2000 images one set after the other...

bill-kranz wrote on 1/27/2009, 6:58 PM
Dear Vegas Videographers:

(I'm double-posting this because there are several ways to make this happen.)

I am sizing up a rather horrible self-imposed video task for a local competition. The guidelines are for a movie no longer than 5 minutes which will be posted to You Tube plus the master to the competition organizers.

My idea has 2 parts.

PART 1) One is for 1000 screen saves from a 60 minute DV mini tape movie. (This portrays a day's length of time with a static object...)


PART 2) Evenly interspersed with these .png's or .jpg's would be a �countdown� of numbers, white on a black background with a 12 noon light ray effect.
The numbers would start at 1,000 and go on down to zero and be created with hopefully Vega's Pro text editor. If not, I have GIMP available or Open Office. The numbers would be as large as possible on the average screen view.

I've done some calculations already. I'll need 50 seconds for the titles, credits, etc.

So if I use 1 image every 5 tic marks I get 8 images a second. To get the 2,000 images in the clip I'll need 4 minutes 10 sec. of time - 250 seconds. (This is a clip length of 00:00:00:100 in time for each image.)

I've already created a 1 second clip of 8 images and it looks just about right for what I want � at least on the PC Preview aspect.

The help I need is how to use the various "create slideshow" scripts and the auto post edit ripple commands in Vegas to evenly mix the 2 parts together? Plus the trim commands.

I also know that I can use the naming/listing/sorting conventions on my files to assist with a import to time line script.

Should I pre-combine the stills and the numbers from GIMP or Open Office in a folder then import that way ?

Or should I do one set in Vegas then somehow auto open the gaps I'll need to fold in the other images? I am familiar with the S command to get any splits if need be.
Also, would it help to use 2 video tracks to accomplish my goals?

The problem is I have only created 2 movies using Vegas and am hoping someone can have some good ideas both for me and others who want to do a extreme project like this.

There is no specific rush as the project has until April 8 as a deadline. I can do the second set of numbers by hand adjusting - drag and drop - if need be.

Looking forward to your expert opinions.

If you want more info about the competition just let me know it is a open field. There is no prize money.

Sincerely,

Bill
1-26-09 - updated additions on 1-27-09

Comments

bill-kranz wrote on 1/27/2009, 7:52 PM
Hi:

For those interested I've found the "new still image length" import preference can be less than a second. This will help me import one by one the 8 images a second I'll need without further dragging of the image box outline.

But now I found out it grouped all my test slide images together on my test video. How can I break them back apart? I'm not ready to have them be a movie until I say so.

Should I have locked the track in some way?

Thx,
Bill
farss wrote on 1/27/2009, 10:16 PM
"But now I found out it grouped all my test slide images together on my test video. How can I break them back apart? I'm not ready to have them be a movie until I say so."

What else would you expect Vegas to do with them? They are 'apart", as separate events.

Some other NLEs would let you suffle the order around storyboard style and then add the sequence to the timeline, is how you were hoping to approach this task?

Bob.
blink3times wrote on 1/28/2009, 4:24 AM
You really should be using something like Ultimate S pro on this (you'll find it on vasst.com)

It's a script based Vegas plugin that will let you predefine certain parameters for stills then at the press of a button a timeline will appear with what ever number of stills you include (500, 1000.... etc) and the parameters you set.

This happens so fast that you have no issue in deleting an entire time line and starting again should you not like it.

From a blank new project you can lay a 1000 still time with motion, transitions... etc line in less than 5 minutes. It's a HUGE time saver when you're dealing with a large volume of stills. Don't like your time line? Fine.... delete the entire thing and start again..... takes 5 minutes

It's not free but the price is reasonable and it does come with a full 14 day trial.
logiquem wrote on 1/28/2009, 5:45 AM
A couple ideas:

1.use Scenalyser to time lapse capture from DV
2.batch rename every files with CKrename
3.Use a print "file name to event" (or something like that) script
farss wrote on 1/28/2009, 6:06 AM
I've been thinking about this and it will not be easy.
The text generator in Vegas is not scriptable so you need another solution for creating the frames for the countdown. It could be done in other apps with automatable text but that's only part of the problem. You could automate the whole thing and produce the video exactly as you want but then you could hit a big snag.

With 8 cuts per second between totally different images this is going to be a nightmare to compress and Youtube will make an even bigger mess of it. I fear you'll just end up with mush. Please though don't give up on my word. Build a few seconds long video with the same rate of cuts between very different stills and see how that works out on Youtube. If that doesn's fall apart then let's see what we can do to get the real show working for you.

Bob.
jetdv wrote on 1/28/2009, 6:20 AM
Both Ultimate S and Excalibur can assist you in this process. Here's how I would approach this:

Create your numbered images. Set Vegas to the time length you want for BOTH the image and the number (i.e. if you want 1 second image, 1 second number, set it to 2 seconds.)

Now drag the images onto track 1. Next drag the numbers to track 2. Then I would select the images on track 1 and use Excalibur to change the length of them to 1 second. This will then let the lower track show through for the second second.
blink3times wrote on 1/28/2009, 7:11 AM
Actually now that I think about it Excalibur would be the better choice for this. Excalibur has quick labels which I'm sure could be of some use here.

Edward (jetdv) can explain it better than I but quick labels will basically generate a region track track with what ever the name of the event is. I use quick labels in conjunction with HDVsplit (which with label each of my HDV scenes with the time/date stamp) to create a region track of time/date of each scene... which will eventually go on to become a subtitle track in my videos.

So it seems to me that if you renamed each still with the number(s) required then at least you can use quick labels to generate a rough track of the numbering system you need. Then you can hand adjust to suit your needs.

maybe Edward can ponder and explain this better than I?
jetdv wrote on 1/28/2009, 7:33 AM
I did think about quick labels and it COULD work if the images are properly named by creating a number that is exactly the same as the name of the file. However, "1" would be something like "0001". But it CAN use a larger font and be positioned in the middle of the screen automatically. The process would basically be the same as I mentioned in the other post. I'd do it exactly the same way except the numbers would be automatically created on a track ABOVE the images which would need to be moved below.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/28/2009, 7:35 AM
to create your countdown (assuming you want the whole screen with a number):
1) make a Vegas HD project (I'd set it to progressive, just to make things easier)
2) Put a black generiated media on the TL.
3) Make it how long you need (if you need 1000 frames & the project is 30fps, 1000/30 = 33.333..., so 34 seconds is good)
4) Add the timecode FX to the media
5) Change timecode settings to: Absolute Frames, middle, middle, 2, 2.
6) render your video as an HD video (change the preset to progressive)
7) Open a new SD project (you're using SD, right????). again, make sure it's progressive.
8) Use pan/crop mask to eliminate the .000, you'll need to do this several times (single digit, double, tripple & quad).
9) use pan/crop to zoom in & center based on the quad digit
10) you now have 0 to 1000 in a sequence that you can render to individual png's if you desire.
bill-kranz wrote on 1/28/2009, 10:30 AM
Hi Vegas forum advice givers and readers:

I am astounded at these killer suggestions for helping me create the short movie I'm thinking of.

First off the when it seemed that Vegas had blended my stills together when closing out I remember that was an unsaved version so that may have been a false alarm on my part. Please ignore for now.

I have known about Excalibur and just looked at Ultimate S and both look very good however both are beyond my budget at this point. There goes the quick labels aspect as an assist and the other tools they offer.

That leaves me with normal, freeware scripts plus what capabilities Vegas offers.

That is why I will explore TheHappyFriar's suggestion with working in Vegas for the numbers generation I want to have. It sounds doable and will be a good exercise in creative editing. So thanks for that posting!!

I did want to let Bob know that the You Tube aspect of this local competition is just an extra way to get the results to the public but it is not part of the panel's judging criteria. Plus, as I work this up I can do private testing to see how it all looks.

I did want to offer up an idea I had last night while thinking about this. This idea is centered around how to intermix the screen saved .png's and the numbers.

It is to create 2 video tracks and use a 100% transparent .gif image as a see through buffer between all the numbers and .png's. The second video track would be offset just by the new still image length preference I investigated earlier yesterday. Then if I select all and drag one track to the other they should mesh like fine gears on a time piece. (Or maybe each track can stay in it's own place.) This is a lot of drag and dropping but I only need one .gif to have available. What do you all think of this option?

Thanks very much,

Bill 1-28-09








farss wrote on 1/28/2009, 2:09 PM
"It is to create 2 video tracks and use a 100% transparent .gif image as a see through buffer between all the numbers and .png's. The second video track would be offset just by the new still image length preference I investigated earlier yesterday. Then if I select all and drag one track to the other they should mesh like fine gears on a time piece. (Or maybe each track can stay in it's own place.) This is a lot of drag and dropping but I only need one .gif to have available. What do you all think of this option?"

Great minds think alike and you can do this easily by file renumbering or writing very simple VB scripts.

Say you have files numbered 0001, 0002...2,0000. Simple to rename them to 0001,0003...etc. Now tack your file of a transparent frame and copy it 2000 times but number the files 0000,0002 etc.
When you merge all these files into the one folder you will have alternating frames of your countdown and blank alpha only frame that'll load into Vegas on one track as you want.
Do the opposite for the frames of images on the other track. Job done.

Bob.
bill-kranz wrote on 2/1/2009, 12:09 PM
Bob:

Hello. Thanks for thinking the outline I suggested has some potential.
As I cross any major thresholds with this I will let folks know in this posting.

Sincerely,
Bill