Please remove this useless transition feature

[Helge]

There is an arrow at the beginning of a transition, which toggles the direction of the transition. With MSP7 this was useful to set the direction between track A and track B. But now with MSP8 it is more irritating. If somebody really wants to have a backward transition between two videos, he can set this in the transition dialog. With this arrow it is often difficult to select a transition, if you want to adjust any of its parameters (if you havend zoomed very large in). Instead you will often accidentially toggle the direction of the transition and detect this bad effect eventually only in the final video.
So please remove that arrow - toggle feature and instead open the settings dialog of the transition.

[Devil]

When working with transitions, many users use the Summary Timeline mode and this "problem" does not arise. You may think that arrow is useless, but others may not agree with you.

[Terry Stetler]

If somebody really wants to have a backward transition between two videos, he can set this in the transition dialog.

If your hypothetical person was in the midst of changing a bunch of 'em to "backwards" how could he keep track of his progress without the arrow? Hmmm...

With this arrow it is often difficult to select a transition, if you want to adjust any of its parameters (if you havend zoomed very large in).

If selecting a transition is a problem switch to Summary Timeline mode as Devil has suggested. It's the 5th icon from the right on the timeline toolbar. In ST all transition icons are quite large enough for selection. IMO this is by far the perferred method.

[Helge]

Thanks, summary timeline mode is a great tip. I admit that i seldom used it til now.
But does it really make sense to ever revers a transition? ( I dont mean the direction which can be set also for some transition.)
This would mean that you have a video A, followed by a hard cut to video B which transitions into video A follwed again by a hard cut to video B (a few frames later).
If anybody could give a realistic example where this is useful I will stop to complain.
With MSP7 it was also possible to have a shorter transition than the overlapping of the two videos. This is now also now longer possible and I find this good so, because it was most probably a mistake if I did it. (If I really would like to do it, it can of course still be done by placing part of the videos to some other tracks.)

[Terry Stetler]

I use reversed transitions quite a bit. One example would be the drawing of a simple path on a map, as was done in Raiders Of The Lost Ark or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

All that's necessary are two images of the map: one without the path drawn on it and one with. The procedure is to first overlap both images and change the transition type to a Slide-Wipe. Changing the direction in which the path is drawn is accomplished by changing the direction of the transition.

Simple example videos:

Map East to West: http://digitalvideo.8m.net/vsmaps/mape2w.wmv

Map West to East: http://digitalvideo.8m.net/vsmaps/mapw2e.wmv

As long as the path doesn't cross itself or do a loop this is easier than messing with Video Paint, especially now that Video Paint isn't bundled with MSPro anymore

[sjj1805]

Terry,
You've put the same map twice!
http://digitalvideo.8m.net/vsmaps/mape2w.wmv
oops

Steve J

[Terry Stetler]

Thanks Steve

I did a cut/paste and forgot to edit the filename

Edited.

[Helge]

Cool. Ok, accepted, even so I would call it abuse of a transition.

Hint: If you do a lot of this kind of work, I would suggest using vasco da gamma.. This would allow you even loops, moving cars ...

[Terry Stetler]

It isn't free, the transition trick is and there is no such thing as an "effect abuse". I have this habit of doing "whatever it takes" and if I need a more complex path effect there's always VideoGraphics Lab which costs 1/4 as much as VDG.

[sjj1805]

OK I give in whats this vasco da gamma a search on Google just turned up several references to some explorer from the year 1498, nothing about any graphics programs.

[Martin Keith]

OK I give in whats this vasco da gamma a search on Google just turned up several references to some explorer from the year 1498, nothing about any graphics programs.

It's a software pagage for writing on maps on so forth.
Here's the web site for Motion Studios (it is a German mufactured product)

http://www.motionstudios.de/produkte/pc ... a2pro.html

[sjj1805]

The sample video's look very impressive and I particularly liked the "Making of" video.
It seems there are 3 versions available
1. Vasco da Gama 2 HDPro €149 £102 $85
2. Vasco da Gama 2. €99 £68 $56
3. Vasco da Gama Classic. €49 £34 $28

Good at what it does, but you would need to create a lot of travel videos to justify
the cost of even the cheaper version, This software also appears to be restricted to just this one task.

Not as elaborate but for the short intro to a holiday video I tend to grab a screen shot
from Microsoft World Atlas or Autoroute, or use Google Earth (http://earth.google.com)
and simply pan across and/or zoom in. You can also incorporate the moving line method as shown by Terry.

If you want to add objects to the moving line such as the bus, airplane etc then you could use the "Moving Parts" plug in. http://www.plugin.com/product/11144?genre=6. This plug in can be used for other purposes and not simply be restricted to an opening map sequence.

I'm not an expert at Cool 3D - a version comes supplied when you purchase Video Studio 9 on disc, but from what I've seen of that so far, I reckon you could duplicate it all with Cool 3D.

[Helge]

There is a 4th version: vasco da gama se, which I have. I came with a magazine, so it was nearly free.

[Terry Stetler]

I'm not an expert at Cool 3D - a version comes supplied when you purchase Video Studio 9 on disc, but from what I've seen of that so far, I reckon you could duplicate it all with Cool 3D.

Cool3D Production Studio would be much better because of its advanced keyframer and other video-centric capabilities vs. the "standard" Cool3D.

[walter.mittwoch]

Terry

But you can't create a growing line with Cool 3d Production Studio as it is necessary for drawing a path on a map.
One times I navigated a 3d-car through the landscape with Cool 3d Production Studio - it was a fine thing, but a lot of work.

Normally I'm satisfied with Video Paint for drawing lines on a map.

Walter