Vegas Video discussions from 2005 (Q3Q4)

[Jeff Baker]

I have tried this on two diffent computers, one running vegas 6.0a and the other 6.0b
I am trying to letterbox some 4:3 DV footage and whenever I start messing with the pan/crop menu it tends to freeze up. Is this a common problem?

[Newdjeen Klime]

Yes, Vegas works with Windows Server 2003.
In due time I established server-computers and after that installing of them Windows Server 2003, and then Vegas 5
One of computers worked as Workstation (complete reorganization server OS under the client-version with switching-off all unnecessary services, policies, and other unnecessary options, it is possible to write such as writing the reboot reason, etc - in general about reorganization Servrer OS under Workstation i can write the whole page)
Second computer worked as server and as rendernig-station.
Third was adjusted as Server OS, but with an opportunity of work with Vegas Software (Hardware acceleration of the VGA card switched ON).


If you will work in Vegas on the computer with Windows Server 2003 - you need switching-ON the Hardware Acceleration of the you Video Card, becouse by default it is switched off (Server not need this feature). In rest work in Vegas on Windows Server 2003 Is similar WindowsXP


*Network Rendering is possible to use between simple PC's


PS Sorry for my English

[Edward Troxel]

First of all, upgrade the 6.0a machine to 6.0b. It's MUCH better.

As for freezing pan/crop screens, have not seen that happen on multiple machines.

[Peter Wright]

I would do it as a 4:3 project, leave the 4:3 and crop the 16:9 to "lop off the sides". Yes, you'll use a little resolution for that footage (unless of course it's HDV) but you won't have to compromise the 4:3 footage, and you can use either the centre of the 16:9 or, if desirable, use keframes to drift left or right to keep the subject in the 4:3 frame.

[Patrick King]

Kevin,

I agree with Peter that you should set the project properties as 4:3 and then 'pan and scan' the 16:9 footage. By setting keyframes and changing which section of the 16:9 footage you want to use, you'll capture the 'most important' imagery in your widescreen footage as you "lop off the sides". In fact 'pan and scan' is one technique used in converting theatrical big screen movies to the 'Full-Screen' movies you rent at Blockbuster.

[Mike Tesh]

Hey everyone I was able to figure out how to add a second audio track in DVD Architect 2.0 easily enough. And when you use the audio button on the DVD remote you can jump to that track. But I want to create a button in the menu so that people know the commentary track exists and can toggle it on or off from there.

How do I do that?

Thanks

[Fred Finn]

So... can we go about locking a layer? So that you can't accidentally move or change anything?

[Gary Kleiner]

You can lock EVENTS by right-clicking and choosing Lock.
Excalibur lets you lock mutiple events at once.

You can also access lock/unlock from the Project Media detail view.

Gary

[Gary Kleiner]

Either create two seperate buttons, one set to audio 1 and one set to audio 2 In Button Properties>Action>Set Audio Stream.

Or

Create an option menu that lets the viewer choose which audio to play without immediately starting playback.

Create three empty buttons on a menu page.
Name them : Normal Audio (or whatever), Alternate Audio, and Play.

Normal Audio Button Action Properties:
Command =Link
Destination = the menu page it's on
Destination Button = Play
Audio Stream = 1

Set Alternate Audio Button the same except the audio stream

When you activate either button, the highlight will move to the Play button, and the next Enter command from the remote will play the program with the audio chosen.

BTW, this is covered on my DVD Authoring with DVD Architect instructional DVD.

Gary

[Lisa Lendavic]

I've downloaded the trial version of slive to make sure of compatibility with my system as they suggest. What I'm trying to do is pick up the audio of my wireless mic on the groom, on other software I cannot hear it. The only thing I can find about the audio on the trial version is under view, and then options I can choose to save the second stereo to a wav file and the first to avi with video. I captured it this way after changing these settings, but I still don't hear the audio, there are no audio tracks on the screen below the video, and I cannot find any seperate wav files on my computer for this anywhere. I am hoping this is only because it is the trial version, but could anyone tell me if the registered version is different? Are the audio tracks visible? If I purchase this how do I go about finding this seperate wav file and then placing it into my current project in vegas? Please, any detailed info would help so much, I have spent so much time trying to get this audio, I'm losing my mind.
Thanks Lisa

[Edward Troxel]

Yes, you want to turn on the option to write other audio channel to separate WAV file. When you capture, this will create TWO files: an AVI file and a WAV file.

Now in your NLE, drag the AVI file to the timeline. This will give you the Video and stereo 1 on the timeline. Now drag the separate WAV file to the timeline. This will give you Stereo 2 on the timeline. Keep the WAV file and AVI file aligned and they will stay in sync. (In fact, you *might* want to group them after both are on the timeline.)

[Lisa Lendavic]

Edward, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. I am still not having any luck though. I guess what I first need to know is if the registered version is completely different from this trial, because in the trial there are no audio tracks displayed and the only timeline at the bottom is very different from any other software I've used. I clicked the show avi files and there are now little boxes saying these are avi files, click and drag , but there is nowhere to drag them to. Also I see nothing that says anything about wav files. Am I wasting my time on this trial, or is it possible to actually do something here? There wasn't even any timeline at all until I clicked show film strip one line under view, but this isn't a workable timeline. No deleting arrows or movability. Where should the wav file be located, and shouldn't there be audio tracks shown? Thanks again. By NLE do you mean non linear editing? And then how do I get this to my other software?
thanks again, !!!!!! Lisa

[Edward Troxel]

By NLE I mean VEGAS. The WAV files will show up in the Explorer window. They'll be in the same folder as the AVI files.

For both Vegas and Scenalyzer, the demos are the same as the real versions.

I use Scenalyzer to capture and Vegas to edit frequently with this type of tape so I know it works.

[Lisa Lendavic]

Thank you, Thank you. I got it. I can't use the trial version to fill in my project already captured through Vegas because of the visual restrictons on the images, and I can't try and dub the audio to the project, but I'll just recapture the ceremony through slive with the registered version and stick it in.
Hope all of this helps anyone else also. The files in explorer have different emblems next to them, put your cursor over them and they will tell you if it is audio or video. It didn't pull up this way in the explorer window, but it did under file, then media, then I clicked on my scenalyzer folder and it pulled up both the audio and video files together.
Thanks again, Lisa

[Edward Troxel]

I can see the actual file extension in the Vegas Explorer window. Therefore it's very easy to tell which is the AVI and which is the WAV. However, that's a setting change I made in WINDOWS (cause I HATE not being able to see extensions). Just turn your extensions back on and you shouldn't have any further problems determining which is which.