been the tutorial in September's Sony Creative Software News, here: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/...7&keycode=3504

Certainly for me the new tool is a significant improvement on the old text generator but intuitive it is not!

Ian . . .

[Chris Barcellos]

Ian, thanks for that link...and it certainly provides that basics for moving along in Pro Titler.

[Bob Thieda]

Yes the link helped, but its still not very intuitive....
Going to have to spend some time with it...

Bob T.

[Paul Fierlinger]

After following discussions about the Pro Type titler and using it now in practical, real applications in the past 2 or 3 days, I have come to the conclusion that it is very well designed for animated text. I hadn't recognized this at first glance because
1, I'm not interested in flying text,
2, as a full time animator I don't get that impressed with keyframable motion the way a photographer won't get easily impressed by a built in flash bulb.

But isn't the main purpose of a titler to allow us to set text as in print, with the idea of choosing the best typeface, layout, spacing and background to get the printed idea across in the most efficient way?

The fly abouts are candy, fluff and playtime. The real goal is to give the viewers something written in the most economical and unobtrusive way and if anyone is familiar with the vast studies that go into road sign design and the careful attention art directors give to their layouts in advertising, you will understand what I'm getting at, and that is where I see Pro Type fail.

I don't think it is such a huge problem to program a titler to offer better layout mechanics; I just think the designers forgot what the main function of a professional titler is.

[Chris Barcellos]

Paul:

First, I think the standard titling capabilities which are still there with Vegas 8 will handle the levels of titling layout you speak of, and I think the primary purpose of this ProType tool was to add the capabilities you are critiquing.

Now I am not defending the standard titling tools. They are limited. I like Premiers much better, but that was what I used before I started with Vegas, and it was what I was used to. The level of sophistication in Vegas's standard titler seems to be limited, but on other hand, I am not sure what should be added. Can you tell us what titler you are comparing Vegas 8's capabilities with ?

[Paul Fierlinger]

Cayman Graphics Power CG comes to my mind first. It's designed to let the user create clean text layouts along the traditionally well established parameters of print.

It allows you to compose your layout right on top of the preview window and you can pick colors with an eyedropper right off the screen for ideal color coordination.

You can tweak in very small increments the distances between lines, words, entire blocks of letters and it offers automatic justifications in all directions with automated kerning.

Power CG even has its own built in spell checker and warns you when your color selection drifts into the TV illegal range.

These are some of the things I think should come first, before any title motion features.

[Chris Barcellos]

Paul:

Okay, will check it out.

[Ian Stark]

Ah, but at what price?

Totally agree with your views about the ProType Titler, Paul, and certainly the Cayman Graphics product looks good - but it costs more than Vegas in the first place!

I think many people looking to spend nearly a grand to get better control over titling might choose the After Effects route (I did) and in doing so get so much more besides.

[Paul Fierlinger]

Chris,

I understand from longer owners of Vegas that Cayman Graphics was once bundled with Vegas and everybody liked it. Then Sony dropped it, or Cayman dropped Sony and that's where it stands now.

I still own it and can use it as a standalone application but every good NLE should have a native titler and that's what we are discussing here. Vegas is better than just a good NLE. I wouldn't trade it for anything else and I can even make the new Pro Type titler work for me with enough patience, which is what I do. I just wish it to be more advanced in the basics.

[Paul Fierlinger]

Ian,

Cayman Graphics is way overpriced and I never liked their customer service. These two elements alone could easily be behind the Vegas/CG divorce. Even more reason for Pro Titler to improve the layout part before it works on anything fancy like 3D titles.