Editing

Joby wrote on 1/28/2003, 9:04 PM
I am new to VF and am having difficulty accurately editing out portions of captured analogue video from my SonyTR 710. I found in a review of VF in PC Magazine, Jan. 2002 the following statement in reply to the review. I quote:-

The author complained of the lack of a trimmer window. It's there but it's not enabled by default. Just click on Options and hold down the shift key while selecting Preferences. On the internal tab, find "Show Trimmer" and set it's value to TRUE. While you're there, set "Show Speed Control" (scrubber) to TRUE. The trimmer isn't really necessary if you import video from a DV cam and use automatic scene detection. The media pool is a much better place to organize your clips. But if you import long analog clips, the trimmer comes in handy. This program is a great introduction to pro editing. The "Show Me" tutorials will help get you started quickly and you'll have a lot of fun experimenting and playing with some of the more advanced features.

I followed the directions, have the trimmer but haven't the faintest idea how it supposed to be used? I also have the speed control, the one use I can see for that is some sort of slow/fast motion? As it alters the sound it is obvious a seperate track would have to be used.
I would be grateful for any advice on editing with explanation of what the 'normal', 'ripple' and 'envelope' do. I have been through the tutorials, clicked on the 'edits' and each one doesn't seem to make any difference?
Thanks in advance, this is probably the first of many (possibly stupid) questions that I'll post. Oh yes, I realize this is a 'learning curve' but please don't make it too technical. I'm still learning after a terrible couple of years with VideoWave 4.
Joby

Comments

IanG wrote on 1/29/2003, 2:48 AM
The reason the trimmer's not there by default is you realy don't need it! You can trim on the timeline by moving the cursor along to the frame you want, using the left and right arrows for fine control, split the clip (s on the keyboard, or press the "split" button)and then delete the bits you don't want. Deleting doesn't affect your files, only what gets displayed and included in the final video. The scrubber is another tool for getting to the area you want to trim, but you don't need that either.

With normal edits, removing things from the time line leaves a gap, while ripple editing closes things up. You can find a lot of stuff in this forum by searching for "ripple edit". The envelope editors allow you to adjust the volume and panning of your audio.

VF's learning curve is steeper than some NLEs, but not that much, and the benefits are huge. Stick with it!

Ian G.
pfeiferp wrote on 1/29/2003, 3:54 PM
It took me a while to figure out that ripple doesn't work UNLESS you've highligted a section of the time line (drag your cursor along that section at the top and watch it light up.) I fully expected that if I highlighted an event and deleted it with ripple mode selected, than the gap would close up. (the gap will NOT close...unless you've lit up the entire section as described above) I stumbled across one little line in the manual that said that ripple only works in time mode..or somethig to that effect.


And I agree, take your clip to the timeline...and you'll soon figure out how to cut off either end (just drag the boundary in towards the center) or cut a piece out of the middle (hit s to split the clip into 2 pices, hit s again for three, highlight the middle piece and hit delete. OR....do the timeline thing..highlight the section to be deleted and hit delete..with ripple mode on, the gap should close up.
Klavisha wrote on 1/29/2003, 4:14 PM
You can delete gaps themselves this way. Place your cursor within the gap, then double-click. The gap will be highlighted in white. Hit the delete key, and provided Ripple Edits is enabled, the gap will close up.
IanG wrote on 1/29/2003, 5:03 PM
Joby, I'm glad you asked that question - it forced me to go back and have another look at the trimmer. I like it!

I've been using it with ripple edits on - I think that's the most useful! In the media pool, right click on the clip you're interested in and select "open in trimmer". You'll see the selected clip appear with the normal play controls plus three others - "Set in point at cursor position", "Set out point at cursor position" and "Add media from timeline cursor".

If you click on the media clip it will be displayed in the preview window. Position that cursor where you want the clip to start and press "Set in...", position the cursor where you want it to stop and press "Set out...". You've now defined the video you want to appear on your timeline.

If you now click on the timeline, you transfer control there and you can position the cursor where you want your trimmed clip to be inserted. Click on "Add media..." and you're done!

Ian G.
Joby wrote on 1/29/2003, 10:33 PM
Thanks all of you. I have been through the 'help' and tutorials time and time again but the information you have given me not only makes more sense but stays in one's mind like pfeiferp's and Klavisha's piece about the ripple edit.
Unfortunately IanG I had removed the trimmer to the default setting as you suggested, but you now think it might be useful?
I have more questions but I will put them on a seperate post so as not to confuse things (and myself)!
Joby
IanG wrote on 1/30/2003, 2:16 AM
Joby, VF often gives you more than one way to do something. Knowing how to use the trimmer is another tool that's available to you - whether or not you use it depends on your way of working. I've never used it in anger, but I'm glad I know how to! I'm a great believer in Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is crap), so anything that helps me get rid of that 90% quickly and accurately has to be good news.

Ian G.
odessa wrote on 7/1/2003, 6:01 PM
I'm surprised the trimmer is hidden. I like the 'set in point from cursor position', which I use for dropping in the odd cut-away onto the timeline (audio track locked to preserve original sound. OK so there's probably another way of doing it, but I like this way
JohnnyRoy wrote on 7/3/2003, 9:24 AM
> I'm surprised the trimmer is hidden.

I agree. The trimmer is useful if you have to capture with another program that doesn’t segment the capture files into scenes. I have a Pinnacle Studio Deluxe AV/DV card and it has proprietary drivers that only allow you to capture with the Studio software. But this leaves you with one big AVI file because Studio scene detection doesn’t break the capture into smaller files.

The trimmer is great for loading this big file and quickly finding just the parts you need. I was making an intro for a wedding video and I wanted to use some highlights from the footage and the trimmer was the perfect tool for finding these little gems and placing them on the timeline.

~jr