@pmikep

Hi

. . . . double and triple click on an Object to change the Mouse mode from single object, to single track Ripple, to All Ripple . . . .

A quicker method is to work 2 handed the free hand using the number keys 6, 7 and 8 (top row of keyboard) to switch mouse modes.

The default sequence is 6, 8, 7 for some reason. I switched mine so that they operate in the order single object = 6, single track = 7, all tracks = 8.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

Do you use the keyboard shortcuts using the minus key (above P and [ ) to copy and paste effects ?

Copy effects -

Paste effects Shift + -

and my favourite - Shift + Ctrl + - to reset all effects on one or more objects.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

Sometimes I get overly ambitious with my title sequences. Most are just experimental that won't see light of day or what seems like a good idea at the time later seems not to be.

Yes, there is an amount of copying and pasting at the beginning of these projects but as they evolve and get more complex simple copy and paste no longer works. The tiles and accompanying graphics take me ages to sync to the audio track and keep a smooth looking flow to it. There are sometimes also problems finding a way for a graphic to work with all the varying background clips as either the background clip changes or there is a change in the files of the graphic to complete the movements needed.

The music was easy by comparison. It's easier just to show you my current problem with how the main foreground graphic slides to become more background. I need a more flowing path from centre to the side of the screen bearing in mind it needs sixteen individual transitions to complete alternating between two different file types.

Keep your eye on the circular graphic.

Ray.

[Edit]

Actually, looking at it afresh this morning, I have thought of a much simpler way of achieving this after playing it back now. It just goes to show that sometimes the best thing is to leave something alone for a while before continuing with it. I could have saved myself hours of work.

. . . . double and triple click on an Object to change the Mouse mode from single object, to single track Ripple, to All Ripple . . . .

A quicker method is to work 2 handed the free hand using the number keys 6, 7 and 8 (top row of keyboard) to switch mouse modes.

The default sequence is 6, 8, 7 for some reason. I switched mine so that they operate in the order single object = 6, single track = 7, all tracks = 8.

I changed the sequence too, per your suggestion a few months ago.

I suppose the pro's use two hands. But since my num pad is on the right side of my keyboard, and since I'm right handed, taking my hand off the mouse to go to the num pad is a slow one handed operation.

I could try using my left hand and using the numbers across the top of the keyboard. But that's an uncomfortable reach and my hand can't rest while I'm doing something else on the time line.

I could buy a Shuttle thing. But 1) shouldn't have to buy something to use an editor and 2) I would have to learn it.

This is one of those "features" that, if, Magix implemented, would not adversely affect anyone's workflow. So I don't see a downside to offering it.

As the title of this thread is about bugs, I have tried to keep up the bug list for VPX and I gave up on MEP when it went to 2020 but I did not. However, many of the bugs are the same in VPX as in MEP. If anyone wants the doc file of the bug list for VPX to modify it for MEP and submit it to Magix, please let me know. That said, Magix has done a pitiful job at fixing the bugs.

Since this has morphed into a wish list, I'll comment on that.

@pmikep

-1 for changing the way to switch mouse modes. Just click on the relevant button. At one time I had the 3 mouses modes on my ShuttlePro and then removed them simply because the 3 buttons are all on the screen and are easy to get to. Before having the ShuttlePro, I tried using the shortcuts only to realize that it was quicker and easier to just click on the button. The only thing that I would like to see is some other indication or warning when not in single object mouse mode. Maybe have an orange background for when single track mouse mode is active and red for all tracks. Blue is the current background.

Note that Double-clicking on a video or photo takes you to the Effects tab. Double-clicking on the audio part or an audio object opens the Audio Cleaning dialogue.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

You need to learn and practice what John EB mentioned about copy/paste effects. I use this very often (programmed on my ShuttlePro). If you have your circle with an inset image/video as separate objects, then do the movement for the circle first, with keyframes, etc. Copy effects, paste on the inset image/video and it will follow the same path and size. If you want the start and finish of a movement to be smoother, then apply the automatic Bézier curve feature to Image size/position in the keyframe area. VPX has an additional Bézier feature allowing manual adjustments of the Bézier curve.

I find that the music in your video is very loud, sounds like it's clipping. You should install YouLean Meter and check the graph to see the loudness and also any locations where the audio is clipping or going above -1 dB.

John CB

Well, it was meant to be more of a bug list - I was simply wondering what the next patch/update to MEP might look like. I haven't run into any bugs (that I know of). But I'm not a power user.

I like the idea of color coding for the mouse modes. Anything to make it more intuitive.

@browj2

The animation at 50fps is a 506 frame clip giving one complete rotation of the object. They have to be placed together to form the complete rotation of the object throughout. The clip is of the object with a white background (A black background isn't working on all the additional video background clips using the chroma key effect but white is)

The stops of rotation during the music box key winding have to coincide with the soundtrack which is often not where the clips join. The plan to not shrink the object while stationary is intentional but needs an insertion of a jpg at the point the animation stops rotating. The other half of the clip at that point has to be moved backwards along the time line so there is no jump in the rotation of the object when it restarts. That makes any previous curve applied to change position or size of the object obsolete and has to be redone to match the existing size of the end of the stills clip. If you can think of an easier way to do this I would be grateful.

The audio does have a loud dynamic range. It plays on YouTube exactly the same as I hear it directly on my system. Same volume from the same relative volume slider position on hardware. The clip does not exceed 0.1dB which is where the maximum volume is set. The distortion you hear is a tube amplifier effect on the swirling instrument to the left of the mix. YouTube also shows the peak to be 0.1dB. Some frequencies may not go well with smaller audio systems I grant you and this was just an example of an ongoing and as yet unfinished project.

Ray.

I found the VPX bug list. I've run up against the Object Trimmer bug, but thought it was just me.

@pmikep

Hi

. . . . But since my num pad is on the right side of my keyboard, and since I'm right handed, taking my hand off the mouse to go to the num pad is a slow one handed operation. . . . .

It is the numbers on the top row of the keyboard (below the F1- F8 keys) not the number pad, I too am right handed - left hand does the numbers.

. . . . I like the idea of color coding for the mouse modes. Anything to make it more intuitive . . . .

How about custom mouse pointers as on the three buttons to show the mode?

HTH

John EB

I understand. I still find it unnatural to hover my hand over those numbers. But I could change the keys to Z, X, C. (Or do the voice command thing, which I still need to try.)

@CubeAce

Hi Ray.

The clip does not exceed 0.1dB

I rather hope you mean -0.1 (minus 0.1).

Jeff

@johnebaker @pmikep

I must be odd as I am left-handed but use my mouse with my right hand. I still only use the mouse though.

I can't hold a cup of tea with my left if I use the keyboard.

@emmrecs

Of course. 😂

Ray.

@CubeAce

👍

ASIO driver mode support would be nice.

I had to look up ASIO. (Never heard of them. AFAIK, I don't have any installed.)

I suppose it might allow Ray's benchmark video to play back without stuttering.

@pmikep

Hi

You probably will not find ASIO drivers on your PC, as their full name 'Audio Stream Input/Output' they are for audio only, usually used in DAWS or music creation software where they are used to reduce latency when recording and playback.

. . . . I suppose it might allow Ray's benchmark video to play back without stuttering . . . .

ASIO will not help with stuttering timeline playback - it is the video and effects that affect the smoothness of playback.

In the case of Ray's project it is too complex, as is, to achieve a truly smooth playback of the timeline, see my test results with a modification I made to Rays project here.

John EB

@pmikep @browj2 @emmrecs @johnebaker@johnebaker

Hi Mike.

An alternative ASIO driver would only help with the lag between altering a mixer setting in MEP and the time delay between you hearing the alteration you made with a vst effect which on my system at least is at least a couple of seconds and the worst I've ever had due to the size amount of buffers I've had to use to get a smooth playback within MEP but that may not turn out to be the solution or the problem.

It turns out it's my Nvidia graphics card.

What I've found after making my original comment is that the audio and video picture stutter I sometimes experience during playback is directly related to the amount of tracks and video effects I'm using, coupled with the size and resolution settings I make the preview monitor.

It would seem that during playback, the Nvidia card is doing the most amount of 3D rendering and progressively maxes out the more effects I add or the larger the monitor screen size is made. I can make it stutter (or not) now at will, just by altering the size of the preview monitor and can monitor that at the point the Nvidia card maxes out, the stuttering begins.

Using a smaller preview monitor size helps keep the 3D rendering the Nvidia card is doing to manageable levels most of the time

but using a larger one soon runs into problems.

So it would definitely help me if I upgraded my graphics card for this problem at least.

MEP does supply its own built in ASIO driver set and uses these settings. MEPs own ASIO driver set has no way to preload the buffer that the ASIO4ALL2 driver set allows and would compensate for in this instance, so that such lagging of audio alterations made in the mixer to eventually being heard, could be lessened. Lower buffers and sampling helps shorten the time lags but may cause audio dropouts or clipping sounds that may (I don't know for sure) effect exports as well.

Ray.