simple trim/split 3 seconds limitation?

[mireazma]

Hello.
I was looking for a simple piece of software to do basic but frame-precise clip editing like trimming and I learned about Corel VS. (Well, I was looking for a tool to work with less common formats like flv, f4v but...)
Anyway, I stumbled upon this message that reads like: "the current operation can't be completed because the current clip's duration is less than 3 seconds". I tried both in easy and advanced edit but I simply can't trim a clip.
Have any idea?

[BrianCee]

clips can be trimmed down to any duration even down to one frame.

Are you trying to put a transition between your clips - in which case the clip must be longer than the transition to allow the clips to overlap - perhaps you could explain more fully what you are doing when you receive the error message and then we can probably give you a definitive answer.

[mireazma]

Thank you for replying.
I was in easy edit, had a clip of ~1 sec. and just tried to split it. But I eventually used a workaround
I browsed the user manual but can't figure out how to do a few simple tasks. I'd appreciate very much a few words:
1. My imported video is MPEG-4, 1920 x 1080, variable bitrate. I've fragmented it and now I want to put it back together, unconverted, that is, with encoding untouched. The question is: can I do it?
The project is by default set to some lower resolution and I'm afraid if I fill in the options for encoding to correspond to the original, the video will lose quality. Not to mention that I may not find the exact encode settings as the original. What is your advise?
2. Is there a way to merge clips once you split them? I know of the split-by-scene -- you can there (as I read in the manual) but other than that, e.g. in easy edit? Or at least in timeline in advanced edit.

[BrianCee]

To put your video back together after you have edited it and cut it into pieces you need to click on the 'Share' tab then from the pop-up choose "Create Video file" - then from the drop down choose "Same as first video clip" - then in the 'save' window which opens choose which folder to save the new video in and give it a new name - slightly different to any videos you already have so that you will be able to identify it. Just as a check before you click save look to the bottom box on that window and it will be showing the properties that will be used to create the new file - these should be identical to your own original video - regardless of any project properties you may have set. - click on Save and a new file will be created with all your bits joined into one video file.

with regard to your second question you cannot physically re-join clips in the same way as you can cut them apart - BUT - you do not need to - if you have cut clips in the timeline go to 'File >> Save' (or save as) and save a project file (.vsp) - this file holds all the information for the cuts you have made so when you reach the end of the days work you simply save again - then next time you want to do some editing just open the project (File>>open) and all the bits and pieces will be put back into the timeline just as you left them almost as though they were all joined up again - you can just keep the project file forever if you do not want to make a video file at this time - then when you have finished all editing just do the Share >> create video file again for that new project.

If you want to save just cut clips for use in another project then the easiest way is to just left click on the clip in the timeline and then hold and drag the clip up into the library pane - release the mouse and a new thumbnail will be created that you can drag back down into the timeline in any new projects.

Remember that although you appear to be cutting your video in to bits in the timeline you do not ever actually change the original imported video it is always there on your hard drive in one piece. the timeline simply contains thumbnails with links to segments of that file so you can move cut and even delete them without touching your original file.

If you really do want little bits of video on your computer then you will have to do the share Create video file for whatever bits you ant to re-join.

[mireazma]

Thank you very much for the detailed and complete response. It's kindly and patiently written. The reason for which I couldn't see how to save the video as the original is that I'm using x3 trial version (today installed and tried). I suppose you're talking about x4 and with this comes my hope.
Cheers.

[BrianCee]

You should see exactly the same options in X3 even in the trial version - only difference should be when you try to burn a disc which is not very good in X3 but works well in X4

not sure why you are trialling X3 because X4 and the trial X4 have been available for a year now - if you downloaded your trial from the Corel site today it surely is X4.

[mireazma]

I tried "Same as first video clip" in x4 and it says "The frame size (1920 x 1080) of the video file does not match the settings and therefore cannot be trimmed."
I went to options in the main menu -> project properties -> edit -> general, but I couldn't change the frame size, because the custom setting was disabled and I could only pick from presets 352 x 240 to 720 x 480.
In main menu -> preferences there are 5 tabs and I browsed them and couldn't find anything related. Can you please, advise further?

Regarding to using x3: I have an old HDD on which I stack all kinds of software and I took it from there. I also have Corel PaintShop Pro x2