Help : Inserting transparent text.

DingDang wrote on 5/21/2003, 1:17 AM
Hi all!

first, i would like to say that Vegas Video (and my version is 3.0) is the most fastest video editing software (and easy to use) that i ever use, in my case, for the past four days. i've tried using my friend's Ulead VideoStudio with almost 80% of my time wasted on figuring how to edit the movie. He also have Ulead MediaStudio Pro Video Editor, but then, still hard to edit (and keep whining about Quicktime). then i try Vegas Video, and walla! i just finished my editing (adding sound and scrolling effect) less then the time i took to uninstall those Ulead! :D

anyway, as a newbie, i still need to learn the very basic of video editing using Vegas. and my very basic question from me today is : how to add transparent text?

this is what i do :

- start a new project, File ->Import Media -> select file.mpg
- on my screen, i have Video Track and Audio Track.
- clicked on Text/Backgrounds ->Text ->Default Text. (transparent background)
- i drag Default Text into the workspace, and Vegas create new Video Track (3).
- click play, hoping that 'Sample Text' will be displayed above the video. but nothing happened.
- drag Default Text from track 3 to track 1 (above the video).
- click play. it does display 'Sample Text', but with black background. :(
- recheck the background for 'Sample Text' (using Video Event FX), yes, i set it to the lowest (as suggested by the manual, it will be displayed as transparent).

back to my basic question : how to add transparent text, or, where should i put the transparent text?

sorry once again to disturb you guys with this kind of question. but i'm totally lost.

thank you.

Comments

philfort wrote on 5/21/2003, 1:32 AM
So you have the text on track 1, and the video on track 2 or 3? That should work.

Or do you have the sample text right on top of the video, on the same track? Ah, that must be it. That won't work. The Sample Text needs to be on a track above the video. Move the video and text to separate tracks, then drag the whole track with the text, above the video (click and drag the track header)
FadeToBlack wrote on 5/21/2003, 1:37 AM
Randy6957 wrote on 5/23/2003, 10:13 PM
Now I don't feel so bad. After spending most of the evening trying to get a transparent text to flow into then out of the scene, I got it to work.

My problem was that I was trying to insert the text event from UNDER the video track.

I searched the on-line help and the PDF and finally found the answer in this forum!!

Thank You!!
mikkie wrote on 5/24/2003, 9:38 AM
Apologies - really can't help it this am as 2nd cup of coffee is still untouched...

if text is transparent, how does one know if it worked or not?
kameronj wrote on 5/24/2003, 9:45 AM
if text is transparent, how does one know if it worked or not?

I think what is meant is the background of the text layer is transparent so the video comes through.

The forum is a great place for information - but the VV manual is also a wealth of info. I would suggest d/ling it (for free) from the SoFo website and giving that a run too. It can 'splain a bunches of stuff.
mikkie wrote on 5/24/2003, 9:51 AM
"I think what is meant is the background of the text layer is transparent so the video comes through."

Soorrrryyyyy - I know/knew - just being a smarta___