If the objects are below each other as in 2 in the image - it does not matter if they are several tracks apart then use the handles circled to change the fade in and out of the two objects.  For a crossfade they must positioned so the ends overlap as in the image for a fade through black then the ends 'butt' up to each other.

Play around with these settings and positioning of the objects so you get a good idea of what they do.

 

Won't the way you've done it for the fade at track 2 result in a partial fade to black at the middle of the transition? If I were doing something similar, I'd leave the clip on track 1 at full opacity, and just fade in the clip on track 2.over the top. Is that wrong?

Hi

Good point Gorf !

A partial fade to black does not happen on track 2  because the start of the fade -out coincides with the start of the fade-in and they finish their relevant action at the same point. if you were to drag the object on track 2 up on to track 1 without any sideways movement, you will find you have a straight crossfade as in the first to second object. 

However if the objects were 1 or more frames further apart there would be a slight drop in brightness to the point where there would be a fade to black type transition when the the two objects are effectively end to end.

You are correct in that you could leave the track 1 object at full brightness and fade up the track 2 object in the example I gave

and

If fading from track 2 to track 1 you could just fade out track 2 object, the track 1 object would have to start at the point of the fade out starting on track 2.

I normally do fades between two different objects on 2 different tracks as originally shown - the exception being when I fade an object on top of another to give Picture in Picture

Hope this makes sense

John

A partial fade to black does not happen on track 2  because the start of the fade -out coincides with the start of the fade-in and they finish their relevant action at the same point. if you were to drag the object on track 2 up on to track 1 without any sideways movement, you will find you have a straight crossfade as in the first to second object. 

However if the objects were 1 or more frames further apart there would be a slight drop in brightness to the point where there would be a fade to black type transition when the the two objects are effectively end to end.

Hi, John. I'm afraid you're mistaken about the fade being clean if the start and end points for the fades for the clips on tracks 1 and 2 coincide with the end and start points of the clips.

It's easy to illustrate: Put a white swatch on track 1 and another on track 2("Effects"/"Design elements"/"Color swatch") and offset the one on track 2 slightly to the right.

Drag the fade marker (or whatever it's called) at the end of the clip on track 1 to the left coincide with the start of the clip on track 2. Drag the fade marker at the start of the clip on track 1 to the right to coincide with the end of the clip on track 1.

If your argument above were correct, you'd simply see a white video because crossfading white to white yoields every shade of white in between... ;)

But it doesn't; you get a drop to 75% grey.

(I used white BMP files with a black boxes at opposite sides for reference, but the principle is the same.)

Hi Gorf

I stand corrected  - I have never noticed this as most of my fades are fairly quick - over 12 to 25 frames for a crossfade - so the slight dimming is not noticeable as in the example you have given.

Thanks for the correction    .  

Cheers

John