Place keyframes and curves direct on timeline?

jdloudon wrote on 11/18/2013, 9:29 AM

I have just installed VPX5 and am a bit stumped. Used to be able to insert keyframes right on the timeline and then pull the handles up and down to fade clips in and out. I think there was a right click option. That seems to be gone. All I want to do is to be able to fade back and forth between two cameras.

Thanks

Comments

emmrecs wrote on 11/19/2013, 3:49 AM

Not sure I fully understand what you are asking - as far as I know it has never been possible to insert keyframes right on the timeline - but the handles for fading out a track and/or fading in a new one are still there!

OTOH if you are asking about the transparency handles that control the overall "video level" of a clip, they too are still there!

So, can you give us a lot more detail about exactly what you are trying to do and how you have been able to do this in earlier versions but cannot now.

Jeff

Last changed by emmrecs on 11/19/2013, 3:49 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

Win 10 Pro 64 bit, Intel i7 Quad Core 6700K @ 4GHz, 32 GB RAM, NVidia GTX 1660TI and Intel HD530 Graphics, MOTU 8-Pre f/w audio interface, VPX, MEP, Music Maker, PhotoStory Deluxe, Photo Manager Deluxe, Xara 3D Maker 7, Samplitude Pro X7 Suite, Reaper, Adobe Audition 3, CS6 and CC, 2 x Canon HG10 cameras, 1 x Canon EOS 600D, Akaso EK7000 Pro Action Cam

johnebaker wrote on 11/19/2013, 1:25 PM

Hi

. . . . Used to be able to insert keyframes right on the timeline and then pull the handles up and down to fade clips in and out. I think there was a right click option. . . .

I think you are referring to the Volume curve to which you can add nodes and pull them up/down to adjust the volume - as jeff says  they are still there (they are not keyframes). 

Right click the audio track and select Volume curve.  you can add nodes by double cicking the line that appears in the audio and drag them wherever you want to alter the volume.

HTH

John

 

Last changed by johnebaker on 11/19/2013, 1:25 PM, changed a total of 2 times.

VPX 16, Movie Studio 2025, and earlier versions 2015 and 2016, Music Maker Premium 2024.

PC - running Windows 11 23H2 Professional on Intel i7-8700K 3.2 GHz, 16GB RAM, RTX 2060 6GB 192-bit GDDR6, 1 x 1Tb Sabrent NVME SSD (OS and programs), 2 x 4TB (Data) internal HDD + 1TB internal SSD (Work disc), + 6 ext backup HDDs.

Laptop - Lenovo Legion 5i Phantom - running Windows 11 23H2 on Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB DDR4-SDRAM, 512GB SSD, 43.9 cm screen Full HD 1920 x 1080, Intel UHD 630 iGPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6)

Sony FDR-AX53e Video camera, DJI Osmo Action 3 and Sony HDR-AS30V Sports cams.

cpc000cpc wrote on 11/19/2013, 4:02 PM

Keyframes for most effects can be edited directly on the timeline if they have been first created (or at least started) in the usual effects window.

Note that some effects like image size/position have sub categories, eg height and width, with their own curves. If you have multiple effects the curves can be of different colors.

For a simple video fade in and out the handles are still there:

This from MEP 2014. The icons may be different in VPX.

Being picky... The 'Volume curve' is a set of keyframes. Below I adjusted the volume curve as outlined by John and then went to the effects window (color changed for emphasis):

I'd say the 'Volume curve' right click menu option is a very good Magix design choice. As this function is very often used it's handy to have an alternate entry, including a [Ctrl+Shift+V] shortcut key,  rather than than having to open the 'Audio effects' >> 'General' >> 'Volume' keyframe effects window. You can make adjustments with the volume slider, the keyframe diamond icons or directly on the timeline curve -- it's all integrated. Obviously the timeline mode has the benefit of seeing the audio track bumps to help place the changes

Regards,

Carl 

jdloudon wrote on 11/20/2013, 5:16 AM

Thanks very much John, Jeff and Carl - screenshots most appreciated. I think I may have gotten a bit confused as its been a while since I edited in VPX. As you say it is actually the same as it used to be. I thought that one could right click onthe track to display keyframes/nodes that could then be dragged up and down. This can be done onthe audio track, but not the video.

However, in Premiere/Premiere Elements this feature is there and you can put keyframes on any track which I think is a bit of a strange omission in Magix - it makes perfect sense and is very easy to do.

What I was trying to do - shot a performance on two cameras and wanted to dissolve betweem them, like you can do on a proper video mixer with a T-bar - just dissolve back and forth between tracks. This can be done to a certain extent with multicam mode, but here we are just cutting back and forth. How do we fade between scenes?

What I ended up doing was to put the main camera on track one and put the other for cutaways on three. I then found where I wanted to insert a part, and cut the section from track three and moved it up onto track two and used the end fade handles so that the clip would fade in on top of one. So track three became a source that I would turn on and off to grab bits off, and then of course turn it off entirely at the end. Seems to me (and maybe to you!) a rather clunky way of doing things though. I just want a fade handle!

I realise of course that as far as the program goes, a section must be taken from the source track and placed on destination for this to happen. So what would be neat is to have a fade option when cutting in multicam mode. Or maybe its there and I have missed it? Its quitre possible.

johnebaker wrote on 11/20/2013, 4:42 PM

Hi Carl

. . . . Being picky... The 'Volume curve' is a set of keyframes . . .

No you are not  being picky - I have never noticed the keyframes in the keyframe animation line before for the volume curve - probably because it is an option I use very little.

John

Last changed by johnebaker on 11/20/2013, 4:42 PM, changed a total of 1 times.

VPX 16, Movie Studio 2025, and earlier versions 2015 and 2016, Music Maker Premium 2024.

PC - running Windows 11 23H2 Professional on Intel i7-8700K 3.2 GHz, 16GB RAM, RTX 2060 6GB 192-bit GDDR6, 1 x 1Tb Sabrent NVME SSD (OS and programs), 2 x 4TB (Data) internal HDD + 1TB internal SSD (Work disc), + 6 ext backup HDDs.

Laptop - Lenovo Legion 5i Phantom - running Windows 11 23H2 on Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB DDR4-SDRAM, 512GB SSD, 43.9 cm screen Full HD 1920 x 1080, Intel UHD 630 iGPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6)

Sony FDR-AX53e Video camera, DJI Osmo Action 3 and Sony HDR-AS30V Sports cams.

cpc000cpc wrote on 11/21/2013, 2:42 AM

jdloudon,

Leaping to the defense...

You said "...you can put keyframes on any track" which is certainly also true for MEP and VPX. A set of keyframes is associated with an 'object' (video, still image, title, audio) which can be on any track.

Further, "...with multicam mode, but here we are just cutting back and forth. How do we fade between scenes?". I haven't used the multicam feature available on MEP  Plus/Premium, so there may be a special option rather than a manual method. A clip on the timeline can be extended out to its full original length by click dragging on the ends -- the cursor becomes a double vertical bar like ||. If you extend in two direction across the previous jump cut you will have a cross fade:

You might have to move objects to a clear track to make the adjustments and then return them. There is a option to right click on the [A|B] transition icon to pick a transition type, but it moves the right side clip rather than extending its duration.

And John, I'd not noticed the volume curve keyframes either till I started exploring this question!

Regards,

Carl

 

johnebaker wrote on 11/22/2013, 1:16 PM

Hi

. . . .What I ended up doing was to put the main camera on track one and put the other for cutaways on three. I then found where I wanted to insert a part, and cut the section from track three and moved it up onto track two and used the end fade handles so that the clip would fade in on top of one. So track three became a source that I would turn on and off to grab bits off, and then of course turn it off entirely at the end. Seems to me (and maybe to you!) a rather clunky way of doing things though. I just want a fade handle! . . .

This is my normal way of editting two videos together - I find this is quicker then the multi cam mode.  The only difference is I actually delete the sections from the second video that I do not need, leaving them on the track they are on. 

I remove or mute the audio for the second video if there is no talking and rely on the main video (track 1) to provide.

Having used Premiere and Premiere Elements I can say from experience that I find the 'video ducking' technique to be an absolute pain if you do not get it right first time.

With VPX and MEP if you get the cut slightly wrong you can move the start / end of the section as Carl says by dragging it.

John

Last changed by johnebaker on 11/22/2013, 1:16 PM, changed a total of 1 times.

VPX 16, Movie Studio 2025, and earlier versions 2015 and 2016, Music Maker Premium 2024.

PC - running Windows 11 23H2 Professional on Intel i7-8700K 3.2 GHz, 16GB RAM, RTX 2060 6GB 192-bit GDDR6, 1 x 1Tb Sabrent NVME SSD (OS and programs), 2 x 4TB (Data) internal HDD + 1TB internal SSD (Work disc), + 6 ext backup HDDs.

Laptop - Lenovo Legion 5i Phantom - running Windows 11 23H2 on Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB DDR4-SDRAM, 512GB SSD, 43.9 cm screen Full HD 1920 x 1080, Intel UHD 630 iGPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6)

Sony FDR-AX53e Video camera, DJI Osmo Action 3 and Sony HDR-AS30V Sports cams.