Mercalli VP8 Process? Adding Fx KF?

Grazie wrote on 8/15/2008, 11:52 PM

First off I'll say I am a very happy Mercalli user.

However, in wishing to explore further Mercalli usage/flexibility:

1] Place Event on T/L

2] Add CC + Magic Bullet Looks + Merc (I'm guessing that any ole fxs will do?)

3] Have all FXs unchecked except Merc

4] Click CC Fx to raise the FX timeline

5] Merc is showing its OWN Fx timeline (please note this!)

6] Attempt to add a Keyframe to the "Merc" Fx timeline

What result do you get? I get a Vegas "hang".

Now, I can imagine that this would happen as Mercalli does its thing to the WHOLE Event, and logic tells me that this should be the case. But a VegasPro8 "hang"? As it happens, the Merc Menu doesn't include an Fx timeline. Maybe this should be ironed-out?

Please check

Grazie

Comments

Steve_Rhoden wrote on 8/16/2008, 5:43 AM

Why are you forcing the software to hang? There is absolutely no reason to
do anything like the process you described in vegas.
Image stabilization (using mercalli) should be the first thing with no other effect, that you do to a footage before starting any form of editing

farss wrote on 8/16/2008, 6:49 AM

Have to agree. Image stabilisation is very CPU intensive and involves analysis over multiple frames. Not the sort of thing you want other FXs mixed up with.
Mercalli also may need to be rendered at Best as well.
Every time you scub / play back the T/L to preview your work you're adding large amounts of CPU load that'd slow everything down.
Stabilise as needed, render out to new file and start from that afresh.

Regarding the general problem of multiple keyframe T/Ls. I've seen the same thing happen when trying to get some of the old Satish plugs to work in later versions of Vegas. Same result too, Vegas hangs.

Bob.

Grazie wrote on 8/16/2008, 7:05 AM

Steve, thanks for your feedback. The clue was in my: "However, in wishing to explore further Mercalli usage/flexibility" - I explored?

So if you are getting the same result then this ISN'T something I should worry and concern myself about. However, Mercalli is nestled amongst my FXs; it appears as an option to be keyframed and I was further attempting to see if I could use the keyframes to make Mercalli adjustments by using different settings. Just think how good it would have been if I could have reported back here that Mercalli could be adjusted over time, thusly not needing/requiring us to split Events into selection to do separate Mercalli sessions. That would surely have been a bonus? Well I think so.

"Why are you forcing the software to hang?" Well, Steve, I didn't know it WOULD until I DID try. So I don't accept that I was in some way knowingly "forcing the software to hang" - it was as a result of my exploration of the software. If I see a Keyframable FX, it is there after all, then I will go ahead and try it out. Why on Earth not? And guess what, if I hadn't SEEN the KF timeline for Mercalli, I wouldn't have tried, but I did.

Thanks for your feedback - much obliged.

Grazie

Grazie wrote on 8/16/2008, 7:07 AM

So what are you agreeing with Bob?

Grazie

farss wrote on 8/16/2008, 7:35 AM

"So what are you agreeing with Bob?"

From Steve:
"Image stabilization (using mercalli) should be the first thing with no other effect, that you do to a footage before starting any form of editing "

Bob.

Grazie wrote on 8/16/2008, 7:53 AM

So, you aren't agreeing with: "Why are you forcing the software to hang?" - And to reiterate, this was NOT my intention. In asking for a "control" experience from one of our chums here I was going to make my own conclusions.

Nor are you agreeing with: "There is absolutely no reason to do anything like the process you described in vegas." - And what I was exploring, as I SAW the KF timeline, was if it could, then why not?

So you are only agreeing with the singular concept of doing stabilization work prior to everything else. Understood.

Thanks for the clarification,

Grazie

DRuether wrote on 8/17/2008, 5:34 AM

Assuming that the material is HDV, it is better to process all FX on a clip at once to avoid multiple compression passes, and then use the processed clips to make the video (most of the material on the timeline is then merely copied during final output). I have had no problems with placing 5-6 FX on a clip at once, with all but Mercalli keyframed (this generally includes sharpening at "0.250" to offset the sharpness loss introduced by Mercalli). If one wants to speed the preview rendering somewhat to check the Mercalli smoothing effectiveness, all the FX except Mercalli can be temporarily unchecked. More useful for me (since I have 3 gigs of RAM in the computer) is to max out the "Preview to RAM" limit to one gig and use the faster RAM previewing ("Shift-B", although this does limit the time that can be previewed in one piece).

--DR