Big Files and Proxies

Widetrack wrote on 11/22/2018, 6:22 PM

My machine is a little slow, and doesn't handle modern video like 4k, all that well, so I want to use proxies. After researching the techniques for doing this, I still have an area of confusion.

What is the difference between using Vegas's "Create Video Proxy" feature when I import source video, and just setting my Project settings to a lower frame rate and resolution than the source footage, and then importing files at "Project Settings."

Wouldn't the latter method effectively create proxies on the timeline and let me proceed as usual?

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 11/22/2018, 6:46 PM

Vegas decodes the source video at the source video pixel dimensions. If the source is 3840x2160, it’s decoded internally at 3840x2160 no matter what the project properties.

Widetrack wrote on 11/22/2018, 8:31 PM

I'm sorry, John, But I don't get what you're saying. Could you give me a little more context, please? What point in the process, and to which side of my either/or are you referring to: making proxies or altering Properties? Hope my question makes sense.

Kinvermark wrote on 11/22/2018, 9:36 PM

He is saying that altering properties doesn't do anything to the original source files. You need to render (or have Vegas do it automatically) new files to use as proxies (usually lower resolution and bit rate.)

Where did

importing files at "Project Settings."

come from? I think you mean "adjust" which AFAIK doesn't do anything anymore - maybe a legacy setting?

Widetrack wrote on 11/22/2018, 10:15 PM

He is saying that altering properties doesn't do anything to the original source files. You need to render (or have Vegas do it automatically) new files to use as proxies

Thank you, sir. That's exactly the clarification I was looking for.

The project settings idea was just something I tried. Don't remember where I got the idea from.

NickHope wrote on 11/22/2018, 10:41 PM

Reducing resolution and frame rate in project properties can be enough on their own to obviate the need for proxies. For example you might not be able to edit 3840x2160-60p footage smoothly but if you reduce the project settings to 1920x1080-30p you might (especially if you reduce the preview quality to, say, Preview (Full)

john_dennis wrote on 11/22/2018, 11:03 PM

“... if you reduce the project settings to 1920x1080-30p you might (especially if you reduce the preview quality to, say, Preview (Half).”

You’ll also reduce the precision of your cuts by 16.7 ms.

 

NickHope wrote on 11/22/2018, 11:20 PM

“... if you reduce the project settings to 1920x1080-30p you might (especially if you reduce the preview quality to, say, Preview (Half).”

You’ll also reduce the precision of your cuts by 16.7 ms.

Hey, I'm supposed to be the perfectionist around here!

astar wrote on 11/24/2018, 4:59 PM

I just post something similar on CC about proxy editing.

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/1022865

You might try it on your older machine. Basically it involves rendering frame accurate proxies of your source material to something like cineform or XDCAM. If you need 60P then use cineform. You can render your proxies as low as you want 360P or 720P. Just keep the names the same in different folders.

When you want to switch to your full media, re-name your proxy folder, open Vegas and point it to the full media files. You can go back and forth by re-pointing Vegas upon opening.

You can adjust your project settings too by creating your own Proxy / Full Res profiles.

This way you are only decoding video sizes needed for preview window sizes in Vegas's UI during editing.

Color Correcting, GG, and Compositing should be done at full res, but the proxies should get things roughed in.