Save As Still Image Issues!

Warren_od · Post by **Warren_od** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:06 pm

Hi,

I have VS10+, my video camera records in wide screen 16:9, I save all my captures as PAL AVI 16:9.

The problem I am having is with the "Save as Still Image" function as it distorts the picture not keeping the aspect ratio of the picture. Well I say that but some how at some point I have managed to save some pictures in the correct aspect ratio and VS10 has added black borders around the picture to keep the picture correctly sized.

I have changed every setting in VS, been through every item of help as well as online topics, but i can get the correct ratio pictures again.

To provide you with an example please see the following photos http://warrendive.myphotoalbum.com/view ... m34&page=1

The first photo is out of shape the following are perfect... PLease can some one HELP???

Thanks Warren

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:28 pm

Welcome to the forums,

In your preferences do you have Fit to Project size, or Keep Aspect Ratio set? Then when you insert the Saved Image on a track, do you choose a pan/zoom, Keep Aspect Ratio or Fit to Project Size?

Final question, do you have a wide-screen monitor for PC?

Choosing Keep Aspect Ratio will maintain the aspect ratio of your screen, which if it is not a wide-screen monitor (16:9) your image will be viewed as 4:3. Monitors use square pixels, where TVs do not.

If you set the attributes for your image in the time-line to Fit to Project Size it should fill the frame, and not be stretched due to the video being shot in 16:9. This can be confusing when you're working on a video project.

What background color is set for your Preview Window, the default black? If so go to Preferences and change it to some other color, which is located on the General Tab, beneath the Undo ("Background color:). Just click on the black block below the "Levels" number box.

Now with the color of the background different, when viewing 16:9, you should see that color and then black above and below. The color area is the actual video frame. Anything inside the color area is in the video frame. If you set your image to Fit to Project Size, it should fill that color area, yet not be stretched, if the image came from the video clip that was shot at 16:9. If the video or image was not 16:9, but 4:3, then selecting Fit to Project Size, would result in the stretching.

Warren_od · Post by **Warren_od** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:22 pm

Ron,

Thanks for coming back to me so quickly.

Within preferences I have Fit to Project size set (PAL AVI 16:9). When I insert a saved image taken from the video into a project, I keep the setting on Fit to Project size. The current images that I have saved will then fill the whole viewer screen (no blue), unlike the video that is now bordered by blue (I have changed the default colour) to keeping it 16:9 in aspect. The images that I have taken in the past with the black border above and bellow the image fill the screen (no blue), just like like the current images, but due to the black borders above and below are the same aspect ratio as the video and have not had the aspect changed.

My PC monitor is set to 1280 x 1024, all images I save from VS10 I open in Adobe Photoshop and all the images are exactly 720x526 pixels in size. The problem is that unlike the older images on the web link that are bordered by black, keepinig the 16:9 ratio of the picture, my current saved images fill the whole 720x526 with no border, changing the image ratio of the picture.

The old images have a true image direct from the video without black borders of around 720x410 pixles, some how VS has added the black borders so it becomes a 720x526 image. Giveing me a realistic picture, what has changed to now that it scales the whole image to 720x526?

So you can see my problem is not adding the images back into VS it is the way VS is altering the images when it is saved directly from the video capture.

Any ideas.

Many Thanks Warren

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:45 pm

Hi Warren

The sizes below refer to Pal.....

When we work in widescreen 16:9 the video frame size is 720 x 576, the pixels being stretched from 4:3 to 16:9

If that makes sense. (non-square pixel rendering) (note that 720 x 576 is not 4:3 (768 x 576 will be used for image capture.)

So for image capture if you ¡¥save the clip as still image¡¦ that is what you get 768 x 576. the size of the video clip.

You need to capture the video frame not the video clip.

Select the frame to capture.

Switch to ¡¥project playback¡¦ by clicking the word project adjacent to start button¡¦

Tools- Save current frame as image. This will create an image as you see on the preview screen, titles and all.

The image will be 1024 x 576px

It will fully fit a widescreen project frame.

Warren_od · Post by **Warren_od** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:18 pm

Thats the badger...

Trevor you are a star... I thought I was starting to go mad, all I have to do now is go back through all my videos and re-capture a few hundred photos.. joy

Many Thanks
Warren

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:44 am

Hi

Use Adobe Photoshop to batch convert the images 720x 576 to 1024 x 567.

Providing you can identify them on your hard drive , save them all to one folder.

First create an ¡¥Action¡¦ for the re-size, if you intend to use a droplet you should include ¡¥save as¡¦ and ¡¥close¡¦ in your action.

good luck

Brain Champagne · Post by **Brain Champagne** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:48 pm

Thanks Trevor! Who'd think that "Save as Still Image" and Tools> Save Current Frame as Image would be two different things?

maximus01can · Post by **maximus01can** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:31 pm

ok, here's another question, if you're in the timeline and have "Video Clip" highlighted it will save in the format you mentioned above 768 x 576, will you still get that same resolution if you then switch to "Project", and continue to use the "Save As Still Image" will you still get only the clip's resolution instead of the project? Just curious. I will try it myself by the way as well.

Cheers,
Max

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:01 pm

Hi Max

Save as Still Image is not available in project playback mode.
Its one or the other...............

When you ¡¥save as still image¡¦ you save the image from the video file on the hard drive.using the video files frame size. This will distort the frame. The difference being ¡¥Non square Pixels¡¦ for Video and ¡¥Square Pixels¡¦ for images.

When you ¡¥Save Current Frame as Still Image¡¦ you save what you see on the preview screen.
VS produces an image using square pixels, for 4:3 768 x 576 and for 16:9 1024 x 576 ( Pal)

If your project properties are set for HD ie above 720 x 576/480 , then I think you will get 1920 x 1280 as the image size.

I have not worked with HD so need to check on these sizes.

maximus01can · Post by **maximus01can** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:16 pm

Hey Trevor,

JFYI, when I looked at the properties of the vid, it's 1440 x 1080 so I'll have to check and see what the actual pixel count is on these frames. I know it's more when going the Tools> route and capture image of the project screen at about 6.x Mb as opposed to around 5.x Mb when using "Capture Still Image" from the clip. I've yet to make a Bluray file from a project but I'm going to just for kicks.

Cheers,
Max