Trying to see if this is what I need

David_D

New guy here. I am looking at recording a guitar practice session so I can go back and see how I played sections of songs. I have recorded a session on my phone and it turns out to be upside down. I have used up my trial version and still not sure it can do what I need it to do. First I need to flip it and save it to say the desk top for later viewing. I also tried some text but could only view it when I click on bottom section of the program screen. That may be the time line area. Sometimes I see the text and sometime the actual video, sometimes they are together.

First let me say I am not a sound or vid engineer and this may be for higher level professionals in the industry?

I do see a flip option, do you have to flip it each time you want to watch it?

Does this program make a video outside the program, or do you only see the changes and watch vids within the program?

Also I think I see three or four vids on the program screen and they are all different, how do you know which one to save or that you are watching?

Any guidance I would be grateful for. David

Miggy

Hello David D,

Yes, VideoPad can flip your video if it's upside down. Once you do that, you export it to a new video and then that video file will be correct from then on. The way I would do it, would be to rename your original video before you even start to something like "filename - upside down". Then use VP to flip it, then EXPORT it to the original filename.

It's also easy to use VP to make text. Just use ADD TEXT, and then I would choose SIMPLE TEXT OVERLAY just to get a feel for it before trying to fancier ones. It presents an input box to type your text, with a panel for choosing font color and whether it's centered, left right, up, down, etc. This will place a text overlay that will be above your video track, so you can slide it around to where you need it and change the length by grabbing the sides and sliding left and right. Of course once again, when you get it correct, the video you EXPORT from this project will have those texts on the video.

Hope this helps!

borate

Your clips are first brought into the bin area (top-left), where there are tabs for the various types: video, audio, images.

Then clips can be dragged, right-clicked and placed or otherwise copied to the timeline. The originals in the bin won't be affected unless you have flipped or added effects to those that are in the bin area..

On the timeline is where editing normally takes place. Once you have flipped a clip, it will remain in that state for export to a file, YouTube, DVD, etc. What is on the timeline (the sequence) is what gets exported, or published.

Higher tracks on the timeline take video precedence over lower tracks. So text (added to track 2, for example) will be seen superimposed over track one.

Check out http://nch.invisionzone.com/topic/23872-videopad-tutorials/

David_D

I will try your suggestions. But I will not be able to see if they export as I guess the trial is one day or something. I had mistakenly thought they said a home version was free and I would get to see if I was capable of using it. But I had to export one to see it the changes worked or not, and it seems that one or two exports is the trial. Obviously not enough time for one like me. I have looked at a handful of these types of programs and it could have been another one was the free home version and I thought it was this one. The price of it seems fair but I really wanted to make sure I could do it before I buy it.

Let me be sure on the flip thing. You would move a video down to the timeline area and flip it and save it, then export it?

I had added some text to one but I could not export it to see if it worked. Seems like I was not sure which one I was watching in the preview area, how do you know that?

borate

A clip can be flipped in the bin, then added to the timeline. Or it can be first added there, and then flipped, which won't affect the original in the bin.

The preview area has two tabs: clip and sequence. Whichever is active, THAT is what you see - a specific clip or the sequence on the timeline.

Export will reflect exactly what's on the timeline sequence and should be available in several formats for a while after install of either the trial or free version. Register (buy) the editor and all features will be available. Updates are free for up to six months thereafter, but the version you purchase will continue to work indefinitely.

If that's not the case, save your project (FILE menu|SAVE PROJECT) and install another copy of Videopad from here. That may extend the export window.

David_D

No luck on the reinstall. If I get time I will try it at work on another email.

Did you check out other programs and think this is the easy one to operate?

borate

When you say "no luck" do you mean that it wouldn't install ... or that the desired export option was not available? Double-clicking on the saved install file should quickly install and launch the program.

VP is a fine tool, but only you alone must decide whether it's your best choice. Experiment, read the tutorials and become familiar with software. Have fun.

David_D

I think it installed but would not export, it did just as you say it should. I will look more at the tutorials as well. I looked over several of them but the terms seem to assume that you already know how. However you guys have been very helpful already.

If/when I purchase do I have to uninstall the so called free trial, or does it install over it.

Thanks again for your patience and your info.

David

Miggy

David D,

Purchasing gives you a license key that you enter into the program to activate it. No need to reinstall unless there's a new version available.

[deleted]

Hi David

Unlike some rival programs VP is very intuitive and should be capable of doing all that you ask.. If you downloaded and ran the vpsetup.exe program from the NCH site, it should remain behind after you uninstall VP from the PC Control panel. It can then be re-clicked to reload the main VP. program. The free version has limited output options and may be time limited.

As you seem unsure regarding how this runs, the BASIC idea is as follows.... (Please excuse me if this something you already know.🙂)

You add your video clips to the program using the Add Files option where they will appear in the left upper area of the GUI called the Clip Bin.There are different bins for each type of clip you add.(Video/Sound/Image etc.) From here you can drag and drop them in the required order onto the Video Track or Timeline where you can preview them in the screen area on the right, either as individual clips...Clip Preview or the whole timeline..Sequence preview. (The clips in the bin are best left alone until you become more familiar with the program.)

The addition of Effects , Transitions and Edits etc. are made to the clips you have added to the timeline. The original clips in the bins will not be affected with your changes when done this way. Note: VP is very polyvalent and will allow manipulation of your clips in different ways including directly from the bins.) The brief outline above is the most intuitive and simplest way of working.

Once you have finished your editing, the completed timeline can be Exported to your PC or saved to disc as a complete video file. (As mentioned above VP, although allowing many output formats the list may be radically reduced in the free version.) The original clips remain unaltered on your PC. At any point you can save your Project as a special file which will load your work back at any later date.

Details of editing can be complex but come back to the forum if there is any particular difficulty, however simple it may seem and there will normally be someone who will help out.

It can take quite sometime to discover the ins and outs of the program but I hope the above helps a bit.

Nat

David_D

OK, yes I didn't know anything at all. Your post makes a lot of sense. I did not know the very basic idea and your post helps. I am going to purchase this. Is it fair to say the lessor version will do what I need to do? I can see doing starting and stopping points and some text explaining guitar effect changes and other guitar applicable notes. Might do more as I learn the software, but no big plans at this point.

Thanks to all who dared to try to explain this to me. I am 59 and didn't grow up using computers so probably the assumed software basics are missing in my ole head.

David

David_D

I'm going to take some time this week and purchase this software. Do I need to uninstall the trial version?

Thanks David

borate

No, it's not necessary to uninstall. In fact, if you have the latest version already installed, just go to the FILE menu, click on REGISTER SOFTWARE and input your code.

David_D

I thing I have it installed or registered what ever it is called. I made one video I think. It has been uploading for about 30 minutes. Is that correct? It is about a 4 minute vid and I just edited the start and stop and a couple of text. I'll let it load and see what happened.

David_D

Finally got done took about 40 minutes I think and all I have is audio, and a black vid screen.

Is that time frame about right? And

Am I thinking correct that this produces a standalone video? I can use it either way by just watching in the program but I thought it may be good to have a video that I could put on a dvd and move or share if needed.

borate

When editing is complete you can export the project in any number of formats. The amount of time it takes varies by format, project length and other factors.

If export results in only audio, then obviously something went wrong. Please share your project, per the instructions here, and someone will take a look.

Indicate what file format and resolution were used for your attempt. Use version 7.01, released on 2/7/19.

David_D

I deleted the one that had a black screen with only sound. I have managed to save 2 vids of the same song. The first saved file was just the raw iphone vid. The second is an edited one. So maybe I'm showing signs of life. I have 2 more iphone vids I hope to try today. Mainly just start and stop points and a little text. I will let you know what happens. But again Thank you for helping out..

David

David_D

I am very sorry as to my ignorance but just not getting what you need me to do.

The best way to help developers diagnose the problem is sharing your project files. Here's how...

1. Save your project. Then, with it on the timeline, click the FILE menu. SAVE PORTABLE PROJECT AS to any convenient folder.

Under the save project I am not seeing save as portable. I did a save to my desktop but it is just a single file. I have one that is a mp4 and one that is a mov.

2. Open the folder that contains the saved files and ZIP* them all.

I am only seeing one file per project is that correct? When right click I get a couple of compress options?

3. Upload the zip file to DropBox, Google Drive, MS OneDrive or the like. It's free.

Never done this before.

4. Make the uploaded file public (share it) and copy the shared link.

5. Paste the link into your post here.

borate

1. Your project is whatever is on the timeline after editing is complete. You may have used one or many files for the project.

2. The clips that are on the timeline are saved as a portable project folder, likely to your DOWNLOADS folder on the PC. There will also be a VPJ control file. Pay no mind to file type. Upload that folder to the server. Or you can open the folder and upload every file that it contains. No need to zip.

3. If you have a Microsoft account - perhaps the one used to sign in when you fire up your PC - then use their OneDrive server. In a browser go to http://onedrive.com. Sign in if necessary or create an account. Then click the FILE menu at the left. At the top of the window click the UPLOAD button. The File Explorer window will appear. Go to the folder where you saved the portable project and upload every file.

4. Right-click on the saved file that results. Click SHARE, then GET A LINK. Copy that link and post it here.

[deleted]

Hi Dave

You have your edited project ....Your completed film on the timeline. So...

Click the Green tab top left marked File. (You may have a slightly different green tab depending on version) The File tab will turn blue and will open a menu... (You may have a slightly different menu to this with File at the top so click that as well..)
Select Save Portable project As...
This will open a Folder/File selection window...
navigate to and select a suitable folder (e.g. My Documents) Your project will be saved (Backed up) here in its own folder. This will have been named as the date and will contain a copy of all the clips from your project and an Untitled. vpj file. These are the files you need to send to Dropbox or other file sharing site. Borate has supplied the info for doing this. Make them public. Dropbox will provide you with a link to these files when you have uploaded them. Make a note of this link. Come back on the forum and provide the link. Someone can now download the files and reconstruct your project using the data in the vpj file and determine where you may have gone wrong and suggest a solution.

Hope this helps

Nat