Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade at DVinfo.net

Mike Hammond · October 27th, 2011, 12:54 PM

Hi everyone,

Here's something that's been bothering me for a while. It's never been a real issue and I can work around it, so it's really more about satisfying my curiosity. It seems that lately my video pieces on the timeline end up with tiny gaps between them (see first jpeg) even after I've put them together with "Snap" enabled. They'll start off right against each other but then they'll end up with tiny gaps once I start moving stuff arounf - and still with automatic snapping enabled. If I try to get them closer they crossfade. There doesn't seem to be an in-between and the gap isn't even a frames worth. But if not caught, my rendered video has a superquick black "flash" because of a gap I didn't catch.

Like I said, it's not usually an issue and more often than not I catch the gap. Where it does create problems is when a clip has a fade out on it, and then the following clip has a fade in. If I butt them up against each other the fades are automatically removed because now the two clips are overlapping (as in second jpeg). The solution is to just zoom into the timeline and get the clips as close as possible without causing an overlap.

Am I explaining this in a way that makes sense? And ideas on what may be causing this?

Thanks!

Edward Troxel · October 27th, 2011, 01:22 PM

It's because your event on the left did NOT end on a frame boundary. Shorten it to end on a frame boundary and all will be fine.

Mike Kujbida · October 27th, 2011, 01:51 PM

Make sure "Quantize to Frames" is enabled.

David Jimerson · October 27th, 2011, 02:30 PM

This happens (most often) when your footage frame rate does not match your timeline frame rate. Check the tiny, down-pointing black arrows in your clips -- these are indicators of frame boundaries. You'll most likely see that they don't all line up with timeline frame lines.

It can also happen if, as Mike says above, you don't have "Quantize to frames" enabled.

Edward Troxel · October 28th, 2011, 09:08 AM

It can happen with Quantize to Frames turned on. I've, many times, seen a video clip not be exact frames long. If you just grab then end, resize it a frame smaller and then bring it back, it will then stop at the frame boundary. In this case, it looks like it's going 17 1/2 frames past the second mark. Pull it back to 17 frames and all will work fine.

Mike Kujbida · October 28th, 2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Troxel

It can happen with Quantize to Frames turned on.

You are correct Edward.
It's happened to me a few times and using your method has always saved the day as I never work with QTF mode turned off.

Mike Hammond · October 28th, 2011, 02:18 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. Definitely an issue with frame rate not matching project properties. All fixed!

David Jimerson · October 28th, 2011, 09:42 PM

Yeah, it definitely can happen with QTF turned on, when the clip frame rate doesn't (exactly!) match the timeline. Just saying, when it's turned off, wild stuff can happen.

One thing especially to watch for is correcting for this when you have ripple edits enabled. If you correct a clip with ripple on, all the ripple-affected clips will then be displaced by the amount of the error -- as in, if the clip you correct is 13 frames past the frame line, and then you correct it with ripple on, all rippled clips will become 13 frames off.

October 27th, 2011, 12:54 PM	#1
Mike Hammond Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Orange, NJ, U.S. Posts: 163	Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade Hi everyone, Here's something that's been bothering me for a while. It's never been a real issue and I can work around it, so it's really more about satisfying my curiosity. It seems that lately my video pieces on the timeline end up with tiny gaps between them (see first jpeg) even after I've put them together with "Snap" enabled. They'll start off right against each other but then they'll end up with tiny gaps once I start moving stuff arounf - and still with automatic snapping enabled. If I try to get them closer they crossfade. There doesn't seem to be an in-between and the gap isn't even a frames worth. But if not caught, my rendered video has a superquick black "flash" because of a gap I didn't catch. Like I said, it's not usually an issue and more often than not I catch the gap. Where it does create problems is when a clip has a fade out on it, and then the following clip has a fade in. If I butt them up against each other the fades are automatically removed because now the two clips are overlapping (as in second jpeg). The solution is to just zoom into the timeline and get the clips as close as possible without causing an overlap. Am I explaining this in a way that makes sense? And ideas on what may be causing this? Thanks! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Mike Hammond http://www.yourcinematicwedding.com \| http://www.storyboardgroup.com

October 27th, 2011, 01:22 PM	#2
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade It's because your event on the left did NOT end on a frame boundary. Shorten it to end on a frame boundary and all will be fine. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

October 27th, 2011, 01:51 PM	#3
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade Make sure "Quantize to Frames" is enabled.

October 27th, 2011, 02:30 PM	#4
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade This happens (most often) when your footage frame rate does not match your timeline frame rate. Check the tiny, down-pointing black arrows in your clips -- these are indicators of frame boundaries. You'll most likely see that they don't all line up with timeline frame lines. It can also happen if, as Mike says above, you don't have "Quantize to frames" enabled. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com

October 28th, 2011, 09:08 AM	#5
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade It can happen with Quantize to Frames turned on. I've, many times, seen a video clip not be exact frames long. If you just grab then end, resize it a frame smaller and then bring it back, it will then stop at the frame boundary. In this case, it looks like it's going 17 1/2 frames past the second mark. Pull it back to 17 frames and all will work fine. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

October 28th, 2011, 02:18 PM	#7
Mike Hammond Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: West Orange, NJ, U.S. Posts: 163	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade Thanks for the replies guys. Definitely an issue with frame rate not matching project properties. All fixed! __________________ Mike Hammond http://www.yourcinematicwedding.com \| http://www.storyboardgroup.com

October 28th, 2011, 09:42 PM	#8
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	Re: Timeline leaves gap or forces cross fade Yeah, it definitely can happen with QTF turned on, when the clip frame rate doesn't (exactly!) match the timeline. Just saying, when it's turned off, wild stuff can happen. One thing especially to watch for is correcting for this when you have ripple edits enabled. If you correct a clip with ripple on, all the ripple-affected clips will then be displaced by the amount of the error -- as in, if the clip you correct is 13 frames past the frame line, and then you correct it with ripple on, all rippled clips will become 13 frames off. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com