Update 23.2.0.587 to VS2020 corrupted the Mercalli 4.0

[Jack001]

Hello everybody,
After installing the new update (587) the ProDad Mercalli 4.0 doesn't work correctly. For example, if you make the analyze for a given frament of video, then some other fragments that were OK after the analyze, need it again. You end up in an infinite loop of analysis for subsequent fragments, while others break down and require another analysis again.
Have you experienced something similar?

Jack.

[Davidk]

Are you applying the mercalli filter just to part of a clip??? How?

Ordinarily, the filter applies to a whole clip. So, maybe you should explain just what you are doing.

[Jack001]

Are you applying the mercalli filter just to part of a clip??? How?

Ordinarily, the filter applies to a whole clip. So, maybe you should explain just what you are doing.

OK, as always, the whole video is divided into smaller chunks - short footages. And of course, I always apply this filter to whole chunks (It's probably impossible to apply it to a part of a chunk).
Besides, I am experienced user of Corel Video Studio and other NLE software, so I know exactly how to apply the filter. Before the last update everything with the Mercalli filter worked correctly. I have reinstalled the whole software but it didn't help; I think there is a bug in the update pack.

[lata]

Hi Jack
I ran a test to cut a clip into 4 sections applied Mercalli to all 4 clips.
Although I already had the update i located the file and re-installed that did not affect the Mercalli, not exactly what you have done.
I could try re-installing without the service pack, if it will allow that, but i doubt it.

Usually Mercalli is affected by changing the clip length or project frame rates.

Can you check that the project properties are the same as the video properties, especially the frame rate.
Try changing the project properties frame rate, 25 to 30 etc.
Oh i would make a copy of the project /vsp to run these tests.

Just thinking out loud trying too think of a reason?
do you think that the service pack has changed the program installation, when we install we can choose Pal or Ntsc
Can you check the settings via F6 to view the TV System to make sure they are correct, I assume you use Pal

What are the properties of the video file?

Post updated
I have just checked the preferences options and changing the TV System will affect Mercalli

[Jack001]

I could try re-installing without the service pack, if it will allow that, but i doubt it.

I tried to reinstall it without newest SP, but it didn't allow it - it just downloaded the newest version of the software.

Can you check that the project properties are the same as the video properties, especially the frame rate.

You are right, the frame rates are different. But they always were different in my projects and it worked. Problem arose with the newest service pack. I have the old Video Studio X10 and similar projects (for which the frame rate of the project is different than the frame rate of the clips) work flawlessly.
I then changed the frame rate of the project to be the same as the video clip. Applied Mercalli - works correctly! As I mentioned, it worked OK before, even though the frame rates of the project and the clips were different.
Then I tested the output file. If I create the output file with the same frame rate as the project (25fps), it works OK. But if I create the output file with different frame rate (50fps), I again have errors from Mercalli. Mercalli thinks that the length of the clip increased twice and the frame rates are the same (25fps) - see the attachment! I think this is the reason of the error - Mercalli has something wrong with the calculation of the fps. It should know that the length is unchanged, only the fps has changed.
I have tested it under Visual Studio X10 and it worked fine even though the output file frame rate was different from the project frame rate. This is 100% confirmation that the latest version of VS2020 has broken Mercalli.

Anyway, thanks for your correct suggestion; now I have the workaround until they repair the communication between Mercalli and VS.

Jack.

[lata]

Hi
Well I was successful in uninstalling and re-installing without the SP3, I did choose Custom from the stub that allowed me to deselect Service Pack 3
I then install the program selecting Pal TV System
Then when I ran the program changed the TV system to NTSC
Created a couple of projects to apply Mercalli.
Installed SP3 did not alter the NTSC setting and my projects were ok, so I was unable to replicate the problem
What I did not do was mix 25fps with 50fps, unfortunately we only get the one shot at replicating and I don’t wish to re-install again.

But we do know that mixing frame rates either Video to Project Settings or video to Share settings will cause issues with Mercalli, and of course changing the length of any clip
The really annoying problem is when Mercalli shows ok in the timeline, then Share to render a new video shows Mercalli needing analysing just for those frames.

Mercalli analyses every frame so 30fps for 10 seconds 300 frames in all, change the render to 60fps and 600 frames needed analysing but only 300 was done, Mercalli will ask to be analysed again, and yes the durations will be the same but have double the frames. So it is the frames that are important not the duration. Same issues if you change from 60fps down to 30fps
If we reduce the clip from 300 frames to 299 the entire clip needs analysing again.

That does not explain why SP3 seems to have changed things.

[Jack001]

Hi
Well I was successful in uninstalling and re-installing without the SP3, I did choose Custom from the stub that allowed me to deselect Service Pack 3

Hi Trevor,
Sounds interesting! Can you please explain me more precisely how did you installed the VS2020 without SP3? When I run the VideoStudio2020_Online.exe, I don't have any option to deselect the SP3.
Thanks in advance, Jack.

[lata]

Just to confuse us Corel do change the names of the stub, I do not have one called “VideoStudio2020_Online.exe” , what is the size of the file?
To identify them I view the files size.
I had two versions one from installing the trial called “Corel_VideoStudio_2020_crl.exe” at 6,983kb this can be used to install the full version of Video studio simply by using our serial numbers
Try downloading the trial will give you that Stub, although Corel may have updated the file since I last downloaded the trial.
I have another that came with the original release program back in February called “VideoStudio2020_Installer.exe” at 6,973kbps
After uninstalling Video Studio I search my PC for leftovers and found a folder containing copies of stubs here - C:\ProgramData\Corel\Corel VideoStudio 2020
I do know that when re-installing video studio if we are using an older Stub the installation process will first download and save the latest version usually saved to the download folder.
This is the first time I have seen this folder on my hard drive, and it was one of these that I use to install the program, unfortunately I do not know which I used, now viewing the folder I have 2 more stubs dated 2nd July / yesterday. (VideoStudio_Install.exe at 6.977kbps)( VideoStudio2020_Installer_update.exe) also 6,977kbps) I can only assume these are the same version
Confused yet?

Running the stub asks me to enter my serial number followed by accepting my registration details takes me to the panel showing the programs packages
There are several packs starting with the Main program, Contents and a Bonus Feature followed by the Service Pack 3, I deselected that option to install the earlier version.
I have now tried using the older stubs and they fail to accept my serial number, clearly these are out of date, so the above details don’t really mean much, but will post any way
I would have to re-install again to test

But as I said Mercalli suffers when the frame rates have been altered and I don’t know why SP3 should do that.

[Jack001]

Just to confuse us Corel do change the names of the stub, I do not have one called “VideoStudio2020_Online.exe” , what is the size of the file?

The size is 7144208 bytes.

Try downloading the trial will give you that Stub, although Corel may have updated the file since I last downloaded the trial.

Yes, the file has been changed. I downloaded it, executed and it ask to enter the SN. Unfortunately there's no option to deselect SP3.
Anyway, as I wrote, thanks to you I have now the workaround and I will comfortably wait for Corel programmers to correct the bugs in the software.

Jack.