Can't see Video in timeline on AVI file
 

I don't have this issue on some AVI files but I ripped an AVI from a DVD - it plays fine in WMP on Windows. All is right with the world. I drag the clip to Vegas 7.01e and the audio shows up but no video. This appears to be an Xvid codec issue but I can't figure out what is missing etc. I installed the Xvid codec but it does not seem to work. Any thoughts ideas on how to correct his problem? thank you.

Ok I think I corrected the issue but I have no idea why Sony VEGAS does not handle the Xvid decoded AVI even though I have installed the Xvid codec.

This video explains the workaround simply by changing the Xvid to Divx.

YouTube - HOW TO: Vegas - Edit DIVX/XVID Videos

Simple enough but I've spent a couple of hours jacking around with this....I hope this helps everyone else.....

XVid and DivX are both troublesome in Vegas. If you're pulling from a DVD, why not just go to File - Import - DVD Camcorder Disc in Vegas?

Similar Problem
 

I was about to post the same title as I have a mysterious section of an event that will not show either. Sound is OK but it's as if I have the video track muted as it shows black. There are no other tracks "solo" and the composite level is 100% and this is the top track. It is off camera and it plays OK in the trimmer.

What could cause this ?

RC.

I used to have this problem on Vegas 6 with video captured from my still photo camera (Powershot S1-is) and I believe the problem was that Vegas 6 did not understand the M-JPEG format that the AVI wrapper used. I know this is fixed in Vegas 8, but I have no idea about 7.

An MJPEG decoder is included with Vegas Pro 8. For any previous version you'll need to download and install an MJPEG codec.

Still no video
 

I still have this problem , but I am using V8. Sorry, I didn't realise that the previous query concerned V7.

I am really miffed by this.

RC.

Ron, what codec is your clips that are misbehaving? It seems odd that it would preview OK but not render.

Thanks Edward.

I assume that they are AVI as they are simply downloaded off the camera (Sony A1P ) into V8b amongst many other parts of the same tape. The curious thing is that it is only on one event, but this one event has been edited so that there are three parts of it cut together, quite short, (A) 30 secs, (B) 6 secs, & (C) 3 secs. When I look at the properties for each part, they are identical.

These are in the middle of the project which plays quite normally from the beginning but when the cursor gets to this part (A) is black, (B) is OK & (C) is black. All the icons on the timeline look normal, ie, you can see the pictures but just these two don't show through, - really weird as I am sure they used to play OK before, ie, earlier in the editing process. Also, they are all on the top track & the composite line is at 100%. It's as if these, (A & C) are permanently muted. Audio is all OK.

RC.

OK I have to ask the obvious so forgive me for doing so.

Did you at anytime in the process bring up the master video track at the bottom of the TL and use an envelope to mute the track-it's possible there are points sitting there somewhere muting the image.

Just gotta ask. I did that once and it took me 2 hours to realize what I did. I felt quite foolish but HEY, it happens.

Don

I was thinking something similar. Possibly the opacity envelope for those individual clips (the thin white line) got moved all the way down when you were trying to adjust the volume envelope, or something else. If the edit was using straight cuts it would be almost impossible to see if this was the case because there wouldn't be an overlap like with a cross fade.

Thanks Don & Jason, I am still learning Vegas & don't know about this master video track at the bottom of the TL. I went there but could not see anything. Can you enlighten me please ?

Also, the little white opacity line, - all I can see is the blue ..... oh, oh, ... I've just found it, - wow it's tiny ! Great, because I was about to say that there is an event on a lower track which works when I bring up its composite level. I thought the composite level was all there was.

So am I right in assuming that the composite level affects the whole track & lets you place points on it whereas the opacity line affects just the particular event but does not allow you to put points on it ?

This whole project is quite long & I have been on it for months on & off, and just when I thought I was finished all this happened. The problem is that I have had to re-edit some events in the middle and push the rest along and likewise pull some of the end section back, and now as well as this (now solved), problem, very frustratingly I am now finding that some of my events are out of sync, no doubt caused by all this shuffling. - But Oh, this never happened to me in Premiere because they have this one little button to "select all" to the right of the cursor, and everything on all tracks are locked together & can be shuffled up & down as one block, all synced together, dead easy. - Any chance a simple button like this could be put in a future version of Vegas ? - I wish.

I know you can do it in a rather convoluted way in Vegas but this is probably why I, ( and others), have had these problems because of it being so complicated.

However, I still think Vegas is great, and thanks a million for all your help, I'd be lost without all you guys.

RC.

Yes, exactly so.
Have you reviewed the various ripple editing, and post-edit ripple functions that Vegas offers? I use post-edit ripple all the time (Ctrl-shift-f) to move events, envelopes and markers down the timeline from the edit.

Vegas 8Pro also offers both scripting and interface customization, which means that you can download a free script from vasst.com or jetdv.com for "select events to end", then put a button for it right on your vegas menubar.

"Vegas 8Pro also offers both scripting and interface customization, which means that you can download a free script from vasst.com or jetdv.com for "select events to end", then put a button for it right on your vegas menubar."[/QUOTE]

Thanks Seth, now your your talking, - but I don't know much about scripts as I have never used them, but I sure would like that button on my menubar.

Thanks Seth, now your your talking, - but I don't know much about scripts as I have never used them, but I sure would like that button on my menubar.[/QUOTE]

Yeah you just need to be familiar with the Edit Ripple tool. It can save lots of hassles, or cause lots of hassles (if you forget about it).