Basic questions - scene 'detection' ????

Flexy wrote on 7/11/2003, 7:24 AM
hi,

AFAIK when i import files with MovieMakerII, it splits the videos into clips and there might be something like 'scene detection'. I don't know how to do that in Vegas, except manually.

Problem: I load a video...and i have to manually 'split' the clips which is very time consuming. Then i have to manually add transitions/cross fades. There should be a way in Vegas so it detects new scenes automatically and splits the clips...and/or marks the beginning of new scenes (when there's a significant change in video content) to make this process easier ?!!?!

greets

Comments

Former user wrote on 7/11/2003, 7:32 AM
The only scene detection that Vegas supports is based on the Time/Date stamp on a firewire capture. Scenalyzer, another capture program, has more options for scene detection.

Dave T2
jetdv wrote on 7/11/2003, 8:50 AM
In the capture program, go to Options - Preferences and check the box beside "Enable Scene Detection".
Flexy wrote on 7/11/2003, 12:10 PM
What do you mean with 'capture' program ?

I dont really 'capture' anything..instead i want to split my videos afterwards into 'scenes'.

Are there any other 3rd part utilities which do that job nicely, so i can load the video (split in scenes/events/avi-files whatsoever) *afterwards* into Vegas and edit ?

thanks

jetdv wrote on 7/11/2003, 12:11 PM
go to www.scenalyzer.com and download Scenalyzer. It has an optical detection feature for existing files.
Grazie wrote on 7/11/2003, 12:27 PM
Ermmmm.... I'm getting a tad . . confused.

Vegas Scene Detection will "divide" those SCENES you have taken in your cammy. A scene is a piece of footage you've filmed. That is from the point you start filming to the point you STOP filming that sequence. The next scene will be created the next time you hit the RECORD button on your cammy to the time you stop - again. And so on, and so on.

You/I will now have maybe 20, 50 or 100 SCENES. All neatly recorded on the DV tape. This method provides VEAGS scene detection a way to then CAPTURE these same scenes, on after the other. I use this and Vegas delivers the 20, 50 or 100 scenes in, eventually, the Media Pool.

What I understand you are asking is, that when you have a complete length of footage up there on the Timeline, how do you "SPLIT" this footage up into scenes.

If this is the case, then all you need to do is create SLPIT clips. I do this in either the TRIMMER or on the T/L. I Preview the footage, and where I want to split the footage I either STOP the Preivew and hit the "S"plit key. OR I can let the whole thing roll and hit the S key as the footage rolls by. Now this provides split clips.

I know jetdv suggests Scenalyzer, which, as he says, does make optically split-able scenes. The downside to this, is that you may, I stress may, end up with a load of clips that you would not wanted to be split.

I now shoot footage in a precise way. I keep the cammy rolling to DO that particular scene. I've been finding this an excellent way to get THIS guy a tad more organised - yeah?

I hope I haven't confused this line of discussion any further - this is not my intention.

Regards,

Grazie
Flexy wrote on 7/11/2003, 6:32 PM
[hi, btw. this forum software is...ehrm...dreadful :]

Ok, what i meant was...

I have a number of avi-files, this can be ONE file or a few dozen.
All this files (say) might belong to the same 'event' i was making a movie of, or a day of vacation..whatever...

I download these files to my computer (off the cam)....and say it comes out with a number or files.

No problem...because i can easily load/import all this files into Vegas and make a LONG 'feature' movie out of it...say...'our day at disneyland'.

- a 'scene' how i meant it is a significant change in the contents of any avi-file...eg. if you shoot a sunset for 10 secs..and then turn the cam around and i shot something else.
MovieMaker splits the movies (AFAIK !) at these certain locations into 'clips'.
I then have clips which could be considered 'scenes'.

You are right that you end up with a lot of 'clips'....and (unfortunately) what the software decided to be a new 'scene', how the software interprets the footage.

The problem now is to decide whether it's a feature...or not...whether it would be better to split manually (i think yes)..or let the computer roughly do the work. Saves the splitting, but generates more clips....you get the idea...

Anyway i think i will do it the manual way and decide for myself when i think it's time for a crossfade or a transition and just split the movie by hand...basic DV editing that is :)

greets


kentwolf wrote on 7/11/2003, 9:38 PM
I have owned Scenalyzer for some time and have never seen how that works.

Could you please tell me, short version will suffice, how would I divide an existing AVI file into scenes?

Thanks!
jetdv wrote on 7/11/2003, 10:19 PM
You have "Scenalyzer Live". There's a separate product (which is free) simply named Scenalyzer.