Vegas Video discussions from 2006 (Q3Q4)

[Edward Troxel]

Originally Posted by David Delaney

I have scene detection and stop on dropped frame already off.

You didn't mention Device Control. As Dave said, that needs to be turned off as well.

[Graham Bernard]

I just started a "Using SONY Vegas for Editing" SKYPE cast .. . if you wish to talk about anything "Vegas": Bezier, Titling, Workflow etc. I've got a SKYPEcast up and running.

Do a search on Skype for my handle: BIGGRAZIE or SONY or VEGAS

https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/home

Grazie

[Dave Stern]

I haven't really used movie maker, so can't say. file size should not vary based on the capture program. One difference could be type I vs. type II avi (and even then, I am not sure of whether there would be a file size difference based on whether the audio and video are interleaved in the file..maybe only a very small difference for overhead, if any, but I do not know for sure).

Other thing causing file size difference would be the codec. I have found gspot to be a very handy and really great tool for looking at codecs used, bit rates of a file, etc. (free). Highly recommended if you don't have it:

http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

install the tool, then in the file name box, click the little box with the '...' in it and it will pull up a 'file/open' dialogue box where you can find your avi file. it will then give you the file info. click 'render' at the bottom for more info.

Might be worth while using gspot to look at the version vegas is creating (do you get an integral file?) and the windows movie maker version and see if there are any codec differences (check the bitrates too although they should be the same).

[Kevin James]

......Considering I have been using vegas for almost three years now, but here goes. To make titles, video, etc fade in, I have generated an alpha channel and crossfaded the media in or out from that. Is there an easier way to make a clip, title, audio (right now for audio I use the volume env.), etc just fade in?

Seeing the fade offset on some lower thirds in Ultimate S led me to believe there is a way. I was unsuccessful in digging through the manual or searching the help.

[Guy Bruner]

Try the Opacity envelope.

[Dave Stern]

Originally Posted by Guy Bruner

Try the Opacity envelope.

yeah..just mouse over the upper left hand corner or upper right hand corner of your video event and click then drag..you can modify the opacity. And, if you right click on the curve that the envelop generates, you can pick from preset shapes of the envelope to boot!

[Carl Downs]

1. I'm thinking this can't be true... but, does coloring actually degrade my original file!? or (as I'm thinking) only the file that is to be rendered?

2. Everytime I add/delete/change the colors/looks of my timeline am I degrading it on each edit? or... "no" that doesn't degrade it, it's just when I render out = the one time degradation. If I am degrading it on each edit, should I play around with it in one file... then when I finally get the look I want, start a new file and apply those "decided" looks once?

3. The more coloring, filters, looks I add degrades it more and more? or, is it just a basic combined small degradation when render out?

[Kevin James]

my goodness, it really is that easy, hahahahah


Thanks Guys, this is going to save me so much time in the long run!!!

[Don Donatello]

1) no ..only when you render the new file it be slighlty different from the original ( which you still have on your HD)

2) if you are taking a rendered clip and dropping it back into TL and then re-rendering it ( i find no problem going 3-5 renders ) ... but if just changing CC adding filters to a original clip in TL there is NEVER a change to the original clip - Vegas is non destructive ...

3) all depends on how you look at it .. maybe in terms of pixel to pixel and on paper it might be less quality then the original BUT if you like the color better and the effects then that equals a improvement to the rendered clip ( again the original clip is still on your hard drive until you delete it)

when viewing your clip to external monitor when you add Fx's "preview auto quaility " will show artifacts and it will look unsharp - change it to preview full and you will see a much better image on monitor ... if using many fx's then good/best full will show you what the final will look like better then preview quaility ... - preview setting does not force a resample - best does force a resample ... = if you are doing slo-mo then preview will look different the best ( as best will force resample) ...

[Colin Rayner]

Well, I have been doing pretty well on my own for a while now, but......
Any reason why I can't edit some generated text (scrolling credits) on the timeline. I am using some nested vegs but the credits are not from a nested project. Adding text and not having the changes appear in the preview window even though they have been accepted and are there when I re-open the Generated text window. Must be something simple, but I am a bit slow...........
Cheers

[Carl Downs]

That is what I wanted to hear and what I suspected but wanted to be sure. I have been coloring/tweaking ect. so much on clips on the timeline... was just worried. However, as you said... it is only after you render and then maybe bring it back in. Thank you.

[John Huling]

Actually 2 questions...
How does one selectively color, say, a balloon in a video and leave the rest of the image in black and white. I saw a camera (just can't remember where) that had a special effect mode that let you selectively color up to 2 or 3 items like balloons in your video image while leaving the rest of the image in black and white. I know we all have seen this effect. How is it done in post?

The other question
I have an item I need to put against a blue sky and clouds background. I need to create a composite or "fake it" so that it looks as if it was shot against the sky, even though it really was not. I would really like to have the "Sky" background moving, panning behind the item to create some movement in the video. Any ideas how this is done?

[Daniel J. Wojcik]

I find myself doing this all too often: I make change in an event (text or otherwise) but the change doesn't appear.

Why?

Because I made the change in the wrong #$#@! event. Had the cursor on Event B, visible in the Preview window, but negelected to change the FX from the last event I edited, Event B.

Maybe you did the same?

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

I have a tutorial on the technique found at this link and I believe Edward has a tutorial on multiple color passes on his website.

The upshot is that you use the Secondary Color corrector to select the color/s that you want desaturated, or saturated. Use the mask tool to see it, adjust with the various parameters until the mask clearly shows what you have selected and will be controlling. Then undo the mask, invert it, and slide saturation to "off."
If you're looking for a static image to have movement separate from the sky complete with parallax, you can use generated media to move the sky, or use an existing shot of the sky. Use alpha channels or bezier mask to cut out the static image. If you have a moving image, it's a bit harder. You either have to bezier it, or chromakey it to remove it from it's existing background.
I believe Edward has a "Kid Stays in the Picture" tutorial on his website; I have one in the Vegas books, so can't publish it online.

[Edward Troxel]

Passing multiple colors (including a quick single color pass description) is in Vol 2 #10. Kids in the Picture is in Vol 3 #3.