VS X2: Transparency problem

Mike Wiering · Post by **Mike Wiering** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:30 am

Hi,

I bought VideoStudio X2 a couple of weeks ago and I'm not sure it's working properly. I installed the patch and the version is 12.0.96.1 Ultimate, I'm running it in Vista. I've used a previous version on this same PC (I believe it was 10.5) and it didn't have this problem.

The problem is that the final video is different from the preview, it seems like anything transparent becomes black, at least between the top "Video Track" and the others. The "Video Track" is not visible when there is a (transparent) overlay or text, it becomes black instead.

For example, I put a video clip in the Video Track and then I put some text over it, for example "Hello" over the entire clip. I preview the project and it looks fine, the clip plays with Hello over it. Now I go to Share and then Create video file (I've tried several different settings there), it generates a video file that is completely black with only Hello.

The obvious workaround is to have the clip in Overlay Track #1 and not use the Video Track at all, but I find this very strange.

Any insight on this?

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:15 pm

it does seem strange and I am trying to think how that could happen...

Just tested it on mine VSx2 12.0.98.1 (which is different to yours maybe because I have the Pro version?) and works as expected.

So...I am puzzled and bereft of any suggestions.

Q: what sort of video file are you creating? Not that it should make a difference.

mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:15 pm

Have you installed the latest Directx from the top post above:
the link is:
http://tiny.cc/qb58I
Solves a lot of problems
If no ggod!
Have you tried using one or two of the video clips supplied with VS. At least that would rule out a clip problem! Also if you put the title in the centre of the video clip, ie first third on time line just video clip, the next third with title then last third without title again, what happens then?

jbarchuk · Post by **jbarchuk** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:50 pm

Mike Wiering wrote:Hi, I preview the project and it looks fine, the clip plays with Hello over it. Now I go to Share and then Create video file (I've tried several different settings there), it generates a video file that is completely black with only Hello.

This Q made something go 'blink' in the back of my head, something that happened years ago. You seem to -maybe- use the words project and clip interchangeably which they are not.

The fix for me at the time was to get FANATICAL about making SURE that 'Project' was selected (and double checking the in/out sliders because that can wreck your day too) before going to Share. I -think- that if 'Clip' was selected before Share that wacky stuff happened as you described.

Now I don't know if this is still a problem because render times are soooo vast that I have gotten totally fanatical about it and never had the problem again. Not sure if project/clip selection really -was- my true problem at the time, or 1000% sure that that was what fixed my problem and I mighta done something else to fix it and simply didn't recognise it as the 'fix,' but it couldn't hurt to double/triple check.

GL and have a

day!

Jim
jb@jbarchuk.com

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:38 am

Clevo wrote:it does seem strange and I am trying to think how that could happen...

Just tested it on mine VSx2 12.0.98.1 (which is different to yours maybe because I have the Pro version?) and works as expected.

So...I am puzzled and bereft of any suggestions.

Q: what sort of video file are you creating? Not that it should make a difference.

The only difference between the Ultimate and Pro versions are:
1. The Ultimate is not offered in the U.S.
2. Ultimate comes with the freebie, (SE) version of Wavelab.

The VS program itself is identical, nothing different..

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:35 am

The program itself might be identical, but as I have noted before, the number of Ultimate version is different. Mine is 12.0.96.1 like the OP's above, not/not 98.1...

Mike Wiering · Post by **Mike Wiering** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:12 pm

Thanks for your replies everyone.

mitchell65 wrote:Have you tried using one or two of the video clips supplied with VS. At least that would rule out a clip problem! Also if you put the title in the centre of the video clip, ie first third on time line just video clip, the next third with title then last third without title again, what happens then?

So far, I was using my own videos as base (Video Track) and all kinds of things (like the example P01 - P05 or text) on top. But now I tried with different kinds of videos as base and most actually do work.

The ones that don't are H.264 videos, and that's the format my video camera makes, I use a Medion MD85806.
Here is an example of a clip from my video camera in case anyone wants to try it: http://mike.wiering.googlepages.com/CLIP1.AVI (save to file, load into VS as base track and try putting something transparent over it, save project to see if the transparency works)

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:42 pm

Does your camera use the DivX H.264 codec, or is that just the only one you could render your example to using VS?

I don't get the lack of transparency, however with my very slow PC, editing anything Hi-Def or playing it is next to impossible.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 11:53 pm

I'd like to be able to help. However, after downloading your clip, it causes VS X2 to hang when I tried to insert it into either the library window or directly into the timeline. I repeated it after closing X2 with identical results. Ditto when I tried it with both VS 11.5+ and 10+ (and, for that matter, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4).

I actually got MF7 to insert it, but that too hung when I tried to play the file in the preview window. And it plays in Power DVD just fine... as it did in Magix 14.

I don't know why my Corel programs cannot handle it, since Gspot tells me it is H.264 mpeg-4 1280 x 720, and that the relevant codecs, both video and audio (ADPCM), are installed on my system...

mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:27 pm

My version of VS is VS 12.0.98.1. Pro.
When I try to insert the clip I get the message "CLIP1.AVI is not accessible"
However, sometimes I use AVS Video Editor 4 and I can import the clip to that. Transitions, effects, titles and overlays all work perfectly. I know that is not much help but there would appear to be nothing wrong with the clip!
FWIW. The clip plays OK in AVS Player but there is just a plain black screen in Win DVD 9 but the curser moves correctly!

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:49 pm

This is strange because my copy of VS has no problem with the clip. Just the rendered output file does not play on my machine. I've slapped one of the generic supplied titles over it, and it is displayed correctly, ie; transparency, however the clip stops when the title appears.

mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:44 pm

Mike,
Is the video clip that you put on the site for us to download straight from your camera or has it been put into any software before uploading to the web. I feel it must have some strange corruption to act in this way!

Mike Wiering · Post by **Mike Wiering** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:28 pm

The clip is directly from my video camera. But then I did install some things when I got the camera, so those probably included codecs.

Anyway, I still think there is something wrong with VideoStudio, it renders everything correctly to screen (it doesn't appear to have any those kind of clips) but when I try to create a video file, everything is black.

mitchell65 wrote:Mike,
Is the video clip that you put on the site for us to download straight from your camera or has it been put into any software before uploading to the web. I feel it must have some strange corruption to act in this way!

Mike Wiering · Post by **Mike Wiering** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 7:32 pm

vidoman wrote:This is strange because my copy of VS has no problem with the clip. Just the rendered output file does not play on my machine. I've slapped one of the generic supplied titles over it, and it is displayed correctly, ie; transparency, however the clip stops when the title appears.

Maybe you mean the same thing, but for me the clip doesn't only stop, but it turns black until the title ends and then it comes back again (only in the video file, in preview mode all is fine).

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:10 am

Interestingly I had not upgraded my DivX to Version 7 and when I came to play the clip (with no alterations) VideoStudio crashed with the following error message

Upon VideoStudio closing I was greeted with a web page inviting me to upgrade my DivX which I did. I then restarted VideoStudio X2 and this time the sample clip played without any error.

I then placed a clip on an overlay track and made it semi transparent and it played OK.

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VS X2: Transparency problem

VS X2: Transparency problem

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