Media generator length question
 

Using Vegas v6, is there a way to set a default length of 3 seconds (rather than the default 10 seconds) when using a Media Generator?

I've never found a way to set a time other than the standard 10 seconds. Kind of aggrivateing but I think a script might be able to adjust to a specific lenght. Not 100% sure.

Not sure about v6 but in v8, in Options/Preferences/Editing set New Still Image Length to whatever duration you want for new events. It will affect ALL generated media, not just stills.

hmmmm, I'm not sure about that either in (I should be, I'm still using it) I'll have to look at it over the weekend.

Ian, I'd sure like to know how you're doing this.
I just tried it and all my generated media still comes in at 10 sec. long, no matter what I have the New Still Image Length value set to.

yeah, I just tried it in V6 and the media still comes in at 10 seconds.

I can think of two options off the top of my head:

1. Create a selection area on the timeline for the desired length. Right-click inside the selection area and add the generated media from the drop-down menu.

2. Use a script which can create generated medias of any length.

I need practice using Camtasia so I put together a quick tutorial showing how to set the default length of any generated media in Vegas 8.0c. Shame it doesn't work in earlier versions.

Edit: Oh, mp4 is no good here! OK, I'll redo it in another format!

Better idea - you can find the tutorial here: http://www.videoit.uk.com/tutorials/...n_tutorial.mp4

Ian, this must be an NTSC vs. PAL issue because, try as I might, I can't reproduce the steps you did in your tutorial :-(

Mike, are you using 8.0c or a different version? I can't really see how it could be NTSC v PAL, to be honest - it's the same Vegas regardless of TV standard.

Ian, I tried it in 8.0c and 9.0b and had no luck with either one.
There's a chance that it's operator error (I have been known to not follow directions properly once in awhile) so it would be great if someone else could try your method and confirm that it does work.

FWIW, there was a problem a few versions back that only affected PAL users and not NTSC users.
All I can remember is that it had something to do with timecode in VidCap.

Well, that's weird, Mike!

I'm wondering whether there is another setting somewhere within Vegas that perhaps overrides the Still Image Length setting. Just a thought. I know there are some under the hood settings that can be tinkered with but I can't recall the method of bringing those settings up in Prefs.

I retract the comment about PAL v NTSC - maybe you're right, maybe there is a difference, although I still can't see how it would affect a function of Vegas. Thinking further about that, even assuming the Sony download site identifies my location, how would it know I wanted a PAL version, not NTSC?

Hope someone else can get this to work . . . or maybe I have a 'special' version of Vegas!

I used to report the still image length as changing this but had too many people report it did not work. I swear it did seem to work at one time but hasn't seemed to work recently - but you're saying it still does for you. That does seem really strange.

Not only works for me but you can see the video proof of it working! :-)

I have just uninstalled Vegas from my laptop so I can't test it on another machine. I will install the demo of 9 and see if it works for me.

I can only imagine there is some other overriding setting that makes this work or not work.

Just to confirm, Vegas Pro 8.0c (Build 260) is what I am using.

VP9b . If you DO have VP9c then you definitely DO have an advanced copy from SONY?

Grazie

Typo now corrected :-)

8.0c is what I'm using.

I confirm that this also works for me in the demo of Vegas Pro 9 (installed on the same machine as 8.0c).

Curioser and curioser . . .

Pro 8.0a - changed the still image length to 8 seconds. Newly added gen media was 10 seconds long.

Pro 9.0 - changed the still image length to 5 seconds. Newly added gen media was 10 seconds long.

Edward, thanks for confirming my results.
I have no idea how Ian is getting Generated Media to behave the way he does.
I went through the Internal Prefs but nothing jumped out at me and said "change this setting".

Well, just to further muddy the waters I just re-installed 8.0c on my laptop and was again able to reproduce the same results.

For the hell of it I also installed v7.0e (aww, it was so cute . . .) and same thing there, worked perfectly.

Is there anyone else that can do the same thing? Can't believe I'm the only one.

So, two PCs, three versions of Vegas, all displaying the same results.

Sherlock strikes . . .
 

I may have an answer:

I'll bet that you are inserting generated media on the timeline by selecting it from the Media Generators tab. I very rarely, if ever, insert items on the timeline from the tabs. No reason, just force of habit.

I am inserting gen media by right clicking on the timeline and using the context menu or by clicking Insert/Generated Media on the menu bar.

I just tried both methods and guess what - dragging from the tab gave me the default length of 10 seconds, whereas right clicking or selecting from the menu gave me the duration specified by the Still Image Length.

How does that sound?

This means that Generated Media length is being executed/actioned in a different way, dependant on which process is being used, "Insert" OR "Drag".

Inserting responds to the "Still-Length" length setting in preferences. Inserting by Right Click or Insert > Generated Media . . .

Dragging responds to the Default 10 second length setting, set by SONY.

Although this is/can be advantageous and useful, it is not IMO, consistent. Roughly speaking, Still Length - JPEGS, PSDs, PNGS etc etc are sharing, at this point in editing, insert "length-commands" with Generated Media. Point in case, look at the misunderstanding here?

Discuss . . . . .

Grazie

Well it's certainly an undocumented 'feature'.

I'm not too concerned (personally) whether it's consistent or not; I was more frustrated that I couldn't work out WHY it was happening. Now I know, I'm happy to add it to my (short) list of Vegas wrinkles. Not that I'll ever do much with it, to be perfectly honest! I will continue to insert media the same way I have always done and then edit it's length on the timeline or in it's properties. I don't think I have ever needed to know that a newly inserted piece of media is x seconds by default and I can't think of any occasion in the future when I will either!

I was, indeed, dragging from the Media Generators tab. I just now right-clicked the video track chose "Insert Text Media...", and it DID come out to 5 seconds instead of 10 (which is what I had changed the "new still image length" to be).

Just for fun, I then created a 30 second selection area on the timeline, right-clicked inside that selection area, and chose "Insert Text Media...". That text media WAS 30 seconds long confirming what I said above.

Mystery solved, then!

Actually, Edward, the 'insert into selection area' method is, for me anyway, the most useful, more so than Right Click/Insert - but how annoying that it doesn't work for stills!! They are still brought in at the default Still Image Length.

Oh well, can't have it all, I suppose!

And I'm VERY glad it is :-)

We can't?
Someone's been lying to me for several years then :-(