The scene detector in Vegas works during capture and uses the time/date stamp in the video. It breaks the scene anytime there is a break in the time which happens when you stop and start the camera.

There is no scene detection based on content.

Dave T2

Thanks.............I am capturing old VHS tapes via the analog port of the ADVC 1394.
Pinnacle Studio has this feature of scene detection.

If you want scene detection based on content, you'll have to purchase Scenealyzer - a great tool!!!

You can download a trial version and try before you buy from here.

It provides a way of crossing the 4G barrier if you have Win98; Timelapse capturing; indexing of tapes etc etc.

It's a very reasonable $33 (US)!

How does one use the scene detected file in Vegas 4?

How does one use the scene detected file in Vegas 4?

whitney....i read in the Vegas help file that it will not detect analog tape, i tried it with 8mm analog with no luck. Since I'm new, I may be doing something wrong. If anyone has luck with analog scene detection, please post how you did it.

Scenealyzer allows you to nominate folders for your scenes before you start capturing.

I always set up a folder on my 'video' HD before capture and save to this folder. Then I start up Vegas and use the 'Explorer' tab to navigate to this folder. From there it's a simple matter to drag them onto the timeline.

Whitney,

Scenalyzer creates individual files for each scene. This is the answer to your question. You end up with lots of files.

I used Pinnacle for a long time, so I know that you are accustomed to having just one single file, with a separate file used for scene markers. I wish Vegas offered this. They do something similar with the sfk file they create for audio. Vegas also keeps markers and such in the VEG file.

As others noted, there is no optical scene detection in the Vegas capture. Also, Vegas capture cannot do scene detection after the capture, either optically, or via the timecode. The free version of Scenalyzer does this.

I was going to write a script to detect scenes in a single large DV AVI file (by parsing the timecode), but found the Vegas script language does not have the ability to read the DV timecode information.

In short, the Vegas capture (which is primitive) is still lagging the Vegas editing application (which is top-notch), so Scenalyzer (SCLive) is still a very good investment.

thanks johnmeyer
So..... Unless I want to deal with many files then manual scene detection is the only option.
It seems that Pinnacle has some definite advantages to VV which includes better MPEG-2 encoding at 4mbps. But no color correction...... How can I incorporate VV color correction into my scheme?

I've 2 major points for you to consider - IMHO:

1 - Scene Detect for Better Workflow or Not!
I've been experimenting with the various Advance Capture functions and have used Scene Detect within V4. As has been said, V4 will only detect scenes related change of timecode and actual time/date. Now what you have to decide WHETHER "splitting" up scenes filmed in sequence, but with stops and starts - and therefore scene detectable "lumps" - is better for your workflow approach at the time of editing, OR having the whole tape dumped onto the T/L and then being manipulated by your editing approach is better for your workflow approach - yeah? Some types of project could benefit from a scene detected, separate file approach, while other types of project this would be an incumberance and would work against your NLE activitiy.



Okay, I realise you have a mass of analogue footage, which by definition does not have timecode:date splits - it's just one long stream. If you have a DV camera and it has an analogue IN option, theoretically, one could stream the analogue into the DV camera - I can with my Canon XM2 - and stop and start the "recording" of the analogue onto the DV tape. This would give, I presume "breaks" in the timecode:date. This in turn would then be "used" as the basis of Scene Detection function within V4, allowing you to automatically produce "scene detected" separate DV files -yes? - The other "benefit" of this is the pre-DVing or conversion of what was an analogue quality to a DV one. I've "converted" such analogue to DV as a starting place, from whence I then used it as my primary material to be streamed into Vegas. I have found that the finished product "appeared" to be of a better quality than a straight forward AV>>DV capture - using my Dazzle Hollywood Bridge convertor - of course this shouldn't be the case - could be wishful thinking on my part! Apart from anything else it was, of course far more controllable - being able to use the DV controls in conjunction with my DV camera!

Now, having made these 2 points above, I/you have to sit down and think if any "value", in terms of workflow and creativity, had been added by the option of scene detect OVER AND ABOVE that which is available to us all anyway - being, the straight forward capture of a large lump of analogue>DV material, WHICH in any case is to be edited on Vegas! - See the point I'm making? - Putting it simply, at times I do find scene detect hampering my editing on the T/L. By using scene detect will also introduce an option for "mislaying" dv files, getting certain shots out of sequence, losing what was the original "feel" of the pace of the original shooting sequence and then attempting to re-create this pace from files I split up in scene detect - yes?

Hey, you do what yer do!!!

Best regards

Grazie

Thanks Grazie,
Scene detection can limit one's vantage point.

Hiyah W! - Yeah . . I've come to the conclusion that even Advance Capture is a bit - well... retentive. Yes yes yes I know it is a useful tool and yes, I'll be reivewing footage once in Vegas and this allows me to be a bit more organised and "critical" about my footage - I need to think this out further. But do you see where I coming from? I'm always "trying" to a make my V4 work a bit more elegantly and easily. V4 should be an assitant and helper on my side to creating stuff. Just because the functions are there - may be I don't need to use them, at that time.

Grazie

Amen. I always use V4's time-based Scene Detection feature to capture our DV tapes, and probably will download Scenalyzer (to use its scene-based detection feature) whenever I get around to capturing our old HI8 tapes for editing in V4.

I'm not gonna preview, log, & batch-capture thousands of 10-second shots to edit a two-hour home movie. I had used Pinnacle 400's analog scene-detection feature, before we bought DV camcorders, and it worked very well.

Brandon's Dad

BD, as noted earlier in this thread, Vegas does not do analog scene detection (i.e., it cannot detect scenes merely by looking at the changes from one frame to the next). Don't waste your time looking for it.

As to Grazie's comments about the usefulness of scene detection, all I can say is that when you have a two-hour home movie VHS tape, composed of 10-30 second scenes, you are looking at manually locating up to 300 scene changes. If you want to insert chapter markers (for DVD), transitions, and titles at many of these points, and if you need to trim the starting point of every scene to eliminate the rainbow effect created by ancient VHS equipment that didn't have flying erase heads, then having to scrub the tape manually to discover each scene takes a HUGE amount of time. If you then have 30 such tapes, well, optical scene detection becomes pretty much mandatory (which is why I forked over my good money for Scenalyzer).

I agree that there are some projects where scene detection just gets in the way (e.g., capturing and editing off-the-air content which often has several scene changes/second, like a music video). The scene changes in this content are too frequent to be useful. But for capturing and editing old home-movie VHS/8mm tapes, optical scene detection is truly an essential feature.

John - agreed! - Use THE tool for THE job. I'd never never never EVER be so pragmatic to the point of obstenacy - I'M ABSOLUTEY positive about that - ABSOLUTELY ;-)

[ chuckle ]

Best regards

Grazie

We're in wild agreement about being in agreement :).

John

The primary reason I am using VV4 is for the woderful color correction.
Since we are in agreement that scene detection is necessary, how does one incorporate it into a VV4 edit session? String multiple file or what?

johnmeyer: Can you think of a way to use Pinnnacle Studio and VV4 to my ends?

Whitney,

I know of no way to get the Pinnacle Studio scene detection file transformed into the VEG file format (where the scenes would be converted to markers). I'm sure it could be done, and probably wouldn't be difficult.

The SCLive solution actually works very well. I realize it means spending additional money, and you have to live with dozens (or hundreds) of little files, one for each scene. However, all you have to do is click to sort them according to their name (SCLive names them with a timecode), and then import them all to the timeline (make sure that if you drag them to the timeline that you hold onto the first file in the list -- whichever file you grab when dragging multiple files becomes the first file on the timeline, a feature I've never liked). After they are on the timeline, it really doesn't matter whether they are in one file or not.

I don't think SOFO plans to do optical scene detection since it is only useful for dealing with analog footage and that is not the main part of their market. Thus you will have to continue to use other programs to do what you want to do (optical scene detection).

John

johnmeyer:
RE: Does VV4 have a fluid preview cursor similar to Studio's?

I'm not sure what you mean by "fluid preview cursor." Vegas beats Studio in almost every respect when it comes to previewing, scrubbing, etc.

In Studio, the edit monitor reflects movement of the timeline cursor as it is moving.....

The Preview window in Vegas does the same thing. If you move the cursor, or scrub on the timeline, the preview window zips right along with your cursor movement.

I guess I'm still not understanding what you mean.