Editing Events On The Same Track

Eugenia wrote on 9/3/2010, 7:13 PM

Simply add these plugins to the event itself, not to the track. The plugin chain is that little cross icon, and appears both in the left, on the track controls, and on each event. So you make sure that the plugins are set to the event's cross icon, not to the tracks.

Another way to get another event's properties, is to "copy" them, and "paste properties" or something like that is called, from the right-click menu. You might have done that by mistake.

BobWard wrote on 9/3/2010, 7:39 PM

I see the FX effects cross icon for the video Track. Where is the Event icon located?

Bob

Eugenia wrote on 9/3/2010, 8:12 PM

On the event itself. On the right side of the event thumbnail.

musicvid10 wrote on 9/3/2010, 8:22 PM

Effects in Vegas can be added at the Media, Track, Event, or Output levels.

Knowing when (and how) to apply these is one of the most powerful features this software has to offer.

BobWard wrote on 9/3/2010, 8:24 PM

Ok, I found it. It was hiding on the last frame in the lower right hand corner.

So the first event was edited with the Track FX settings, what happens now if I delete the Track FX settings? I suspect I will lose all the edits I did to the first event. Is there someway to transfer those Track FX settings to the first event?

Bob

musicvid10 wrote on 9/3/2010, 9:13 PM

You could create a new preset . . .
You could move everything else to a new track . . .
You could render the first event to a new track . . .

TIMTOWTDI

BobWard wrote on 9/3/2010, 9:29 PM

Well, since I have only edited the first event, maybe I will just start over and make sure the effects are only added to each event separately. I had applied 2 sets of edits to the first event, the 2nd set of edits was done by selecting a time range and editing that range separately form the rest of the event.

misicvid - could you point me to a source that tells how to apply the effects to tracks vs events vs media, etc.? I have been reading the VMS 10 User Manual but have not yet been able to find that level of detail on applying FX effects. The objective here would be to learn how to apply a customized set of FX effects to each event, and/or, time ranges within each event.

Thanks,

Bob

musicvid10 wrote on 9/3/2010, 9:35 PM

I know of no way to apply effects selectively to a time range either within or spanning events except to split the events at the appropriate points, and applying the effects appropriately to the newly created events.

Media effects -- apply in the Project Media window.
Track effects -- apply on the Track Effects icon.
Event effects -- apply on the Event Effects icon.
Output effects -- apply on the Video Effects icon above the preview.

The interactive tutorials that come with your Vegas software will be of additional help. Good luck to you.

BobWard wrote on 9/3/2010, 10:14 PM

I may be mis-interpreting the Quick Start Manual for VMS10, but on page 32 it states: " . . . . . all items within the time range play back and are effected by EDIT menu commands."

I interpreted this to mean if I selected a time range within an Event that I could do selective "FX effects" edits on that time range. However, I have only been using this software for a couple days, so everything is still pretty much trail & error at this point and asking questions.

Bob

Craig Longman wrote on 9/3/2010, 11:44 PM

Edit menu commands, such as cut, copy, delete, etc do work on the currently time selection. But Video FX are only on one of the three types, Track, Media or Output, and Transitions on the Events. And only on the whole, ie. whole track, whole media, whole Event (transition).

There are two ways to change a Media (a discreet clip or still in other words) FX. One is to move to the point where you want the effects to START to change, create a key-frame, then move to where they should be finished changing, change them, and make sure a new key-frame is created. Then, Vegas will transition from the original settings to the new settings. This can happen very gradually, or over 1 frame.

Or, you can position the cursor where on the media clip you need to do something different, hit 'S' to split the media clip into two pieces. Then, each will have their own Media FX options that you can change at will.

However, as pointed out, do not discount the 'Show Me How' option in Vegas. It really is very intuitive and shows you step by step, right in Vegas, what to do to accomplish basic tasks.

TOG62 wrote on 9/4/2010, 2:03 AM

Edit menu commands, such as cut, copy, delete, etc do work on the currently time selection. But Video FX are only on one of the three types, Track, Media or Output, and Transitions on the Events. And only on the whole, ie. whole track, whole media, whole Event (transition).

Are you counting Event effects as the same as Media Effects?

There are two ways to change a Media (a discreet clip or still in other words) FX. One is to move to the point where you want the effects to START to change, create a key-frame, then move to where they should be finished changing, change them, and make sure a new key-frame is created. Then, Vegas will transition from the original settings to the new settings. This can happen very gradually, or over 1 frame.

The ability to create key-frames is very limited in VMS and an envelope must first be created (Composite Level, Fade to Colour, Volume or Pan).

Chienworks wrote on 9/4/2010, 3:40 AM

"The ability to create key-frames is very limited in VMS and an envelope must first be created (Composite Level, Fade to Colour, Volume or Pan)."

I think you need to go peek at the manual again. Since version 6 keyframes have been very powerful and flexible tools. They allow you to control and vary every aspect of each effect from frame to frame. Effects keyframes are quite separate from envelopes and operate completely independently. Envelopes have their own keyframes too, which are not affected by or affect effects keyframes.

TOG62 wrote on 9/4/2010, 4:43 AM

I'm very new to Vegas and was overlooking the keyframes within the effects dialogues. In some NLEs all keyframes show on the timeline.

musicvid10 wrote on 9/4/2010, 6:46 AM

And in trying to keep it simple, I can see that my statement was a bit misleading. While you can't simply select a range of time and say, "Insert this effect here," keyframing is possible within the confines of a given effect, which exist at one of the levels stated before. Hope this isn't too confusing.

And please, let's not confuse the effects library with track envelopes, which are editable from the timeline.

BobWard wrote on 9/4/2010, 9:34 AM

Thanks for the very informative replies. This helps me a lot.

Splitting an Event into 2 separate Events sounds like a pretty simple way to do separate FX Effects for each Event. Working with keyframes sounds a little more intimidating at my present point on the learning curve, but I will experiment with that as well so that I will have that tool mastered for possible future use.

Bob

DarrylM wrote on 9/4/2010, 9:44 AM

Thank you BobWard for creating this topic. There are times I want to do something and if I can not figure it out I just assume it can not be done. Output effects are exactly what I have been needing/wanting. This has been a very helpful topic thanks for all the input.

KenJ62 wrote on 9/4/2010, 12:24 PM

My further two cents here, the "Video Output FX" might be better described as the Project FX, IMO. It may internally be applied only upon render but most users wouldn't know that.

Also, does anyone else have a problem with the word "event"? An "event" is something I go to for taping my "clips". I mentally juggle the terms, since 'this' means 'that'.

A good tip I gleaned here is to download the manual for Vegas Pro version 9 since the Studio manual is significantly stripped down. For those using VMS10 the Pro manual is even more useful since several Pro features are now included.

musicvid10 wrote on 9/4/2010, 2:13 PM

"Also, does anyone else have a problem with the word "event"? An "event" is something I go to for taping my "clips". I mentally juggle the terms, since 'this' means 'that'."

In Vegasspeak, a "clip" is a media clip -- what you captured and shows up in the Project Media. An "event" is something that shows up on the Vegas timeline, and may or may not have the same length and attributes as the original media it references.

IOW, I could have a hundred "events", all pointing to the same "clip", yet having entirely different effects and attributes.

Tim L wrote on 9/4/2010, 3:06 PM

Yeah, "event" always seemed like an odd word to me when I was getting started with Vegas. I'm used to it now -- seems natural enough. I don't know what it's called in other editing programs. (I've never used any other editors.)

I imagine the word came about because we are talking about a timeline. If you forget about "timeline" in the video editing sense and think of it in more general terms, an "event" is something that happens (or happened) at a particular point in time on a timeline.

Tim L

Craig Longman wrote on 9/4/2010, 3:42 PM

@TOG62
Are you counting Event effects as the same as Media Effects?
Sorry, I was con-fuddling my terms. By 'Media FX', I meant things that are happening to an instance of the media (clip, image, etc) in the timeline whereas by 'Event FX', I meant the things that are only relevant to the extent that a clip is transitioning; fading in/out, cross-over fading with another clip, etc. Reassessing the terms used in VMS, "Video Event FX" is what I called 'Media FX' and "Transition" is what I called 'Event FX' (the "Video Event FX" and the "Transition" are based on the title at the top of the dialog, NOT the window/tab name, which remains "Video Event FX"... ).
In Vegas, a Media FX is set up from the Project Media window (as was pointed out), and applies to all instances (or events) of that media (still, clip, etc) in the project. Useful for when a clip will be used multiple times and you know some adjustment always needs to be applied.
In some NLEs all keyframes show on the timeline.
VMS only shows Track keyframes in the timeline. If you change something at the Track level (an FX or Track Motion) you will see a little diamond appear. But for Media, Event and Transition, they do not show up. I think it keeps the timeline much cleaner. Although I do wish they made the FX dialog able to show keyframes for individual parameters, not just for the whole FX.
@KenJ62
"Video Output FX" might be better described as the Project FX
I don't know, it applies to Output, whether you're previewing or rendering, it will be applied. Although the term seems to be used in the help, Project FX might indicate it's being applied before track composition, or directly to clips... seems too vague to me. Output, to me says "the very last thing" and that is exactly (and all) it does, regardless of where that Output is directed (render, preview window, external preview device, etc.).
does anyone else have a problem with the word "event"?
Hehehe... perhaps "Instance" would be more appropriate... but a bit more tongue-tangleable?
@BobWard
Working with keyframes sounds a little more intimidating
If you just want the same effect, but only with different parameters, keyframes aren't too bad.
In the Video Event FX dialog, make sure you're at the start of the clip, left-most in the dialog time-line. Set up what you want the first part to be. Move forward to where you want the change to start, and click the little "+" to create a new keyframe. Then move one frame forward and make your changes. That intermediate step of creating a keyframe is only necessary because if you simply adjusted the parameters, they would slowly transition from where they were at the start of the clip to where the keyframe was. Frequently, this is want you desire, but if you don't, then creating new keyframe forces the current values to stay the same right up till that point.
In retrospect, even this description might seem confusing... the "Show Me How" tutorials are really quite excellent, you should go through them all. In particular, the "How to Customize a Video Effect" one will go through the very basics, then give you a link to animating keyframes. YouTube should also provide a few decent examples.
You really should get the hang of keyframes sooner than later. For one thing, they're remarkably powerful and almost more importantly, they're always "in play", if you don't understand them or how they work or are presented to you, you might get confused if Vegas starts seemingly doing things "on it's own" because you forgot to reset to the start of a clip before you changed something.

BobWard wrote on 9/4/2010, 7:36 PM

With this new-found knowledge, I have started over on my 1950s project. The first clip (Event) that I imported was assigned an Event FX., i.e., no more Track FX like the first go-around.

As a starting point for the 2nd clip (Event) that I will drag to the time line, I would like to assign it the same FX settings that I composed for the first clip (Event). In other words, this would be the initial FX starting point for the 2nd clip. I would then adjust these settings as needed for the 2nd clip (Event).

I was searching for a simple copy command where I could copy the FX settings for the first clip and then paste that onto the second clip. I have not been able to find a way to do this copy and paste of an existing chain of FX Event settings. Is such a procedure not possible in VMS?

Bob

Chienworks wrote on 9/4/2010, 8:06 PM

This is from Vegas Pro, but it might be available in the studio versions ... to copy settings from one event to another, select the first event and click Edit / Copy (or Ctrl+C), then select the other event, right-mouse-button click on it, and from the popup menu click Paste Event Attributes.

You can select multiple events and paste the same attributes on all of them in one step.

BobWard wrote on 9/4/2010, 8:24 PM

Chienworks,

Great tip! That did the trick.

Thanks for your help.

Bob

KenJ62 wrote on 9/5/2010, 8:15 PM

Hey Bob, great topic. I have learned a lot here.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful contributions!