Video mask help

[fingerbreaker]

First time using video masks. First couple attempts didn't work, as in nothing was masked. I created the video mask as a stop motion clip from images I created. Here's what I'm doing:

1. Creating black and white mask images, saving as 8-bit bmp files.
2. Creating a stop motion clip by importing the bmp files, each lasting one frame, then saving which creates a .uisx file.
3. In Edit mode, selecting clip to be masked with video mask, choosing .uisx file created above. No errors or messages received.
4. Result: nothing is masked in the clip.

If I instead choose mask frame and select one of the bmp files as the mask, the clip is masked as you would expect. I also tried rendering the .uisx file to an mp4, then using the mp4 as the video mask, but still no effect.

Any ideas on what is amiss or what I should try next?

Thanks,
FB

[fingerbreaker]

Update: I opened a new project, inserted a random video clip as an overlay and used the aforementioned video mask, and it worked. So, the video mask itself is fine, but doesn't have any effect on the particular overlay clip I've applied it to. Any ideas would be appreciated!

FB

[fingerbreaker]

Okay, I figured it out. The overlay clip I am applying it to is clipped. The video mask is working, but it lines up with the beginning of the original clip, which I had cut off. If I restore the clip to it's original size, I see the masking effect. That seems like a key point to include in the manual description of this feature. I'm not sure why anyone would want it to work that way - wouldn't any user expect the video mask to align with the beginning of the selected (and possibly/probably trimmed) clip?

So, I guess I have to add dead space to the video mask equal to the length that I want to trim off. Is there another way to make a trimmed clip independent from the original clip so the video mask lines up as intended?

Thanks,
FB

[asik1]

Boy I'm embarrassed not to find this colossal bug before.
(On all my projects I use masks, but not video masks)
FB you are 100% correct. Video mask wont apply to a trimmed clip in X9.
** I don't know if it's also in X8 (when it first introduced) as I can't accesses my X8 now, but I guess so.

[lata]

Hi

First CVSX8 works the same.

There is a workround

1 / remove the mask effect
2 / With the clip selected go to File – Save Trimmed Video, renders a copy of your clip and saves to the working folder.
3 / Places a clip/thumbnail in the library
4 / drag that clip over the timeline clip, hold CTRL key and drop clip, will replace clip.
5 / Apply mask.

[fingerbreaker]

Glad I was able to find a bug - it only cost me my sanity!

Trevor, when I select a trimmed clip in the Timeline, "Save Trimmed Video" is grayed out. I've also tried dragging it to the library and selecting it. Please don't tell me I'm two for two on bugs and that I'm doing something wrong!

Thanks,
FB

[fingerbreaker]

Quick update: if I open a new project, I can load the same clip in and "Save Trimmed Video" works there, so that should work for me, but I'm still wondering why it's grayed out in my original project.

Edit: I think it may be that I had effects applied to the clip - and even if I delete all the effects, "save trimmed video" remains grayed out. If I load the original video clip from the library, I can trim it and save trimmed video. So it just means I have to reapply all of the effects and settings. It sure would be nice if I didn't have to, though! (hint, hint )

Thanks,
FB

[lata]

Hi FB

The Saved Trimmed Video works for clips with no effects added, No FX, No Customise Motion etc. the raw clip.

Double click the clip and make sure there are no filters showing in the panel below Chroma Key
Make sure Apply Overlay Options is deselected from Chroma Key.
Right click clip to check for Customise Motion – choose Remove Motion

When all clear you should be able to see Saved Trimmed Video

Mask Bug or not?
I am not convinced as yet that the mask issue is a bug.
The mask is a Black and White video and runs over a designated time, that will be equal to the full length of the video file.

Adding the mask to a longer clip and expecting it to fit, the program would have to add frames to the mask to do that, and that would introduce a pulsation during playback.
And if added to a shorter clip would drop frames, same pulse playback problem.

I’m not saying its ideal but think its working as designed.
You could argue that Save Trimmed Video should render the clip with effects applied.

Post Updated
OK
I located the mask file here, you can now import directly to the timeline to play the file
C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X8\Samples\Video\ Video Matte 01.mp4
C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio X9\Samples\Video\ Video Matte 01.mp4

[fingerbreaker]

Now that the mask is working for me, my observation is that the mask can be shorter than the video clip. It just applies to the beginning of the clip and then the rest of the clip is unaffected. For example, I'm just working with a very short mask of 13 frames duration to figure all this out before I start working on the real project, and the first 13 frames of the video clip are masked but not the remaining frames, so that works nicely for my purposes. I don't know if it's a bug or not - depends on how it was intended to work, but the manual doesn't go into any of this detail so it's for the user to experiment to find out the nuances. Same with the save trimmed video - the manual just points out the menu option, but doesn't explain that it only works on the raw clip, which as a user I don't find intuitive at all, although there's probably a very good reason it has to work that way that's not obvious to a layperson.

Another observation on the video mask feature after having conquered saving the trimmed video:
The video mask goes away when I apply a chroma key effect (as an effect, not through the Mask/Chroma Key tool which is still set to Mask/Video Mask). But if I select a different clip, then reselect the clip I'm working with, it reappears, so apparently just some sort of a screen refresh issue.

Thanks for all the help with this - I think I'm on my way!

FB