I am assuming that when solo is pressed the track becomes dark and when not solo the track loses its darkness. If that is correct, then I have no tracks 'solo' and all I see in video preview is black except for track #1 which is text that is supposed to be superimposed over a photograph in track #2. At this point it appears that the only way tor return to a default setting is to uninstall the software and then reinstall without ever learning what I did wrong to make the video preview unable to work (or else pack up and return the software for another product).
zaner

:-)

zaner wrote: "it appears that the only way tor return to a default setting is to uninstall the software "

Vegas does not work like that. It is far more stable. You do ceartainly not need to uninstall etc.
Another way you could have made a picture black is to set its opacity to 0 - i.e. by drawing the upper line of the media down to the bottom. Another is if you have inserted a video envelope and set the composite level to 0.

Things can seem tricky with a new product - but the learning curve with Vegas is very steep.
When I went from Movie Maker to Vegas several years ago I started to make 10-20 seconds test-projects to learn how to use the new editor.

Keep trying - and smiling ...

Zaner, can you take a screen shot of what your Vegas layout looks like when you have the black preview problem? Post it somewhere or email it to me and i'll post it. If we can see what you have all the controls set at we might be able to figure out what the problem is a lot easier.

Sometimes the XviD or Divx codec will give you a black box in Vegas. Not sure if this is the cause for you, though.

ritsmer wrote:
Another way you could have made a picture black is to set its opacity to 0 - i.e. by drawing the upper line of the media down to the bottom.

I looked up opacity in the index and it is not found there. What do you mean by drawing the upper line of the media down to the bottom.

I was attempting to have text read on top of the photograph which is quite simple with Windows Movie Maker but difficult with Sony Vegas.
I tried looking up the terms
Right now my video preview is just a black box. When I click the overlays button and then grid, the black box flashes numerous grid squares, when I click safe areas, 2 inner flashing white squares flash.

my opacity is 100%. I stumbled upon that information.

After trying for six hours to restore the video preview from being a permanent black box, I have packed up the Sony Vegas 9 and plan to send it back for a refund. I will try and find something easier.
zaner

You don't by chance have your text event sitting on top of the video event ON THE SAME TRACK? An empty text event on top of a video event and with the opacity to 100 would effectively create a black screen.
Before you send it back, try this.
Delete everything off the time line including any tracks. Now just drop a photo on the time line. It will create its own track. Place your curser in that photo on the time line and you should see it in the previeww window. If nthat hapopens: Go to Generated media and drop text with the checkerboard pattern behind it on the track above the photo track. If you still only have one track you dropped it on the wrong track. Go to insert new video track whic will creat a new upper video track. Then move your text event to that track, directly above the photo. You shouild now see your text supperimposed on the photo. Vegas works by looking down from the top. It will only see what is on the top track unless there are holes (alpha channel areas) in the top track. It will then see what is on the second track in those areas.

Does VMS have the split screen view button above the preview screen? It's a button where the image is a circle that's half dark half light. If yes, click on that button to turn it "off" and see if that makes a difference.

No. What I have above my black screen are buttons:
save snapshot
copy snapshot to clipboard
overlays
Preview
Video Output
Preview on External Monitor
Project Video Properties

I put split screen in the Index and came up with nothing.

I was attempting to have text read on top of the photograph which is quite simple with Windows Movie Maker but difficult with Sony Vegas.

No, it is quite simple in Vegas. Just put the text box in a *higher* track than your video ... NOW if you choose a text option with a *black* background then you will *not* see any video .. you need to choose a text option with a transparent (checkerboard pattern) background.

You are used to Windows Movie Maker. That is a very simple program. Vegas is *much* more capable .. and thus there are more things to learn. Please do not give up on Vegas. it can do *so* much more than WMM ... it will take some time to learn .. but it will be worth it.

Zaner, i wasn't asking for a screenshot of the monitor window. I want a screenshot of your entire computer screen, so that we can see all the tracks and headers and sliders and buttons and how you have them set.

Also take note of what a couple other people said. You need to have the text on a higher track, like 1 or 2, and the video on a lower track, like 3. If you put the text on the same track as the video then you won't see the video.

I have a screenshot of the black box page. I will need your email address to send it to you. thanks.

chien
at
chienworks.com

Kelly,
Ifyou get the screen shot and it shows what the problem is could you post the screen shot on this forum WITHOUT the solution and lets see how many other people can figure it out. I think it would be only faitr to email the solution back to Zaner however.

I'll post both ...
screenshot
error highlighted

It took me all of about 4 seconds to spot it. I'll email the answer to zaner.

If that is his picture track and it is soloed (as shown) then he should be able to see it, if his curser is over an event, which it isn't in this shot. His compposite setting with the solo is something I have never tried and my editing computer is not with me so I can't check.

**It took me all of about 4 seconds to spot it.**
Yeah, that little "x" says it all.

You are fast, folks. I used nearly 8 seconds.

However we are all too late , zaner wrote: "I have packed up the Sony Vegas 9 and plan to send it back for a refund. I will try and find something easier. "...

... no further comments.

Kelly, I can 'Name That Error' in three seconds ;)
Just want to make the point that a picture is worth a thousand words. Zane left disappointed and upset, when it was a simple fix. It can make it really hard on us here when we can't really see what is going on. In the future, if we could get people to send screen shots like Zane did sooner, it would make things soooo much faster and easier for all involved. Take care. Cin.

Zane left disappointed and upset,

Did he?? Yes, he said he packed it up to ship back .. but .. after that he sent a screenshot.

You can't do that if you don't have the program installed on your computer.

You guys missed it!!

Yes, that track is soloed .. but the real problem may be the cursor placement ... and the fact that he has no video/text at the begining of his project.

See what I think: http://n1jdu.org/temp/Zaner_problem.jpg

Now this may not be his problem .. if he presses "play" and *still* sees only black .. but, from this portion of his screenshot, that's my guess.