Bothered by Cookie Cutter at DVinfo.net

DJ Kinney · October 26th, 2005, 01:34 PM

Something's bothered me for a long time. Why is there not a tool in Vegas to simply draw a shape on a layer to cut it out. It would look like a little pencil or something.

Why does the cookie cutter have to use preset geometric shapes, and why, or why does the Bezier Masking have that interface that results in hard-to-control loops?

Edward Troxel · October 26th, 2005, 02:27 PM

You can always create a mask of any shape you desire in a paint program such as Photo Shop.

David Jimerson · October 26th, 2005, 06:10 PM

We may see that in the future; Vegas gets more powerful -- and simpler to use -- all the time.

But hey, I figure, if the complaints about Vegas are about not having super-advanced tools -- which no other NLE comes close to having -- that speaks volumes about Vegas!

Glenn Chan · October 26th, 2005, 06:41 PM

Try "drawing" with the bezier tool like you would with pen and pencil.

Except you have to imagine lines that touch the shape you want to draw, and draw along that line.

Or another way to look at it:

2- When you click, it puts a point down there. While holding the mouse button down, drag in any direction. This controls the curvature of the line. Let get and the point is set.

DJ Kinney · October 26th, 2005, 08:22 PM

I have always fumbled with Bezier masking.

About creating a mask in photoship. How, roughly, do I do that?

David Jimerson · October 26th, 2005, 08:26 PM

Want you want is white for the area you want to keep and black for the area you want to mask out.

Then, using the mask as your parent track and the video as your child track (set compositing mode to "multiply(mask)" and drop a mask generator on the mask event), the only part of the video which will be seen is that which corresponds to the white part of the mask.

Edward Troxel · October 26th, 2005, 09:08 PM

Take a look at Vol 3, #1 of my newsletter. It describes ways to split screen but the same principles would apply.

Peter Jefferson · October 26th, 2005, 09:34 PM

ive been hassling Sony/Sonic foundry for afew years now...
Basically the ability to load in Gradients/BW images into the cookie cutter and use THAT as the shape...
since before the version 4 beta came out in fact.. it would save alot fo time with bezier masking etc etc

David Jimerson · October 27th, 2005, 06:56 AM

You can use a gradient or a B/W photo as a mask. It would work out to the same thing.

Edward Troxel · October 27th, 2005, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Jimerson

You can use a gradient or a B/W photo as a mask. It would work out to the same thing.

While you can do that now, it takes multiple tracks and setup time. I agree with Peter. It would be neat to simply load the image into the Cookie Cutter as an effect to the image instead.

Here's an interesting possibility, though. Install the Luminance plugin transition from: http://www.endor.demon.co.uk/

Now you can add an event to the timeline, make the entire event a "fade out", apply the transition and pick the mask, and then add and adjust a "Transition Progress" envelope.

David Jimerson · October 27th, 2005, 08:01 AM

Well, I certainly would agree that more options in the cookie cutter would be nice.

One thing I'm surprised it doesn't have is the classic "TV" shape, with rounded corners.

October 26th, 2005, 02:27 PM	#2
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	You can always create a mask of any shape you desire in a paint program such as Photo Shop. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

October 26th, 2005, 06:10 PM	#3
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	We may see that in the future; Vegas gets more powerful -- and simpler to use -- all the time. But hey, I figure, if the complaints about Vegas are about not having super-advanced tools -- which no other NLE comes close to having -- that speaks volumes about Vegas! __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com

October 26th, 2005, 08:26 PM	#6
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	Want you want is white for the area you want to keep and black for the area you want to mask out. Then, using the mask as your parent track and the video as your child track (set compositing mode to "multiply(mask)" and drop a mask generator on the mask event), the only part of the video which will be seen is that which corresponds to the white part of the mask. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com Last edited by David Jimerson; October 26th, 2005 at 09:19 PM.

October 26th, 2005, 09:08 PM	#7
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Take a look at Vol 3, #1 of my newsletter. It describes ways to split screen but the same principles would apply. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

October 27th, 2005, 06:56 AM	#9
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	You can use a gradient or a B/W photo as a mask. It would work out to the same thing. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com

October 26th, 2005, 01:34 PM	#1
DJ Kinney Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 277	Bothered by Cookie Cutter Something's bothered me for a long time. Why is there not a tool in Vegas to simply draw a shape on a layer to cut it out. It would look like a little pencil or something. Why does the cookie cutter have to use preset geometric shapes, and why, or why does the Bezier Masking have that interface that results in hard-to-control loops?

October 26th, 2005, 06:41 PM	#4
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Try "drawing" with the bezier tool like you would with pen and pencil. Except you have to imagine lines that touch the shape you want to draw, and draw along that line. Or another way to look at it: 2- When you click, it puts a point down there. While holding the mouse button down, drag in any direction. This controls the curvature of the line. Let get and the point is set.

October 26th, 2005, 08:22 PM	#5
DJ Kinney Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 277	I have always fumbled with Bezier masking. About creating a mask in photoship. How, roughly, do I do that?

October 26th, 2005, 09:34 PM	#8
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	ive been hassling Sony/Sonic foundry for afew years now... Basically the ability to load in Gradients/BW images into the cookie cutter and use THAT as the shape... since before the version 4 beta came out in fact.. it would save alot fo time with bezier masking etc etc

October 27th, 2005, 08:01 AM	#11
David Jimerson Jubal 28 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 872	Well, I certainly would agree that more options in the cookie cutter would be nice. One thing I'm surprised it doesn't have is the classic "TV" shape, with rounded corners. __________________ www.wrightsvillebeachstudios.com