What new features made you switch to V5?
 

What new features made you switch to V5?

DVD Architect 2....(Vegas+DVD) ;)

Vegas specifically...the new bezier masking is incredibly powerful.

I'll agree with Glen that the changes in DVDA2 are more than enough to warrant the upgrade. However, there's tons of new features in Vegas well. There's also several "nice additions" that aren't on the official "upgrade list". One of my favorites is the internal preview updating when you stop even when using external preview.

Some nice touches like these just help make using Vegas easier and easier. But, take a look at the official upgrade features - a LOT of work went into them. I'll agree that the bezier masking feature is great. So is the 3D track motion and new nesting abilities of track (with unlimited Parent/Child options).

Yeah I've found a few "little things" that are nice additions that aren't paramount additions but really helpfull non the less:

-The ability to see the speed in percentage while ctrl+dragging

-The selection area still shows the length even though the selection isn't highlighted- sounds minute but is really quite helpfull. You used to have to double click a selection to re-highlight it to see how long in length it was.

-The preview window feature that Edward mentioned is great...especially when working with the Secondary Color corrector and such. Your able to create selections that need to be made on-screen then simply hit play to send the signal back out to monitor.

-A HUGE one for me was the ability to now scrub the timeline cursor- absolutly LOVE that new addition.

-This might be listed under one of the published, larger, changes but real-time event reverse now. Simply click on a clip and choose reverse. Even if the clip isn't in it's entirity...works perfectly. No more of that starting where the clip ends in judgement of where to start the reverse velocity envelope.

-Another one some of you might not have noticed is...when you accidently click the event fx button on an event and immediatly close it without adding any effects it closes BOTH windows together. Before if you closed the fx chooser it left the empty fx dialog box remaining behind it.


These are just a few of the "little things" that seem to make the largest improvment in workflow and Vegas's overall usability and convenience. Kudos Sony. But as Edward said there are more than just improvements- Vegas 5 has plenty of new additions as well.

Now, as I said, if you get Vegas+DVD and have been familiar with DVD Architect prepare to be completly blown away!

Media pool
 

The "Media Pool" isn't one of the features that will make you switch, since it's still no fun, and the same as in v4, but if you choose view / detailed you get all the information there is about a clip; data rate, frame rate, tape name, alpha, format,
here's a screeenshot:
http://www.modernafilmer.se/vegas/me...ol_details.jpg

Why Sony didn't add Metadata features (or just a silly little comments field would have helped) to the Media Pool in v5 i don't understand

/magnus

Man, you work with a lot of tracks.

All the Vegas 5 features that made me switch were actually in DVD Architect :D

In fact -- I don't plan on installing V5 until a few widely known problems are addressed in the 'b' or 'c' update -- there's too little worth the leap, and too much at stake to have to deal with that kind of aggravation.

- jim

Well none of the known problems are that big of a deal. And they don't seem to affect everyone. For example- I don't have that problem with the pan/crop tool at all.

I figured the earlier I get a start on the new features the quicker I'll become efficient at them. It took me 3 years to come to Vegas from Premiere in the first place...and I kick myself everyday for that!

Agreed though- regardless DVDA2 is such an awesome improvment. I love it!

Right, but I don't feel the need to beta test an app on my machine to find out if I'm one of the people who's going to experience problems. I'd rather minimize the BS I've got to deal with, than have a few gee-whiz features peppered with headaches.

For anyone doing compositing and limited masking/3D work, Vegas 5 is a big turn on. For my needs, these aren't a real draw -- and I can live without the other niceties for a while.

- jim

Keyframeable Bezier masks. Wonderful, wonderful enhancement.

I am making a series of short animated corporate videos in which I composite a real live human mouth over the face of an Action Man, Barbie, Ken etc.

Working with the cookie cutter in v4 I was limited to just a circle, oval etc and had to keyframe hundreds of movements to keep the mouth in line with the dolls face. OK, I still have to do a lot of that now but I can be really precise with the shape of the mask (ie tight on the lips) and this means I don't keep getting unwanted bits of nose, chin and so on when the actor moves his head. It seems to be quite intensive, rendering-wise, though.

What would be great would be if the mask path could be forced to follow the lips based on, say, colour difference. I guess I have to look at AE or Combustion for that. Not sure that I'm ready for another steep curve.

I only got V5 yesterday but I'm loving every second of it.

Boris, Actually...
 

I bought it for the Boris Titler mainly. There certainly were other good improvements, but since I first started using Vegas the Credit Roll Generator has positively sucked. And since I use credit rolls in almost every production I do, I needed something better.

-Brent