Sony Media's new VEGAS FX...The dream inside

Stonefield wrote on 5/10/2004, 10:38 PM
Ok, radical concept time and I'm lookin for some feedback here. We all know how great Vegas is for its ease of use and vast arsenal of digital video tools. Throw in one of the best audio applications and you got a winner. But this is something I've wanted to bring up for some time and see what everyone thinks.

Now I know that this would probably never happen so this is a dream...BUT...

Wouldn't it be a great idea if Sony created a new software application designed to be completely compatible with Vegas that was dedicated to just special effects ??? Sony Media's answer to After Effects if you will....

Sony Media's VEGAS EFFECTS ???

I dunno what ya'd call it...who cares really .... "Casino ?"

I'm not lookin for features as vast as After Effects. But it sure would be great to right click on a clip in the timeline, and choose , "Open in VegasFx"...and pow....your in a sister-application were you can finally do some decent keying, kick ass titles, choose from a host of compatible plug in filters, rotoscoping, paint features, cloning for wire removal....real time GL mode update to the Vegas monitor...you get the idea.

Now I know that Boris FX was released and was compatable, but I tried it and really feel that it's communication with Vegas was like having to go thru two translators. The Vegas integration seemed like an afterthought to me....

Hmmm......Sony Media's Vegas Effects....pipe dream I know but I'm just wondering who else would have a use for this ?.

Whaddya think ?

Stan

Comments

John_Cline wrote on 5/10/2004, 11:02 PM
Hmmm, didn't Sonic Foundry used to have an After Effects type program called Viscosity?

John
satish wrote on 5/10/2004, 11:05 PM
> your in a sister-application were you can finally do some decent keying,
> kick ass titles, choose from a host of compatible plug in filters, rotoscoping,
> paint features, cloning for wire removal....real time GL mode update to the
> Vegas monitor...

The upcoming Wax 2.0c can do many of these, and also show realtime preview in the Vegas monitor. Yes there has been issues in the earlier versions but they have been worked out in the upcoming release.
Spot|DSE wrote on 5/11/2004, 5:48 AM
Viscosity was nothing like AE, it was an animation/rotoscoping/graphic design tool indeed, but it was very unique. I've still got it loaded, actually demo'd it a few times at tradeshows. Easy to use if you forgot everything you know about everything that makes sense in a normal workflow.
Chienworks wrote on 5/11/2004, 7:18 AM
"Easy to use if you forgot everything you know about everything that makes sense in a normal workflow."

*snork* Now that's the truth! It's a great little program, but it sure operates .... ummmm ... differently from anything else. I use it often though. I'm very happy i snapped it up the day before it was discontinued.

It's still available as shareware though. I've found a few places that will let you download it and register it for about $30 or so.
Express wrote on 5/11/2004, 11:29 AM
Satish,

Do you have an idea when 2.0c will be available?

Thanks!

Chris
satish wrote on 5/11/2004, 12:21 PM
in a week's time.
mark2929 wrote on 5/11/2004, 12:53 PM
Stan I mentioned this a while back an After effects for Vegas.. I think its an excellent idea I would like to see vegas as an Editing Program only.. Then Vegas CASINO Which could be Like after effects that could composite and have a toolset like AE AND also be able to use a variety of Plugins.. Where you could switch The timeline or frameserve into each program...Would cost a Lot to develop perhaps... But what a GREAT concept ..Imagine you could buy a rock solid editing Program AND Later add stuff Specificly tailored for vegas Also incorporating OTHERS Plugins ...

Although perhaps Satish could develop something along those Lines..That would act like AE.. And maybe sell it..
Grazie wrote on 5/11/2004, 3:13 PM
Stan, you got my vote.

Anything that would "stretch" our creativity has GOT to be a good thing for us and thence a good and organic thing for Sony too!

Is THIS why VEgas is yards ahead of other NLEs?

Grazie
DataMeister wrote on 5/11/2004, 3:53 PM
I always thought it would be nice to have all of that built into Vegas. But only if it could be integrated cleanly. Since we can run multiple instances of Vegas, then people wanting separate programs could just run another instance for the rotoscoping/paint work. All we would need is presets for the interface to bring up different configurations. Oh wait. V5 just introduced that.

One of the reasons that I would like to see it all integrated is because there are occasions where I just want to paint out a single flaw in the clip of an entirely NLE ready project. Or there might be an elaborate title sequence that I want to integrate with the live action. As long as the interface can be kept unlcuttered I don't see any benefit to having to swap and render files back and forth in separate programs.

I suppose if a separate program could integrate the way Sound Forge and Vegas interact that might be ok, but that might require some major disc space to do the same things with video instead of audio.

JBJones
FuTz wrote on 5/11/2004, 4:12 PM
Yep!
Like when, from the timeline in Vegas, you open an audio file in Sound Forge, edit like you want, then go back to Vegas with the changes applied... except with video effects.
That would be nice.
Stonefield wrote on 5/11/2004, 9:33 PM
Futz...that's it exactly !

No need to render or rerender an effect. Just have "Casino" open alongside Vegas ( now that 1 - 2 gigs of RAM is standard ) and you can switch to the "post-effect" video window IN Vegas.

Then when you render out the final (?) edit, Vegas handles audio, assembly, envelopes, etc, and when anything that uses the CasinoFx, it switches render engines.

With CPU's approaching the 4 Gigahertz line, larger caches and buss speeds, insane amounts of RAM, I really think this is do-able folks.

Now....if I can just lend Sony the 7.5 million bucks it would need for initial development....

Stan

PS I have not yet had the pleasure of trying Satish's WAX application but I look forward to it.
FuTz wrote on 5/22/2004, 11:38 AM


Just a bump: so, Satish, is Wax 2.0c on its way to spread into the world? : )
dharric wrote on 5/22/2004, 12:44 PM
Instead of creating a whole new app, with new things to learn and such. I think Sony should just make a plugin for Vegas and sell it separately. Make sure it has true 3d and be easy to use, like Vegas ... Why write code from scratch when the Vegas core is so good?
bakerbud9 wrote on 5/22/2004, 5:56 PM
it seems to me with the new bezier masking, hierarchical tracks, and 3d compositing that sony is already taking vegas in this direction. as it stands, vegas 5 already represents a pracitcal alternative to after effects, especially for 2D/3D compositing.

that said, vegas does still miss really good keying and vector-paint tools, essential for advanced compositing and bluescreening tasks. how knows, maybe we'll see those kinds of features in future releases?

i just want sony to add true nested timelines (as in after effects or premiere pro) first. then they can knock themselves out on all these other cool features!
-nate
FuTz wrote on 5/26/2004, 8:15 AM

mmm... just tried the V5 bezier curves. Nice improvement but hard to use at first! : )
It would be nice to be able to "draw" a line with anchors instead of "placing" anchors then trying the hell out to "stretch" everything in place. Like in WinMorph.
But I guess it's a matter of getting used with the manipulations.
I'll print the "Bezier Section" from the manual in case I'm missing something...
Orcatek wrote on 5/26/2004, 10:18 AM
I found that if I zoom in alot and use more control points than I think I should need, I get good results. Took awhile to get the hang of it, as it doesn't behave like some of the graphics programs that I'm use to dealing with beziers in.