Inserting videos and images into timeline in sorted order?

phild · Post by **phild** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 3:11 pm

I'm running VS 10+.

I have a collection of AVI and JPG files on my hard drive that I would like to insert onto the video timeline in sorted order based on the names of the files, which are date codes like "0606240001.JPG". The AVI and JPG files are intermixed; they are in the order that the video and images were shot using my digital camera. I want the order to remain the same on the timeline.

Is there anyway to insert all of the files simultaneously onto the video timeline so that they remain in the order that they were shot. I can only see how to insert all of AVI's in one group, and all of the JPG's in a second group. However, when I do this, the AVI's and JPG are not in sorted order on the timeline. I can go back and rearrange the media manually on the timeline, but this will take a long time. Is there anyway to do this automatically?

Thanks!

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:46 am

Hi Phild, and welcome to the forums..

When using VS menus Insert Video or Insert Image this can not be done..

However try having the Folder where your video and images are stored, open. Then select all of them, either using Ctl + A or Edit Select All, or using the Shift Select method, but get them all selected in the order you want them. Then Drag them to the timeline in VS. They should be inserted in the order that they were in the timeline.

Ron P.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:35 am

Hi

Video Studio has a problem when it comes to inserting clips in order.
This is caused by the way VS names its clips.
You can use the change sequence option during the selection see:-

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=10469

This should overcome any problems when inserting a video.
Normally you can only insert a single clip type at one time.
-----------------------------------------------

Sorry Videoman:- Although Drag and Drop seems to be able to select Avi and Jpgs together.
Unfortunately the sequence will not be in order.

For you to insert Avi and Jpegs together, in order, is difficult if not impossible.
If you do find a method please let us know.

Sorry I can’t be of more help, I think you will have to do it manually.

Sorting clips in the library may be an option but again this is separate Avi and Mpegs.
Read this relating to VS10:- http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... highlight=

Trevor

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:04 am

Sorry Trevor, but yes you can,

In my previous post I started posting that you can not do this. However thought there might be a way to do this, so I tried it. I left out in my post that I had the folder (window) where my video clips and images were on my HDD opened. I highlighted the images and clips in the window, then dragged them onto the timeline. Just like doing a copy/paste using drag and drop, between 2 folders on your system. I checked and they were inserted into the timeline in the order they were in the Folder/Directory. I just tried it again and same results.

So I guess to simplfy a bit more:

1. Open the Folder/Directory where the images and video clips are stored.
2. Have them sorted in the order you want them.
3. Highlight the clips and images you want to insert.
4. Then drag them from the open window/directory (folder) to the timeline.

Ron P.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:12 pm

You might need to add some words about how you get another (reduced size?) window open at the same time as Video Studio which is a notorious hog of the entire window and which cannot itself be reduced in size, only totally minimised to the Windows taskbar... In other words, first open Windows Explorer or My Computer and reduce its size on screen. Then open VS, click ALT + TAB till you get Windows Explorer. Then I imagine you could drag and drop -- though I have never tried it. But thanks for the tip.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:25 pm

Hi Ron

If you can drag and drop in the correct order then I should be able to do as well.
First I am using VS 10 and OP XP Pro.

I have Avi’s captured via firewire from a Panasonic GS 400 using split by scene

The clips are named as

uvs060608-002.AVI
uvs060608-002-1.AVI
then up to
uvs060608-002-38.AVI

I select the clips in order from a windows file.
When I drag and drop the clips to the timeline they are not in order.

Ok

Done a few tests.

I think I have found the problem, not to the numbering but to the drag and drop.

When I highlight the clips to be inserted into the timeline I can drag the lot from any clip within the selected list.

If I select any clip other than the first the order is out.

By selecting the first selected clip they insert correctly.

But how do I sort the clips with Jpegs intermingled with Avi’s????

Thanks Ron for your input and apologies.

Trevor

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:41 pm

Trevor -- this may sound lavish, but that discovery you made about dragging from from the first of a series of highlighted clips, is perhaps the most useful hint I have seen on this Board!!!

For me, it has been an annoying little problem with successive generations of VS since I first bought VS7 -- the mysterious inability of the program to insert bulk selected clips in strict order. But now it seems to be resolved. So thank you thank you thank you!!!

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:54 pm

Ken,

When I open VS 10 + it does not open to the old complete full screen. Meaning my Task Bar is still visable. Next to clarify the navigation I have my Start Menu customized, where the My Computer, My Documents, Control Pane, are displayed as Menus. To navigate to the folder where my video clips are stored, I go to Start>My Computer>H:\Captured Video (where my clips are captured to). Now the Captured Video window does not display full screen, so it is open ontop of VS10 +.

Trevor

What I done, was a quick test, where I had 6 images, and 13 DV-AVI clips. They all had the default name VS uses. Now this morning after reading your post I quickly done a second test. This time I highlighted random image and video clips, to see if VS would insert them in the same order that they were highlighted. Which I had Thumbnail view display set in my Windows Folders. I also had the sort order set to By Type. So the images were first and the video clips last. Next using CtL+click, I highlighted (selected) the 1st image, then a video clip, then another image, and so on having 4 images and 5 video clips. Next I drug those into the Storyboard /Timeline of VS. I then checked to see if they were inserted in the same order that I had selected, and they were. Maybe it's a fluke that this occurred, I don't know, but I've managed to replicate it couple of times now.

Ron P.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:48 am

I would be interested to learn if anyone else finds that VS10+ does not take up the full screen when opened, and can only be minimised to the task bar, but not changed in size on screen. Mine only operates in the way all previous versions have operated -- either full screen or nothing on screen...

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:07 am

Ken and others,

Here's a screenshot of VS10+ after I just opened it.

Click on the image to enlarge

Ron P.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:11 am

Aha! so you are an exhibitionist who keeps his task bar constantly on display!!

I, on the other hand, being the discreet soul I am, have hidden my task bar since I first started using XP several years ago. But that is obviously the difference. When I changed my task bar properties to always show it, the VS10 screen automatically accommodated to sit on top of it. But when I revert to 'hide task bar', VS10 expands to fill the screen, and, unlike other programs, you can no longer access the task bar to bring it up. So for me the Alt+Tab route I described above seems the only way to go since I am not going to give up hiding my task bar just for VS10's sake...

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:12 am

Ken,

I think I've found the Secret, to not having a completely full screen with VS.

Do you have your taskbar option of Auto Hide set? I found if I checked that option, where the taskbar hides when not in focus, then VS becomes full screen, and it is difficult to get the taskbar back. However I seldom use that. So I always have my apps setting ontop of the taskbar. I even opened VS9 and had the same results.

Ron P.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 2:14 am

Great minds thinking alike and we almost got the sync correct too!!

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:22 am

Ken

With the task bar hidden press the Windows button next to Ctrl key.

Trevor

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:28 am

Hi Ron & Ken

Just a little more on drag and drop.

Ron you said (I highlighted (selected) the 1st image, then a video clip, then another image, and so on having 4 images and 5 video clips)

I am assuming that you managed to insert the images and video files to the timeline in this order. I have tried and cannot insert, image, video, image, video, image.

Only by dragging the first file can I get some semblance of order, but all Avi,s arrange together followed by the images.

This is a big improvement, at least I can insert a lot of video files in order.

Using the Library.

Staying with drag and drop I have a similar problem dragging multiple files from the timelines to the library. Can you try this.
Place say 20 clips in the timeline in order, then drag the first 4 to the library (use a new library page) now drag the next 4 and so on.

Are they in order?

I use the library to copy multiple titles (about 40) and require them to be in order so I can reinsert to another project, in order. The problem exists with all types of clip, but using titles the auto sort function does not work.

Don’t spend too much time as I have a work-round by using copy and paste. Just interested to know if its only me.

Earlier versions do not have this problem.

Thanks Trevor