Addendum
If you wanted one on top of the other, the settings would be (in PAL) 360 x 0 for the upper and 360 x 576 for the lower. I'm still talking about unsqueezed frames, so half of each will be left outside of the visible area.

another alternative is to check out this great site, its got some really helpful tutorials

http://www.martyhedler.com/homepage/Vegas_Tutorials.html

its also got some really clever editing and masking techniques and configs to try out.

Hi again,
One last question before I buy Vegas 4.
Is it worthwhile to get it with the DVD included. At the moment all I have is Sonic DVD which came with my A04 burner.
Should I get the full version or could I make a better investment buying another authoring software? I am not really interested in suround sound.
Thanks
Mike

Oh lord yes! I got sonic with my Recorder, also. Tried it for a couple of DVD's, and immediately started looking for something else. I ended up with Vegas 4 + DVD . It's awesome.

I would say yes because you also get the full AC-3 encoder along with DVD authoring. With the AC-3 encoder, you can produce full Dolby 5.1 DVDs and even 5.1 WMV files. But, the encoder also produces standard Stereo AC-3 which, when placed on your DVD, requires much less space. So, if you want 2 hours on a DVD, AC-3 is REQUIRED if you want decent results.

I decided to buy only Vegas because I don't think DVDA at "version 1" is enough. I'm sure it will be more competitive with its next release, especially given Adobe's announcement of Encore DVD.

This decision will obviously cost me money. The purchase price of V+D is $200 more than just V, while the upgrade from V to V+D is $300. However, the decision frees me to use the dominant product in this price range, Ulead DVD Workshop, if I decide that's a better choice.

So I'm paying $100 to defer my decision and get what I think will be the best choice at the last possible moment before I need it.

Will, I think you made the right decision---Hope you really enjoy Vegas. Give it a couple of weeks, I think you will be pleased.

Rex, I've been using it for close to a month but knew I made the right decision before it even arrived. No hedging on Vegas, just on DVDA.

Do you think that jitteriness might have to do with resampling? Perhaps if I turned off resample, it'd like right? I have a hard time with the track motion and pan crop controls, so I use 3d plugin pac LE to size video and stuff. Is there a difference?

Can anyone confirm that Vegas DVD Architech works with the DRU500AX DVD burner. I checked on Sonic's site and the DRU500 is listed but doesn't denot if it's the A or X ....or if it even matters at all. Thanks.

I used the internal version and everythign works fine, of course that is IDE not USB or IEEE 1394.

Whenever I get those jitters - for whatever reason - I first check that "force resample" and "reduce interlace flicker" is selected. That usually makes them go away. The controls are found by rightclicking the event.

I have smart resample selected by default. Is that very different from force resample?

Also, I guess I didn't mention this, but it's not so much a jitter as it is making the footage look like frame mode or something, rather than 60i.

I have a few additional audio tracks that have been recorded with a louder volume than the others on my current project.

Can anyone please advise me how to adjust these properties so that these tracks aren't so loud when played back on my stand-alone DVD player?

Many thanks and regards,
Neil

There are a number of ways to adjust audio in Vegas4.
1st; on track level you can adjuct the db- it's set to zero and there is alot of up and down adjustment on the slider. 2nd; you can insert and use an envelope and adjust the points up and down to suit your tastes for individual parts of the audio. 3rd; you can use the master mixer and that will control ALL the audio in the project.
Audio control is one of the strongest points of Vegas. Play around with the various controls until you get the sound that suits your tastes.
Don B.

Hi Don,

Thanks for your response.

I managed to suss out the 'add point' functionality of Vegas and it is very, very good.

I still find however, that some of the tracks are a little louder than others after I have finalised my session/project and played it back on my DVD player.

I guess a good set of earphones would help compliment me during the post production.

The master mixer is something I will perhaps tackle in the not too distant future.

Many thanks and regards,
Neil

Works Great!!

My guess is that Smart resample lets Vegas decide whether resample is needed or not. Force resample leaves the decision to you. I can't imagine that there is any difference in the resample itself.

So turning off the resample wouldn't solve my problem? Hell, I don't even know what a resample is. I'm sure it somehow involves sampling again.

Turning resample off will make the render go faster. Keeping it "smart" will make Vegas decide - but Vegas may not alway make the right decision as far as flicker is concerned.
Changing the field order may change things, too. What versin of Vegas are you using? There was a bug once that set the field order incorrectly under certain circumstances - can't remember which. If you have V4, make sure you get the 4.0c version. Just install it on top.

You could find a lot of threads on flicker at the Vegas Forum
http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowTopics.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=185550&Page=0

Hi all,
I was reading the tutorial on light sabers that was linked from this forum sometime back. I just wanted to see if I could make a couple second clip of my 7 year old son swinging a light saber. The info in the tutorial was for premier and photoshop. I am using Vegas and paint shop pro. They said to save as filmstrip, then bring all frames into photoshop and edit them. I can't see any way to do this in Vegas, so I saved each frame one at a time, edited them, then inserted them as stills back into Vegas. It seemed to work OK, but very time consuming. I can see where retouching the video frame by frame can come in handy for other projects and could make for some wonderful special effects.

Can anyone tell me an eaiser way to accomplish this is Vegas?

Thanks!

Hey, I was hoping someone could explain to me the difference between exporting 24p with 2-3 pulldown, and exporting 24p with 2-3-3-2 pulldown, in Vegas 4.0c...thanks.

There is a script available that will save any timeline as a series of stills. Look on the Sonic Foundry download page and download the Sample Scripts. MANY scripts are availble that do amazing tasks. One such example is Excalibur at www.VegasTrainingAndTools.com.

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=174505

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=173899

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=175137

Thanks, that clears it up.

I don't have a DVX100, but I can still export stuff in 24p 2-3 pulldown mode, in Vegas, and print it to tape back to my camera, with no problems...

Thanks Edward- I appreciate the quick response. I will check out the available scripts!

Okay, bear with me. I have a shot of two people on a couch. Behind them is a window, with the shade down and the blinds completely closed. The scene was actually shot late at night, but in the shots from the other direction, we attempted to simluate afternoon sunlight (probably not well, but anyway). The shots from this direction, though, don't look right because the window looks like there's darkness behind it, not light. Even with the blinds down, there should be somewhat of a glow to the window because of how the camera would see it.

I've attempted to fake this with Vegas 4 using the bump map effect set to to omnidirectional, and it looks okay. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to make it look more real, with the software I have available to me, namely Vegas 4. I can email pics if someone wants an example, but I don't have a site or anything to refer you to. Sorry.

Should we have had our key light outside the window, shining in, the whole time? Why yes, that probably would have worked nicely.

Do you mean there are little lines of darkness that would otherwise have been light?
If you can identify that colour you may simply change it in colour corrector 1 and/or 2. BillyBoy has a tutorial at http://www.wideopenwest.com/~wvg/tutorial-menu.htm

The Light Rays FX will give you all the glow you want but will not lighten the dark.

Next try: Did you use a tripod? You could export a still and draw the light you need on it. You could then use Light Rays to diffuse it.
(You said you only had Vegas 4 available, but something like PaintShop Pro can be had for a 30 days(?) free trial period.)

Also, please check out the 24p whitepaper here (http://www.sonicfoundry.com/support/productinfo/24p.pdf).

Hello Guys/Gals,

I am currently working on a wedding project on Vegas 4. At the beginning of the video, I have "Our Wedding Story" as a title. I was wondering how do you make the text appear as if it is sparkling or as if the text has a reflective surface and light sweeps across it? I hope you get the idea.

All relevant tips will be helpful. Thank you.

Well, I can't really help you all that much with this, but i'll try my best.

From my experience with doing text/titling in Vegas, it's not very powerful, most NLE's are weak in this department though, so unless you are good with a 3D program, doing good animated text isn't very simple. I personally do most of my logos and stuff in Photoshop....

Anyway, about your situation, maybe try using the "light rays" video effect, I haven't tried that myself, but it may produce something decent.

I'll actually try it for myself right now, got to love all the free time I have, even on weekends. Good thing i'm going to shoot some video tomorrow.


EDIT -- I just found something pretty cool. Apply the cookie cutter video effect to the text on the timeline, and select "CUT AWAY ALL BUT SELECTION"...and then leave the rest of the sliding setting bars to the left, except the feather, and the size...just mess with it, and you'll see what it does...you can keyframe it to move of course.

Try running a lensflare across where the text would be on a lower track then on an upper track do the text with the light rays filter on, making the letters transparent through one of the many methods available.

Ulead makes a program called Cool 3D studio. It may not be tops for 3D animation, but it does a fine job making flying logos. And it's relativley inexpensive too. There's several programs out there that make a great suppliment to Vegas . . . especially with regards to text. Some are way too expensive for my pocket book. Some are free, so I'm told.

Good luck!

Ted

If using the Light Rays or something similar, you should consider modulating the rays using the Noise Generator for the sparkling effect.
///d@

Dennis, could you explain more about "modulating the rays using the noise generator?"

I saw a nice article by the After Effect experts (the Meyers) in DV that showed the technique. The basic idea is to apply Light Rays to a copy of your clip that has been multiplied by Noise. Animate the Noise over time. Composite this over the original clip. It makes it look like the light source is less than perfect or is being projected through dirty glass before it goes through your text. It might enhance the "sparkle" effect in this case.
///d@

Alex and Albert,

I sent you both a veg file of some sparkle effects I tried to create. There are so many possibilities but it will give you something to play with.

Hello,

i am beginning to try out vegas to consider as a portable editing soulution for maybe traveling and a laptop.. Here is the thing i am seeing that is a problem.. When i use a Sony camcorder with Firewire, i am able to control the camera from Vegas itself.. capturing, rewind, fast forward etc.. But, when i connect my Panasonic AGDV2000 DV deck to the computer with vegas, i lose all my control function.. i can see the video, just cannot control rewind, fastforward etc.. this is really not a good thing, as i want to use Vegas to do a batch capturing?

Anyone have similar experiences ??? Any remedy?? is it a Panasonic OOOpps problem??

Thanks,
Mike Moncrief

I use it with a Panasonic AG-DV2000 deck all the time. I'll bet you have a setting wrong on the deck. Do you have the deck in passive mode? Two separate DV2000 decks works fine with my laptop and also with two separate desktop units. Full camera control is available.

dont forget to put it in VCR mode...

i during recording i sometimes run an external deck thru firewire (so i get 2 tapes of teh same fotage) and i dont even have to touch the backup unit...

make sure its in VCR and remote device control is checked to the on position (in vegas device control checkbox is ON)

the light rays effect is extremely powerfule, coupled with teh 3d plugin and the shatter effect you can get some really awsome text conversions turning into starfields...

i use a cheap proggy called Xara 5 and save an animated avi using the Xara aniamtor, then i refine it in Vegas...

For my actual studio intro, i use a light ray tracing over the text, then goes into a hard flash with "presents" as it zooms out.. then i use the glow efects and shatter.. then i run the 3d plugin in and zoom into the explosion.. looks liek ur in a starfield..
If i had teh badwidth, id uplaod a demo..

but i agree.. teh titler is very limited, but you can do lots with everythign else around it and u can make some great magic...

remember, transitions can be used on title tracks too.. even if ther eis no other title to merge into.. jsut increase teh dafe time, and throw in ur transition...
For wedding, i prefer to keep titles simple due to the fact that its not about how many effects ur use or how flashy your text rolls are..
Persoanlly i only use the efects to emphaisis key moments.. text is important, but dont make it distracting.. in the end the product will "look neater"

im gettin bored of all the cubes, and shatters etc...

jsut after something nice and elegant..
Ive been diving into the spicemaster series, but i dont see how much better spicemaster/filter 2 is to SM/F 1.2 (which is what im using)

anyone else use these tools??
Does anyone know if theres anything else like this for Vegas.??

and does anyone know if there are plans for HW suport for vegas? Im getin over the build dynamic ram preview selection.. it still wastes alot of time when doin hard effects...

any help, thoughts or ideas are greatly apprecaited!

Boris Red GL is about to be released. This is a very professional tool with unlimited possibilities. This release will include support for V4.

Hello,


Got the deck working, you guys were correct, had it in the wrong mode, and needed to set some switches..

Thanks !!!

Hello all,

I know Vegas Architect supports the Sony DRU-500 dvd drive for authoring, just would like to know if it supports the updated version of this drive, the sony DRU-510 ??

Thanks !!

Good question- I have a similar one-I see it supports the 500a but what about the 500ax?
Thanks in advance everyone.

Hello,

I am hoping some users chime in here.. before i go out and buy my DVD burner.. what is the difference between the dru500a and dru50ax ???
thanks,
Mike Moncrief

The answer to the question can be found at http://sony.storagesupport.com/cgi-bin/sonysupport.cgi/Ve9WpWqxuMPYYzocgIyyv0AOW-fdHH=A/faq/view/656.

The answer is that the hardware is identical but that the software isn't. You have to download some stuff for the A model, but everything is current for the AX model.

Sony is now up to the 510A, which writes -R, +R, and +RW at 4x. -RW stays at 2x. Same for the 500ULX, the external version.

I have the 500ULX and vegas +dvd and what fun it is to make a dvd. I spent all of yesterday working on two different dvd's and they turned out just amazing. Also they looked great when played on a good entertainment system. I like the layout of dvd architect and the abilities it comes with. I do wish it has alittle more options.

Rob:D

<<<-- Originally posted by Will Fastie :
Sony is now up to the 510A, which writes -R, +R, and +RW at 4x. -RW stays at 2x. Same for the 500ULX, the external version. -->>>


The DRU-500AX writes at 4x.