Apply motion path to a video asset

Ronald-Guthrie wrote on 7/14/2024, 6:23 PM

Hello everyone!

I see this was asked some years ago, but is it possible to create a bezier path for a video asset to follow (using Vegas 21.0 Build 315 )? Just to be clear, I'm not seeking to track the motion of an object in a scene, such as using Vegas' Motion Path or Mocha. Rather, I want to create a path for the object to follow, hence animate. For example, let's say I create a cursor, like you see in @John-Ivar's amazing video starting at 13:53, and I'd like to animate the cursor following a path that I've created.

Thanks!
Ron

Comments

Robert Johnston wrote on 7/14/2024, 7:12 PM

@Ronald-Guthrie I think the Picture-in-Picture effect could do it. When you animate the Location, select the Curves button instead of the Lanes button when the keyframe section opens up. You won't be drawing any lines on the playback window. You'll just have to keyframe the positions. You can right-click on the keyframes and select one of the bezier options. I should say that you can drag the image around in the playback window to position it.

Ronald-Guthrie wrote on 7/14/2024, 9:55 PM

@Robert Johnston,

Nice! I'll play with this to see how it works.

Thanks!
Ron

xcxz-a wrote on 7/15/2024, 1:21 AM

Robert Johnston seems to have given a wrong answer.

I think Ronald-Guthrie is looking for something like this:

Robert Johnston wrote on 7/15/2024, 2:28 AM

@xcxz-a That's for After Effects, you idiot.

Gid wrote on 7/15/2024, 5:38 AM

@Robert Johnston You can't call someone an Idiot & I agree with @xcxz-a when he gives that Bezier curve in AE as an example to what the OP is looking for.

@Ronald-Guthrie

is it possible to create a bezier path for a video asset to follow

I'd like to animate the cursor following a path that I've created

No sorry there's no option like that in VP.

zzzzzz9125 wrote on 7/15/2024, 6:13 AM

is it possible to create a bezier path for a video asset to follow

In Vegas Pro, there is only one feature that can achieve a similar effect, and it is ProType Titler. However, it only supports text characters and has been marked as a deprecated feature in recent versions.

Robert Johnston wrote on 7/15/2024, 6:22 PM

@Gid You must be close to brain-dead. Of course, I know what the OP wanted. That's why I told the OP that they wouldn't be drawing any lines in the preview window. Then I gave him what I thought was a good option. Some people have an IQ of zero.

EricLNZ wrote on 7/15/2024, 6:45 PM

@Robert Johnston Please read the Community Rules in particular no.1

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/community-rules/us/community-rules/

Ronald-Guthrie wrote on 7/15/2024, 9:12 PM

Thanks everyone! @xcxz-a, that's exactly the kind of capability that I'm looking for in Vegas. For more background, I'm coming over to Vegas from being a long time user of Ulead's/Corel's VideoStudio (going all the way back to, gulp version 4SE!! - when the internet was still on training wheels!). Anyways, yes. I would like to be able to easily add a path to an object on the timeline.

@Robert Johnston, I did play around a little with PiP effect, and using curves. While it can provide the ability to do this, it's just not as easy to "see" what your paths are doing. Whereas what you see in AE and VideoStudio you can see the path entered.

Thanks again everyone!
Ron

Steve_Rhoden wrote on 7/16/2024, 6:13 AM

@Ronald-Guthrie Sadly, creating a visible motion path is not yet possible. I too very much wish we had such option available, and no available plugin replicates this..... So it's just key framing workarounds gonna suffice.

Ronald-Guthrie wrote on 7/16/2024, 4:34 PM

Yes, that is too bad! VideoStudio 2020 has the following which makes pretty easy work of this, although I'm sure Vegas could make this MUCH better! Here's to hoping someone in product management gets wind of this! :)

Ron

MikeS wrote on 7/16/2024, 6:51 PM

no available plugin replicates this

You can get pretty close using Particle Illusion