Nationalsolo

Hi Do your DVDs play on any other manufacturers player. Nat

Hi The quality of the photos you use shouldn't cause any problems, although as VP has to reduce them (as well as big format HD clips) in resolution to use for the previews there may be a problem with slower PCs but I don't think that is the case here. NCH mentioned that VP is not a 64 bit version so perhaps that is a problem but I don't really know as I use Vista 32 bit. Does the crash occur at any specific point e.g. Does it crash when thumbnails or the timeline is rendering, or when clips are being added to the media list? Not that this would give us a clue, but NCH might be looking in. One thing you could try if you think the project is too big was mentioned in a previous post and that was to create duplicate clips of your project but reduced dramatically in size. Keep the names identical. Rename the folder with your big clips as "BIG" and then rename the folder containing your small format clips with the name of the original folder. (i.e. you are simply swapping the big files for the smaller files and keeping them in the same folder in the same place) VP will load the project using the smaller files now. and should work more quickly, and possibly without crashing. If this is the case you can complete your editing with the small files, save the project; swap the files back again and then load and save your film. You might also try loading your project and then clearing out unused files from the cache. I can't remember the version number now (might have been 3.10) but I mentioned to NCH that every edit done duplicated ALL the cache files again and the cache became enormous. This was corrected in the next version. Nat Nat

Hi again Using version 3.10 (Non commercial Home use) the steps that workon my PC (Vista) are below. Have the edited project opened on the sequence and completely stable and previewable. Click the "Export Video" tab (Not the down arrow .....although I have also checked that it goes the same route and seems to work OK. Select "Computer/Data" option Enter the Save destination Set the following values but leave the defaults for any values not mentioned. Preset....... HD 720 File format..avi Resolution 1280 x 720 - HD 720p Frame rate 25 (PAL)........but you would select for your TV system Encoder options: Video compressor........MPEG4 (Native) Sound compressor......MP3 (Native) OK Create VP then converts (renders) the avi in the selected folder. I can't get it to shut down or open the browser.......Sorry. I can only suggest you try a reinstall of version 3.10 or download version 3.11 http://www.nchsoftwa...opad/index.html or try the latest Beta version 3.12 http://www.nchsoftware.com/beta/ Nat

Hi No idea why that is happening. What version of VP are you using and what are the exact steps you are following to export your video? Nat

Hi Perhaps you should try another downloader. I generally use the Basic free version of the YTD program. This will download HD 1080p mpg4 clips from UTube which play and edit OK in VP. http://www.youtubedownloadersite.com/ Nat

Hi dsteiny It's probably best to ask how to do things one point at a time more than loads of things at once. But no matter how simple the question is, someone will reply as Borate has done. The general principles of using VP are relatively straightforward and pretty logical but as there can be several ways of doing things and there are lots of options in the program, it can seem confusing. The main Help pages are obtained by clicking the "?" top right. Also have a good look at the various posts on the forum as there are many replies on how to do things. Borate's reply covered what you asked about but if you want more info just ask. Nat

Hi As I mentioned above, you can't add projects (.vpj files) together to create a big one unless you save them individually and reload them as though they were clips. But as you correctly say, this "fixes" your editing so to speak. "If I add all the videos in one project, I'm afraid it will be too large to work with." Not so! With the later version of VP this is not the case. You can load the videos for the first section of your film, edit them to your liking and then save the result as a sequence by clicking the + character in the Sequence 1 + prompt at the left of the screen. This clears the timeline and saves your first section in the media list under the Sequence tab. Now you can add the videos to the media list for the second section, edit them and save the new timeline as sequence 2 by clicking the + character in Sequence 2 + prompt. This again clears the timeline and so on. At any time during the work you can save your progress as a project file (.vpj file) which will recreate your sequences etc, up to the point where you stopped work. In effect you will be working on a "separate" film (aka. sequence) each time, and these individualy wouldn't be any larger than the single projects you mention. When you have completed the last sequence and clicked the + you can open the media list under the sequence tab and add them back to the now empty timeline in the order you want and then render your whole film. Having then saved your project, you can return to it if needs be and re-edit any of the sequences individually later if the rendered result is not what you want. Nat

Hi Conner Downloaded version 3.12 Beta as you suggested. Unfortunately this did the same thing as 3.11 as mentioned in my post above. When the last clip on the timeline is an image, (jpg) it does not render in the final avi saved to the computer. This also applies to any end credits placed over that image. (Placing another video clip (mpeg4) after this image produces a complete avi though. ) Nat

Hi Connor I just that I clicked the link supplied but a message came up saying that the version was incompatable with my operating system. (Vista 32 bit) As I could easily run all the previous versions up to 3.01 I just assumed it was because the version offered was a 64 bit version. I now have 3.11 OK which works . However...If you read this then have a look at my comments regarding the missing last image when a sequence is rendered please. http://nch.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/20154-watch-out-for-version-311/ Nat

Hi You have to use a mixture of crop effect and (if required, motion effect) to achieve a pan or zoom now. It's not that intuative so you will need to practice it a bit. As a simple example using a still image... It's probably easier than using a moving clip as you may get confused with the effect but the procedure is the same. With the image on the time line left click it to select it and then left click the "Effects" tab on the toolbar. In the Video Effects window that comes up click "Add Effect" and select "Crop" from the list. You will see a thumbnail of the clip containing an orange rectangle. Force the aspect ratio by clicking the appropriate button e.g. none 4:3 or 16:9 etc Note: It is important to adjust the rectangle to exactly the same size as your image or the effect may not be correct. Above the thumbnail there are four sliders that control the values for the size and position of the rectangle and to the right of these are 4 boxes containing horizontal blue lines and a vertical cursor line. These represent the parameter values at different frames of the clip depending on the cursor position. To create a simple zoom in.... Move the cursor line (drag the blue blob at the top of the line) to the extreme left. (This is the start of the clip) For a full frame set X2 and Y2 at 100% or drag the corners or sides of the the orange rectagle to correctly enclose your image as noted above. You now have a full frame image. To fix this as being the start of the effect, click one of the the four green crosses. This creates a keyframe at the cursor position (The start...but, unlike the previous versions of VP which only allowed the effect to commence at the start, you can slide the cursor to any point of the clip to create this keyframe so you could start the zoom anywhere in the clip) You will see small orange squares appear on the blue lines. Now grab the blue blob at the top of the cursor line and drag the cursor along to the right hand end of the blue lines.(or wherever you want the effect to finish) The orange blocks will now go green and the lines at these points will be fixed. At the new cursor position grab the corners or edges of the rectangle and select another area of the thumbnail by creating a smaller rectangle in a different place. As you move and alter the rectangle the values in the boxes above change and the position and slope of the blue lines alter, but remain fixed where the green blocks are. (Keyframe 1) On releasing the cursor a second set of orange blocks appear on the blue lines fixing keyframe 2. On moving the cursor these will also turn green. If you now click the play > button under the effects preview you will see your zoom play between keyframe 1 and keyframe 2. Clicking "Close" sets the effect into the main sequence line. Note you can set any number of keyframes along the blue lines to achieve innumerable zoom/pan effects both in/ out up/down etc. The blocks can also be shifted individually along their respective blue line so creating a different zoom effect. e.g. one that moves about the frame. The Motion effect works in a similar way and can revolve and animate the image. Combined with Crop quite complex movements of the frame/text/clip can be achieved. Nat Nat

Hi Following on from the last post, I have just "created" as short video with version 3.11. This consisted of 1 mpeg 4 clip and several static jpg images. All loaded to the media list with no problems. The order of the files on the timeline was... Video Clip + Image1 + Image2 + Image3 VP quite happily created an HD720 H264 avi on the PC and completed properly.It didn't stop at 99% or freeze as noted by Dougie and Borate. HOWEVER... The avi video did not play Image 3! I repeated all the steps again from square 1, and checked it played in the preview window then overwrote the first avi with a new one which completed OK as before but with the same result ....... Image3 was not present in the output. To check whether it was the jpg at fault or VP I added image 4 (another jpg) to the sequence so that it followed image 3 and again created an avi. This also completed OK. This time image3 now played but Image 4 was missing! At this point it seemed to me that VP did not place the last sequence line item into the aviI so I repeated the test by adding a repeat of videoclip1 to the end of the time line. This time the avi recorded correctly and played all the files. To check whether it was just an image problem or a final file position problem I now removed the final videoclip from the sequence which now read.. Videoclip + Image1 + Image2 +image3 + Image 4) and found that Image 4 again failed to render even thopugh it played in the preview windows. Placing a blank frame at the end makes Image 4 appear but the blank frame does not save. (presumably it's seen as image5) and adding an end title over the blank frame previewed OK but doesn't save to the avi.So...No end title! THIS IS A BUG. My conclusion to this is that VP 3.11 will not incorporate the final file on the sequence into the output avi if it is an image and this includes any overlay titles made over that image or blank frame. It could be important as many people put their end titles over a blank frame or image. Particularly if they are creating DVD slideshows. It would be interesting if anybody could confirm this finding. Nat

Oooh! Checked to see if it was a might faster with a slow project I have.....but didn't actually try creating a film....yet. Have a go tomorrow and see. Nat

Hi Do this.... Assuming all your video consists of just images and you have them on the video track already with the default duration for each one. Let's say you want them all to be twice as long. Create a sequence of all your clips by clicking the + to the right of the word "Sequence 1" (at the left of the screen) This will clear your main video track and put the sequence in the media list under sequences as "Sequence 1" So you can see what is happening switch to storyboard mode. Now place the new sequence 1 back onto the empty videotrack. As you are in storyboard mode you will see the total time indicated under the thumbnail. e.g if the default image time was 5 seconds and you have 10 images in the sequence then it will register 50 seconds. Right click the thumbnail now and seleect "Change clip speed" In the window that comes up enter the % speed change you require. Depending on your requirements and the original default duration, you will have to work this out yourself. In this example we want each slide to be shown for double the time so we enter 50% and click "Set" The sequence line will now show that it has doubled its duration and so each slide in the sequence will be seen for twice the time. This will work only for slides as they are still images. Obviously movie clips will slow down or speed up. If your still images are spread out amongst the video clips you will only be able to treat them individually Nat

Hi Dougie Version 3.12 Beta seems to be a 64 bit version as it won't run on my 32 bit Vista setup. Nat

HI In short the answer is NO. Your project files (vpj files) remain a list of instructions that will create just that project. As Borate says, you can load the clips that make up another project ......... i.e. Load project 1, then click "Clip" from the top line (next to "Edit" ) and select "Import clips from another project". Navigate to your project folder and select project 2. The files from this project will then be loaded to the media list. Note that as you can't load the clips from several projects at the same time, you will have to separately repeat the procedure for each project. HOWEVER.... These files will arrive simply as clips; they will NOT be edited ....It's the equivalent of making the whole film again from scratch....So....not exactly what you require. The only thing you can do (which will work) is to load your projects one at a time and, save each of them as an avi (or equivalent) to your PC. Then once they are all saved in this way, open a new project and load each avi to the media list as a clip. You can now add them end to end to the sequence line to create your merged project. You won't lose your original vpj files so you can always repeat the process if things don't work out first time. The other point to note is that you must have all your original clips on your PC for your previous projects in their original locations or you won't be able to recreate them without a lot of work. Nat

Hi Borate Your system seems to handle this quite well.. Grrrrrrrr... I am using a Packard Bell 32 bit Vista system (SP2) with Intel core duo CPU 4500 running at 2.2 GHz.and 2 Gigs of RAM The graphics card is NVIDIA Geforce 8600 GS, 2048 Megs DDR2, and it does struggle somewhat with this VP version. One reason why I still prefer editing with 2.41. However, in this case, I think that as you loaded the SAME clips into each sequence, the instantaneous appearance of the thumbnails was due to the fact that the cache already contained them and therefore there was no need to regenerate them a second or third time. In my test I used 9 different 1280 x 720 H264 MPEG4 clips added three at a time with a total size of about 190 Megs, and I also started with an empty cache so I could look at number of files created. The first three clips took a couple of minutes to fully complete...i.e. until all the thumbnails, soundtracks etc. were finished. The next three took ages...7 mins. Longer than the playing time of the entire 9 clips! Well, you can't work like that! To compare things, I Loaded the 9 files directly to the timeline....It took 11 minutes (from an empty cache). The cache held 74 files totalling 101 Megs. With version 2.41, starting with an empty cache the same 9 clips loaded directly onto the timeline in 40 seconds ! The cache contained 63 files totalling 30 Megs. No matter how you look at it 3.10 is SLOW! Nat

Hi Marbelan I have repeated the sequence making scenario using 9 mpeg 4 files (with sound) totalling 187 megs. I loaded all 9 clips to the media list, and after all had got their thumbnails, added the first three as a group to the sequence line using the menu option. This took some time to complete. . Once the green bar and soundtracks were complete I checked it played OK and clicked the + character to the right of the Sequence 1 tab on the left to create the first sequence. The sequence track cleared. The same process was carried out with the next three clips. This took even longer. (some 7mins30 seconds) This time however No thumbnails appeared under the right hand preview pane. Just chequered frames. (Why?) The sequence apparently played though, and previewed OK. One again the + character right of the Sequence 2 tab was clicked to add the sequence and clear the video track. I then added the third set of clips and repeated the procedure to create a third sequence. This took 3 mins 30 seconds and this time thumbnails did appear under the preview screen. After clicking the + character once again to create the sequence and clear the timeline, I opened the Sequence media list to find the three sequences present (+ the next prospective sequence as a clapperboard icon ) I now added all three sequences to the empty time line in the normal way as though they were clips by selecting them all and then choosing the "Place on sequence" option from the menu. It appears this created sequence 4. This last sequence, sequence 4, is the result of merging the other 3. Which is one answer to your question. .."How do you merge sequences into a single movie file? Note: No soundtrack appeared on Audiotrack 1 for the combined sequences under the main timeline but nevertheless it played in the preview which also played OK. (So where has it gone..the track was expanded?) The fully assembled 3 sequences (sequence 4) had a playing time of 2 mins 20 seconds and were saved to the PC as HD 720 avi. This took about 25 minutes. All nine clips played OK in the final saved avi and nothing was missed out. So I am not sure why you only had one sequence. Is it possible that you just reloaded sequence 1...? Personally I find this version (3.10) of VP far too slow to make editing anything complex fun, and even in this exercise there were some odd things happening. (chequered frames and missing soundtracks as well as slow rendering of the thumbnails and sound tracks. There were even missing thumbnails and images when the files used were all jpgs as well as blank sequences. Nat

Hi Marbelan Although I don't use sequences much I believe it works like this... You add your clips/images to the media list first and decide to work a few at a time (i.e you decide to create sequences) Add the required clips to the main video track (the sequence line) and edit as required. Once you are satisfied with this first part of your film you click the + character to the right of the "Sequence 1" tab and VP will collect and save your work as Sequence 1. and clear the sequence line. Your created sequence will now appear in the media list under the sequence tab as though it was a clip in its own right. If you now go back to your media list (clips or images) you can load a second selection of clips to the sequence line. Edit these as required and once again click the + character to extend the number of sequences made. You will now have "Sequence 2 saved to the media list %etc and the promt line above the main sequence track will reflect this. Carry on in this way to create your sequences. After clicking the + on completing your last set of clips the sequence line will be empty. Now if you open the media list under the "Sequence" tab you will find all of your sequences listed and the main sequence tracks will have reverted to their original appearance and be empty. You can now add your sequences to the main video track exactly as if they were single clips. I am not making any comment as to how long it might take to assemble your sequence line.... but when finished it should save to your PC/DVD etc in the same way as any project using the Export Video tab............ HOWEVER,,,,,I have noticed when trying out this procedure using images instead of film clips that after adding them to the sequence track the second sequence created previews OK in the LH pane but did NOT thumbnail or play on the sequence line..it just left a chequred frame so this MAY stop your recording after the first sequence as you seem to have noticed . The third sequence did load and play and so did a 4th sequence. So this may be a bug. Even after dragging and dropping the second sequence to an empty video track failed to make it play . So I am not sure what is happening here. There may be something wrong when sequence 2 is created. Nat

Hi Pricefairy "Am I correct in assuming that version 3.04 simply doesn't allow reediting clips once on the sequence? " You are mistaken.....You can edit clips once placed on the sequence line! I do all mine there. Version 3.04 (better to use 3.10 if you want to continue with 3.xx) is just a little little different to 2.41 when it comes to editing a clip on the sequence line. You can select it and split it just the same way as before, or use the IN/OUT markers in the left preview pane or you can shorten it by dragging the ends in on the sequence line. One big difference in the version you have is the multiple videotracks. These tracks all act like overlay tracks in that whatever is placed on them takes precedence over what is placed on the lower ones. Imagine you are looking down from the top. The upper tracks hide the lower ones. Using this idea, cutting your main sequence clip to shorten it or dragging the end in, is no longer a necessary requirement as the next clip can be placed on videotrack 2 above the main sequence where, if it overlaps the main video it will overplay it. Lengthening or shortening the exposure of the main track below by moving the upper clip to the right or left will, in effect change it exposure time, and in effect its length. However, logically, you can't lengthen a clip beyond its actual length. So if you drag the upper clip beyond the end of the main track you will actually create a gap. The only way you can make a clip "longer" is to slow it down. Note also that even if you have split and removed a portion of a clip, you haven't actually cut it at all. You have simply added some reference data to the project file to mark your changes which are then shown on screen. You can "recover" any "deleted" portion by dragging the end of the clip back to the right. The reference data is then altered to reflect this. However, as noted above you can't get back what you haven't got in the first place. Nat

Hi "Here, if audio track 1 is empty, a sound clip that is right-clicked|placed at cursor, left-clicked|dragged to that track or added by means of the green arrow does not split the video sequence. No gap." I tried that just now using two silent clips. Adding the sound bite by by selecting it and using the prompt to place it at the cursor position splits the video track and the sound clip is added to soundtrack 1 under the gap. Dragging from here down to soundtrack 2 still leaves the split as well as the gap.... "Select all the scenes that you want to transition. Click the TRANSITION button and choose the transition type. A prompt appears: "apply to all" or "apply to one." Ah...yes... Got it! Thanks. (Generally create slideshows with 2.41) Nat

Hi Borate "If there is an existing audio track (even if UNlinked), then a gap will appear. To avoid that drop the new independent sound to audio track 2." I can understand that and it's logical. I generally drag and drop but in this test I added the "independant" sound clip by selecting it from the media list and then choosing to add it to the sequence at cursor position by selecting that choice from the menu. (Options having been set to provide the choices). This placed it on soundtrack 1 (presumably because this was empty-the clips being silent) and split the sequence, when I would have thought a lower track without splitting the sequence should have been used. But why does it have to split the sequence anyway? It might be annoying if one is adding sound effects or music clips to a slide show of images to a carefully positioned cursor. "I don't spot a setting for default transition type. " No, there isn't one. (unlike 2.41) So what if you want to crossfade between each of a 400 images??? (Phew!! ) Nat

Hi Having a look at this procedure.. and yes, grabbing the end of clip A and dragging it to the right moves everything along and it remains together (A yellow line with multiple pointers appears, presumably indicating that everything on the other tracks is linked.) but... What I find a little confusing with 3.10 is for example... I load two silent clips one after the other onto the sequence line. (A and as shown in the above post. Now.....I have a visual prompt in the middle of clip B where I want to drop in some sound, and so I move the cursor to this precise point and then add a short sound clip to the cursor position. I was expecting this "independant" sound clip to appear at the cursor position on the soundtrack and synch with the visuals, as it does in 2.41 (although in that version it remains unlinked.) What I find is that the sound clip IS placed at the cursor line on the soundtrack, but I find that the main sequence line has been split and the portion to the right of this has been moved up by the length of the sound clip so creating a gap in the visuals. The added sound clip actually plays in the gap. Why is this? Obviously I am doing something wrong......somewhere. (What?) How does one add a sound clip without cutting and moving the sequence line to the right? Must spend more time with this version........trouble is, I do find it slow.... and how do you set the "Default" transition? Nat

Hi, "Then if you resize clip A to the right to make it longer then clip B will be moved along in the sequence to make space for it." Dosen't this unsynch all the independant sound clips associated with the B section.?? Nat

Hi As Borate mentions, 3000 is a lot of images, however BEFORE you try loading them click the options tab and set the default image display time to 0.1 seconds (or a similar short interval to achieve your time lapse effect.) otherwise each will display for the default time (5 seconds). If you dont do this before you load the images you will either have to start again or change each one individually whilst in Storyboad mode. Also, if your images are numbered....then I think they will come up in the list as 1,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,2,20,21 etc. i.e. selecting them all and placing on the sequence line in one go will put the images 2-9 in the wrong place. You will have to drag 1 first, then 10-19 then 2 then 20-29 etc. .......and remember also to set the default (under Options) to place them onto the end of the sequence. Anyway you can try our hints and see what you get. Nat

Hi With all your clips assembled in the sequence line, grab the blue heart shaped blob at the top of the red cursor bar and drag it along to the point where you want to start the removal. You could also play the sequence to this point or click the timeline bar along the top of the sequence which will move the red cursor line to that point. Under the right hand preview screen you will see a button with scissors and just to the right of this a small down arrow. Click the arrow to choose which tracks you want to cut. (You may not want to cut all the tracks). With simple videos though just click the scissors button. This will cut all the tracks at the red line. Now drag the cursor line along the sequence to the end of the section you want to remove and repeat the procedure. i.e. Click the scissor button.Note: To remove the section you have isolated, right click on it. It will turn blue (you will have selected it) and a menu will appear. Choose to "Delete selected clips" Note: If there is a join between clips in the original sequence that falls between the points you selected to cut, you will have two bits to remove in this way. You can select both bits at the same time if you want to save time by left clicking them both in succession whilst holding down the Shift key and then selecting the menu option to "Delete selected clips". The ends of the sequence that remain (if on the main sequence line) will now jump togther after the section is deleted. In some circumstances if video is on the other tracks for example you will be left with a gap. This can be closed by clicking it and selecting"Close gap" from the options presented. Hope this helps Nat