Nationalsolo

Hi Borate and Wendy

Indeed odd. You lacked 2 files with the vpj you used. I only lacked 1 file with the one I used. My dropbox download was........

This is the vpj and the MOV that seem to have the problem.  The second MOV is missing. That's the reason I asked if the above was the result of a Save Portable Project As and not an upload of separate files.

Nat

Hi Wendy

As mentioned I only got one MOV file here, The vpj file seemed to expect another.(Borate seemed to miss two!) but this one came over into VP as just audio.   It loaded as a normal clip when dropped directly in VP or VLC so in itself it must be normal but the vpj file faulty.  MOV files have two tracks I believe and possibly the vpj file just sees the audio track,  a defect perhaps introduced when the file was created.

I expect the Devs will get around to looking at this post shortly and will pinpoint something.

Nat

Hi Wendy

I sent a note to the devs to take a look at this post. Perhaps they can spot something.

What I found here was...

Three files downloaded  IMG-3983.MOV       audio test.wav        and    untitled.vpj

Running untitled.vpj   failed to find an indicated file IMG-3984.MOV  which was missing but by pressing the Finish button VP carried on and loaded both the audio test.wav and the IMG-3983.MOV file to the audio bin. The video clip bin was empty and the timeline was also empty

Dragging either of those files from the audio bin to the timeline only produced a playable audio track  (even though one file was meant to be a MOV.)

Reopening VP and directly dragging IMG-3983.MOV  to the clip bin and then to the timeline  (not using untitled.vpj )  resulted in a normal, playable clip with a normal playable audio track.

It suggests that the vpj file is somehow corrupted/faulty and  for some reason may see your MOV file  as just audio. Did you use Save Portable Project As  when you posted to the hosting site, or did you upload the files separately? In which case the vpj file you uploaded might not have been the correct one.

Using Save Portable Project As ensures that everything is saved for the specific project to be moved.

Regards

Nat

Hi

"......Missing in your portable project are MOV files 3983 and 3984.  However, they are listed as Sound Files, where normally an MOV would have video. ...." (Perhaps there is an incompatibility here ??   can MOV files exist in two forms?)

The vpj file from dropbox  (there were three files) downloaded the project but it was missing IMG-3984.MOV...  but .....Type: Sound Clip??

However despite this oddity being missing I carried on loading. The File IMG_3983.MOV (which should be a video clip (??)  loaded as a sound clip to the clip bin as Borate points out....

HOWEVER, the VERY odd thing is that  IMG_3983. MOV plays as a video in VLC...

In fact the download was ALL audio!... and this played.

The next very odd thing is that I could load  IMG-3983.MOV DIRECTLY to the VP clip bin (and not via the vpj file)  and it loaded correctly and played normally with the sound......

It seem therefore that the vpj file is somehow corrupted and sees the MOV file as just audio. Perhaps this has happened when the project is saved as a portable file?  Does a normal Save Project vpj reload the project correctly?

Nat

Hi

If you have placed your videos on the timeline as descibed above then by "Preview" Are you referring to how the timeline looks?

If so you may have inadvertently switched into Storyboard mode.

Check that you are not looking at the timeline in Storyboard mode.(See top left of the image below.) This will show your project as a single track of "slides"  like this.......

In order to see your project as  a "filmstrip" along with other tracks you may be using you must be in Timeline mode.(See top left of the image below.).........This mode shows all the tracks.

Toggle between the modes with the small down arrow visible top left in the image above.

However, if you are referring to the large Preview window(s), either Clip Preview or Sequence Preview, your project should play normally here and not as frames.

Nat

Hi

You are adding cutaways and is a basic requirement of any video editor worthy of that name. Check this forum entry ....

http://nch.invisionzone.com/topic/31067-cutaways/

In short..

• Place the teachers clip on Video Track1
• Place the slide clip in the correct place on Video Track 2
• Drag it out to the desired duration
• Click the f  at the start of the image clip and set a suitable fade-in time.
• Click the X at the end of the image clip and select Fade transition.

When the timeline is played the cutaway (the slide) will fade in over the main video and then fade-out again at the point that you set.The audio will play throughout. Make the slide the same AR as the teacher's video clip

Nat

Hi

Odd...Borate's link works here. Goes to...

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/adding-clickable-youtube-video-annotations-33142.html

Nat

Hi

Pretty sure this cant be done.   Why not suggest it?

http://nch.invisionzone.com/topic/11154-suggestions/

Nat

Hi

There is another way... This uses one ball image and Position keyframes so only uses a single track instead of multiple overlays. So it shows only movement and not a series of images but its simple and perhaps worth looking at.

• Place the background image/clip on Video Track 1
• Create the ball. In this example it is a simple image of a red circle on a coloured background, dropped onto Video Track 2; Green screened to remove the background and Scaled down to size to suite the underlying image/clip. This is then Positioned to be in the starting position, using the sequence preview to monitor the position.  A snapshot is then taken of the Clip image (the positioned red ball) Video track 2 is cleared and then the snapshot  placed on Video Track 2  The ball is now in its starting position when the Sequence preview is checked..
• Now we add a Position effect to Video Track 2 (the ball in the starting position) Set the first keyframe.
• Move the effect cursor line along the clip.
• Reposition the ball and set a second keyframe
• Repeat the procedure to the end of the clip.

That's the basics and it's is fairly straightforward. But it is MUCH EASIER THAN THIS.....

So.......How DO we set the complete ball movement? With the ball in the starting position we have created a keyframe and the display looks a bit like this.......Note the position lines are horizontal....

• Now we move the effects cursor line to the  the end of the clip (right)
• Re-position the ball in/over the basket.  and set a second keyframe. The display looks a bit like this now....
• 

The vertical position may have changed but that is not important since the basket is at a different height to the starting position

• Now grab the green Position Vertical   line somewhere in between the two keyframes and drag it downwards. It will form a smooth curve  Its not setting a new keyframe but the line now represents the movement (position) of the ball in the vertical plane between the start position (keyframe 1 - the thrower's hand) and the end position (keyframe 2 - the basket) It's not a technically correct parabola but it's close enough.....

Playing the clip will show the ball leaving the players hand, arcing up and descending to hit the basket.

The lower the curve is dragged the higher the ball moves so you can control the height of the ball. By dragging the yellow marker left/right you can control the trajectory and the position of maximum height. The start and end positions remain unaltered as they are controlled by the keyframes. Here are some stills from the suggested setup...

If you want to only show a part of the movement  (and set up questions regarding the result) you can split Video Track 2 before the ball reaches the basket (or not)  and delete the section to the right of the split. The ball will then travel towards the target but disappear before it reaches it This means you could setup several trajectories (A;B;C;D etc.,) some where the ball misses in front of the basket and some where it overshoots...even some where the ball bounces off the basket edge!  ..It also means that you can CHEAT!!  

Nat

Hi

No.

The program will offer to save any changes made and will prompt by telling you that there are exports in progress and do you want to wait. Prompting Yes will keep VP open. Prompting No will stop exports and close VP.

You can however,  minimise all the windows and run a different program during the export. The Export queue progress bar in the GUI window will stay active even if the export queue window is closed.

Nat

Hi

No problem at all.....

• Place your video with singer on Track 1
• Place your jpg on Track 2 where you want it to appear.

Nat

Hi

Here are some simple steps to get you started...

• Switch into Dual Previews (Options/Display) so you can monitor what is happening on the sequence.
• Load a clip to VP that has a subject in motion that you want to follow with say, a pointer. In this example I am going to indicate the yellow dingy with an arrow above the mast.
• 
• I need a pointer ,,,, an arrow....... You may have one already but VP has a good selection of useful clip art.
• Right click in the clip bin and select Add Images from NCH Clipart Library
• Navigate to Icons/ Arrows and select Big Bold Arrow...
• 
• Click Download and the image is automatically placed in the image bin ready to use. It has a transparent background.
• Click the arrow thumbnail in the clip bin and then select Rotate 180 deg to make it point downwards.
• Now drag the arrow from the bin and drop it on Video Track 2 and then extend it to match the length of the clip below..
• Click the FX box on Track 2 and add a  Scale effect to reduce the arrow to a suitable size. Use the Sequence Preview window to monitor the result.
• 
• Now add the Position effect
• Set the effects red cursor line to the start of the clip (left) (see above)
• Drag the position rectangle around the Clip Preview screen to move  the arrow to the desired place in the main clip  e.g. Over the subject....
• 
• Add a keyframe to fix the arrow in position in the clip by clicking the small green + sign with the red bar.
• Move the red cursor line along the the graph and every now and again reset the Position of the arrow on the subject and create a new keyframe.
• If the subject movement is smooth and in a straight line then fewer key frames will be needed, but if the subject changes direction constantly more keyframes will be required at each point of movement.
• In this example the movement of the dinghy is pretty smooth from right to left...but in the middle of the clip it tacks and there are more keyframes required to keep the arrow at the tip of the mast... This is reflected in the graph.
• 

Every now and again move the cursor line left to right to check that the marker is correctly following the subject. You can insert more keyframes if tou feel the tie/up is not quite correct. Of course your marker  doesn't have to be an arrow. Any type of marker can be used even normal text characters (like O) or the Censor block from the effects list as Borate has suggested. This can be pixelated to disguise faces or solid to cover up objects...but it will always involve the Position effect coupled with Keyframes.

Hope this helps a little.

Nat

Hi

No idea but have you tried loading the video twice end to end (I presume it starts and finishes at the same place in the circle) and then trimming off the first 1/2  of the left hand clip and the last  1/2 of the right hand clip so it now starts at 180 deg instead of 0 deg

Nat

Hi

There is a program called icaros which should apparently generate thumbnails for files instead of the program icon.Perhaps worth looking at?

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/icaros.html

Some years ago my Vista machine used to show thumbnails with a small VLC traffic cone in the corner but somewhere along the line (along with restores and updated VLC programs) it has "forgotten" how to do this. I have checked different settings in the control panel but can't find any way of altering things from the yellow traffic cone icon..

Nat

HI

I think that the reverse clip problem is corrected in the latest version and change of speed AND reversal should not now stop the export.

Just to check, save your current project so you can recover it. Re-open VP and then set up a short new project with say three short clips. Reverse and change the speed of the middle clip and export it as you would normally do. See if it stops.

In version 8.32 there is a bug I have noticed (to be reported) where in preview a clip reverses OK but a change in speed to 150% causes the clip to become stationary for a proportional length of time at the start of the preview.

Nat

Hi

Beautifully done!  But unless that was created  in a ready-made app it would entail a lot (A LOT) of work.   VP has the tools to do this though. Check out the link from Borate.

Nat

Hi PGA

Your project downloaded and previewed OK in VP 8.32. An export as a mp4 1920 x1080 was also OK. All the clips were correct with the logo in the bottom right corner. The inserted mp4 clip however had a different AR to the main clip. Older versions of VP (7.xxx) I don't think had an Auto Match feature in the export screen and this would have resulted in your AR difficulties. You could try a 16:9 crop or zoom on this clip if there is enough image, or use the letterbox/stretch effects.   Try the latest version and I am sure you will find the result more consistent.

https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/versions.html

Nat

Hi

Just interested.How you are converting your 8mm film?

Nat

Hi

With all your project on the timeline click the + sign at the left end which follows  Sequence 1 x  This will create a sequence of the whole project and place it in the sequence bin. At the same time it will empty the timeline.

Open the sequence bin and you will see Sequence 1

Right click this file and select Save Sequence Audio as New File.

This will create an audio wav file in tha audio bin and a copy in the folder designated in  Options/Disc

Nat

Hi

Out of interest what  is the format of the raw video file and what are your export settings?

Nat

Hi Diana

OK,  lets look at a simple example. Imagine you have three clips (all the same size) Singer 1; Singer 2 and Conductor.

• Place clip 1 (Singer 1)on Video Track 1
• Place clip 2 i(Singer 2) on Video track 2
• Place clip 3 (Conductor)  on Video Track 3
• Timeline will look a bit like this.....
•  
• Click the FX for Track 1. (Singer 1)
• Add the Split Screen effect.     
• In this simple example I want have my project showing from left to right...Singer 1...Conductor...Singer 2. So I need a MATRIX of 3 boxes horizontally....One for each clip (A matrix is simply an across/down arrangement of boxes)
• So select your matrix of Horizontal 3 from the Layout option list. It will look like this.....
• 
• ......Three boxes in a line......a 1x3 matrix
• Video Track1 (Singer 1) will now appear in Box A of the matrix by default...but you can choose any of the boxes for your clip by clicking them.
• Repeat these steps for the remaining two Video Tracks. (Add Split Screen and selecting a box in which to place the clip.  Placing the conductor in Box B and Singer 2 in Box C
• Note that each of the clips in the tracks will move to their respective positions without the need for you to move them.
• 

Now check the Sequence preview........

You have your singers on either side of the conductor. These are (obviously!) images but clips will all play together and the sound tracks will mix.

Now this is a very simple example of a 1x3 horizontal matrix but you can choose any matrix in the list  up to 5x5 (25 boxes -25 clips)...a more daunting task!

This means more tracks are being used and earlier posts have outlined the phaff of setting them all up. You can do them one at a time like this example or you can do them en masse so to speak using one Track and then mess about getting them one on top of the other..My last post mentioned a simpler way of doing this.

Another thing is that the images above are quite simple with the subject positioned in the middle and the boxes are vertical making it easy with no need to scale. In practice the box shapes depend on their orientation. Using 9 clips you would need a 3x3 matrix to keep them all horizontal and so fit your clips, but of course you would need to scale them down to 1/3  (0.33) in size so they fit across the screen. If you decide on a 4X4 matrix  you would need to scale them down to 1/4 (0.25)  and so on. Mixing vertical and horizontal clips means a bit of experimenting. That's why I like to have dual preview screens set up.

Hope this explains things a little.

Nat

Hi

Not noticed this yet in version 8.32 although it has occurred in previous versions. Ensure that the project files are fully cached and the green bar has completed. If you edit a longish project before this is complete it can cause problems as the updating is done in real time. First time caching can take some time with a long project. If you haven't emptied the cache between editing sessions loading the project can be much faster.

Nat

Hi

This is a known problem with previous versions of VP. It has been corrected.

Try the latest version 8.32

https://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/versions.html

Save any projects that you are working on and Keep your current setup.exe file and licence code in a safe folder.

Nat

Hi

Devs say VP de-interlaces automatically. 

Nat

Hi

Just noticed a better way that doesn't use Cut/Paste or dragging and dropping on the overlay track 

All the steps ..

• Place clips consecutively on Track 1
• Select all with Ctrl A and scale each to required size (0.25 with 4x4 matrix)
• Add the Split screen effect to all the clips
• Allocate each clip to a box in the matrix.
• Now drag each clip and drop it into the clip bin  (You will see a green clover leaf mouse pointer when you do this.) All the clips are now in the bin and the timeline will be empty.
• Set the red cursor to the start of the empty timeline
• Select each reduced size clip in the bin one at a time and select to Overlay on the Sequence at the Cursor.

This places each clip in their selected box on the tracks in turn one above the other. No need to phaff with Dragging/Dropping/Scrolling  etc.

Nat