Dennis, i'll admit that my situation probably isn't common, but it does relate to the "pause render" idea. My computer goes with me to work each day and back home each night. There simply isn't a budget right now for two video editing computers. This means that in general, my computer is never on for more than 12 or 14 hours at a time during the week. Yes, i can do renders in the background while working on other tasks, but most renders take quite a bit longer than 14 hours. It would be nice to be able to suspend a render, shut down, then restart the render the next time the computer is turned on.

To make this a little more generally applicable, consider power outages and system crashes. Perhaps Vegas could save it's current "rendering state" every few minutes. Then in case of an interruption, the render could be restarted from the last point the state was saved instead of starting over from the beginning again. I suppose Vegas would probably have to do some repair work on the output file to recover it, but this is still better than losing everything.

Ok, since we are throwing things out:

I would like to see an option, when using the velocity envelope, to either behave like it does now or behave as described below:

I would like it to keep the same ending frame if the velocity is reduced or increased. For example, say I have picked a small portion of a clip that is 2 seconds long. This is the entire clip I want from start to finish. Now, if I set the velocity to 50%, I would like an option for the clip to change to 4 seconds long to maintain the current ending point. Or, if I change it to 25%, it should become 8 seconds long. Naturally, 200% would be 1 second long. Also, this would ONLY work with positive percentage > 0%.

I've suggested this before but once again I'd like to see the audio and video envelopes change color when they reach 0 or 100%. Sometimes with many points it's easy to drag to a bit more than 0% or a bit less than 100% and miss the fact that you did.

I second that, in fact I'd hoped there was a way to do that in 3.0. Since I'm a novice I haven't explored all the options. It's rather frustrating and definitely time consumming to have to redit every slo-mo clip, especially when you use it as much as I do.

Are there any multimedia Keyboards that can be used with VV? On the mac side there is this little USB puck that can be used with FCP, for only like US$99. Anything comparable here?

Absolutely! So many times I can't find the clip I want because the first frames of the captured clip are different or black. I know that's a feature in either Premiere or FCP.

wazungu:

> Are there any multimedia Keyboards that can be used with VV? On the mac side there is this little USB puck that can be used with FCP, for only like US$99. Anything comparable here?

Yes. Standard multimedia keyboards work with Vegas, I have one myself. Play/Pause, Stop, Prev/Next keys work with the transport.

You should also look at the Contour AVS "Shuttle Pro", it's got 13 buttons, and a jog/shuttle control, fully supported in Vegas 3 (in fact, it's the only application that does vari-speed playback using the shuttle ring). Their new SpaceShuttle should work just fine too, but I've yet to try it.

http://www.contouravs.com/cav_shuttlepro_info.html

Others have had success with the (now on closeout) Command Post. I've never touched one myself.

Finally, Vegas 3.0c supports the Griffin Technologies PowerMate USB device:

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate/index.html

This device does step-by-step frame jog while paused, and vari-speed shuttle while playing, and pressing it toggles between those two states.

///d@

What I'd like to see are (in no order)

Velocity envelopes work on audio track.
Both CPUs used fully for rendering.
Background rendering of effects ala Pinnacle Edition, only renders what's changed.
User Management to save different setups between users/groups.
Enhanced CG.
drag the mouse pointer along the timeline to a location instead of having to click it around, make selecting regions on timeline a CTRL function or have a toggle switch to change between options.
Some indication of current time when I move clips around the timeline.
Larger range of EDL import/export.
Some kind of interface so Adobe Premiere plug-ins could be used.

Looking forward to VV4.

VV3 is dynamite but like any app can be improved. My feedback is probably of limited use due to my inexperience with VV3 at this stage, but since nobody said "John, you're too new to have anything to contribute!", here goes . . .

1. Merge .veg files. Cut-and-paste is great, but everything doesn't come in.

2. EDL import is an exercise in frustration.

3. Insert edit capabilty for those who have edit decks - FCP and Express DV and even the lowly Premier can control RS-422 decks. I bought the proMAX DA-MAX+ which allows RS-422 decks to be connected and into VV via IEEE-1394, but the above programs allow the RS-422 (Sony 9-pin protocol) to be connected to the comuter's serial port instead of the DA-MAX+ and hence, achieve insert capabilities.

4. There doesn't seem to be a ripple-edit capability (perhaps somebody would point it out) whereby a new clip can either overwrite into a movie (i.e. be a new layer), or simply ripple or slide everything downstream from where we are inserting the event into the timeline. Surely this is an existing capability and I am just too stupid to find it, but if not, please add this.

I guess you see how inexperienced I am with VV3, these are all I can think of now.

Finally, please SoFo, do not take this as undue criticism, as we well recognize nobody can think of everything on the first go round. As things stand now, we think VV3 is a wonderful tool . . . and I stand ready to authorize purchase of the upcoming version as soon as you folks are ready to deliver. Around here, despite very limited experience with it, we are stoked at the possibilities!

>>4. There doesn't seem to be a ripple-edit capability (perhaps somebody would point it out) whereby a new clip can either overwrite into a movie (i.e. be a new layer), or simply ripple or slide everything downstream from where we are inserting the event into the timeline. Surely this is an existing capability and I am just too stupid to find it, but if not, please add this.>>

The ripple edit feature can be toggled on/off. There is an icon on the toolbar for this.

>>I would like it to keep the same ending frame if the velocity is reduced or increased. >>

That is a great idea. To be able to choose the exact entry and exit points of a clip, then lock either end of the clip, so that a velocity envelope stretches or shrinks the other end to fill the space required.

I'm sure John knows how to toggle the ripple mode on/off.

Those are 4 very good suggestions!!!

>>I'm sure John knows how to toggle the ripple mode on/off.>>

I'm confused. Was John referring to something different?

Overwite is simply a matter of placing a clip on a track above another clip. To Ripple or Insert (with the ripple switch on), Select All then Paste Insert at the cursor point.

It's just that there has been a lot of criticism about VV's "Ripple" edit feature in general. John might miss the way....Premiere(for example?)handles ripple editing.
Sometimes, I can understand why SoFo may have it behave the way it does, but I think it needs just slight improvement.
Maybe.........he really doesn't know it's there at all. In which case, sorry for my comment.

I not only didn't know it was there but after messing with it am less that thrilled at how it works. Perhaps V4 will polish the function and/or update the functionality . . . and if not, I will learn to get used to it although frankly, it seems cumbersome at first blush. In any case, this is one nifty piece of code; my congratulations to the crew responsible. By the way, coming late to the VV party I know little to nothing of its lineage? Who is/was the chief architect? What's the background of how this came about?

It would be really nice to be able to import Text (tab formatted) Batch Capture Lists into the VV Capture utility

and

I would really like to be able to export Edit Decision Lists in formats like Sony or CMX

In the short time that Vegas Video has been on the market, there have been 3 major versions. Last one was in December 2001, if I remember correctly.

To me that indicates a schedule of about 12 months between major versions.

There is no way to know for sure, but if my 20 some odd years of experience in testing and designing software and hardware are any indication, it is quite likely that the VV 4.0 feature set is long ago set in stone and they are coding like mad, right now.

The point of this message is: Don't be too disappointed if all the wonderful suggestions made between now and December are NOT in Version 4.0. It may well be impossible, even with a near unlimited budget, which I doubt they have.

The suggestions you are making will probably have greater effect on version 5.0 than 4.0.

SO! Keep it up, but remember, we are dealing with human beings, here. They are undoubtedly working hard, and have almost certainly a lot of goodies you have not even thought about.

Keep that in mind, please. It hurts when the criticism comes in that the suggestion someone made last month didn't make it into the final release a month later. That type of criticism is NOT justified.

But, keep the ideas coming.

Good point! They've GOT to be getting close now, and whatever they come up with is fine with me......
Most of my suggestions submitted about....a month ago, are just those that others have, most likely, submitted previously(I hope). Premiere 6.5 isn't worth the $150 upgrade, and that's my only real comparison.

I hate to admit it, but I'm not even ready for 4.0.........but, bring it on....I'll BUY it!!!
Just completed my online purchase of AcidPro 4.0. Been using the demo...with No Prob's. I suppose it would be nice to EDIT video within Acid..........something like that..? A new product altogether?

A toast to SoFo!!!

Barkeep, a round for the house . . . on me!

While we have a thread which is generating interest, may I pose a question?

I have a friend who codes (in hired-gun fashion) for some products in the NLE industry. My raving about VV3 produced sufficient interest on his part to download the trial version and without exceeding what's prudent to discuss (i.e. he's somewhat muzzled me) and whilst reading between the lines and taking into account what I 'know' of prior pieces of work which cause me to take him seriously when he said, Marrying VV's interface to Leitch's DPS hardware (in lieu of Velocity) would be a doodle."

What are your thoughts folks? Good idea? I wouldn't put anything past him!

I know someone that would be extremely interested, he hates the velocity interface. Like you, I have been raving about VV3 so few days ago he got the demo version and is most probably planning to get it...DPS on VV3 would rock!

What you mean by "doodle"? as "piece of cake"? How long would it take to code the bridge between DPS and VV3?

I too hate the Velocity interface. I work well with visual stimulus, i.e. in a visual fashion and hence, find video editing stimulating. Imagine my surprise to visit the Screen Gems studio where a pal had offered to let me test drive their Velocity only to discover that on the timeline, there are no picons (picture icons) associated with video clips . . . that's right, the clips or events asociated with video get only a gray non-image - and text descriptions of the clips. Meanwhile, graphic resources 'do' get a picon associated with the clip on the timeline. Is there a more obtuse possible way to navigate a graphical environment than tiny text lines? Anyway, when I queried them about this, all I got was a song and dance about onerous licensing terms with the inventors of the timeline/picon metaphor - imagine that!

In the end, it was a deal breaker and I didn't purchase from Leitch (especially when you consider what it cost to prime me to buy their system - due to their elegant and inventive "Stream Anywhere" advertising campaign) . . . their loss. SoFo via Vegas got my money instead (though it's a mere pitance compared to what I've spent between workstation, Laird 4-way Edit Router, proMAX DA-MAX+, etc.) as an ongoing though integral part of creating an edit bay for Vegas. Boy, I sure hope Vegas makes the grade and becomes a serious player around here. What I've seen so far makes me glad for the effort - on their part and mine!

Yes, a doodle is synonymous with "piece of cake" - though I would never go so far as to venture a guess on how long it would take him if he got interested. The main thing would be, "Is there sfficient interest to make it worth his while?" We're talking of a guy who does freelance coding for such heavyweights in the industry as Image North (Inscriber) and Leitch (yup, for the DPS hardware) where he has more than a passing familiarity with the SDK which constitute the keys to the kingdom so to speak.

I guess you could say it depends on what interest is expressed here.

What about an option to batch render from the timeline or in the batch encoder, (which is very cool unto itself)? Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the ability to sit down and edit a bunch of projects, then allow either VV3 or the batch encoder to line up a bunch of .veg files and render away.

Maybe?

-D