Well this nesting isn't working out. Every time I try to drag the .veg file onto the timeline, Vegas crashes. It looks like I will have to do an encode. I'm looking at the settings for Sony MXF. It doesn't indicate that is a lossless format?

Sony MXF is lossy.

UT, MagicYUV are 2 examples of lossless and free codec (only Version 1 for the latter)

For visually lossless, you can use Cineform.

XAVC-I is also a good option, a lot better than Sony MXF IMO, and will smart render.

You can "nest" .....or render it (hopefully with same project properties) to a lossless format (like MXF) and insert that.

Here is that 2011 LOSSLESS<>LOSSY thread by Musicvid. It includes input from John Meyer, John Cline, Nick Hope etc.... One of the best postings on our Forum:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/intermediates-part-i-seven-lossless-codecs--84932/#ca499220

Personally I need to have a real good reason NOT to go to SONY MXF. I can mix in the Lagarith LOSSLESS if I need to do CC or get a CGrading going on.

My driving motives are speed, ease, Preview qualities and that oft forgotten outcome: YouTube or DVD, Master Storage or Project iterations. Ultimately pragmatism wins out. But "knowing" the difference is what we all want.

Whatever happened to drag and drop with two Vegas's opened at the same time or is that not what you are trying to do?

Whatever happened to ....?

yup, that'll work for me too!

I tried to do a "select all" in one vegas project and paste it into the other, but it seems select all doesn't also select envelopes. I can't import/nest one veg into the other because it crashes when I try to do that. So my only option left is to do a lossless encode. It's only about 30 seconds. So I'm just trying to figure out the best format/codec to use for this. It will then be re-encoded to H.264 along with the other material on the timeline...

I just read through that thread from Grazie. It seems a lot of people like "Lagarith" Should I just go with that? This the correct download page? https://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html

This the correct download page? https://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html

Oh yes.

Last thing I think I need right now - what file format to use with this codec? And any special settings I need to set with the codec? Thanks for your help

With the opening sequence, why not use "Render to New Track," using the appropriate project properties, then copy and past the new track into the main project?

Hi JackW, I'm not familiar with that feature? This opening I'm referring to is in a different .veg project file than the main project. I did it that way because I had too many tracks already in the main project. It just made it easier to work. From the tip on the bottom it sounds like this feature is just for working within the same project file. Renders everything to a new file and adds it to a new track within the same project.

Using "Render to new track" can be any type of output and can be saved anywhere. The file is persistent and can be used as an asset in any past or future project. Using the option automatically adds it to the current project, though.

Really confusing. All it does is render a file and add it to a track right? What is special about the feature? I'm missing something. If I render a file normally, and then drag it to the timeline, doesn't that accomplish the same goal? What do you mean by "the file is persistent and be used as an asset in any past or future project"

"If I render a file normally, and then drag it to the timeline, doesn't that accomplish the same goal?"

Yes

"What do you mean by 'the file is persistent and be used as an asset in any past or future project'"

You have a file saved on a disk as opposed to "Selective Prerender Video" which is temporary and vanishes when you close the project.

"Render to New Track" does just what the name suggests: it renders all selected tracks into a single new track within the current project. As John suggests, you may then copy it into your larger project, or anywhere else for that matter.

 I did it that way because I had too many tracks already in the main project. It just made it easier to work.

When it is just to make it easier to work (because too many tracks), use the 'track group - group selected tracks' feature, which gives you the possibility to collapse several selected tracks into ONE track and expand those tracks again when needed. This feature can be enabled by right clicking in the Track list after first selecting the tracks you want to collapse.