VirtualDub Smart-Sharpen Plugin

[yonargi1]

I thought I had left this question, but I have looked for it and can't find it, so maybe I didn't.

 

Your instructions were so clear and helpful regarding how to download and install VirtualDub smart-sharpen plugin. I have that completed now.

 

However, when I try to use the tool to make my pictures sharper, this plugin doesn't seem to work on .jpg files. The Smart-Sharpen dialogue box has numerous places on it where it is grayed out--in fact most places. I think there's only two that are black (Presets, View Original). I have been to the search engines and youtube to no avail.

 

Could you direct me to a place where they have a tutorial just for Smart-Sharpen? Or, alternatively, could you help me with this problem?

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

With VP version 3.12 I find that the Smart Sharpen plugin doesn't actually work with mpeg4 video clips as when the plugin is opened and one tries to configure it...Videopad crashes..(at least on my system.. ) I haven't tried any other formats.

If you try the plugin with a jpg file placed on the sequence line it does work but only the presets are available. The slider controls are inactive as you have found.

These presets do work but don't seem to be configurable when selected. The choices are :

Small overall............................light sharpening...hardly any change visible in the preview screen on account of its size.

Small overall and borders........Similar

Overall.....................................Slightly more enhanced effect and works a little like an unsharp mask

Borders

Overall and borders

Mad..........................................Heavy unsharp mask effect.......too much and actually not worth using...Visible in the preview pane.

 

Selecting one of these options and pressing the preview button will show the effect (possibly) which may take a second or two to become evident.

If you want to see if anything IS working with your jpegs then before you add the effect do a snapshot, then add each level of the effect and take a further snapshot at each level. You can then compare the snapshots in something like Windows photo gallery when the effect should be visible as you step through the images.

Its probably better to simply add hires images to the sequence in the first place rather than try to enhance them via the plugin which, to be honest is not very effective.

 

Nat

[yonargi1]

Thank you. I had just about come to that conclusion myself. But if I may ask, what are "hires images"?

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

By "Hires" I am simply refering to images that are of similar size (but not necessaraly the same AR) to the video frame itself e.g. 1280 x 720 or above .... images that is, of several megapixels (5 or more), not images enlarged up from small frames or more highly compressed jpegs. Basic still images shot on my video camera are a minimum of 12 megs and when incorporated in an HD sequence look fine with no treatment required. Images captured via the videopad "Snapshot" option can also be good as they have the same format and size as the video, but they may suffer blurring if the subject was moving on the frame copied. In these situations enhancing the image may be benificial but it might also be possible to find a sharper frame close to the one actally chosen.

 

IMHO if you are going to use images in your videos they ought to be as detailed and as sharp as you can get them at the start...i.e. "Hires." In this way treatment via VP using a sharpening plugin shouldn't really be necessary.

 

There will of course be situations when one has to use whatever images are to hand and these might be small format or already have been compressed etc. and so require some edge enhancing. In these cases I prefer to use a third party program and deal with each image separately rather than the VP plugin.

 

Nat