Arthur-LW

You state: "The manual seems to be silent on this matter." but I find a search for "single frame' leads to:

Single frame as BMP
Exports the image at the position of the start marker and displayed on the video
screen as a BMP file.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + B

Single frame as JPG
Exports the picture located at the current start marker and displayed in the video
monitor as a JPG file.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + J

This is from the PDF manual for a version newer than MEP18, but the option has been around unchanged IIRC since MEP10 at least, Note you can set the resolution which should be at least as good s your final output; maybe not the default.

Regards,

Carl

"You state: "The manual seems to be silent on this matter." but I find a search for "single frame' leads to:..."

It most certainly does.  Thanks guys.  You may have noticed that I said "seems".  I've learned to be careful of making absolute statements around 'puters.  LOL

My error was in using "save frame" in my search instead of "single frame", which gave me something totally different (and non-germane).  The other half of my question I was able to answer myself.  I fouind where I could use a different graphic in the menu area of the burn section.

But, here's a new potential problem:  When I did the Ctrl+Alt+J thing it popped up a Single image exoirt box that gave me the following warning when I attempted to export the graphic:

!  Note:  The export settings differ from the movie settings.  Objects may be positioned incorrectly in your movie or may be played with black stripes or wobble...etc.

Then it asks me if I want to customize the movie.

Two questions:  First, the movie's Object properties show 1920x1080 @16:9, and the Single image export box shows User defined, and my jpg image to be 1920x1080 @16:9.  What is the supposed difference??

Second,  I'm taking away an image, not inserting one.  How is the movie going to be affected, and why should I have to do any customizing of it?

As to the JPG's, I advice you to experiment. Try with and without customizing. And see what happens. It is by experimenting we all learn.  Remember that this is a non-destructive program, the original videofiles (and photos) will never be affected in any way.

Regards A

As to the JPG's, I advice you to experiment. Try with and without customizing. And see what happens. It is by experimenting we all learn.  Remember that this is a non-destructive program, the original videofiles (and photos) will never be affected in any way.

Regards A

That's just the trouble.  It wants to mess with the movie, not the jpg - which makes no sense.  There is an option to not be bothered by the notice any more.  I can check that box, but I thought if the developers saw this they might want to correct what this thing is trying to do, or just delete it as a goof maybe?  Just trying to be a good user and point out things, is all.

Anyway, when I saved the frame from part one and then inserted it back into the menu of part two, the graphic looked exactly the same in both cases, so let's just call it a successful conclusion. 

I appreciate the help, all.

Arthur

Hi Arthur

You have raised an interesting point about that warning when you export and it would be good to get a definitive explanation from Magix about the implications.

I have been trying to work it out and the main thing is that it's there to warn you that if the project is at a certain resolution say 1920x1080 and you then export to a lower resolution say 720x576, the scaling will introduce artifacts like Aliasing (Wobble).  "Stripes" may mean perhaps letter or pillar boxing if you are going from 16x9 to a 4x3 aspect ratio at export.

Titles are a case in point as it appears that the title editor, that works in pixels for the width of outlines for instance, will give a different look when exported to a lower res because 1 pixel is a bigger proportion of 720 pixels across the width of the screen than 1 pixel in 1920. The outline will look thicker when exported and even the text formatting may change. It is warning you to change the "Movie Settings" to match your export format and then see how things look in the preview monitor. You can see what they mean using the text outline example by just changing the preview window from Full res to Half res.

You can see a bit more discussion here - http://www.magix.info/us/dvd-size-relative-to-mp4.forum.981010.html

I can not explain why in your case you are seeing the message though as your res is not changing. It may be that your project is interlaced but the Title Bitmap will be created progressive, or something.

Cheers

Ss

Thanks, Scene.  Thanks very much.

I'm not going to pretend that I have been a happy camper here with Magix.  The software has been downright infuriating at times.  If I were an insider I would have listened to me and gone through the manual page by page  and seen if it's true that one can do what it says the software is supposed to do.

I have never seen something so complicated, so convoluted, so seemingly capable of doing so many things, and so secretive about how to get it to do same.  It's downright mindboggling.  So much so that in an attempt to not be just stupid I went and bought a thick loose leaf binder, three sets of dividers I could name the tabs thereof, a hole punch, and printed out the entire manual, page by page, some 400+ pages.

Believe me.  Though I have tried, any time I have to click on anything I get downright glassy-eyed with the choices, the arcane terminology, my inability to decipher the terms employed.  I get the feeling that if I were in Hollywood I would understand Magix.  I hear they have software there that costs thousands that does what Magix does for home use.  Sorta.  Or at least is intended to do.

But, on the other hand - and with a lot of hand holding from folks like John Baker, I have come to admire the things that I have learned that Magix can do.  It might get temperamental, separate the video from the audio track for no apparent reason (you have to watch it like a hawk), require a repair install on a semi-regular basis, and make you hold your mouth just right when you click the mouse!  LOL

Look, I said all the above to say that in the end, I am happy I have Magix.  I know of nothing else that can do what I need it to do, managing modern high-definition programming, and saving it :  I want to "tape" programs like I used to do with a VCR onto VHS tape, but onto DVDs instead, and as an added  modern refinement, edit out the commercials and save the programming to my home library.

When I write a comment or question now, it is in the interest of someone who may be pee-oed, (but not so much any more)  but who has a genuine interest in seeing the folks behind the scenes getting off their butts and showing us users out here some genuine German efficiency and pride in ownership.

Magix can handle hi-def M2TS, can deal with 5.1 audio, and can deliver an image I can save onto DVD or Blu-ray disc using Nero  (which btw has been relegated to nothing more than a burning tool by its developers who tried in vain to get up to speed in the HD world).

I'm thankful I have Magix now.  It hasn't been a seamless courtship, and the marriage isn't without its quarrels here and there - so to speak (and which you folks seldom are party to). 

Still, I would be lost without it.

Hi Arthur

I think we all can identify with some of what you say but I certainly would be lost without the extensive feature set of MEP, at it's affordable price. Yes it is complicated but of course that is to do with the fact it is so powerful. The manual should probably be 800+ pages because while it answers a lot of the questions that are raised on this forum it still falls short.

 I think magix are relying perhaps more and more on the prompts or tool tips that pop up and these are very helpful (and probably easier to modify with each new version) but some of them need more explanation in the manual, as we have found with the one you encountered. Sort of like "when you see this..... it is referring to this...." in some sort of tabulated appendix.

One of the manuals biggest downfalls (in English anyway) is that, as you have found, the terms or names of buttons do not even match what is written in the software GUI. Magix need to pay someone with a native tongue who is conversant enough with the program, to sit down and find the annomalies which can then be discussed with the program/manual writers.

FWIW I have never had the audio disconnect from the video inexplicably nor have I had to do a repair install, ever, across 7 versions of the program on 3 different computers - nor have I seen that many people on this forum cure problems by doing so - and my computers are usually loaded with other crap or hardly a clean install. 

Keep plugging away! It is all in there somewhere and in a funny way MEP's mystery becomes rewarding when you unlock a new secret - Lol.

BTW why are you using Nero to burn the DVD as opposed to the magix authoring?

Best

Peter

Hi Arthur

BTW why are you using Nero to burn the DVD as opposed to the magix authoring?

Best

Peter

I use Nero, Peter.  About all it's good for any more.  The first time Magix created a BD coaster I went back to it (Nero) in an attempt to find a replacement for Magix.  Boy did I ever get a wrong number!!  LOL 

Back when I used to capture SD stuff off the TV in mpg2 Nero7 could do my menus for me after I had done my editing with MPEG Video Wizard DVD.  This combination used to do me fine, but they didn't stay relevant with the modern M2TS format, so I found Magix thinking I could replace both with one tool.. 

I alsays check my data, whether Magix or Nero burning.  Magix went through all its rigamarole, burned the disc, then shot out a failure to successfully check data on the disc error message.  So, I bought the latest version of Nero11, thinking since it had worked for me in the past and I was used to it, I might be able to replace Magix with its new version.  WRONG!  LOL

Nero has never failed to successfully burn a disc for me these days, whether DVD or Blu-ray.  If I ever get a failure to successfully check data error message I can be sure it's my burner hardware going bad.  Troiuble is noiwadays Nero is (at least for me) nothing but a burning tool any more.

As to why I have problems you seem to have escaped I can only guess.  I'm running Win7 x64, am using a RAID 10 setup, Intel Core i5-750 and a modern PSU that is 850w Gold.  Lots of security, but none seems to be getting in the way of everyday computing.  Software conflicts could be a possibility I suppose, and there used to be some, to be sure.  I've tried to do it all with this computer I'm on now, but Magix balked up a storm.  Now I've got my backup system back in full use.  It's connected to the Hauppauge HD DVR capture device, and has the viewing software that came with it.  The Magix system only has WMP viewer and nothing else.

I dunno.  Maybe it's the RAID. Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite used to give me fits.  I went around and around with their tech support, and after much back and forth, they finally admitted to me that the program didn't support RAID.  (HUH??!)  Just guessing now. 

Anyway, I have to watch Magix so it won't disconnect the video timeline from the audio when I do whatever (can't remember the instances). I'm frequently using Ctrl to highlight the audio to get it back into yellow and then clicking on the chain link thingy.  Then sometimes it will report successfully burning an image to hard drive and when I X it out it asks if I want to save the project, even though I made sure to save again when I got done with the menu changes in the Burning tab.  Other times it will close out without a peep.  Funny.  heh heh.  But that's why I don't trust it to complete the image burn and shut down the system.  I do that manually after verifying all is well.

Then another annoyance that comes to mind is when I have trimmed away a commercial and closed things up and tested things, Magix somehow remembers what was trimmed away and displays a few frames of what is deleted, even though when I go back frame by frame the part I just saw the ghost thereof doesn't show any more. Now I usually back off four or five frames from where I want to put the cut marker just so Magis won't pick up something that is supposed to be gone.

I watch my processor's use stats while Magix is rendering video into an image and it stays under 80% usage, so it's not like I can suspect proc overload.  (I use Core Temp 0.99.8 running in the tray.)  I can even go check my email or play Spider Solitare while Magix is burning an image to hard drive and will still show a successful completion.  Dunno.  For me anyway, Magix is just tempermental.  LOL

Anyway, thanks for your understanding and replies.  Glad to know that at least I'm not the only one who has suffered, but not happy either.  Still, I've endurd this brutal learning curve and came out of it with just a sore throat from all the cursing.      LOL

Now I wouldn't be without it.