Like I said though, everythings the same. If one was 4x3 and the other was 16x9 copying one to the other would have different results. As is, either way I go (with everything being the same as far as media and project settings) the result is the media pasted in winds up 4x3.

And here's more confusion. If I open one of the veg files and add media from the "Project Media" tab to the timeline it shows up right. If I navigate to that exact same media (the source file) in Sony Vegas's Explorer tab and add it to the timeline, it shows up 4x3.

- Ray
Some of my stuff on Vimeo
www.undergroundplanet.com

Thing to understand is the difference between "media" and an "event". When you copy and paste between two instances of Vegas you are copying an Event, not the Media. By default (sort of) all media is 4:3.
When you add an event to the T/L Vegas will add a reference to the media in the project media if one doesn't exist. Unless Vegas sees the physical media as having a 16:9 flag it'll assume it's 4:3. No problem, you change it to 16:9 and wherever that media is referenced by an event it'll be 16:9 in that project.
Now you copy that Event to another Vegas project, that project goes through the same process, checks the physical media on the disk. If you've changed the media in Project A's Project Media to 16:9 when you copy an Event to project B that project goes through the same process and will again decide it's 4:3.

What may cure your problem is copying the media from Project A's Project Media to Project B's Project Media first, before you copy the events.

Bob.

What may cure your problem is copying the media from Project A's Project Media to Project B's Project Media first, before you copy the events.

Do you mean copy the MEDIA from the PROJECT MEDIA Window/Pane in Project A to the PROJECT MEDIA Window/Pane in Project B? Is that it?

Grazie

Thanks Bob, will try that. And I didn't know you could copy Project Media from one to the other (if thats what your saying as Grazie has asked). While I do hope it works it'll still beg the question why it's doing it in the first place as everything IS 16x9. I didn't do any manipulation in that regard to the clips in either project.

In either's original, if I click on the pan/crop the image on the palate is right, 16x9. But if I past it into the other one and do pan/crop the image on the palate is squished, as in 4x3. It's all very weird.

That said, if your suggestion works this may be one of those "Who cares why it works" situations and I'll just move on ... though I am curious.

- Ray
Some of my stuff on Vimeo
www.undergroundplanet.com

"Who cares why it works" - I do. I do very much.

I want to know how to copy from Project A to Project B. If I can see that happening then fine. Does Bob mean re-import rather than copy?

Unless I have got it wrong, I understand that what Bob is wanting us to understand is that an Event is THAT WHAT WE DO TO THE MEDIA on the T/L. However, and leaving aside what we CAN do to it while IN the Project Media Window, the Media is the plain, unaffected stuff PRIOR to what we do to it on the Timeline.

Grazie

Oh I agree Graz, and I do wanna know too (thats why I asked!) I'm just saying that at the end of the day I really need this to work and it working is more important as to the "why". Please don't think I was trying to discount yours or my own questions!!! We're on the same side! =)

- Ray
Some of my stuff on Vimeo
www.undergroundplanet.com

Understood. No harm done Mutts.

For me, a little bit of the "how" can assists me in understanding the process so that I could possibly take it further forward.

I'm now inviting Bob to finally nail his assist.

Grazie

Sorry guys, client around and I was having a fight with my office A/C.

Yes, I meant copy the media from Project A's project media to Project B's project media.

A couple of things worthy of note:

a) I don't have any 'problematic' 16:9 media on hand to really test what I'm saying. All the media I currently have is true blue 16:9 HD stuff.

b) All my real, correctly flagged 16:9 media let's me work very simply. Open 16:9 (widescreen) project. Drop media on T/L and there it is. Maybe set Simulate Device Aspect Ration in the Preview Window so it looks right and that's it. You should never need to fudge around with pan/crop when it's true 16:9. Some cameras letter box 16:9 into 4:3 but I've never had to deal with that problem.

c) Sometimes the camera doesn't flag the video as being 16:9 or the flag gets lost along the way. This is what I have seen a bit of. In the case once you have the media in your 16:9 project in the Project Media change the Properties to make it 16:9. All should flow smoothly. Note this does not change the physical file on the disk. Use the same media in another project and you'll need to change the media in the Project Media again.

d) The Vegas manual makes much of the word "Event". I never paid much attention to that originally but I think it's a very important concept when things like this arise. "Event" and "Media" we use interchangeably but they're not the same thing. Within Vegas "Media" is what's in the Project Media pool. The Events are what's on the T/L, they inherit the properties (PAR etc) of the "Media" in the Project Media.

I just realised I can try this with some old 4:3 media anyway. Give me a few minutes.

Bob.

OK,
just tested this.

a) Cannot copy media from Project Media to Project Media in another instance of Vegas. bummer Bob, stupid suggestion!

b) I can repo Muttley problem. I put some 4:3 media into a 16:9 project and changed it's PAR to 16:9. When I put it onto the T/L it is 16:9. SO far so good.

If I copy the Event from Vegas to another Vgeas instance which is 16:9, Vegas treats it as 4:3. If in the second instance I go into Project Media and change the Media PAR to 16:9 all is well. If I copy another Event from the first to the second instance which references the same media Vegas sees it as 16:9.

Hope this helps a little. If you've got lots of clips what I'm saying is not much help. If you've got only a few clips and lots of events it should save you a lot of clicking.

Bob.

Final test.

Used SD 16:9 media (stuff on the disk). Copy/Paste events works perfectly.
I suspect the XL2 doesn't flag the video as 16:9, pretty common with a lot of SD cameras. Best solution would be some utility that lets you manipulate the flags in the AVI files however I don't know of any such utility. Maybe John Meyer knows of something.

Bob.

Just as a sideways-nod, if you want to get the same result as Copy and pasting from Veg A to Veg B, copy the EVENTS over. The Media, of course, appears in the Project Media Pane - now delete ALL the Events up there in the timeline.

OR . . .

Copy the Veg A, save as Veg B and delete all Events. However ALL Media from Veg A is now in Veg B.

Grazie