VS11pro smart package

[Davidk]

I've built a project up with several smaller project file components. It's an easier way to create a video than editing one big project.

Opening the overall project and running it on screen is not a problem. However, when I try to create a smart package of the composite project, I get a consistent error message rejecting the process because of the xistence of the component vsp's.

Is there a way to avoid the error and create a smart package from a project file that has smaller component project files?

Davidk

[Davidk]

I tried to create a thumbnail screen image of the error msg box, but despite repeated attempts to cut the image to the allowed size, the resulting image was simply too small to have any meaningful information in it. 950 x 800 pixels really doesn't cut it.
The message is "The Timeline contains one or more video studio project file clips. Smart package cannot proceed". All on one line a re-sizing the message box isn't allowed.

[Ron P.]

Smart Package is not designed to package multiple projects, just a project with all the video, audio, photos, and titles.

If a screenshot is too large, you can try to crop the image so it shows the relevant detail, in your case the wording. The reason there is a max limit on images, is images that are extremely large will break the design of the web board, causing people to scroll horizontally to read all posts in that topic, and it's just not necessary for them to be so large. I've captured and posted numerous error messages without it having to be my entire screen size. So if you use the Print screen command to capture your image, place the resultant image in an photo editing program and then crop out all the unnecessary parts.

[Ken Berry]

... or use a screen grab program which allows you to only capture a particular part of the screen. I use an el cheapo program called Ashampoo Snap 4 which does a marvellous job...

[teknisyan]

If you are done with the smaller vsp, then what you can do is to render them as mpeg, then just replace the VSP with the rendered mpeg to the main project, this way you can use the smart package without the getting the error message.

[Davidk]

For Ron and Ken,

I did that - as summarised in the post. Specifically, print screen (from a 1440x900 res monitor), import to paint, cut to size and save. Multiple times - the main problem was that the resulting thumbnail image was too wide, even with half the error message cut off. Despite repeated attempts with smaller (and narrower) images, it kept failing the upload attachment click tab. I had the impression that the width flag was stuck, even tho the height was smaller than allowed. Even re-tried the forum page to remove this possibility. Eventually gave up and just repeated the text message as shown. Which sort of defeats the purpose of 'a picture is worth a thousand words' concept. I appreciate the forum constraints, but given that imagery really does help investigation and diagnosis, maybe those constraints should be revised/expanded a bit. In particular to include all the sizes of error or message boxes the program uses.

What's in prospect is a transfer of the vsp to a separate display point - hence the package. It's not finished yet so I haven't rendered the smaller component.

Do the later versions of VS (eg X4) all have this smart package constraint???

Davidk

[Ron P.]

You're not really understanding how to properly crop an image. My desktop monitor uses the same resolution. I've done numerous screen-shots, and have not had an issue with the size or the detail of what I wanted to show. As far as error messages, if you can recall what they say, and post it, that's about all we need. Error messages for the most part have very little meaning to us. They're made for the programmers.

Sorry I can't go any larger on the forum's max resolution for images. It already uses a built in resize, scaling down some images that are just a tad to large. FInd a screenshot on the forum that looks small. Click on it, and it will open larger in a new page.

Yes, VS X4 also has the Smart Package feature, just the same as VS X3. It might be possible that the nested projects, can not be smartpackaged, because they are special instruction files, it has no actual video, photos, audio, or titles. Smart-Package uses the instructions in your Project file to gather all those into one place.

[Davidk]

Sigh . . . and here was I thinking there might be a reason to upgrade.

There isn't much intelligence required in a subroutine to copy a list of objects from one place (each one known from the vsp or even timeline data on clips images or sound) to another (specified by user), and nested subroutines have been in a programmers toolkit forever. The only real argument has been on the depth of nesting, and about 7 seems to be a common choice. Add another item to the X5 wishlist.

Davidk