@Grazie why always jump to external programs to get things done in Vegas. Cookie Cutter is a feature as old as Vegas and I agree with Thomas that it could have an update too, to have more choices of shapes.

@Grazie why always jump to external programs to get things done in Vegas.
 

@3POINT - Our friend here wants MORE shapes. Do you know of a way? Anyway, this is the first time I’ve been accused of an “always jump” attitude. As I said, do you know of a way? Well, do you? When I’ve got to get a Creative job done, then I’ll reach for that or any tool that’s available. If it ain’t presently in VP then I’ll make-do with what I’ve got or even purchase an external tool to do it. I’ve a personal list of what VP needs to get right for my workflow and have been told that maybe in the next iteration. So what do I do? Managing our expectations is what our developers also need to do through the Scrum Masters.

Cookie Cutter is a feature as old as Vegas and I agree with Thomas that it could have an update too, to have more choices of shapes.

@3POINT - Now, if you’re campaigning for more in Cookie Cutter, then of course count me in! But really, do you think that the resources/staffers at Madison or Germany or wherever they may be would even contemplate doing so? Would they? On such an “old” feature? Now, maybe there’s a Third Party Partner of VP that already might have such variations available. Do you know of any?

Actually you can make shapes on the fly using Masking - 🙄! Forgot that. But for more complexity.... ?

I guess I should learn how to do masking better and maybe I wouldn't use cookie cutting so much. It's just it's so easy for me to cookie cut crap out of video and fix backgrounds with cookie cutting. I just can't believe someone doesn't make a cookie cutting plugin or Vegas engineers wouldn't add more shapes. I think I've been using it since Sony Vegas 4 and it hasn't changed. Is cookie cutting not something all you pro guys use very much?

Is cookie cutting not something all you pro guys use very much?

@thomas-foley - Me? Personally no. But my work has and now it doesn’t require it. CCutter is a style that is used for a particular Market. If I want a 70s or early 80s TV Look, as in “And here’s a message from our Sponsors”. If I want to remove stuff from a Frame, I reach for BORIS MOCHAPRO as an OFX. This is the Remove Module that isn’t included in VP Tracking? Correct? So, am I jumping outside? Well this HAS BEEN worked up through the BORIS<>VP partnership. Maybe VP reaches OUTSIDE for Tools 🧰? If they can do it, why not I 😉?

It is a good idea. Cookie cutter is very useful to make Motion Graphics.

Maybe you need to post it in here, https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegas-pro-19-feature-requests--123432/?page=5#ca780777 . Hope you will catch developers' attention.

@Grazie Pls calm down, my note was meant generally and not personally.

I use(d) Cookie Cutter quite often to put a 1:2.35 or 21:9 mask on the preview to get a quick cinemascope effect without using a extra track.

@Grazie Pls calm down, my note was meant generally and not personally.

@3POINT - Often people confuse my directness as being anything other than edification for those reading here. I’ll let you into a secret: The thing is I can be both “direct” and “calm” at the very same time.

And still, have you @3POINT, an alternative solution for our chum?

 

And still, have you @3POINT, an alternative solution for our chum?

No, not an alternative (internal or external) solution, as said before I just would like to see an update for the Cookie Cutter with more shapes.

No, not an alternative (internal or external) solution, as said before I just would like to see an update for the Cookie Cutter with more shapes.

@3POINT - And in the meantime, I’ll reach inside my own toolbox. I’ve got a Cunning Plan for Vector options. 😉

When I first bought Vegas Pro (10), there were almost no 3rd party plugins. Then along came NewBlueFX with an ever increasing range of plugins. So if VP couldn't do something natively, then there came a possible avenue to meet a formerly unachievable VFX in Vegas Pro. Regrettably, many of VP's native VFX haven't changed much or at all since VP10 or earlier - so it isn't at all surprising that some might want to explore other avenues to expand creativity. Yes, it would be great if Vegas Creative Software had updated those VFX to current day expectations, but until that happens, we can't be expected to remain happy with 10+ years old technology because its 'native'.

If Vegas Pro were to cater for all wants and needs in VP without the need to go with a 3rd party plugin, the cost would be astronomical and completely unaffordable except for top-end professional companies because it would have to include, say, all BorisFX products, all NewBlueFX products, all FXHome products, etc, etc. At least now we have an affordable and functional platform which meets basic editing needs without the need for plugins, but allows for an avenue for those who want 'more' to selectively add 3rd party plugins to meet their individual needs. If you don't need Mocha Pro or Neat Video, then you don't need to pay for it. But if you do want it, then a purchase is needed. Remember, this is not unique to Vegas Pro in the NLE world.

Over the years, some have argued that 3rd party plugins aren't needed because almost anything can be achieved using VP's native VFX. Within reason, this might be true (it can't do Mocha natively in VP though), but I've always thought it is a bit like pizza. You can go to the shops and markets and buy a whole lot of produce, make your own pizza base, make your own tomato base, chop up all the ingredients, create the arrangement Masterchef-style, and then do the easy bit - cook it in the oven. It's a lot of work and will no doubt be a delicious pizza, but many, many people do take-away or home delivery pizza. To my mind, consider a gourmet pizza from a specialist pizza shop to be the equivalent of a 3rd party plugin for Vegas Pro.

All is needed in cookie cutter is "import image" as matte/mask option

As it basically got the mathematics for keying, how difficult it can be to use a B/W image instead of shapes...

@FayFen - Exactly.

I'd like to thank everybody, who took the time out of their busy lives, to respond to me in this thread. I really appreciate it. I've been using Vegas since Sony Vegas 4 and I never really learned about masking. I think I make some incredible videos but what I do might take me a few hours, whereas for you pro guys it might take a few minutes. I do lot of green screen stuff. I use the Boris or Ignite plug-in instead of the Vegas chroma-key which is terrible. Anyway, sometimes my green screen isn't perfect (I'm trying to green screen a puppet talking and moving around and sometimes you see weird shadows from my hands). I'm going to buy some green screen gloves that hopefully will help.So, I have the puppet on top of the timeline and then use the cookie cutter to cut out my hands to see the background below. I sometimes go frame by frame intricately cutting out crap, using the cookie cutter. I sometimes might have to use like 5 different geometrical shapes to remove the aberrations in a single frame. Sometimes I make tiffs of each frame and draw out whatever is bugging me and then replace each frame by tiffs. I realize there's probably a better, faster way to do things (which I have to learn) but my life would just be so much easier if the cookie cutter just gave me a few different triangle angles to use to cut out video. If you told me there was a cookie cutter type software program I could buy for $300 that can cut out miniscule sections of a video, so you see the video background underneath, I'd buy it immediately. Am I able, in Vegas, to create specific geometrically-shaped "masks", that I can put on a video, and it will remove that specific shape from a video? (Kinda like if you used a razor blade to slice out a section of a photograph?) Is that what masking is?

@thomas-foley - Aw man! There has gotta be a more effective, efficient way of doing this - really. Yes, you can/could do multiple mask shapes - but this will break your heart and mind!!! Somehow using the Green Gloves has got to be preferable - this needs to be rethought.

You’re a very creative Gent! This is a great project. Please keep us informed 😍.

This is what I work on in Vegas all day. It's an insane show I do a lot of nonsense with involving stock footage and photos that I add stuff to- I'm going to try learning about masking but I could never get it to work. I bought that Mocha but it would never continue tracking an object properly for me, so I gave up on it. I tried that Bezier masking in Vegas and had the same problem. It seems that the objects I try to keyframe and track, are more reliably done manually by me, frame by frame.

OUTSTANDING WORK! Right up my alley. Your shot/media selection is spot on and your humour is hysterical. Luvin’ the coloUrs. And that Vent Puppet is hysterical. More please. I’ll watch to the end next time. It’s a crossover from the Pythons and the Munsters with a bit of the clowning from Marx Brothers.

I’m so glad you’re part of this Forum. If I can do anything to assist you in getting your techniques done better - I don’t see how - get back here.

Thomas, check these tips

Thank you very much! I'm not kidding when I say you're the FIRST person who actually gets my humor and knew the exact people who influence me. Monty Python were gods! and I always wanted to be a member of the Munsters or Addam's Family. You made my day!

@thomas-foley - You have a Private Message. 😉

Thanks FayFen for that video. It's very informative and I learned a lot from it. I need to try standing 6 ft from green screen from now on. The video also says to shoot in 4K. Unfortunately my computers can't even play 4K footage. I do everything in 1920x1080 and have only been able to use Preview mode in Vegas. I have to use that "build a ram copy" a lot to see what I'm doing. I had bought Vegas 16 but it was crashing all the time and very unstable so I had Magix cancel my two Vegas 16 activations and give me two extra Vegas 14 activations instead. That chroma-key program in video you sent looks cool because it smooths out the jagged lines I get when I greenscreen stuff.

I do everything in 1920x1080 and have only been able to use Preview mode in Vegas. I have to use that "build a ram copy" a lot to see what I'm doing

@thomas-foley  - Happy Otter Scripts has a KwikPreview Script that allows for long Previews which are made no matter how much RAM you have. It works and I use it all the time. 😉