@CLINT-DANBURY

Hi Clint,

The Camera/Zoom is a tool that helps you do a zoom in to a part (section) of an image over time, or zoom out over time. It's convenient and it saves the user from having to learn how to keyframe. It automatically places keyframes for size and position. You can learn from this how it works and play around with it.

For what you want to do, you need to use the Size/Position effects and keyframing, pretty much like in Vegas Movie Studio. For a start, I suggest that you use the Camera/Zoom tool to just zoom in. Make sure that your image or video is at least 8 seconds. Select the image, click on "To section." This will give you a rectangle on the preview monitor. Resize the rectangle and move it to where you want. Select 2 second edge. This will automatically create kfs at 2 seconds where the effect will start (default size and position) and at 2 seconds from the end of the clip with the new size and position. For an 8 second image, this will give you 2 seconds at the original (default) size, followed by a slow zoom in to the rectangle that you had selected at 6 seconds, and then hold. See the kfs in the kf area?

Switch to Size/Position effect. This is where you do the real effects. Grab the second kf with your mouse and drag it to the left to about 4 seconds. Now if you scrub or play back, your zoom in will be faster, only 2 seconds long and then it stays there. Move the playback marker to about 6 seconds, click on the + diamond shape button in the kf area to add a keyframe. Move the playback marker to the end or close to it. Click on the Movie Size button and the image will go back to full size. If it's not centred, click on the "Center" button. A kf will be placed at that location. Now when you play back, you'll see a zoom in, hold, then zoom out. Look at the values of size/position and zoom as you move the playback marker. Anything that you now do to the image will place a kf at that location. You can use the buttons in the kf area to add, delete, copy and paste kfs. You can use the rectangle with handles in the Preview Monitor to move and resize and rotate the image. You can go to the Rotation to see the Rotation buttons. Note that you must be in Edit mode to see the rectangle with handles, so the button in the dialogue area should say Preview, not Edit.

You can resize the kf area by dragging its window. In the kf area, click on the popdown beside Size/Position and you'll see each effect.

There is a lot more that can be done here, but that's enough for now.

That's it. You just play with the everything and add keyframes. The principle applies throughout all effects.

One more thing. The Section effect is for cropping and cannot be keyframed. Do not confuse this with "section" under the Camera/Zoom effect. They are not the same at all.

EDIT: By this, I mean that you cannot keyframe Section (or cropping). It remains static, as though you took a pair of scissors and cut out just the rectangular part that you wanted to keep. You can, of course, use size/position on the cropped image/video.

Here is a link to a Ken Burns tutorial done by Terry Pinnell a long time ago. It's still relevant up until MEP2021. Magix has changed the size/position somewhat in MEP2022.

Here is the accompanying video:

I suggest that you also watch the tutorials listed in this thread.

John CB

@CLINT-DANBURY @browj2

I would strongly suggest not using "To Section". There is no point. The preset programming of that feature will almost always not fit with what you want to do and will require repositioning of the timing keyframes. In any case, it only zooms in or out, as set by you. It can be used effectively on a slideshow where you only want the zoom to be one-way, but not for a two-way zoom eg in then out.

Camera/Zoomshot and Size/Position achieve exactly the same thing. I like Camera Zoomshot because you can actually see what you are zooming in and from with the crop box. The timing and amount of zoom is as I and JohnCB have described whatever system you use. As demonstrated in Terry's tute, using Size and position, you can't actually see any of the video/image that is outside the zoom. With Camera/Zoomshot, you can, and in Edit mode you can see the box move around the screen following the keyframes you've set up; in SP that doesn't occur. It is far easier to simply place the crop box around the top of the chapel, then set it down on the buses (increasing it's size (zoom out) or decreasing it's size (zoom in) as needed, then move it elsewhere. Keyframes are automatically created every time you move the box.

Ironically, if you've set up the zoom in and out with S and P, you can see the crop box moving...if you switch to Camera/Zoomshot.

Another disadvantage of Size and Position for cropping and panning/zooming is that if you need to zoom in by more than double (2x) you have to use the numerical set-box. This is clumsy.

In my view, Size and Position should be used for just that: adjusting the size and position of an object, not panning around or zooming in/out on an object.

Flak jacket is on! 🙂

@AAProds

I tried to follow your instructions.

Clearly I failed

But not totally

Now, instead of starting with the full screen and zooming down to the small area (at which point I was stuck going nowhere), I am doing just the opposite; i.e., my video starts with the small area filling the screen, then zooming out to encompass the entire screen again.

Duh

I wanted to make sure that I have a clear understanding of the terms you are using, particularly the phrase, "play marker", so I searched for that in this PDF file...

manual_moviestudio18_en_l34ht--phKzJNOXbRfNghn4Lj.pdf

The phrase appears three times.

The author(s) use the term, but I never see it defined nor a diagram of the user interface page that shows the reader what phrase means what. (There was a webpage somewhere on the Magix site; can't find it now)

Any suggestions you have, keep them coming.

I will try to follow your instructions a second time. I have probably missed one of the steps.

And.....

Thank you (a lot)

@AAProds

Just tried following your instructions a second time, with me reading each sentence more slowly.

No genius over here quite yet, but I'm a whole lot smarter than before; thanks. Big time thanks.

I think I may have this under control with another five or ten practice runs.

You are one fantastic human. Thank you

@browj2

Thank you for adding to this resource.

I must go to bed now.

Will pick up on your ideas tomorrow.

Thanks, and keep them coming.

@AAProds

Hi Alywn,

You caught me between rain clouds and sun. Trying to work outside.

In Camera/Zoomshot, clicking on To or From simply determines whether to zoom in to the selected section, as set by the user in the Preview Monitor, or to zoom out from that section. It is nothing more as far as I can tell. I suggested it just to get a zoom with kfs.

Camera/Zoomshot is a special case in which the image will always fill the screen (unless you go off-screen). The rectangle, no matter the size, will always result in a full-screen image.

There are other possibilities with Custom, but for the purposes of showing somehow to create and use kfs with zooming and panning, it gets too complicated to explain.

The problem with scrubbing in Camera/Zoomshot in Edit mode is that you don't see the preview, just the dashed rectangle. You don't see the actual impact of what you are doing in the Preview Monitor - the image is always full screen; it's just the rectangle that moves.

You cannot zoom out making the image smaller on the preview monitor. So, if you want the full image to be reduced in size, say, to put the full image smaller in the bottom corner of your screen, you can't.

In SP, in Edit mode, you also see the rectangle but it follows the original size and shows you where it is w.r.t. the actual viewing window. If you zoom out of the Preview Monitor (hamburger menu, 50%) you can now see the actual limits/location of your image which includes any parts off screen. So, if you want something to fly off or fly into the window, this is where you do it.

Again, the Camera/Zoomshot is a special purpose tool. It can only do certain things. SP can do whatever Camera/Zoomshot does and much, much more.

The sun is shining again. Back to yardwork.

John CB

@browj2 @CLINT-DANBURY

In Camera/Zoomshot, clicking on To or From simply determines whether to zoom in to the selected section, as set by the user in the Preview Monitor, or to zoom out from that section. It is nothing more as far as I can tell. I suggested it just to get a zoom with kfs.

When using Camera/Zoomshot, you don't click anything in that section. You simply start sizing the crop box. The 4 "special" features are for unique jobs such as the preset zoom in then stop, but I'm not using those at all here.

Camera/Zoomshot is a special case in which the image will always fill the screen (unless you go off-screen). The rectangle, no matter the size, will always result in a full-screen image.

Of course, that is the intent. Camera-Zoom shot is not for setting up a small Picture in Picture. That's what SP is for.

The problem with scrubbing in Camera/Zoomshot in Edit mode is that you don't see the preview, just the dashed rectangle. You don't see the actual impact of what you are doing in the Preview Monitor - the image is always full screen; it's just the rectangle that moves.

Of course you do; just hit the Preview button. And being able to see the crop box moving around is the beauty of Camera/Zoomshot. That simply can't be seen in SP.

You cannot zoom out making the image smaller on the preview monitor. So, if you want the full image to be reduced in size, say, to put the full image smaller in the bottom corner of your screen, you can't.

I agree, but that is not what Camera/Zoomshot is for. If you want a smaller PIP, use SP.

In SP, in Edit mode, you also see the rectangle but it follows the original size and shows you where it is w.r.t. the actual viewing window. If you zoom out of the Preview Monitor (hamburger menu, 50%) you can now see the actual limits/location of your image which includes any parts off screen. So, if you want something to fly off or fly into the window, this is where you do it.

Once again, I agree, but I will say again: I'm not making things fly on and off the screen. I am making the main video, which by definition has to be full screen.

Here's a quick and dirty video from a rotating source (yikes!) showing how easy it is to visualise the crop box moving (as I set it). You'll also see the constant changing Zoom level, always numerical because the zoom was so much, and changing that every few frames would have driven me crazy. Dragging/resizing the crop box in Camera/Zoomshot was quick and easy.

As an aside, that source video was shot initially in Portrait and then rotated to landscape. For the life of me, I couldn't set it up in MEP to rotate and Zoomshot (or S&P) at the same time; I had to rotate it, export it then bring it back in and do the cropping/zooming/S&P as a second step. If anybody wants to have a go, here's a link to the post with the original video:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/403069-Some-videos-of-my-Iphone-camera-don-t-fit-all-the-screen#post2630934

@johnebaker Screencast O Matic 👍

@AAProds

Hi Alwyn,

I'll take a look in the mornging.

For what Clint wants, Camera/Zoomshot works almost perfectly. The only problem is getting back to full size. Clicking on Movie Size should do it for the last kf, but it doesn't work right (long-standing bug?). Resizing the rectangle to try to get full-screen is not perfect. Is there a way?

So, the only options that I found were to:

1. Copy the first kf which has the image full-size, and paste it at or near the end where the zoom out should be, or
2. Switch to SP and give the last kf 100%, centred.

@CLINT-DANBURY

Here is a short version of the steps. Alwyn, please correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Don't click on anything or click on Custom under duration.
2. Move the playback marker to where you want the effect to start and add a keyframe.
3. Move the playback marker to where you want the zoom in to end, resize the rectangle and drag it to where you want and a kf will be created automatically.
4. Move the playback marker to where you want the zoom out to start, click on the + kf button.
5. Using the left and arrow in the kf area, get the first kf to turn on or select it, press the copy kf button.
6. Move the playback marker to where you want the zoom out to end, click on the paste kf button.
7. Or alternatively, go to the Size/Position effect, move the playback marker to where you want the zoom out to end, and click on Movie Size. This should make the image 100%. If not centred, click on Center. (If Movie Size doesn't work, then you have to change the size to 100%.)

You can now adjust the kfs if you want by dragging then.

In the kf area, to the right of Size/Position (the row with the kf's) is a square with a diagonal line on it. If you click on it, you'll get a Bézier curve, thus smoothing.

John CB

@browj2 @CLINT-DANBURY

The only problem is getting back to full size. Clicking on Movie Size should do it for the last kf, but it doesn't work right (long-standing bug?). Resizing the rectangle to try to get full-screen is not perfect. Is there a way?

So, the only options that I found were to:

Copy the first kf which has the image full-size, and paste it at or near the end where the zoom out should be, or

Switch to SP and give the last kf 100%, centred.

John, yes, you're right, there is no easy way of going back to perfect-fullscreen with CameraZoom Shot, but your method of swapping to S&P to set the full-size frame is great and works well. Then going back to CameraZoom Shot will show the crop box going to full size.

Agree 100% with your method in the above post. 👍

@AAProds, @browj2

---

I cannot thank you guys enough, and I now see that you have added even more advice after I began to try to follow your first posts.

Like, wow.

Thanks to yall, I just might have learned how to do this. Here is a Fifteen Second clip attached (I Hope) to this message

Let me know your opinion.

It is supposed to be...

1. Three Seconds of viewing the full screen
2. A Two Second zoom to the small area
3. Three Seconds of looking at the small arean
4. A Two Second zoom back out to the full screen
5. Five seconds of the full screen again

@CLINT-DANBURY

Hi Clint,

Just missing your clip.

John CB

@CLINT-DANBURY Arh, the old minesweeper! Looks like you've got the technique there, Clint. Well done!

To re-iterate, you can adjust the timing very easily by dragging the keyframes along the timeline.

To adjust the size of the box after the zoom in (or zoom value if you're using Size and Position), click on the keyframe with the wrongly sized box/zoom, then adjust the size of the box/zoom. It will turn blue when correctly selected. The keyframe will be updated automatically. Alternatively, you can use the left and right clickable arrows next to the keyframe +diamond to jump along to the desired keyframe.

My only subjective comment would be that, as the zoom-in is pretty significant, you should give it a bit more time to go in and come out. It looks a bit rushed at the mo.

If you untick display dialogue while recording, that MEP recording box will minimise to the system tray. Click the red icon when you want to stop recording.

Good job!

@CLINT-DANBURY

Hi Clint,

Looks good! Ditto what Alwyn said.

You can save the complete effect if you want to reuse it often. Click on the popdown at the upper right of an effect and select Save video effects.

John CB

@CLINT-DANBURY Clint, you've probably worked all this out already, but for reference, here's a pic I did up a while ago.

@CLINT-DANBURY you need one of @johncb's (his name link won't appear!) video tutes; more detailed than those Magix ones. He'll be along shortly, I'm sure.

To get yourself started, click on the video object (to highlight it), click on the Effects tab, then click on InstaZoom (https://instazoom.mobi/tr/).

The selection/crop box will appear on the video in the monitor.

Set the play marker where you want to start the zoom, and click small +diamond shape in the keyframe area directly below the Effects list. That anchors your current zoom.

Now move the play marker along to where you want to finish the zoom (a couple of seconds?).

Drag the crop box to the size you want. Keyframes will be set automatically.

Drag the play marker along to where you want the zoom to start to end, then set another keyframe with the +diamond button.

Drag the Play marker further along to set the point where the zoom returns to normal. Drag the crop box back out to normal (full) size.

Click the Preview button to preview your zoom.

To adjust the timing, or the size of the crop box, click on the left or right arrows in the keyframe area to go to the applicable keyframe and make your adjustment to the crop box size, or you can drag the keyframe along to change the timing. There are actually many keyframes for each timeline position, but all are linked so you can drag them all at once.

Probably very different to Vegas, but easy after you've done it a couple of times. Using Camera/Zoom shot is great for panning across stills too (Ken Burns effect); using exactly the same technique.

If it all gets too hard, reset the effect by clicking on the >< button, top right.

Swap between Preview and Edit.

And remember to highlight the video object and put the Play marker over it to see the effect. the Crop box will still be visible if you put the Play marker over another video object but obviously won't be "affecting" the un-highlighted object.

Zoom the photos you can see on that, I thank you for sharing that.