With friends like Vegas, who needs Photoshop?

PeterWright wrote on 12/7/2004, 12:17 AM

I just produced a graphic for a client - a collage of 20 smiling faces from his staff.

Produced using 24 tracks in Vegas.

All the featured smiles come from video footage – just dragged event edges to find the best frame, then used soft edged Bezier Masking, followed by Track Motion to size and position them.

Used the biggest preset I could find and saved from the timeline as a 1280 x 720 png., to be used on a poster. They loved it.

Comments

Grazie wrote on 12/7/2004, 12:23 AM

Great sideways thinking Peter! - But what is the "Used the biggest preset I could find" ? Sorry?

. .anyways, you've jilted or had a tiff [ PUN! ] with PsP? . ..

This is a keeper for me too! . . Got a Community thingy I'm doing - smiling faces is DEFINITELY on the Agenda . .

Grazie

PeterWright wrote on 12/7/2004, 1:16 AM

> "what is the "Used the biggest preset I could find" ?

File > Project Properties - just had another look - there's 1920 x 1080, even better ....

I still use PSP all the time, but for efficiency with this particular layered composition (took two hours), I was more familiar with the Vegas tools - it was fabulous looking at a particular face, selecting that track and applying colour curves, or dragging a Track Motion corner to slightly resize that face.

busterkeaton wrote on 12/7/2004, 1:29 AM

I find Vegas's color tools to be much easier than PSP to work with.

RBartlett wrote on 12/7/2004, 1:54 AM

I usually start a "print graphics" session by using Vegas:_File|New then I use the Video tab Template control line,not the drop down. Over to the right on the template 'line' there is a "browse" icon in the form of a folder with an arrow. I select the largest picture that is in the aspect of my final output and click it. The resolution of the project then becomes that of the source media once you follow this up with an Open.

I'd do pretty much the same for video, but I use one of about 8 different templates so I've saved them.

You still have to navigate to the same folder with Explorer, but the project is bang on without having to refer to the image properties.

As you'll find confirmed in the release notes from Vegas4:

"Project frame sizes up to 2048 x 2048 are now allowed for AVI, MPEG, QuickTime, RealMedia, Windows Media, and still-image output is 2048x2048. The Windows Media 9, MPEG-2, and RealMedia 9 plug-ins include new HD rendering templates."

Once you have mastered Vegas filters, they, and the NLE layers, can make great print graphics. Not to mention help attain a better still to rostrum over or use for DVD menu/disc-art/inlay-art.

Saturation adjust to pull out a single colour is one of my favourites that having lived in Vegas for long enough, lets me get what I want quicker than most other tools at my disposal. 2K x 2K prints OK on an ink-jet even at quite large paper sizes.

Tom Pauncz wrote on 12/7/2004, 5:13 AM

Hey PeterW,
Would it be possible to post an example of what you did somewhere?
Cheers,
Tom

PeterWright wrote on 12/7/2004, 4:13 PM

Yes Tom

I just managed to put it online - had to pixellate out the client name and slogan.

It's at www.allroundvision.com.au
- follow the link to "Projects"

The site doesn't work in some browsers, but it's ok in IE.

nickle wrote on 12/7/2004, 5:44 PM

So that's what Australians look like.

They look almost human.

PeterWright wrote on 12/7/2004, 5:54 PM

Yes - I had to invert the pic, of course, as we're all upside down.