what I've done since a fade can't be keyframed is I'll make a transition of a fade like transition (disolve, etc) then use transition keyframe to do fades keyframed.

it works very well! (but would be easier if you could keyframe fades too)

Will a TRACK COMPOSITE LEVEL envelope do what you need?

Dave T2

Thanks....I appreciate the help.

re:..... the event opacity COULD work if all you want it to do is fade in and fade out.....
Trouble for me with that is I I actually want it to fade down from the clip to the lower opacity - not a fade in. And I was thinking the key frames give me more control.

re: what I've done since a fade can't be keyframed is I'll make a transition of a fade like transition (disolve, etc) then use transition keyframe to do fades keyframed..... I tried this but just didn't get the hang of it - I could keepframe several places in the the dissolve - but didn't see a way of adjusting opacity for the keyframes. I must be doing something wrong.

and - Will a TRACK COMPOSITE LEVEL envelope do what you need? Absolutely - maybe just old conservative me didn't want to waste a track for just 1 event - and I was not quite sure where the actual event would fall on the final project - and I wanted the effect to stay with the event and not the timeline.

So anyway - from reading Digital Video & Audio Production, I came up with the idea of using the Secondary Color Corrector to achieve the composition - but I was questioning whether that filter was a good choice or if for some unknown reason it might be a bad choice or there was a simpler way of doing it. It seemed pretty simple - but I am just getting more familiar with Vegas editing - so I thought I would ask.

Could you split the scene in two places, one where you want the opacity to change and the other where you want it to return to normal. Change the opacity of the middle, then dissolve on both ends?

Seems like that would give you the effect you want.

Dave T2

Thanks. I would have thought so - but I can't seem to get that to work. - the dissolve is from 100 to 0 (or vice versa) - so stopping it at the opacity level I want (say 50%) doesn't seem to be an option in the dissolve transition - or I can't figure it out. Really the same thing with using the fade.

I am perfectly happy with the alpha channel adjustment and keyframing in the CC-secondary - so lacking a reason a not to do that - it's fast, works and gives me the adjustment I want. But I always figure it does not hurt to ask - I always like tips and tricks.

If you hover your mouse at the top of the video track, it will turn into a hand. If you left click and bring this line down, this is the opacity. You can do this for the middle event.

Divide your scene into three parts. Drop the opacity on the middle part where you want and dissolve from the two ends. It is dissolving to itself so you don't see a dissolve, but you will see the OPACITY change.


I don't know how to post an image, but maybe someone can post a screenshot explaining this better.
Dave T2

"Thanks. I would have thought so - but I can't seem to get that to work. - the dissolve is from 100 to 0 (or vice versa) - so stopping it at the opacity level I want (say 50%) doesn't seem to be an option in the dissolve transition - or I can't figure it out. Really the same thing with using the fade."

Actually, if you split and then expand the center split event back over the left/right events, it should simply fade into the lower opacity clip without going to 0%.

Then there's also the transition envelope! Perhaps end the transition at 50%!