Thanks. Since this is a pretty atypical thing, I didn't know what to search for :-P. I guess "virtual choir." I'll try that.

Vegas Pro seems to have a lot in common with Reaper for audio recording (lots of the keyboard shortcuts and mouse-wheel commands are the same). As with most DAWs, there is a Master Track where you can apply effects to the entire project. I thought Vegas Pro might have something similar.

I suppose I could render the full video out as a static grid (once I figure out how to make the boxes the same size and arranged evenly). Then bring in that single video to a new Project and then use keyframes to zoom and pan around it?

I did a search and found one thread with 4 pages of someone doing the same thing. But there wan't much in the way of HOW to do what I'm asking. It mostly had to do with changing video sizes and Vegas crashing due to dozens of simultaneous videos, etc. I'm kind of surprised that as popular as this kind of thing has become in the past few years, there isn't a way to create a grid or align multiple tracks where the PiP effect has been applied, etc.

Ken, you found the thread I was thinking of, and your question certainly is not atypical at present.

Since I have some interest in this, I've been having a lot of fun with DaviTools VideoWall, an older, free extension for Vegas. Use the forum Search box.

You can also record your Zoom events, but the quality is kind of crummy.

Render each source to Magix Intermediate format to prevent the crash trouble.

I personally use checkerboard with less contrast color options, as the reference to grid placement, then use the Event Pan&Crop to mask and reposition the singers. I didn't use PiP effect.

As to moving around to entire grid effect, the best I can think within Vegas Pro scope only is nesting sequence method:

Preparing new project with large project size, do maximize resolution if needed up to 8000 pixel, then arrange the placement there.

Now put that large resolution project as nested sequence (import / drag-n-drop large VEG project file) to new 1080p project, then do Event Pan&Crop to zoom in.

The best and more creative option will be using VEGAS Effects as part of VEGAS Post to do the 'grid arrangement' and camera movement. However, the workflow can be bit 'quite complex' here, but this is what I can achieve:

*Project not yet finished

Ken, you found the thread I was thinking of, and your question certainly is not atypical at present.

Since I have some interest in this, I've been having a lot of fun with DaviTools VideoWall, an older, free extension for Vegas. Use the forum Search box.

You can also record your Zoom events, but the quality is kind of crummy.

Thanks! I'll look into that. Regarding Zoom, that isn't part of the equation at all. These are 70 individual people who recorded themselves individually and submitted them into a Google Drive Folder (multiple formats and sizes), and not an attempt to sing at the same time on a Zoom session. That certainly would have made it easier to have the same size boxes.

@Ken-Theriot "that certainly would have made it easier"

nooooooooo. With random network delays, differing compression and audio artifacts you'd have just moved the problem and created several more.

Of course, if all the quality and resolution settings were different for every video in what you have, you've got some of that problem already.

hopefully you've got at least consistent quality *within* each video.

The quality is good enough in the submitted videos. I just need to find the best way (instead of manually manipulating each PiP frame) to get a consistent size and placement.

Just experiment for easier solution, you can try the following method for better grid sizes:

Make grids in image application, where each layer is each thumbnail grid mask:

Save each thumbnail grid mask as PNG:

Arrange each thumbnail PNG to each track, then put the video below each thumbnail mask PNG as a child track to the mask track:

Change the Compositing mode of mask PNG track layer as 'Multiply':

Now arrange the singer whether using P-in-P FX or Event Pan&Crop function to make it fit to each grid 'window':

Every thumbnail mask PNG here functions as a filter for better grid size, so the video source's sizes doesn't have to be super exact.

Dang Set. I have never used the features you're talking about - child tracks, etc. Also I'm not sure what you are referring to in saving a graphics file as a thumbnail grid mask. I think you've gone beyond my understanding of how to do things in Vegas :-P. I'll try to follow what you said tomorrow.

Vegas Pro seems to have a lot in common with Reaper for audio recording (lots of the keyboard shortcuts and mouse-wheel commands are the same). As with most DAWs, there is a Master Track where you can apply effects to the entire project. I thought Vegas Pro might have something similar.by Vegas

Both have master and sub-master audio buses where plug-ins and chains can be added.
A lot of the audio commands and such are the same in VP as in Reaper. FYI, Reaper key developer, Justin Frankel (WinAmp) was inspired by Vegas Audio's intuitive UI.

Justin Frankel (WinAmp) was inspired by Vegas Audio's intuitive UI.

Ha, I was just looking for the llama's place the other day because I needed to convert midi files to wav internally, and Winamp was the first thing that came to mind. Everything is archived, and there is a splash announcing a future relaunch. I still hear people talk about MilkDrop, which fascinated me. Anyway, it seems like an old friend on my desktop.

@Ken-Theriot

While I am in awe of @set's mastery, the extension I mentioned, DaviTools VideoWall, is super simple to work with and create usable results quickly. It's like playing with kids' building blocks.

Reading your description, I certainly hope all of your participants were singing at the same metronome setting.

http://www.davitools.com/videowall/

Thanks Musicvid! I will MOST certainly check this out. The singers were MOSLY singing to a reference track. But some of them were not. I tried on one video to manually sync using a combo of cuts and stretching. But that was WAAAYYY too much work. I got permission to just exclude anyone who ignored the instruction to sing to the reference track. That is making it much easier.

I wish VEGAS have that auto snapping within the preview window like PS.

I dont see any NLE out there perform such thing so far. This will be game changer if VEGAS have this. You can do this FX much more faster.

Just experiment for easier solution, you can try the following method for better grid sizes:

 

Make grids in image application, where each layer is each thumbnail grid mask:

Save each thumbnail grid mask as PNG:

Arrange each thumbnail PNG to each track, then put the video below each thumbnail mask PNG as a child track to the mask track:

Change the Compositing mode of mask PNG track layer as 'Multiply':

Now arrange the singer whether using P-in-P FX or Event Pan&Crop function to make it fit to each grid 'window':

 

Every thumbnail mask PNG here functions as a filter for better grid size, so the video source's sizes doesn't have to be super exact.

 

You can import PSD file directly into VEGAS Pro, much more better & less file to work with

No need to leave Vegas/Vegas Movie Studio to create such a mask, remember good old Cookie Cutter:

Good more ideas coming in... @Ken-Theriot, you have more options to play with now 😉

@3POINT, I only use Checkerboard 😄 all these times to make reference, but never realized that Cookie Cutter have Repeat X Y feature. Good for planning tool for this kind of arranging task.

Yes. I can't wait to try these when I get back to the studio.

Here is a transparent PNG guide grid that I made using @3POINT method and Photoshop. It has 81, that's 75+, 16x9 windows that you can use as a guide to place each video on a track underneath. At 8K, it should scale and hold you for a while.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmd0X3MmCrz7qnXmwpLqEHecEX3Mvjd7/view?usp=sharing

Wow, thanks! I'll give it a try.

Here is a transparent PNG guide grid that I made using @3POINT method and Photoshop. It has 81, that's 75+, 16x9 windows that you can use as a guide to place each video on a track underneath. At 8K, it should scale and hold you for a while.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmd0X3MmCrz7qnXmwpLqEHecEX3Mvjd7/view?usp=sharing

@john_dennis @3POINT
Many thanks for the idea and the implementation - I downloaded it and put it in my jewelery box for future use!
👍👍

Ken, you found the thread I was thinking of, and your question certainly is not atypical at present.

Since I have some interest in this, I've been having a lot of fun with DaviTools VideoWall, an older, free extension for Vegas. Use the forum Search box.

You can also record your Zoom events, but the quality is kind of crummy.

I downloaded the DaviTools VideoWall and followed the instructions, which said (for the Magix version, which I have) to place the dll file into C:\ProgramData\VEGAS Pro\Application Extensions. But there is no such folder in my C:\ProgramData\VEGAS Pro. Do you know where I should put the dll?