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Videoon 9/14/2007
I like 32-bit, I like it very much . . .
Haven't installed V8 yet, but can't you leave everything 8-bit until you're basically done editing? Get the speed of the low-bit for editing & the quality of the high-bit for render.
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Videoon 8/4/2007
Red Giant drops Vegas Magic Bullet - write now!
While I would prefer to pay several hundred more $ and get more features in Vegas, I realize that they may be targeting a different market. What I really would like, however, is for Vegas to work better with plugins so that I could add features afterwards (good titler being #1).
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Videoon 7/21/2007
Wait for Vegas 8 or buy Vegas 7
Fightin', Looks like the "E6600" is a Core 2 Duo, which is already 64-bit, so no worries there. The question then becomes do you have the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Vista, and I haven't a clue how to figure that out (I'm an XP user).
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Videoon 7/21/2007
Wait for Vegas 8 or buy Vegas 7
Fighting- What's been talked around so far is whether you currently have the 64-bit version of Vista or the 32-bit version. If you have the 32-bit, then you'll either have to upgrade (not sure how that works) to 64-bit, or you won't be able to use the new version of Vegas. About the only thing that's been announced about the next version of Vegas is that it will be 64-bit. None of the other improvements have been mentioned. Also not mentioned is if the next version will be ONLY 64-bit, or if they'll release a 32-bit version at the same time. Since no other improvements for the next Vegas (it doesn't even have a name yet) have been announced, you'll have to make a personal decision on 1) how much money you have to throw around by buying 7 now and upgrading for (probably) $150 later, 2) how much you feel you need the full Vegas now vs. making due with Studio until December, 3) if your system isn't already 64-bit, whether you'll willing to make it so, and 4) how much you think you'll really want the new version if you commit to V7 now. It'd be nice to have more info to go on, but Sony's always been pretty mum until they're ready to drop it on you. I suppose that's to keep the competition from knowing what you're working on and incorporating it into their product to nullify the advantage.
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Videoon 7/20/2007
Boris
Andrew, Do you use Heroglyph Rapid or the full version? I'm trying to figure out if the lite version is good enough for me. What do you gain with the full version? They say the full version you can adjust the controls - does that mean that the lite version you are completely limited to their built-in templates or what? Thanks for adding in your rundown of your experience. Stunning that you use all of those options. That's a lot of different methodologies to keep in your nugget. Glad that Bluff sounds better. I based my opinion partially on the forum reviews and partially on the sample images on the Bluff site. Most of them don't look that great, but I suppose that's because most of them are trying to show off all the 3D features, most which strike me as cheesy. Time & place for everything, though ...
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Videoon 7/20/2007
Boris
Welcome to Vegas! I don't think you'll find a consensus on a good titler for Vegas because there isn't a really good solution. There are a number of options, but all have various strengths & weaknesses in the areas of ease of use, cost, quality, features, etc. There have been many, many threads on this topic, though, so you may search/read some more to get a better feel for what may be right for you. Most programs have some kind of demo/trial version option, too, which is probably the only way you'll know if it's right for you. I've *only* used the Vegas titler, but I'll give a short summary of what I've gathered from this forum over time to get you started (and probably generate some heated arguments ...). Vegas built-in titler: more options than you realize at first because you can use any of the video effects on it to generate most of the basics. No text on a path option and no good character controls. Bluff Titler: easiest to use, pretty cheap, lots of features. quality seems a little suspect if you want crystal clear text, but if you like features such as chromed text, 3D extruded letters, or weird hairy/spikey text this is the one for you. Heroglyph: moderately easy to use, somewhat cheap ($100) or not-so cheap ($300) versions, lots of control, pretty good quality. Boris Graffiti: pretty hard to use, more expensive, lots of control, very good quality. Cayman Graphics: no longer supports Vegas Flash: haven't seen it in a while, but some folks use a flash program to generate text Not sure if Bluff can be used as a pure plug-in (just like the Vegas titler), but if so it may be the only one. I think everything else you end up working with your video and your text somewhat separately, which is less convenient. I'm not in the market quite yet, but of these, Heroglyph sounds the most interesting to me. Nice that you can check out the $100 option and then get upgrade pricing if you decide you need the extra control of the more expensive version. You might want to post what your priorities are and how much $ you're willing to shell out, as that will help frame folks response. Easy, powerful (text control), features (3D text, etc.), cheap, and high quality are not something you can find in package. Usually only two to three of those options per program. Brian
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Videoon 7/11/2007
Dumb little Vegas 8 request.
Sweet! No idea you could do that!
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Videoon 6/30/2007
Vegas: where are we going?
MVP- Let me start by saying that I don't edit for money - only for myself, Vegas has significantly capability than I really need, and I've got tons to learn. Heck, I haven't had time to edit anything in the last six months (working every weekend is getting OLD!). However, I monitor this forum fairly closely (editing vicariously through all of you) and I've sensed a change in the enthusiasm levels. I've been with Vegas since V5 first came out (now V7), and many of the old-craniums (& beta testers) that used to post strongly have faded away. I don't recall serious bugs (the current two black frames issue & whatever is ailing DVDA4) lasting so long. The tech support guys have basically vanished from the forum. If Vegas is just a toaster NLE, then why even have versions 5/6/7? Other than HDV, it sounds like VV4 was just as good as VV7, if you're looking for a toaster. I love that Vegas is stable (I'm a Pinnacle Studio refugee) and I like that it's quick to edit, and those are two incredibly important items. However, I'd like to see some major improvements in the text department (no, I don't need 3D extruded letters or even chrome text, I just want more control without having to keyframe & eyeball every last detail). Also, I haven't had a reason to use the 3D video space yet, but that is growing in use these days and the methodology Vegas uses seems very difficult. Like I said, I don't edit for a living, and I don't even get a chance to edit much. I bought into Vegas at V5+DVDA2 so I'd be familiar once I did get more time; I bought for the future (same for Acid & SF). It concerns me, then, to see the "big kahunas" of this Vegas forum seeming to wane in their enthusiasm.
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Videoon 5/13/2007
Time lapse
You can also do this with digital still cameras, which would have the advantages of better resolution and not tying up your video camera for extended periods of time (if you're trying to do multi-day time lapse). A buddy of mine used a free program he downloaded from the Canon website to control his Canon camera via the USB connection. His camera was nothing special, but the results looked great. I imagine that there are other "controller" programs out there for other still cameras. And did I mention it was free? ...
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Videoon 3/18/2007
Composit Question
Keith, You can also make all the elements you want to move/zoom together the child of the same track, and then use the Parent Track Motion (just below & left of the track #) to move/zoom around. The nice part of this is that everything definitely moves in sync. The bad part is that it affects the entire track, not just the event(s), so you may have to "reset" the track to normal parameters later for other clips. Brian
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Videoon 3/18/2007
Dragging an event between tracks
Bob, You can also click on the event to select it, and then use the "8" or "2" on the keypad to move the event (or multiple selected events) up or down tracks with no left/right movement. Seems easier than resetting your In/Out Region. Brian edit: I see Grazie beat me to the punch while I was away from the computer. He's quick!
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Videoon 3/2/2007
Interpolation and envelopes
Well, I see my previous post isn't quite correct on the interpolation part. The interpolation setting obviously doesn't show a "curve" anywwhere (like the crossfade/transitions I mentioned) - it just effects the interpolation/transition between keyframes (not events like I was sidetracked on). I stand by my Smoothness explanation, though. I'm sure you've already read this, but from p.252 of the Vegas 7 manual: -Temporal interpolation (how the pan occurs over time) is controlled by the keyframe interpolation curve type .... -Spatial interpolation (how the pan occurs within the video image) is controlled by the Smoothness setting of each keyframe. A smoothness value of 0 makes the movement linear from one keyframe to the next. A higher smoothness value makes the path of the pan more curved. The Smoothness shouldn't have any effect on interpolations between frames, only how "smooth" the PATH your object tracks across the screen *IF* you have keyframed motion via Track Motion or Pan/Crop. I haven't done animation, so I'm not sure exactly what you're doing, but it sounds like you are trying to use Vegas to "generate" animation. I don't think that Vegas is your best software to accomplish that in - I don't think it's a strength of the program. Have you tried making the animation in an animation program and then importing it into Vegas to do further editing work with? You're well beyond my knowledge level, so I don't have any other ideas. Someone else probably will, but you'll have to get their attention. I recommend retitling this post to something more appropriate for your needs like "Need keyframe help for animations!" That might bring in a fellow animator like yourself that has extensive expertise. Their may be other settings that you're not aware of that are contributing to your problem.
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Videoon 3/1/2007
Interpolation and envelopes
Paul (TIA?)- - Interpolation: I think people use "Smooth" the vast majority of the time. This means for audio/video crossfades & such each event will fade slowly at first (first 10-15% of the transition), then ramp to a rapid fade (middle 75% or so), and then back to a slow fade for the last bit (last 10-15%). You can see this by the shape of the transition curve (blue line). There may be moments when you want a slightly different look to your transition, but I'd personally leave the default at Smooth. - Motion/Pan smoothness: I would absolutely recommend setting the default for these to "0" or you'll have some unexpected results. If you are using Track Motion or event Panning to move video around on the screen (like panning across a still picture (Ken Burns effect), a smoothness value of 0 will make your point-to-point movements exactly as you command. As you increase the value towards 1, however, Vegas will smooth or round out the motion. -- For an example of this, put a still image on the timeline and use either Track Motion or event Panning to move it around in a square path. Set the Smoothness to 0 and watch the result - it will track with abrupt corners like you'd expect. Set the Smoothness to 1, however, and watch the weirdness. Say that your starting point of the square was the upper left, then to the right, then down, left, and back up to the starting point. As Vegas pans right, it will actually pan *up* too, in anticipation of making a nice smooth, rounded turn down. The closer to 1 you set the Smoothness the more your square movement will resemble a circle. There are times when this kind of smooth, rounded approach is useful, but most of the time you don't want Vegas doing stuff you didn't ask it to. -- I'm not sure if the Pan/Crop Smoothness effects how cropping is handled. I've never dynamically cropped an image/event (started with one size and ended with a different size), so I've never seen this in action. Not sure how a 0 or 1 setting would effect this, but you can always experiment! -- When experimenting with these settings, I recommend rendering the section in question to see precisely what the effect is. Without rendering, your preview may be slightly jerky and mask the effect. Render to RAM will work fine if your clip/section isn't too long. Realize that this forum tends to slow down a bit during the week and you may not get the answer you're looking for right away. The "Search" function is extremely useful, too, if you can think of the right words to search by. Best place to start is the thousands of useful posts that already exist on this forum. Brian
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Videoon 2/23/2007
Consumer-grade camcorders and Vegas 7
I think the only tangible benefit to hard drive camcorders is convenience. The video quality will definitely be lower due to the compression. It *may* be acceptable quality to you, but once you commit a moment to "memory" whether it's tape/hd/DVD, the image quality *never* improves. Re-rendering to AVI may make it easier to work with but won't improve the base image quality. I guess it depends on what you intend to use the video for. Since I'm videoing my two kids mainly, I want a "master" tape that will have the very best quality for editing down the road. I know that video quality/expectations will likely continue to improve in the future, therefore video quality that is acceptable today will look relatively trashy years from now. If your video is of temporary use/value only, then you can decide what's good enough. If you may use the video years from now, I don't see how you'd accept lower quality source video in the same price range. Even *if* the camera were to die after a couple years (which I consider a low probability event), what's more important: the camera or the memories it has recorded? Brian
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Videoon 2/20/2007
OT: HDR-HC3 example footage from venice
Any regrets at not taking the FX1? Brian
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Videoon 2/11/2007
OT: My Video & Audio Hearts Vegas
I'll see Farss's "WOW" and raise him a "Holy Cow!" That's pretty cool. I had no idea you could do that much with just a MIDI synthesizer. We're getting our kid a keyboard as an intro to piano. Of course, it's just a MIDI controller in my mind (forget the kid), and I'm anxious to check it out with Acid. Of course, there is that minor issue of talent ... Hey, the "Scotty 3000" - is that a reference to a lawn fertilizer spreader? Brian
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Videoon 2/7/2007
cam check - do you: HDv or DV?
Busman- Re: downconverting from HD to SD- my HC1 camera has the option of either sending the full HDV signal through the Firewire link to the computer (assuming you recorded in HDV instead of SD) or it will downconvert it to SD for you (so the computer only sees SD). I assume this feature is pretty standard on HDV cameras, but don't know. Also, you can edit/work with HDV in Vegas, and then have Vegas downconvert it for you. I haven't attempted this, so not sure if you set the Project Properties to SD or wait until rendering. I suspect the former. The advantage to having the camera downconvert is you can work with smaller files. The advantage to downconverting later is that you can zoom/crop the HDV images without loss. I vaguely recall that the HDV color space is a little better than SD, too. Hopefully someone who has actually done this can throw in some clarifications/corrections/additions to this post. Brian
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Videoon 2/5/2007
cam check - do you: HDv or DV?
Purely a home user here: shooting: HDV (Sony HC1) editing: n/a (dang, haven't had time lately. Hope my shots don't suck!) delivery: SD (& can't imagine Grandma upgrading to HD anytime soon) Upgraded to start preserving the memories better. Need to get back to editing soon.
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Videoon 1/21/2007
2 x 19" LCDs or 1 x 24" wide-screen LCD???
At the moment I'm only editing SD, and probably will until HD delivery is more mainstream. I recently started shooting with the Sony HC1, so I may end up editing in HD and output to SD, but I haven't tried that yet. Although I have twin 19" screens at my day job (office work, unfortunately - no editing :( ) and absolutely love'em, I'm leaning towards a widescreen mainly for asthetics as well as the possible benefits to HD editing. I wanted to check with the guys to make sure I wasn't missing any major pros or cons to either setup. I also wanted to see if anyone had good or bad recommendations for a widescreen since I'm completely unfamilar with that. Although the brand new 27" Dell sounds awesome, I'll think I'll have to go the (relatively) cheap route for this time around and look to upgrade in about three years or so. Hopefully LCDs will be even better for editing by then. Ken- Quite the editing rig - that must be a sweet sight! Makes sense since your editing has meant a lot to your business - efficiently & speed are literally $$ to you. Since our computer desk has been forced into the living room in our current house, I can speak with authority that the little woman would never permit such a thing. I'll have to live vicariously through you!
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Videoon 1/17/2007
OT: carnival of venice & HDR-FX1E or HC3E
Spot, The conference looks promising and not too far away, but there's no way I can get those days off work, unfortunately. I'd love to meet you and the guys from VASST (I assume that's what you meant by "we"), but it'll have to wait for another time. Maybe I'll be back in the States the *next* time you do a shoot in Flagstaff, as Phoenix is my hometown and likely where we'll end up again. Thanks for the point-out on the conference. Brian
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Videoon 1/16/2007
OT: carnival of venice & HDR-FX1E or HC3E
Have you been to Italy before? I'm currently living about a hour north of Venice (for the last 1.5 years). Just wondering if you had any questions that I could answer for you, although I've only been to Venice itself once so far. Petty theft is certainly an issue here, but the thieves are very non-confrontational. I highly doubt that you'd get it stolen from your hands, but shooting in a crowd could still be factor for your camera choice. Obviously, I wouldn't leave any valuable item unattended, nor would I keep a wallet anywhere unsecure in a crowd, especially while your hands/attention are focused on your camera. Pickpockets are pretty big (and skilled) anywhere that's a big tourist attraction (Rome, Venice). I don't think winter is a big season for them, but a major event like Carnival might bring them out. Knowing very little about the quality difference or what you intend to use the video for, I'd vote for the HC3. Much smaller footprint to bring/store/carry/use, and I think you'd enjoy the trip more by worrying less about your camera and being a little more discrete while filming (the FX1 will certainly catch folks attention more). You may want to bring a tripod, too. Although I'd agree it won't be useful in a crowd (and other than a few piazzas (open squares), there isn't a whole lot of room in Venice!) during Carnival, you will likely want to use the opportunity to get some non-Carnival, non-crowded shots of Venice overall. Oh, and for the love of God, sample as much red wine as you can while here! The average house wine here is generally pretty darn tasty! No need to pay a high price for some sweet nectar. Brian
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Videoon 12/21/2006
Simple question: Am I dropping frames?
Hey guy, VA_Buckeye is using VMS Platinum (whatever version was out last year). Is the video capture program different for VMS than Vegas? I don't understand why the quality would be low with no dropped frames. The USB connection is potentially a different animal, but if there was interference then I would think that the capture program would should that as dropped frames. Curious. Hey bro, confirm you didn't get your camera into a progressive scan mode that only supports 15 frames per second, or something? I don't know why your video would be choppy without dropped frames. Low light video (like indoors at night, even with "normal" lighting) is often grainy, but shouldn't be choppy. Hmmm... Brian
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Videoon 12/16/2006
Newbie to Vegas
The time you lose due to learning a new system (Vegas) will rapidly be eclipsed by the time you save by not having to constantly save and/or reboot. I gave up on Studio at version 8 so I wouldn't know from experience, but somehow I doubt that attempting to handle HDV would fix verion 10. Sounds like more trouble to me. I would attempt to contact Sony Madison Software about upgrading to the Vegas + DVDA (& Cinescore) version. Even though you've already paid for the full version, I recall folks having success with similar situations in actually getting a rebate from Sony. What I recall is folks that paid full price for whatever reason when a discounted version was available. I don't know why your (free) full version of Vegas wouldn't qualify for a discount upgrade price, so I suspect that it's just a limitation of the website that doesn't recognize your serial number. Contact them via voice or email and I bet you get some $$ back. There's plenty of other video/audio stuff to spend that money on. B
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Videoon 12/15/2006
Newbie to Vegas
Welcome to Vegas. There are many Pinnacle Studio refugees here. Studio definitely has a editing style that's easier for brand new editors to grasp in my opinion, but it doesn't take long to catch on to the differences and take it well beyond. I really got sick of saving my work every five minutes and having the audio & video get out of sync. Probably the hardest thing about Vegas is that it doesn't tend to give you a certain effect pretailored to do something. There are presets available, but for the most part you get a more "scientific" approach and a lot of setting options. For instance, where Studio might have an effect called "Wacky Bubble Distorter," in Vegas you use a Height Map function and a shaded circle. While it's a little harder to figure out initially, you soon realize that you have near infinite control over that Height Map and could use any shape (or video source or whatever) you want. Hopefully you don't use any such effect in too many wedding videos, but you get the idea. Enjoy! Brian
Tattoo
Offline, Member since 6/20/2004