X3 Workflow? - Multiple home videos into custom DVDs

[regas99]

I have 20 years worth of home videos on various tape formats. I have converted each source tape onto its own DVD, and imported these into VS X3. What is the best workflow for organizing all this video with the goal of creating customized DVDs as gifts to friends and family?

Each source disk consists of many scenes. I want to separate each source into multiple clips, such as "Visit with Bob" or "Christmas with the Family". I then want to be able to create multiple DVDs, e.g. one for Bob and one for my family with several years of Christmas on one DVD. Of course, if Bob came over at Christmas time, I want to use that clip for both DVDs. There are a lot more permutations than just Bob and just Christmas, but this gives a feel for what I am trying to accomplish.

I have started by using "multi-trim video" to separate each source video into individual clips, and "save trimmed video" to write each clip to its own mpeg file. Then I use a spreadsheet to list each mpeg file with some notes on its content. Eventually, I will use the notes to select which mpegs to put into a new project to burn to DVD.

This will be a lot of work no matter how I do it, but this approach seems cumbersome. Each clip is also rendered multiple times to get to the finished product, diminishing final quality.

Is there a better workflow to accomplish this, or other tools that would make the easier? I am sure I am not the only one who wants to make their home movies usable.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Accolades]

Looks like you have a bit of work to do...

I think if you create the trimming the way you are doing but instead od creating the file maybe put it in a different VS video library to prevent re-rendering and quality loss.

This would mean have all the videos on hard drive and a lot of editing on your behalf.

[sjj1805]

It all depends upon how many videos you've got.
Are they all going to fit on one disc or on several?

You can save in a folder on your hard drive the various "Videos" known as Titles.
Then open MovieFactory or a version of VideoStudio prior to X3.
Now import selected Titles (videos) into the program.
Split these Titles up into Chapters where you want a certain event to be a starting point. This is a bit like the tracks on a LP Record where you can pick up the arm and place it down onto the track you want.

This diagram might also help.

[regas99]

I understand DVD menus, titles and chapters. There is no way this is going to fit onto a single DVD. I expect I will end up with ~20 DVDs worth of source material, and will want to create a dozen or more customized DVDs. Accolades was 100% correct in his comment that I have a lot of work to do! I already have at least 20 hours into this project, with a lot of source material that has not yet been touched.

Here is what I have done so far. I imported 13 DVDs into X3 and used "multi-trim video" to separate each into individual clips, between five and twenty per source disk. Based on the suggestion from Accolades, I saved each clip as its own project file, so I did not have to render each clip as I saved it. Call each of these "sub-projects" but they are all short .VSP project files.

I just tried to create a DVD for my daughter's birthday. I created a new X3 project and added several sub-projects using "Import from Media Device". I then went to Share and pushed the "Create Video File" button with DVD format. As expected, it created an mpg file, but with no menu or titles (and no DVD). Not what I had in mind to give away as gifts.

So I tried the "Create Disk" button. This started up DVD Factory Pro 2010. Suddenly MetadataMgr.exe started searching through every file on my system. I have hundreds of videos and many thousands of songs and photos on my system. I don't want to edit those, and don't want them included in my list of files to include on a DVD (PhotoImpact Pro 13 already does a great job of managing my photos). I also have a second on-line disk with redundant copies of the important files (which I manage manually), and I don't want to create pointers to both copies. And there may be a video or two somewhere that I don't want the wife or kids to stumble across

So I killed MetadataMgr.exe, rebooted and went back to the X3 project, and tried "Create Disk" again. The entire project came across as one entity, whereas I hoped the sub-projects would already be titles or chapters on the DVD. I do not see any way in DVD Factory to import projects from VideoStudio. It looks like the only way to get there is to use X3 to render individual sub-projects into mpg files, import the mpg files into DVD factory, and render them again to create a DVD. So it seems VideoStudio cannot create DVDs, and DVD Factory cannot use VideoStudio projects.

Am I missing something? Am I using the wrong tool, or the wrong process? Since my project is already so time intensive, I don't have a need for all the really cool filters in X3, and it may be over-kill for what I need. Might VS Express meet my needs better?

[Accolades]

When trimming a video the trimmed portion can be placed back on the list of available video selections not saved as a seperate project.

ie. when you import your video it appears in the video library.

You can add sub folders under VIDEO for instance and work on each video file cropping and such.

When you are ready to make a DVD you can use these Sub Folder and the Trimmed video sections in your final video all prior to doing a render.

I hope this makes some sort of sense?

[sjj1805]

.... .
So I tried the "Create Disk" button. This started up DVD Factory Pro 2010. Suddenly MetadataMgr.exe started searching through every file on my system. ........

Am I missing something? Am I using the wrong tool...?

YES!!!
There have been SEVERAL posts about the useless DVD Factory Pro 2010 and the reason why Corel have sent a FREE link to DVD Movie Factory 7 SE to anyone who does not already have a copy of DVD MovieFactory on their system.
DVD Factory Pro was a big mistake and highly unpopular with their customers.

If you do not already have DVD MovieFactory Pro on your computer then start up VideoStudio and click the "Get More" button.

[regas99]

Accolades - Thanks for your suggestion, but I do not understand what you are saying. My source DVDs are on disk, each in its own VIDEO_TS directory. I create a project in X3 and save it as a file named, for example, as 9-2.VSP. Importing the DVD creates another file named date_time_import.mpeg, e.g. 100427_150235_import.mpeg, which is listed in the video library. Each of these files lives at different locations in the file system.

When you say to add subfolders, which part of the file system are you talking about, and what file format am I using? VSP files don't seem to work, and I don't see any other way to save trimmed videos without re-rendering them into new mpg files.

sjj1805 -- I can't find a "get more" button anywhere. The Corel site does not even list MovieFactory as a current product. A search did find a reference to Pro 7 (http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/ ... 3965700889), but all the links on this page are broken. Even pushing the "Buy Now" button takes me to a page with no product listed. The store shows version 6 Plus reduced from $80 to $40, but I am not spending any money for a product that has already been discontinued.

I am still looking for the right path..

[sjj1805]

The more I read the more you sound confused!
VSP files are NOT video files they are project files - editing decisions. Please click here
I am a bit concerned at the way you mention the names of the files you are dealing with.
Have you correctly imported them to your hard drive? Please click here

The "Get more button" is here:

[cdmj]

I'm going back to X2 because X3 makes it too difficult to prepare multiple titles, and chapters for DVDs. Actually it's the DVD MovieFactory "white elephant." With X2 you had full control of menus, their text, etc. You could even edit menu templates. Some of the "changes," for cosmetic purposes only, in the X3 layout don't make sense either. Why would they move the zoom-in and zoom-out scroll bar way to the right? With my 22 inch hi-res monitor, I have to move the mouse all the way over there to expand the time-line where before all the controls were in one place on the left. Probably they just wanted to make it look different so you'd think you're getting a substantially new version.

[Accolades]

I'm going back to X2 because X3 makes it too difficult to prepare multiple titles, and chapters for DVDs. Actually it's the DVD MovieFactory "white elephant." With X2 you had full control of menus, their text, etc. You could even edit menu templates. Some of the "changes," for cosmetic purposes only, in the X3 layout don't make sense either. Why would they move the zoom-in and zoom-out scroll bar way to the right? With my 22 inch hi-res monitor, I have to move the mouse all the way over there to expand the time-line where before all the controls were in one place on the left. Probably they just wanted to make it look different so you'd think you're getting a substantially new version.

With X3 you should be using the REPLACEMENT for DVD MovieFactory which is DVD Movie Studio SE.

This was sent out as part of the DO MORE/GET MORE options with X3.

[sjj1805]

DVD MovieFactory 7 SE is the new replacement from Corel.
The original offering was DVD Factory Pro 2010 - this was unpopular and very awkward to use, hence the replacement.

See also...
Pro X3 shuts down during burn
Loss of Image Qaulity After Rendering
WOW Board has changed a lot since I was here last.
Plus around about another 160 similar posts from myself covering this subject.