Still zoom/crop/pan dimension question...

kentwolf wrote on 7/13/2006, 11:08 PM
When I import stills on to the timeline, great no problem.

When I start to set a pan/zoom motion, the larger pictures tend to move around the *entire* image (OK) while the smaller images tend to leave the black dimension limits in place, but just zoom in and gradually simply show less of the actual photo (not OK); limited by the black borders of the original photo images.

I have found that by increasing the image canvas size and filling in this expanded canvas with black give me the "whole image" movement that I am seeking.

Question: Is there a way to calculate just how big the overall image dimensions need to be so as to allow panning/zooming to be applied to the whole image rather than just a fixed image border and gradually zooming in on the photo with fixed dimensions?

I hope I phrased this clearly. If not, please let me know and I will attempt to clarify.

Thanks much!

Comments

Grazie wrote on 7/13/2006, 11:37 PM
I'll bet others will get the "picture" - but I can't - yet!

Can you make a simple 1,2,3 . . x steps to explain to me?

I'm trying. I've read your post 3 times now and I'm still unclear what you have written. Sorry.
Former user wrote on 7/14/2006, 6:12 AM
If I understand your question, it is the ASPECT that plays a role in this. IF your image is the correct 4 x 3 aspect, this problem does not happen. Anything other than that appears to be cropped as you zoom.

Dave T2
Chienworks wrote on 7/14/2006, 6:24 AM
Right-mouse-button click on the image in Pan/Crop and choose "match output aspect". Blammo ... problem gone.

I must admit i'm a bit baffled by Vegas' default behavior in this case. I suppose the software is technically correct in cropping based on the original image aspect when you zoom in. However, i cannot imagine that people would actually want this to happen except in a few very tiny and unusual cases. I think it would suit the user base a lot better if the default behavior was not to crop to the original aspect, and then have a switch to turn it on for the rare case of needing it.
Chienworks wrote on 7/14/2006, 6:27 AM
Grazie: very simple to reproduce. Find yourself a still that is taller than it is wide. Put it on the timeline. See the black areas on the sides? Open Pan/Crop. Drag the cropping border in to zoom. Note that the image only fills the original narrow rectangle in the middle and anything outside that area is lost instead of filling the frame and the black areas are still there. Gut instinct would tell us that the picture should expand to fill the frame instead of what actually happens.

Setting the crop aspect ratio to match the frame fixes it. But, why do we have to do this manually?