@CubeAce @David-Nash

Ray, I can't get that to work. The timer time is always from the start of the movie. I see your timecode is "Timecode.TK2". I only have "Timecode" in my Premium version; I've downloaded the Extra Content "Title Effects" but didn't get any extra timers.

It appears that the timer counts down to the end of the object OK (as in your example) but it won't count up from a given point on the timeline, only from the start of the movie.

@David-Nash @CubeAce @AAProds

Hi,

I can't get the time codes to do what you can Ray.

However, for anyone who has the NewBlue Video Essentials IV, you get the Time Clock and it has a wealth of possibilities.

After that, the only thing I can suggest is Bluff Titler.

John CB

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn.

Under Title templates there are seven (in my version) of them MEP Premium depending on what you need.

I can put up a 'How to' video tomorrow for you if you wish.

This is how I do them (rough guide, more can be done if needed).

There is another more comprehensive timer available If you have the New Blue Elements set of effects loaded but not as flexible as it has to be attached to actual footage although there are ways around that as well.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Ray, my title is the same. The problem remains: the counter does not start at the beginning of the title object. That is shown in your post above: the 7:38:10 title end time is from the start of the movie, not the start of the object, which is about 2:30:00 on the timeline. The end time should read 7:38 - 2:30 ~ 5:08, but it reads 7:38.

As I said before, counting down to the end/zero works; counting up doesn't.

Cheers, Al

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn.

What I would do in that case is solo the time track and move it to the beginning and then export that as a video file to re-import into the project and place where needed. You then may have to use a Chroma Key effect to the file to blend into the project.

I do have a folder of various video files that I use to import into projects for special effects if they, for whatever reason, can't be made easily and I don't want to copy the actual objects into a project for that purpose. They are mainly graphics or complex title effects I've made but take up additional time rendering when a video file is rendered much more quickly.

Although the video file may be larger than trying to set up an effect within MEP, in the long run it can be used in multiple projects and save both setup times and rendering times.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Thanks Ray, I'm sure you'll agree that as it stands the current count-up functionality of that title is of little value.

Cheers, Al

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn.

I have several other timers / clocks not in available as standard effects in MEP and they are all equally bad to use.

They get worse resource wise the more I customize them, making my system crawl along.

Some graphic effects take so long to render during an export I often turn them into video files and edit them as needed. I've got so used to working that way now I don't really think about it. Mainly because of the added benefit to the export times.

When I say 'take so long to render' I mean many times the actual length of the clip needed. A two minute countdown can take just under two hours to render to a video file depending on the complexity of the clock and how much I customize it.

I've made a montage of some of the clock types I have available. All of them are very processor intensive and slow my system considerably.

So I have folders of pre-rendered effects ready instead.

It's not perfect but works for me.

Ray.

I think it's safe to say the basic time code functions in MEP don't have the ability to do this, so it would come down to some sort of manual workaround.

I just can't really understand how this is such a complex effect to achieve. Or why any clock or time functions should be so processor intensive. Very bizarre.

Anyway, thanks all for your help. I'm seriously considering paying for something like Adobe which no doubt would do this without issue.

@David-Nash, @CubeAce, @AAProds

Hi

I agree with Alwyn, for the purposes of what David needs the timers in the program are of little use - they are more for time codes.

It would be far easier to download a stopwatch video loop and use that there are free ones available on the Internet.

John EB

@David-Nash

Hi David.

I would search out a couple of Adobe tutorials on this before you leap to see what the experience is actually like.

It doesn't vary much and seems to have similar problems on the tutorials I have found so far.

Maybe look at other NLEs as well as they all have their pros and cons as well as different work flows.

Ray.

@johnebaker

Didn't think of that, John. I've downloaded one already. It only goes to 10 minutes, though. I wonder if that's long enough for @David-Nash? 🙂

I certainly wouldn't be changing away from Magix on the basis of a (lack of) stopwatch timer, David.

Haha,​ ​​​​@AAProds yeah just about :D That's not a bad shout though.

And yes @CubeAce I certainly will be doing my research before jumping into anything paid. It's not a game changer, just seems like a really simple function that I'm surprised Magix haven't thought to include (especially if, as you say, other products have similar restrictions)

@David-Nash

Hi David.

As John EB pointed out, the options within MEP are more to do with time codes than clocks but both types would have similar problems as they would have to be time accurate effects and as such must sync to the frame rate of the project. So a degree of setting up would be required, which is one of many reasons I sometimes use converted to video effects as opposed to using the effects themselves. Which is basically what John is saying, use a clip rather than an effect.

I haven't found any decent ones that are free yet but loads that have to be paid for.

As for swapping programs.

Personally I find changing workflows that swapping to a new program requires often negates any advantages a new program may offer for quite a while as my work flow is slowed down while I get used to new ways to work.

You see it here on the forums a lot where people expect the same work flow pattern as their last program with comments such as 'All other programs I have used work like this' rather than accepting they have a new program that doesn't work the way their last program worked.

I'm sure some of it is forced on a company to avoid lawsuits from another company having patented a particular workflow.

Whatever.

Personally I have found in the past that workarounds for odd problems are in the long run the most productive way to keep going, as annoying as that sometimes feels.

In the mean time I will look at maybe other ways to do this and report back if I find anything easier to apply.

No news will probably be bad news. 😁

Ray.

Thanks Ray, useful advice. As I say, I'm still in the very early stages of using MEP (and video editing in general to be honest). I used Lightworks for a time, which was pretty good, although so far MEP is much more intuitive. No doubt if I did move to something else, paid or otherwise to solve one issue, there would be something else I couldn't do easily that another product could do natively.

Besides, there is a lot more to video editing than just timing myself solving a puzzle..... 😄

Hi,

I agree, more advanced timers from Magix for MEP/VPX would be a good addition and should be proposed to them.

BluffTitler has timers that are fully modifiable. I highly recommend BT for this and it can be extremely useful for many other effects.

This is from one of the templates that comes with BT. I adjusted the timer to not show milliseconds. This can be modified for any font, colour, position, 3D, movement, etc. For use with MEP, remove the background and exports as transparent AVI.

John CB