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Real cross dissolves?


Dougie

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it's been mentioned on this forum many times that VP does not do real cross dissolves. Instead, it dissolves out the first clip just fine as it brings in the next clip, but that second clip is a freeze frame until the dissolve is finished, when it suddenly bursts into motion. Well, not only does this stick out like a sore thumb, but it's like a stamp of amatuer editing software.

 

So what kinds of work arounds are people using here? I read recently that one user extends out the ends of the clips once on the timeline, to get enough video for a real dissolve, but that doesn't work for me. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

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HI

 

The method I suggested does work in VP2.41 but you have to have enough of each clip pulled back to make the dissolve so that still images don't appear. Another method which works in this version although you have no control over it is to simply place the second clip on the overlay track, make it full size and central, then adjust it along the track to where it requires to start. By clicking the overlay fade button, this second clip (the overlay) dissolves in (and out) correctly but the length of the effect cannot be controlled, it lasts about a second.

Another useful thing with the earlier version (which it seems you can't do in V3) is that you can move (decentre) the transitions with respect to the join so that either of the clips can have more of the effect allocated to it. (Just drag the ends of the yellow effect bar about)

 

I've not used V3 enough to have tried this overlay idea out, but it may be a bit useful if my original suggestion doesn't work.

 

Nat

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Nationalsolo, I'd love it if those techniques worked in version 3 on (I'm presently testing 3.02) but they don't, or at least I can't get them to. Has anyone else found a work around for this. Aside from being painfully slow at times, VP 3.02 is an almost perfect prosumer level editor, with features such as capture, crop and resizing, motion, and output formats that put other (often more expensive) editors to shame! But the freeze frame dissolve thing is a deal killer. When I add 1 second extra video to the shot ends that butt up on the preview screen, then drop them onto the timeline and set up a dissolve, it just dissolves where the scenes were cut.

 

Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Do you add a second to each clip in the preview screen, drop them down, and then roll the ends back 1 second on the timeline, butt them up and add the dissolve/? Is that how you are doing it?

 

What are others doing?

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Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Do you add a second to each clip in the preview screen, drop them down, and then roll the ends back 1 second on the timeline, butt them up and add the dissolve/? Is that how you are doing it?

What are others doing?

 

You're not doing it wrong; it's buggy. NCH is aware of this and is allegedly working on improvements.

Not only is freezing a problem but frame-jumps/loss during transitions occur here as well. And a transition may look perfectly good ... until others are added down the timeline, which affects the earlier trans.

2.41 seems to be less prone to these problems, but I tested it only sparingly.

 

After considerable experimentation my take is that, until it's fixed, A/B rolling is the only way to ensure clean transitions, using the V1 video and V2 overlay tracks. A tedious process.

 

1. Place the first clip on video track 1 (V1).

 

2 Place a blank clip with opacity set at zero on V2 overlay track.

Butt your second video/audio clip to it. Specify the transition on the BLANK clip.

Select (highlight) these two V2 overlay clips and drag them to the left, overlapping the V1 clip. The amount of overlap will determine the "look."

 

3 If you want a transition to the next clip as well, place your third clip on V1. Set a transition on the V2 overlay track's A/V clip. Drag the clip on V1 to the left, overlapping the V2 clip -

to about where its transition yellow line begins. This is your second transition - from clip two to clip three.

 

4. Repeat the steps in step 2, and so forth. All transitions are inserted on a higher numbered track, never V1. Higher numbered video tracks override lower numbered video tracks.

 

There is one positive aspect of this approach: sound on V1 is undisturbed as b-roll video is dropped onto the overlay track/s.

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Hi Borate

 

Just reloaded 3.02 to see if my suggestion works. You are correct, it doesn't in this version but your idea does, however....why not do it this way........simpler and quicker..

 

Put first clip on track 1

Put second clip on track 2 and drag it back to overlap clip 1 by a suitable duration (say 3 seconds or so).

Set opacity for clip 2 to 0% (it's now an overlay)

Use the level controls to bring the opacity back to 100% after the 3 seconds.

i.e. fix the 0% position at the start with first marker then 3 seconds later (use the seconds indicator along the top) pull the line up to 100% and leave the second marker.

No need for a blank clip or a crossfade as when clip 2 reaches 100% clip 1 is automatically cut off.

Result...perfect crossfade.

 

Furthermore you can add the next clip (clip 3) to track 1 again as to fade it into the sequence all you do is pull it back under the end of clip 2 and then call up the opacity for clip 2 and add another change.....100% down to 0% 3 seconds from the end.

 

Nat

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Excellent, Nat.

 

Elaborating just a tad on what your references to "marker" and "line" ...

  • Click the star at the left-bottom on the clip being worked on. The effects box appears. See the blue line in the box to the right of the word "opacity?"

  • Place your pointer on the far-left side of that line, click and drag down to zero. This will create a keyframe (a green dot).

  • Move the mouse pointer elsewhere on the blue line. click and drag UP/DOWN to set the video level, RIGHT/LEFT to set "position." This creates another keyframe.

(A pop-up appears to track position and opacity level.)

 

Drag a dot up or down - at any point - to set the opacity curve between dots, or between a dot and the start or end or the clip.

Right-click a dot to "remove this keyframe." Right-click anywhere in the box the contains the blue line to "remove all keyframes."

 

You can also create keyframes at the point where the red, time-tracking line is parked by clicking the green + sign to the right of the word "opacity."

 

How it all comes together takes the usual experimentation. A shame that any of these workarounds is needed to make a clean transition. ^_^

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So I tried all these suggestions today on 3.02, hoping for a working solution. I'm sure that Nationalsolo and Borate have had success with this, but it won't work for me. I can't understand why an effect like a cross dissolve, which is almost insignificant and very simple on other editors of equvilant price, should be so big a problem here. Haaa well.

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Hi Dougie

In V3.02 this does work. Just try it with two clips with something moving on each clip.

 

Switch into Timeline mode.

Drag clip 1 to the sequence line and expand the sequence so you can see the thumbnails.

Drag and drop clip 2 onto the overlay track. That's video track 2

Arrange it so it overlaps the end of clip 1 by 3 seconds. (Refer to the times above the tracks.)

If you play the sequence it this point clip 2 will cut in and overide clip 1

 

Now- Click the yellow star at the start of clip 2

This will open up the effects control panel.

 

Slide the "Opacity" control slider to the left. This renders all of clip 2 transparent...That is 0% opacity.

On the right of this section you will see the blue horizontal opacity level line move down to the bottom of its box.

 

Now-Left click the insersection of the blue level line and the red cursor line.i.e. the extreme left end of the blue line.

This will place a small red square at that point and "fix" the opacity for the start of clip 2 to 0% and anchor the line.

 

Now move the cursor along click and hold the blue line some way to the right. Another red box will appear at that point.

Drag this marker up to the top of the graph box and position it about 3 seconds to the right of your first marker, but of course at the top of the box. Use the seconds marked along the top of the box to estimate this. Now release the marker.

It will turn to a green box and fix the opacity for the rest of clip 2 to 100%

 

So, you should now see the opacity line starting at the bottom of the box at the first red marker and rising diagonally up to the top of the box at the second (green) marker about 3 seconds along and then continuing along the top of the box to the end of the clip.

Click "Close" and wait a few seconds for the effect to be registered.

 

On the sequence timeline you will see the start of clip 2 represented by a chequred area and this should overlap clip 1. Zoom in with the mouse scroll wheel if necessary to check the length of the effect. If it is a bit short, simply click the star again and readjust the position of the green marker. Being a little short is OK though.

 

When you now play the sequence, clip 1 will continue to play as clip 2 dissolves in and takes over. Both will be movie clips and there will be no still images.

Note that that if clip 1 can still be seen and finishes before clip 2 fully takes over then there will be a partial fade-in of the combination as clip 2, at less than 100% will be playing over a black background. If you see this then you will need to shorten the opacity effect (or the overlap.) It works best if clip 2 is fully opaque before the end of clip1 is reached.

Of course you can also adjust the dissolve effect by overlapping clip 2 more or less without altering the duration of the opacity change.

 

Give it a try....certainly a bit phaffy but it works. (Unlike zoom :angry: )

 

Nat

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Okay Nationalsolo, I worked a bit with this last suggestion of yours and...it indeed works! It's not unlike working with A/B roll tape in the old days, and once understood, it's not very difficult to work with. I'll work with it further and see if I can refine it a bit.

 

I have another important (to me) question, but I'll go start that as a new thread!

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