@Bob-Schlesinger  Hi, can you fill in your Signature with your PC specs & program details, click your icon at the top My Profile, this helps people help you

Also screen shots help, if you click Start - Windows Accessories - Snipping Tool, this will let you take a snapshot of the full screen or a selected area,

It's all in this link posted at the top 👍 https://www.magix.info/us/forum/please-do-the-following-before-posting-your-question--621831/

@Bob-Schlesinger

Hi Bob, and welcome to the user to user forums..

I think you need to use both effects.

First crop the image to the desired size using the crop tool and then use the Zoom / Position tool to expand the result to fill the screen.

Ray.

@CubeAce

First crop the image to the desired size using the crop tool and then use the Zoom / Position tool to expand the result to fill the screen.

Ray, that is not necessary. "Full screen" will fill the screen after a Section crop (well, it is supposed to, and it does here).

Camera/Zoom shot, by definition, does not need expanding.

@Bob-Schlesinger

I can say that both work OK here for MPEG 4 export but I am using MEP 2021 on Windows 10. When you're moving between objects, make sure that you click on the object and also put the Play Marker over it so that you get a proper representation of the Section or Camera/Zoom Shot effect. The two effects are very good, I find, so I think there is a gotcha here somewhere. Perhaps it is MEP 16 on Windows 10.

The telling point though is that it works for MPEG 2.

Try a reset to defaults: File>Settings>Reset Program Settings to Defaults. Be aware that this will remove your folder shortcuts (if you're into it, you can copy the shortcut details out of the Videodeluxe.ini file in Users/appdata/roaming/Magix/VideodeluxeXXpremium/Videodeluxe.ini).

@AAProds

Hi Al.

Thanks for the info. I tend to do all my image editing before it's imported so tend to stick to using the size position where needed.

Ray.

I do not see a crop tool in version 16. Is this the case? Looking at documentation I think the only way to crop is to use either the section or zoom effects. As I mentioned Section does not work properly with any export - the picture is additionally cropped vertically when exporting. Zoom does not work with mp4, which is the file type I always want. Here are some screen shots using the Section effect:

@Bob-Schlesinger

Hi

. . . .  Movie Edit Pro Plus Version 16.0.1.22 . . . .

The is Movie Edit Pro 2017.

. . . . I crop using the section effect, it plays fine in preview but only a smaller portion of the cropped video is actually exported. I have tried checking the "Full Screen" box but it doesn't seem to work. I have 3 objects and if I move from one to the other, and then move back, the "Full Screen" box is no longer checked. . . .

If after you set the section to one clip, and then clicked on the next to do the same or another effect, the Section is not applied to the previous clip - once you have set the section as required you must deselect that clip first before selecting the next, the effect is then applied and you should see the section full screen and it stays full screen.

. . . . I also tried using Camera/Zoom to crop . . . .

This is a different effect the result of which is the video /image, it is applied to, will start full screen and zoom in to the 'section' you created in this effect or the reverse ie zoom out depending on the zoom option which was selected.

. . . . It then acts like a 360 degree effect even though that was never selected. This does not happen when exporting to mp2 . . . .

That and the display you are showing during the export may be another issue if you get in one video format to export correctly and not in the other.

Your computer specs are needed - see this topic for details of what is required.

Does the clip have both the Section and Camera zoom effect applied, the header of the video clip on the timeline will tell you.

. . . . I do not see a crop tool in version 16 . . . .

The Section effect does not have a 'crop tool', once the effect is selected, use the eight handles to reduce the frame displayed in the monitor and move it to the desired position or drag a marquee ie a dotted line frame, for the section you require and then deselect the video clip.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

When using the zoom effect it is even more bizarre. There does not seem to be any way to zoom without increasing the dimensions of the image. For example as shown in the screen shots, it goes from 1920x1080 to 4165 x 2342 just because I cropped! I think this is the reason it renders only a tiny portion of the original as shown in the last image. So is version 16 totally broken?

@Bob-Schlesinger

Hi

. . . .  Movie Edit Pro Plus Version 16.0.1.22 . . . .

The is Movie Edit Pro 2017.

. . . . I crop using the section effect, it plays fine in preview but only a smaller portion of the cropped video is actually exported. I have tried checking the "Full Screen" box but it doesn't seem to work. I have 3 objects and if I move from one to the other, and then move back, the "Full Screen" box is no longer checked. . . .

If after you set the section to one clip, and then clicked on the next to do the same or another effect, the Section is not applied to the previous clip - once you have set the section as required you must deselect that clip first before selecting the next, the effect is then applied and you should see the section full screen and it stays full screen.

. . . . I also tried using Camera/Zoom to crop . . . .

This is a different effect the result of which is the video /image, it is applied to, will start full screen and zoom in to the 'section' you created in this effect or the reverse ie zoom out depending on the zoom option which was selected.

. . . . It then acts like a 360 degree effect even though that was never selected. This does not happen when exporting to mp2 . . . .

That and the display you are showing during the export may be another issue if you get in one video format to export correctly and not in the other.

Your computer specs are needed - see this topic for details of what is required.

Does the clip have both the Section and Camera zoom effect applied, the header of the video clip on the timeline will tell you.

. . . . I do not see a crop tool in version 16 . . . .

The Section effect does not have a 'crop tool', once the effect is selected, use the eight handles to reduce the frame displayed in the monitor and move it to the desired position or drag a marquee ie a dotted line frame, for the section you require and then deselect the video clip.

HTH

John EB
Forum Moderator

John, I added info to my signature. The main problem now is that when using Section it crops the image vertically when exporting yet plays fine inside the program. I've been doing tests just with exporting one object and it happens every time. When using zoom as a crop it renders properly inside the program but expands the screen size to a huge value according to size & position, which is then used when exporting. How do I keep the original movie size when zooming?

@Bob-Schlesinger

Hi Bob.

In the section effect you need to swap your height and width figures around and possibly not have the full screen ticked. You are mixing landscape ratios with portrait.

Ray.

@Bob-Schlesinger

Hi

. . . . it goes from 1920x1080 to 4165 x 2342 just because I cropped! I think this is the reason it renders only a tiny portion of the original as shown in the last image . . .

That is correct, this is what Section does for you in a more easier way, is to use the Size and Position effect adjusting the Width and Height and Top/Left parameters and the Fix proportions option unchecked.

The

John EB

I still don't understand this. Can you walk me through it? What should my export settings be? For example, my video is 1920 x 1080. Let's say I want to crop the original by doubling the frame size to 3840 x 2160. That gives me a center area that will still be 1920 x 1080 or a 2x zoom. When I export it, everything looks fine in the export preview but when I view the final mp4 file there is only a tiny part of it showing at an extreme zoom.

@Bob-Schlesinger

Bob, stop looking at Size and Position. It's confusing the issue (but it is actually displaying the data correctly).

All you need to do is:

-Click the object, put the Play marker over the object then click the Section effect.

-Drag the marquee to the desired area

-Click Preview to see that it looks OK

If you want to change marquee area, click Edit, then redrag (note that if you simply click on the monitor outside the current marquee, a new, tiny marquee will be created until you drag it out to increase it's size)

-Export.

Then do an MPEG 2 export and compare.

To explain the Size and Position info, go into the Size and Position effect, then use the zoom slider to zoom in. Now, click on the hamburger button top left of the video monitor and choose 50%. You will see the marquee showing your zoomed-in frame. It is the size of the marquee that you are seeing in the Size and Position effect "size" boxes, not your final video. The actual video you see, in the middle, is showing through the 1920x1080 "hole" that will be the final export.

Essentially, for what you want to do, Size and Position should not be used except for the Zoom function. You should be using Section or the more flexible Camera/Zoom Shot. With Section, you can have only one marquee size for the whole clip, whereas with Camera/Zoom Shot you can change the size of the marquee at will, creating a dynamic zoom in and out effect as the clip plays.

@AAProds @Bob-Schlesinger

Hi Bob. Al.

I just tried Section for myself for the first time.

So the highlighted clip is the image above showing my selection in preview mode. I then change the Section view to Edit and go to the next image clip to the left in the image below.

Again apply the section tool and select an area in the preview mode. Image below.

Repeat changing the view to Edit. Image below.

Select my range for export for the test and export as MP4.

I watch the export to make sure it shows as edited.

The playback of the video shows the export was OK.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Ray. careful with your "Previews" and "Edits". If the Preview button is showing, you're in Edit mode and VV (if you can see the marquee, you're in Edit).

Pretty nifty effect, isn't it? No need for you to crop outside now! 👍

Al and CubeAce. Something is really wrong with mine. I followed your instructions. I added 1 section only and sized it with the marquis. I then exported it to both mp4 and mpeg. The same thing happens with both. The top third of the frame is always black.

@Bob-Schlesinger

How does your exported MP4 look in VLC player or other player? Does it still show the black section (pardon the pun) at the top, as shown in your "Preview Video" screenshot?

If it is, try a program reset as I described earlier.

@Bob-Schlesinger

Out of interest, could you post a screenshot of your Movie Settings: File>Settings>Movie...

@AAProds

Ray. careful with your "Previews" and "Edits". If the Preview button is showing, you're in Edit mode and VV (if you can see the marquee, you're in Edit).

That's why I put the pictures in Al 😉😇.

Ray.

@AAProds

Hi Al.

Have made the changes needed in my post to make more sense.

It's always self explanatory in my head but seldom on the page. 😅😅

Ray.

@CubeAce Cheers, Ray, I deleted my post as it was a bit harsh.

@AAProds

Hi Al.

No, it was appreciated. I am not one to get upset over constructive criticism. Especially when it is correct 😂😂😂

Ray.

@Bob-Schlesinger

How does your exported MP4 look in VLC player or other player? Does it still show the black section (pardon the pun) at the top, as shown in your "Preview Video" screenshot?

If it is, try a program reset as I described earlier.

Yes, I did a program reset. That didn't help. The video looks the same when played with Windows media player after it has been rendered. I could try another player but since WMP and the preview agree I don't expect anything to be different.