Never had X4 - X5 Samples pointing to X4 folder?

[X5learner]

Hello all,

Two issues I hope someone can help with please:

1) I have recently installed VSX5 Ultimate from discs, installed all the extras from the Ultimate extras disc, and installed Service Pack 1. For some reason virtually all the samples are trying to link to "C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio Pro X4\Samples\Video\....". I've never had X4 installed, so can only assume that somewhere during installation or the service pack I've ended up with duff links. I'd relink them but when I look in the corresponding X5 folders there's only a couple of items there. Very strange! Any ideas please?

2) I'm creating a video that I'd like to output in 720p (it's not sufficiently detailed to need 1080p output) at 25fps, in H264. I can't get H264 output at this resolution with the presets, and when I choose "Custom" the maximum resolution I'm allowed to select for an MP4 container is equivalent to PAL DVD - 720x576. I think this limit may be from the project file, but when I edit the project properties 720x576 is the maximum resolution I can set there too for some reason. On the "General" tab of project properties the only frame rate option is 29.97fps, which is NTSC. Only standard resolutions are available, with the maximum of 720x576. On the "Compression" tab I can only choose between NTSC DVD and PAL DVD. No HD... but I'm constructing the project from HD material just fine.

I've been able to output an MPEG in a HD resolution but using transport stream format and the output was massive and unsuitable. I think that was via the HDV presets for 720p for PC/HDV. I've tried the WMV 720p 25fps preset, but that gave a small file size and quite a loss of animated frames so was unsuitable. How can I get X5 to just output in the format and size I want it to - H264, 720p, 25fps when the none of the Custom output options seem to allow it?

Thanks!

[lata]

Hi

I have a Lenovo Laptop running W7 64bit.
It shows the same problems to your first question right down to the X4 re-link request.

Run the program in XP Compatibility Mode.

Right click the Video Studio icon on the desktop and choose Properties--Compltability tab --tick for XP

[X5learner]

Hi Trevor, and thanks for your response.

I tried re-running VSX5 in XP Compatibility Mode and it made no difference. There seems to be a more fundamental issue that the filenames it's looking for don't exist in any folder on my PC so it's not directly an issue of "c:\program files" mapping to "c:\program files (x86)" or similar.

I haven't yet felt a need for any of the samples in my projects but I can see that some could be of value for ideas that I have - unfortunately I just don't seem to have the actual files. I'm wondering if it's worth trying a complete re-install as I uninstalled (or rather let the installer uninstall) the trial version of X5Pro that I had and then installed X5 Ultimate from discs. I wonder if something has got out of kilter.

Does anyone know what my second issue may be due to, or why my project settings don't allow any resolutions above PAL DVD? I wondered if it might be because my original project was created in the X5Pro Trial, but on trying a new project in X5U it still only presents PAL DVD and NTSC DVD as options. Thanks to another post I've now found a way to create a preset with the settings I want, though the mismatch betwene the project and what I'm doing is a little odd. Why it insists on DVD in these days of HD is strange. I'm now experimenting with the new preset to see what quality I can get out.

Cheers!

[lata]

Hi

The problem I have is identical to your post with regards to the re-link looking for files in the X4 structure.

There were/are other problems with the program, I do not think I identified all as I soon found running in XP Compatibility mode cured the problem.
I can however replicate the condition simply by running normally.
That will be tomorrow, then I may be able to id other problems?
I doubt if the problem is just the Trial version, re-installing may do the trick, but I have done this several times without fixing.

I think you may be best to sort this rather than ignore it, as I said there were other problems.

Your Second issue

The Project Properties tend to be used for Standard Definition, you cannot set them for HD properties, however some HD will change the properties automatically. The Project properties issue is something Corel need to address to stop the confusion it creates. You can however set the frame size using the AVI option, only use is when doing a snapshot.

Ok ignore the Project Properties other than setting Editing Widescreen 16:9
However a little concerned as to why only 29.97, that may be the first issue?

Can you right click your original video file select properties, tell us what they are?
You say you require 720p
Try the Share Upload to Web –YouTube, this will create a mpg4 at 1280 x 720
Notice the properties in the save window’s lower panel.
Using Custom or Make Movie Templates Manager you can create your own templates using the above or similar properties.

What are you trying to make, I assume a video for the internet?

[X5learner]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks again for the pointers - most useful! Ok, I'll see what I can do with the first issue, though it's not really causing an issue so no great hurry there.

That's interesting regarding the projects and as you say it would avoid confusion if Corel sorted it. I quite liked the approach taken by Windows Movie Maker where the project is arbitrary until you create the output file, but rapidly disliked the ease with which I hit the limitations of the software itself

Yeah it's intended for the web. I hadn't tried the Upload to Web option because that wasn't what I wanted to immediately do as I wanted to experiment first. Thanks for that tip - I found that by simply cancelling the last upload step the Upload to Web menu gives effectively another set of presets for creating a local file. I'd created a preset with the "Make Movie Manager" so am presently comparing the output from that with the built-in YouTube MP4-HD setting. Interestingly the YouTube preset gives a slightly better result for the same bit rate in some areas, so I'll look at H264 profile differences or similar as the main settings appear to be identical with the preset that I made.

It's most odd that under the YouTube option you can create a 720p MP4 but under the main MP4 output options you (or rather, I) can't. Then with "Make Movie Manager" the option becomes available. I guess it's a case of finding out what the various esoteric elements of VS are; part of the learning curve. For the most part it's very intuitive and I've figured most of it out just by using it.

[Ken Berry]

There is a further way of getting a template you want, and using Make Movie Template Manager too. If you have a piece of video whose format and exact properties you want to copy, but can't use Make Movie Template Manager the "normal" way, then you will notice that on the Manager screen, there is also an "Add" button. If you press that, a new, small dialogue box will open. The top window in it has a mysterious button which merely has "..." on it. If you press that, you can browse to where your video file is located and you select it. The path then appears in that top little window. Give the template a name in the bottom window and close that box and the Manager box. When you next open VS, that new template will appear at the bottom of the drop down format menu. Note, however, that this new template cannot then be edited in any way. If you try, it will revert to the standard DVD properties and you will need to set the template up again.

[teknisyan]

Just to add to what Ken Berry said-- here are more info on creating movie template on VS X5 -- http://corel.force.com/index/articles/e ... dio-Pro-X5

[X5learner]

Thanks folks. One thing I've noticed is that the user-defined resolution options are never available. I can't imagine ever needing a non-standard resolution of some sort but am curious to know what the criteria are that make those options available, if ever.

[lata]

Hi
The User Defined option depends on the type of template you are creating, not all allow this, Templates for Disc’s DVD or Bluray will be limited to compliant sizes which does make sense.

I can give a couple of examples but cannot remember all options.
Most are internet types which I suppose can be any shape, although 16:9 is preferable for youtube.

Most Avi types-Xvid-DivX, Quicktime, WebM(flash)

Frame rates
For Pal its 25fps, some templates may only give 30 fps, I guess the price we have to pay living this side of the pond.

Your video.
Add one to a new project, Share Create Video File, is Same as First Clip available.
Also
Set F6 (preferences) Show Messages when inserting First Clip………
This may prompt you to match your video files settings, works with some not all types? Which I suppose brings us back to my earlier comments on Project Properties.

[X5learner]

Thanks Trevor!

[lata]

Hi X5learner

I have been testing the X5 Samples pointing to X4 folder? Issue and have put together some images on my web site

I haven’t quite finished the page but you can view here, maybe you can see if you get the same errors with the various options.

http://lata.me.uk/corel/lenovo/lenovo.htm

[X5learner]

Hi Trevor,
I don't have any problem importing JPEGs. It seems to like them just fine, though I tend to use PNGs. I tried some 14MP shots from my camera and they also imported fine.

Going through the samples library, my mappings are completely mixed up:
P01.UVP exists and it's grabbing that from the X5 samples folder;
P02.UVP to P05.UVP don't exist on my PC, and it's looking in X4.
V21.wmv is correctly mapped but none of the other V files exist on my PC and the library is looking in X4 samples for those.
I01.jpg exists but 02 to 28 do not. Again it's looking in X4 samples for those.
M01.wma exists but 02 to 15 do not. Again it's looking in X4 samples for those.
S01.wma exists but 02 to 24 do not. Same deal.

Most odd...

I also get slightly different behaviour to you. When I right click I immediately get the relink/delete/cancel dialog so don't get the library loading problem. If I cancel that the context menu for the item shows but Properties are not available. I've also had it so that sometimes the relink/delete/cancel dialog spontaneously appears but I've not had that often enough to identify what triggers it yet. I'm running 15.1.0.34 Ultimate.