Object duration: differing displays

terrypin wrote on 5/22/2013, 2:50 AM

I've only just noticed that an object's duration as shown in the Size/Position dialog is rounded to the nearest second. Any obvious reason why it can't show frames or ms too, like the Properties window?

Or for readable quality: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/MEP-ObjectLength-1.jpg

Edit: Also, I've discovered that if you click in the duration box, it changes from say 6s to the more accurate time of 5.8, close to the 5.840 shown in Properties.

There's no shortage of space to show the full precision, making the two displays identical!

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 5/22/2013, 4:06 PM

Hi Terry

It is reproducable - looks like a minor display bug to me.

John

terrypin wrote on 5/22/2013, 4:16 PM

Thanks for checking both of those, John.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Scenestealer wrote on 5/22/2013, 5:46 PM

Hi Terry

Thanks for the tip about clicking to show the decimal - quite useful. I use that reference a lot because I use the old 3 second rule for a lot of my scenic shots (any more is boring!) and the difference between 3sec and 2 secs is a lot.

Not so useful perhaps is that on a long object it still shows seconds.

I wonder what it means when you click on the wee clock symbol and it says "AVI: User defined.

What would be useful in future editions would be a time indication actually on the clip near the cut and a marker at the cut to indicate that there was, or was not, more material beyond the cut.

Peter

johnebaker wrote on 5/23/2013, 2:19 AM

Hi Peter

Slightly OT

. . . . I use the old 3 second rule for a lot of my scenic shots . . .

Is that 3 seconds full on screen not including transitions?

. . . . when you click on the wee clock symbol . . . .

I also wondered what that does - there is no mention of it in Help or the manual.

John

Scenestealer wrote on 5/23/2013, 5:54 AM

Yes John, that's 3 secs plus the transition time. Maybe a little less depending on the length and type of transition

Peter

terrypin wrote on 5/24/2013, 3:26 AM

Peter, John:

Hi Terry

Thanks for the tip about clicking to show the decimal - quite useful.

I've now written myself a handy little macro as a second best work around. On activation by a hotkey combination it displays the filename (which, as metioned earlier, in my case always includes the date/time) and the duration:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/MEP-ObjectName.jpg

Ideally I'd like to have shown duration to 3 dp precision (and in s plus frames format). But unlike the clicked KF box, which gives 1 dp, I cannot access the Properties duration. It's not even accessible via OCR methods.

The advantage of this over simply using Ctrl+E to show the Properties window is admittedly arguable, but I find that hard to read at a glance.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

terrypin wrote on 5/24/2013, 3:32 AM

Yes John, that's 3 secs plus the transition time. Maybe a little less depending on the length and type of transition

Peter, John:

When I want to keep the scenic views short I use one of several 4-object collages I made for the purpose, like this one:

That example averages 2.5 s per image, but is of course adjustable.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Scenestealer wrote on 5/24/2013, 5:47 AM

Ha......yes Terry, I use a multi PinP / collage effect like that too......a nice way of getting those shots in which you just can't bear to throw away, but know that on their own they will bog the thing down!

Peter

johnebaker wrote on 5/24/2013, 3:42 PM

Hi Terry

I too use PiP as Peter does - however for speed and to get through alot of images relatively quickly I have also rolled my own based on:-

- the Time Ticks question we discussed a long while ago - cannot remember who started this one.

- a Carousel effect which was available on Andre Sasiuks web site - 4 or 5 images circle in clockwise and as each approaches the top again they disappear and a new image appears at the top and circles clockwise.

- a video version of a jAlbum display with six small images down the right side of the screen. The top image moves and zooms to the left and centre, the remaining five images move up and a new small image appears at the bottom.

HTH to give you some different ideas.

John