Several VideoStudio10 Questions

[mikemoon]

Hey folks. I've been lurking for a bit, but I have several questions about VideoStudio10.

1) is there a way for a long clip in the viewer to show an icon when the scene changes without splitting up the video? Or is there away to show a new icon say every 5 seconds?

2) When I capture video from MiniDV camcorder, VS names it whatever it likes. Can I change the name of the file before capture time?

3) I'd like to use the DV quick scan and splitter capture option, but I want to control the type/size of the output file. I want to say use WMV 768bit etc and not the huge AVI files it picks. Ideally, I'd also like to say scan from 0:0:0 to 0:15:30 or whatever. It seems I can only scan until the end of the tape or sit by and watch to stop the scan.
OR
I could use the normal capture option but have it split by scenes for me automatically.

4) I'd like to have scrolling credits, but just in the top right 1/4 of the screen. Not scrolling down the whole side.
Related... VS applies the text as top layer. Anyway I can have text scrolling partially behind a clip? Can I control which layers are infront or behind?

5) When sharing (outputting file) I create both a WMV and MP4 files. The default choices from the list (WMV and Ipod) choices are a little too high in the settings resulting in a larger file size then I require.
Is there a way I can add or edit the dropdown list of filetypes?
I can go through custom and customize the settings, but it's a bunch of messin' around I'm hoping to elliminate.

6) is there a way to capture an image from the project, not just the clip? I normally end up loading the video into MovieMaker and capturing from there. Easy-breezy.

Thank you in advance.

Mike
http://vlog.mikemoon.net

[NoM.O]

I'm not as experienced as some others here, and I'm not sure I understand all your questions, but I'll answer what I can to get ya going.

1) is there a way for a long clip in the viewer to show an icon when the scene changes without splitting up the video? Or is there away to show a new icon say every 5 seconds?

Not to my knowledge. This would require splitting the clip no matter which way you tried to do it as far as I can tell.

Edit: There is a 'Split by Scene' option in the main window, but I assume you're looking for some other kind of added function.

2) When I capture video from MiniDV camcorder, VS names it whatever it likes. Can I change the name of the file before capture time?

Again, not to my knowledge.

4) I'd like to have scrolling credits, but just in the top right 1/4 of the screen. Not scrolling down the whole side?

This can be easily achieved by creating your credits as a seperate clip, placing the clip in the overlay track, then simply adjust the size & position until you're happy. (You might also need to mute the credits if they're from a pre recorded source.)

5) When sharing (outputting file) I create both a WMV and MP4 files. The default choices from the list (WMV and Ipod) choices are a little too high in the settings resulting in a larger file size then I require.
Is there a way I can add or edit the dropdown list of filetypes?
I can go through custom and customize the settings, but it's a bunch of messin' around I'm hoping to elliminate.

Tools\Make Movie Manager\New - then just follow the steps to select the type of output file and properties you want, then save the template with a name you'll recognize. It should now show up in your drop down list under the name you gave it.

Hope that was some help, I'm sure someone will have answers for your other questions.

peace.

[Ron P.]

Hi Mike,

I'll attempt to answer as many of your questions as I can.

1) is there a way for a long clip in the viewer to show an icon when the scene changes without splitting up the video? Or is there away to show a new icon say every 5 seconds?

The closest you can get to this in VS is go to Preferences and change the Clip Display Mode to Thumbnail only. Be advised that this takes more resources while editing. It will display a thumbnail for every frame in your clip.

2) When I capture video from MiniDV camcorder, VS names it whatever it likes. Can I change the name of the file before capture time?

Yes you can change the name, in a couple of ways.

1. Just like in Windows Explorer when you rename a file, Click to highlight / select, then following a brief pause, click again and you will see the cursor in the file name. Simply type a new name for the file. This can be tedious if you have numerous clips.
2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder where your clips were captured to. Then Right-Click on the file(s) and select Rename. Now when you do this, you will have to Re-Link the thumbnails in VS with the video clips on your HDD.
3. You could also use a Batch Renaming Tool to batch rename the files. I just tried using a freebie IrfanView. However again you will need to re-link the thumbnails.

Your question #3:
Unfortunately that is not possible in VS.

4) I'd like to have scrolling credits, but just in the top right 1/4 of the screen. Not scrolling down the whole side.
Related... VS applies the text as top layer. Anyway I can have text scrolling partially behind a clip? Can I control which layers are infront or behind?

At the moment I don't see how the scrolling text can be limited to just the area you describe. It could be possible, playing around with the overlay tracks. You would need to create your scrolling text, render it to an DV-AVI file, then bring it back in on one of the overlay tracks. Then use a PIP (Picture in Picture) setting (resize it so it fits the area).
The second question of this question, No there is no control of the layers stacking order.

5) When sharing (outputting file) I create both a WMV and MP4 files. The default choices from the list (WMV and Ipod) choices are a little too high in the settings resulting in a larger file size then I require.
Is there a way I can add or edit the dropdown list of filetypes?
I can go through custom and customize the settings, but it's a bunch of messin' around I'm hoping to elliminate.

Sorry, messin' around is what it's going to take..

6) is there a way to capture an image from the project, not just the clip? I normally end up loading the video into MovieMaker and capturing from there. Easy-breezy.

Easy Breezy huh...
Just as easy in VS. To capture an image just have the cursor on the frame you want to Capture as Still Image <--hint, hint. In Clip Mode, not Project, go to Clip Menu, Save as Still Image. This option is greyed out (not available) in Project Mode.

Hope that helps ...

Ron P.

[Ken Berry]

Re your first question, VS10 has a dandy new feature: chapter points. This will achieve the same effect you are after.

With your video in the timeline view (i.e. where you can see the frames in the clip stretching along the timeline), then immediately above the images is a narrow grey strip, and above that is the ruler markers showing the time.

Anyway, to the far left of that narrow grey strip, you will see a dark blue, small triangle and if you hover your mouse, it says Chapter Point Bar. Move along your timeline to the point where you want to insert a marker, and put the mouse pointer in the grey strip and left click. A yellow triangle marker is inserted. Repeat at the points you want.

Now you will have a visual indicator, while editing, of where your scene breaks are. And later, in the authoring stage, you can use these as your Chapter points as well. Two for the price of one!!

[Ron P.]

Thanks Ken, , I don't know why I forgot about that..

Ron P.

[NoM.O]

4) I'd like to have scrolling credits, but just in the top right 1/4 of the screen. Not scrolling down the whole side.
Related... VS applies the text as top layer. Anyway I can have text scrolling partially behind a clip? Can I control which layers are infront or behind?

At the moment I don't see how the scrolling text can be limited to just the area you describe. It could be possible, playing around with the overlay tracks. You would need to create your scrolling text, render it to an DV-AVI file, then bring it back in on one of the overlay tracks. Then use a PIP (Picture in Picture) setting (resize it so it fits the area).

You're probably right here, I think I misunderstood what he was trying to achieve.

2) When I capture video from MiniDV camcorder, VS names it whatever it likes. Can I change the name of the file before capture time?

Yes you can change the name, in a couple of ways.

1. Just like in Windows Explorer when you rename a file, Click to highlight / select, then following a brief pause, click again and you will see the cursor in the file name. Simply type a new name for the file. This can be tedious if you have numerous clips.
2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder where your clips were captured to. Then Right-Click on the file(s) and select Rename. Now when you do this, you will have to Re-Link the thumbnails in VS with the video clips on your HDD.
3. You could also use a Batch Renaming Tool to batch rename the files. I just tried using a freebie IrfanView. However again you will need to re-link the thumbnails.

Here, I think perhaps you have misunderstood. Correct me if I'm wrong and these things are indeed possible before capture.

But yeah, I'll shut up now.
peace.

[Ron P.]

, Yes I did misunderstand,

Ron P.

[mikemoon]

Thank you folks.
I have been reading through all the answers and implementing your ideas as I go.

Saving just the credits in a seperate video worked great and I was able to use them exactly as I wanted.

I finally figured out how to take that screen shot. Just wait until the final video it saved, and then grab my image. I was tring to do a screen shot before saving the final product and I could only grab the clip without text overlays... so now I do it after I've saved the film and no longer need to go into MM. (It would be nice if VS would give me a saving location and filename dialog box though. But I'll live ith it.)

Super help on #5, creating my own choices for the drop-down file types. I've added the two new types that give me the compression settings I am after.

Again, thank you guys.

Mike
http://vlog.mikemoon.net