Cropping Problems With Magix Movie Edit Pro MX Plus

Arthur-LW wrote on 10/2/2013, 6:48 PM

I'm stuck. I copied some 8mm film with a digital video camera. I didn't get a couple of reels framed real well and I have a black area above the picture with nothing in it. I have tried to use size and position under movement effects, but no matter what I do, the black area stays at the top of the frame. It makes no difference if keep proportions is checked or unchecked. All I want to do is make the top empty part of the frame disappear. Any suggestions?

I had some Rifleman episodes I downloaded from hule that showed to be 4:3 with black spacing all around and I wanted it to look like 16:9. My Size/Position settings turned out to be:

-340
0
2600
1080
No Keep

Global settings: 16:9 NTSC

I have no idea what settings you need in your case, but these may give you a starting point from which you can experiment. Let us know how you make out, ok?

browj2 wrote on 10/2/2013, 7:10 PM

Hi,

Did you try Camera/Zoom instead? You just need to zoom in to crop out the top of the frame.

John

yvon-robert wrote on 10/2/2013, 9:53 PM

Hi,

What is your setup to copy from 8mm to digital camera?

What is your camera is a mini DV or HD camera?

I anticipate that your set up is a 8mm tape that is correpond a VHS level

a) You use in a 8mm projector and shot video with your mini DV camera.

or

b) You use the 8mm tape in a 8mm camera link to your min DV camera using RCA cable Yellow and RCA cable for sound.

Give me the way you process and I try to give a solution.

Regards,

YR

agerholm wrote on 10/2/2013, 10:20 PM

Appreciate the responses and suggestions. One thing I found was the free transform, but I still couldn't get it to crop as I wanted, and zooming in cuts out too much of the part I want to keep. These are 50 and 60+ year old family films, and I need to keep grandma in the frame...

The film transfer was done using a projector with the gate enlarged, and a mini digital video camera (not HD) recording in 4:3 format. The DV camera has a Raynox DCR-250 macro lens attached, which allows it to fill the frame with a single frame, which is recorded at the film gate of the projector (projector lens removed). Projector bulb has been replaced with a super white LED with variable output. I am very pleased with the results, I would just like to clean up the edges. I had to capture with another program as I couldn't get Movie Edit Pro to recognize my Panasonic camera. I will probably end up using Virtualdub to crop, and then come back to Movie Edit Pro for the rest of the editing. Virtualdub cropping is ridiculously easy.

yvon-robert wrote on 10/2/2013, 10:51 PM

Hi,

You have the right set up to do the job, 8mm movie is a 4:3 format 320 x 240 pixels.. The best way is to adjust equipment to work together better to catch as much as possible using the camera then try to crop using a software. Problem is 320 x 240 and camera 720 x 480 or if I multiply by 2 the first size 640 x 480 and 720 x 480 you can see the border 80 pixels. To overcome this problem only catch only that camera can do.

Regards,

YR

terrypin wrote on 10/3/2013, 1:15 AM

I have tried to use size and position under movement effects, but no matter what I do, the black area stays at the top of the frame.

You need to use Movement Effects > Section, not Size/Position.

Choose the Free Proportions option as shown:

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

terrypin wrote on 10/12/2013, 3:40 AM

Did you try the solution I suggested 11 days ago?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

dhsetzer wrote on 7/20/2020, 3:53 PM

I have a still I need to crop (not proportionally). I need to cut it in half for a later reveal. I can not see where effects lets me do that. All effects will only do a proportional crop no matter how many times I turn that feature OFF. I know earlier versions of MEP let you free crop. Is that no longer possible? My current version is MEP plus.

AAProds wrote on 7/20/2020, 7:38 PM

@dhsetzer In the "Section" effect, from the dropdown list choose "Free proportions". You can then drag the selection box to whatever shape you want.

Not wanting to sound nitpicky, but It would have been better to start a new topic; the posts above yours may no longer be relevant to current versions of MEP and may mislead someone looking for info on cropping. I admire your searching though! 👍

emmrecs wrote on 7/21/2020, 3:51 AM

@dhsetzer

Please heed @AAProds advice and start a new thread with your question. This one was started nearly 7 years ago, using a much older version of MEP. Please do not resurrect such old threads.

This one will now be closed.

Jeff
Forum Moderator