VS9 - Making Project Properties Default to PAL DV Widescreen

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 10:27 pm

Hi,
Can I configure VS9 so that all projects will start with the following paramters:
PAL (25 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 16:9, 25 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
DV Audio -- PAL, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

At present if I start a new project it defaults to MPEG rather than "Microsoft AVI files" - and if I try to change to the latter, it defaults to NTSC and doesn't give me any options to change it to PAL.

I can't find a way of setting the project to the settings above by any other means other than dropping a video into the timeline (I have that option turned on.)

Which brings me on to my second question - Can I get the movie wizard to run with these settings?

thanks,

Daran.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:01 am

When VS starts it can load a default configuration.
It's easy to put the file in the VS9 directory under "My Documents"

1. Create the template you need to use (for you it's PAL with settings etc).
2. Save that in VS9's default location (read below).
3. Create a shortcut directly to vstudio.exe.
4. When creating the shortcut AFTER the quotes put a space and then the name of the default file.
Do not put the filename inside the quotes and do not use spaces in the default filename. (Simpliest method).

Example:
Shortcut to VideoStudio9
C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio 9.0\vstudio.exe" default.vsp

Put the file (template) into your home user VideoStudio 9 directory.
C:\Documents and Settings\maddrummer3301\My Documents\Ulead VideoStudio\9.0

The above would be a configuration for maddrummer3301, replace with
your username.
Or create the template, save it somewhere's convenient.
Open up "My Documents" and navigate to the ulead 9.0 directory and
copy the default template over using windows explorer.
(You can also use "Save As" in VS, then naviagate to VS9 users home directory and save it.
Note: IF you put the file in the wrong location VS9 will tell you it can't find it.

Hope this helps,

MD

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:47 pm

MD,
that's a great tip

- I'll definitely give it a try.
However, I'm still confused as to why VS9 is defaulting to NTSC in the first place... I told it Iwas a UK/PAL user during the install I'm sure!

cheers,

Daran.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:57 pm

In loading ANY Ulead product (and I have quite a few), I have learned by hard experience that when the first installation screens appear, I choose BOTH options to ensure I get PAL instead of NTSC. In other words, when the first screen asks me which system OR which country, I first choose PAL, and when the tick appears in the relevant box, I then also choose my country (Australia), at which time the first box is greyed out BUT the tick in it remains. That works 100% of the time for me.

In VS9, there is also a further back-up to this in File > Preferences > Edit, where you can again specify whether you are working in NTSC or PAL (at the very top of that screen).

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:32 pm

Ken,
I have the edit option set to PAL...

But when I open up VS9 my project properties are as follows:
Edit File Format - MPEG Files

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo

If I change the drop down to Microsoft AVI Files
the parameters change to:

NTSC non-drop frame (30 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 30 fps
Lower Field First
Uncompressed
PCM, 44.100 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

If I click on Edit at the bottom of the Project Properties dialog, I can see that "TV Standard" is set to "NTSC non drop frame (30fps)" and I do not have an option to change it as it is greyed out... I want to be able to change this to PAL (and have this set as the defult forever more!)

HELP!

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:08 am

OK -- try this. When you open the drop-down to Microsoft AVI files, click on Edit, and go to the second Tab 'General'. Change the frame rate to 25 fps and then the frame size to the standard PAL size of 720 x 576, and click OK. When you then open the first Tab, it should now show 'PAL' instead of NTSC. Again click on OK to get out of that drop-down, and the Project Properties should show Microsoft AVI as being the PAL version. I think you might also get a pop-up box telling you that the project properties have been changed to that. And that, I think, should now be your permanent project property until such time as you may want to change it to something else... At least, I hope so!

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:42 pm

Ken,
thanks that very nearly works... except that the default if I then start a new project is still "MPEG Files" rather than "Microsoft AVI files".

If I then select the AVI option I get:
PAL (25 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
Uncompressed
PCM, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo
which is still slightly different.

I want VS9 to have the following as default automatically whenever I start a new project:
PAL (25 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 16:9, 25 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
DV Audio -- PAL, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

Any ideas?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:18 pm

I am, I confess, a little confused. First, you can set the Encoder Type in Project Properties in the third tab, under the box headed 'Compression'. Default seems to be 'none', but if you click on this, a drop down menu gives you a huge selection, headed by Encoder types 1 and 2. Choose one, click OK and that should be it. I happen to use Type 2 for my DV/AVI captures, and can also set this in the Capture screen > Options where it also seems to affect the Project Properties for future projects.

Second, I am not sure what you mean by VS defaulting to MPEG. Is this when you open the Project Properties or in the Capture screen? In my version of 9 [but it was much the same in 7 and 8], the first to show is also MPEG, and I have to then select 'Microsoft AVI Files' to play with the properties. But this is probably because the last time I went into Project Properties, MPEG files was the last I played around with or changed. And this is in any case irrelevant to the project properties which apply when I start my capture. Those properties will always depend on the capture choice I make, which in my case is nearly always 'DV'. And AFAIK, you ALWAYS have to consciously make a choice when you enter the capture screen as to what format you want to capture in. But once you have chosen, VS then links the capture to the relevant Project Properties folder i.e. if I choose DV, then it automatically sets the Project Properties to the ones I have set in the 'Microsoft AVI Files' part of Project Properties; and if I choose DVD, it automatically links to the MPEG files part of Project Properties...

As for changing the 'Microsoft AVI files' folder to show your preference for widescreen 16:9, once you change the Compression box in the third tab of the Microsoft AVI Files folder to Type 1 (or 2), move back to the second Tab, and you should then see that the 'Display Aspect Ratio' box is no longer greyed-out but can be set for either 4:3 or 16:9.

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:42 pm

Ken,
thanks again for taking the time to respond. I guess I was trying to get VS9 to be defaulted to the settings that I generally want to work with.

However, I think the easiest option for me is to just dump a file (captured from the camcorder with all the right settings) onto my timeline whenever I start a new project and let VS9 ask me if I want to change the project settings to match... then I can delete the file again from the timeline.

I was convinced VS8 allowed me to do this - but on going back and checking I find that this too defualts initially to mpeg - I guess I must always have let VS8 ask me the above question too!

thanks again.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:52 pm

No problems.

Just to be clear, though: AFAIK, the only thing you can't set as default in advance is the choice of capture format. When you go into the capture screen, you always consciously have to choose which format you want. But after that, VS will link that format to the Project Properties you have selected in advance by the method(s) I have suggested. The latter become the default until such time as you change them. You are also then given the 'second chance' when the captured clips are about to be put in the timeline of whether you want the project to have the same properties as the captured clips. But if you have already set the Project Properties defaults to what you want, then normally of course the choice is 'yes'.

rowladar · Post by **rowladar** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:37 pm

Ken,
that just about wraps it up - thanks!