You can also use the TC fx as a track event thereby applying it to the entire track as opposed to just a clip.

blink, that method will only give you track TC and not source TC.
The script that Mahesh mentioned has always worked for me.
I will add that I shoot miniDV so I'm not sure about MXF footage.

Mike

Aaaahgggh! Of course - a script! - I will definitely remember that .... next time.

Now - does that or another script also remove the T/C from Project Media when required?

-If not at least I can re-import without it.

Yes, there's a "remove timecode from all media" script as well
BTW, both of these scripts are in the basic install of Vegas Pro 8.

Mike

Now - does that or another script also remove the T/C from Project Media when required?

Yes, see « Remove Timecode from all Media” script

"blink, that method will only give you track TC and not source TC.

Okay... I'm completely confused here. I've just had a look at this (with HDV material) and if I use the TC effect as an individual event by adding manually, then I get a running clock for each event which reverts back to zero at the beginning of the another event. But if I use the TC effect on the track or by using the script command, i get the SAME running time clock but it does not reset to zero for each new event but keeps running till the end of the time line. So how is that different (other tha the clock reverting to zero with each new event)?

Something else I'm confused about... people keep refering to the source time code. Does this mean the original time and date shot? As far as I know, you can't get original time and date on the video with TC fx. I just went through this myself In order to get the time and date to show on each clip I have to capture with HDVsplit which will title each clip with the original time and date shot (year/month/day, hour/minute/second), and then use "quick label" in Excalibur to overlay the clip title (the date) on each clip.

I guess what it comes down to is that i'm a bit confused over this term "source tc"

...I'm a bit confused...

I'll attempt to clarify things for you without getting the water any murkier :-)

Something else I'm confused about... people keep refering to the source time code. Does this mean the original time and date shot?

Source TC means the original time - and nothing else.
This could be either record-run format or time-of-day format.
All pro cameras give you a choice to use either one and now some prosumer/consumer camcorders have this option as well.
Since the introduction of the miniDV format, information such as the date of the original recording is now available to the user.

For the miniDV footage I shoot, using the script applies source TC to all material.
If I apply the timecode FX at the track level, all I get is the running time for that track, not the original TC which can change (sometimes drastically) from shot to shot.

...which reverts back to zero at the beginning of the another event

I stand to be corrected but apparently the HDV format (in Vegas anyway, not sure about other NLEs) will not read source TC.
The fact that HDVSplit gives you original time and date shot is a bonus.

Mike

"Source TC" refers to the TC of the source media as opposed to project timecode. In other words what the camera recorded to the tape.
If you add the TC FX to the media on the T/L what you get is the project TC. Well not quite, depending on how you set the FX it calculates the TC based on project time. Same seems to happen when you add the FX to the media in the project. It seems to calculate TC from time and initial TC of the file, not actually read it frame by frame from the media's TC.

Source TC is what's used in industry standard Edit Decision Lists (EDL) which is why you hear the term mentioned all the time.

Bob.

Peter,
be warned that the Add TC script in V8 adds NTSC TC, kind of useless to us. I've got a modified version for PAL, drop me a line if you want to copy.

Offer is open to anyone else for that matter.

Bob.

Thanks for straightening out my head guys!

I guess THIS is what confuses me:
"...... apparently the HDV format (in Vegas anyway, not sure about other NLEs) will not read source TC.

I deal with nothing but hdv and the few times I have played with TC fx all it gave me was a running clock of the project.

Yes... HDVsplit DOES give the ability to title your clip with the time and date, but it won't actually insert it into the video. For that you need a script (I use the quick label button in Excalibur)

"Yes... HDVsplit DOES give the ability to title your clip with the time and date, but it won't actually insert it into the video. For that you need a script (I use the quick label button in Excalibur)"

Works as advertised for me using the standard TC FX!

You have to add the FX by RClicking the media in the project media. From the menu that pops up select media FX.

Note that time and date is not timecode. How timecode get recorded depends on how you set it up in the camera. Choices are Free Run, Record Run or in some cameras Time of Day.

Bob.

I tried that Bob and for the life of me, all I get is a running clock of either the event or the project depending (depending on how I insert TCfx)

Yes... stupid me is JUST BEGINNING to learn that time code is NOT time and date!

Neither my HC3 or HV20 have the ability to add time and date to the shot.... so I have no choice but to do it on the time line..... pretty silly I think, but that's the way it is.

Traditionally time and date is added to clips in the slate along with other usefull information.

If you know the tape numbers and TC of all the in and out points of all clips in a project then from that you can build a complete cuts only project from that, unless you're using Vegas :(

Oh hang on, do you want the camera to burn in date and time??

Not certain I'm clear on what you're finally trying to achieve, I'd never burn anything into a recorded image.
Some VCRs will add burnt in TC into the vision out the monitor ouputs, I think we have one that'll even do it onto the firewire outputs. SOme will also display the user bits.

Bob.

"Oh hang on, do you want the camera to burn in date and time??"

Yeah.
For the home videos the wife wants the time/date of each clip displayed in the bottom right of the screen on the finished product. I know that some cams can do that... the HC3 and HV20 are not among them.

Oh.
The date and time is usually stored as metadata in the video stream, some cameras even record lens settings in there. Trick is getting to it.
What I'd do is add that information as a subtitle track in the DVD, then you can turn it on and off at will. You probably don't want running time being displayed, that'd drive the viewer nuts. I'm thinking all she wants to know is the date and time the clip started to be recorded.

Maybe a scripter could do this. Read the date and time data and create a region with that as the name. You can then export the regions into a sub file to load into DVDA.

Hm, I think now with the right camera you can add GPS data in there as well :)

Bob.

Is there a script that will take Source Time Code for selected clips in the media pool and add those clips to a time line track in sync?

...be warned that the Add TC script in V8 adds NTSC TC...

That's a real PITA for you PAL users :-(
When are North American coders going to realize that NTSC isn't the only TV standard in the world?
This is an option that should've been in the TC FX since day 1 !!!

Mike

"What I'd do is add that information as a subtitle track in the DVD, then you can turn it on and off at will."

That's a pretty bloody good idea Bob... never thought of that. I've been adding it to the bottom right for a second or 2 of each clip and then fading it out. I think I'll see if I can add it to the subtitle track

>>...the wife wants the time/date of each clip displayed in the bottom
>>right of the screen on the finished product...

There is a separate program (free) that does exactly what you are seeking to do.

Let me know if you are interested and I can look it up when I get home.

I think it is called "DVDate". Written by a guy in France, I believe.

You run your DV footage through it and it burns the timecode (visibly) on to the footage. You can chose formats, position, etc.

Does exactly what you are seeking to do.

Yeah if you could list the name that would be great... I'll give it a try. Problem is i do HDV not dv.... would there be a difference?

There sure is a lot of confusing information in this thread.

First of all, the timecode always starts at zero. The only exception is for DV media, where Vegas actually reads the timecode. However, the ONLY time this timecode is used is when it is applied in the media pool, and only when you are using DV media, and only when that media actually contains timecode. In all other cases, except for this one exception, the timecode fX is generated by Vegas and is NOT read from the media.

You can apply the fx to the track, the event, or the media. This has already been noted in previous posts. The difference between these three is what time is used as the starting point: If you place the fx on the media in the media pool, the timecode starts at zero for the beginning of the media (or at the timecode on the tape, in the case of DV media), regardless of how you chop it up into events, and regardless of where those events are placed on the timelines, or how far apart they are.

If you place the timecode fX on the track, the timecode starts at zero at the beginning of the track, regardless of where you place your events

And if you place it on the event, it starts at zero at the beginning of the event.

Note that there is a priority. If you place the fX on the track, the event, and the media, then one overrides the other, and that override order is the same as the order I just listed (track, event, media). Thus, once you place a timecode fX on a track, it will override any timecode placed on an event or any timecode place on the media. The other timecodes are still there, but they are underneath the one(s) which take precedence.

You can change the timecode start for any event by right-clicking on the event, selecting the media tab and then changing the selection from "Use timecode in file" (which is a lie for anything other than DV media) to "Use custom timecode." You can then enter any time you want. I used this in my sports up/down timer VEG that is posted over at VASST: Count Up/Down Sports Clock

Finally, Vegas doesn't read lots of other things from tape. I sent letters to the Sony development team for years before I realized that they don't listen to users, even those of us that have run software companies. So, Vegas doesn't read date/time, something I know that LOTS of people would like to put into their video (or into DVD subtitles !!). And it doesn't read line 21 close caption information. And it doesn't read camera settings. And now that we have new video formats (HDV, AVCHD, etc.), even the one thing that it DID read (timecode), it no longer reads. That's progress, eh?

"timecode fX is generated by Vegas and is NOT read from the media."

And I guess that's why i've been so confused here. Everybody keeps talking about this "source" timecode... meanwhile the only thing I have ever seen TCfx do is create a running clock based on the time line itself and has little to do with the actual media. You can either have the clock reset to zero for each event or apply it to the track and have the clock run from time line start to finish..... and THAT's it. Of course I don't know anything about the dv aspect because I don't work with it.

In vegas I have NEVER been able to get any "source" timing relationships or information at all (again.... not mentioning dv).... just a running clock that's COMPLETELY and soley time line relate and dependent.