credit rolls...Help please.

craftech wrote on 3/21/2002, 8:21 AM
Is there a tutorial for using this plug-in? It's not in the pdf manual, the help files explain practically nothing, and there is nothing in the support section at this website.
I used the search function for the forum and found that others have had problems with this plug-in. Could someone help me with my questions? :
1. How does one determine how to position and choose fonts for , for example a left column scrolling preset. I can't even read the letters on my preview to external monitor no matter what I set the quality for.
2. For titles, subtitles, etc it seems that they have to be all the same color, font, and position. Is that right?
3. The keyboard doesn't seem easy to use to move around within the text writing portion of the plug-in. Tab key doesn't seem to do what you think it should.
4. I made a mistake after typing a long list of credits. The mistake was that I forgot to put the directors name in a subtitle near the top. I can't find a way to insert another subtitle up there. It looks like I have to type the whole thing over again starting from the third line from the top. Is it missing an insert function or add function?
5. If I ever get as far as finishing the text, I would like to put a video window with outtakes on the upper right. Will there be room? Also, will I find reasonably detailed help in the manual, etc. Where do I look?
6. Should I just use a full screen set of outtakes and let the credits roll centered over the top just to make my life easier?
7. Why is it that Vegas doesn't have a few wizards built in to do routine things?
Even simple things like editing a section on the timeline took awhile. For example,
The first time you use the program you normally will see only the video track as you work, not the audio. It wasn't that hard to split two points, click on the track section to delete it and join the pieces, but why did I have to find out the hard way that it doesn't default to remove the audio track with it. Isn't that basic editing? Sorry for the rant. I really need help with 1-6 though.

Thanks in advance. This forum is indispensible. Thanks especially to the regulars here who are so willing to help us even when they have to continually repeat themselves.

John

Comments

SonyEPM wrote on 3/21/2002, 9:46 AM
First off, please make sure the property page for the credit roll isn't shrunk down and hiding some of the controls. I'll bet this is what is causing the confusion. Drag the tab at the lower right until you see the properties and the styles tab. Load the "Plain scrolling on black" preset onto the timeline as a starting point.

1. How does one determine how to position and choose fonts for , for example a left column scrolling preset. I can't even read the letters on my preview to external monitor no matter what I set the quality for.

Use the position window to set the left and right edges. Fonts and text properties are chosen in the styles tab. The preview window has a safe title overlay grid, if you need it.

2. For titles, subtitles, etc it seems that they have to be all the same color, font, and position. Is that right?

No- color for each is adjustable in the styles tab


3. The keyboard doesn't seem easy to use to move around within the text writing portion of the plug-in. Tab key doesn't seem to do what you think it should.

You have to double click in the text field to edit each line. Tab navigates through the controls, but not the text entries.

4. I made a mistake after typing a long list of credits. The mistake was that I forgot to put the directors name in a subtitle near the top. I can't find a way to insert another subtitle up there. It looks like I have to type the whole thing over again starting from the third line from the top. Is it missing an insert function or add function?

copy one of the lines, paste it where you want, modify to suit

5. If I ever get as far as finishing the text, I would like to put a video window with outtakes on the upper right. Will there be room? Also, will I find reasonably detailed help in the manual, etc. Where do I look?

Use another track for the outtakes- size that window with the track motion control

6. Should I just use a full screen set of outtakes and let the credits roll centered over the top just to make my life easier?

your choice- you can adjust the credits' background color to be solid and overlay video on top, or transparent and overlay the credits ont top of the video.

craftech wrote on 3/21/2002, 10:22 AM
Thanks for the quick response........I'll try that.

John
craftech wrote on 3/21/2002, 11:12 AM
Hi,
I tried your suggestions, but they don't seem to work.

1. Everything was showing in the window. I have a 21" monitor. The properties and styles tabs were there before and they are there now.
I put up the safe overlay grid on the preview window. I assume that one grid is for 16x9 and the other 4x3? I still can't read the letters enough to tell if they are all there or not.
2. For headings, subtitles, etc. they cannot be adjusted individually. If you change the font or color or properties for one subtitle (for example)they all change. I can't have one subtitle of one size and another subtitle of another size.
3. Keyboard navigation is kind of quirky, but I can get used to it.
4. I tried cutting and pasting, but it only eliminates the entry you paste it to. There seems to be no other way to add the "Directed by xxx xxx" line third from the top without typing the entire list of credits all over again unless I omit the subtitle "Cast" and replace it with "Directed by......" then just let the list continue. I have pages of credits already entered. There doesn't seem to be any insert feature to add a line except at the end.
5. I haven't gotten that far yet.

Thanks,
John
VinceG wrote on 3/21/2002, 3:02 PM
John- The scrolling credits gave me hell too. When I first got VF then VV, I never used scrolling credits (only used fading credits) because the scrolling credits feature didn't seem user friendly and was very intimidating.

I knew I was going to have to use them at some point though so finally I put aside one evening and experimented with the scrolling credits feature. I absolutely love the scrolling credits feature now as I feel I finally understand how it works. Took a long time for me to grasp everything, but I finally got it. All I can say is keep experimenting. SonicEPM's answers do work for me, but I knew and understood the answers before he posted them.
swarrine wrote on 3/21/2002, 6:25 PM
Regarding adding a new line, if you use right click on a mouse/copy/paste it only copies the text from one existing line to another. It does not create a new line.

To create a new (additional) line you need to use your keyboard. Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V).
swarrine wrote on 3/22/2002, 7:10 AM
Also, (in some future upgrade) it would be nice to be able to copy/paste an entire document and have it scroll.

As far as I know you would have to copy/paste it line by line right now.
craftech wrote on 3/22/2002, 8:37 AM
Thanks for all your help. I managed to get it done and it looks fine.

John
SonyEPM wrote on 3/22/2002, 8:46 AM
Copy (ctrl+c)the following lines to the windows clipboard:

Producer
Jane East

Director
John Smith

Sound Guy
Joe D

...next, go to the credit roll plug-in property page, click one of the header buttons, and paste (ctrl+V). You should see all of the title info showing up in separate lines.
swarrine wrote on 3/22/2002, 4:16 PM
That's it. Thank you.
ConvivialCreator wrote on 4/1/2006, 7:27 AM
Your forum answer from 2002 helped me in 2006. Thanks. I'm so used to mouse controls I forget to try keyboard commands!
Grazie wrote on 4/1/2006, 8:06 AM
AH! VinceG? Where is he now . . ? . . g
Steve Mann wrote on 4/1/2006, 1:12 PM
I use scrolling credits a lot since I do theater productions. Some of my credit rolls can be over 100 lines long.

I just bring everything into a text editor. I can spell check it, edit it and insert or delete text. The format is text<CR> for single items and text<tab>text<CR> for two-item lines.

When I open the credit roll plug in, I start with an empty text area. Delete the defaults. Go to the text file, select everything and CTRL-C copy it. Highlight the top line of the Credit Roll - not the text area - and hit CTRL-V to paste all the text. Then, it's a matter of selecting the styles for my text.

You can also select and copy all of the credit roll text. Click on the top line (not the text area), scroll to the bottom line and shift-click on the last line. CTRL-C copies the text to your clipboard, CTRL-V puts it in to your text editor.

If you want different styles, make a new event on a new track and add a new credit roll.
alfredsvideo wrote on 4/2/2006, 3:13 PM
I always do my credit roll listings in "Word", then copy and paste into the Credit Roll window of Vegas. However, if a simple correction needs to be made, just hit the "Insert" key at the position a forgotten entry needs to be made.
fultro wrote on 4/2/2006, 3:36 PM
I can't thank you enough for that Inset key tip -= the BS I put myself through to add something - - and a good thread - is any of this documented ? - who knows what other hidden pearls of wisdom we might benefit from
craftech wrote on 4/2/2006, 5:57 PM
It has been a long time since I posted that and in all that time the software developers haven't changed the Credit Roll generator at all. It remains the amateurish joke it was back then. The hidden commands and the secret way to slow it down are all well documented by the forum users, but the list of limitations of the credit roll generator remain unchanged. How can the company keep adding bells and whistles to the software and leave a basic tool such as this the same way it was in Vegas 2?

John
fultro wrote on 4/2/2006, 7:41 PM
"the hidden commands and the secret way to slow it down" would be much appreciated - and anything else about an otherwise useful too except for the docs
Grazie wrote on 4/2/2006, 11:03 PM
Well . . . "the hidden commands and the secret way to slow it down"

. . . INS puts in an extra line between LINES; Del deletes a highlighted line.

Slowing down:

#1 Ctrl+Stretch

or

#2 Insert Velocity Envelope

or BOTH!

BUT if you want the thing l o n g e r then adjust "Length" value.


Personally I find the whole Credit Roll thing laborious and I prefer to use "Placement" in the TEXT MEDIA function. TEXT MEDIA is flexible; it will take on a lot of adjustment from me and insert rows is just a ENTER key away - a bit like a very simple NOTEPAD - but one that "moves" and is keyframeable. That's my advice. Give it a go .. you may like it!

Credit Roll? Drove me barmy for about 6 months back then. Don't go near it now. Doesn't get a mention in my videos anymore - let alone "credit"!

Grazie