Sony Vegas Pro 8: Trying to understand

[ryan_khoo]

I think Sony Vegas Pro 8 is a good and powerful software but since I am new I am having some problem with Sony Vegas Pro 8:

a) this is about the video clip I placed on the timeline. I put in a 10-secs video clip on the timeline but it looks so small (about 10mm in rectangle length, ie 10mm for 10 secs) so I drag it and pull right the end longer and instead of scalling to make it bigger (I wanted to make the rectangle length 20mm, ie 20mm for 10 secs), but video clip actually repeats itself (ie it runs the 10 secs clip twice). I guess the problem to overcome this is to use the + and - button at the bottom. But very often, I will acidentally drag the video clip and the length of the clips (in terms of TIME) will be altered. Anyway to lock it so that the length of the video clip remained the same ? (I mean the length in terms of TIME remains the same but the rectangle length representing the video clip should be scaled accordingly)

b) whenever, I capture the video from my camcorder, I can see the saved clips on the media project tab but I have no idea where it saves the file on the windows. I mean where is the path of the saved file ? How can I change the path ?

c) I am trying to do a ghost effect. I freezed a video clip and take a snap-shot of the freezed frame in jpeg (I set the preview to full-best before taking a snap shot). I placed this jpeg stll picture next to the video clip. In the preview window it looks excellent but when I render it in Mpeg2, it looks different. When the video reaches the jpeg part, the size of the of the viewable rectangle reduces. How come ? How come the preview is different from rendered files ? In any case, i took the snapshot rom the same video clip but how come the size is different ? I tried to physically adjust the height, width, x, y postion in the jpeg to match that of the video clip and the same problem remains. I finally solved this by changing the output format from DVD architect to NTSC widescreen. Althoug it now works but I do not understand. Can explain what actually happened ?

d) I am trying to do some effects like mist/smoke appear from the mouth when breathing or fire comes out from mouth when blowing. I guess to do this trick is to over the smoke and fire onto a video. But where to get this fire and smoke ? Is there a preset video effects for this ?

Thanks

[Paul LS]

a) You use the + and - buttons to expand or reduce the timeline scale around the current time indicator. You can not drag a video clip longer but you can drag a photo or title longer. I dont think there is a way to lock an individual clip on the timeline.

b) To change the location where your captured video is stored you first need to open the capture window. To do this go to File>Capture Video. The capture window will open. Then in the capture window go to Options>Preferences>Disk Management. You can select the storage location here.

c) Not sure why this is happening. i do this often without issue. How did you capture the snapshot?

d) No preset video effect for fire or smoke i am afraid. I have a link somewhere for some video clips with fire and smoke. I will look fo rthem.

[Paul LS]

You can get smoke and fire effects here.
http://www.detonationfilms.com/free_stuff.htm

You can use keying effects to make the backgrounds transparent, and so overlay them on your video.

[Chuck Engels]

There are also some pretty nice clips in our Products/Complimentary section

[Andy_E]

Anyway to lock it so that the length of the video clip remained the same ?

Select the event(s) you want to lock. Then either go to the Edit menu and select Switches->Lock or right-click on the one of the selected events and choose Switches->Lock.

[Paul LS]

Thanks Andy. I am still learning Vegas Pro. I must admit the workflow is very different from Premiere Elements. I dont find it very intuitive... especially the nesting and parent/child relationships. I have been playing with the 3D spinning cube sample project to try to get to grips with the nesting. Hopefully crack it over the Easter holiday...

[Andy_E]

Thanks Andy. I am still learning Vegas Pro. I must admit the workflow is very different from Premiere Elements. I dont find it very intuitive... especially the nesting and parent/child relationships.

Yes - me too. People keep telling me the UI is very intuitive and maybe it is - if you've used nothing else before. But to start with I had great difficulty in finding out how to do very simple things. I spent most of the trial time, scouring the internet for tutorials and saving them off and now I gradually feel I'm getting there. I love the fact that it's scriptable - writing your own add-ons to improve workflow is a big bonus. At some point soon, I may actually get round to using DVD Architect

If it had cost me £400+ to buy, I' m not sure I would have spent the money. As it is, I missed the $99 Vegas 8 purchase from B&H Photo - I bought the $79 Vegas 6 and then Vegas 8 download upgrade from Sony but missed the 25% off at the start of this month. I waited too long for one and not long enough for the other! It's probably cost me just over £200 in total but I'm beginning to believe it's money well spent.

[ryan_khoo]

You can get smoke and fire effects here.
http://www.detonationfilms.com/free_stuff.htm

You can use keying effects to make the backgrounds transparent, and so overlay them on your video.

Thanks Paul for the effects.

(1-a) I downloaded the files and I used chroma key to make the background transparent but It doesn't work. What I did was to drag the pencil dropper and click on the black colour (because the background of the explosion is black in colour). I expect to see only the fire with the black background being replace by a transparent background instead. But it doesn't happen. What I got instead was the right side becomes lighter black whereas the left side remains black. Any ideas ?

(1-b) I then tried with a picture with a black background ad did the same thing. This time the right side becomes totally transparent but the left side remains the same black. How come ? It seem the chroma key only effects half the picture ? How come ?

(2) Some of the files that I downloaded are in .avi and .mov format. When I finished downloaded, my media player can play both type of files. But when I go to explorer (in Vegas Pro) and tried to preview the files, only those in .avi can be viewed whereas when I tried to preview those in .mov format, it says that I did not installed QuickTime properly. Why is this so ? When I get out from Vegas, I right click start-->Explorer--> and click the file .mov files it can play without any problem. So how come cannot work in Vegas ? How to solve this problem ?

(3) Are there other website to download ? The detonationfilms website only have explosion. I hope to have other interesting things

(4) I managed to do a clone effect using masking techniques into 2 different halves. But any tips on how to do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0361TI7oaCs

especially the part where they pass the bottle from one person to the other. As I understand it, when I do cloning, the person on the right shall not go to the left and vice-versa. But in this case, it actually overlaps, so any tips on how to do this ?

Thanks

[Paul LS]

1) Regarding keying out the black background in Vegas. On the DetonationFilms website where you downloaded the clips there is a Vegas tutorial (Compositing) for doing this. It is towards the bottom of the page:
http://www.detonationfilms.com/tutorials.htm

2) Have you got the latest version of Quicktime installed? You could try installing it again.

3) As Chuck mentioned there are also some pretty good free clips in the Products/Complimentary section of Muvipix. In particular the Effects (explosions) and the Special (movie) Effects.

4) If you look closely they dont actually cross each other, this would be difficult to achieve. An alternative technique you could try is difference masking to obtain the effect. Take a look at this Vegas tutorial:
http://matthew.chaboud.com/vegas5/twocats/

[ryan_khoo]

1) Regarding keying out the black background in Vegas. On the DetonationFilms website where you downloaded the clips there is a Vegas tutorial (Compositing) for doing this. It is towards the bottom of the page:
http://www.detonationfilms.com/tutorials.htm

Thanks Paul for your prompt response. I really appreciate it.

I did exactly the same as the tutorial. I tried both with the chroma key as well as mask generator. I also took a picture of my daughter against a blue cloth background. In all cases, only half of the picture on the one side becomes transparent. So, I believe it is not the colour of the background that is causing the problem. Is there any default settings that causes this ? I really hope there is a solution to this because I really like this Vegas Pro software. I am also learning Premiere Elements at the same same I can do this in Premiere Elements with just one or two clicks. I believe, Vegas Pro is also the same but I am really puzzled as to why in Vegas Pro, only one half of the video becomes transparent. HELP HELP

2) Have you got the latest version of Quicktime installed? You could try installing it again.

You are correct. I just reinstalled and it worked. Apparently my QuickTime must be an older version. Thanks

[ryan_khoo]

Hi Paul,

Just an update on my chroma key problem.

I did exactly the same thing on my sister's computer and in works fine. The only difference is that her's version is 8b whereas mine is 8a.

I am still puzzled why the chroma key when applied on a picture with blue screen only makes half the picture becomes transparent instead of the whole background.

Any ideas what setting that causes this problem ?

Thanks

[Paul LS]

I believe you have the "Split Screen View" activated. Above the monitor there is an icon.. a square with a half shaded circle in it. Click on this...

[ryan_khoo]

I believe you have the "Split Screen View" activated. Above the monitor there is an icon.. a square with a half shaded circle in it. Click on this...

Hi Paul,

You know what ? I think you are a GENIUS !!

Yes, that was what exactly happened. I just clicked that icon that you mentioned and it works !!

Thanks a million, Paul !! I really appreciate it. Having you around is really an asset !!

Cheers

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Paul,
You know what ? I think you are a GENIUS !!
Thanks a million, Paul !! I really appreciate it. Having you around is really an asset !!

That's what we all think about Paul, maybe we need to start calling him Super Paul

[ryan_khoo]

Hi Paul & Chuck,

I think I don't quite understand about the output format in Vegas.

I prefer to have an output file of 16:9.

I noticed that when we select "Render As", and choose windows .avi in the "Save as Type", then we can have the option of DVD NTSC widescreen.

But when we select "Render As", and choose mpeg-2 in the "Save as Type", then we DON'T have the option of DVD NTSC widescreen (only DVD NTSC is available).

My questions are:

(1) How come when selecting mpeg-2, we cannot have NTSC widescreen ?

(2) I have some a slideshow which is a mixture of picture and video. I tried to render as windows .avi and select NTSC widescreen but how come the output started with a 16:9 screen but then as the slideshow goes on it reverted to 4:3 ?

Thanks