Nationalsolo

HI

OK. Although you haven't said so it seems you are masking an object on an upper clip/image with a transparent exterior and then playing it over a lower video/image.

I can see you have a line there but not sure why. Increasing the feathering value increases the grey line and I think this is a bug. It seems that feathering is not working correctly as IMHO it simply render the edge either sharp (feathering =0)  or gradually transparent with the clip/image beneath. This isn't happening.

I have notified NCH that this is a possible bug.  Can't think of a way around this.

Nat

Hi

That link installs VP 7.51 here....

Try it again....

Nat

Hi Lexi

I can see why you indicated 6" x 4" now.     Either upload your image file as Borate has suggested and  someone can check it out or open your project again and right click the image in the clip bin and then click Properties. You can then post the dimensions shown there which will also be helpful.

Nat

Hi

  6"  x  4"  is not very useful in this context as it is a size measured on paper.

You need to use a digital image measurement. e.g. 1920  x 1080 pixels  (2 Megabyte image) or  4480 x 2520 pixels (11 Mb image ) etc. The higher the resolution in Mb the clearer the image will be.

You will have your image in the image clip bin.....Right click it and then at the bottom of the list click Properties. Check what values you have against Dimensions.  This will give us an idea of what size of image you are trying to use.

How did you get the image you are using?

Nat

Hi

What is the resolution of your photo?  i.e. How many pixels across and how many down? (In general the image ought to be as high a resolution as possible.)  The export setting should reflect that resolution.

Nat

Hi

The Pragor U clips are more complex than they appear but in principle......You need to create your background video first.This is a job in itself as it requires much planning to be effective with timings and positions and it can't all be done in VP. unless its really simple.  It can be made up of individual images or texts that are animated as complete images using keyframes and the VP Motion and Transform effects. This is fairly straightforward but more complicated animations usually need to be made in third party apps.and loaded into VP as clips. Check out NCH Express Animate  You could also create and use animated gifs for example.

The narrator clip is made against a Green screen. (Actually the screen can be any single  colour  but it needs to as monochrome as possible..) and moreover, the narrator must not have any green items included in his outfit.

The animation clip is placed on video track 1 (if it's complex then higher tracks can also be used as well) but the narrator clip should be placed on the highest track.

If you click the FX on the narrator clip and select the Green Screen effect you can select the screen colour using the pipette colour picker. Doing this renders the background to the narrator transparent.The Threshold/Fading and Feathering controls can be set to eliminate slight differences of shade in the background screen and make the outline of the narrator cleaner.

Here is a VERY SIMPLE example where a text line made to move across the screen behind the narrator ......

First the narrator....filmed against a green screen.

.

Now the narrator clip with the green screen effect applied in VP...

The text is animated to move from left to right using keyframes (or the scrolling text control in the VP text editor). Quite complex movements can be produced with the VP effects..

The Sequence Preview and the clip export shows the text moving across the screen behind the narrator...

In this very simple example there are only two tracks used and both have a transparent background so the export background is black but you can easily move the images/videos up to  higher tracksand add a video or image to track 1..... If the narrator is in the way or needs to face the oncoming  text....

....He can easily be scaled down; re-positioned and turned around....

That's the basic principle.

Have fun!

Nat

Hi

I have used quite a few different ones and there are many out there. Some pretend to be free but aren't others are free but come with limitations.Others work OK but punctuate each project on the disc with free adverts for the software. With  NCH Express Burn you know where you are..either try and buy or use it for private projects in a cut down state. It works well though; is quite easy and reasonably intuitive to use.   In many ways it is similar to the DVD authoring package that came with Windows Movie Maker which could be run independently to Movie make and which I find very good but menus are not unlimited and movie formats tend to be limited. 

VideoPad also comes with a DVD authoring section that (for obvious reasons) is very similar to Express Burn but IMHO it's not as good.  DVD Styler  however is really good but needs quite a bit of pre-setting up as no doubt you have found but menus can be good (as least as good you want them to be)  as is the freedom to create text and place it where you wish for the menu previews. DVD Flick is another.

It's horses for courses in many ways and a lot depends on what you want....ease of use or the ability to control every aspect of the creation. (PS -I don't represent NCH in any way..Just a user of their range of software.)

Nat

Hi

There have been some posts relating to this problem. It also seems in some cases to be associated with previewing the work from the start of the timeline after using the I< button followed by Play. where there is repeated judder of the red cursor line with no sound in preview  until Play is pressed again.(Does this happen with yours?) 

In these cases the export has no sound. It seems to be connected with Audio tracks  and Video clip tracks starting together.

Tests on some downloaded faulty projects have shown something wrong and  NCH are currently looking at this problem.

Check out this thread...

http://nch.invisionzone.com/topic/25912-no-audio-when-exported/

You will see that I have suggested the following temporary solution, and it may work with your project.

My suggestion until the developers can find what this  problem is, is to split off 1 frame from the start of the timeline.....

    Zoom close into the start of the timeline.
    Set the red cursor line to the start using the I< button
    Step along 1 frame using the I> button
    Click the red cursor line again to get the scissor pop up with the brackets
    Click the Red bracket to remove 1 frame from the start of the timeline and automatically close the gap.

The single frame deletion won't be noticed and the sound will now export.

It would be interesting to know if that works for you.

Nat

Hi Alexander

"...... There is no issues with printing or inserting text in Videopad's text editor for the first time. I can do it. And russian text is Ok. Then I do somthing else and after a while I go back  to the Videopad's text editor to change fontsize in this TextClip. When I click on Videopad's text editor field the russian text turn into rubbish. ...."

That doesn't happen here. (with VP 8.10)  You can paste the Russian text from Google Translate into the editor and adjust edit the words; move etc. After working on more of the project you can open the text editor again (by selecting the text image from the clip bin) ; highlight the text and change font size. The text opens in the editor exactly as before and the text properties can be changed.

Here the text does not revert to the character codes when the editor re-opens.

Nat

Hi

Design a small watermark on a monochrome background (but not a colour used in the watermark.) Save it as an image...jpg will do.

Add it to the timeline overlay track. Click the FX box  and add a Green Screen effect to render the background transparent. Add a Scale effect to the watermark to reduce/enlarge it to a convenient size and then add a  Position effect to move your watermark image tothe corner required.

The whole of the logo will not be transparent and will stand out against the main track video. If you want to dull it down then click the FX and add a Transparency effect. This will dull the colours somewhat but thats what happens when you make something partially transparent.

Example... jpg image on left in Clip preview. Result on the right in Sequence preview.

If its going to be visible for the whole of the project then as it is an image drag it out to extend completely along the timeline to the end of the project, or right click the image clip on the timeline and Change Duration to that of the project.

Nat

Hi Wendy

Just downloaded your project from Dropbox and it's currently loading here to VP 8.10. Like Borate, the first thing to notice is that the  Audio Track 1 Stereo Pan is set to 100% right. So move this to the centre. This setting should not cause loss of audio.

Some time later.....It took some considerable time to cache on my old Vista PC (perhaps because your clips were in MOV format which are less compressed than my usual mp4) but once cached your project  played OK in preview.

Your project exported as an mp4 and it played normally from end to end. There were no breaks in the audio so can't think what may be up at your end apart from a problem with the version you are using which may possibly have become corrupted in some way. You could try a re-install...firstly OVER the version you have and if that doesn't work then after a complete uninstall.

If you have saved your vpsetup.exe file and your licence code from the current version then you might also try installing the latest version. As your project is rather lengthy can you say whether a very short project also exports without sound?

Nat

Hi Alexander

Whatever the font (even copied) all text options should work.........

Text on its own..........

Text with Shadow........

Text with background and Shadow....

Text with Background Shadow and Outline......

Nat

Hi fun

NCH have been notified regarding this problem. Your project downloaded OK and the faults reproduced. There is something definitely going on here and by replacing/removing various files and testing preview and export it seems to be due to your particular mp3 file or your particular mp4 clip that somehow don't want to play when started together. The same configuration previews and exports OK with my own clips and simply moving the Open Road.mp3 clip up the timeline cures the problem.

My suggestion until the developers can find what this  problem is, is to split off 1 frame from the start of the timeline.....

1. Zoom close into the start of the timeline.
2. Set the red cursor line to the start using the I< button
3. Step along 1 frame using the I> button
4. Click the red cursor line again to get the scissor pop up with the brackets
5. Click the Red bracket to remove 1 frame from the start of the timeline and automatically close the gap.

The single frame deletion won't be noticed and the sound will now export.

Nat

Hi Alexander

If you Copy/Paste from the Google Translate page then you can edit the position of the words that you have copied to  the editor....i.e. their order.    Changing the letters may be problematic as you have to be using the correct font or know the codes for the characters you wish to use.  For example in french  ê  is obtained with Alt + 0234     (I don't have a Cyrillic font so cant test those characters.)  My only thought is that if it's not right, you simply repeat the line of text using the Translate page again. You can, of course insert (copy) more words or phrases to the editor text and then edit the length of the line within the editor.

If you open the character table for the Russian font you are using and press a particular letter in the matrix you will see the code to use. If you use this in the text editor it may give you the character you want.

Best of luck

Nat

Hi

Try typing English into Google Translate with Russian output..........

and then Copy/Paste the Russian into the VP Text editor......

.

Your word .....

Проверка   

comes up with no problems done this way and like any text image can be positioned..

Very basic editing of word positions can be made but changing actual characters may be more difficult if you don't know the code or how to apply it.

Nat.

Hi

The file uploaded seems to be just Minerva.vpj file. and that is no use as ALL the project files are required for someone to reconstruct it.

Loading the Minerva.vpj shows there are two video files missing.....

Save your project using the Menu/File/ Save as a Portable Project option. This will copy everything needed for reconstruction and place it in a dated folder. Upload the contents of this folder to dropbox (or similar hosting site)

Nat

Hi

VP 6.31 is quite old and many of the problems have been mostly ironed out in the later version..That's not to say there are none but threading and caching have been altered and things do run more smoothly. If you still have your original setup exe file and your license number then why not uninstall and give the latest version a spin.

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

If then you are still not satisfied you can easily re install your old version.

Nat

Hi

To add an effect to all clips..

Move the cursor to the first clip and then press Ctrl with A. This selects all the timeline clips. (You can also make a manual selection by clicking each required clip with the  Ctrl key depressed)

Click the FX on the first clip.

Click the Green + and select your effect.

Set up the effect on the first clip

Click the 7th button along on the top of the effects screen ....popup reads  Append effect chain to other selected clips.

Nat

All selected clips get the chosen effect.

Hi

This, I think is what you are wanting to do.......

Above.....Initial position. Note the scroll bar is moved a bit to the right and the start of the main clip on the timeline is not visible.

The upper clip has now been dragged to the far left which is the start of the visible timeline. It has left a white frame behind at its initial position and upon reaching the left end of the visible timeline there  a white dashed vertical line appears. The clip does NOT jump back or zoom in when released and the scroll bar stays in the same position..In effect you have simply dragged the small clip closer to the actual proper start of the main clip which, because of the scroll position is not actually visible.

Click the  I<  button under the Sequence preview window to move the red cursor line to the  actual start of the timeline... The clips will all move along to the right.

The scroll bar now goes to zero (as the cursor is at the start of the timeline). Provided the short clip has been moved close enough to the start of the timeline it will be visible and you can now drag it left  again so it touches the cursor line where it will be lightly attracted.... It will now be at the actual start of the whole sequence.

Being on the overlay track it will overplay the main clip beneath and it can be left in position  if that is what you want

If you want the small clip to start BEFORE the main clip then......

Grab the main clip and drag it to the right so it starts where the overlay clip finishes. It will jump into place when it gets there. If you drag it to the right too far it will jump back when it is released.

This is how VP 8.10 behaves here on a Vista PC.

Nat

Hi

List the steps from a particular point. e.g.

1. Add a clip to the bin
2. Right click the clip and drag and drop to the timeline........etc. and etc.

Nat

Hi takis

"....Either focus is on the left or on the right clip, shortening the left clip's end causes the right clip to move to the left NO MATTER  WHAT (alt pressed)......"

That is the case. Shortening the end of the left hand clip by dragging the handle will cause all the right hand clips to move up and close the gap. However as Borate says images will leave a gap if shortening is done with the Shift key pressed.

I think the easiest way of trimming the left hand clip by using the handle is not to do it in situ...

1. Pull it vertically up to a higher track
2. Shorten it using either handle with the Alt key depressed.(Note:- Left hand handle needs the Alt key, the right hand handle doesn't but press it anyway)
3. When you have finished drag the shortened clip vertically back down to the main track. Right hand clips don't move.

".... I hope I was clear in describing the problem.. "

No, not exactly.     but if it a matter dragging an upper clip to the left (or the start of the timeline) then try placing the cursor line at the required start point and drag the clip to the cursor. It will lightly grab the cursor so that's when you release it. Note that you can drag an upper clip PAST the start of the project.

The horizontal scroll bar should simply move the whole timeline left or right no matter what zoom level you have. Dragging an upper clip to the left or right should not affect the scroll bar.

Nat

Hi

VP will not hijack your RAW files and they should remain unaltered in their designated folder.

It may be that the Add Files  window is not showing RAW files as Common Media Files is the default search option.If you click the down chevron to the right of the box you will see a full list of common media files.....(VP caters for quite a number!).....

At the bottom you will see All Files (*.*)  Select this option and the window should show any RAW files present (plus any non/media files) in the selected folder.

Although VP will load RAW files, they may load or run slowly. If you have purchased a fully running version of VP  I am not sure what you mean by  "...NCH is trying to force me download another program to work with them,..."   You may need to clarify this. In any case you might try using the free version of  PIXILLION to convert all your RAW image files to MPG files. (similar). You might find they work better.

Nat

Hi

Text seems centered here.

When you say you are  "manually" centering the text; are you doing this with the Position effect ?  Normally the text box controls will place the text centrally and adding an effect is not required........

A very low resolution quality export mp4  shows the text central............ (screengrab from vlc player)

Exported at High Quality the same clip shows the text still centrally placed...

This is using VP 8.10. Check the text box settings and any effects you may have added.

Nat

Hi

Put your project on the timeline.

If you click the Menu option top left of the toolbar and select File you will see the option Save Portable Project As

Click this option and in the following screen at the top navigate to a destination (e.g. Desktop) . Don't bother to name a folder Just click Select a folder.   Your project files as well as a vpj file will be copied and saved to a dated folder in the selected destination. (In this example the Desktop) and you will see a message referring to this.

It is the contents of this folder that need to be uploaded to dropbox etc. Someone can then download all the files in your project and reconstruct it with the vpj file. Then they can see exactly what you have and probably determine what may be wrong.

Nat

Hi

"...It looks like the shadow is covered by the outline. .."

That seems correct as removing the outline reveals the shadow. The shadow ought to be wider than any added outline. but it's really too narrow and doesn't give any relief to the letters.

I think there is a good opportunity here to really enhance this area of text generation, particularly for Titles. A separate program will allow the user to add a shadow..

1. Of variable width (or length)
2. Dropped at any one of 4 directions
3. Have a start colour and a finish colour for soft shadows.
4. Have 4 shadow type options (none, simple, block and soft)
5. Still use the different fonts

Examples: 

The user window to make these changes to the shadow of the text is pretty simple...Just a matter of selecting the option and sliding the shadow depth.

I'm sure NCH could work up something like this???

Nat