If you don't have the manual handy try using the Vegas online help, under panning and cropping events or just keep reading for a very rough overview. <wink>

I use the effect you speak of a lot. Start with using a high quality image. You may want to scan the image at higher (maybe twice even three times) normal resolution if you're going to zoom in. The process is simple in Vegas. You can do most of the work using the pan/crop function.

Just click on pan/crop button on the image. You'll see the image open in the work area with a big "F" in the middle (shows if or not your flipped the image or rotated it) and you'll see nine square handles surrounding the image. You'll problably want to have lock aspect ratio on. Now drag a corner handle in and you'll see the image grow in size.

Depending on your project, how much you are going to zoom in, pan, etc.. you may wish to right click on the image to match aspect ratio. While this will fill the image to the frame size, if you don't start with the right sized image you may cut off parts of the image you want to have or end up with black bands on the top or side. That fix has been discussed to death, so lets move on.

Now that you see how you can size the picture, click anywhere within the area surrounded by the handles and while keeping your left mouse button pressed just drag around noting how the area selected moves. Once you are happy, click on the first key frame button at the bottom of the work spacethen hit the "+" button. That sets the starting point.

The controls (click on first icon in work area to see them better) can be set so you pan only up and down or across or you can do it freehand. While holding down your left mouse again drag to when you want to end the zoom or pan to end. Set the last key frame and Vegas will automatically caculate all the in between frames for you. Test to see if the results are what you want by playing back from the timeline. If not use the minus button to remove the frame(s) you don't like and try again. If you wish you can add any number of in between frames yourself. You can also pan and zoom in one motion. If you're using version 4, you probably will want to use super sampling to make the caculated frames smoother.

Most people starting out zoom and pan too fast! To get the effect you see on the History channel, experiment with dragging out the image which will change how long it displays. Just click on the right edge to extend it over time. I find (personal taste) for the typical images to pan fully from left to right should take between fifteen and twenty seconds, maybe more. Don't try to do it in just a few seconds or you defeat the purpose. That's enough to get you started.