As far as using the Trimmer, SCS has a white paper posted - just follow the links at the top of the forum Downloads > White Papers > Vegas 8.0c Trimmer Enhancements. Since I don't have v9.0 I don't know if it's close enough, but you'll find out...

how can I display the date of the clip in the right bottom corner for about 10 secs each time the date changes

That's a tough one. I don't know of any automated way to do that but would love to hear of one. I think you'd probably have to do some scripting (a feature of Vegas Pro) or it would have to be done manually I think.

Thanks for the tip. I have read the white paper. Although I have Studio 8c I can not find the two icons mentioned in the trimmer. In any case it is not making things easier. I will probably use VirtualDub for the simple editing instead of the trimmer.

Hi there

I totally agree with Eugenia. I never use the trimmer and can't actually see the point in it. You can edit frame-accurate and very quickly directly on the timeline.

Another point is that when you trim on the timeline you get a far more 'instant' assessment as to how the new clip's first frame looks as it follows the previous clip that is already on the timeline. This is particularly important if you are using a dissolve at the start of the new clip - you can fiddle with its entry frame and dissolve-time thus getting a much more accurate feel for how the sequence is going to look.

I guess it's all down to personal choice and whichever way you find works best for you then that's the bottom line.

As far as having the date bottom-right on the video: If I wanted to do that I would employ the excellent Sony Vegas text 'Media Generator' feature. It would take hardly any time to put your date text in a small white font overlaid bottom-right on your video. You will have complete control over it's appearance doing it this way (text colour, font size, whether to use a drop shadow etc). Once you have set up the positioning and text style etc it's going to be good for any other parts of the video where you want to add a new date-stamp to your footage. Simply click on the Text media generator clip that you have already created, copy it, then paste it to the timeline further along for the new place you want a new date to appear. Then just click on the Media Generator symbol on the new text clip and simply edit the date. Literally takes seconds to do this. NB. Make sure when you are copying and pasting the text object that you opt to "create a new object" (i.e. a new independent text object that is not connected to the original - otherwise when you change the date all instances of the text object will change!!!)

Regards
Viddy

Unlike some of the others I do a great deal of my editing using the Trimmer.

I Batch Capture my work on to Vegas so that I will probably have a number of scenes relating to a particular aspect (e.g. various scenes relating to the same place for a travelogue) in a single grouping. I can then open a captured group in the Trimmer and decide which parts of each group should be used and in what order they should appear - I might adjust the length of an event using the Timeline although this can be done easily in the Trimmer if you already have a feel for what you are trying to achieve.

Selection and transfer from the Trimmer to the Timeline is easy using the I, O and A keys. On the Pro version (not certain about Studio) you can transfer video only, audio only or video and audio together by using Tab - saves you having to delete one or the other from the Timeline if you don't want it in your final product or makes it easy if you want to use, say, the audio only in several places in the finished product.

This editing is frame accurate and if you want, you can insert a selection between existing scenes on the Timeline if you engage Ripple (but don't forget to disengage it afterwards). What's more and as I suggested above, it is easy to use the same event several times without having to use Copy and Paste.

At the end of the day, however, we all use the methods we are most comfortable with. I find editing on the Timeline fiddly but if you perceive that one is more efficient, easier or faster to use, then stick to it.. It doesn't really matter too much as the only real test is whether or not you are happy with the final product.

Richard

Trimmer - Never use it.

Date/Time - If your files are AVI, DVdate may do what you're looking for.

MSmart,

DVDate is a good find! Looks like it will do what the OP wants, i.e. show the date when it changes (among other options). See this "inlay" online help page for DVDate. However, the way this will work is that clips will have to be processed outside Vegas/VMS, and are limited to DV (no HDV/AVCHD).

I did like the others, editing on the timeline, rather than the trimmer. I now use the trimmer. It probably depends on you personal circumstamces. For me, I was using 1 to 2 , 4 -6 second pieces out of 12-15 minute files. That's easier in the trimmer. However if you are keeping most of the file and just editing out small pieces, then the time line probaly is easier.

Hi Everyone. Thanks a lot for all this info. Indeed I have used DVDate to insert the dates. The proposal on using text generated by Vegas is quite good. The problem is I do not know the date the video was taken. I want to get this info from the embedded code. What is the easiest way to extract this code using Vegas? Secondly I tried VirtualDub on avis for simple editing and it is quite handy, but when it comes to MPEGs created directly by cameras VDub is of no use. Does anyone have a suggestion for this type of editing? Finally most of the time I need to literally push 40-50 minutes of video to right or left on the timeline to make space for another 4-5 minutes of video to be inserted at that point. I am selecting all the video events and hitting 7 or 9 and then using 4 or 6 to push the selected events. In doing this I sometimes get into trouble observing that the events are not really pushed but rather extended or squeezed. It has to do with the mode selected but I will be much obliged if someone can write what is the most practical way to do it. Also quite frequently I have to push an event on a track where there is a gap between this event and the next one. When I push the selected event I do not want the other event to move but rather the gap to become smaller. How do I achieve this in an easy way? Thanks.