VS11-Can't line up a still from a clip & the clip itself

Mark_K · Post by **Mark_K** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:00 am

VS 11 Trial - I hope I'm doing something wrong here and there's a way to do this with VS so I don't have to buy $700 worth of software for this type of edit.

I have a video that lasts 10 seconds.

I need to play it up to second 5, freeze the frame at second 5 for 5 seconds and then continue with the rest of the video.

I take a still capture of the video at second 5 but when I then add it on an overlay track I can't make it align with the two video clips perfectly, without the still picture jumping a few pixels left/right compared to the video clip.

When VS takes a capture it takes it at the original video dimensions (320x240 in my case) But then VS uses a completely arbitrary video dimension for its preview on the preview window so when I add the still I have to go to Options > Fit Screen but the operation results in the still picture always being off by a few pixels which is very noticeable.

So, is there a way to freeze a frame of a video and show it for a few seconds before continuing with the video, but to have perfect alignment of the still picture and the video clips before and after it?

Thanks for your help.

Post by **lancecarr** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:22 am

Try doing it by making a cut in the video using the scissors icon rather than using the overlay track.
Take a still (Save as Still Image) of the point where you need to stop and insert that still into the timeline at you cut point. Adjust the still image to 5 secs and see how it looks.

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:50 am

I agree with Lancecarr.... for what you want to do no need to put the still in overlay track.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:06 am

To elaborate a bit more, cut your clip at the 5 sec. mark and take either the first frame of the second clip or the last frame of the first clip to be your still image. Align all three on the time line and you are done.

Mark_K · Post by **Mark_K** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 1:09 pm

lancecarr's suggestion works. Thank you!

If I cut the video and add the still in the main video track and stretch it then there is no misalignment and the playback is fine between video, still, video.

However, if I add the still on an overlay track then it's inserted at the video file's resolution, 320x240, and then I have to click on Options > Fit to Screen to make the still take up all the video area and that action makes the still to be a few pixels off the dimensions of the other video clips.

So the misalignment problem is solved but I was also hoping to be able to use the overlay track for the stills because then I can do overlapping of tracks and add transparency, etc. When there are sharp shapes like text on the freeze frames then the alignment has to be perfect.

The Fit to Screen function then maybe is calculating the new dimensions of an inserted image a bit wrong.

Thanks for the help and if you still have any suggestions how to avoid this problem with overlay tracks please let us know.