Setting Default project preferences

[Davidk]

Hi,

Elsewhere in the forum I have a topic about sound echo, and a fix was to render a clip using the same project properties it was recorded with, at least regarding audio.

When I load X5, without a project or clip in the timeline - the project preference audio format is LPCM even tho the camcorder I use records dolby audio. I can open and edit the project preferences to change LPCM to dolby, and I can also check settings/enable 5.1 surround sound which does the same thing, but that setting won't survive an X5 program close. One would think that editing the properties like that and selecting OK at the end, the changes would have been saved and become the default. But when I next open X5, the project audio is again set LPCM.

As part of investigating the echo issue I uninstalled and re-installed X5 without any impact on the audio issues, which includes this one.

How can I set the project settings for audio so that the default is dolby and it lasts thru a close and the next X5 open?

Davidk

[Ken Berry]

What format is the video going in that you want to replicate? Unfortunately, that 'Same as Projecting Settings" output seems to be largely limited to standard def mpeg-2 and DV/AVI...

[Davidk]

Hi Ken,

It's a .mod file from a JVC camcorder which it seems is just an mpeg file with frills. Certainly changing a clip's filetype to .mpg before inserting into the X5 timeline gave no discernable difference in response by X5.

Davidk

[lata]

Hi Davidk

I think we covered this in one of your other two posts.

Go to preferences F6—tick the box Show Messages when inserting First Video Clip.

From a new project adding one of your Mod files will open a window requesting you to match the project settings. Choose Yes
The project settings will then change.
Share Create video File Same as Project will use your video files properties.

In the same way that Share Create Video File – Same as first Clip.

If you wish you can use Make Movie Templates Manager Add function will create a template using the video files properties. Available adjacent to the Custom option

I know this works because you provided a sample.
Your video properties are:-

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8900 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 32 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Regarding the echo, we did not find a reason why rendering to LPMC audio caused this, unfortunately we were unable to replicate the echo.

Clearly the fix is to render using your original properties, which is the correct way to render.

[Davidk]

Hi Trevor,

Yep, I did that. And I haven't disagreed with your comments about rendering. My camera records audio in dolby, so following that approach, the default audio in X5 should be dolby. But the point of this topic is that I cannot change the lpcm audio default to be dolby as audio default on opening an X5 program session. For each open program session, I can edit the PP to be dolby and that works: same clip, multiple clips or different clips. But close the X5 program after work, open it again some time later (minutes days or . . .), and in its opened state PP is back to LPCM audio as default again. The same occurs when surround sound 5.1 is selected - dolby becomes the audio PP, but close X5 and open it later and that selection is gone, LPCM is again default.

In other words the change made to the audio preferences was not permanent, saved when the program closed - each new open of X5 shows LPCM as the default audio, until it was deliberately edited again. What I am looking for is a means of making dolby audio the default for new X5 opens. Is that even possible for this release, or is this just an undocumented feature forgotten in the testing regime which got out in the production release?

Davidk

[Ken Berry]

It has been many years since I have worried about Project Properties for my own editing. But I am aware that they assume an importance for many other users, and especially fairly new ones.

Personally, I would prefer to see Project Preferences dropped altogether from VS. First off, you can't even set Project Preferences for the most common high definition formats. And really, when you think about it, they are only important if you later want to select Share > Create Video File > Same as Project Settings (and also for taking a better quality snapshot). But that doesn't work for high def either since the Project Properties default to standard def.

What is far more important is what you are intending to produce. And for that, if you don't like the default output settings for the various 'Create' options, you can use Make Move Menu Template to create your own template with Dolby, which will then be permanently available with your favourite other settings, in the Share > Create Video File dropdown menu.