Splitting Events with Scripts

CClub wrote on 4/23/2008, 4:08 AM
I'm doing a project for a camp where I filmed mass amounts of different activities. It's high action with a hard-driving soundtrack, and I need to have events split into 1/2 second clips (synching to the beat). I have the latest editions of both Excalibur and UltimateS... is there something that I'm missing in either of those that already does this? I hate to take the time to break all those up manually.

If so, the second part of this is that I'd like the script to be able to take say two events, split them into 1/2 second clips, and then mix these clips together.

Comments

jetdv wrote on 4/23/2008, 5:52 AM
Here's how you do it in Excalibur:

Go to the TIMELINE tab. Now look at the Markers/Regions tool. There you would set the Marker Interval to 1/2 second (i.e. 00:00:00:15 for NTSC) and turn on the option "Split events at new marker/region".

When you run the Markers/Regions tool, it will then split them as you desired and add a series of markers to the timeline. If you did not want the markers, just use the Delete Markers tool to get rid of them.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "mix these clips together". If you want them overlapped, the Gap/Overlap tool can do that. If you want them "mixed up", the Randomize tool can do that.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 4/23/2008, 6:51 AM
Here is how you do it in UltimateS: ;-)

Use the Markers tab and select:

[x] Create Markers at Intervals 00:00:00.15
[x] Split Events at Markers
[x] Remove Markers (Markers)

Press OK/Apply and it will do all three in one step. You could also use Create Markers on the Beat if the music matches the Vegas tempo set in the preferences.

> If so, the second part of this is that I'd like the script to be able to take say two events, split them into 1/2 second clips, and then mix these clips together.

If you mean randomize the order, after you complete the step above, select the video track and go to PhotoMontage:

1. Set Image Source to Timeline
2. Set Placement to Fixed Interval 00:00:00.15 and Select Randomize Order
3. Set Duration to Fit to Placement
4. Set Transition Length to None (cuts only)

Press OK/Apply and the clips will be randomized on the track.

~jr
CClub wrote on 4/23/2008, 11:26 AM
Both worked well.

Now... there are several events on regular intervals that just miss the beat. I've been searching for how to do this: select multiple events, then change their length to 12 frames. Again, I'm sure I'm missing something obvious: isn't there a way to select multiple events, then change them all at once to a common length?

Edit: I know how to select the multiple events (CTRL or Shift), just not how to set the length of multiple events all at once.

Edit 2: Never mind!! I guess the [glaring] "Set Duration" button in Excalibur wasn't obvious enough for me.
Rosebud wrote on 4/23/2008, 1:13 PM
Two other ways :

Select Events
Open Edit Details window > Show Selected Events
Click the length column of the first event
Click + Shift the length column of the last event
Enter the new duration

Or

Use this custom command.