Insert photo without moving other video

[dbroo]

I'm using video studio pro x3.
I have built a video sequence. I'm trying to lay in some photos as cutaways. I can't figure out how to put the photo in the sequence without having it shift the video. I simply want to lay the photo over the existing video and then dissolve in and out. I have tried turning the ripple on and off, but the result is always the same. I stick the three second photo in, and the rest of the video shifts three seconds over.
Any thoughts?

[Clevo]

Simply put the photo in the overlay video track...

I'm surprised you have never used the overlay track before

[Black Lab]

I simply want to lay the photo over the existing video

The name says it all. Overlay track = lay the photo over the video.

[dbroo]

I was confused because the overlay instructions only talk about putting a clip in for effects.
I've worked in TV news for the last 30 years and spent the last five doing non-linear editing. This is my first dabble into a consumer product. I was using avid newscutter, and all video went into the main track unless it was for an effect. We had multiple video tracks, but nothing called overlay.
Speaking of effects, how do I dissolve into or out of the overlay clip? It's probably obvious as well, but I don't see anything in the user guide to explain. I've tried transition, but it doesn't seem to want to do the job.

[Clevo]

Overlay is an effect

In VS click on the clip in the overlay track... look at the attribute panel (centre right)and you'll see a set of ascending back bars next too a set of decending black bars... this toggles fade in & fade out of the highlighted clip in the overlay track. You can further control the duration of the fade by sliding the control slider (little black triangles at the end of a blue line) under the video preview window. You can also adjust the opacity but I'm sure you will figure that out

Until recently I too worked in an news environment as a video librarian for 5 years. Short form news never used overlays but long form current affair type stories used some overlays (sparingly though as our news/caff editorial policies limit how much emotional effects one can use). But the overlay video always went in the overlay (video 2) track. Avid, Final Cut Pro, Aurora etc all had the overlay tracks. other than GUI differences not much difference between them and VSX2. In fact VSX2 is heaps better than say Aurora (Green Valley) NLE...except the top line NLE's can handle broadcast quality codecs (DVpro25, DVpro50, IMX etc)