Empty Event Conversion

kkolbo wrote on 7/12/2010, 11:59 PM

OK, there may be a way in Vegas to do this, but I am drawing a blank here. It is really a Vegas question, but it is a Prod Assist application. Is there a way to replace a media event on the timeline with an empty event to prepare it to be a template.

Here is the application. I want to set up a sequence using the motion tool. For that I have to use actual media. Photo Montage can be tricked by using a using a timeline full of empty events. Once the motion tool creates the sequence on the timeline, I need to change the events to empty ones leaving the Pan and Crop and border applied to the events. The same would be true if I was doing it manually, but I would do it all a track level so that I could just substitute empty events.

The long way would be to create the the sequence with the motion tool, then create duplicate length empty events and copy event attributes to the empty event and put it in place. About the same work as doing it at the track level.

If I have not confused everyone by now, does someone see a better way to prep the sequence to become a Prod Assist Template?

KK the not so bright one tonight.

I guess I could try to write a script that replaces all selected media with empty events, pan and crop and FX intact. hmmm have to think about that.

Comments

JohnnyRoy wrote on 7/13/2010, 4:51 AM

Hi Keith,

This is actually something I have on my list for a future version. Here is a script that will do what you want:



//**************************************************************

//*      Program: Events to Slugs.cs

//*       Author: John Rofrano

//*  Description: Converts selected events into media slugs

//* Last Updated: July 13, 2010

//*    Copyright: (c) 2010, Sundance Media Group / VASST

//*               All Rights Reserved.

//**************************************************************

using System;

using System.Windows.Forms;

using Sony.Vegas;



public class EntryPoint

{

    public void FromVegas(Vegas vegas)

    {

        try

        {

            foreach (Track track in vegas.Project.Tracks)

            {

                foreach (TrackEvent trackEvent in track.Events)

                {

                    if (!trackEvent.Selected) continue;



                    if (trackEvent.IsGrouped)

                    {

                        foreach (TrackEvent groupedEvent in trackEvent.Group)

                        {

                            groupedEvent.Takes.Clear();

                        }

                    }

                    else

                    {

                        trackEvent.Takes.Clear();

                    }

                }

            }

        }

        catch (Exception e)

        {

            MessageBox.Show(e.Message, "Events to Slugs", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);

        }

    }

}

Just select the events you want to convert to slugs and it will remove their media. Enjoy,

~jr

kkolbo wrote on 7/13/2010, 1:12 PM

Fantastic!

Now you can take any good project and turn it into a template for Prod Assist just by selecting the events you want to replace and running the script to turn them into slugs!

Twice in a week, John makes our lives easier!

KK