Four Movies on Screen - but help reqd with Positioning

Xenofex2 wrote on 12/15/2022, 1:33 PM

Solved, although would appreciate advice as to whether there is another way.

I must admit that it helped me to write out the various Size & Positions of each Video in the first place. It was by keep looking at this that I had another hallelujah moment. In case anyone else has a similar issue, then it is either + or - 480 and either + or - 270 depending which side of the middle each video is. I typed in the numbers into the respective boxes. .

George

CubeAce wrote on 12/15/2022, 3:38 PM

Hi George.

If you have the New Blue Elements Picture grid plugin it can be automated for you and is quick and easy to use.

Ray.

Xenofex2 wrote on 12/15/2022, 4:24 PM

Yes I do have that plugin. Thankyou Ray. I've made a note of that.

George.

CubeAce wrote on 12/15/2022, 6:13 PM

@Xenofex2

Hi George.

It is much more versatile than I have shown above and can be used for very creative layouts. It also doesn't seem to be that processing hungry.

Ray.

browj2 wrote on 12/15/2022, 9:07 PM

@Xenofex2

Hi George,

Under Templates in the Media Pool, Design Elements, Picture-in-Picture, you have templates. The set of 4/1 will give you the four quadrants at half size, which is what you are looking for.

Unfortunately, you don't have MS2023 in which Magix added some buttons that make it easy to put images to any corner, or centred edge, top/bottom, or just recentred.

John CB

AAProds wrote on 12/15/2022, 10:48 PM

@browj2

John, I think he does: he certainly has the new SPR effect. I can see that hated red circle! 😃

Xenofex2 wrote on 12/16/2022, 4:10 AM

John

Thankyou. I thought there may be a simpler way. I have just checked it out and have found Design Elements. Brilliant.

Although I would really put myself in the occasional and hobbyist user of MEP bracket, in past years I have, I think most years, automatically upgraded. However, by regularly checking Forum postings, I have become to realise that my desktop PC is now not powerful enough to upgrade. But then my current version does what I need, so at the moment no problems.

Also, a few years back I started to use the ‘Evernote’ program, and it is now my ‘go to’ place for those reminders in ‘how did I do that again ….’ queries. Your ‘Design Elements’ suggestion has now been added.

Many Thanks

George

AAProds wrote on 12/16/2022, 4:46 AM

@Xenofex2

However, by regularly checking Forum postings, I have become to realise that my desktop PC is now not powerful enough to upgrade.

An urban myth. If, and only if you have also "upgraded" your video eg from SD (720x576) to HD (1920x1080) or higher (UHD/4k), then you'll need a more powerful machine. The latest version of MEP/MMS runs quite happily on machines that are 10 years old provided you don't use lots of the whizz-bang special effects and higher resolution video. And if you're only using 1920x1080, you can happily use Proxy files.

That said, unless you specially like the new rotation feature, v2022/2023 I can't see much point in upgrading. I certainly use MEP 2021 in preference because it has less bugs in relation to AVI handling.

Xenofex2 wrote on 12/16/2022, 5:21 AM

Yes, I am happy with MEP so will not be upgrading.

As Ray has highlighted to me in a previous posting, I need to have a look at what 'extras' I actually have. So on my News Years Resolution list is to checkout that New Blue Elements plugin.

George

browj2 wrote on 12/16/2022, 5:29 AM

@AAProds

Hi Al,

I agree with what you say, but, unfortunately, George has MEP2022 which contains a raft of bugs and missing features, mostly about Size/Position/Rotation, that were corrected with the release of 2023 and since. He would be better off with 2023, I believe.

Those button boxes make a huge difference in usability, as I showed in the SPR tutorial. The next part (Rotation and Anchor Point) is almost ready to be issued.

John CB

AAProds wrote on 12/16/2022, 6:03 AM

@browj2 @Xenofex2

MEP2022 which contains a raft of bugs and missing features, mostly about Size/Position/Rotation, that were corrected with the release of 2023 and since. He would be better off with 2023, I believe.

John, Rojer, I wasn't aware of that; I don't think I saw 2022.

George, as John suggests, 2023 has those arrow buttons which do greatly improve the funcationality of the new Size/Pos/Rotation system. I got an email only today offering an upgrade to MMS 2023 for cheap so that would be worth doing in your case. Performance-wise, 2023 is precisely the same as 2021 and earlier, except that if you do have a decent graphics card or iGPU in your CPU, you'll benefit.

CubeAce wrote on 12/16/2022, 11:04 AM

@AAProds @browj2 @Xenofex2

Hi Al, John.

This is just my personal take on things.

I get on with MEP 2022 just fine. Even with the size position rotation effect. I did upgrade to VPX 14 which on the whole should run smoother than MEP 2022 or MS 2023 but it doesn't, At least not on my system. Proxy files do nothing to ease any problems with playback. I have lost the ability to import aac audio or export to 5.1 surround sound. I was previously using VPX 12 and importing aac audio files was never available in MEP so not really relevant. I have had to increase my audio buffer settings delaying playback controls. The experience has on the whole made me very wary of upgrading to MS 2023 and apart from that Size, Position, Rotation effect being sorted there is little difference between MEP 2022 and the Movie Studio 2023 programs to entice me as I already have all the plugins that have been offered so far. Each progressive upgrade has left my machine that little less capable than it was prior. I'll admit the last few Windows updates have improved things a bit but I'm still wary.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 12/16/2022, 12:35 PM

@Xenofex2, @CubeAce

Hi George, Ray

. . . . New Blue Elements Picture grid plugin it can be automated for you and is quick and easy to use. . . .

Personally I would only call it easy to use when wanting a 'standard' eg 2x2 or 4x4 grid arrangement, anything more complicated, it is not the easiest of programs to understand the grid sizings to get what you want.

It also has some gotchas up its sleeve if you try to animate the grid.

John EB

CubeAce wrote on 12/16/2022, 2:03 PM

@johnebaker

Hi John.

My video above was done almost exclusively using the New Blue Elements Picture grid plugin multiple times. Personally I found it intuitive and easy to figure out. Especially if I needed to produce similar sized images with boarders on different tracks to interact with each other. The main advantage was not having to worry about which track held what image or video.

What surprised me most was how many instances I could use and still get reliable and smooth playback. Admittedly the project had to reside on an SSD but I think that was down to how many images had to be read at the same time.

Most importantly it was easy to make changes as needed.

Ray.

browj2 wrote on 12/16/2022, 9:31 PM

@CubeAce

Hi Ray,

You're going to scare everyone away. Look at all of those lines! Just missing node numbers and descriptions and you'll have Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects on steroids.

John CB

AAProds wrote on 12/16/2022, 9:57 PM

@browj2 @CubeAce

You're going to scare everyone away. Look at all of those lines!

Far out! I'm going to have to sit down for a while after seeing Ray's PIP timeline! 😂

johnebaker wrote on 12/17/2022, 2:50 AM

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

. . . . .My video above was done almost exclusively using the New Blue Elements Picture grid plugin multiple times. . . . .

From the image above it looks like you are using the Picture Grid to place elements one by one - try using it to create a picture grid as shown in the mockup below

Then animate it

Using SPR is much easier.

JohnEB

Xenofex2 wrote on 12/17/2022, 5:33 AM

Although compared to you guys I have to admit that although I have used MEP for some years now, I am really still a complete beginner with regard to it’s usage and as such have been following the subsequent postings with a great deal of interest.

As someone whose working life was spent mainly in administration and managerial roles, I was actually intrigued by Ray’s PIP Timeline. (I suppose it’s the administration in me coming out.) I think I would actually like to get it framed and placed above my computer.

My MEP extras and plugins are all installed (I think) but I am not sure I have ever checked to see what each can do, so this example with all it’s lines was a complete eye-opener for which I, for one, really appreciated.

But then the admin in me also wonders as to when you proceed, with in this example it seems at least twenty layers, what system does anyone have to know what is where. Sorry, but I seem to often spend more time in devising a Control Form or Template than actually doing the work. But then I like forms and systems.

George

CubeAce wrote on 12/17/2022, 7:41 AM

@browj2 @AAProds @johnebaker @Xenofex2

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

I have said repeatedly over many topics that my workflow and methods vary. I like to experiment.

Hi John.

If I only use SPR how do I create the boarders or even colour co-ordinate them? Or has the shadow border problem been resolved in the current program? If I have two images next to each other with say a blue sky they can without the aid of boarders look as if they are one image. Na,sorry but I'll pass on that one. Not to say I wouldn't do it for another reason as I have in the past.

I try to add as few tracks as possible. Some images overlap where they start and stop and if I can't fit them within the tracks already in use is when I add additional tracks. So it looks messy but keeps everything visible as much as possible within the tracks in the timeline in this instance. It is easy to find which object is used where by simply expanding the view on the timeline.

Then scroll down.

In case anyone hasn't noticed by now I also enjoy a bit of controversy as it aids thinking and discussion.😉

Hi George.

Even I haven't tried out all the effects yet 😅 and sometimes even forget ones I have used in the past or have difficulty finding them again or how I used them. I tend not to repeat what I've done before editing wise.

Ray.