Getting a "Split Screen" Overlay to Transition Rig

[blplhp]

OK - Trevor, Steve, Ron and others,

I spent the last two hours tonight trying to figure out the split screen effect and how to blend it in with surrounding video files, and finally......SUCCESS.

Trevor, you were on the right track. Your solutions worked, but I was wanting to have both split screen clips fade-in and fade-out simultaneously with their neighboring video clips. Also, I discovered that with your solution, you are stuck with using only the left 50% of each video file's image. I wanted to crop the middle 50% (or so) of the image and discard the two outer 25% areas.

So, for those that want to be able to choose which 50% area of each clip they want in the split screen left and right video clips, and for those that want the two clips to start at the same time and have the same duration and fade-in and fade-out together with the preceding and following video clips for a seamless transition, here are the steps to follow. I apologize up front if the outline is long, but I try to be thorough and complete. Here goes:

Procedures for a Split Screen Effect in VS10+

Creating the Left Video Clip
1.Place the video file that is to become the left video clip on the video track of the main project file.
2.Drag the cropping filter to the left clip and click on Customize Filter.
3.On the starting keyframe, select 50% width and 100% height, then click the Stationary box.
4.Right click on the starting keyframe, select Copy from the drop down menu.
5.Right click on the ending keyframe, select paste from the drop down menu.
6.Click on the crosshair inside the “crop outline box” and move the crop box to the desired location, then click on the OK button to close the screen.
7.Click on the Distort Clip box
8.Using the keyboard arrows, move the cropped image to the left half of the preview window.
9.Click on the blue word “Project” under the editor’s main preview window, then click the Play navigation button to SmartRender the project file.
10.Save the VSP file.
11.Click on File|New Project to close the main project file.

Creating the Right Video Clip
1.Start a new project file and place the video file that is to become the right video clip on the overlay track.
2.Right click on the overlay image in the preview screen and select Fit to Screen.
3.Drag the cropping filter to the right clip and click on Customize Filter.
4.On the starting keyframe, select 50% width and 100% height, then click the Stationary box.
5.Right click on the starting keyframe, select Copy from the drop down menu.
6.Right click on the ending keyframe, select paste from the drop down menu.
7.Click on the crosshair inside the “crop outline box” and move the crop box to the desired location, then click on the OK button to close the screen.
8.Using the keyboard arrows, move the cropped image to the left half of the preview window.
9.Click on the blue word “Project” under the editor’s main preview window, then click the Play navigation button to SmartRender the project file.
10.Click on Share|Create Video File, and select Same as Project Settings in the drop down menu.
11.Name the file and click on the Save button.
12.Close this project file (no need to save it).

Merge the Left and Right Video Clips Together
1.Re-open the original main project VSP file that has the left video clip in it.
2.Insert the right video file onto the video track, then drag it down to the overlay track and align the beginning of it with the left video clip (which is on the video track).
3.Right click on the overlay image in the preview screen and select Fit to Screen.
4.Using the keyboard arrows, move the right video file image to the right half of the preview window.
5.Click on the “fade in motion effect” and “fade out motion effect” buttons on the Attribute tab.

Fit the Split Screen Effect in with Surrounding Video Clips for a Seamless Transition of both split screen Clips with Surrounding Video Clips
1.Place a one second crossfade transition between the video clip preceding the split screen clips and between the video clip following the split screen clips.
2.Make sure that the left and right split screen clips begin at the same timecode and have the same duration.
3.Click on and highlight the right video clip on the overlay track and adjust the black trim handles below the preview screen to adjust the fade-in and fade-out durations.
4.Based on the duration of the overlay clip, and wanting to match the one second transition duration of the left clip, adjust the black trim handles to where you think you would get a one second fade-in duration for the right clip. This step may take several trial and error adjustments to get the right clip to fade-in at the same rate as the transition fade-in of the left clip.
5.And viola, both split screen effect clips fade-in simultaneously from the preceding video clip and both fade-out simultaneously to the following video clip, with no visual overlap of the two split screen clips and no wide vertical black bars in the background.

In my current project, it came out perfectly.

Good luck to you all.

[Trevor Andrew]

OK, Trevor.

How can you make both the left clip (clip #2, which is on the video track) and the right clip (clip #3, which is on the overlay track) fade in from the same preceding clip (clip #1, which is on the video track in front of left clip #2)?

I would like both half screens to show up simultaneously and fade in from the same preceding clip, with no wide black bars showing thru behind the right clip and no overlap images between the left clip and the right clip.

Can you work up some more magic on this one like you just did on your previous solution?

Thanks, Trevor.

I will experiment with it tonight after I get home from work.

Clear as mud

[blplhp]

Hello Trevor,

Did you have a chance to read my latest post, and if so, have you had a chance to try it out to see if you like the way it works? Maybe there is a shorter way of doing it than what I outlined. I had trouble finding a way to move a cropped image to one side of the preview window without the outer vertical black bars following along with it, so it seemed to require an intermediate render to get rid of the black bars from the cropping exercise.

I think your recommended steps provide the perfect solution for creating a split screen effect that begins one way and allows the use of the left halves of the original video images. My recommended steps provides a solution for creating a split screen effect that begins a different way and allows the use of choosing where you want your half image to come from within the full sized video clip. I know for sure that there will be instances where I will use your recommended steps to produce the split screen entry that your steps provide. I like how that effect turned out. In my next project, I intend to use your method for a particular scene that I need to make.

For my current project at hand, I needed a different entry method for the split screen effect. I guess that's why I labored the point in the thread.

Thanks for working with me on this to try to figure it out and for giving me the inspiration and the right direction for solving my dilemma.

All the best,

[sjj1805]

blplhp

I will copy your procedure into the Tutorials.
Thank you.

[blplhp]

Thanks Steve,

That would be a great honor for me. I've gained so much knowledge and experience from this forum and its great leaders and board members, that it feels good to be able to give something back that can be meaningful to others.

As you copy my procedures into your tutorial, please feel free to "word-smith" my writing or edit anything else that might provide more accuracy or clarity in understanding. You always write well explained, step-by-step tutorials.

Thanks again and all the best,

[sjj1805]

Currently I've just dropped it in as it is. when I get more time I might add a few screen shots. Whatever the future development, you will be the one given the credit for producing it.

Thank you. Steve J