Converting oversized project file into DVD

[markpritch]

Hi Guys
You kindly helped me a couple of weeks ago with a pan and zoom problem and I wonder if you could help me once again?
I am trying to make a DVD of my Granddaughter's first year and having Captured all the footage the file size was approx 65GB.
I then edited this data, using VS 10, into about 280 scenes with a duration of just over 5 hours.
After a lot of editing I finally reduced the time to a little over 3 hours, and knowing this would still be too large a project to cut a single regular DVD, I decided to split the project. I took off the last 5 minutes and saved this as a seperate programme, then split the balance into 2 files (part 1 and Part 2) of roughly 1hr 30 mins each.
When I re-opened the Part 1 the edit suite suggested a project duration of 2.32.24.02, which I knew to be incorrect.
I then closed this down and opened Part 2. This also gave me a project duration of exactly 2.32.24.02.
I then opened the final part of the original project, which I knew to run for approx. 5 minutes and, unbelievably, this too showed a project duration of 2.32.24.02.
Is this some kind of default timing when the programme is confused??

When I tried to convert either of Part 1 or Part 2 to DVD the size of the files were nearly 8.4GB, which doesn't seem to make sense for a content whose actual timing is only 1hr 30m.

I thought maybe I could get around the problem by taking the complete original file (less the last few minutes) of approx 3 hours and try saving this to a dual layer DVD but even this file size came out at 10.10Gb as opposed to the space of only 8.5Gb on the Dual Layer Disk.

I believe that I could actually fit each seperate part onto a dual layer dvd but before doing so I wonder if anybody can tell me why I am getting a file (For each seperate part of the original) showing a timing that is so far in excess of the actual frame-by-frame times which, in turn, produces such a large file size.
Is there anything I can do so that the project duration (and file size) reflect the actual length of the project rather than the 2.32.24.02 it seems to think I have?

Many thanks
Confused of Shenfield.

[Black Lab]

When you say "I took off the last 5 minutes and saved this as a seperate programme, then split the balance into 2 files (part 1 and Part 2) of roughly 1hr 30 mins each." Exactly how did you do that?

[Ken Berry]

When you split a file, you have to highlight the part you want to keep as one file and go to Clip > Save Trimmed Video. This will create a new clip of that part of the original video. So in your case, you make two cuts to divide the original into three. You highlight the first part and Save Trimmed Video. Then you highlight the second part and Save Trimmed Video again. And the same with the remaining 5 minutes.

Otherwise, the cuts are regarded as being only 'virtual' by Video Studio, and though you think you might have saved only the trimmed part if you just went to 'save', you have in effect only saved a video project file telling where the cut has been made in the original video. But the original video file remains uncut.

[markpritch]

Thanks Ken and Black Lab. From what you say it looks like I may have edited my original programme incorrectly.
All I did was bring it into VS10 on the timeline then deleted the second half of the scenes, after which I 'saved' the first half as a different programme. Then vice versa with the other half.
I will try again using the method described by Ken and post results.
Many thanks, the help is much appreciated.
Mark

[markpritch]

Hi Ken
I have tried to do what you have recommended but the menu under'Clip' is all greyed out.
The point I am at is that I have all the individual frames along the timeline.
I have yet to add music, transitions etc. and am just trying, under 'Share', to get some idea of the size file I would have for the DVD once everything has been completed and I am ready to add chapters etc.

At this stage it is 10.10Gb, which is why I tried to split it the way I did.

After reading your response I uploaded the project back onto the time line then highlighted the first 130 approx frames. Having done that I went to the 'Clip' Menu only to find everything grey. Have I missed a stage or am I perhaps trying to do this too early in the proceedings?
Thanks
Mark

[Ken Berry]

When you got to the 130th frame, did you use the scissors icon to make an actual cut -- in other words, telling Video Studio that a separate Clip has been made? Simply highlighting the 130 frames only tells Video Studio that you have highlighted 130 frames!

The Clip menu only becomes active when a new clip is made by making an actual cut. If you don't use Save Trimmed Video, but save the project, the cut will remain registered in the project file, but the cut itself will be treated only as being virtual, and the original file is unchanged in reality.

But if you make the cut and use Save Trimmed Video, then a new *real* Clip is made, and the original file is also preserved uncut.

[markpritch]

Hi Ken
I must be missing some vital link.
When I highlight the first 130 frames the scissors are greyed out, making it impossible for me to make a cut.
If I highlight the frames and then run the cursor to the point at which I want to make the cut the scissors appear 'live' but when I go to CLIP the only item I can click on is 'Cut Clip', the rest is still greyed out. Allowing me only to cut that particular clip and not the entire project.
I wish I could be of more help but can't think what more info I can give you.
I am only at the stage where I have a whole load of seperate clips (most of which have already been reduced in length) along the storyboard, nothing more.
Thanks, I hope I can finally solve this with your help.
Regards
Mark

[Ken Berry]

OK. Let's do this simply. You have your uncut video in the timeline. You move along the cursor to where you want to make your first cut. The scissors icon should be active. You then just click once on the scissors, and the cut is made and you have two clips now instead of one. (Or you go to Clip and find that all that is active is Cut, so you select that. But this is a longer way of achieving the same thing as clicking on scissors icon.)

Anyway, you now have cut your original video into two pieces. But at this stage they are only two virtual clips.

Now to save them, first click once on the first segment and it should now be highlighted (i.e. selected). You can tell as there should be yellow bars at the right and left end of the segment. Now go to Clip > Save Trimmed Video (which should also now be active. It becomes active when the clip is selected). That will save the first segment as a *real* separate file.

Now go to the second segment and move to the point where you want to make another cut. And proceed as described above, to make the cut. Then highlight/select the first part of the second segment and Save Trimmed Video. You now have two new saved videos and a third as yet unsaved video.

If you only want three pieces, then you are not going to make any more cuts. So now simply highlight the third segment and Save Trimmed Video again. You now have three new and *real* files, plus the original file which remains unchanged (and which you can use again should you stuff things up somewhere along the line! )

Try all that and let us know what happens.

[markpritch]

Hi Ken
Thanks for the fast response.
I think I have managed to do as you say. My problem appeared to be that I had been viewing my frames in the Storyboard View but have now switched to the Timeline View.
I was able to highlight the first and second segments and the whole CLIP menu box was active. In turn, for each section, I selected Save Trimmed Video and could see the file being saved.
Next silly question is: Where do I find these saved files. I don't see them in the file that the original clips came from.
Thanks, hopefully I am nearly there.
Mark

[Ken Berry]

Normally you should see a new icon appear in the library pane for each new trimmed video you have saved. It will have a cryptic title, like all Ulead files, but it will be a sub-set of the Ulead title for your original video. And it will certainly be created in your Working Directory ( File > Preferences > General) if for some very strange reason it does not appear in your library pane.

In fact, I find it is important to delete the so called cut files in the timeline, and replace them (by dragging and dropping) the newly saved real files from the library pane into the timeline. That way, there can be no confusion.

[markpritch]

Hi Ken
Before you come back on my previous message I think I have to say that I don't think I am there yet.
I have tried several times on a short piece of video consisting of 10 frames and lasting 10 minutes.
These are just 10 individual frame clips along the timeline.

If I want to make a cut midway through frame 5, I highlight from the beginning of frame one to the middle of Frame 5. When I drag the cursor to the mid point of frame 5 and then click on the scissor icon it only seems to split that one individual frame rather than the whole video. The 2 thick yellow lines are at either end of that frame.

If I make my cut at the end of a frame, say frame 4, then I highlight the first 4 frames, drag the cursor to the end of frame 4 and then use the scissors to cut. This time I get the thick yellow bands immediately either side of the cursor.

At no time can I seem to get the yellow lines at each end of a segment.
I do, however, get a full drop down menu from CLIP and if I select 'Saved Trimmed Video' some rendering takes place but I think it is only of the individual frame. Further I have no idea what happens to the rendered frame once this has taken place.

When I then try to highlight the first segment of the video I only manage to highlight the actual short clip (frame) that I am on and not the entire first segment.

Can you throw any more light on this for me?
Sorry to seem so thick. I've actually successfully made more than a dozen home DVDs but this is the largest file and longest lenghth I have had to deal with and I am just stuck!!

Many thanks
Mark
++

[markpritch]

Sorry Ken, you came through while I was preparing the previous message.
Yes I see a thumb in the library, from one of my earlier attempts on the long video but when I drag it onto the timeline it lasts for only a fraction of a second. Possibly confirming that I am only succeeding in cutting the clip that I am in rather than the video as a whole.
Cheers
Mark

[Ken Berry]

Sorry, but there is a vast problem of terminology here to do with your concept of frames. You say you have tested a small project consisting of 10 frames, yet it takes 10 minutes to play. Sorry, but that ain't possible! I am not quite sure where in the world you live, but if it's in an NTSC country, then 10 frames will take one third of a second to play at the NTSC DVD speed of 29.97 frames per second. And that's less than half a second if it's PAL at 25 fps.

What I think part of your problem might be is that in your timeline view, you probably have 10 *clips* or video files (not "frames"), but they each start with a frame with a still image of what in effect is the first frame of that clip, followed by a blue bar till the end of the clip; then the new clip starts with another still image followed by a blue bar; and so on... Is that correct?

Well, if so, go to File > Preferences > General and you will see that you have, in Clip Display Mode, 'Thumbnail and File name' selected. Change that to 'Thumbnail only', click OK, and you will see, back on the timeline, that you will now no longer have the solid blue line in each of the ten clips, but a sequence of still images ('frames') filling the space of each clip.

Moreover, just below the controls of the preview screen and above the timeline ruler, you will see a small jog bar with little magnifying glass icons at either end -- the one at the left having a '-' (minus) sign in it, and a '+' in the right hand one. When you either drag the jog bar or click on one of the magnifying glasses you will either zoom in or out the view of the timeline and the number of frames which show. If you zoom in, then you can go right down to a frame by frame view of your clip, and be absolutely accurate where you make your cut.

Then when you have made the cut, you highlight the *frames* (or the new clip you have created) and which you want to apply 'Save Trimmed Video' to. As it is, I think you are highlighting several clips (thinking they are frames) until you get to the point in one of them where you made a cut. That is why things are not working or displaying the way I say they should be.

[markpritch]

Hi Ken
My Apologies, you must be gettin g very frustrated with me.
When I used the word 'frames' I actually meant 'clips', of approx 1 minute duration each. Sorry.
I have made the changes, under Preferences, that you suggested and it certainly makes a difference. Fantastic! I was only seeing the first frame and blue bar previously.
My problem seems to be, when I have made the first cut I (say half way through this little video) I have to highlight the first segment (of 5 clips) in order to 'Save Trimmed Video' but when I try to do this I find I am highlighting one of the clips, whichever one my cursor happens to be over.
I don't seem to be able to highlight the entire first segment of 5 clips together.
Please stick with me on this I intend to get there in the end.
Many thanks
Mark


Hi again, Ken

I have just seen your answers to Nelly 79's question. This seems to be the same problem I had. Your response to cut the video into 2, deleting one half and renaming the other, is what I tried originally but was left with
the incorrect timings. I did not 'Save Trimmed Video' as you suggested but have just tried to do this on my small video only to find that the 'Clip' menu only becomes 'live' when I highlight a single clip (with the yellow bars at each end). When I try to highlight the whole sequence of 5 clips I don't see any yellow bars and the 'Clip' menu is greyed out.
This seems to be my main problem. What should I be doing to highlight the entire first portion of the video?
Thanks again.

[Ken Berry]

Again there is a -- this time slight -- misconception based on terminology. Save Trimmed Video means that -- you are saving *a*, that is to say, one, video. When you make a cut in one video and divide it into two, you can save each part individually. But you can only highlight one or the other cut part; NOT/NOT that cut part PLUS the five preceding videos and hope to be able to "save" the lot as a new video...

In other words, you make your cut in one video. You highlight the first bit, then Save Trimmed Video. Then, if you want it, you highlight the second bit, and Save Trimmed Video again. Then, in my own workflow, I would delete both of the cut videos out of the timeline because if you "save" them at this point, all you are really doing is saving your project file. And your project file will merely record that they are both part of the original file with only a virtual cut made at a particular point,

Once they are removed, you drag and drop the *new* real files which have been placed in your library pane into the timeline where the two virtual files had previously been (or only one of them if your don't want both).That way when you save the project file, it will now record two totally separate and *real* files as part of the project.

Now again, there is a problem of terminology, this time about the meaning of 'save'. I think that you think that using 'save' at this stage, if you highlight the first five clips *plus* the first cut bit of the sixth clip (or whatever it is!!), will save one totally new clip. If that is what you think, then NO NO NO!!! Wrong. All you are doing is saving the project file, and the project file is NOT a video file -- merely a road map (and a small one at that) of what clips are included in the project and what has been done to them and where...

If you want a new file of all five of the first clips plus the first bit of the sixth clip, then you don't have to highlight anything. Instead, you go to Share > Create Video File and if you intend to burn it to DVD, then you select "DVD" as the format.