Problems rendering with Vegas 8

[Guile Branco]

I am trying to render a 100 minute project with Magic Bullet Looks.

I thought I had resolved the problem when I change setting in Windows Vista to improve performance. (Initially the render would freeze within minutes)

After I disabled functions such as "sleep mode", "automatic updates", and "performance" instead of "looks" - I tried to render into MPEG again. This time it was rendering GREAT for 7 hours - the project was 80% done (looking awesome). I went to bed, then at 3am I came to the PC to check the progress.

Well, Vegas had shut down completely. I went into the folder and 80% of the film was completed. Very close to the end, the image suddenly became very strange, colors all over the place. Now why would Vegas just close.

I am trying to pinpoint the problem: Do you think it is the CPU performance (QuadCore Q6600, 2.40GHZ, 3GB RAM, with Nividia Gforce 8400) , Windows Vista, editing software or hard drive failure?

[Matthew Chaboud]

If there's no crash box, there are a few possibilities.

1) Did your system reboot? Do you use automatic login? If you had any other programs open, were they still there?

2) What codec were you using? If there's no crash box, Vegas may have been forcefully shut down by a codec error (the app can't control what plug-ins do).

[Guile Branco]

I tried again and it crashed again, this is what I got:

Sony Vegas Pro 8.0
Version 8.0b (Build 217)
Exception 0xC0000005 (access violation) READ:0xFF1E140A IP:0x763C6BD4
In Module 'MSCTF.dll' at Address 0x763C0000 + 0x6BD4
Thread: GUI ID=0x824 Stack=0x114000-0x130000
Registers:
EAX=0bd0fb00 CS=001b EIP=763c6bd4 EFLGS=00210286
EBX=0ba91050 SS=0023 ESP=00114be0 EBP=00114be8
ECX=ff1e140a DS=0023 ESI=000104ba FS=003b
EDX=00000003 ES=0023 EDI=0000001f GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
763C6BD4: 39 31 0F 85 35 2F 00 00 91..5/..
763C6BDC: 5F 5E 5D C2 04 00 90 90 _^].....
Stack Dump:
00114BE0: 08F448E0 08D90000 + 1B48E0
00114BE4: 0BA2A838 0B930000 + FA838
00114BE8: 00114BF4 00030000 + E4BF4
00114BEC: 763C6BF4 763C0000 + 6BF4 (MSCTF.dll)
00114BF0: 000104BA 00010000 + 4BA
00114BF4: 00114C00 00030000 + E4C00
00114BF8: 763C8E1B 763C0000 + 8E1B (MSCTF.dll)
00114BFC: 000104BA 00010000 + 4BA
00114C00: 00114C48 00030000 + E4C48
00114C04: 763C9C1B 763C0000 + 9C1B (MSCTF.dll)
00114C08: 0BA91050 0B930000 + 161050
00114C0C: 000104BA 00010000 + 4BA
00114C10: 00114C54 00030000 + E4C54
00114C14: 000104BA 00010000 + 4BA
00114C18: 7EC20105
00114C1C: 00000000
> 00114C24: 76583739 76560000 + 23739 (kernel32.dll)
> 00114C2C: 765836F7 76560000 + 236F7 (kernel32.dll)
> 00114C40: 76575AC9 76560000 + 15AC9 (kernel32.dll)
> 00114C4C: 763C8E6F 763C0000 + 8E6F (MSCTF.dll)
> 00114C6C: 77773472 77770000 + 3472 (IMM32.DLL)
> 00114C98: 764D99CD 764C0000 + 199CD (USER32.dll)
> 00114CB4: 764D8E4C 764C0000 + 18E4C (USER32.dll)
> 00114CD8: 764D8E5F 764C0000 + 18E5F (USER32.dll)
> 00114CE4: 765276CC 764C0000 + 676CC (USER32.dll)
> 00114CF8: 764E24AF 764C0000 + 224AF (USER32.dll)
> 00114D14: 764E2539 764C0000 + 22539 (USER32.dll)
> 00114D20: 764E2545 764C0000 + 22545 (USER32.dll)
> 00114D40: 765276CC 764C0000 + 676CC (USER32.dll)
> 00114D7C: 764E1A10 764C0000 + 21A10 (USER32.dll)
> 00114D98: 764E2539 764C0000 + 22539 (USER32.dll)
> 00114DA4: 764E2545 764C0000 + 22545 (USER32.dll)
> 00114DBC: 764D0E23 764C0000 + 10E23 (USER32.dll)
> 00114DCC: 764E2DB3 764C0000 + 22DB3 (USER32.dll)
> 00114DD0: 74CFDA36 74CC0000 + 3DA36 (comctl32.dll)
> 00114E2C: 764E1A10 764C0000 + 21A10 (USER32.dll)
> 00114E5C: 74D0BD42 74CC0000 + 4BD42 (comctl32.dll)
> 00114E68: 764E1B41 764C0000 + 21B41 (USER32.dll)
> 00114E6C: 764E1AFF 764C0000 + 21AFF (USER32.dll)
> 00114E9C: 764E1A91 764C0000 + 21A91 (USER32.dll)
> 00114EA0: 764E1B41 764C0000 + 21B41 (USER32.dll)
> 00114EC0: 765276CC 764C0000 + 676CC (USER32.dll)
> 00114ECC: 764E1AFF 764C0000 + 21AFF (USER32.dll)
> 00114ED4: 763C44CA 763C0000 + 44CA (MSCTF.dll)
> 00114EDC: 763C452F 763C0000 + 452F (MSCTF.dll)
> 00114EF0: 764E1C0E 764C0000 + 21C0E (USER32.dll)
> 00114F08: 764D8DE1 764C0000 + 18DE1 (USER32.dll)
> 00114F2C: 764E3656 764C0000 + 23656 (USER32.dll)
> 00114F54: 776B0E6E 77650000 + 60E6E (ntdll.dll)
> 00114F64: 776B0E20 77650000 + 60E20 (ntdll.dll)
> 00114F7C: 764D8CE8 764C0000 + 18CE8 (USER32.dll)
> 00114F80: 764D96CC 764C0000 + 196CC (USER32.dll)
> 00114F84: 764F99A7 764C0000 + 399A7 (USER32.dll)
> 00114FB0: 764D5B3D 764C0000 + 15B3D (USER32.dll)
> 00114FC8: 764E2B71 764C0000 + 22B71 (USER32.dll)
> 00114FD4: 764D1219 764C0000 + 11219 (USER32.dll)
> 00114FE4: 764E2BBA 764C0000 + 22BBA (USER32.dll)
> 00114FE8: 00F1F3C0 00400000 + B1F3C0 (vegas80.exe)
00114FEC: 01F0B2F0 01EC0000 + 4B2F0
00114FF0: 00000001
00114FF4: 00000000
00114FF8: 00000000
> 00115000: 01850000 01850000 + 0 (vegas80k.dll)
> 00115004: 01913E14 01850000 + C3E14 (vegas80k.dll)
00115008: 000104AE 00010000 + 4AE
0011500C: 00000028
00115010: 00000001
00115014: 00000000
> 00115038: 01B56DF4 01850000 + 306DF4 (vegas80k.dll)
0011503C: 000000EA
00115040: 00010029 00010000 + 29
> 00115044: 100A03EC 10000000 + A03EC (sonymvd2pro_xp.dll)
00115048: 00000000
> 0011504C: 764D09E8 764C0000 + 109E8 (USER32.dll)
00115050: 0000004D
00115054: 00000000
> 00115100: 77658BF2 77650000 + 8BF2 (ntdll.dll)
> 0011510C: 776B2447 77650000 + 62447 (ntdll.dll)

[Jeff Harper]

Try removing the magic bullet effects re-save under a different name, then render the project and see what happens. Note how long it takes and see if it finishes.

[Guile Branco]

Will do.
Is there a quick way to get rid of the effects? (I spent a whole week working scene by scene)

If MB is the culprit, is it better to prerender the project in a lossless format and add the effects later?

[Jeff Harper]

Yes, if you have Ultimate S, go to the visual effects tab and go from there. Anyone got another way to remove all effects? It's the only way I know.

By the way Guile, there is an almost hidden way of turning off the hard drive sleep mode in Vista. I forget how it's done as I have quit using Vista, but it helped me with hard drives stopping. I doubt that is your issue though.

While I don't care for Vista personally, I never experienced stability issues with either the 64 bit or 32 bit version. I would first look at how your rendering works with no effects and time it....and eliminate from there.

If you don't have Ultimate S you might buy it, it is worth it's weight in gold.

[Guile Branco]

Thanks Jeff. I will get the Ultimate S.

[Jeff Harper]

Guile, if you can afford it, you might go check into ReelPak plugins for Ultimate S at the Vasst site...ReelPak #2 and 3. There are some very nice preset film effects, and the one with Phantom of the Opera is very nice, as well as the auction effect. They are effects you could create on your own in Vegas, but these presets do them for you. It just sounds to me if you are into film looks, etc, you might check into them. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[Jeff Harper]

OK, Guile, here's how you keep your hard drives running without interruption. The default setting in Vista is for drives to sleep or shut down after 20 minutes of inactivity. If you haven't yet changed this setting, below is how it's done.

You'll need to go into 'power options', 'change plan setting' for your currently selected plan, 'change advanced power settings', and find the seting for 'Hard Disk'. set it to your desired time - never.

For some reason I never found this setting on my own and had to google the problem when my hard drives were constantly shutting off in Vista. For some reason I couldn't find these settings on my own and had to google my problem to find out how to deal with it.

[Dave Pearce]

Maybe im missing something here but when Vegas is rendering isnt it writing to the HDD? If so i wouldn't have thought the HDD would go to sleep.

Dave.

[Jeff Harper]

I'm not thinking of the hard drive being written to, but the hard drive where source files are located. No you are right Dave, unless his source files are spread out over multiple discs. Not knowing where all of his source files are located, I included the information as an extra measure of safety. If he happens to have source files on a disc that are located on a different hard drive than the majority of his files and if they are only present on the timeline toward the end of his project, then he could conceivably run into an issue with the hard drives shutting off prior to their needing to be rendered.

In the end, as a best practice, I know I don't want my hard drives shutting down at any time. Caused me all kinds of headaches with vista, especially saving projects with source files spread over several discs.

[Dave Pearce]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

I'm not thinking of the hard drive being written to, but the hard drive where source files are located. No you are right Dave, unless his source files are spread out over multiple discs. Not knowing where all of his source files are located, I included the information as an extra measure of safety. If he happens to have source files on a disc that are located on a different hard drive than the majority of his files and if they are only present on the timeline toward the end of his project, then he could conceivably run into an issue with the hard drives shutting off prior to their needing to be rendered.

In the end, as a best practice, I know I don't want my hard drives shutting down at any time. Caused me all kinds of headaches with vista, especially saving projects with source files spread over several discs.

I understand. I just wanted to point that out.
Not really used Vista much. I have it but see no reason to use it yet. I do have my HDD's set to not turn off as well. If my PC is on then i want it all up and running.

[Jeff Harper]

Somehow when I first installed vista I did not come across the detailed power management settings, missed the hard drive settings, and actually thought the issue was with my drives. Wasn't till I went back to XP that I realized it was not my HDs at all. I reinstalled Vista on an old drive just to go back and explore it more thoroughly, found the settings and now when I do go back to Vista officially I'll at least know!

[Dave Pearce]

I must admit i didnt have any trouble finding it. Its in more or less the same place as in XP. Once i found the screen saver settings there it was.

Still, i have too much free time on my hands when im at work.

[Edward Troxel]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

Anyone got another way to remove all effects? It's the only way I know.

Sure... Excalibur can do it too. :-)

Here's a free script that will do it as well:

/**
 * This script will remove all effects from selected events
 *
 * To use, simply select the events on which effects are to be eliminated.
 *
 * Written By: Edward Troxel
 * www.jetdv.com/tts
 * Modified: 04-27-2005
 **/

import System;
import System.Collections;
import System.Text;
import System.IO;
import System.Drawing;
import System.Windows.Forms;
import Sony.Vegas;

try {

  var trackEnum = new Enumerator(Vegas.Project.Tracks);
  while (!trackEnum.atEnd()) {
    var track : Track = Track(trackEnum.item());

    //Go through the list of Events
    var eventEnum = new Enumerator(track.Events);
    while (!eventEnum.atEnd()) {
      var evnt : TrackEvent = TrackEvent(eventEnum.item());

      if (evnt.Selected & evnt.IsVideo()) {
        var videoEvent = VideoEvent(evnt);
        var i;
        for (i=videoEvent.Effects.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
          var effect = videoEvent.Effects[i];
          videoEvent.Effects.Remove(effect);
        }
      }

      eventEnum.moveNext();
    }

  trackEnum.moveNext();
  }


} catch (e) {
    MessageBox.Show(e);
}