Vegas Video discussions from 2006 (Q1Q2)

[Alex Thames]

I created a HDV project template to edit my HDV 1080 60i footage from my Sony HVR-A1U. I captured the clips using HDV Split - perfect. I rendered each of those .m2t files as a Cineform intermediary 1080 60i (avi). I edited everything with the intermediaries and all is well.

Then I want to print back to my Mini-DV tape (in standard def). I change the properties of my project template to NTSC DV Widescreen, progressive, and field pixel aspect ratio of 1.18 (because for some reason 1.2121 leaves slight black borders on the sides).

Anyways, I turn off my computer, connect my firewire to comp first, then to my camera (which is turned off). Then I turn on my computer, then turn on my camera. I open up Vegas, and go to tools > print to tape (DV). I try to go through the stuff, but in the end, all the options are greyed out. I can't do it manually, can't do it with crash record, or anything.

Why are all the options greyed out? I've tried putting my camera on all the modes (recording, photo, and play/edit) - all still don't work (all fields greyed out).

Help? I've done it once, but back then it was extremely frustrating and tricky too. I don't know why this print to tape thing is so hard.

When I try the second method (print to tape using the capture app, instead of print to tape from timeline), it says Microsoft AV/(something) subdevice or something isn't turned on. What is that? I have my camera connected properly. In any case, I can't print to tape at all.

[Phil Hamilton]

Thanks for the feedback. The interview "hiss" was on material I was given and a lavalier was used. The subject spoke so softly that I had to increase volume - thus causing the hiss to surface.

[Kevin Crockett]

I had a chance to play with Apple Motion recently and I can say that I'm impressed.

Does someone offer something similar (price, functionality etc) for Vegas?

[Peter Jefferson]

not really..
closest thing to the motion particle engine is Particle Illusion.. actaully you can use Particle Illusion emitters IN motion.. so i believe theyre the same engine in fact.. im not sure, ill need to speak to Lawrence about that.. ((lawrence is teh guy who invented Particle Illusion)

The closest thing to the Compositing tools would be Combustion (another tool which ALSO shares the same PI engine... )

Some say that Fusion is great, but im yet to dive into that one due to time restrictions on my workload..

IMO, if you want a fast and dirty way to get some great effects, PI is the way to go. If you want a comprehensive package, with particle sand compositin, motin compensation, tracking yadda yadda, combustion is the way to go.

Motion is dirt cheap for what it is and for what it can do, and i think THAT in itself is more of selling point for it,than anything else.. as most FCP user will be using motion.. hell Mac users really dont have THAT much of a chocie compared to Win users when it comes to this sort of thing..

Another thing, is that Wondertouch are soon to be releasing (for tha last 18 months now.. lol) a Particle Illusion plugin for After effects.
After effects is a great tool.. i hate the interface as adobe and i dont like each other.. and all my own adobe stuff breaks on me.. but my clients seem to love it.. I thik it picks up that i am a vegas nut and decides not to behave for me..

Ive seen fusion in action and im very very impressed. The engine on that bugger is ASTOUNDING.. its particle engine is very differnt to PI and is much more photorealistic, couple that with (IMO) some of the best keying tools on teh market, and you have a great package also.
Combustion is STILL king for keying IMO..

[Kevin Crockett]

Peter

Thanks for the info. I'll try a demo of particle illusion. I really like motion's price point and the way it integrates with FCP.

Any chance of Sony developing their own version of Motion?

[Peter Jefferson]

HA

never dude.. theyd find something that worls well first and then BUY it out.. maybe after the intergrate it.. but with Sony, u never know..

I agree motion is good, however i dont liek the idea of being stuck with th choice of one NLE simply because im using a mac.. thats my biggest gripe..

the codec management and performance in FCP are awesome.. i mean were talkin multitracked DVCProHD100 running on software only... offering very close performance to a Matrox Axio in fact..
The only thing that sux is the FCP workflow... compared to the Vegas workflow, it sucks long and hard IMO... but thas not what this thread is about so i'll shut up.. lol

[Peter Jefferson]

LOL am i THAT much of a nerd??

[Eric Pontbriand]

I called and asked them that very question by phone and I can verify that you are correct.

[Eric Pontbriand]

There are decompilers out there. I'm not sure if they'll work with protected stuff, but the other day I needed old footage off a DVD that didn't exist anywhere else (from an old shoot) and it decompiled fine.

On a side note, that dvd wouldn't import in Vegas either for some reason.

Anyway, try to Google "decompilers", and if you still need help, let me know. When I get in in the AM I can see what decompiler I got and let you know the exact name.

[Eric Pontbriand]

I've done some work this way, and nexted animations and actionscripted effects don't work. This pretty much blows it for a direct conversion, although I have an app somewhere that I bought that does it frame by frame. The results aren't exactly broadcast quality however.

[John Rofrano]

You can do this with generated media, compositing, and 3D parent track motion but it’s a lot of work are you really have to be well versed in 3D track motion to pull it off. It would be much easier to use a 2D animation program or hire an animator to do it.

~jr

[Jeff Mack]

When you say 2d do you mean simply sliding a fixed object across the screen or can I have say 4-6 versions of the same object with the stick legs in different positions so I can change them out in succesion to make it appear that the bird is walking. The bird itself is 2 dimensional.

Jeff

[Phil Hamilton]

I have found that if I IMPORT from the DVD and mpg file is created that is fine. But on one DVD I decided to just bring over the VOB and although it played - the sound started out ok and then progressively got out of sync as the clip plays.

Any ideas as to why that would happen? I just did a straight copy to the HD.

[Vincent Croce]

Editing my first widescreen wedding with Vegas 6 and even though I've got the stills I'm using at 720X480, and it all looks fine when I preview the project in Vegas, when I render out to wmv for my site the stills don't conform to the same letterboxing that all the video does. I've checked and unchecked 'maintain aspect ratio' and am unable to figure this one out. Is it just because I'm rendering into wmv format, or will I have the same problem with the final render to widescreen mpg?
I'm clueless here...

[DJ Kinney]

Yes, totally. Just animate in the traditional way...

Work up all of the cells that you need in photoshop. Just the chic on transparency (Vegas works with Photoshop transparency with no problem), then save them as sequentially numbered images.

Imposrt them as a sequence, then use track motion to move the chick across the screen.

Legs move, chick moves, that's it. It's traditional animation!

DJ