Picture in Picture ratio

Xenofex2 wrote on 1/24/2016, 4:06 PM

Putting together some family video and decided to use the kind of picture in picture technique with four videos appearing on screen at the same time. Whilst am quite pleased with the outcome I am aware that each time I attempt this, the images are not quite of equal size - similar actually to my DIY skills - and wondering, apart from trial and error, what others do to try and get a more professional and equal size finish?

Pretty sure it is 4: 3 ratio

According to Effects/Size & Position

Top Left Image Size says 342/274 & Position is 4/10

Top Right image Size says 381/305 & Position is 339/0

Bottom Left image Size says 360/288 & Position is 0/288

Bottom Right image Size says 364/291 & Position is 344/283

Not sure what that is actually telling me but just looking at the screen on playback one can see they are not equal.

George

Comments

browj2 wrote on 1/24/2016, 7:00 PM

Hi George,

Look at your screen size in the Project settings (shortcut E). That is what you work with.

0,0 is the upper left corner of your screen. Values increase as you go from the top left corner to the right (Left parameter) and down (Top parameter).

If your screen size is 720x480, then the middle top of the screen is half of 720 = 360, and the still at 0 for the top.

The middle left side of the screen is 0 left, half of 480 = 240.

The very middle of your screen is half of each size, so the coordinates are 360 Left, 240 Top.

From what I see, you are in PAL land and your setup is 720x576. In this case, the 4 coordinates are:

Upper left, stll 0,0 - Track 1

Upper middle, 360,0 - Track 2

Left middle, 0, 288 - Track 4

Middle of the screen, 360, 288 - Track 3

Your coordinates are 344, 283, so you are slightly off.

Adjust all of your images to the coordinates indicated and on the tracks indicated so that any that do not have the same proportions will be overtop at the joint. Resize you images to make sure that you have filled in everything.

Questions?

Xenofex2 wrote on 1/25/2016, 4:06 AM

John

Thought I had one of those eureka moments during the night but then when I actually looked at the dimensions this morning it was back to square one.

Amazing what you picked up from looking at the screen shot, and yes you were right in your screen information as I have found - your tip shortcut (E). Sorry to say but at first I also struggled to get my head round what you were saying. However I then decided to use another of my programs to see if that would help. (see attached).

It is the screen shot with the information you mentioned plus the actual relevant picture size and position transferred to the four squares one would see on the screen. Looking at this, now and re-reading what you have said I think it begins to make sense. If I look at the position of each sequence, am I right then in interpreting this information in saying that only the one bottom left is in the spot on right position? The other three sequences being marginally out? Then if I have got this right, in respect of Image Size, is it again the one in the bottom left that is of the right size?

Up to now I have not used EFFECTS/ SIZE & POSITION - always used the mouse and toggled it into what I thought was correct, but with my current project this is the first time that I have attempted four sequences showing at once. Have I sussed it now please?

George

johnebaker wrote on 1/25/2016, 4:39 AM

For 4:3 video in a 720 * 576 project of the same aspect ratio (AR) these are the settings for 4 videos also in 4:3 ratio - I do the settings in this order - the height setting is not adjusted as this will be changed automatically

Sreen location	Width	Left	Top	Screen area covered

Top left	360	0	0	0,0 to 359,287
Top right	360	360	0	360,0 to 720, 287
Bottom left	360	0	288	0,0 to 359,720
Bottom right	360	360	288	360,288 to 720,576

You image in your answer below is showing the settings are still off.

If the video or images are not the same AR as the project then things get a little more complicated - you have to use the Section effect to crop the video/images to the same AR as the project.

There is one possible downside to using this simple method - if the video is viewed on a TV, some of the image may be cropped due to TV cropping - the amount of which you have no control over and varies from TV make to make and sometimes model to model.

The best way to 'adjust' for this is when shooting the video or images is to make sure there is nothing of importance closer then 10% of the image size to the image border. I have seen one person actually use a small homemade mask on their camera screen to frame the shot with.

HTH

John EB

terrypin wrote on 1/25/2016, 5:07 AM

Hi George,

John EB has come back with more advice while I was working on mine, but you may still find this alternative approach below useful.

High res versions of those 5 graphics:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/PIP-Demo-01.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/PIP-Demo-02.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/PIP-Demo-03.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/PIP-Demo-04.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4019461/PIP-Result.jpg

Xenofex2 wrote on 1/25/2016, 4:26 PM

John / Terry,

I'd really like to thankyou both for your really helpful and informative advice.Must admit that I am not sure all of it has sunk in yet but something has as I have made adjustments to my edit and am really pleased as it definitely looks very much better. Would never have got there without your help, thankyou. Now to take time out and really digest all you both have said, thankyou once again.

George