The same happened to me. I can tell you that it happened after I installed the trial of Adobe After Effects and went away after I uninstalled it. I feel that there is a conflict issue.

I also had a similar problem with media manager that had other weird symptoms. An uninstall/reinstall was needed.

It happens with V6.

Do not worry.

Try the tips listed here:
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/for...ssageID=389571

Best Way to Crush Blacks?
 

I had been using the "levels" to crush the blacks, but I recently realized that it kills SO much detail and leaves everything muddy. The effect (minus loss of detail) was really good, though. It was really approaching a filmic level composition.

So what is the best way to do this in vegas?

Thanks,

DJ

use the colour curves :)

The problem is because of impossibility of uninstalling or reinstalling Vegas trial. I had the same problem and deleted it manualy, now I use Vegas 5.0d and I see that there are many options remained from v6.0b...

Uninstalling Vegas does not remove the media manager prefs, delete the "Media Manager" folder in Documents and Settings \ User \Application Data \ Sony \ Media Manager.

My media mgr was tring to locate a DB which was offline when reinstalling, and refused to install/start...

/magnus

Can you give me some specific numbers or settings for the colour curves? That'd be brilliant. I wish there was a bank of presets I could download from for just these occasions. Is there?

Register MPEG-2 encoder with render client running = Nuke 6.0
 

Just discovered that trying to register the MPEG-2 encoder online with the network render client running in background on same machine will nuke Vegas 6 terribly. A reboot and exit of the autostarting render client is the solution, in case someone has the same problem.
/magnus

Just drag the bottom curve/tangent and play around with it. There's two squares on the bottom control point. The one to the upper right controls the tangent control- drag that one around. You probably want to move it to the bottom right a little.

Honestly, just play around with it. It may help to understand that the x-axis is the input and the y-axis is the output.

you can also look at the picture at the bottom. It shows the resulting gradient if the input were a gradient from black to white.

2- If you are outputting to television, then blacks are supposed to be at 16 16 16 in RGB values. Computer black is 0 0 0 (RGB), but that's not what you want.

Also... there's this whole issue with DV equipment not corresponding to 7.5IRE and old versions of Vegas handling it wrong. On the Vegas side, Vegas 5 or better will have documentation on how to setup the video scopes.

On the monitoring side, check out http://www.videouniversity.com/tvbars2.htm

Explanation of 7.5IRE setup (AKA pedestal):
*applies to NTSC, not PAL.
With the DV format, 16 16 16 (RGB) is black in the digital domain. The problem occurs when these digital values are translated into analog signals/voltages.
16 16 16 (RGB) is supposed to be translated to 7.5IRE. 7.5IRE is a measure of voltage and only applies to analog signals. Consumer and lots of prosumer equipment (DSR1, PD150?, VX2000, XL1) will translate 16 16 16 (RGB) to 0IRE, which is wrong. This means some dark colors will get crushed and your overall image will be a little too dark.

If your monitor takes only one source, then the solution is simple: Calibrate it to the PLUGE bars in the color bars... and your blacks will be right. If you need to dub to analog then you should be especially careful about 7.5IRE setup.

*Japan NTSC defines black at 0IRE.
**Assinine technical note: DV doesn't actually store things in RGB values, but we can ignore that because in Vegas you manipulate the video in RGB values. You will rarely see things in YCrCb (which is also called YUV sometimes, but that may be wrong).

2- By default, Vegas likes to put blacks at 16 16 16. There are some workarounds...

For dissolves, add a solid color generator in a lower layer of 16 16 16. This way things dissolve to 16 16 16 and not 0 0 0.

For color correction, it gets a little trickier. One approach is to color correct everything and put blacks at 0. In the video preview window, click on the FX button and add the color corrector. Use the computer RGB to studio RGB setting, and double-click the saturation slider.
This is probably easiest, although you might cause a little bit of banding.
The other option is to make a color curve preset with the bottom point at 16 16 16. This is kind of a PITA to make, but with the color gradient generator and the *legacy* broadcast safe plug-in (invert the colors) you should be able to figure it out. In color curves, to move the bottom point, you have to de-select everything and then click the bottom point. Then use the arrow keys.

I tried the suggestions. I uninstalled and cleaned out all the files as suggested, re-installed Vegas 6. Same problem, same error message. Any other suggestions?

Update -problem fixed
 

After a bit of research and exploration, I did a repair of my Microsoft Office application. Then I uninstalled and reinstalled the Vegas and related software. That appears to have done the trick. Apparently there was a SQL file that was hosed!

Thanks for this excellent suggesion. I use the Studio Denoiser from Acon
http://www.acondigital.com/StudioClean.htm
which is really really good, they have a Studio Clean package for $69 with a de-noiser, a de-clipper, a de-clicker and a "Rebirth" module whatever that is. IMO better quality than sony's - and more user friendly.

/magnus

Fairy Dust effect in Vegas
 

Anyone know how to create a 'fairy dust' effect or 'shooting star' effect in Vegas? I've seen it done in AE using Delirium Plug-in but I am a Vegas user so just curious whether this can be done.

I'm not a novice by any means when it comes to Vegas and compositing and I've done a lot of complex multi layer composites. But I've been scratching my head over how to accomplish this.

One thought was to use PS or Illustrator to create a small bright star like image and use some motion blur but it's not quite the same. The 'fairy dust' effect that I've seen in AE is very nice and it contains many independent 'objects' trailing dusts that moves on its own.

Any suggestions??

what you want is Particle Illusion (www.wondertouch.com)

AWESOME absolutely INCREDIBLE piece of software (and i say that not as a disributor, but as a user)

thousands of tweakbale effects, and free downloads each month;

there is the SE version which is a single emitter no blocking program which is dirt cheap, and there is the Full bodied version which absolutely ROCKS

its probably one of the best independantly created pieces of software ever created, so my hat off to Alan

AlamDV has been rebuilt now, which is also good, huge user base and very flexible.
I havent used much of AlamDV, but i like the idea of if :)

Thank you very much for your response. I didn't realize there was such app that can do this. It's just what I need. I'll take the demo for a spin.

Vegas 6 - muddy output ?
 

Hi

I looking to get a new NLE and have read much about Vegas, so downloaded the eval copy to give it a go. I am choosing between AVID XPRESS DV (because I like the workflow & look) and Vegas (packed with features, including good sound support). As far as editing goes, I have been struggling on with MediaStudio Pro for a couple of years.

Anyway, I have tried a number of clips (straight from the camera), had a play and like the results. However, I have a number of clips that I have composited in Combustion, which are night scenes, and put these into Vegas. The output from vegas seems VERY dark and most of the detail seems to be lost. If I render & output through DV monitor in Mediastudio I get the right (as seen on monitor) balance of contrast / brightness), but through vegas, even when rendered to hard disk and played through media player or back through MediaStudio, the result is poor.

Is this something in Vegas ? Can it be corrected ? Or do you think the original clip could be at fault and needs lifting ?

If it was the original clip I would expect that it would look just as bad playing through any nle. Note that I encode DV clips using the Alparysoft lossless codec until I render for final output, so the combustion clip is using that codec when importing into vegas (other clips were straight DV codecs).

Before I purchase this software I would like to know whether there is something I am doing wrong, something in Vegas, and whether it can be fixed easily.


Thanks
Declan

Just to go more in depth on Peter's response. AlamDV was rebuilt like he said but it now goes by the name EffectsLab.

I believe it's a bit cheaper then Particle Illusion and you will be able to to create other effects with it's engine. It runs at 49 pounds, or close to 100$ USD.

You can check it out below.

www.fxhome.com

Good luck with your effect.

question about "Ignore event grouping"
 

I'm experiencing a strange problem in Vegas: normally whenever I move a video event, its corresponding audio event moves as well. With ignore event grouping it moves independently. But then after turning off ignore event grouping it still moves independently as opposed to the audio and video moving together again. What am I doing wrong/ not understanding?

J.

forgot to mention this one..
Main Concept have tehir editing program (it used to be called main actor) which actually has a particle generator within the NLE...

pretty nifty, but nowhere near as powerful as particle illusion or AlamDV/EffectLab

Declan,

You have quite a different workflow than I am used to, so my comments may be off the mark. What format are finally rendering to? I notice that my mpeg2 renders look very dark and dirty in media player, whereas they look fine when played with powerDVD. You might try another player just to see if it makes any difference.

Once you ungroup the audio and video, I believe that you must "regroup" them before they will stay together again.

WHERE are you seeing this? The computer screen? or the external monitor? The two WILL look different. Use External Preview and see how it looks.

If you simply turn on Ignore Event Grouping, move an event, then turn off Ignore Event Grouping, then the two events will continue to move together. If you do some other things while Ignore Event Grouping is on, they can become separate. For example, splitting the event can cause that to happen.

Hi

I am seeing this on the external preview monitor, set to output through firewire->CAM->JVC Monitor (TV Monitor). What I always do is use a frame buffer so I can see what the final output would look like. i.e. I will be outputting back to a DV Tape. I think it may be something to do with blacks. If I apply the Blacks filter (can't remember the name) and raise them (7.5IRE), it looks more or less like the original (when viewed from combustions firewire framebuffer).

Also I notice (again through the preview monitor arrangement above), that when paused, the clip stutters when on a frame with movement (classic interlace stutter). This doesn't happen with other software I have for the same clips (i.e. combustion). Is there a way to configure Vegas not to do this ? Source material I am using is all DV PAL Lower Field First.

Thanks

Allright, I understand. Thanks guys!

If that's the case then it could be a matter of HOW the clips were captured vs how the Sony Codec is decoding them. Capture with Vegas and see if you see the same thing. Otherwise, you *could* try setting the preferences to use the Microsoft Codec. I don't recommend using the Microsoft Codec as the Sony codec is superior. Test using files captured with Vegas instead.

I have not had a lot of time to test for background problems related to the freezing issue, but we have successfully rendered of a 45-minute video production using Vegas 6. The results were honestly amazing. Several of our production members are Full Sail film students and graduates, and even they were impressed. It is reassuring that people with tons of professional gear at their disposal would see Vegas 6 as an excellent product.

A side note: Magic Bullet adds an excellent look, but what's up with the crazy render times? It took 12 hours to render a 45-minute video.

Dear Brad,

Some stuttering is normal with the preview.

If you render your timeline, and then preview it, there should be less stuttering. I just ignore the stuttering while I am editing as my experience is that it does not affect the final product.

I have a Sony Vaio, with 3.4 ghz cpu with hyperthreading, and the stutterning is still present, but minimal. I believe it depends on what processing has to be done to show your timeline.

The stuttering on my system is not too distracting. It would be an issue if I didn't know that the final render is going to be ok.

As a test, if you have a lot of processing going on, you could mute some of the audio tracks, or bypass the FX, or eliminate the cropping, or audio envelopes, just to see the differences in the stuttering. Just save your project first and do not save the project after you run the test.

The amount of processing that has to take place in order to meet our needs is immense. It is reasonable for the current levels of computing power to fall short at times.

Relax your Preview Window: . . . Ommmmmm . . .
 

Try this:

1/ Undock th Preview Wndow

2/ Double click an empty sapce on the Preview Tool bar - this does what I call "relaxing" the Preview window. It will attain its natural Preview ratio - now try it with a video playing. I often get to 25fps - PAL-land here - this way!

3/- Now Double click again and the Preview Window will go to its smaller "relaxed" ratio

Any good?

I showed this to an HD colleaue, and he couldn't believe the improvement it afforded his previewing of his HD footage.

I kinda giggled!

Grazie

Magic Bullet is notoriously slow when it comes to rendering. That's why many people duplicate the looks using standard Vegas effects or other tools such as Zenote.

Not stuttering, but freezing — with nothing but a reboot as a solution.

With that noted, it hasn't happened for several days. I'm not sure why it ever did, but maybe, just maybe, it's never going to happen again.

As far as the long renders with Magic Bullet — I can handle the time away from my video editor. I've just learned not to apply the effect until the very end of the editing process. The time required to try to create a similar look is just not worth it to me. I really like the Bistro look on the footage we shoot on the coast of Maine last summer.

Thanks all, and I will update this thread if Sony comes back with any interesting revelations.

Thanks again,
Brad

Deinterlace to 30p
 

Can anyone give me the proper settings and workflow to get a CRISP deinterlace to 30p in Vegas 6. I have been doing what I thought would deinterlace, and it ends up worse than muddy. It ends up with artifacts all over the place.

I feel like there should just be a simple plugin or option in the FX menu to just "deinterlace" but alas...

I think one of three lower field/progressive settings is off. 1)The project properties 2) the render properties 3) the clip properties.

The multiple properties are driving me nuts. What takes precedence?

Thanks,

DJ

There are a few ways:
A- http://mikecrash.wz.cz/vegas/vegas.htm
Better quality than Vegas, although not necessarily faster.

B- In Vegas;
Go to file --> project properties something like that
set de-interlace mode to blend fields. Interpolate field always works, and does something different.

Hit ok.

Right click a clip... in a submenu, there is a setting for reduce interlace flicker.


2- DV is lower field first. (assuming target format is DV) Use the canned presets for project properties and render properties. In clip properties, select the appropriate setting. If the source footage is DV, use lower field first. DV is also interlaced, so tell Vegas it's interlaced.

3- What kind of artifacts are you seeing?

Artifacts: Maybe not properly artifacts. But here are the symptoms.

ALL OF THIS IS WHEN I RENDER FROM WIDESCREEN DV TO 4:3 DV W/LETTERBOXING...

An unwatchable jitter (jutter?) It is alternating between one field and the other. It can even be seen on the letterbox. It is bad.

No matter what I do, even "blend" fields, it looks, at best, like I've "interpolated" fields with steps on every angle.

On tiny details, like eyes at a distance, or small text in the frame, when they move, artifacts--horizontal distortions--appear around them.

IN CLOSING:

The only settings I can choose that make it look good again leave it looking fully video-ey. Fully interlaced, in other words.

I just don't get it. I looked at that great trailer done with a GL2 at this thread ( http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=40437 ) and it was done by deinterlacing 60i footage. It is crisp and filmic. Mine just looks like a siezure.

captions/text balloons in vegas?
 

Hi folks, just got a q about how to create captions or comic style text in a balloon in vegas, media generator has few text options but not the one im after, would i have to create it in 3rd party software or is it possible to create in vegas?


Cheers
Adrian

Automatable pitch...?
 

hmm.. well, I want to automate pitch effect. I mean, I want to pitch down audio track slowly for a few seconds... But, pitch effect in vegas is not automatable... Is there any way I can achieve this in Vegas?

You can create this fine in Vegas. One way to do the "balloon" would be to add a generated media of the proper color and then use Bezier masking to create the shape of the balloon. You might be able to use a "wingdings" style font as well. Another way would be to create the "balloon" as an image and then simply add that image to the timeline.

Now just add a standard text box on the track above to enter the text shown in the balloon. So what you'll have is:

Track 1: Text in the balloon
Track 2: Balloon (image/gen media/text box)
Track 3: Video

Thanks Ed, much appreciated.
Going to experiment with it now.

Thanks
Adrian

Rendering a VEG file on a timeline VS Rendering the original timeline
 

I'm rendering a 3 minute piece that has some effects (levels, color correction, and glow to be specific). I wanted the entire piece to be cropped to 1:85:1 via pan/crop but the flash transitions ignore the crop and make the entire screen white.

Pre-Vegas 6 I'd render out a DV-AVI then crop THAT and render to MPG2. Another step, I know- but the only way I could make sure the flash transition wouldn't cover the entire screen outside my crop.

Anyway I figure Vegas 6 will be perfect for this. I can skip rendering it to DV-AVI first and simply drop the VEG file on another timeline as a file and crop THAT. This way I only have to do a single render.

Problem! The render is taking astronomically long. A 3 minute piece which usually might take 20 minutes (due to all the effects) is now taking 80-90 minutes?! Why is this? Is it a known issue that rendering an edit within a encapsolated VEG file on the timeline is slower than rendering the original timeline?

i cant say why its taking that long, and i cant use 6 until i work out how to migrate all my presets across through to V5 (from beta 4) which is what V5 is using as the default preset directory (dont ask m mate, i have no idea why...)

anyways..

what u can do, is layer a 1:85 bar above your initial video track, this way, flashes wont bleed, but the black bars will also be hidden when displayed in 16:9