Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode

doubleJ wrote on 9/10/2018, 10:13 PM

Kudos on the Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode option.
I'm working on the same project with Premiere Pro and Vegas Pro, just to see what I like and what I don't.

One task was to timeline out a whole day's shooting with a single camera.
In Premiere Pro, you select the camera's videos, right-click, and Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence.
You choose to Synchronize by Timecode (which is logical), but then you have to choose Create Single Multicam Source Sequence in order to have them all on one track.
That isn't logical at all, given that you're only making one sequence (it should say Single Track).
The next illogical thing is to set Track Assignments to Camera Label.
There is no camera label, anywhere that I've seen, although you may/may not have Tape Name defined (I do).
That will work when there are gaps in the timecode (off/on shooting, throughout the day).

To do the exact same thing, in Vegas Pro, you just select the clips, right-click, and Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode.

To take things a step further, you can select multiple Tape Names and it will create a track for each Tape Name (completely logical) with all the files lined up properly.
I couldn't do that, automatically, at all in Premiere Pro.
Any time there was a gap in the timecode, it would fail.
I even tried making a 24 hour blank video clip and giving it timecode from 00:00:00;00 to 23:59:59:29 and including it in the selection (so every timecode would overlap) and it still didn't work.
Keep in mind, that the only way to automate sequenced in Premiere Pro is by doing a Multi-Camera Source Sequence (at least, that's the only way I've found).

So, Vegas can do this specific task with two logical steps while Premiere Pro requires around six illogical steps.

As an added benefit, I mentioned multiple tracks for multiple cameras.
After getting all of the individual source sequences created (one for each camera), I wanted to create a sequence that contained all of the individual cameras lined up by Timecode.
Again, you have to Create A Multi-Camera Source Sequence to automate it by Timecode.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to like doing that with sequences (I didn't get it to work, once).
The only way I could figure out how to do that was to create a normal sequence and drag all the camera sequences onto its tracks.
Vegas does it all with the same logical steps (just choose more than one Tape Name).
Of course, this all requires Timecode and Tape Name to be populated.

So, in short, good job on a cool feature.
JJ

Comments

doubleJ wrote on 9/10/2018, 10:23 PM

One point where Premiere Pro does have an edge is in setting the timeline's beginning timecode.
Premiere automatically sets it when using Create Multi-Camera Source Sequence.
When doing a normal sequence, you can use the Use First Clip's Timecode option.

Vegas Pro makes you type the timecode in.
It just seems like an unnecessary step.
Also, why not just automatically set it?
You're using the timecode to line the clips up, wouldn't you want the timeline's timecode to match the files?
JJ

OldSmoke wrote on 9/11/2018, 1:09 AM

You're using the timecode to line the clips up, wouldn't you want the timeline's timecode to match the files?
JJ

I wouldn’t want that. My project timecode is equal to the final product, my clips are not. While the cameras maybe synced or genlocked, more often they are not, the time would not necessary start at 0.

iEmby wrote on 9/11/2018, 1:57 AM

sir I want to know something.. I edit wedding videos, I get at least 5 cameras data of a single function. everytime I have to arrange secondary cameras clips to primary camera clips track according to the matching scenes as all we do. I just wanna know, is it possible that vegas pro auto arrange my secondary clips above primary clips track by using their time or anything else so that same scenes get matched without my extra hard work. if your answer is 'Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode' then tell me how to use it properly because I tried it but it doesn't laid the clips exactly same scenes & also this feature create a new track for every single event...

please help me if this is possible..

doubleJ wrote on 9/11/2018, 7:38 AM

sir I want to know something.. I edit wedding videos, I get at least 5 cameras data of a single function. everytime I have to arrange secondary cameras clips to primary camera clips track according to the matching scenes as all we do. I just wanna know, is it possible that vegas pro auto arrange my secondary clips above primary clips track by using their time or anything else so that same scenes get matched without my extra hard work. if your answer is 'Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode' then tell me how to use it properly because I tried it but it doesn't laid the clips exactly same scenes & also this feature create a new track for every single event...

please help me if this is possible..

You might want to look at one of my other Vegas Pro threads about using the date and time from the file as timecode. There is a Windows Batch file and some extra software that is required, but that is how I get timecode into my video files. Keep in mind that will not work for pictures.

doubleJ wrote on 9/11/2018, 7:39 AM

You're using the timecode to line the clips up, wouldn't you want the timeline's timecode to match the files?
JJ

I wouldn’t want that. My project timecode is equal to the final product, my clips are not. While the cameras maybe synced or genlocked, more often they are not, the time would not necessary start at 0.

Now that you mention it, I just realized that at work I reset all of my timeline. times back to zero. But I would say that it's easier to change it to zero than an 8 digit set of numbers.

OldSmoke wrote on 9/11/2018, 10:43 AM

I would rather think that most people would start at 0?

doubleJ wrote on 9/11/2018, 10:48 AM

I would rather think that most people would start at 0?

If you were going to nest a timeline into another timeline, I could see timecode being useful.
I don't know that anyone could say one way is definitely better than the other, but I think I would rather change to 0.

Keep in mind, that I'm only referring to when automating placement by timecode.
If I'm just dragging clips onto the timeline, 0 would made sense.
JJ