When do u split by scene

[Sarki]

Hi

As u will be able tell, I'm new to this video stuff, but am keen to learn.

I have captured from DV camcorder into VideoStudio but did it "split by scene" during capture. I want to join some scenes but if I select more than one scene, the "split by scene" option where I can select "join" is not available.

Am I better to capture the entire tape, then "split by scene" then re-join the appropriate scenes, or is there some snappier way I can do all this.

Any assistance much appreciated.

Cheers

Sarki

[Ken Berry]

First, a general comment. Split by scene is very much a matter of personal choice. Personally, with my DV footage, I tend always to use split by scene during capture. (Split by scene during capture only works with DV video; not when you are capturing to mpeg-2 format). I like having lots of real files to choose from and move around on the timeline as I like.

Other people prefer to capture one long tape and make cuts only where they really want them.

Note that when you when you multitrim a long video once it is captured, the various separate videos which appear in the timeline are in fact only 'virtual'. They are not in reality separate videos but still part of the original file, which remains unchanged on the computer. It is your project .VSP file which tells Video Studio where the cuts are made and what other editing you have done to them.

One of the reasons I prefer to have real, separate files is that when I used to use the virtual files, and inserted transitions and/or moved the clips around extensively on the timeline, well away from where they were originally, I fairly often would get little artifacts -- mostly in the form of momentary flashes of a frame or two from the part of the video where it originally came from. This implies that the virtual cut was not exact and probably carried with it a frame or two from the preceding or succeeding scene where it was 'virtually cut'. With a real file, you can check to make sure you have no extra frames.

This brings us to your question about 'join'. But I am not clear what you are trying to achieve at this point. I suspect, however, that you have your various individual cut files lined up on the timeline in the order you want, and have done your other editing, and now want to join them all together in one single video again. Grateful confirmation.

But if I am right, then you don't use the 'join' command. Instead, you go to Share > Create Video File -- and if you want eventually to burn the new file to a DVD, then in the drop down menu which appears, choose 'PAL [or NTSC] DVD' depending on where in the world you live.

[daniel]

This implies that the virtual cut was not exact and probably carried with it a frame or two from the preceding or succeeding scene where it was 'virtually cut'. With a real file, you can check to make sure you have no extra frames.

Ken, I want to testify that I never had any problem in cutting a DV-AVI file exactly on any frame.

With MPEG files of course some editors (and maybe Ulead's) are reluctant to cut on a B frame because it does not really exist in the decoder.
One of the difficulties in editing MPG streams...

On the other side having virtual cuts with "library" split scenes allows you to displace the cut position anytime during editing, even overlapping portions of the video, in library or on the timeline (one is permanent, the other for the timeline only).
When the file is physically split this is impossible.
By the way when you split a scene in library , delete the thumbnail and then load the video clip again later, your editing (cuts and mark-in/out) are preserved and may be automagically inserted again in the library. Saves time.

To each his/her own.

[daniel]

This brings us to your question about 'join'. But I am not clear what you are trying to achieve at this point. I suspect, however, that you have your various individual cut files lined up on the timeline in the order you want, and have done your other editing, and now want to join them all together in one single video again. Grateful confirmation.

I had first thought the OP referred to the join function in the Create Disc (DVDMF) part, where you insert clips in the timeline and can then join them to a single title and thumbnail in the menu. Can be wrong, as usual.

[BrianCee]

First to answer the question in the thread title - for me NEVER - I always capture as one continuous file and edit as I need to - for details of how I work please see here :-

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/bri ... page3.html

I know thats for version 9 but version 10 works just the same. I just don't see the need for dozens of small video files when you can keep it tidy with just the one big one.

The 'Join' function that Sarki refers to can be found in the 'Split by Scene' function only and will rejoin scenes split automatically before capture. One you leave that function Sarki you need to use the 'Share >> Create Video File' option to make a new video file which will rejoin all the clips you have in the timeline into one continuous new file.

[Sarki]

Hi all

Thank you for replying to my post - very much appreciated.

I should have explained more clearly. Essentially, I'm trying to split the tape during capture by date, but not by time. This would mean I only have 5-6 scenes instead of 35 scenes. Alternatively, I can split the35 scenes during capture then join them somehow so they are only divided by date.

Using the feedback already given, perhaps the answer is to capture with split scenes, drag the scenes with the same date to the timeline, then create a video file. Then repeat the process with the other scenes. I assume that I can then include the several video files as part of the DVD authoring process and give each a separate chapter name so they can selected from the DVD later?

Again, further feedback would be great. Sorry to sound rather stupid about how this all works - the manual is useful to some extent (and it's great to have a hard copy for a change), but it assumes a certain level of knowledge which I am still working on acquiring.

Cheers

Sarki

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Sarki

I do not think there is any automatic way to achieve what you want.

1 / You could capture the lot in one go, one file. (No split scenes)
Place this in the timeline and cut the file into 6 sections, at the date points.

Drag these to the library and you have a copy, a virtual clip of each date section.
The name can be changed for the clips in the library, click the name.
Seems like the best option.

2 / If you really require separate files.
Another option would be to do a search on the camera, providing the camera will date search it should be easy. Make a note of the timecode to assess the length of each day.
Set this time in the capture clock, and capture the first day.
Reset the capture time for day two and capture again etc.

3 / Sit and watch the capture and hit stop after the first day.