How to replace source without deleting item

daorus

Let's say I have images tuned with effects and placed at the corrent positions.

And now to want to make some small change in source of this image, but do not want to change effects and position and I do not want to WASTE time for setting this position and effects again if I delete and instert new image.

How can I replace source, but do not touch frames and everything else?

borate

One method....

FILE|SAVE AS your project as a .vpj file.

In Windows file manager rename the old file.

Choose your new file and place it in exactly the same Windows folder as the old, with the original name of the old file.

[deleted]

One thing to remember is that whilst you have a file added to VP and VP is open, you won't be able to alter it externally as "it will be in use".

So.. as Borate says, first save your project.

Close VP and now make the changes you require to the file concerned. Image size changes will also be allowed.

Save the image to the same location with the same name and the same file type.

Re-open your project and the altered file will now be on the timeline in the same place with the same video effects as beforehand.

Nat

daorus

quite complex procedure... but anyway, thank you for your answers!

c_major_2

There is a simpler way:

Find the image in the Image Bin, right click on icon and chose Change File...

borate

Slick, C...

Click on the SEQUENCE to see the effects applied to the newly changed file.

c_major_2

Hi Borate,

I just tried and it works as intended: Imported an image and added it to sequence. Applied a few effects to the clip in the sequence. Replaced the image by using Change File. The clip on the timeline stay the same and all effects are applied to the new image.

Have I missed something?

[deleted]

HI Sam

"Have I missed something? "

No It works fine. The file is swapped for the new one which is good feature, but if you wanted to retain the same name for the altered file, you would still have to save the project and close VP before you can make any changes to it....say you want to alter the image or photoshop something on it.

What I mean is..you can't leave VP open in the background, and make make the alterations to the file as either Windows or VP pops up a message saying the procedure can't be done since the file is already open in another application (i.e. VP).

The difficulty here is that Windows won't allow two files with the same name in the same folder. Of course you could copy the file in question, alter it and then swap it..meaning VP could be left open while you did it,.which should work but with a name change and everything could remain in the same folder. Obviously copying the file to new folderto make the alterations would retain the original name.

Still a bit involved though. :-)

Nat

daorus

c_major wrote:

There is a simpler way:

Find the image in the Image Bin, right click on icon and chose Change File...

That is EXACLTY what I wanted!!! THANK YOU!

PS. Just adding tip for others: if you want to find your image amoung other image, just right click context menu for this image in sequece and choose Show original clips and will open your clip in bin and after that you can change item with Change file...

borate

c_major wrote:

Hi Borate,

I just tried and it works as intended: Imported an image and added it to sequence. Applied a few effects to the clip in the sequence. Replaced the image by using Change File. The clip on the timeline stay the same and all effects are applied to the new image. Have I missed something?

Nope, that's accurate. But when the image in the bin is right-clicked here, preview switches to CLIP mode, and so it remains after changing the file.

The effects are not seen on the replacement image until SEQUENCE MODE is clicked above the window, or the sequence itself is clicked.

[deleted]

Hi Borate

" But when the image in the bin is right-clicked here, preview switches to CLIP mode,"

That's as it should be as you have clicked the Clip. But now click "Change file" and open the replacement file and it automatically replaces the old file on the sequence line, adds the effects automatically and the preview correctly returns to the sequence display at the cursor position. I find no need to click Sequence mode.

It goes to Sequence mode automatically after changing even if the original file was not on the timeline. The file on the media list is changed and the effect added to it.

Nat

c_major_2

I see. From my testing, it stay with Clip Preview rather then returns to Sequence Preview.

I think the feature has been implemented correctly. It switched to Clip Preview mode since the Bin has the focus. But as Borate point out you need to switch back to Sequence preview to see the result.

We can add Change File when you right click on timeline clips, so no need to switch to clip preview. Before that it works better with dual previews mode.

Thanks,

daorus

c_major wrote:

We can add Change File when you right click on timeline clips, so no need to switch to clip preview. Before that it works better with dual previews mode.

Thanks,

Change File for any sequence Item is great idea, but usually in 99% cases we do not want to change file, but to correct file. So, it would be SO GREAT to have Edit in external editor feature to allow editing of images with Paint.NET (free image editing software) and editing audio with Audacity (free audio editing software).

daorus

There is a cool feature for audio tracks called Save audio clip as new file

But is there a feature for video tracks to Save video track as new file without manual exproting???

It is not about confort, because using powefull tool as Sequence we can create sequence, add videos and insert sequece as this video.

The matter is about speed.

When we have a lot of effects everytime we do export all these effects are rendered again and again. And if we would have Save video track as new file we could render piece of video just once with appllied effects and after that final render would be faster because effects for all pieces of videos were aleady prendered.

Or killing feature would be Render and replace command. It calculates all the effects, creates a new file in videobin and replaces videoitem with Change file functionality.

- - -

For now we mannully do

1) copy video to new sequence

2) export

3) add to bin

4) delete old file

5) insert new

But with feature change file 3) + 4) + 5) are now just one 3) Change file

[deleted]

Hi Sam

"I see. From my testing, it stay with Clip Preview rather then returns to Sequence Preview.

I don't see a need to switch in fact......

e.g.

I have loaded two images to the timeline.

I add a sepia effect to the second image.

If I do this on the time line the focus stays on Sequence preview. The timeline image is now sepia but the media list image remains coloured.

If I do this on the media list image the thumbnail there goes sepia but the timeline remains coloured.(Should it ????)

In this case the focus is Clip preview ..until I click the media list to clear it. Focus is now Sequence preview........but image there does not show the sepia effect.

All this is as I expect. (Apart from thinking the timeline clip should have also changed to sepia)

Now I want to change the sepia clip (or the timeline clip ---(which is still coloured))

I can only do this via the media list thumbnail.

Right click the TN and focus is now Clip preview (as expected)

Select "Change file"

Pick new file and open.

The media list thumbnail is swapped, the new TN has the sepia effect....

and the focus automatically changes to the Sequence preview at the cursor line position

You don't need to switch back as you suggest to see the effect.

Interestingly,

If the effect was added to the media list image, the timeline image remains unchanged before and after the swap.

If the effect was added to the timeline image its the reverse..the new media list image doesn't show the effect but the new timeline image does.

Nat

borate

If the effect was added to the media list image, the timeline image remains unchanged before and after the swap.

If the effect was added to the timeline image its the reverse..the new media list image doesn't show the effect but the new timeline image does.

Seems to be the case. If the effect is added to the MEDIA clip, there's no need to switch to Sequence after the "change file." (The media clip itself displays the effect.)

If the effect is added to the SEQUENCE clip, here - after using "change file" - I must click "sequence" above the preview window, drag the scrubber (red line) or click in the timeline to switch PV back to sequence mode.

[deleted]

"If the effect is added to the SEQUENCE clip, here - after using "change file" - I must click "sequence" above the preview window, drag the scrubber (red line) or click in the timeline to switch PV back to sequence mode".

Ok, I see what you mean, but on opening the new file it appears in the media list and on the sequence line with its effects,

But as the new file in the media list remains the focus (i.e. exactly as the old file was the focus) the display remains the Clip preview. It does seem logical that this should be so with this order of actions. Perhaps the software replaces the timeline first and then the media list???

As it happens, I generally (and automatically) click the media list pane which deselects the TN and returns the preview to Sequence preview. No real need to move the cursor or click the timeline (which may also move the cursor).

It's an mute point.

The question that does arise is...Should the timeline clip always change with any effects when a clip is changed in the media list.

Currently WORKING FROM THE MEDIA LIST CLIP, the new media list clip appears with the effects and the new timeline clip without them.

I think you can see that if you happened to work in this order and wanted to simply change the old clip (with effects) with a new clip (still with effects) you would have to do the change, then delete the new clip from the time line (as it does not have the effects) and replace it with the same clip from the media list (which does.) :huh:

A bit involved. Being able to change the clip from the timeline might be an option...........?

Nat

c_major_2

@[deleted]:

There is a cool feature for audio tracks called Save audio clip as new file

But is there a feature for video tracks to Save video track as new file without manual exproting???

It is not about confort, because using powefull tool as Sequence we can create sequence, add videos and insert sequece as this video.

The matter is about speed.

No it won't speed up since it still need to do Decode->Apply effects->Encode.

@[deleted]:

Still can't get the auto-switch behaviour. Are you using v4.10?

[deleted]

Hi Sam

I am now! Thanks for the reminder. I was working on something with 4.08 and forgot to change over.

Nat

gaab

borate wrote:

Seems to be the case. If the effect is added to the MEDIA clip, there's no need to switch to Sequence after the "change file." (The media clip itself displays the effect.)

If the effect is added to the SEQUENCE clip, here - after using "change file" - I must click "sequence" above the preview window, drag the scrubber (red line) or click in the timeline to switch PV back to sequence mode.

This bring the question on how to see that the sequence clip is different from the media clip. And how to have the sequence clip reverted to the media clip state ???

Gérard