@DBoydNL

Hi

. . . . I am having trouble getting a huge 3 hour course I taught and had HD Video "taped" to reduce to a decent size video that still maintains clarity and flow. MPG, MPG4 and AVI all export at around 25 GB at high resolution. Too big . . . .

That is a normal file size for a 3 hr Full HD (1920 x 1080) 25 fps export.

Depending on how small you want the file to be the resolution is going to have to be sacrificed.

For a 3 hr video expect these approx file sizes for the following export resolutions all are for 25 fps video:

• 848 x 480 (480p)* 8GB
   
• 720 x 576 (DVD resolution)* 10GB
   
• MP4 HD 1280 x 720 (720p) 12 GB

* you will have to adjust the nearest export preset to these resolutions.

. . . . Will YouTube even allow a huge file like that? . . . .

See here for the maximum file size/runtime allowed.

Do be aware that YT will re-encode the video to different resolutions - possibly as low as 240p (352 x 240) to suit the viewers Internet connection speed.

. . . . Picture in Picture function disappearing from the menu . . . .

It has not disappeared - it has been moved to the Templates tab, Design Elements section

. . . . There is so much more wrong with this program, but I will end my rant here for now . . . .

Nothing wrong with the program, it is the disorientation users of older versions experience when seeing the new layout.

If you cannot find an effect or feature in the Effects menu, look under the Templates tab - it is most likely there.

HTH

John EB

Thanks for your responses. BTW, I have version 20.01.65. Please understand that I am a long time user of Magix' video editing software and have been encountering these "many problems" only in the recent update. Some matters I admit I don't know or understand. Others just seem wrong.

CubeAce,

You say the "Save as..." function is in the Project section, with no indication where that might be. Please remember, that I am using a Dutch version, so English Menu phrases need to be designated for me as to where they are located. There is nothing in my menu's that even remotely resembles "Project". All I have is the Dutch translation of File (a regular Windows menu item for the first menu item on the left). This is what I get when I click on it.

Even though you do not read Dutch, you can look at where you apparently have "Save as..." and see that I have the Dutch word for save: "Opslaan" with the additional: "in...". There is no "Save as..." option here, only a "Save in..." option. It is anybody's guess what "Save in..." is? Since it generates the odd new project title (see screenshot): "DELETE (VBG-1)" where (again) "DELETE" is the name I gave it in the "Save in..." option and where the "VBG-1" is the name of the original project, this just weirds me out. What is going on? I have been working with Magix' Video program for over 10 years, keeping it updated every 2 years or so. I am not a novice. I am dealing with a program, or a translation of the program that has issues.

When I shut down VD I routinely (but carefully considered) answer "Yes" to the question that the project still needs to be saved. This means, that when I open said project later, there cannot be a backed up version that is more recent. I admit that I cannot guarantee that I did that every time, but it does seem to give me this option every time I open the file. I seems odd and not possible to me, which is why I ignore it, and mentioned it.

I closed down VD, restarted it, opened the full 3 hour project, selected a video and audio segment of 18 seconds. (there is a "clean cut" on all the tracks right there) and the "export only selected" option on the MPG format does not work. When I click on "Video Preview" (this has NOT been translated into Dutch - sloppy) on the Export dialog screen I can see it is exporting a section of video that has not been selected. I obviously don't let it run the entire 1:32 hrs it says it is going to take (for 18 seconds???), but cancel it. I don't see how translating the program into Dutch would cause something, that does work in your English version, not to work in my Dutch version. But there you have it. I do know what I am talking about. :-)

You wrote about "the key editor". PLEASE remember that while my American English is "perfect" (being bi-lingual) my version of VD is in Dutch. There is nothing that correlates to "key editor" on my editing screen. Help is worthless for stuff like this, I don't even bother any more with VD's Help function. So I have no clue what the "key editor" is. Please clarify phrases like that or include a screenshot. It isn't that I am a novice, I just have no way to identify specific English terminology (which seems to be exacerbated by several mis-translations into Dutch).

My concern was not that my original source files would be damaged. I know that can't happen, besides they are "backed up" on another location... just in case. My concern is that when I use the unknown "Save in..." function, I may not actually be saving as. The odd file name seems to indicate that there is a link to the original file. Something else seems to happen when I select "Save in..." So my worry is that when I use "Save in..." on this file with 90% of my work on the original project deleted, I will discover at some point that my original full sized project file has been "updated" with those deletions, and 90% of my work has disappeared. All of this stems from the fact that I don't know what "Save in..." means, AND that I don't know why the project's title still contains the original project name. I am expecting VD to follow all Windows programs solutions to editing an existing file when you don't want to overwrite the original file: Use Save as... and give it a different file name. If this "Save in..." (Opslaan in...) is simply an incorrect translation then that explains my opinion what there are many things wrong with VD, right?

You wrote: "Try the Exporting to Device instead and selecting Microsoft HD or if the fie is still too big pick another selection such as for web". I was able to find the option in the File section of the menu, but then got lost in the rest. Here is what I have when I select File / Export to device and then select "Manual Input" (again: translating from Dutch):

Incidentally (something else that is wrong with VD), what is the point of having a Flyout menu after "Manual Input" that only has ONE option ("Video"). Also: In a section that is "Export to device" why is the next option you can choose called "... input". Shouldn't that be: "Manual settings" or something like that? Again, quite possibly this is just a translation into Dutch issue, but it isn't the only one in the program.
Additionally, I don't have a "for web" option on any of these selections. Another translation issue? Programming differences? Am I in the wrong place?

John,

I guess next time, I need the guy with the camera to record at a lower quality/resolution.

However, most of the options you give for size/resolution reduction are not available for some of the formats. This is why I went to other formats from the MPG4 with the weird and unkown to me file extension (*.m2ts). Below are the only 3 options that are given. I guess I could do the Advanced thing, and calculate the numbers that I would like to have for export, but I just don't know enough about this to do that with any level of understanding or confidence.

I tried to change that strange extension (*.m2ts) to mp4 in this dialog screen, but it doesn't allow that. What is *.m2ts" anyway, and will phones, tablets and older laptops (my source audience) be able to play those files? In my previous version of VD, the MP4 option gave me an *.mp4 extension. I generally used that to export all my projects. Why has the extension changed, while the menu option is still given as MP4? How can I export to MP4? Another translation mistake?
I tried the AVI format, and still don't understand how in the world a 10 min video and audio segment ended up being 4,5 GB? I guess I won't ever be using AVI!
I finally used MPG and am amazed that it routinely selects 4x3 when all the project video's I have is obviously 16x9 and the project has been set up as 16x9? Why do I have remember to select that myself every time I change export formats? Why doesn't VD just supply that from the source material and the project settings I entered before I started? See what I mean about things being "wrong" with VD?

Thanks for the info on YouTube file sizes. I am still trying to figure out what the best "resolution" option is for YouTube. Why does Sharing to YouTube suddenly not give a dialog screen (like export does), but instead a useless turning "circle" and a nonsense message in the progress bar at the bottom that "Mixdown is being executed"? What in the world is "mixdown"? Remember, I am translating my Dutch version into English.

I cannot duplicate the PnP shield disappearing from the menu. I can however assure you, that I know where it is (at the moment) and it disappeared at some point during the editing on Saturday and Monday. I looked in every possible location for it, and the place where it normally is, had only 2 shields. So it was most definitely missing, and I felt like I had gone nuts. My sense of it, is that the PnP function is not available at that juncture, so the programmers decided to not show the shield, rather than the usual way of doing that: greying it out.

Wasn't it obvious that I HAD found the PnP shield in Templates (Sjablonen), applied it to a "video segment on a track", then wanted to return to it to fix something, and the shield had disappeared (so I could not double click on it), and it did not re-appear until I deleted the video segment and put it back from its source. Again, I cannot duplicate it right now (partially because the file is again exporting for the next 90 min.), but it really happened!

I am beginning to think, that perhaps I should just un-install VD and then re-install it and select English as the language. Or is there some way to just change the language in the installed program? I am equally versed in both Dutch and English, so it makes no difference to me; I'll figure out the language/menu differences quickly enough.

David

Hi David.

You can change the language in MEP at any time if that helps to find out if it is in fact the same or different.

That at least should put everyone on the same page while we try to help you.

If you prefer not to, I've put both sets of information in the screenshot below.

Once the language setting is changed it should then look like the image above. You may have to shut down VDL and restart it for it to take, I'm not sure on that point.

As far as I'm aware there are no different versions of MEP for each country, just which language you select to prefer to work with.

You could give a project several names if you wish, each opening the project in MEP at the point you had reached in your editing.

If you want to only import a section of the clip that you select in the preview monitor using the [ and ] brackets you need to drag the image from the preview monitor onto the timeline and not load from the import arrow underneath the Thumbnail. That is explained in the pdf manual. (All languages are available for download).

The rest may make sense to you if you change the language settings.

Ray.

I don't have time to respond to everything right now, but changing the language to English (USA) did change the Save in... option to "Save project as...". This makes a lot more sense. The Dutch language version is still messed up with a completely incorrect and misleading translation of "Save... as" into "Save in..." So where can I tell Magix about that mistake?

I understand how to Save as and give it a different file name. I did mention that this is the normal way to do that in ALL programs that I know of. What still mystifies me, is why (even after closing VD and then reopening the saved as file, is the name appended with the name of the original file?

When I wanted to PnP a section of an already used section of video on a track, I generally just cut the section I wanted on both ends, then copied and pasted it to another track, and applied the PnP. I'll have to try the bracket thing from the preview screen.

Remind me please what MEP is?

David

@DBoydNL

Hi,

I strongly suggest that you read the manual, look at the tutorials in Magix.com, look at my tutorials on Getting Started in MEP and Basic Editing Parts 1 and 2.

As you were told, VDL in the English speaking world is Movie Edit Pro or what we refer to as MEP. See Magix.com in English. However, we all have the same executable file - videodeluxe.exe. See the top left of the first and third images below.

Saving

"Save project" and "Save project as" - see below. You say that "...There is nothing in my menu's that even remotely resembles "Project"." But your image clearly shows "Project Opslaan" and "Project Opslaan in." Maybe in Dutch "in" is not the preferred word, I don't know. Maybe a better word would be "als." We're not here to debate dutch. "Save project as" will simply allow you to save the project file with a different name - just like almost every program on the market. When you do that, the current project will now have the new name. The previous version is, obviously, still available to be opened.

Exporting

There is a menu at the top of the export dialogue. Click on Display all and the pop down the menu.

The first one on the list is shown by default. All AVCHD templates have .m2ts as the file extension; it is actually mp4. Select the appropriate MP4 template. This is not new; it has always been there and an experienced user would know this.

Exporting a Range

You have to set a range before going to export. Setting and using ranges is basic. Ray told you how to set a range. See the image below. There are shortcuts "I" and "O" for In and Out.

Picture in Picture

I see that you are using the templates, but it's not obvious that you understand what actually happens. See the first image.

The image overlay is on track 3. I used the template guide to get the size and position. Note the words Size and Position.

Go to the Effects tab, under View/Animation - the first one is Size/Position. The dialogue area shows the Size and the Position and the zoom factor of the overlay image - exactly what was done using the template.

The lower part of the window shows the Keyframe Area. Ray called it the Key area.

Image size/position shows up there and if you open it more, you will see x-pos, y-pos, etc.

This area is where one can put keyframes to animate effects.

To change the location or size of the image on track 3, I can resize the image by dragging the corner handles and move the image by dragging it. Or, I can adjust the zoom factor and change the values for width, height, left and top.

All of this is explained in the manual and the tutorials by Magix.

Material used in a project

"Am I still at risk of loosing my original file?"

No, absolutely not. Movie Edit Pro (VDL) is a non-destructive editor. It uses material - video, photo and audio files on the timeline. VDL does not modify these files and they are not actually in the project file, it only uses them. Only the name and location is in the project file. Nothing that you do on the timeline will change these files. Do not delete, move or rename these source files or the project will not be able to find them; they always have to be at the same location on your hard drive. Cutting up a video file on the timeline and deleting a part of it does absolutely nothing to the original file. This is a basic concept that needs to be fully understood.

Warning, the material in the Media Pool under Import is actually material on your hard drive. Never delete anything from there or it will be gone from your hard drive. This is just a form of Windows Explorer and it is live. There have been users who have deleted folders and files from the import tab and then blamed the program for their lack of understanding of this very basic principle.

YouTube

Do not use the Upload to Internet feature or Sharing to YouTube to upload to YouTube. YouTube occasionally changes its protocols and thus uploading directly may not always work. Always export to your hard drive, review the export to make sure that it is what you want (parts of a recent export that I did were black), then go to YouTube and upload the normal way. This gives you complete control and saves you from having to upload again because there was something in the project that you didn't like.

My projects are all Full HD, so I export to MP4 using the template that I pointed to in one of the above images, except that in North America, we use 29.94fps. If your projects are UHD, then select the appropriate template. As a general rule, do not create a project with settings other than what you want the output to be, and this usually also means matching the project settings to the format of the bulk of the video files that will be used. I presume that you know all about Project Settings parameters.

YouTube will render several versions of your project file for different resolutions. You can do nothing about this.

So far, I have not seen anything that is wrong with the program from what you have said.

John CB

...What still mystifies me, is why (even after closing VD and then reopening the saved as file, is the name appended with the name of the original file?

It would only do this if you did it yourself.

Example:

Original project filename "XXX.MVP".

Save project "XXX.MVP".

You have a file called "XXX.MVP".

Now do a Save project as - give it a name, like "YYY.MVP" and you will now have a project called exactly that. There is no appending.

Are you referring to the Movie tab name? If so, then when you created the project, the tab will automatically have the name of project as it was when you first started it. If you do a Save Project As, the project name will change, but not the Movie name in the tab. You can change this yourself if you want.

I did a Save as, changed the project name, then created a new Movie. It takes on the name of the current project. The name of the Movie that is already there does not change.

If I add a third Movie, it will get the name of the current project and have "-01" appended.

A Movie has to have a name so it gets a default name when created. You can change them as you wish. They will not change by themselves.

John CB

Browj2,

While I appreciate your response and much information, and the suggestion that I read various materials including "your stuff", from my end I would appreciate that you read what I wrote.

1) I have been using VD for a decade (certainly not monthly, but I have used it, and worked through the changes, and understand how most things work.

2) Given the fact that my questions take up a lot of space and two people are answering me, it was easier to ask what MEP was, than to look it up. In his first post Ray only used the full name, not the abbreviation, so a quick visual search for MEP would not have yielded a result. My version now says Movie Edit Pro in the title bar.

3) "Saving as..." is always in all software "Opslaan als..." in Dutch. NEVER "Opslaan in..." This is not dabating the Dutch language, this is discovering a really bad and misleading mistake in the translation of VD (MEP) into Dutch. I still don't know why the filename in the Title bar has the original filename appended to the Saved as something else file. Very odd.

4) Ray told me to look in the "Project section". There is no "Project section" in the menu, not in Dutch, not in English. Since I did not have English menu's at that point, I needed very specific directions, not general pointers. Ofcourse there IS a project section under "File", but that's not what he said. Aside from the fact that there was only a Project Opslaan in..." option there, which was the problem.

5) It must be clear from my descriptions and my screen shots, that I know where the Export functions are located. I am not a dufus. I have been exporting projects for years. I can navigate. I just didn't see all the options. Probably because I didn't think to hit "Display all", so thanks for that.

6) I understand PnP just fine. I can't help that the shield disappeared. You are going to have to believe me that I am not inept, and do know VD (MEP) enough to know where PnP is supposed to be. When it disappears for whatever reason, I get a little paranoid in the sense of: Did I just have a stroke or something?

7) You are the second person to explain that I will not loose or damage my original files. I have explained what I meant. When I chose "Save Project in..." I worried that it was not going to do a "Save as..". This was made worse by the odd file name deal in the Title bar: "DELETE (VBG-1)". Again (for the 3rd time) that addition of the Original Project Name, which was now no longer the name of the project of a Save as... had indeed been performed (all of this was cause by a bad translation into Save Project in...). This caused me to doubt what had actually been done by VD (MEP). Therefore I raised the question (assuming that the Save Project in... was a new feature in all languages, not a translation mistake only in Dutch) whether my original work (not my original files - yes I said "original file" (not "files"), meaning the project file I had just hoped to Save as... but had actually Saved in...) would be lost after having deleted the last 90% of my project and then selected Saved Project in... I now understand that Save Project in... was mistranslated and that there is no danger of loosing my work (not my original files, I knew they were never at risk). I actually think that especially my last post was rather clear about that. I maintain, that this is not MY problem, but a horribly bad translation into Dutch that causes all Dutch users to wonder what in the world that new feature is and what it does? No amount of reading manuals or help files is going to help one find the answer, because this translation mistake is obviously not going to be documented or explained anywhere. Again: how do I let Magix know that they royally messed up the translation? Imagine that you updated MEP and suddenly where there used to be "Save project as..." it now said: "Save project in..." Would you immediatly assume that was a type, or would you wonder whether they suddenly decided to do something really odd?

I cannot currently get to the Export options to respond to what you wrote about that, since I am again exporting the file through the Up arrow at the end of the menu bar. That gets me MP4 files at DVD quality that seem to look fine and are only 1,4 to 2 GB in size. I am processing two 1,5 hr. files.

Thanks for the info on YouTube. I discovered on my own (by trying it) that the YouTube feature works, but does not generate a file on my HD to reuse or upload later to another site, YT account or playlist. So I am not using that feature now.

More later (when I can see the options).

David

@DBoydNL

"Imagine that you updated MEP and suddenly where there used to be "Save project as..." it now said: "Save project in..." Would you immediatly assume that was a type, or would you wonder whether they suddenly decided to do something really odd?"

Actually, I would have implicitly understood. If not, I would have simply made a test project, put in a couple of video clips, saved, deleted a video clip, save as and give it a new file name as per usual. Then I would have reopened the first project and seen that everything was ok. For anything that I don't understand, I create test (I call them that) projects and play around with them until I understand. I never do this with a real project.

I fail to see how a minor one word difference can create a huge problem in this particular instance.

You can raise a ticket with Magix and tell them to change the word in Dutch.

You say "Shield" but I presume that you mean "icon." You say that the Picture in Picture Basic entry or icon had disappeared. But you show it in your image. I highly doubt that it temporarily disappeared. You probably just did not see it. To make things easier to see, why don't you change to List View?

For exporting, use File from the top menu, Export movie, Video as MPEG-4. This is where you get all of the export parameters. I never use the up arrow in at the upper right of the screen. In fact, I use mostly Video Pro X and there is no up arrow. If you don't know what Video Pro X is, look on the Magix.com site.

John CB

@DBoydNL

Hi

. . . . I guess next time, I need the guy with the camera to record at a lower quality/resolution. . . .

That would not be necessary better to record in higher resolution and down scale the export than trying to upscale lower resolution video.

. . . . most of the options you give for size/resolution reduction are not available for some of the formats. . . . .

I did say that for 2 of the formats I mentioned that you would have to select the nearest available and change the settings.

From what you have said regarding the number of options the starting point for changing a format is to select the closest one from the drop down menu indicated in your image below

You should have the AVCHD and MP4 resolution/frame rate options shown below - note I have blurred my saved custom export settings you will not have these.

Once the closest format is selected you can modify the preset to specify resolutions for which there is no preset - see video clip below where I modify an existing preset to create a MP4 848 x 480 16:9 25 fps and save it to create a new preset.

. . . . . . . . unkown to me file extension (*.m2ts). . . . .

The .m2ts file extension is AVCHD - which is used by all cameras that can record in the is format - this includes practically every video camera from Sony and Panasonic, as they were the originators of the video format.

John EB

John EB,

You "would have implicitly understood" the whole Save as and file name thing. Well, I am fairly new to this particular version of MEP and despite you disbelieving me, I had already encountered things that made (make) no sense in the program. I obviously was careful to experiment. However, it still didn't (and doesn't) make sense. Remember that everything was additionally confused by the errant "Save in" option. Today, I started with a project called VBG-1 and saved it as "VBG-2". I did that since the intro and exit footage needs to be virtually the same in every project. Note what that looks like on screen:

So the file name in the Title bar is: VGB-2b.MVP (which is correct). But after that it says (VBG-1).
Yes, the tab above the tracks is called VBG-1, I suppose that is left over from the fact that I opened a project called VBG-1 which had a TAB VBG-1 in it. I deleted all but the intro and extro and then saved it as VBG-2. I guess my assumption was, that it would rename the tab, not that I ever do anything with additional tabs. However, I didn't realize that this was going on, when I "allowed" all this in the title bar in combination with the very weird "save in" option to confuse me. As it turns out, there IS something dramatically wrong with MEP in Dutch; it just doesn't affect how the program works, and ends up being just a confusing word, but how was I to know that. I personally think this is dumb (adding the Tab name behind the File name in the Title Bar).

I suspect that the reason you fail to see how a one word problem can cause such problems is because you don't actually use software in another language. All I had to go by, was a vague memory that a previous version probably had "Save as" there, but many other things were different in this version, so how was I supposed to know that this was a mistake in translation and not a change in programming/procedure.

Since the "icons" are larger in that section of MEP than in other area's, and since the icons look like "shields" I decided to call them shields. I assumed that those familiar with MEP "would have implicitly understood" what I meant by that. I showed it in my screen capture to indicate that I DO know where it is supposed to be, and I also mentioned that it eventually re-appeared and I couldn't duplicate the circumstances under which it disappeared on me (three times - by the way). So I could not take a screenshot of the program with PnP missing. I really do know what I am looking at, looking for, and it was simply GONE! I did say that before and yet you insist that "I probably just didn't see it". Take your own implied advice and look at what I wrote more carefully (as I suggested earlier).

I know how to use File / Export, have indicated that I use it always. I couldn't get enough settings, so I used the Up arrow and was able to select from a very simplified menu an export option that only takes 1 hour (rather than 3) and produces MP4 files, that are only 1,5 GB in size. Anything smaller gets grainy or doesn't run smoothly. Since that works for me, I am good with it. Only a handful of people will actually be watching the video's after they download them.

Finally, I would appreciate it if you could stop being condescending to me.

David

@DBoydNL

Hi David,

I'll trying to reply without being condescending, but it's hard when someone puts in a Subject name like you did, and then we find that in Dutch, one word in a command that we never would have noticed in English if it had been change, is the only thing wrong. It is extremely minor and does not merit the title that you gave to your post. We get off to a bad start.

Other than that, your problems seem to be in comprehension, so rather than telling us that the program is wrong, just give us context and ask simple questions. We'll give you helpful and comprehensive answers. Sometimes, we do find bugs; it's always best to ask first if someone has the same problem. Sometimes bugs are because we did something wrong - user error.

For Projects and Movies. When you create a new project, if you don't give it a name, the project name will be the date, and this will also be the title of the first Movie - on the Movie tab. If you give the project a new name upon starting a new project, the first Movie will take on that name. At this point, nothing is saved. When you Save the first time, you get another chance to change the name, and you also can indicate the location where you will save your project file. If you change the name for this first Save, then the Movie will also change to this new name. But, the Movie name will not change upon using Save As from now on - once saved.

Note that you can change the name of the Movie on the Movie tab - right-click with the mouse to see the menu or click on the pop down menu to the right of the tabs.

Example, I create a project and save it with the name Seasons. The first Movie tab will say "Seasons."

If you later do a Save as (or Save in), this allows you to change the name of the project, but doing so will not change the name of any of the Movies. So, if I now do a Save as and change the name to "Seasons rev1" I will have a project with this name, but the first Movie will still be "Seasons."

If I change the name of the Movie to "Winter" and then do a Save as and change the Project name to "Seasons rev2" the Movie name will still be "Winter."

If I now create a second Movie, it will take on the name of the current Project, "Seasons rev2." If I create a third Movie, it will get the same name but with "- 01" appended, thus, "Seasons rev2 - 01" and so on.

I'll change the Movie names to "Spring" and "Summer."

If I now do a Save as and change the Project to "Seasons rev3" none of my Movies change names and I definitely do not want them to.

Question, do you understand how to create, sort, rename and use additional movies?

Why do Save as and add revisions codes? In case of a major crash that corrupts the project and all of its timed sequential backups. It's a safety precaution allowing one to go back to an earlier version.

For Picture in Picture - is it still missing?

I prefer to use the list view rather than icons as I see much more in the first column:

Any other questions?

John CB

"Question, do you understand how to create, sort, rename and use additional movies?" I do now. Since I never use the feature to have multiple movies in one project, I have never encountered such matters. I assumed that since I give my project a file name before I actually start the project, that Saving as would change the entrire name in the Title Bar. Prior to your last explanation, I did not even (need to) notice the tab with the "VBG-1" title in my VBG-2 project. Rather than copy and paste the intro and extro from VBG-1 to VBG-2 (since they were 1,5 hours apart, I merely started with the VBG-1 project, saved it as VBG-2 and expected the title in the Title bar to change with that. Basically, the way all my other programs (including 3 Magix programs) work. I now know that MEP doesn't work that way and why.

In regards to the missing PnP icon: As I have clearly indicated: "I also mentioned that it eventually re-appeared and I couldn't duplicate the circumstances under which it disappeared on me (three times - by the way). So I could not take a screenshot of the program with PnP missing." It is back now. I did not need to use PnP yesterday in my VBG-2 project so it didn't go missing (or if it did I never needed it, so didn't notice). Again: despite my lack of comprehension on certain matters, I DO know where the PnP icon is (supposed to be).

"Any other questions"? So I tell MEP when I start a new project, what drive and directory I want to save it in. But it can't seem to remember that. When I export, it wants to use a previously used directory. I have "lost" so many exports, that I then have to go hunting for, because I forgot to check whether MEP remembered that THAT directory is where I am working. Same goes for Import which I have to go find the first time I do an import. Fortunately, it then remembers. Before I start a project, I copy all my audio, video, JPG, PNG files that I am going to need (or believe I will need) to my "working directory". I know you say you don't use the Up Arrow for exporting, nor do I normally, but I have found that convenient for this VBG project (which will occur every other week until late January 2021). Why does MEP not remember the export settings I choose there? If I need to export the same movie again (found a mistake or cancelled it) I have to select the settings again. Having done that about 10 times, I now know which settings I need, but come on, just remember the settings (for the same project).

When I select Effects, an additional window/section appears under the icons and dialog screen for the chosen effect. See arrow.

I know what it's for, I basically know how to use it. I just don't know what to call it so I can ask questions about it, when any come up. For instance. Is the best way to eliminate an unwanted effect or effect setting to "disable" it in this screen (when Ctrl z won't do)? Secondly: I have a long (25 min) video file of me teaching a course (VBG). I have a screen with PowerPoint to my right, and a flip chart or white board to my left. When I write on the flipchart or whiteboard, I want to zoom in, so that what I write is legible (since the "cameraman" is taking the class, I don't want him to be distracted by having to remember to do that with his camera). When I am done with writing, I want to zoom out again. I can get that done. But now the problem occurs, that while I am standing and writing, the camera reaches the end of its max. 4.5 GB file and starts a new MTS file. I import that second file into MEP chop off the first 1,5 seconds of black screen and either butt them up against each other or overlap them. However, that second video file isn't zoomed in the way the previous one is. I don't want to zoom in this time, I want the video to start out with that zoom factor and when I am done writing zoom out again. How do I accomplish the same zoomed in factor (16x9) immediately (with "Section" is what I have done now)? In other words: what's the best way to do that?

There seems to be a way to select a certain section of the video (preview screen) and apply color/hue/brighness settings to only that section. I remember seeing a message come up with a suggestion to that effect. I can't find that message anywhere now. Sigh. However, despite the message, I could not get the settings to apply only to the selected box. On my VBG-1 project I had a projection screen (showing my Powerpoint) that was too dim to see on video. Since the camera was static, it was my understanding, that I could have drawn a box around the projection screen and applied some Brightness/Contrast settings to that to get it to maximum visibility/readability. Can that be done and if so: How? As I mentioned my 1,5 hour course (to Breaktime, then another 1,5 hrs. after the break) is chopped into 4,5 GB files by the camera. Can I group those video sections together, make a box around the projection screen (which is in the same place throughout) for all those files, and apply the Brightness/Contrast settings in one "fell swoop" across the four large video files in each project? I already do that immediately after import, to raise the volume of the audio tracks, by either selecting or grouping all the audio sections on Track 2, and raising the volume by 8.0. Is there a better way to do this?

In an attempt to duplicate selecting a section of the screen in a box for the question above, I right clicked and moved the mouse. This accidentally selected (presumably, I don't actually know what I selected) Full screen video monitor, with for me no way to get it back to "normal" with buttons on screen. I eventually resized the video preview screen and found the other MEP screens under it "floating" around. I tried dragging them back into place and resizing them, but the "Import / Effects / Templates screen was half off screen to the right, giving me no place to grab it and relocate it like the track and preview screen. This is what I mean about "things that are wrong with the program". This should be consistent (bar across the entire top of the subscreen, not just part of the subscreen). I did eventually find Window / Window Arrangement / Standard. If one is going to "float" the various windows on screen, they all have to have a full length bar with which to move them!

David

@DBoydNL

Is the best way to eliminate an unwanted effect or effect setting to "disable" it in this screen (when Ctrl z won't do)?

Clear all effects: right-click the object>Video Effects>Reset

 How do I accomplish the same zoomed in factor (16x9) immediately (with "Section" is what I have done now)? In other words: what's the best way to do that?

Yes, Section, if you want that zoom level to stay the same for the rest of the video. Or, Camera/Zoom Shot will allow you to initially set the zoom level to match the previous clip (use the Preview/Edit button to help fine tune), and then allow you to pan out (or in) to the desired zoom level as the clip proceeds. Set the initial selection box to match the previous clip, set a keyframe, then go along the timeline a bit, then redraw the selection box to the new zoom level. A keyframe for that will be set automatically.

There seems to be a way to select a certain section of the video (preview screen) and apply color/hue/brighness settings to only that section.

Think of sections as "objects". The effect will only be applied to the selected (ie highlighted in yellow) objects. To highlight and "object" simply click on it. If you try to select an effect but have no highlighted objects, MEP will protest "select an object to apply the effect to, you @#$%^! or words to that effect (pardon the pun 😉). Select multiple objects using Windows standard: CTRL+click. You can also "lasso" multiple objects to select them by drawing over them with the left-button-down mouse.

with for me no way to get it back to "normal" with buttons on screen. 

Agree. The workspace "falls to pieces" easily.

👍

@DBoydNL

Hi

. . . . I tell MEP when I start a new project, what drive and directory I want to save it in. But it can't seem to remember that. . . . . . . . .

I use the following organisational system in conjunction with the default folder settings in MEP, and.

. . . . When I export, it wants to use a previously used directory . . . .

This is by design, just as most other Windows programs remember the last folder used.

These are my settings:

The folder W:\MAGIX\DVD_BD_Projects is the 'master folder' all other projects are in subfolders of this, each subfolder being the 'working folder' for a particular project - this makes for easy selection of which project I want to work on and also makes backing up easy as the the whole folder is backed up ie media, projects and other ancillary files used.

One click of the Projects shortcut takes me to the location of the projects which are visible in the Media pane as shown below

. . . . I have "lost" so many exports, that I then have to go hunting for, because I forgot to check whether MEP remembered that THAT directory . . . .

A check of the file destination in the export dialog before clicking export will avoid this

Regarding the classroom recording and camera man - having done this many times with presentation, talking and whiteboard for up to 2 hrs, I found the best method is to use 2 cameras, preferably same make/model to avoid colour variations, one taking in the talking/presentation area and the second zoomed in on the whiteboard, positioned so that when you write on it you are not in front of the board. I broke the lesson up into segments stop/starting the cameras for each segment - this avoids the file size limitation, it also helps if the recording lights on the front of the cameras (if present) are set to be on when recording to give you a visual cue.

When editing from the cameras only the audio from one of the cameras would be used, to avoid differences between the cameras.

HTH

John EB

AAProds,

I don't want to eliminate all effects. Just one of the ones that is no longer to my liking (hence the "Ctrl z won't do"). Can I just uncheck the box for that effect in that screen I mentioned (since it is not named, I don't know what that screen is called, so please see my screenshot).

So accomplishing the same zoom level on a second object with the same setup as the one before it (classroom) is still just manually fine tuning. Next to impossible to get exactly right. Are there numbers somewhere that I can copy (manually)? I don't want to pan out to any zoom. I need the two video object to match up as far as the selected zoom area of the first.

I don't think you understood what I was getting at in regards to the brightness thing. I don't want to "Think of sections as objects", I want to draw a box around one part (I called it a section) of the preview screen. I saw a help "card" pop up once upon a time when I drew a box on the video preview with my mouse. In my case, I would want to have drawn a box around the projection screen in the video preview where the PowerPoint presentation had been too dim to be clearly seen on video. Then I wanted to apply gamma and contrast ONLY to what was inside the box for the entire object. As I said, a "help card" came up (which I cannot duplicate now) that said I would be able to apply certain effects to only the box I drew. When I tried to do that, the effects (brightness. contrast, gamma) were applied to the entire clip. Did I misunderstand? Is this even possible? As I mentioned, since that projection screen on the video was in the same place the entire time, that would have worked, especially if I could do this for all video objects on the "timeline" in one fell swoop. Also, the camera man told me he could do that in his Apple video editing software, which is what made me try.

Ah, somebody acknowledges that MEP does have some problems not associated with my being unfamiliar with the program! :-)

David

@DBoydNL

Good questions, but you're asking for a complete course on video editing. So once again, I strongly suggest that you watch my tutorials on Basic Editing Parts 1 and 2.

Then watch my two recent tutorials which show copying and pasting effects and keyframing:

There are others. Learning and understanding detailed editing is a cumulative process.

Once again, you outline a problem (moveable, resizable windows) for you stating that "This is what I mean about "things that are wrong with the program". Nothing is wrong with the program. You can move a window to a second screen and resize it. If you make the window too small, something has to give. If you click on the little square button at the upper right of a window, it will go full-screen. This is not a "problem," this is what it is supposed to do. To get it back, click on it again. To get the default windows layout, press on F9. If you change the windows layout and want to keep it, go to Window in the top menu, Save, give it a name. It will also give you the shortcut F10; the next one would be F11. So, to quickly change from the standard layout to your first new layout, simply press F10. Features are not problems!

For exporting, if you use the up arrow, you are limited to what is there. Don't complain about that; it's for people who don't need or want to have to look at the details.. If you want something that is not there, then use File, Export Movie, and select something, most likely Video as MP4. Click on Display all, select your template. You can save the template with a title that you select. Save your 2 or 3 favourite settings with you own title, and then use those from then on; no need to look at the other settings.

I agree, it would be nice for the Project to remember the last used export settings, but it doesn't. MEP itself remembers this, usually. Also, Export settings are often linked to your Project Settings.

Movies

You can use Move tab 1 for your first 1.5 hour session, and Movie tab 2 for the second half and exports each separately. Having all in one project allows you to copy paste effects and other things, like titles, from one movie to the other. See the second two tutorials above.

For most people using MEP, multiple movies are used for projects that will be burned to DVD or BluRay. You can have multiple Movies, each containing chapters.

I'm off to get a desperately needed Covid-19 haircut.

John CB

John CB,

You don't actually read what I write. The problem about the windows is not that I have to resize or relocate them, it is that the window I indicated is half off the screen, thus nobody can click on any place to actually grab that window, move it over, let alone press any button in the upper right corner, since that corner is off screen.

Also, my complaint about the up arrow is not that I want something that is not there. I would appreciate it if the settings I previously entered were remembered, just like the File / Export function has. I keep have to re-explain to you what I write.

I did realize that I could put the two segments of my class on two tabs, but the first time I did this it took me so long (because the PowerPoint projection needed "fixing" to be legible, that I started the second half the next day. Just a habbit to make a new project, since (as I said) I hardly ever make a project consisting out of two movies. Once I did, and wanted to burn it to DVD (for my grandkids), and that really didn't work. It was a while ago, I don't remember what didn't work any more.

I disagree with you that designating a work directory at project start, is anything like other programs. I am continually annoyed at Xare Photodesign that I save a project in a directory, and then have to navigate to that to Import and then again to Export. MEP has this by default, but it doesn't make sense to have to have to navigate to the previously designated work folder for the export. Who knew that some of these matters can be set up in Project settings. I'll have to try that. Sure, checking the line where the export directory is listed is all fine and good. But if you forget, then it ends up in the wrong, not remembered place. Duh.

Using two camera's is not an option for a variety of reasons.

So I am now done with VBG1 and VBG2. Eventually I can delete all the files in the working directories and just leave the exported files for future reference. In the meantime, what files can I delete that I will never go back to. There are backups in there going back to when there was only one video object imported, and then two, etc, right? Each is taking up diskspace. Can I safely delete them, all except the last one? What about all the other stuff in that directory. Just wait until I know I am never going to need to edit the project ever again?

You told me to ask specific questions and I'd get an answer. So that's what I did: I asked what that screen is called (got no answer). I asked about how to get the zoom/section setting on a second video object to match the previous video object. I asked whether making a box on the preview screen and having effects (brigtness etc.) apply only to the content of the box was even possible, since I recall seeing a "help card" that seemed to say that, but I can't get it to work. Instead of answering these questions, which is what you promised, you tell me to read up or watch tutorials because advanced editing is a cumulative process. Are my specific questions going to be answered in the 2 half hour Basic Editing YouTubes? Was giving me a simple: "Nope, that's not possible" too much to ask for? Even if it IS possible, why not refer me to a tutorial with an "at 23:15 min. mark" reference? You refer me to your two tutorial vids (which I WILL watch) about copying and pasting effects. But I don't want the zoom effect from one object copied to the other, I don't want to zoom, I want to start that video object already completely zoomed in, which is why I used Section. Maybe that is how it is done, but there is no indication that this is why I need to watch them. You don't mention that either of these vids are what I need for any of my questions.

David

@DBoydNL

Hi David.

I will try to answer your last couple of questions.

The arrow in your last image seems to be pointing roughly at the Key Frame Editor.

The second question about copying aspects of previous objects is possible but not without some alterations after it has been copied and pasted to the next object.

As you have observed you get a replication of the effects on the first object.

However, by deleting all but the last Key Frame marker on the new object (The diamond shaped objects in the Key Frame Editor) by clicking on each one and then using the dustbin icon to delete it. And then slide the last marker to the beginning of the clip, should place the last commands from the previous clip to the beginning of the next one. That will at least align both clips to the same spot and size. If you have a lot of key frames this could be tedious but often there are not that many. Make sure you delete the correct diamonds on the appropriate line of the key editor if there is more than one effect in use on the object.

Ray.

Thanks Ray, that makes sense. I will try that tomorrow. My wife is about to call me for dinner! 😀

David

You don't actually read what I write. The problem about the windows is not that I have to resize or relocate them, it is that the window I indicated is half off the screen, thus nobody can click on any place to actually grab that window, move it over, let alone press any button in the upper right corner, since that corner is off screen.

Also, my complaint about the up arrow is not that I want something that is not there. I would appreciate it if the settings I previously entered were remembered, just like the File / Export function has. I keep have to re-explain to you what I write.

@DBoydNL

I do read what you write, well mostly. Some is not clear unless you give us screen shots. When you ask a question, just ask the question, don't add a whole lot of discussion about it. Your question gets lost in the noise. As you did earlier, number them. Post screen shots.

If you move the window half off of the screen, release it there and can't drag it back, that is a problem caused by you, not the program. The solution to get it back is to press F9. The solution is not to restrict the window to the full screen - I and many others use two screens, so I have to be able to drag the window completely off-screen.

I replied that the up arrow for exporting is for users who don't want to see the details and that you should use File, Export as movie... and save your preferred settings each with a name that will mean something to you. I agreed that it would be nice to have the Project file remember the last used export, but it doesn't. Maybe you can suggest that to Magix as a new feature.

MEP has this by default, but it doesn't make sense to have to have to navigate to the previously designated work folder for the export. Who knew that some of these matters can be set up in Project settings. I'll have to try that. Sure, checking the line where the export directory is listed is all fine and good. But if you forget, then it ends up in the wrong, not remembered place. Duh.

Note the difference between Program settings and Project settings. Look at both. I, too, have had exports go astray because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.

However, in the Export window, if you click on the folder beside File name and storage location, Windows Explorer opens. Click on the pop down arrow to see a long list of recent locations. This is a time saver.

You told me to ask specific questions and I'd get an answer. So that's what I did: I asked what that screen is called (got no answer).

Not sure which screen you're referring to, but if it's Section, as shown below, then the name is in the title and at the top of the window. That is what we call it.

If you're referring to the area at the bottom of this:

I asked about how to get the zoom/section setting on a second video object to match the previous video object. I asked whether making a box on the preview screen and having effects (brigtness etc.) apply only to the content of the box was even possible, since I recall seeing a "help card" that seemed to say that, but I can't get it to work. Instead of answering these questions, which is what you promised, you tell me to read up or watch tutorials because advanced editing is a cumulative process. Are my specific questions going to be answered in the 2 half hour Basic Editing YouTubes? Was giving me a simple: "Nope, that's not possible" too much to ask for? Even if it IS possible, why not refer me to a tutorial with an "at 23:15 min. mark" reference? You refer me to your two tutorial vids (which I WILL watch) about copying and pasting effects. But I don't want the zoom effect from one object copied to the other, I don't want to zoom, I want to start that video object already completely zoomed in, which is why I used Section. Maybe that is how it is done, but there is no indication that this is why I need to watch them. You don't mention that either of these vids are what I need for any of my questions.

David

I make tutorials so that I don't have to give answers to the same questions over and over. You say that you want a simple answer, I say that it takes me at least a half hour to make a good reply. You are not paying me for my time, so I refer you to a tutorial where you can learn how to do whatever it is that you asked. I think that this is why you are also recording and publishing courses, is it not? FYI, a 15 minute tutorial takes about 30-50 hours of work to create.

For copying and pasting effects, I told you to see the second set of tutorials, quote "Then watch my two recent tutorials which show copying and pasting effects and keyframing." And you accuse me of not reading what you wrote.

For details on using Section, see this recent thread in which I detail what Section does.

You mentioned about having to navigate to your project files folder as being a problem. The solution is to change the folder tree view and create links to your folders. As in the image below, I have two - Winter and 2011_07_23 Paris. Just click on the entry to go directly to the folder. I use VPX and I have many entries - some for source files, some for where other project files and exports will go.

One last point. Create small test projects to try things out and to learn. You're not going to break anything. I have hundreds of the test projects. Don't do testing and learning how new things work in a real project. Learn first.

Please do not rehash any of the discussions. If you have a question, make it simple, keep to the point.

John CB