(Vegas)Excalibur Question... (What am I doing wrong?)

kentwolf wrote on 6/3/2003, 7:40 PM
I just got Excalibur last night, and I seem to be having problems with it. I wonder if it's due to me doing something wrong; primarily:

1.) I start a new project.
2.) I import a video.
3.) I make some random splits in the video.
4.) I select all events in the applicable track. (They ARE all selected)
5.) When I run Gap Wizard, select Add Dissolves Between The Clips, Click OK, dissolves are not added. The clips are all moved if a gap previously existed, but that's about it.

If I have a gap between each clip/event, the dissolves are added just fine. That is the only way I have seen it work.

I received a helpful e-mail from the Excalibur people and was told that I do NOT need a gap between each event, but that I DO need a small gap before the first event, and then it should work. Nonetheless, when I do what the respoinse said, it still doesn't work.

That's really my only issue. Other questions were answered by the Excalibur people.

Has anyone else seen this issue? I want to primarily use Gap Wizard to automatically add uniform dissolves between clips/events. I want to be able to go through my video, set splits as necessary, then when all done, run Gap Wizad to add the needed dissolves. It's just not working.

Excalibur looks to be a real time saver, if only I could get this feature working.

Can anyone help? Am I misunderstanding something?

Thank you all very much for your help!

Comments

jetdv wrote on 6/3/2003, 9:35 PM
Kent, here is the same response I sent you via e-mail:

Let's see if I can explain what is happening. As it is going across, it looks to see if the next clip is PAST the end of the new end position of the previous clip. If it is not, the clip is not moved. In your case, it is not. (It has caught me a few times as well). Let's add a 4B step, move the clips right 5 seconds. When you run Gap Wizard, they will then be moved BACK to the zero position and will be given the proper overlaps. Also, note that, technically, the events don't even have to be selected - only the track needs to be selected.

In fact, as a test this morning after receiving your e-mail, I placed a clip on the timeline, added a few random splits, and run Gap Wizard. As you noted, nothing happened. I then right-clicked the first event, chose "Select Events to end", moved them right a couple of seconds and re-run Gap Wizard (note: they were all still touching - they were just a couple of seconds farther right on the timeline). This time they were all moved back to the zero position with the proper overlaps added.
kentwolf wrote on 6/3/2003, 10:26 PM
I just received your e-mail.

Thank you.

Incidentally:

>>move the clips right 5 seconds.

I did this via Right click, Select Event To End. I then moved all events to the right several seconds. They all moved, all buttted together. I now had a blank space at the beginning of the video and audio track.

I then invoked Excaliber.

Selected Gap Wizard, with Add Dissolve between the clips (00:00:00:16), Maintain Original Clips still selected by default.

Clicked OK. Everything was moved to the video track 0 mark, but there were no crossfades.

>>In fact, as a test this morning...with the proper overlaps added.

I just did EXACTLY (to the tee) what you detailed, but no crossfades were added.

I appreciate your help!

Thanks!
jetdv wrote on 6/3/2003, 10:29 PM
Did you try unchecking the "Maintain original overlaps" box? (I DID uncheck that box for my test) This overrides the default overlap setting.
kentwolf wrote on 6/3/2003, 10:34 PM
>>Did you try unchecking the "Maintain original overlap" box?

I just did now and it worked...hold on...more to follow... :)
kentwolf wrote on 6/3/2003, 10:41 PM
>>>>Did you try unchecking the "Maintain original overlap" box?

**THAT** is the answer!!!

It now works exactly as you said.

(I guess you can disregard my e-mail.)

It seemed logical to leave it checked, however, that is the answer to my issue.

I thank you very much for your time in helping me with this issue. I guess it is no coincidence that you were the first one to help me in these forums when I was coming over from Pinnacle. You've helped me yet again.

Thank you very, very much for your time. Now I can go to bed... :)