Adding text and titles

[mikebpronerd]

I'm splitting my interview promo video into segments each with a different topic, some topics are mediums that I work in, some topics are more general.

So I clicked on add title, then changed all the font, size, alignment, position, animation, etc.

But I changed its colour to green and it isn't green.

Also I tried a bunch of different things but it's not showing up in playback.

it's in the main board, and I added it to the timeline as a separate video track. but it doesn't show up in playback?

Did I miss a step? 

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

Did you swipe the displayed text before you clicked the colour box? 

You can change the colour box and it will alter to the selected colour but if you haven't swiped (selected) the text in the edit box iprior to doing that ts colour will remain unchanged.

e.g. Text not swiped (It remains yellow) but text colour box is green.

Nat

[borate]

Remember too that the text must be the top (highest-numbered) track.  Higher tracks override lower.

[Kaj]

I cannot understand the instructions to add captions (or any other video effects) to a segment of a clip. When I apply one it appears on the whole length of the clip. It mentioned something about a second track of a video but I haven’t found how to do this.

Jack

[borate]

To add captions, have the clip on the timeline and click the SUBTITLES icon on the Home menu toolbar.  To add plain text or other text-like effects click the ADD TEXT button.

The subtitles (captions) button opens the ST compose window.  See...  http://help.nchsoftware.com/help/en/videopad/win/content_subtitles.html

When text is composed it becomes just another clip, and will automatically be placed on a higher track on the sequence.  It can be positioned there.                                              Clicking a text clip opens a rectangle under the preview window.  Click that box and the text composition editor appears.

See...  http://help.nchsoftware.com/help/en/videopad/win/texttools.html

Remember, clips (including text clips) placed on higher tracks override lower tracks.  So, if an image is on track 1 and another on track 2, only the track 2 image will be seen, unless it is smaller than the track 1 image.  In that case, track one will show in the background - picture-in-picture.

See http://help.nchsoftware.com/help/en/videopad/win/tasks_watermarkspip.html

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

This really ought to be a new thread.

When you say "captions" I assume you mean Text or Titles. Adding Titles or text is pretty straight forward.

e.g. To add text....

• Move the red cursor line to the position where you want the text to appear. The text will normally appear when complete on Video Track 2
• Click Add Text . There are several options but select Simple text Overlay.  for testing this. (The other's work in a similar way)  This opens a Text editor window with a default text (Title Text) similar to this...
• 
• Swipe the default text (select) It will highlight  blue
• Use the controls to set the Font/characteristics of the text/colour and presence or otherwise of a Shadow and its colour.
• Tick the box if an outline is required and then choose a colour. You can set the basic position and justification of the text by clicking the corresponding boxes on the right. and also set basic animation.
• As you make these changes the Sequence preview window will show the result and a text image will appear in the Clip bin.
• When you close the editor the text clip will appear on the overlay track (usually Video Track 2) at the cursor position. Treat this like any other image.

The text image will not interfere with any clip below it. You can position it where you wish by dragging it along the track and extend or shorten it by dragging the ends in/out. You can apply effects to it like Fade/Position &etc. Treat each text/title as an independent clip.

Effects can be added to clips and at their simplest will act for the full duration of the clip.

To add an effect to part of a clip you generally need to use keyframes. If you are not sure how to use these come back onto the forum.

Nat

[mikebpronerd]

On 7/14/2020 at 6:41 PM, Nationalsolo said:

Hi

Did you swipe the displayed text before you clicked the colour box? 

You can change the colour box and it will alter to the selected colour but if you haven't swiped (selected) the text in the edit box iprior to doing that ts colour will remain unchanged.

e.g. Text not swiped (It remains yellow) but text colour box is green.

Nat

yep that works

I figured out what I was doing wrong, I was drag/dropping the block of titling and it was probably not on the top track.

so I needed to click on the block so that it shows in the preview panel and then click add - and then optionally click add to sequence at start or at cursor etc. on the dropdown menu

[Nationalsolo]

Hi Mike

When you open the text editor,  whatever is shown (by default it is "Title Text"), will automatically and immediately be placed on Video Track 2 at the cursor position. like this....

There will also be a clip of your text placed in the image clip bin. It has a transparent background shown by the chequered area. You can now swipe (select) and edit your text (the existing default text will be overwritten. You can alter the position of the text, its colour, font,shadow and outline etc even scrolling behavior using the controls in the edit window. The clip on the timeline and the one in the Image clip bin will update automatically as you change things. You can see this happen in the Sequence preview window (If the cursor line passes through the text clip...

The text will automatically play over any video on Track 1.

There should be no need to use  the text Image in the bin  again unless you want another identical text elsewhere. You can simply drag the already placed text clip along the track to a new position on that track or drag it to another higher track or lower track. In general keep it on the track VP sends it to. (Usually Track 2) as dragging it to others will insert it with undesirable results.

If you want to further edit the text you made, left click it and re-open the editor - swipe the text you wrote and make your changes.

Nat

[Eric the Green]

When I try to add a title, it creates a video track 2 and then it doesn't show up in the window above. Crazy. If it doesn't show up in the window, how do I know that the title has been added?

"Adding Titles or text is pretty straight forward." Not if it doesn't even show up in the window when I play the tracks. Very frustrating. They don't show up in the upper window when I play the piece. I wrote text and put it at the beginning for a title, and it does not even appear.

[borate]

This is a two-year old thread, so best to start a new one.  But since we're here...

Odd.  The title track, placed just above the background, will always show as an overlay during preview, if the title color contrasts with the lower track.

Let's see what's going on. 

Share your project.  Someone will take a look and come up with a fix.  The process is easy, quick and can be done privately.  Just follow these steps...

•     Back up --- With your project on the timeline, click on MENU at the top-left.  Click FILE|BACK UP PROJECT FILES TO FOLDER.  Choose a folder and SELECT FOLDER.
•     Upload ---  Use a free server - Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc.* - to upload the saved, numbered FOLDER.    Do NOT upload the individual VPJ or export file. 
•     Get link --- Get a public link.  If using Google Drive click GET SHAREABLE LINK. If necessary change "restricted" to "anyone with the link can view" 
•     Share ---     Click COPY LINK | DONE.  Paste that link here, or click the folder at the top-right of this forum to message it privately to me.  It won't be shared.

          *    Before uploading, right-click the folder, click PROPERTIES.  Look at the File Size to confirm that it's not too big for the free space on the server.

[Eric the Green]

I tried. google drive says can't preview file. I don't see "get sharable link"

There is no alternative other than to use the vpj file for the "backup", and google drive can't show the file.

I don't see that this is easy at all. It has taken 3 hours so far.

Are you saying that there needs to be something on track 1 and then the title on track 2 will appear? What should I put on track 1 so that only the title will appear?

-0-0-

Wow this program is hard. I opened an earlier file I made back when this program was easier to use, and it created a blank space on the timeline!

OK, I had made another video before, and now it said a picture from this older video I made on this program was missing, and I had to "resolve" and find it and put it back. Really weird.

Last time when I made this previous video, it looks like I had to make my own jpg picture of a title and put it on track 1. I guess I must have given up on using "add title" then too.

-0-0-

Why can't this program be user friendly, like windows movie maker was (and is gone)?

Why can't I just add the clips to track 1 at the beginning of the sequence, without it moving or deleting the audio track? Why does it keep adding track 2? 

[borate]

If there's a title card that is NOT to be superimposed it can be placed on track one.  Or a higher track.  Keep in mind that higher tracks take precedence, so if the title card is full screen on track 2, then nothing will show from track one.  If the card is scaled down, then track one will display 'behind' the title.  That's a picture-in-picture effect.

If the title has a transparent background, such as titles created with the Videopad tool, place is on a higher track, immediately above the the background content.

The VPJ is a control file that tells the program what to do.  It's not meant to be displayed.  When a project is saved or saved AS, with a unique name or # - so as to not overwrite earlier saves - it creates the VPJ.  When a VPJ is double-clicked it opens the saved project associated with it.

If you get a "resolve' prompt, then the source file used for that project has either been removed or deleted.  Don't do that until the project is complete and will never again need to be edited.  Click the RESOLVE button and locate the file on the PC. 

Then save AS the project so it updates the VPJ to the new file location, while leaving the earlier VPJ file as is for protection. 

Save Project file AS is available from the Home toolbar - click the caret to the right of the Save button. 

There should be no problem adding clips to the head of the project without disturbing the existing content, which will shift to the right.  No track two is created.

Right-click the clip in the bin (top-left) and Place on Sequence at Start.  Works just like this...

VP is pretty friendly, but it's more full featured than WMM.  As with all software, there's a learning curve.  Click the ? at the top-right for HELP.  And at the top of this forum, choose the link to the tutorials.

[Eric the Green]

Thanks for trying to explain. Sorry, it is just not working. Whenever I try to add a clip it either creates track 2, or it puts the clip before the audio. I don't want track 2, and I don't want to add anything before the audio. Why is it doing this? How can I just add tracks to the beginning of the audio, and NOT before?

And I don't want blank spaces between the clips!

I found the deleted picture on my earlier video project, and reinserted it, but it is weird!-- there was no reason for it to be missing in the first place. It is still in the finished video as originally posted to youtube.

[borate]

Tough to diagnose what you see without having the project to analyze.

If the first clip on the sequence has video and audio linked (which would be typical), then both will move to the right when a clip is added at the head, so the audio and video stay in sync.  That's normal.  If you don't want the audio to be affected, UNlink it via a right-click on either the vid or aud track and then click on the UNlink choice.

If a black space has been created between clips, right-click in that space and CLOSE GAP.

Save Project File AS routinely, giving it a unique # or name, so as not to overwrite prior saves.  Using Save Project Files (no AS) will overwrite.  As mentioned, from the HOME tab, that choice is available by clicking the caret to the right of the Save Project button on the toolbar.

When the VPJ is restored, all will be as it was when it was saved.  No missing items - unless they have been removed.

[Eric the Green]

I sure don't understand this. Why does this program automatically assume that when I want to add a video clip, that I want to add new audio below it, if that's what it's doing? It's crazy. Why can't I just add the clips without creating a space before the audio already on the timeline?

I found where it says UNlink, but then it took away my first audio track! I have two audio tracks carefully sequenced; I don't want the first one taken away when I add a video clip to it!

"Tough to diagnose what you see without having the project to analyze." So far I see no way to display it here. But I think my question is pretty simple. What is very complicated seems to be how to use this program. I am totally stuck.

[borate]

Keep in mind that the VPJ file is not the project - it tells the project what to do.  A VPJ cannot be played like a video file.  To play a project it must first be exported.  That creates a playable file in any number of formats, resolutions, etc.

Clips can be easily added at the head without creating a space before audio already on the timeline.

Let's say that there are images on video track 1 and a song on audio track 1.

If a new image is added on track 1 it won't affect the song.  But if a new video clip is added at the head, then the existing clips will be pushed to the right.

To share your project, just follow these steps.  Someone will take a look and come up with a fix.  The process is easy, quick and can be done privately.

•     Back up --- With your project on the timeline, click on MENU at the top-left.  Click FILE|BACK UP PROJECT FILES TO FOLDER.  Choose a folder and SELECT FOLDER.
•     Upload ---  Use a free server - Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc.* - to upload the saved, numbered FOLDER.    Do NOT upload the individual VPJ or export file. 
•     Get link --- Get a public link.  If using Google Drive click GET SHAREABLE LINK. If necessary change "restricted" to "anyone with the link can view" 
•     Share ---     Click COPY LINK | DONE.  Paste that link here, or click the folder at the top-right of this forum to message it privately to me.  It won't be shared.

          *    Before uploading, right-click the folder, click PROPERTIES.  Look at the File Size to confirm that it's not too big for the free space on the server.

[Eric the Green]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Ah3a8qaUNBCdImmR0K_wm5iCN57RR_t/view?usp=sharing

-0-0-\"Clips can be easily added at the head without creating a space before audio already on the timeline." That is exactly what this program is NOT doing. When I add an image to track 1, it creates a space before the audio already on the timeline. No matter what I do!

[borate]

Need to see the project.

The VPJ file alone is of no use in this context.  Follow the above instructions carefully.  This will create a dated project file containing all source files + the VPJ.

Upload that to Google Drive.  Click Share and then make the link public not restricted.  Post the link here.

[Eric the Green]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4K5Jqi5E9uRIBzTHOPqYZkN-wvhlW-T/view?usp=sharing

-0-0-

What the file I have been trying to open or send or display here shows is simple. It shows the video clip I added to the timeline, and it is putting in a new space before the audio, every time no matter what I do. It looks as though this videopad program just does not work anymore. Is it because I use windows 7? It is ridiculous for microsoft to require me to buy windows 10. 

[borate]

Nope.  That still just the VPJ file.  You must follow the above instructions to the letter.

Click FILE|BACK UP PROJECT FILES TO FOLDER.  Choose a folder and SELECT FOLDER.  The result will look something like this...

THAT'S the folder to upload to Google Drive.

Videopad works just fine - on W7-W11, but it takes time to learn.  What version of Videopad is being used.  Here's the current release.

 

[Eric the Green]

Looking at this 6 second video you posted, it seems my program is not the same. I can't see any "place on sequence" with a following option of "place in sequence at start". There is only a "place clip on sequence" and it puts it before the audio.

I uploaded the folder to google drive.

Now I am "uploading" the folder to google drive and it says 13 items and it takes hours to upload them.

Boy this is complicated!

If I get another release, will it save the two audio tracks I so carefully sequenced?

[borate]

Hopefully there's enough space on Google drive to accommodate the project.  If not, it will be incomplete.

Any VP release will save your two audio tracks, if correctly programmed.  And it makes no difference which Windows O/S if being used.

An alternative to the right-click menu in the bin is to drag the file to the start of the sequence ... or to use the ADD (or in some versions PLACE) button, under the preview window.

[Eric the Green]

So I downloaded the new version, clicked on place on sequence, clicked on place on sequence at start, and it still places the clip before the audio!

[borate]

When we see the project we can try to replicate your result.

In Google you must click SHARE, then change Restricted to Anyone With Link Can View before the folder can be downloaded here.

[Eric the Green]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MghlP-SMYWo-2SKVHSWcnzrHvBEaYBRw?usp=sharing

I don't understand what you need to see. The program puts the clip before the audio.  I have sent it here and in a message to you many times now.

So I downloaded the new version, clicked on place on sequence, clicked on place on sequence at start, and it still places the clip before the audio!

-0-0-

Another try:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/102cd7VjEqCG-is_OQ5IQnUoOvN8HK7cY/view?usp=sharing

-0-0-

Is there anyone else who can help without seeing a picture of the project?  There seems to be no way to put that here.