Combining multiple .VSP project files in VS-anything?

[AlanStuff]

What's the definitive word on the ability to combine two.VSP files into a single project? Is this possible on any version of VideoStudio or other software?

I need to juggle clips between the two projects, so appending Project 2 to Project 1 isn't good enough unless I'm still be able to move segments around at will, add transitions, etc. I'm using VS7SE at the moment...currently the only way I can find to do this is to laboriously copy individual clips from Project 2 to the library and then reopen Project 1 and drag the clips to the storyboard.

I was astounded that there was no way of combining VSP files, and will be further astounded if this feature is also missing from VS8, 9, and 10.

A search of this forum has yielded contradictory results, with some people saying you can open a .VSP project an insert another .VSP project, and other people say it can't be done. For instance:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ombine+vsp
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ombine+vsp
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ombine+vsp

I would not have been in this fix if there wasn't this absurd, undocumented 10 hour limit in VideoStudio (has this been fixed?). The reason I hit this limit is that I have nearly 100 hours of tape that I wanted to boil down into a 3-hour DVD. Rather than do this massive selection all at once, I elected to use a 2-pass strategy: first go through all 100 hours, doing a rough cut first to eliminate most of the footage, and then (after having seen all the possible source material) make further cuts down to 3 hours and juggle clips to assemble the project.

Unfortunately I hit the 10-hour limit before I finished Pass 1, and had to overflow into another project file.

Any thoughts?

[sjj1805]

No you cannot simply merge two VSP files into one.
You have been misled by one of the replies in the postings you mention. The user that opened more than one vsp file was using MediaStudio and not VideoStudio. MediaStudio is a totally different kettle of fish.

The other replies that may have misled you to believe that VideoStudio can combine project files is in the authoring stage and not the editing stage.
The Authoring stage theoretically treats a vsp project file in the same way as a pre-rendered video file. Therefore you can include more than one project file at that stage.

Having said that you must take into account the dangers of using a vsp project file in the authoring stage. Several though not all users have reported problems using vsp files in the authoring stage which was the reason this forum adopted the recommended procedure of creating a video file from the project file, then using the video file instead.

You must take into account when designing your projects how VideoStudio behaves. Project files enable a user to work on a project, then if something more urgent comes along save that project so that you can now start working on the other. Once the urgent project has been completed you are able to resume work on the previous project.

If you intend to split a large project up into smaller manageable tasks then treat each task as an independant project. Create its video file and then use that video file in the authoring stage.

Please view:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=14057

Here I entered a discussion with another forum member who wanted to perform a similar task.

[AlanStuff]

Steve,

Thank you for your quick and thorough reply. It's disappointing that Ulead did not think to include the feature of joining 2 VSP files. Or at least allowing the dragging and dropping of large numbers of video clips to and from the library simultaneously, instead of individually.

You must take into account when designing your projects how VideoStudio behaves...If you intend to split a large project up into smaller manageable tasks then treat each task as an independant project.

I just want to point out that my intention all along was for this to be a single project. I only broke it into 2 files because I hit this undocumented 10-hour limit with my first .VSP file.

It's hard for me to imagine what the design constraint is that limits the length of the video in what is essentially a list of start/endpoints. I can imagine that there might be reasons to limit the length of what you render, or produce a video file for. But a 10-hour limit during the editing stage seems arbitrary, especially when there is plenty of memory in the system for preview clips.

[bobcwilson]

You can drag and drop a large number of clips at once. From the timeline, select the first clip. Go to the last clip and hold down the Shift key while selecting it. All of the clips will now be selected. Drag them up to the video library. You can use the same method to move your clips from the library to the timeline.

bob