I'll take a closer look if you're interested.

So, while these features you need may not be quite as accessible as you'd like, it's not a serious limitation IMO.

Yes, please let me know where I can obtain animated callouts for Movie Edit Pro or other Magix video software.

The limitation for me is that I need to produce videos quickly. Hence, I don't have time for extra steps. I can't switch to Magix if I would have to construct every callout from scratch.

Thanks.

I've never bought any, but I expect Catooh would be one source. However, a moving or throbbing arrow/checkmark/circle/ellipse/rectangle/etc is easy to make (or obtain for free from various sources, such as other users) and is then instantly available for one-click use from your media library.

Here are my rarely used animated arrows, for example:

Why not download a trial version and explore?

Hi,

I see that you also asked the same question on the Vegas forum. If you are basing your choice of an editing product on animated arrows, checkmarks and circles, you are doing yourself a disservice. Since most of us don't have Camtasia and don't know what these effects are specifically, instead of us looking it all up for you, why don't you show us - screen shots and animations - of what you need? Also, what is wrong with Camtasia that would cause you to change?

Here is another screen shot of more simple callouts from MEP2016 Premium.

There are also many animated lower thirds available.

VPX has the same ones that you have been shown.

John

Hi

. . . . I'm considering buying Magix Movie Edit Pro as an alternative to Camtasia Studio, but I need the kind of animated arrows, checkmarks and circles etc that Camtasia has . . . .

I agree totally with John CB's:

. . . If you are basing your choice of an editing product on animated arrows, checkmarks and circles, you are doing yourself a disservice. . . . .

I am a great believer in using the right tool for the job. In this case Camtasia is the best tool to use for your requirements. While MEP and VPX can screen capture Camtasia has, IMHO, a significant edge in that it is specifically designed to do the job and more.

If you have an older version of Camtasia then consider upgrading to the latest version.

John EB

If you are basing your choice of an editing product on animated arrows, checkmarks and circles, you are doing yourself a disservice. Since most of us don't have Camtasia and don't know what these effects are specifically, instead of us looking it all up for you, why don't you show us - screen shots and animations - of what you need? Also, what is wrong with Camtasia that would cause you to change?

Here are two links to a video that demonstrates "callouts" in Camtasia 8:

(Apparently, part of the URL is removed by this forum software, so here are the links:

youtu.be/DXOmhAIYaRE?t=32s

youtu.be/DXOmhAIYaRE?t=1m28s )

Camtasia's so-called "Callouts" are very useful when I make a video to explain a document or web page, and need to draw attention to a particular part of it. (Camtasia 9 calls them "annotations". Neither word seems appropriate, in my opinion.)

While Camtasia is useful, its audio quality is poor, and there is no equalizer. Sometimes I have to export the audio to Audacity, to change the speed without changing the pitch, which Camtasia cannot do. Camtasia's video quality is also not very good. For example, slow movements tend to look jerky. And the workflow is not efficient.

I have not upgraded to Camtasia 9 yet because it offers only a few useful improvements, and the interface functionality is actually worse in some respects.

I'd like to switch to some better software, but I have found that most of the popular video editing software seems to lack the crucial "callouts" feature. "Callouts" are certainly not the only feature that matters, but they are so useful that I don't want to switch to any software that lacks them. Since the feature seems inexplicably rare, I have "cast a wide net" in searching for alternative software.

I would prefer something like Vegas Pro, where the timeline is not upside down; I would prefer better quality sound with a built-in EQ; and I would prefer a more efficient workflow. But if Vegas or MEP etc lack crucial features such as callouts, then I'll reluctantly stay with Camtasia, since production speed and eye-catching highlight effects are my top priorities.

Thanks for the helpful images of callouts in MEP 2016 Premium. Those look useful, but are probably not as eye-catching as Camtasia's animated callouts, which appear to the viewer as if they are being drawn in real time.

Any further suggestions would be much appreciated.

The callouts in MEP/VPX are mostly png files that come with an effect file that mostly does nothing other than placing the effect on the screen. The animated ones are actually a short video clips, again with an effect. You can animate all of these using keyframes, save the effect and reuse them.

I have a few that I made or got that are avi files that I use in my tutorials. One is a brush-type circle that draws the circle. I can change the speed, size, position, etc. within the editor.

Are the Camtasia callouts the same? That is, image and video files? If so, then just copy them to a folder, assign a link to the folder in the Media pool, and import the effect/callout when and where you want.

Here is an example of my brush circle and an arrow from the callouts that you saw previously. Normally, for any that I use frequently, I would take the original, modify it and save and reuse the effect. Also, once I have the effect in the project, I just copy it and drag it to where I want.

Hi,

Is hard to beat the simplicity in Camtasia Studio 9, if youcombine both video editing software and Camtasia you can do great work and yield fast result.

Regards,

YR

Here is an example of my brush circle

@browj2

Your brush circle looks good. I would call that an animation with a transparent background. But I would not know how to create that myself. Is it some kind of png file? I know how to make a png file in CorelDraw, but not an animated png file. Would you mind giving me some hints?

Hi,

Is hard to beat the simplicity in Camtasia Studio 9, if youcombine both video editing software and Camtasia you can do great work and yield fast result.

Regards,

YR

@yvon-robert

That's a good idea. Of course, I'd prefer to work within a single program if possible.

I'm curious to know what particular features in MEP make it worthwhile for you to edit your videos there, rather than in Camtasia, even though you know you're going to end up in Camtasia anyway?

Hi,

I use Video Pro X. For editing, adding titles, effects, audio, etc. it is great. Just remember that, unlike most other programs, track 1 is at the bottom of the pile and overlay objects on tracks 2 and above come on top of the lower numbered tracks. For me, this is the best. I always start at the bottom and never have to insert tracks like in other programs. Editing is done on the timeline - no other window that opens to do effects, like in Pinnacle Studio. I can see all of the effects, keyframes, etc. that are on an object in the effects window but with the timeline still present. Etc.

For my brush, I used the animation part of Xara, exported to avi with a transparent background. I don't know if CorelDraw has an animator. There is a way to create animated lines/circles/objects using MEP entirely (except for shapes that do not start with a dot or round filled circle) and I have almost finished my tutorial on this.

See my questions. How does Camtasia do the animations? They must have images and videos that are with the program that you can copy.

I use Video Pro X. For editing, adding titles, effects, audio, etc. it is great. Just remember that, unlike most other programs, track 1 is at the bottom of the pile and overlay objects on tracks 2 and above come on top of the lower numbered tracks. For me, this is the best. I always start at the bottom and never have to insert tracks like in other programs. Editing is done on the timeline - no other window that opens to do effects, like in Pinnacle Studio. I can see all of the effects, keyframes, etc. that are on an object in the effects window but with the timeline still present. Etc.

I can see the usefulness of that, though I'm used to using a timeline with the opposite vertical orientation.

For my brush, I used the animation part of Xara, exported to avi with a transparent background. I don't know if CorelDraw has an animator.

CorelDraw and PhotoPaint are not intended for animation, though some very determined people do it.

I guess Xara is included with Video Pro X, right?

There is a way to create animated lines/circles/objects using MEP entirely (except for shapes that do not start with a dot or round filled circle) and I have almost finished my tutorial on this.

Can you post a link to your tutorial? I'd be very interested to watch it.

See my questions. How does Camtasia do the animations? They must have images and videos that are with the program that you can copy.

Good idea, but I looked inside the program folders, and there's nothing usable there.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Hi

. . . . I'd like to switch to some better software . . . .

In that case:

I use Screencast-o-matic for screen capture and export from this as a MP4 file which I then import into MEP.

As an example see you can see the quality in this topic, my comment after adding titles, editing and a light touch of sharpening in MEP.

The capture was set to fullscreen 1920*1080 and exported to mp4 in the same resolution, edited in MEP and then exported as MP4 at the same resolution for upload. There is no audio however audio capture is very good, both from the computer audio and live commentary using a microphone.

Screencast provides the yellow circle highlighting and following the mouse the rest is done in MEP.

Screencast-O-Matic have a free version which has a logo embedded in the video (done on my laptop) as you can see in the link I provided. I have also bought the product and this is installed on my PC and has no logo embedded.

I would suggest you try it - it is a very lightweight program in that it does not cause issues with lag and is not resource hungry.

HTH

John EB

Screencast-O-Matic have a free version which has a logo embedded in the video (done on my laptop) as you can see in the link I provided. I have also bought the product and this is installed on my PC and has no logo embedded.

I would suggest you try it - it is a very lightweight program in that it does not cause issues with lag and is not resource hungry.

HTH

John EB

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe that can fit into the puzzle somehow, if I can't find a single, integrated solution.

Hi,

"I guess Xara is included with Video Pro X, right?"

No, it's a separate program like CorelDraw, very much like it as I think that CorelDraw came from Xara. Xara is now a Magix company. There is a version for just graphics, and a version, Designer Pro X, that includes Web design and DTP in the same program. I have Designer Pro.

From within VPX, I can open the Xara animator mode, create a graphic, animated or static, whilst the video is open in the background (the video changes frames as you advance making animated overlays easy to track what is happening in the video). Here is a link to some examples that I did.

EDIT: My tutorial is not posted yet. I will let you know when.

"I guess Xara is included with Video Pro X, right?"

No, it's a separate program like CorelDraw

...

Here is a link to some examples that I did.

EDIT: My tutorial is not posted yet. I will let you know when.

You mean to say that you made that web page? It looks good!

Regarding Xara, this web page www.magix.com/ca/3d-animation

says, "Did you know that if you already have  Photostory or Movie Edit Pro you already have Xara 3D Maker?"

So Video Pro X does not have Xara, but Movie Edit Pro does?

Oooops, messed up the link. Too much multitasking. I'll get it right in the morning. Xara 3DMaker is a separate program, limited in what it can do and is mostly used for animating 3D titles.

Here is the correct link, I hope, to some videos showing how to use Xara with MEP or VPX.

Here is the correct link, I hope, to some videos showing how to use Xara with MEP or VPX.

Thanks for the video links. Xara seems very capable.

Considering everyone's input, it's clear that MEP does not offer anything quite like Camtasia's "callouts". Hence, I'm probably going to do what Yvon-Robert suggested, which is to do some of the video editing in MEP, and then import the video into Camtasia to add the callouts. I hope MEP adds an equivalent "callout" feature in the future.

Many thanks to everybody for the helpful suggestions.

If you get MEP, get at least the Plus version.

If you get MEP, get at least the Plus version.

I see your point. The Plus version has numerous additional features, including:

• Screen capture
• Advanced keyframe editing 
• Configurable effect transitions
• Effect masks

I found that info by clicking the Version Comparison button on this page:

www.magix.com/ca/movie-edit-pro/premium

However, it's not so obvious to me how the Premium version is worth the extra dollars, compared to the Plus version. I wouldn't use the Vasco de Gama feature much. The only other extra feature in Premium is NewBlue Titler Pro Express. I assume that's what contributes the 3D templates in the Title tab in the trial version of Premium that I'm now trying out. There are about 150 3D templates there. Is that the extent of the NewBlue Titler Pro Express feature?

Hi,

Actually, Plus has many more tools than basic and you would quickly be frustrated.

MEP has many title templates on its own. NB just adds more possibilities but you get a watered down version of the real thing. Take a look at the NB site to see what the fully blown version of Titler 5 does - not available as a plugin. The difference between Plus and Premium is just the third party add-ons. If you don't need them, stick with Plus. Me, I prefer VPX.