Make multiple stills the same size on the timeline

Colin Basterfield wrote on 10/3/2014, 5:54 PM

Hi,

I don't get to play with this very often, but in the week I was putting together a montage of stills I'd taken and noted the default duration when dragged onto the timeline is 5 seconds, so not wanting to get lost drinking from the firehose form of answers on the internet, I trudged through them all shortening them to suit my requirement.

There must be a better way comes to mind.

I've since found I can reduce the default size in New Still Image Length, so that could reduce effort.

Although I've been in IT over 25 years, in this context I'd never needed to know that one could use scripting, so that is an option.

Is there another way I've missed? Could I create a group for the ones I want to resize them on the timeline?

I realise I may have been hiding under a rock on this, but would be most grateful for some pointers here.

Thanks
Colin

Comments

Colin Basterfield wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:03 PM

Is Production Assistant 2 something I should look into? Seems like what I'm looking to do is rather trivial to require extra $$$ to achieve?

:-)

DrLumen wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:05 PM

A ham fisted approach would be to render the timeline of your set of clips to a file. Then drop the new avi on a track and use CTRL+LEFT CLICK and drag the edge of the file to compress or expand it to fit within your requirements.

Another cludgy work around would be to delete the pics, set the length to whatever you like and drop them back on the timeline.

I'm hoping someone else knows a way as well as I have ran across this issue many times with all types of files.

rs170a wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:10 PM

Click the first picture, hold down the shift key and click the last one and then press the 'g' key to group them all together. Place the cursor at the end of the last picture, hold the Ctrl key down and drag it backward to the new desired length.
That's all there is to it :)

Mike

DrLumen wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:12 PM

Thanks Mike. I could have swore I tried that... I guess I missed the grouping.

johnmeyer wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:28 PM

I guess I missed the grouping.Yes, that's the "secret sauce" that makes the trick work.

Colin Basterfield wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:52 PM

Hi Mike,

I saw your creative cow answer also, and thanks here too!

:-)

Colin Basterfield wrote on 10/3/2014, 7:53 PM

Hi DrLumen,

It is rather fiddly, and I'm still trying to figure out how if one can label a group for an easy return to it to do more.

Have fun
Colin

Gary James wrote on 10/3/2014, 9:25 PM

Timeline Tools can do what you're asking and much much more, in a few mouse clicks. Best of all it's free.
Take a look at this video that shows how Timeline Tools can easily layout a video slideshow project in Vegas.

Colin Basterfield wrote on 10/6/2014, 12:59 AM

Hi,
This looks great, I'll give it a go.
Cheers
Colin

Arthur.S wrote on 10/6/2014, 12:38 PM

You can also open up 'details' highlight all of the pics, then just type in the new length.