The World’s Top Tips for
Pinnacle Studio Video Editing software
(with some Avid Liquid snippets)
HOLLYWOOD FX,
General Edit tips
If you're having problems with your edit -
Text view can be a big help when trying to isolate problems in your project -
What does all that stuff mean?
A representative entry from one of my projects is ...
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
This is interpreted as ...
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
This is the 93rd entry in the project.
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
The entry is a video clip from the capture file named DC22A and beginning at 0:02:31.25 in the file.
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
Also gives the start of the trimmed clip in the capture file.
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
The clip is trimmed to a duration of 0:00:03.00.
93 Video clip: 'DC22A [2:31.25] 0:02:31.25 0:00:03.00 0:48:15.19
The clip will appear in the movie starting at 0:48:15.19.
What to look for?
Time format: h:mm:ss.ff
where h -
Reasonable durations: Be on the lookout for durations less than 0:00:01.00, they may be fragments from missed keystrokes or other errors while editing.
Proper sequence: The "Movie start" column must be in time-
Duplication: Occasionally, a sequence of events will be duplicated, usually with the same start times (causing sequencing error as well). I had this happen once, and have recognized it in several posts. It's rare, but does happen.
What to do if something's wrong
1) Save the project under another name so you don't do any more damage to your real project.
2) Delete the faulty entries.
3) Close the project (saving the changes, this will still be under the new name).
4) Reopen the new project.
5) Re-
You may have to repeat steps 2-
6) When you are satisfied that the errors are corrected, Save the project under the original name.
Following this advice will help to solve a number of the typical problems Studio users face from time to time during the edit process. I'm sure you'll all join me in thanking Maura for coming up with this great aid to problem solving!
Another superb contribution from Supertek on the Pinnacle web board: what to look
for when things don't go right with captures or make movie. If you're having a problem,
chances are the solution is somewhere in this list! Check it out.
No output at all (or no capture):
The OHCI firewire cards should show under IEE1394 bus controller in device manager
DV camera should show under "imaging devices" in device manager when attached & powered on
Verify tape is not write protected
DVin enabled (Some European cams are factory disabled)
Control camera manually, initiate record, then play project
Scan for viruses with updated signatures
Install Pinnacle Performance Enhancer PPE
Format & reinstall OS
ACPI can be a problem, disable ACPI in BIOS, and to complete reinstall of OS
Disconect USB devices
Disable USB (device manager & BIOS -
Disconnect scanner
Disable network card
Disable IEEE1394 networking
Remove any card which isn't absolutely necessary
Update BIOS
Bios-
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
VIA -
VIA -
Install updated video drivers -
Install updated sound card drivers
Are you using TI chipset based firewire card? (Avoid VIA and NEC)
Camera in VTR/VCR/playback & attached to ext Power
Firewire cable attached to camera and firewire card firmly
Menu in camera should not set to A/V to DV out
Unsupported wave or mp3 files in project, try using only 32, 44, or 48khz PCM wave files
Try different slot for firewire card
Update to latest software version & patches
Add more RAM
Reboot & go straight to make movie
Go back to capture, and then to make movie again
Add a few seconds of leader that is a pre-
Slide the playback indicator back and forth, and try again
Capture / Output Dropped frames, blues screens, jitter, audio drops:
All Windows Versions:
Scan for viruses with updated signature files
Pagefile/swap file -
Disable all system sounds
Disable visual effect/animations, use standard non-
On board motherboard video card -
Disable active desktop
Keep the mitts off the mouse
Thermal/overheating problem -
Disable processor throttling
Install Pinnacle Performance Enhancer PPE
Condense timeline prior to playback
Minimize application prior to playback
Switch timeline to text view prior to playback
Disable Power saving
Disable Screen saver
Remove any wallpaper/desktop pictures
Remove icons on desktop
Format & reinstall OS
ACPI can be a problem, disable ACPI in BIOS, and Complete reinstall of OS
Try installing card in different slot
Disconnect USB devices
Disable USB (device manager & BIOS)
Disconnect scanner
Disable network card
Disable IEEE1394 networking
Remove any card which isn't absolutely necessary
DMA enabled in bios & device manager
Update BIOS
VIA -
VIA -
Other chipsets -
Install updated video card drivers
Install updated sound card drivers
Disable legacy SB16 support (live)
Reboot just before playing a project to tape
Use msconfig (or other utility or edit registry) to prevent anything from running on startup, not in Win2k
End ALL background tasks (messaging, firewall, popup killers, audiohq, vendor install menus, antivirus, printer monitoring)
Empty temporary files and internet temporary files
System resources should normally be over 90% after rebooting & ending background tasks
Give application Process priority -
Bios-
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Bios -
Are you using TI chipset based firewire card? (Avoid VIA and NEC)
Camera in VTR/VCR attached to ext Power
Lower sound card audio acceleration
Lower video card hardware acceleration (not to be confused with hardware rendering)
Using the Microsoft DV cam driver (TI DV driver might work better in some instances, this is NOT the OHCI driver)
Separate drive for video (dma), verify auxiliary/preview/temp files are rendered to the video drive
Video drive should be large fast drive (15MB/sec minimum)
System drive should be large fast drive (15MB/sec minimum preferred, not as critical as video drive)
Prevent video partition from being more than 70% full
Format or defrag video drive between projects
Defrag system drive, defrag pagefile/swapfile -
Change the location of drives on cabling/controller to see if that helps
Use 80 conductor cables for ATA66 or faster drives
If using firewire drive, remove it, and try using an internal IDE drive
Disable cdrom autorun
Add RAM
Install total ram 128MB absolute minimum, 256MB+ preferred
Update to latest software version & patches
Read ahead disabled
Write cache enabled
Run drive utility to disable "acoustic management"
Run drive utility to disable write verify (may disable auto after multiple restarts)
Run drive utility to force a specific mode on ATA66/ATA100 drives
Run version checker or integrated software test
Uninstall, use regdelete, reinstall application, then patches
Disable clock
Upgrade power supply (300 watts+)
Render to a DV AVI, reboot, go straight to Make Movie, open avi, play to tape
Add a few seconds of leader that is a prerendered avi, and make no changes at that part of project.
Windows 2000 specific:
NTFS -
Disable NTFS auditing
Disable NTFS last access date stamp
Disable unnecessary services
If video partition was converted to NTFS with "convert", reformat it
Set pagefile minimum to 1.5X ram or 512MB ram minimum (which ever is greater), and allow another gig expansion
Give foreground application priority
Diskperf -
Install service pack 2
DisableExecutivePaging -
LargeSystemCache -
Startup programs can be disabled in [HLKM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\RUN] and "startup" in start menu.
Windows XP Specific:
NTFS -
Disable NTFS auditing
Disable system restore monitoring for video drive, also for system drive
Disable NTFS last access date stamp
Disable unnecessary services
If video partition was converted to NTFS with "convert", reformat it
set pagefile minimum to 1.5X ram or 512MB ram minimum (which ever is greater), and allow another gig expansion
give foreground application priority
diskperf -
DisableExecutivePaging -
LargeSystemCache -
Startup programs can be disabled in [HLKM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\RUN] and "startup" in start menu.
Enable Boot Defrag -
A comprehensive check list that should get you up and running with a working Studio system. Thanks to Supertek for allowing it to be reproduced here.
This is something we have all seen at the local cinema -
Then came an absolute burst of inspiration which commands total admiration for ingenuity
... Jelle Bouma, of the Netherlands, came up with this brilliant solution (slightly
re-
Method 1. The original method by Jelle Bouma ... Scan in your map and use a Photo
Editing program that allows 'overlays' to be created -
(Hopefully the green band will not bother you too much, since you are a pal user).
Method 2. An inventive idea from Marcus Ohnsorg Prepare the two maps (one with
no route line, and the other with a complete route line) using picture editing software
(see the following article). Place them side by side on the time line as full screen
titles... then simply use a wipe in the appropriate direction -
Method 3. This is an extension of Method 1, but is for use only with the Studio NLE product range.
The original tip was intended and designed for Studio 400, and the moving line is
simply a specially prepared transition to the next video clip. The method can be
adapted to be used -
MPG File 662kB
Real Player 56k Modems
Real Player 28k Modems
Of course, the final result looks better and smoother than these highly compressed,
tiddly-
The following description uses Paint Shop Pro to create the necessary files -
STEP 1. First catch your map...
1. You need to get the required map onto your PC as a bitmap file. I use a scanner
-
2. Once you have the bmp file on your PC, save it twice -
STEP 2. Create the route line
3. In your picture editor, open up the second bitmap file 'MAP2.bmp'.
Using one of the paint or draw tools, set to an appropriate width and colour, carefully draw the required route on the map.
It will make life easier if you select a colour that is unique on the map -
Step 4 Create the transition
4. This is the step that seems to cause most trouble, because it involves working
with layers or masks -
method can be used. I am going to describe the 'layer'
method -
easier to follow -
select EDIT>COPY from the menu to copy the selection. Select
EDIT>PASTE>PASTE AS A NEW LAYER, and you should then get a new layer to your map,
with a line on it something like that shown to the left here. The chequer-
Transitions are grey scale jpeg files, and the transition progresses from the blackest
part to the whitest part. So the next step is to turn the blue line into the required
transition. To do this, select the Flood Fill tool (it usually looks like a paint
pot). What we want to do here is have a gradated fill, from black to white, so that
the blue line on the map will be revealed as the transition progresses. So,
select
the Flood Fill options, then select a Linear Gradient (from the Paint Pot tab items).
The next step is to make sure that the gradient is black and white, and runs in the
required direction along the route. Select the gradients tab of the options box (shown
to the right), and make sure the gradient is black-
When you're happy, click on the route line -
Step 5. Save the transition
5. Nearly time to save the transition. However, at the moment it is a layer, along
with the 'map' -
Step 6. Create the video...
Time to use the maps and transition. Open up your Studio software, and at the appropriate
place in the movie you are editing, open up TitleDeko ready to insert a full-
Next to that full screen title you need to add another full screen title: note the
second map can be added to the overlay line, with the specially prepared transition
in front of it. This can make adjusting the lengths of the map clips and the transition
time easier. However, I prefer to suffer that slight inconvenience so that I can
add an overlay title over the map during the route line movement -
The second full screen title is, of course, Map2 -
Time to add the transition you created. It is probably located at the end of the
transition album. All that remains is to trim back the map clips and extend the transition
until you're satisfied with the effect. Make sure the second map clip is long enough
to accept the transition into the next video clip. Play it back a few times and marvel
at your work. You've pushed a 'basic' video editing system beyond what is claimed
on the box. (I think -
And that's all there is to it. If you want you can now add an overlay title. OK -
ENABLING TECHNIQUES for Cutaway Inserts, picture-
While Studio 9 onwards makes most of these techniques redundant, they may nevertheless provide a valuable insight into tackling other creative ideas. For the time being, this article will remain ...
If nothing else, it shows the lengths one had to go to in the early versions of Studio
-
There is a constant stream of requests for effects such as picture-
JUST SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH 'TECHNIQUE 2'!
(Click a picture to download an MPEG demo of the effect.
Obviously the quality is p-
Cutaways, leaving original sound.
276KB
Picture in picture, using all of the original frame
217KB
Normal speed and slowed motion
256KB
Animated overlays
222KB
Jos Roijakkers and I have been in email contact over a variety of workarounds for
making these effects available. After pondering over them, it occurred to both of
us, I think, that all the workarounds were based on one or two basic enabling techniques.
Get to grips with these techniques -
That's the upside. The downside is that the techniques could be quite time consuming and laborious. For this reason, I have delayed writing about them until I have been able to locate free software to help handle the tasks. That has now been done.
Before going any further, it has been pointed out to me on numerous occasions that
the effects sought after are available with other packages such as Ulead's Media
Shop Pro, Adobe Premiere and After Effects, MainActor, and so on, ad nauseum. Yes,
they are. But they all cost money. My objective here is to demonstrate that the effects
can be achieved using Studio software (except for poor old Studio 400 -
Programs you need, to save time and effort.
Ok. You will need to download one or two programs before tackling the techniques
described here if you want to save yourself a lot of work. The best one (in my opinion)
for the job is called VIRTUALDUB -
Other programs which can be useful are AVIQCK and AVIEdit, both of which are available
from ZDNet (http://www.zdnet.com). I suggest the easiest way to get to them is
to go onto ZDNet and do a search -
Two techniques are discussed here. The first uses transitions for simple 'picture-
Technique 1 -
The method for creating your own transitions is given elsewhere in the Edit section
of these pages, but to repeat the basics here, the file must be a JPEG, greyscale,
720 pixels wide x 486 pixels high, and saved in the 'Video SpiceRack' folder of your
Studio software. For the 'picture-
This is of course like a mask -
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
Pinnacle systems
...the name of the studio package you are using...
Preferences
Transition Duration
The transition duration is given as the number of frames -
I believe (I have not tried it) that if you subsequently go back and reset the default transition length in the Studio program, the registry entry will revert back to the default maximum of ten seconds.
Using the Transition technique for Picture in Picture effects
Here is the example supplied by Leonard. The created transition is shown in the
Album (provided you place it in the SpiceRack folder), highlighted with a purple
border in this screen shot, and the clips he used for the background and foreground
are shown on the video timeline.
The easiest way to create the effect is to first set the default transition to the required time limit (10 seconds maximum) or to adjust the registry with great care (see above) to give the required time limit. Then drag the transition between the two clips
... and trim the second (foreground/pic-
That's all there is to it. If you plan the whole thing in advance, the result can be very effective.
Other things to try...
Here are a few of my own suggestions to add to the scope (but to be honest -
* Instead of pure black for the insert area, use a very dark grey. It should then 'dissolve' onto the screen instead of 'jumping' on. The degree of 'black' to use and the dissolve time it yields will depend on the overall transition length. Experiment.
* You can reverse the effect -
If anyone tries these effects before I get to it (and report my findings back here)
-
_______________________________________________
Technique 2 -
Saving a clip as bitmap files (using VirtualDub)....
* Start a new project in Studio
* Select and place the clip to be used for the effect on the time line, and trim
(don't make it longer than necessary -
* Make an avi file of the clip (ideally using the same codec as used for the original clip's capture).
* Save the avi file (with a suitable name, of course) in your 'usual' capture folder
* Close Studio, and open VirtualDub.
* Open the avi clip. (Note -
* When ready to save the avi as bitmaps, select File>Save Image Sequence, and choose
the name and destination for the bitmap files -
You will now have a set of bitmap files, suitably numbered in sequence, ready for the next stage of effect preparation. Effects are discussed below under separate headings. Remember that the avi file can be worked on (and saved) prior to making the bitmaps, to produce a variety of visual effects/colour/gamma/etc correction. Check out the Video>Filters option, for example (select the Add button to see the filter range available). Also bear in mind that you can also work on each bmp file to make adjustments, tedious though that may be!
Animated GIF files can also be turned into bitmaps, using a program such as the Animator that comes with Paint Shop Pro (which isn't free, unfortunately).
The advantage of using bitmaps from a gif file is that the background colour -
The disadvantage -
Some examples of how to use the bitmap files
Check the examples at the top of this page to get an idea how the effects look.
Cutaway inserts
This is where video sound from one clip continues over an inserted clip -
* In Edit Options, set the default graphic period to one frame.
* From the Titles album view, click on the filing cabinet icon and browse to the
folder where you saved your bitmaps -
* Highlight all the required bmp files (click on the first one, then 'SHIFT-
* With all the bmp picks highlighted, position them as required. Job done.
Picture in picture
This one takes a touch longer -
* In Edit options, set the default graphic period to one frame (unless you want a
slow-
* Double click on the overlay line to open TitleDeko
*Click on the picture icon, browse to the folder holding your BMP files, and select
the first one. It will be placed in the centre of the screen. Don't try to move it
-
* Here's a big time and effort saver -
Accept the TitleDeko image...
Tip Once the insert picture is positioned -
* Repeat the process by moving the Studio marker to a position on the overlay Title
line, right of the previous 'addition', and double clicking to open TitleDeko again.
Add the next BMP in the sequence as above, and continue till done.
* You will most likely find it necessary to drag each finished overlay insert along to butt up to the previous one. When finished, you can highlight them all and shift them en masse to the required position. Job done.
Variations to try... Want slow motion for the overlaid insert? Set the graphics default to 2 or 3 frames. Want the sequence to ruin backwards? Insert them in the reverse order. Easy huh?
Slow/Speeded/Reverse motion
If you've been following everything so far, you'll have worked these out for yourself.
Quite simply, for slow motion, set the Graphic default to two frames or three frames:
any more than three frames and the result can really start to jerk a bit. Work it
out -
For speeded up motion -
OK, reverse motion is now pretty obvious isn't it. Before the guy at the back of the class emails me to say no it's not, how do you do it...(you'll be horrified and amazed at some of the things that I get asked, like "How much does it cost?", "Where can I buy it?", "How do I make a movie?", "Why can't I get it to work?!) ...just drag the BMPs down in the reverse order.
NOTE: If you have a good sound editing program -
ANIMATED OVERLAYS
There are two ways to handle the bitmaps yielded from an animated gif. You can drop
them directly onto the Overlay Title line, in which case the pixel at the top left
corner becomes the transparent colour -
You can also, of course, add the BMPs to TitleDeko, and position them as discussed
for the Picture-
AND THERE'S MORE...
This has been just an 'appetite whetter'. I am sure that, with just a little imagination
you will be able to dream up other creative effects using the techniques described
here. For example, ever seen those sequences in the cinema where an action is frozen,
and turns into a black and white still picture of the scene/person -
You can use the Animation Shop 3 program that comes with Paint Shop Pro to create special animation effects for your movies...
Three typical examples from the extensive range of possibilities
-
Underwater wobbles
Colour changes
Rotating titles
Like many people, you will probably have a registered version of Paint Shop Pro in
your repertoire of software -
In this Newsletter I shall discuss the creation of one or two of the effects. That should be sufficient to whet your appetite and convince you that Animation Shop 3 is worth exploring further.
The Basic Animation techniques
Animation Shop 3 accepts virtually every type of still file you could want, plus
animated GIFs, FLI and AVI files etc, and will also save created animations in the
form that you want -
With Animation Shop 3, you can typically -
- ...create your own cartoon animation, using drawings etc created by yourself in Paint
Shop Pro, and save it as an AVI for inclusion in a Studio project -
or an HFX effect. Animation Shop 3 has an 'onion skin' feature, enabling you to overlay frames over each other for viewing, thus making it easier to create the 'movement' between frames. - ...create any of a number of animated visual effects to a still image, or a frame in a loaded avi file. Two examples of the many possibilities are show above.
- ...create a variety of animated title styles over a still image or a frame in a loaded avi file. An example of a rotating title over my web logo is shown above. Others include 'flare', and a very ef