Envelopes

Widetrack wrote on 7/16/2008, 8:50 PM
I’m in the middle of a long project where I use Vegas as well as a well-known MIDI / Audio sequencer and an equally well-known 3D modeling / animation app.

While the other 2 apps are quite capable, every time I come back to Vegas, it’s like a breath of fresh air: smooth, stable, intuitive. In terms of GUI and workflow, I really believe Vegas has the edge on everything else out there.

But, there is one area where Vegas is just as bad as the worst of them.

Envelopes.

Vegas--and every graphics, video and audio NLE I use--makes selecting envelope nodes unbelievably dicey. It seems like most times I try to select one, others get selected as well, and then it’s almost impossible to deselect the ones I want.

I must be missing something really obvious, but I don’t see any alternative anywhere.

So here’s my list.

Envelope handling.

• Magnify nodes when I mouse over them so it’s easier to select them;

• When I select a node, open a dialog box with sliders for moving the nodes—both vertically and horizontally—just like the effects dialogs. Maybe even include a separate set of sliders for each selected node.

• Have the dialog stay open after I adjust things so I can audition and tweak without having to re-open.

• I can’t count the times I’ve had to set four envelope nodes just to change the level on one event: One before and one after the event that I set to whatever the default is to isolate the change I’m making from the rest of the track, then two more between the first 2 to create a bar between then which I can click to change the level of both simultaneously. Please develop such a command that would set up such a four-node arrangement with just one click, and then open the dialog box to set the level of the middle two, and allow an offset to make a fade in/out ramp between them.

• If Vegas were to implement this, it would make workflow a lot smoother.
ragging, inserting

Comments

JackW wrote on 7/16/2008, 9:53 PM
There are scripts available that will set the four nodes for you: search the forum for them.

I may be wrong -- I'm not at my editing computer -- but I think both Excalibur and the VAAST utilities will do this.

Jack
JohnnyRoy wrote on 7/17/2008, 4:35 AM
> I think both Excalibur and the VAAST utilities will do this.

Yes, both VASST Ultimate S Pro and Excalibur will do this. If you are editing without one of theses two plug-in/scripts you are missing out on some great productivity enhancements. I created Ultimate S Pro along with Douglas Spotted Eagle (DSE/Spot) and Excalibur was created by Edward Troxel (jetdv) and all three of us are Vegas editors who use Vegas every single day. So these tools are literally, "made by editors... for editors!" You really owe it to yourself to try one or both. They both have free trials available for download.

Sony has done an incredible thing in opening up Vegas to scripting and script authors have added enhancements like the one you've requested and tons more. It really puts Vegas far out ahead of the competition IMHO.

~jr
kairosmatt wrote on 7/17/2008, 9:10 AM
When I select a node, open a dialog box with sliders for moving the nodes—both vertically and horizontally—just like the effects dialogs. Maybe even include a separate set of sliders for each selected node.

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Don't know if this will help, but someone here recently mentioned this:

If you hold down ctrl when on the node, you can move only up and down, and in small increments.

And I noticed if you hold down alt while moving the node, you can move it only forward and backward (horizontally).

Both really speed up my envelope use. Will also have to check out the VASST plug in for the four nodes at a time.

kairosmatt
jetdv wrote on 7/17/2008, 9:28 AM
Here's a free script that will add four points to the volume envelope. You can find many free scripts on the VASST site as well as my site
kairosmatt wrote on 7/17/2008, 6:08 PM
thanks Jetdv!
Widetrack wrote on 7/18/2008, 11:00 PM
Thank you all.

Jetdv: Installed your script. Works great! Thanks!