"it looks like Vegas doesn't render out the TC so you'd need to set it manually for clips you're bringing in. "

No problem probably if it's me bringing the clips in but it's not. These files are for someone else to edit. They'll need the correct T/C from the tapes if they go for an online.

Bob.

Why can't you just provide the original capture files? What else are you rendering to?

Dave T2

I'd love to know if you find something that does do this.

Rob Mack

curious: why would they need the TC from the tapes if you're handing them edited footage? Wouldn't they then be expecting stuff that's different from the camera?

I'm not sure how Vegas could do this successfully: it can't assume that one specific file is the timecode you want to use, it couldn't know which file to use the timecode from if you had multiple files on the same TL, or if you had one event pieced all over the TL. I may see how it could be useful, but no more useful then dubbing VCR to VCR. Since it's a digital transfer there wouldn't be any loss of quality from that.

Bob, I don't think this is the best forum to ask questions about timecode, and I don't think Vegas was ever meant to work with timecode the way it is used in broadcast and Hollywood productions.

This for FCP/Avid MC could be a solution for you, perhaps it could even be adapted to Vegas somehow.

As others have stated, timecode is more of a TAPE function than an NLE function. Once you get to an NLE, it almost becomes irrelevent, except in this case where they may need to reference the original tapes again.

About the only way I can think to do this in Vegas is to create a TIMECODE window in the video. If they are using this strictly as an OFFLINE edit, then the burned in timecode won't affect it. But when they go to access the TAPES again, it will have to be done manually by matching the Timecode on the tape with the timecode on the window. Painful if you have a lot of edits. (but good for an assistant editor :)

Dave T2

Dave,

There are a lot of people doing offline editing still, for a variety of reasons.

That requires proper timecode handling throughout.

Timecode really is the blood that flows through this industry's veins. Even with tapeless acquisition preserving it is vital unless you're doing everything yourself. This applies not just to vision, audio postproduction is also timecode driven.

Bob.

Bjorn,

Yes, I realize a lot of people are doing offline. But it is getting less and many facilities do offline and online on the same system using the same files. I realize in this case timecode seems to be necessary and relevent, but vegas does not work that way.

Dave T2

Bob,
I understand. I have worked linear editing for 30 years. I understand the importance of timecode more than a lot of editors.

But Vegas is not the system to use if timecode is a necessity. I tried to offer a possible solution. But it may not be workable in your situation.

Other wellknown NLE systems handle timecode fine because they are designed for interacting with film editors, offline/online situations, etc. Vegas is not designed that way.

Dave T2

I don't understand why you'd want to save the TC from a capture & put it on the output, but I can completely understand why you would want TC on PTT or included in a file. It can't be the firewire excuse on the cow forum because vegas capture (vidcap & HDV capture) record the tape TC, so it's able to be in DV/HDV files. Do a feature request of including the TL TC in rendered file/PTT. That would be very useful.

Sounds as if farss is making proxy files for someone to look & make edit points, which is why they would need original T/C, so they can edit the original...

& yes, it would be nice if original T/C could stay imbedded, even after rendering out to a different format, but what NLE does this? Any?...

Close.
Not proxies. I was capturing Betacam SX via firewire from a J30. The wheels fell of because the 16:9 flag gets lost in the J30. I tried rendering to a new AVI so the end user of the files would not have to worry about getting the PAR correct. Problem is I lost the TC in the process.

Why did I want it was because the client may realise they need a better capture via SDI. I can offer them that as well but for that to work for them the T/C has to be preserved.

Just to be specific, I am not editing this footage, this is purely a dubbing chore, tape to disk. Next client might want Quicktime files, Vegas can do that but goodbye timecode. Bit of problem if all the shots were logged during the shoot.

Anyways the job has gone out the door. I gave them the original files and warned them they'll need to adjust the PAR, hopefully their editing system can do this as easily as Vegas.

For next time this kind of work comes my way I'll check out solutions other than Vegas. Pity, Vegas could make an excellent tool for a dub house.

Bob.

Seems like Bob pretty well explained why he wants to keep the timecode. Vegas can't do it (although it might be possible when you print to tape but that's pretty limited).

It might work better to go from the source through an SDI card directly to the final format, if that's possible.

Rob Mack

DV Converter. Second thing down the page. I've tried to download the trial but it bombs out. I'll try an email to them, who knows. The data must reside in the file somewhere. I could even write some code myself to do this if I knew where the T/C resided.

The final outcome in this saga is the client is giving the job back to me to edit. The audio is dual mono, one channel per mic and that has them baffled. Vegas wins in the end even without T/C :)

Bob.

Much to my surprise the author of DV Converter replied very quickly., now that's customer service!

It will do the job however it has not been updated in a long time and cannot work with files greater than 2GB which would be a real showstopper today. He did explain that DV AVI files store T/C in multiple locations and his code can find them all and change them.

I did try to suggest to him that an updated version might find a ready market as I found many people having the same issues as I'm having with just about every NLE around. There is a workaround for it in FCP but it's a long and tedious path. The other issue I can see is today we have an explosion of codecs and each one no doubt stores T/C differently so cracking it for just DV AVI files would be bit restrictive.

If I get an overwhelming response from people here interested in a solution I'll try harder to get this guy interested in reviving his old code.

Bob.

all right, that makes sense. would would be even more useful is if you could tell the capture app to force a 16:9 or 4:3 flag on footage captured, regardless of what it is. That would solve your problem too. :)
Does virtualdub read a file's TC? If so, it's GPL, you could use that to find out how to read the TC then release your own app under GPL to do what you want. :)

The final outcome in this saga is the client is giving the job back to me to edit. The audio is dual mono, one channel per mic and that has them baffled. Vegas wins in the end even without T/C :)

Bob, that's just too funny for words!!
Thanks for the best laugh I've had in a long time :-)

Mike