I've been toying with the Smart Compositor. I downloaded some of the ones shared here.
The problem I'm having is to use one of them. How do I add my images and video to them? With the Smart Compositor open, I click on the Next, and in the lower part, where it has all the components (clips, images etc..) I open the menu for the clips and in the storyboard I drag and drop an image or viideo clip where it says. After doing that, I click insert and in the editor the Color blocks are still there. No matter where I dropped the images, either beside the color block, or on top of it, the blocks were not replaced with the images...
Like the subject stated....Smart Compositor... Dumb Composer...
Go ahead and drop them where is says to. Then delete the clip to the left of the one you have just added. You have to remove the original or the original will play first. The way its set up.... if you want to use three clips in a six second overlay.. drop clip a (2 secs) then clip b (2secs) then clip c (2 secs). When it plays back it will play them all ina row with a cut edit between each... if you want fancy transitions between the clips.. creat a six second video file with the transitions or whatever you want.. then drop it in to be used in its entirety.
Ok I'm still not getting the SC to work for me. I'm using Steve's comps.
My Steps:
1. Click on Insert-->Smart Compositor. Smart Compositor opens.
2. Menu on Left (Theme Template) I choose Steve Jones, then highlight the one I want to use (3Frame Path02). I've tried all of them.
3. I Click Next, which is the Options Tab.
4. Click on Media Source to expand the menu
5. Click on (Select) Media Clip 0. The Storyboard window opens.
6. There is a color clip on the left, and the "Drop Video Clip Here" space on the right.
7. I drag an image clip from my library and drop it to the right of the color clip. Then Deleted the color clip.
8. Rinse & Repeated as needed for the other 2 Media Clips.
9. Clicked insert, and placed it on Video track 1.
10. Played and the color clips are still there...
***EDIT***
Ok after inserting, I then clicked on the Video Clip in the Video Track. It expaned, revealing 3 Tracks with the color clips. The only way I could replace the color clips with my images, is to Right click and select Replace with Image file. It doesn't allow drag N drop from the library. But using that method I was able to get it to work. Is that correct or am I suppose to be able to replace the color clips by the above detailed method?
Also I did try dropping my image clips on top of the color clips, with the same negative results...
Ron P.
Last edited by Ron P. on Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ok.. Now you got me. I haven't tried Steves files yet. Sounds like you are doing it 100% right. Sheesh... STEVE! Sorry about the caps.. thought if I yelled he might hear us.
I'll keep watching this one.. and learn something.
Thanks for the replies, I think it must be something with Steve's, that is setup different. I tried using the one that is included with the TBYB, and it works great. I done the simple drag-n-drop and "poof" everything is there and works...
I just used the same SC (3FRAMEPATH02) using both methods -- drag on top, and drop and delete. Both worked fine when inserting into timeline.
Do you have your MSP installed to the default folders, or are you using your own folder paths?
Not sure why it's not working for you -- I just downloaded the zip file that contained all the SC's from Steve -- it was on the 2nd page of the SC Thread. I unzipped it to "C" with the option to User Folder Paths, and everything has worked so far...
MSP is installed to the default folder. With the SC files they were *.exe files so I just clicked on them, and they installed into the SC. I didn't see any way to unzip an EXE..
I downloaded the zip files, and done as Steve instructed. Unzipped, they were installed in the proper folder in MSP8. Opened SC and the templates were there. Tried again to drag and drop, still nothing. It seems that for me anyway, Steve's templates does not allow for the color clips to be replaced, except when it is inserted to the timeline, after right-clicking and selecting replace with....
Could it be that I'm only using the Trial version?
There seem to be quite a few users having problems with creating / using Smart Compositions. Just to let you know I am in the design stage of my next tutorial which will have the heading MSP8 creating and sharing smart compositions.
Please continue to post in this thread any further problems or any queries you would like me to include in the tutorial. My initial plan is to create a simple smart composition, step by step and then go through the steps to turn it into a smart compo and how to share it by keeping the file size as small as possible.
Dependant then upon feedback I may be tempted to create a second one with a more complex composition.
Thank you Steve, I know that will be a big help for many..
However in my case I'm sure it is due to the Trial version limitations. I'll probably like the many other Ulead apps, buy it. Most of the time once I try I buy, terrible isn't it..
I recenlty bought MSPro 8 and installed Steve's smart compositions. I just drop my video files on the coloured blocks in the compositor and they always work.
The only problem I have is that one of Steve's compostions doesn't appear in the list, but I haven't been concerned about that.
You might be right about the trial version. Perhaps there is a limitation.
Dumb Composer...