Looking for tips for MS 2025

ron-griswold wrote on 12/21/2024, 10:09 AM

I'm kinda new to the MS family though i go back to 2023 and before . i have had difficulties trying to learn the different layout of MS vs. pinnacle. i have given up trying several times because i'm having a hard time adjusting to different menu's and way MS does things but after the last major disappointment i went through with pinnacle i decided i need to double down and learn MS. All that being said i would like to use this post to help newbies like myself make MS as easy as possible to use. The biggest thing for me is the tool bar. second is understanding mouse modes a little better. i have downloaded all the MS videos i can find. however i find them very Vaugh so here we go. Can i modify the tool bar ? and can we have a discussion on mouse modes? thanks for all the help you guys offer . RG

Comments

browj2 wrote on 12/21/2024, 11:23 AM

@ron-griswold

Hi Ron,

Good topic!

Please look at this topic and review the linked tutorials starting with Getting Started - Part 3, then Basic Editing Parts 1 and 2. I'll put the links to these 3 in YouTube below .

I am planning to update these using a more recent version (2025) and I would appreciate some feedback as to what I could do better. Could you please take notes and give me comments?

Can i modify the tool bar?

No. Most everything that you need for editing is there. It would be nice to be able to add to the toolbar. However, you'll find that right-click almost anywhere gives you a context-related menu with much more than the buttons. When you hold the mouse over a button, you'll get a hint.

There are also many shortcuts and you can open the list under File, Settings, Keyboard shortcuts. You can modify most of them and add your own for many of the commands.

So, you have about 4 ways to find or do many things - buttons, right-click menu, top menu and shortcuts.

If you do a lot of editing, you may want to consider purchasing a Contour ShuttlePRO V2 for which you can program the buttons, and use the jog wheel and spring-loaded shuttle dial. For Video Pro X (and MMS) I have 5 banks of buttons depending on what I am doing - basic moving around, import, editing, keyframing, audio. I try to avoid duplicating buttons on the ShuttlePro for buttons that are on the editor, except for Playback.

On the timeline toolbar, there are icons with 3 dots below them. Right-click to see the choices. Whichever one you select will become the active button - replacing the default button until changed, so watch out for this.

MOUSE MODES - You'll see this in my referenced tutorials

The mouse modes are simple. There are 3 - single object (6), for a single track (8) and for all tracks (7). Whichever one is blue is the active mode. Also, for the latter two, look carefully at the cursor and you'll see that there is a rectangle added beside the arrow, small for (8) and large for (7).

So, for single track, click on the button (8) then select the first object on a track that you want move. Everything to its right will be selected when you click and hold the left mouse button down on the object. Then drag and everything to the right comes with it.

For all track mode, select the first object that you want move, on any track, and everything that starts even with the start of that object, plus everything to its right, plus on any tracks, above and below, will be highlighted and move when you move the first object.

Make sure to click back onto single mouse mode (6) when done.

Put objects on various tracks and practice using the different mouse modes.

Getting started part 3:

Basic Editing Part 1:

Basic Editing Part 2:

John CB

ron-griswold wrote on 12/21/2024, 3:16 PM

Brow, i beat you to it lol. i did subscribe to your YT page a few days ago . i use 4K downloader to download video's from the net that i want to use later for reference. i have complied a bunch from Magix YT site already but like i said they are very Vague . I'm looking forward to watching them sooner than later. another thing that i'm not dealing with well is when i hit the pause button the scrubber goes back to the beginning of the time line. many times i wanted to leave off at a certain spot on the time line and it jumps back to the start. Does any of your videos discuss how to change that?

johnebaker wrote on 12/21/2024, 4:28 PM

@ron-griswold

Hi Ron

. . . . i hit the pause button the scrubber goes back to the beginning of the time line. many times i wanted to leave off at a certain spot on the time line and it jumps back to the start. Does any of your videos discuss how to change that? . . . .

If you use the forum search feature - click your avatar top right of any page, Search, you will often find the answer to issues/how to's quicker.

In this case the issue you are having covered many times, the answer is turn on the option Spacebar stops at current playback position in the Program settings, Playback tab.

. . . the scrubber . . .

The correct term for this is Cursor, the term 'Scrubber' is a shortcut name for the Jog/Shuttle of which MMS has 2 types, the wheel and slider. In both options when released the cursor stops at its current position - see image below.

HTH

John EB

Reyfox wrote on 12/23/2024, 11:59 AM

@ron-griswold there will always be a learning curve with any new software that you use. Being a Pinnacle beta tester for 13 years, there will be some differences between Pinnacle and Magix Movie Studio. it is finding where things now are and how they work differently than what you are used to. But, MMS isn't that difficult and has almost the same features as Pinnacle. There is a lot under the hood of MMS, and you will enjoy editing with it. And, there is an "upgrade" to Video Pro X if you need more control and editing features.

Plenty of excellent help here too!