I have looked at the second video and I understand using the markers to select the part I want.  Your video says click and drag the 'section' to the time line.  In my trial version of MEP, when I click and drag on the preview box, all I get is a dotted outline box and nothing can be moved to the timeline.  What a, I missing?

@Bill_S

Is your AVI video from a tape that has been captured from a DV camera or such? If it is a single file in the timeline with individual scenes in it then you can use Scene Recognition (Rt. Click) and it will divide it into scenes making it easier to save and delete sections.

The problem is resolved. It turns out the latest trial version of the program is defective and that function does not work. I took a gamble on the software and bought it. The downloaded paid version was out of date too but after several updates, I tried the same thing in the fresh newest version of the software and the function works as it should. I have been buying Xara products since the 1980's for BBC microcomputers, Acorn Computers and now Windows computers. Their products work as they should without immediate updates needed for the latest downloaded copy.

@Lindsay-Thachuk

Hi,

I'm curious about the download version being out of date and needing to do several updates. Normally, if you downloaded and installed the current version, which is 2020, you can update on line to the latest version/patch. When you buy, you simply activate the trial version and then download and install all of the extra content (under Help, Install extra content). Usually, there is only 1 update to get to the current version, although Magix may have 2, 1 being a bug fix, the other being additional features added after the install version was compiled and made available. If Magix issues several bug patches and you skip some, the most recent bug patch is always proposed and it covers the previous ones; you don't patch each one individually and they are not even available.

Is this not the case?

What exactly did you do to get several updates? I don't usually get trial versions, so I'm don't know what you and others actually see; I would like to know.

As far as I recall, Xara is the same. You get the most recent version that was compiled for installation, and then you apply a patch. I have all versions of Xara Designer Pro X from X9 onwards.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John.

When I moved across to my new motherboard / processor and installed MEP again. It installed and then updated. When I closed it and opened it again,it updated again. This happened a total of three times before settling down.

I didn't have to re-register plugins or get my store content separately. The only thing odd that happened was it said I should have had the New Blue FX MEP version of Refocus and shows on my New Blue FX Products page as being current. It was certainly downloaded but doesn't appear in MEP or within Win 10 installed programs list. MEP says I need to apply my product code and when I try it tells me it has already been used.

I've blanked out my serial numbers and email.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

Thanks for sharing your experience. When you reinstalled MEP, where did the installation file come from? Was it one that you had saved or did you get it from your account? Was it the 2019 version which then updated and then upgraded to 2020 and then updated? Or was it actually 2020 the first time round?

I think that there have only been 2 patches since 2020 came out - 19.0.1.23 and 19.0.1.31, so it's hard to understand what is actually happening.

I have 2019 and I don't want to install the trial of 2020 because, from what I have seen, it removes 2019.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John.

I went to my account page on the Magix website and first deactivated my old installation as my PC crashed before I could do that. Then I downloaded the program again and produced a new activation code. At that point I assumed it must have been the latest version but obviously wasn't.

On my old machine I did have all version of the program starting with 2018 showing but you are right. I can only find MEP 2020 showing since changing over to the new machine. I first registered in June 2018.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

That would explain why the process was so long. It probably would have been quicker to download the trial version from the Magix site, install and activate it. Then, it probably would have only required 1 update.

It would be nice to know if someone else has done this.

I don't understand why @Lindsay-Thachuk went through such a long process that should be just install the main version, update once, install additional content.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John. I must admit to not knowing what exactly was going on at the time. My first thought was the install didn't take,but then realised it was updating on each install. Everything except Refocus was installed OK.

Lindsay did not state how long the trial version of MEP had resided on their computer.

I will explain my installations. I downloaded and installed the trial for the first time just over a week ago. That is when I found the defect that would not allow me to trim a video and drag it into the timeline. As I said, I gambled on the software and bought the full version using the link provided in my order confirmation. Not wanting to have any conflicts, I uninstalled the trial and then installed the purchased version. No idea if it had the defect as it would not allow me use it until the numerous updates were done. As there was no indication of how long or how many items had to be downloaded to complete the update, I did not sit around and watch as each proceeded. Eventually, there were no more updates or content to be loaded and I was able to use the program and indeed the defect was gone. Many other potential customers may just try the trial and feel that the product is not up to standards if it has such a basic bug in it. Otherwise I am happy with my purchase and so far there have been no other issues and my gamble paid off.

@Lindsay-Thachuk

Hi

. . . . the trial for the first time just over a week ago. . . . found the defect that would not allow me to trim a video and drag it into the timeline . . . . Eventually, there were no more updates or content to be loaded . . . .and indeed the defect was gone . . . . Many other potential customers may just try the trial and feel that the product is not up to standards if it has such a basic bug in it . . . .

Please be aware that trial version of Movie Edit Pro has a time limitation on how long it can be used, initial trial period is 7 days which can be extended to 30 days, and restricted functionality compared to the full version.

You should also have been warned every time you start the program that there was a time limitation - indicating how many days were left and that functionality would be restricted.

John EB

Forum Moderator

@Lindsay-Thachuk

Hi,

That's only slightly clearer. It seems that you are confusing the downloading and installation of additional content with patches. They are not the same at all.

Movie Edit Pro Plus/Premium has always come with the main program being installed, followed by downloading and installation of the additional content. This additional content is voluminous and does not come with the trial version and there is no access to get it. Just like in Xara, you don't get access to the on-line catalogue until you purchase the program; once you've paid, you can download the on-line catalogue content. This is not a bug as you seem to believe.

With each new version, like 2019, 2020, Magix has always created a small installer that you download and when you run it, it asks you the normal questions, like where you want to put files and folders, and then it automatically downloads and installs the program. Magix only makes 1 version of this install program per version. Following the first release of the program and until the next version is released, Magix may issue bug patches/improvements and patches with new features. If you installed the program right after it was released, then there would probably be no patch. Normally, after 1 or more patches have been released, if you purchase or install the program, only the most latest patch is required - only 1. This is the same with most software - an install version is used followed by the latest patch, if any. They do not create a new installation program every time that there is a patch or new features.

I do have some programs, BluffTitler being one of them, that uninstall themselves and install the latest program version instead of just a patch. But these are small programs.

You indicated that you had to sit through several patches that all downloaded and installed automatically. Patches do not download and install automatically. As I said, this is content not patches. If you don't want the content, meaning most of the program, then don't download and install them.

From what you said, I was trying to determine if the installation had multiple patches as you seemed to have implied. It seems that it does not. I would still like to know if there was only 1 patch required or 2. I believe that there was only one. I would like someone who has done a new installation to confirm this.

John CB

@browj2

I have had occasions where I have re installed the program after cleaning the system with the Microsoft uninstaller fix tool where it has down loaded several updates (patches) to get to the most recent version patch number.This as you stated did not happen automatically, but after prompts at each patch number. This has occurred quite a while after the program (ie. VPX8) was released of course

I can confirm that over the years the trial version has not been at the latest patch level which is a little odd but maybe understandable.

Peter

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter,

At the risk of being accused of being obsessive-compulsive, I am just trying to find out what a new user would experience with a new install of MEP. I vaguely recall possibly having more than 1 update to do a long time ago, but I haven't seen anything like that since. Currently, a new user should only have to install the program and update once to get to the latest patch. It would be good to know if this is the case. Then, of course, there would be the installation of additional content and also any third party software, usually with Premium, that is separate from the additional content list.

To go back to the original question about importing clips with in and out points defined in the preview monitor and then dragging from the preview monitor to the timeline not working, I still don't know if it was user error or a problem with the trial program. In the case of @Lindsay-Thachuk, I suspect operator error. You have to bring the clip into the monitor, not the timeline, and define the in and out points followed by dragging from the preview monitor without clicking anywhere else, especially the timeline. Lindsay-Thachuk indicated that a dashed line appeared. That happens if you click somewhere else, like the timeline before dragging from the preview monitor onto the timeline. As soon as you click elsewhere, focus goes out of the import function. If you now try to drag from the Preview Window, you just get a dashed line. Not a bug, just user error.

John CB

@browj2

Hi John.

I didn't look at at whether the program was being updated or not, I just kept allowing the program to keep updating but is was seemingly reloading content each time and required me to keep pressing the 'Accept' button for each download. It took forever and at what I thought was the end, the process kicked off all over again to a total of three times. It did not require me to re-register any plugins at the end. It all just worked including store content with the one exception after I had applied the new activation code from the website.

Thank you John CB. The tutorial helped and I am in now clipping and editing (shortening clips) in timeline mode. Adding titles and effects later. I tried the scene recognition suggestion, but couldn't get the scenes recognized. This is quite a community!

@Bill_S

Hi Bill,

Glad to know that we were able to help and that you're moving right along.

For scene recognition, it requires scene changes that are more than subtle. When it works and you have a list, you have to go through the list and look at the 2 frames. If they match, it's not a scene change and you can neglect it. It's great if you're bringing in a long video that has many scene changes, like a VHS file that is just one long file of possibly many things. What you end up with are just a bunch of cuts at scene changes. You still have to do the editing - trimming, removing unwanted scenes, etc.

In your case, you are probably better off just bringing the video into the preview monitor in preview mode, scrubbing through it, placing in and out markers, sending it to the timeline (shortcut 1), and continuing on looking for the next part that you want.

Let us know how you are making out. Don't worry if it takes you an hour to produce 1 minute of video. With improvement (learning much more about editing), it will take you a lot longer per minute. 😁

John CB

@Bill_S

I tried the scene recognition suggestion, but couldn't get the scenes recognized.

You didn't answer the question I asked earlier - ie Is your AVI video from a tape that has been captured from a DV camera or such? If it is a single file in the timeline with individual scenes in it then you can use Scene Recognition (Rt. Click) and it will divide it into scenes making it easier to save and delete sections.

@browj2 @browj2

There is a sensitivity adjustment in the scene detection window that you can adjust after analysis that will create additional cut points if the material is not different enough from one take to the next. I also seem to remember with DV tape that the scene detection uses changes in timecode to recognise the next scene (take).

Sorry I did not come back earlier about the updating procedure but I have been away. But don't worry...... thorough is good!

I can't add much more as I usually keep up with the new versions and updates and have only ever done one reinstall of VPX as mentioned earlier, but I presume that if the download trial version had been obtained late in the cycle of the version then it could quite likely need a couple of updates after it automatically detected it was "out of date" so to speak.

I understand why you would think that one patch should do it as you believe they are cumulative but I do not think they are as there can be little ones after big ones in my experience. Even if they are cumulative it may be just the way the program detects them that causes a sequence.

Peter

Hi Peter,

The footage was from a Sony Video 8 Handycam tapes which were then transferred to avi format. I am working with the avi files. Does that clarify?

Thanks!

Bill

@Bill_S

Hi Bill

Yes. That should work with Scene Recognition as I have described. When I was using tape format camcorders I found this very useful and time saving.

Peter

I am making great progress with my videos and am now including still photos. I have used the object trimmer to create fade in/outs on single objects. Is there a way to use the object trimmer to have a standard fade in/out across all imported photos as a group instead of doing it photo by photo? I tried highlighting all the photos but only am able to use the object trimmer to affect one of the photos. Also, didn't see a "trimmer for multiple objects" in the manual. Thanks! Bill

@Bill_S

Hi Bill,

Strangely, there is no way that I know of to automatically put fades on objects, but you can create a transition and give it the Thru black template, and it will have the same effect. Once you have the transition length and Thru Black applied, you can apply that to all objects on the track by clicking on the transition button on the timeline - the button that is in the transition zone, and selecting Apply to all objects on the track (or one of the other selections).

John CB