Vegas Video discussions from 2006 (Q3Q4)

Graham Bernard · December 6th, 2006, 02:36 AM

Glenn, thanks for the samples. I have them open and again have learnt loads just from this VEG.

Many thanks - G

Duncan Wilson · December 6th, 2006, 05:50 AM

I recently shot some SD video of penguins in Antarctica. In a few of the shots there are somewhat objectionable halos around the subjects, I presume from in-camera sharpening, and I would like to try and reduce these artifacts. I use Vegas 5.

I have tried using light blur and negative USM, but the image is too soft by the time the halos are significantly reduced.

Does anybody know if there is a different way to deal with this problem, such as a third party plug-in? I couldn't find anything using search.

Many thanks

Duncan

John Huling · December 6th, 2006, 06:01 AM

Thanks guys!
That helped me alot! In the drop down lists you refer to several both in Vegas 7 and DVDA would it be too much to ask the exact options to select. optimally I will want to shoot in HD for future use. But for now I would like to Shoot in HD and down convert to SD. What options in the dropdown lists i.e. step 1 Vegas to Step .X. DVDA. Keep in mind that I also need to make a master to send to the replicator. So there might have to be two different procedures...I don't know. Thanks again. I know it takes time to respond and write at least it does me. So thanks for taking the time to respond to this rudemantary post. I am an old 'hunt and peck" typist. I will check out Spots Vegas editing also.
Thanks John

Bill Porter · December 6th, 2006, 06:54 AM

I realize Vegas is very powerful and can create some awesome looks by using Levels and the other native color correcting tools. However, I find that in Photoshop, because I can use blending between layers and so on, that I can create more of the look I'm going for.

Question: Is there a way I can extract large numbers of frames from my footage (.AVI's) and convert them to numbered stills for batch processing in photoshop, then convert them back into .AVI?

(I searched and found similar answers but nothing about large quantities of frames, nor about re-importing them all automatically.)

Thanks!

Don Bloom · December 6th, 2006, 08:21 AM

take the clip you want to do in PS (either split it to make it a seperate clip OR highlight the REGION) and goto TOOLS>SCRIPTING>RENDER AS IMAGE SEQUENCE.
That will make each frame a still that you can now bring into PS do your thing and then save them as the same name but perhaps put an A or something to differentiate from the originals. Keep them in sequence and then when your're ready go back to Vegas and goto FILE>IMPORT MEDIA and point to the image sequence you have. It will then come back into Vegas in the proper order and play out properly. Of course you need to set the time length of the stills in your preferences, if it's set to say 5 seconds it's going to be a very long non moving clip ;-)
HTHs
Don

Edward Troxel · December 6th, 2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

Keep them in sequence and then when your're ready go back to Vegas and goto FILE>IMPORT MEDIA and point to the image sequence you have. It will then come back into Vegas in the proper order and play out properly. Of course you need to set the time length of the stills in your preferences, if it's set to say 5 seconds it's going to be a very long non moving clip ;-)

If you import using the Image Sequence option, it will import correctly regardless of what the preference length says. Image Sequence brings them in as one frame per image.

Dave Stern · December 6th, 2006, 09:56 AM

John - how much editing are you doing for this material, what type of content is it (in general, eg sports, etc), and how are you getting it to the replicator, DVD or tape?

Glenn Chan · December 6th, 2006, 12:55 PM

You can try:
First do a light blur or some other 1-pixel blur to get rid of the halos. i.e. in the convolution kernel, put in 0.5 1 and 0.5 for the middle three values (horizontally). Vary the middle value (1) until you like what you see- it should be 1 or greater. If the camera applies some sort of bigger 2-pixel blur, then try the gaussian blur (horizontal only). Most cameras only sharpen horizontally; interlaced cameras tend to blur vertically.

After that, apply unsharp mask with a somewhat high radius. This should increase perceived sharpness.

Glenn Chan · December 6th, 2006, 12:57 PM

Adobe After Effects is Photoshop-like and I find that it renders much faster.

2- Vegas also has many of Photoshop's blending layers.

Tony Jucin · December 6th, 2006, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Troxel

For speed changes, either hold down the CTRL key and resize the clip or use a Velocity Envelope.

Let me rephrase that Im a newbie!

Duncan Wilson · December 6th, 2006, 01:44 PM

Glenn

Many thanks for the detailed response - I will try what you suggest.

Duncan

Emre Safak · December 6th, 2006, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plamen Petrov

Yes, of course, it is little faster, but not better result than Furnace. Shuttering and strobing still remain.

Vegas was not designed for post-production tasks like this; for that you still need After Effects. I have not got nice results from Vegas' motion blur capability either.

Edward Troxel · December 6th, 2006, 03:34 PM

Ok, look at Vol 1 #9 of my newsletters for the article "Change the Speed of a Clip". You might want to look over the other newsletters while you're there as well.

John Huling · December 6th, 2006, 04:11 PM

Dave

I have not decided or been told yet. I believe it has to be delivered on Tape. It will go to a "post/production house" from me so I am not sure. I will shooting again Saturday. I tried the slowmo on vegas7 contl drag worked just fine. Close up of piano playing fingers in slow mo is very interesting to me anyway. Might be like watching paint dry for others!

Will Hanlon · December 6th, 2006, 04:56 PM

How can Threshold and Black Restore help? I'm very confused on how to use them. I looked at them, applied them, but I'm not smart enough to know how to use them. Any tips on techniques with them? Thanks.

December 6th, 2006, 05:50 AM	#1607
Duncan Wilson Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Jersey, Channel Islands Posts: 41	Removing halos I recently shot some SD video of penguins in Antarctica. In a few of the shots there are somewhat objectionable halos around the subjects, I presume from in-camera sharpening, and I would like to try and reduce these artifacts. I use Vegas 5. I have tried using light blur and negative USM, but the image is too soft by the time the halos are significantly reduced. Does anybody know if there is a different way to deal with this problem, such as a third party plug-in? I couldn't find anything using search. Many thanks Duncan

December 6th, 2006, 06:54 AM	#1609
Bill Porter Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 751	Photoshopping large numbers of frames in a row? I realize Vegas is very powerful and can create some awesome looks by using Levels and the other native color correcting tools. However, I find that in Photoshop, because I can use blending between layers and so on, that I can create more of the look I'm going for. Question: Is there a way I can extract large numbers of frames from my footage (.AVI's) and convert them to numbered stills for batch processing in photoshop, then convert them back into .AVI? (I searched and found similar answers but nothing about large quantities of frames, nor about re-importing them all automatically.) Thanks!

December 6th, 2006, 12:55 PM	#1613
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	You can try: First do a light blur or some other 1-pixel blur to get rid of the halos. i.e. in the convolution kernel, put in 0.5 1 and 0.5 for the middle three values (horizontally). Vary the middle value (1) until you like what you see- it should be 1 or greater. If the camera applies some sort of bigger 2-pixel blur, then try the gaussian blur (horizontal only). Most cameras only sharpen horizontally; interlaced cameras tend to blur vertically. After that, apply unsharp mask with a somewhat high radius. This should increase perceived sharpness. Last edited by Glenn Chan; December 6th, 2006 at 06:57 PM.

December 6th, 2006, 03:34 PM	#1618
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	Ok, look at Vol 1 #9 of my newsletters for the article "Change the Speed of a Clip". You might want to look over the other newsletters while you're there as well. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

December 6th, 2006, 02:36 AM	#1606
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	Glenn, thanks for the samples. I have them open and again have learnt loads just from this VEG. Many thanks - G

December 6th, 2006, 06:01 AM	#1608
John Huling Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 172	Thanks guys! That helped me alot! In the drop down lists you refer to several both in Vegas 7 and DVDA would it be too much to ask the exact options to select. optimally I will want to shoot in HD for future use. But for now I would like to Shoot in HD and down convert to SD. What options in the dropdown lists i.e. step 1 Vegas to Step .X. DVDA. Keep in mind that I also need to make a master to send to the replicator. So there might have to be two different procedures...I don't know. Thanks again. I know it takes time to respond and write at least it does me. So thanks for taking the time to respond to this rudemantary post. I am an old 'hunt and peck" typist. I will check out Spots Vegas editing also. Thanks John

December 6th, 2006, 08:21 AM	#1610
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	take the clip you want to do in PS (either split it to make it a seperate clip OR highlight the REGION) and goto TOOLS>SCRIPTING>RENDER AS IMAGE SEQUENCE. That will make each frame a still that you can now bring into PS do your thing and then save them as the same name but perhaps put an A or something to differentiate from the originals. Keep them in sequence and then when your're ready go back to Vegas and goto FILE>IMPORT MEDIA and point to the image sequence you have. It will then come back into Vegas in the proper order and play out properly. Of course you need to set the time length of the stills in your preferences, if it's set to say 5 seconds it's going to be a very long non moving clip ;-) HTHs Don

December 6th, 2006, 09:56 AM	#1612
Dave Stern Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 391	John - how much editing are you doing for this material, what type of content is it (in general, eg sports, etc), and how are you getting it to the replicator, DVD or tape?

December 6th, 2006, 12:57 PM	#1614
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Adobe After Effects is Photoshop-like and I find that it renders much faster. 2- Vegas also has many of Photoshop's blending layers.

December 6th, 2006, 01:44 PM	#1616
Duncan Wilson Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Jersey, Channel Islands Posts: 41	Glenn Many thanks for the detailed response - I will try what you suggest. Duncan

December 6th, 2006, 04:11 PM	#1619
John Huling Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 172	Dave I have not decided or been told yet. I believe it has to be delivered on Tape. It will go to a "post/production house" from me so I am not sure. I will shooting again Saturday. I tried the slowmo on vegas7 contl drag worked just fine. Close up of piano playing fingers in slow mo is very interesting to me anyway. Might be like watching paint dry for others!

December 6th, 2006, 04:56 PM	#1620
Will Hanlon Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 148	How can Threshold and Black Restore help? I'm very confused on how to use them. I looked at them, applied them, but I'm not smart enough to know how to use them. Any tips on techniques with them? Thanks.