Ultimate S Multi-cam and Pan/Crop

Ben1000 wrote on 3/24/2006, 2:32 PM
Howdy...

I'm wondering if there's any way around this problem.

I need to use multi-cam on clips that already have pan/crop events on them. I guess I could nest the clips from other projects, or render the footage out first, but it'd be great if there was a way to use multi-cam while preserving the existing pan/crop settings.

Any ideas?

Best,

Ben

Comments

JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/24/2006, 2:48 PM
It is unfortunate that all multi-cam scripts must use pan/crop because Track Motion would be the best way to create PIP’s but Track Motion isn’t available to scripts. :( So the first step toward fixing this is for good is to go to the Sony Suggestion page and tell them you want Track Motion added to the Scripting API. ;-)

At this point I would recommend that you simply don’t use the PIP feature (i.e., never run Step 1). Make your PIP’s manually using Track Motion. Add your camera switches (when the first switch is inserted it will create the Tally Track automatically). Then just run Step 2 to assemble the master track.

Next time, try and do the multi-cam editing on the raw footage first. Decide what camera angles to take and assemble your master track. Then you add color correction, additional cropping, etc.

~jr
Ben1000 wrote on 3/25/2006, 1:05 PM
Thanks for the advice, but when I run step two, won't it undo all of the event cropping it 'thinks' it did in step one, but which is really teh pans and crops I already have setup?

Is there a way to do step two without the 'uncropping' effects of the script?

Best,

Ben
JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/25/2006, 4:49 PM
You know Ben, you’re right! Ultimate S will have no way of knowing that it didn’t put the pan/crop there and it will remove it for the master track.

I’m afraid there is no way to recover from this. You have to assemble your master track first before you start working on your project. Sorry but all multi-camera scripts work the same way. It’s a limitation of Vegas that causes us to do this.

~jr
jetdv wrote on 3/25/2006, 5:49 PM
Sorry but all multi-camera scripts work the same way.

Actually, Excalibur has an option to NOT remove pan/crop settings when assembling the Master track.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 3/26/2006, 8:46 AM
Ya, know Edward... that’s not a bad idea. There really is no need for it in the actual workflow, but customers are always modifying their workflow and it makes sense to allow for that. I’m sold!

OK, Ultimate S2.1.3 is now available on the VASST Website and the only change is the addition of an option in QuadCAM to not removed the PIP (Pan/Crop).

Ben, This should solve your problem. I would have left if you the next release but I understand you are in a bind and I want you to be able to complete your project with Ultimate S. Let me know how you make out.

~jr
Ben1000 wrote on 3/27/2006, 7:46 AM
Howdy...

Thanks for the great support! Competition is a wonderful thing! :-)

- Ben