Export or save timeline time settings

[costertag]

I am on my second video and spent hours on hours learning the software and am starting to really like Videopad.  Two questions on items I can't figure out.

1.  Is there a way to export or save the video slide timings?  I need the rolling time for subtitles.  I can get individual slide timings but only by a copy that is an image.  I need a text or cvs file?  The independent times mean I have to calculate or manually do it while watching the video in Videopad while annotating a text file.  This is very time consuming, especially if I have a lot of slides (which I am using).  I started with Photostage but this software is limited and doesn't allow me to synthesize my text, but Videopad does?

The screen snapshot I can generate from the images bin and is in the following format:

Name, Type, Clip duration, Clip start time (all start at 0:00:00.000), Clip End Time, File Duration (This is Empty) - this is most likely the time I need.  Is it a bug that it is empty?  

2.  I have been using the Videopad Text to Voice feature and I love it.  My question is.  Can I enter text values that would put a pause in the output of the wave file that is created?  I have some slides that need a pause for the users to see.  I tried adding ,,,,,, and ....... but that did not work.

Thanks for the help.

[Nationalsolo]

HI

Question 1 is interesting as VP won't save the slide timings except as part of a vpj file but that, of course also would include the names of the files. I can think of a scenario that would do this but it may not be what you want......

Let's say you have 100 slides on the timeline all with different a duration....

1. Name the the slides in some standard way....Slide1.jpg      Slide2.jpg       Slide 3.jpg  etc.
2. Place them in a named folder like "Slideshow"
3. Create your project with them.
4. Save the project as a vpj file in the normal way with any name you like.
5. Export as any normal slide/film
6. Move all the slides to a new folder and give this folder a specific name like "My first Slideshow"  (or whatever) but keep the "Slideshow" folder that you emptied and don't move it to a new location.
7. For your next project add all the new slides to the empty "Slideshow" folder with the same series of names. (Slide1.jpg    Slide 2.jpg etc.
8. Now open the vpj file that you made and it should load all the new files with the original timings.

It's a bit convoluted but it's like using proxy files for the same vpj file.

If you saved a ssa file for the original subtitles you could load this to the new project and edit each subtitle.

The start time for all slides is 0 as they are still images and not video clip per se and will always start at 0 even if trimmed but this is not so for clips which can be shortened using the red start bracket or blue end bracket and the figure shown if adjusted from the clip bin, will be shown both on the timeline and the bin clip as the it is the BIN CLIP which has been shortened, but if the clip is shortened on the timeline then the bin will still show 0 as the start, but the timeline clip will show the time IT starts.  A bit confusing. It's not a bug...... Changes made ti the bin clip affect the bin clip but timeline changes don't. If you always make changes to the timeline the bin clip remains untouched and can be used again.

Haven't tried Text to voice in VP as for other apps I HATE Microsoft Anna PS don't use full stops- She goes dotty!

I'll check it out.....

Nat

[borate]

If slides are placed on the sequence their individual and cumulative duration is shown on the timeline just above the thumbnails.  Of course, this doesn't save the timings to a file.

If slides in the BIN are given custom durations,  timings can be seen by switching into LIST VIEW.

If slides on the SEQUENCE have been changed in duration, drag the changed slides to the bin.  They will appear in the list with (1) designations that show the current duration.  This list or lists can then be copied to an image file with Windows snipping tool or a screen grab and saved to a file...

They will be cleared from the sequence.  After capturing the list, simply press <ctrl-Z> repeatedly to step back - restoring the clips to the sequence.

As for text-to-speech, each WAV can be positioned on the sequence.  Say you have ten seconds of slide with five of audio.  Simply place/drag the WAV clip to the desired position under the slide.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

You can create a pause in the text by typing "..." between words.

Example....

 

More full stops doesn't seem to make the delay any  bigger. It's probably better to create a new sound clip if there is going to be a delay and adjust the position of the following section on the timeline

Nat

[costertag]

Funny I don't have Anna, mine has Zira which brings up another question.  Can voices be added.

I appreciate the "...." response, that is exactly what I needed,  I only tried ,,,,, or .... without quotes.

As far as timings, not really good solutions - I already manually watch the timeline and annotate.  Only 21 slides for now but this could be very labor intensive with a lot of slides.  I will try the other work around provided and provide feedback when I get time.

Thanks for all the help

charley

[Nationalsolo]

Hi C

Microsoft Anna came with Vista and I believe you can install others voices although I have never managed to do this.. She works in some respects but the articulation of the words and other voice inflections (also the accent ) aren't 100% by any stretch of the imagination. Other text to speech engines like Natural Readers produce results that are difficult to distinguish from real people. Worth having a look at. There is a free demo you could download although there are restrictions.

The delay produced by adding "."  to the text isn't extensible  it seems,  as by adding more dots or doubling up the "." group makes no difference to the pause.

Nat

[borate]

Interesting info...   https://www.nch.com.au/speech/index.html

Pause dots do seem to have their limits.  Try alternating single dots with single spaces, or throw in some carriage returns.  Seems to go only so far.

The most effective way to add a pause is to place the clip on the sequence, split it, and drag the parts apart, leaving blank space between them.