Is there a way for MEP17 to automatically create a solid color background? MEP17 seems to have some great advanced features, but really lacking in some very simple stuff.
I created my own, but I do not think this is a feature missing from the software. What I did was open a new file in Windows Paint, I edited the attributes to a full screen size for HD, since that is what I work with the most and I then created about 10 different colored background, saving each to a folder for backgrounds. This way, I can access it from the Movie Edit Pro Media Pool.
Five minutes gave me 10 backgrounds
Thanks, John , but that's just added work. I have to stop whatever I'm doing , open another app, create the correct resolution, color it, save it, close that app and then add the file to MEP. By that time, I've probably forgotten what I wanted it for. LOL MEP17 isn't the only video editor that I own and I've used many others besides those. Some have a way of creating a quick solid background without using other software. One that I use more often even has preset gradients. I only bought MEP17 for the 3D stuff, but it probably won't be my main editor. It's just missing too much of the simple stuff that other editors have.
Ah, well I guess I can see where that having the software do the background would be a good thing, but once I have my backgrounds created, I save them to a folder that is accessible by all the editors (photo & video) so it's is more then just one program benefiting from the time. That is something to put in the suggestion box.
What other editors do you use? I was messing with the Vegas editor, but that was pretty clunky to me, especially for that proud price.
I also own Roxio Creator 2011, Sony Vegas Studio 10 Platnium and Serif Movie Plus 13. Sony and Serif are very much alike so if you didn't like the Sony interface, you probably wouldn't like Serif. However, both are customizeable if you want to move the boxes around. Roxio is aimed at inexperienced users and has a more simple interface.
One thing thing that can confuse me switching apps is Overlays or layers. MEP and Roxio have the background as the UPPER most track. Sony and Serif use the LOWEST track as background which really makes more sense to me. More like an image editor. Anything ON TOP would be visible. with MEP and Roxio it anything ON BOTTOM is visiable.
MEP17 claims to be 'fast', but I find it still slower than Serif espeically when rendering to plain, every day MPEG 2. MEP's smart render is slower than Serif's full render!
Sony DVD Architect and Roxio MyDVD can burn any project type to folder. I use Roxio for quick simple menu projects. I use Sony for my complex projects.
I come from an audio world. I have used a product now owned by MAGIX called Samplitude for nearly a decade now. Tracks are laid out the same in Samplitude as they are in Movie Edit Pro.
I guess now it is hard for me to imagine tracks laid out any other way than they are for Movie Edit Pro, it just makes more since that the first thing you load on a lowered numbered is going to be behind anything you load in to a higher numbered track. Just like the floors of a building; each higher number is above and on top of the lower number. I can see where this switching would be a bit frustrating... if not a ticket to the funny farm.
Not having used the Serif program, I couldn't say much for rendering. I am ok with the render speed of the Movie Edit Pro, by the time I am rendering; I am ready to step away from the computer anyway so it's all good. But for professional editing, I could see where the "time is money" adage comes in to play. I wonder if the MAGIX Video Pro X 2 has a faster render process, this I will have to check.
I miss the CD Architect... I used to use the original from Sonic Foundry, which dates me for sure. Good, software, lousy interface... but it worked, very well.
Numbering still works the same in Sony and Serif. Just the lower numbers on the bottom. LOL
MEP:
1
2
3
4
Sony and Serif
4
3
2
1
Right brain/left brain? LOL
I guess now it is hard for me to imagine tracks laid out any other way than they are for Movie Edit Pro, it just makes more since that the first thing you load on a lowered numbered is going to be behind anything you load in to a higher numbered track.