Mercalli Again

[pepegota]

I created a video using VS 2018. I checked it out before rendering and everything was good. After rendering, I get Mecalli "Redo" all over the place. Can't they ever get this addon straight? It looks like independent output is necessary.

[RobertOZ]

As you are aware, this has been reported many times, you could try updating your graphics card drivers, which has been successful in the past.
Davidk had problems with this and I am sure that a solution was found, maybe Davidk can remember.

[Davidk]

No, I haven't had issues with mercalli using 2018. But did in prior versions . . . so I opened 2018, opened two vsp's from those prior versions (X8 and X9) which I knew had clips with mercalli applied, and re-ran them under 2018. Not an issue with mercalli and the related clips - but had to re-link the voice-over files in the vsp as I'd re-organised the audio on my PC since 2016. Having checked that the vsp file with clips and mercalli were fine, I imported the rendered video files into 2018 and ran those (to see if there was any variance in the rendered file under VS 2018 - specifically to check if Mercalli under 2018 had reported the re-run the video scan: ie, that message was embedded in the rendered file). Again, as expected, not a problem.

Mercalli is VERY sensitive to clip time as applied. If for any reason you've changed that in-advertantly
- just inserting a transition before or after the affected clip is enough
- or even if you have later trimmed or clipped the video since the filter was applied and scanned,
a new scan is necessary each time the length of the clip is altered. And if not done that 're-run the scan' message is going to appear in the rendered file. You won't notice it in the vsp unless you actually play the vsp section/clip where the mercalli filter is applied.

In my case at least, it was a matter of appreciating the way mercalli worked and user technique: get the technique right and there's no issues.

[pepegota]

I found that working with a single clip at a time avoids the problem but, this is an extra pain. What I don't like is the fact that you can apply Mercalli and then check the clip out and it does not have the notice displayed in VS. However, if you render the file and then play it, Wa La, the notice appears. The bloody file should display after Mercalli application precluding a false, wasteful render. Sometimes it does display after Mercalli application in VS but, it is mercurial. Why they could never fix this is beyond me. That should be one for 2019, better yet Mercalli 4.

[RobertOZ]

Unfortunately, ProDAD have advised that V4 is not possible for VS

Response from ProDAD when asked that question

The biggest difference in functionality between V2 and V4 was the addition of the CMOS correction for jello and wobble. This is where V4 really stands out. The stabilization was improved as well but the big wow factor was the jello/CMOS fix functionality.

I also saw the comment on a plugin for Video Studio and Corel products. I can explain a little on that. It's not that we don't want plugins for all the major apps like Corel, Adobe, Avid etc. The SDK plugin that passes the functionality back and forth is limited. In V2 the full functionality could be passed through the SDK easily and plugins were super easy to create. With V4 the SDKs limit the functionality that can be passed back and forth and in the 2 plugins we were able to create for Vegas and Edius, the output doesn't have the full power of V4 so the footage doesn't get fixed as much in the standalone version. I can't give much more of a detailed explanation on how that works or doesn't work as I'm not a developer other than to say the developers have really tried to make plugins for the major NLEs and many just didn't work (Adobe was not possible).

Many VS users do have V4 SAL, we took advantage of the specials occasionally offered, I paid $99 which I consider good value

[aljimenez]

The problem has been diagnosed before as a conflict between source video file formats and the rendered video file having a different format. When souce video clip formats are the same as the rendered video format, Mercalli is happy.

Generally, I don't see problems when the rendered video file format resolution is lower, or frames per second is smaller. Problems happen when rendered video has higher resolution or larger frames per second. I have not done an exhaustive test; there are likely more issues with rendering formats being different than source video clip formats.

[tletter]

After rendering, I get Mecalli "Redo" all over the place.

By "Redo" do you actually mean the "The video analysis must be executed again" message?

In any event, I routinely use Mercalli on X10 and 2018 VSPs containing 10s of clips that have Mercalli applied and not seen the behaviour that you report unless one of the following occurs:
(1) Copying Mercalli attributes and applying them to other clips (not supported).
(2) The Project Properties don't match the output properties selected for rendering.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[pepegota]

That must have been it. I changed the properties to render.

[Scubbie]

I had thought that to some degree the issue with Mercalli messing up on multiple clips had been resolved with VS 2018. Reading the thread above, it appears not .

Previously it's been suggested that if you are using the same clip on multiple occasions, then perhaps you could make a few copies and use different copies at different times to get around the problem.

Other problems I've seen that still need addressing are:

• transitioning between two clips with Mercalli (you'll get the 'analysis required' message or, as I did on one occasion, one of the clips will revert to drop the effect completely during the transition
• when sharing the project, you must use the same frame size and fps as the project, otherwise, you'll also get the 'analysis required' message

In a recent project, I had wanted to use the crossfade transition. I had to change it to a simple cut as both clips had needed to be stabilised. I could have processed each clip in a separate project and import the rendered videos in their place. This would have allowed me to use the crossfade as originally intended.

[DH88Comet]

I am having a similar problems with Mercalli and the crossfade transition. A month ago I upgraded to version 2019 (or X12) and have had major crashing problems of which I have still got an outstanding ticket on support for it. However, today it seems to be working but I've now have this crossfade/Mercalli problem, which is extremely irritating as I stabilise virtually every clip and use crossfade extensively.
The only way I've been able to get around this is to use fade to black, then a very short segment of black, then the crossfade, which isn't ideal.
But it hasn't done it on every transition, so I am very puzzled.
Any suggestions?

[Davidk]

Re VS2019 crashing . . make sure you have SP2 installed. It fixes many - but not all - issues.
After installing sp2, the help\about should show 22.2 0.396.

Then. . is your vsp an original created with say 2018 and mercalli 2, and just read into 2019, or is it a 2019 original using mercalli 4?

[DH88Comet]

SP2 installed, and this project was created entirely in 2019, in fact it was my first project in this version. I have been using VideoStudio since version X8, and had all Ultimate versions in-between.

[Davidk]

So, VS2019 is up-to-date. Does it still crash - at all, or in the same manner?

[DH88Comet]

Sorry, been away fro a while. The crashing problem seems to have resolved itself, although this maybe in part to a Windows update that has just occurred. But what I am stuck with is the fact that I cannot use ANY transition if the clips either side have had the Mercalli filter applied. If I apply my favourite crossfade for example, Mercalli insists that I apply the filter to the transition, which is not possible. My unsatisfactory work around is to use fade to black, then a very short patch of black colour, then the crossfade. Any ideas on this one?