Matching video with proxy file

[rkstudio]

I'm not sure of the best way to save videos. After I work on a video, I save it with a certain file name. But I think the video's name should be renamed before it's edited. Am I right?
I have been using Video studio for quite a while now, but I have never seen a tutorial or anything similar that shows how videos should be saved.
Now I have a video that's in my projects that I can't work on because of a file format mismatch...which I think is because I can't find the proxy file to match it up with.
Anybody have any suggestions as to how to match a video with it's proxy since they both have different file names?

Here is a tut I saw showing how to save a project: http://howto.corel.com/en/c/How_to_save ... Studio_Pro . How lame is that? If you do that, it has a different file name from the proxy file...right? so the proxy won't be linked with the saved video and cause a file mismatch.
I'm sure there are other people with this problem since there is no good tutorial on the proper way to save a video.

[canuck]

I don't understand your post at all and that may be because you are confusing a video file, the project file and proxy files.

Video files are not "saved" but are created by rendering your project to a video file. What is saved is your project file (it has the extension vsp) and all it contains is the instructions on how to create your project, a list of all the resources used (such as video clip, photos) and all the editing instructions used in your project and effects/transitions etc that are used in your project. The project file contains no video whatsoever.

The proxy file only come into play if you are using HD videos and if your have set the option to create a proxy file to make editing easier on slow machines. They have nothing to do with creating your final videos file and are not needed at that stage.

Exactly what do you mean by "the proper way to save a video."?

Perhaps if you described step-by-step what you are doing it will be easier to understand what you are doing wrong.

[rkstudio]

Ok, I think it's hard for me to explain the problems that I'm having because of the lack of support from corel as far as how the process works. I don't know how you or anyone else found out or figured out how it works but to me it's not how I understand how other programs work.
I have photoshop, illustrator, and many other programs and none of them were so complicated as far as saving a file goes. I know that this is a video program so that's, I guess why the file process is more complicated but what frustrates me is that corel doesn't explain anywhere about the rendering or file saving or project saving or anything else that VS does.
Why would they explain most of the other things fairly well but when it comes to anything to do with files or projects, they don't even go there? It's mind boggling to me.

Ok, I do have the proxy option selected but I guess I shouldn't because I'm shooting at 720p, which is not HD. So I'll disable the proxy option.

You asked what I mean by the proper way to save a file. Well there must be a proper way and an improper way because half the time, I want to work on a video project that I "saved". I'll just say "saved" for lack of a more appropriate word, and what happens is that there is a "file format mismatch". There are videos that I can't work on for months now because I can't figure out the "file format mismatch" issue. I thought it might have something to do with the proxy files or something. I really don't know what to make of it. I know I'm not the only one either, because a long time ago, I saw other people asking the same question to the same frustrating issue. It's another thing that corel fails to answer is to why you can get a "file format mismatch". I don't get those in any other programs. In other programs, I choose a file to open and it opens it, but in corel, half the time or maybe more, I get the same old error message and I'm really tired of it. I have about 40 videos that I can't work on because of this issue.

[rkstudio]

Here's the process I use to work on a video.

I shoot a video, it's saved on my device with the .mp4 format, then I upload it to the computer. From there, I start corel, then select file>insert>insert video file to timeline, (or insert video to library), then I edit the video to my liking, then I save the project and it seems all is well until the next time I want to work on the video and I get the "file format mismatch" issue.
Now doesn't it seem like there is something really wrong with that? Or maybe the way I'm doing this is all wrong. Which I guess I wouldn't be surprised because corel doesn't show anywhere how it should be done. So from the very beginning I had to guess that that's the way to do it.

Well if you see anything wrong with the way I work with VS, please let me know.

Maybe I just have a bad disk or something....I don't know. I bought it a couple years ago at best buy and it's X6 pro ultimate.

[asik1]

rkstudio, first you need to know that VS has it's limits. It can't do everything, and it doesn't know all the gazillion video formats out there.
What the source of those 40 orphan videos? is this just a recent problem?

[rkstudio]

What are all those file formats that you mean? I only mentioned .mp4. The other ones are the ones that are in VS, like, .vsp and the others. I didn't mention anything about using anything other than .mp4.
Also,no it isn't a recent problem. It has been happening for a long time. If it didn't happen so often, I would love making and editing videos, but I really hate starting up VS because of this problem.

[Terfyn]

You seem to be confused with the process.
First your original files from your camera are NEVER affected with the editing process. They remain exactly as you recorded them.
Second, when you edit the video in VS, you create a TEXT file with the extension .vsp. This file carries instructions to create a new video from your original files. i.e. it COPIES bits of your original files to a new file in the Share section. This is called rendering.
The new file created by the rendering process can either be saved to your PC or burnt to disk, copied to a SD card or sent to YouTube etc. depending on the settings you use before rendering starts.
To summarise, you have your original raw video files from your camera. A text file of instructions created by the editing process with the .vsp extension. And, finally in the Share process, a new file of your edited video created to suit the storage format you want to use.

You need to keep a clean process. You should have a number of files of raw video with all the shots you have taken. (i.e. one file per shot) Presumably you have stored them in a named folder on your PC. It is that folder of files you want to transfer to VideoStudio.
(I use the more lengthy process) Go into Capture, click on "Import from Digital Media" then "Select Import Source Folders". Find your folder and tick the box next to it and then Start, you will get a screen of thumbnails corresponding to all the files in your original folder. Select all the files you want to transfer to VS by ticking the box in the thumbnail picture (there is a "Select All Clips" icon on the top of the window) When the chosen clips have been transferred an "Import Settings" window will appear, un-tick "Insert to Timeline" but tick "Capture to Library" then "+" and give the folder a unique name. Go to Edit and the thumbnails will be in the Library ready to be dragged to the Timeline.

When you have completed an edit process, you need to Save As and give the file an appropriate name. This is your .VSP file of instructions (It is NOT a video file). To restart the edit process Click on the correct folder under the +ADD column to reload the thumbnails and then Open File and Click on the appropriate .VSP file. You can then continue editing.

[rkstudio]

Terfyn,

Thank you for the detailed information! I don't know how everyone but me (it seems) has knowledge of all this but for some reason Corel would rather keep it all secret. This is the only conclusion I can make since they have no tutorials about how the system works in this regard.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll re-read your post and try to wrap my head around the process.

Bob

[Terfyn]

There are some basic tutorials on the Corel site but they may presume that you have a basic understanding of video editors. I do sympathise, I started with Pinnacle Studio about 11 years ago and did not have a clue what to do next! Slowly the process begins to make sense but it can be a steep learning curve.
A video editor basically lets you string together a number of video files, each file represents one shot from your camcorder. Fortunately VS is non destructive as are most VEs and leave your original video files alone.
I will watch this post and if you want any more help, just write.

[lata]

Hi

You may find these details useful, a few images showing the Import Digital Media described by Terfyn
Web pages created using X8 but relevant for x9, must get back to completing those tutorials.

http://lata.me.uk/corel/all.htm
http://lata.me.uk/corel/import/import.htm

[rkstudio]

Thank you very much Trevor! I'll look at the articles.

[rkstudio]

Terfyn, THank you very much! The process is definitely not intuitive. I"ve seen videos that make it seem like you need to have proxy files for each video, so I set it up to automatically create them. I think I should turn that option off. The proxy files are huge for one thing, and I'm gathering that they are unnecessary too. So now I'm trying to visualize the process so I can get it can get a little more intuitive.
Thank you very much for your help!

[canuck]

Terfyn, THank you very much! The process is definitely not intuitive. I"ve seen videos that make it seem like you need to have proxy files for each video, so I set it up to automatically create them. I think I should turn that option off. The proxy files are huge for one thing, and I'm gathering that they are unnecessary too. So now I'm trying to visualize the process so I can get it can get a little more intuitive.
Thank you very much for your help!

Proxy files are only "useful" if you are working with HD video files and have a slow computer. I never use them even for HD videos. They would actually be much smaller in size then the equivalent HD files. If your source files are standard video they are unnecessary.

[Terfyn]

I don't use the Proxy File option and the system works OK. Occasionally the video stutters in the Preview window which can be annoying but this effect disappears when the video is rendered in Share.

[Old_Friend]

rkstudio, you don't edit the "movie file." You edit the *.vsp" file (in the EDITOR). Then, you use VS's "Share" option (it's just to the right of the "Edit" option (at least it is located there in VS X9), and choose one of those formats such as "wmv", etc. to convert/save the work you've done in the "vsp" file EDITOR to a movie file (which you can name whatever you want it to be named). The name of your movie file has nothing to do with editing; it's for viewing. If you want to modify something in that movie you created with "Share," you simply load the original ".vsp" file into the EDITOR again, and make changes to it. Then, SAVE THE modified ".vsp", and then convert that, like before, into a movie file. I'm hoping I'm still on-track with your issue. I'm just trying to help. I do agree with you wholeheartedly, that Corel is not helpful at all when it comes to quality "User's Manuals!" And, one would think that since they are in the business of "communication,"... they should do better at it.