Overlay Video is not Showing

[HeatherM]

Hello,
I am working on a video edit. I had a screen record going and then I shot another video of the person working on the project separate. I have the videos audio synced up. My issue is that as I am trying to use one of the videos as an overlay the overlay is not displaying on the video. To me it seems like if I were working with a drawing software and the overlay is somehow behind the video. That is me just guessing of course.

Is there any info on what I may have done to make it so the overlay won't appear in the video?

Thank you

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forum.

If that screen shot shows exactly what you are seeing, then you cannot see the overlay since you are using Clip mode (look directly below the preview screen, about a quarter of the way along, and you will see the word "Clip" highlighted in white). Clip mode just shows whatever clip you have selected, in this case the main timeline.

To see the overlay, click on "Project" immediately above the word "Clip" and play again. This time you should get the whole project playing, including the overlay track in its correct position.

[HeatherM]

Hi Ken,
It is in project mode... I can see that the word "Project" is highlighted blue which means its selected. I also know this because I got excited and decided to db check, but alas it is selected.
Can anyone think of another reason?

[Ken Berry]

Sorry about that! But what is in Overlay Track 4 and do you see any of that overlay when you play in Project mode? I can't tell what is in those clips after the first frame since you have them showing (in Preferences > General) as Thumbnail and Filename. Selecting Thumbnail Only in Preferences will fill out each track with frames from the whole clip.

If you select/highlight the overlay video in Overlay Track 1, what appears on the preview screen? Normally it would be a smaller size overlay screen. But by right clicking on it you can change its size and position on screen. What have you chosen there?

[asik1]

Heather, track4 is the highest so everything is behind it.
You need to key it / mask it / "shrink it" in order to see whats beneath it.

[HeatherM]

Heather, track4 is the highest so everything is behind it.
You need to key it / mask it / "shrink it" in order to see whats beneath it.

Hi asik1,
I deleted overlay 4, but still no luck in seeing the overlay. I must have really confused the program... I suppose I had assumed that the program would treat everything in "Video" as the highest, so I am not which step I muddled it. Thanks for helping

[HeatherM]

Sorry about that! But what is in Overlay Track 4 and do you see any of that overlay when you play in Project mode? I can't tell what is in those clips after the first frame since you have them showing (in Preferences > General) as Thumbnail and Filename. Selecting Thumbnail Only in Preferences will fill out each track with frames from the whole clip.

If you select/highlight the overlay video in Overlay Track 1, what appears on the preview screen? Normally it would be a smaller size overlay screen. But by right clicking on it you can change its size and position on screen. What have you chosen there?

Hi Ken,
Thanks for your help today. Wish me luck on my next run at it.

[asik1]

Heather, the "video" track is the lowest of them all, any overlay is "over" it.
overlay 1 is the lowest of the "overlayes".
If you want to see both OL1 & OL4 you should resize/crop them and position them at relevant places .

[HeatherM]

Good Morning,
Last night I went and deleted Overlay 4, but still did not see my overlay 2. Well this morning after having some coffee sitting down and reopening the program.. blam!! the overlay was there!! I have really been crazy trying to figure this out. So in the future I will keep in mind the hierarchy of overlays and the video. Thank you so much!