droplets/actions/macros at DVinfo.net

Brett Cole · July 24th, 2007, 06:50 PM

Imagine the following:

1) You have bunch of clips (in m2t format)

2) Many of them will require adjustments (to tone, color, etc.) when they are used in a project

3) You intend to use the clips in a wide variety of projects, but you expect that the tonal/color adjustments will be the same every time you use the clips

4) You don’t want to have to make those adjustments every time you use a clip in a project

5) You also don’t want to adjust and re-render any of the clips before they’re actually used in a project, due to generational loss

So, can you create droplets/actions/macros - whatever it might be called – in Vegas, and solve this problem? Or is there some other approach for accomplishing this?

Thanks

Daniel Alexander · July 24th, 2007, 07:05 PM

Hello Brett,
Pretty easy way to achieve what your after, I'l try and put them into stages:

1. apply your filter (video effects) to the desired clip(s) and customize it to how you want it to look

2. once your happy with it and the effects window is still open, hit the save button and name the new effect to a name relevant to that clip (or bunch of clips). This is now saved in the window fx preview window and will be there everytime you open vegas

3. Now any time you open a vegas project you can recall those customised presets from the video effects window and apply it to your clips without any hassle other than a drag and drop

4. Remember if you have more than one filter applied to a clip, then just save each one and it will be available in the relevant fx window i.e. if u save a colour correction preset it will be in the colour correction window and if you save a levels preset it will be available in the levels window and its just a matter of dragging each one onto your clip and PRESTO!

Hope this helps.

Mike Kujbida · July 24th, 2007, 09:04 PM

An even easier version of #4 is to save it as a preset.
Let's say you have 3 FX on an event. Here's how to do that.

Open the Event FX and click the Plug-In Chain... button. It's the green + symbol to the far right of your FX chain.
This brings up the Plug-in Chooser - Video Event FX window.
Click Save As..., give it an appropriate name and click OK.
The next time you want to use this particular FX, open up the Event FX window, click on Filter Packages, look for the one you created and select it.

BTW, there are a lot of different presets created by Vegas users out there. Check the VASST site for some interesting ones.
You'll need Sony's Preset Manager to install these.

Brett Cole · July 24th, 2007, 11:06 PM

This is probably as easy as one can make it. Not bad, if you give the fx package the same name as the clip it's pretty painless to match up clips with the stored settings.

Thanks

Edward Troxel · July 25th, 2007, 07:23 AM

Here's another option: Make each clip it's own project with the proper adjustments made. Now whenever you want to use that clip, just nest the appropriate project.

Brett Cole · July 25th, 2007, 10:38 AM

Something like this is more what I originally had in mind. Can you elaborate on nesting? I will do some reading as well. Thanks

Brett Cole · July 25th, 2007, 10:53 AM

I tried it and the clip comes in with the modifications made, but the plug-in chain is gone, there's nothing in the chain. Is it supposed to function this way?

Edward Troxel · July 25th, 2007, 10:53 AM

You can drag a VEG file straight to the timeline just like any other piece of media. You can then use it just like any other media.

Brett Cole · July 25th, 2007, 10:57 AM

I dragged in a clip, adjusted levels, saved as a Vegas project, closed project and started new one, and dragged in Vegas file from the media bin. Clip comes in with the levels changed but the plug-in chain is empty - the record of the levels adjustment is gone.

Brett Cole · July 25th, 2007, 11:10 AM

disregard this

Mike Kujbida · July 25th, 2007, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett Cole

I dragged in a clip, adjusted levels, saved as a Vegas project, closed project and started new one, and dragged in Vegas file from the media bin. Clip comes in with the levels changed but the plug-in chain is empty - the record of the levels adjustment is gone.

That's where the "power" of nested vegs come in :-)
Right-click the clip and choose "Edit Source Project".
This opens the original clip up in a new instance of Vegas with everything, including all your FX windows, intact.
Modify as desired, re-save it and the original will automatically reflect the changes.

Brett Cole · July 25th, 2007, 02:31 PM

This would be a much better feature if they gave the option of the nested version being either an instance or a duplicate. This is still the best way to accomplish what I was after though, thanks.

Say you were going to load 75 clips into the media bin for your project. Any idea whether having all your source material be nested veg files as opposed to m2t (or whatever format) is slower/faster/same

Thanks

July 24th, 2007, 06:50 PM	#1
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	droplets/actions/macros Imagine the following: 1) You have bunch of clips (in m2t format) 2) Many of them will require adjustments (to tone, color, etc.) when they are used in a project 3) You intend to use the clips in a wide variety of projects, but you expect that the tonal/color adjustments will be the same every time you use the clips 4) You don’t want to have to make those adjustments every time you use a clip in a project 5) You also don’t want to adjust and re-render any of the clips before they’re actually used in a project, due to generational loss So, can you create droplets/actions/macros - whatever it might be called – in Vegas, and solve this problem? Or is there some other approach for accomplishing this? Thanks

July 25th, 2007, 07:23 AM	#5
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Here's another option: Make each clip it's own project with the proper adjustments made. Now whenever you want to use that clip, just nest the appropriate project. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

July 25th, 2007, 10:53 AM	#8
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	You can drag a VEG file straight to the timeline just like any other piece of media. You can then use it just like any other media. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

July 25th, 2007, 11:10 AM	#10
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	disregard this Last edited by Brett Cole; July 25th, 2007 at 11:10 AM. Reason: typing error

July 24th, 2007, 07:05 PM	#2
Daniel Alexander Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 320	Hello Brett, Pretty easy way to achieve what your after, I'l try and put them into stages: 1. apply your filter (video effects) to the desired clip(s) and customize it to how you want it to look 2. once your happy with it and the effects window is still open, hit the save button and name the new effect to a name relevant to that clip (or bunch of clips). This is now saved in the window fx preview window and will be there everytime you open vegas 3. Now any time you open a vegas project you can recall those customised presets from the video effects window and apply it to your clips without any hassle other than a drag and drop 4. Remember if you have more than one filter applied to a clip, then just save each one and it will be available in the relevant fx window i.e. if u save a colour correction preset it will be in the colour correction window and if you save a levels preset it will be available in the levels window and its just a matter of dragging each one onto your clip and PRESTO! Hope this helps.

July 24th, 2007, 09:04 PM	#3
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	An even easier version of #4 is to save it as a preset. Let's say you have 3 FX on an event. Here's how to do that. Open the Event FX and click the Plug-In Chain... button. It's the green + symbol to the far right of your FX chain. This brings up the Plug-in Chooser - Video Event FX window. Click Save As..., give it an appropriate name and click OK. The next time you want to use this particular FX, open up the Event FX window, click on Filter Packages, look for the one you created and select it. BTW, there are a lot of different presets created by Vegas users out there. Check the VASST site for some interesting ones. You'll need Sony's Preset Manager to install these.

July 24th, 2007, 11:06 PM	#4
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	Thanks This is probably as easy as one can make it. Not bad, if you give the fx package the same name as the clip it's pretty painless to match up clips with the stored settings. Thanks

July 25th, 2007, 10:38 AM	#6
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	Something like this is more what I originally had in mind. Can you elaborate on nesting? I will do some reading as well. Thanks

July 25th, 2007, 10:57 AM	#9
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	I dragged in a clip, adjusted levels, saved as a Vegas project, closed project and started new one, and dragged in Vegas file from the media bin. Clip comes in with the levels changed but the plug-in chain is empty - the record of the levels adjustment is gone.

July 25th, 2007, 02:31 PM	#12
Brett Cole Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 26	This would be a much better feature if they gave the option of the nested version being either an instance or a duplicate. This is still the best way to accomplish what I was after though, thanks. Say you were going to load 75 clips into the media bin for your project. Any idea whether having all your source material be nested veg files as opposed to m2t (or whatever format) is slower/faster/same Thanks