nice tip - thanks..i thought that it actually cut it..but this is good..

also...i used to use Videostudio and it had a useful auto exposure filter to fix darker areas in a video...any idea what i can use in Vegas to fix dark exposure?

I don't know what kind of "filter" you mean, but keyframes is the way to do what you are lookinf for.

Actually the S key to split will cut the video. However, if you do nothing else to it it will play back from one section to the next across the cut as if the cut wasn't even there.

Another option is to use keyframes. You could apply the filter to the entire video, then use keyframes to vary the amount of the effect from point to point along the timeline. This way you could fade the correction in and out gradually instead of having it instantly jump on and off. This method also avoids splitting, though splitting isn't really a problem.

i read the manual but feel like a nob...i cannot find the keyframe controller dialog...where exactly is it..

Whenever you open any effect, there's a timeline along the bottom of the effect dialog. That's where you control the keyframes.

The Color Corrector (odd name, it does more) should be most times, your first choice for not only setting black and white points, hue adjustment, removing unwanted or adding color shading, but also to adjust gamma (overall brightness) and gain, relative strength of brightness.

One nice thing about Vegas is there is no absolute right or wrong way to do common things. Some methods may work better, again it depends on what you are "correcting" or changing, your source material and of course your personal preferences on how to do something.

Generally, applying an effect to an entire video is a mistake, more so, the longer the clip plays because effects dropped on a video of some length have any effect negated due to the time span of the video you are attempting to change. This under some conditions may be what you want, but rarely.

Example:

Assume you have a source video of five minutes length where the last 30 seconds is too dark. If you apply a gamma or gain change to the entire video and apply a single keyframe at the 4:30 mark with zero effect at the first key frame, then the change takes place over four minutes and 30 seconds, so the change will barely detectable. Worse, if there is nothing wrong relative to the overall brightness in the first 4:30 then it will progressively get brighter over the entire time span, in effect over correcting a large portion of the video that needed no correction, probably not the effect you want if only the last 30 seconds needs adjusting. By splitting the five minute source file into two or three events and applying the correction only where needed you'll get a better result.

The finer point to consider is if the change is sudden, then you may wish to split into three events. Again using the same example the first four minutes no change is called for The next 30 seconds (second event) a slow transformation is made from no effect to maximum effect to slowly blend into the "correction" with the last 30 seconds (third event) applies the full effect.

From a keyframe standpoint, assuming you break into three events. There are no keyframes in the first 30 seconds, no filter applied. The second event would have two keyframes, a first and last, with the first set to zero effect and the last key frame set to max value. This way you will have the video transition over the span of 30 seconds. The third and final event would have the full effect applied to fully correct the "too dark" situation.

This is a over simplification of how many events you may need to split a source video into, but explains one way to achieve very good effects without sudden changes.

Click on my name, visit my tutorial site for more specifics.

thanks :)

btw; whenever i apply an effect...there is a small rectangular type box in the preview window that looks unchnged by any application of effect...sort of a netral zone...do you know what that is?

BillyBoy: I learnt 80% of my color correcting skills from your tutorials, the other 20% a hangover from my Photoshop days. Recently I discovered and have been using a first step the "Auto Levels" plug-in and sofar my viewers have said they prefer this to my 100% manual method. I wondered what you think of this plug-in.

More related to the question, is it not possible to write a script that would apply a plug-in's settings to EVERY FRAME (or every group of n frames) independantly? I've been thinking about trying this.

auto levels plugin...is where?

thanks

auto levels plugin...is where?

This is the main page. You'll find the plugins on the left side of the page. Don't expect miracles -- the color corrector (the BB described) or color curves will generally give you better results.

Mike Crash Plugins

More related to the question, is it not possible to write a script that would apply a plug-in's settings to EVERY FRAME (or every group of n frames) independantly?

Here's the starter script that I think Sony wrote. You have to enter the name of the plug-in directly in the script. However, it should get you started towards writing your own.

/**

 * This script will add an effect to each item in the current

 * project's media pool.

 *

 * Revision Date: Jan. 30, 2003

**/

import System.Windows.Forms;

import Sony.Vegas;





// This is the full name of the effect plug-in you want to add.

var plugInName = "Sony Timecode";



// This is the name of the preset you want. Set this to null if you

// want the default preset.

var presetName = "SMPTE Drop (29.97 fps)";



try {

    var fx = Vegas.VideoFX;



    var plugIn = fx.GetChildByName(plugInName);

    if (null == plugIn) {

        throw "could not find a plug-in named: '" + plugInName + "'";

    }



    var mediaEnum = new Enumerator(Vegas.Project.MediaPool);

    while (!mediaEnum.atEnd()) {

        var media = mediaEnum.item();

        // only add the effect if the media object has a video stream.

        if (media.HasVideo()) {

            var effect = new Effect(plugIn);

            media.Effects.Add(effect);

            if (null != presetName) {

                effect.Preset = presetName;

            }

        }

        mediaEnum.moveNext();

    }



} catch (e) {

    MessageBox.Show(e);

}

Billyboy, nice quick example about using CC keyframes. This is a very important feature,keyframes, for cc adjustmentsand other things, that everyone should know. Moving images and light sources are always fun... ; )

wow - great info form you veterans...thnaks...

lastly (hope so)...but does Vegas automatically have a "smart render" wher it only renders part of footage that has effects applied?

my footage is mpeg 2 high quality...it would be a shame if it had to rerender the whole footage when there is only a few parts with filters....

smart render button?

johnmeyer, I don't believe the example script adds keyframes per frame for a media item, just adds a FX to the media item, with standard defaults?

melbatoast, yes Vegas will only render the sections that have CHANGED. However, you are now mentioning that your source in MPEG2. If this is truly the case, the EVERY frame will be decompressed, modified if any effects are added, and the recompressed. MPEG2 is NOT a good editing format.

IF you were editing DV-AVI and rendering to DV-AVI, any unchanged sections would simply be COPIED.

Maybe that's an overlay of the clipboard?

Rob Mack

i originally made the home movie in ulead..and that is the output (mpeg 2 max quality)...i cannot go back to the original footage :(

i was hoping that vegas (since ulead sucks) would do a "smart" job and not touch the un-filtered fx area....

that is why i was asking if vegas smart renders by default...