Video Pan + Zoom - is there a way to ...

[thepurplepig]

I use a lot of pan and zoom, and it works OK in VS, but there is one major issue:

If you have a LOT of keyframes like I do, the crosshairs in the preview screen tend to overlay each other often.
Then if I want to move one keyframe to a different screen position, I can't because clicking on it usually selects another keyframe that it is on top of or very near.

The function would be perfect if one very minor change was made - when you click a keyframe in the slider, that keyframe should be selected in the preview screen, so I can grab it and drag it it around. Click a crosshair in the preview screen should NOT select the closest keyframe.
In order to overcome this I need to set up my pan and zoom until there are almost too many keyframes, render, then repeat the process of the rendered video, doing this 5 or 6 times over.

Anyone know if there's a hotkey or some other way of definitely selecting a keyframe's crosshair that overcomes this problem?

[BrianCee]

Are you working with the keyframe timeline fully expanded - if I set the keyframe timeline to max zoom I see only 18 frames across the whole of my 'pan and zoom' window - each frame marker is then nearly 2cm apart - surely you are not putting 10 or so keyframes on every video frame.





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[thepurplepig]

Hi Brian,
I can select whichever keyframe I want on the slider when its zoomed in, no problem there.
The problem is when I go to the preview window to drag that selected crosshair to another spot on screen - when I try click the crosshair a random different crosshair for another nearby keyframe gets selected instead.
I'll try capture some screen action and upload it to show you what I mean.

[BrianCee]

When you select a keyframe the cross hair associated with it turns red - as long as you make sure that the finger on the little hand is exactly central of the red crosshair that is the one selected.

[thepurplepig]

Thanks Brian,
I guess the type of stuff I need to edit just means I often end up with tiny increments between keyframes, and keyframes often return to the same position, but at different zoom levels.
So I can end up with 5 or 6 crosshairs overlayed, and it's not posible to definitvely select the one I want no matter how accurate I am with the mouse finger.
I guess I could always split the video into a bunch of smaller portions, so each wil have fewer keyframes.

[lata]

Hi

Try this..........

Use the controls – left top of timeline to select the keyframe. (Go to next/previous keyframe icons)
Then use the anchor points (Lower Left) to move the keyframe away from the group.
Now you should be able to get hold of it and re-position

[thepurplepig]

Thanks Trevor,

I usually do do that as a workaround, but once in a while a spurious track gets added in between the keyframes for some reason, so the focus goes flying off to one side and returns very quickly, instead of following the logical panning route. Only happens occasionally so your proposal is my favoured workaround. Was just hoping someone might say 'oh - hold down F5 while you click the crosshair and it always grabs the one that's already selected in the scroll bar below', or something like that

[Peem]

thepurplepig
Just with the hope that someone from Corel may read this occasionally I feel I should also say that I have found this a frustration. As you say you would think if you have selected a key frame on the timeline that would be the one you would pick up when you move the cursor over the cross hairs, or a key combination could make it so. It can be infuriating when you have to undo all the previous positioning to be able to grab the cross hair you want to move. You would think it would be a fairly simple change to the program required to make it much more user friendly. Like anything to do with computers, sometimes you wonder if the people who write the programs ever use them themselves.
Regards, Peter

[lata]

Hi

I doubt if anyone from Corel will read this post but I have posted to the “ VideoStudio Pro - Wishlist for Version X7 “ where it may get read.
However contacting Corel Support may be the best option. We do get 90 days free support. I doubt they would fix for this version but may for future releases.
But only if they know about it.

If the Keyboard arrow keys moved the keyframes I guess there would be no problem and probably more accurate than dragging the mouse.

[AussieTX]

I too have this issue and it drives me crazy. I would think that if you select the key frame in the timeline the next obvious step would be selecting the cross hairs for that very same keyframe in the actual preview window. I'll have to try the anchor points as suggested. But a key frame to cross hair lock would be nice. Like a function key as suggested. I'll add to the X7 list if its not already there.

[JRSpud]

Hello,

Have you found a solution to this as of yet?

Just upgraded to Ultimate 6 and wasting a lot of time on this same issue.

Thanks!!

Jim

[lata]

Hi Jim

I have not heard of a solution to this, did you read my last reply on 21st April

The workround is just a click of the mouse on one of the anchor points, that moves the crosshair allowing you to drag with the mouse. I wouldn’t class that as wasting a lot of time?
Moving the crosshair using the arrow keys would also be good.

But unless users pester Corel nothing will be done.