Can't export my project due to In and Out points

MeNovice

I'm new to Videopad but after much effort I managed to create a sequence with photos, music, a couple of my own camera movie clips and subtitles. But when I came to export the project, hoping to make an MP4 file, I get the message: In and Out Points. Sequence Start and End points have been set. Only the section between these points will be exported.

If I continue, I get an MP4 with no content in it. So where are these start and end points? I did not set any as far as I know. I cannot see any markers on the timeline. How do I move the points or cancel them, so that my whole sequence will be exported? Before all this, I did a short trial run and made a sequence that exported just fine as MP4 - I don’t think I did anything different for this latest attempt.

Any help will be gratefully received. My project is stuck inside Videopad!

borate

Click the Sequences tab (top-left)

Select the sequence, so it appears in the preview window. You may see something like this...

Drag the red bracket (far left of the blue line) all the way to the left. Drag the blue bracket to the far right.

Does that take care of it?

MeNovice

Thanks for the reply Borate. Unfortunately this does not fix it. In the sequence preview, I have no blue line on show below, and no start and stop brackets. So i can't slide them along. My sequence is about 17 minutes long in all, but nowhere can I see coloured brackets.

I'm not sure if it matters, but the location of your sequence tab seems to be in a differnt place from mine. Yours sits to the left of the Videos tab, mine sits at the top bar level to the right of Home.

By the way, I am in the UK time zone.

borate

That's a different sequence tab.

If you don't see one to the left of the Video tab, create a new blank sequence by clicking the + sign on the sequence tab that's above the timeline...

Then go to the bin and click the Sequences tab, and select the first sequence. It should show up in preview. Does that do the job?

MeNovice

I think it worked! I can now set the start and end times of the sequence. But guess what? I then went to export and Videopad said I now have to buy the professional version, because my free trial is up. I didn’t know I was on free trial with a fixed duration! So my project is still trapped inside Videopad. Help!

Videopad is givng me almost no time to make the purchase too. Got to be done by 15 December - it is 9.30pm in the Uk right now - to get the discounted price. If I buy it, will my project be safe and let me export it? I am just an occasional home user, in my seventies, who was just tyring to make a couple of simple movie shows for my fmaily at Christmas. Is anyone from Video editor out there to help me? After struggling for two weeks to solve a techncial thing in the sodfware use as a novice, I got help from the forum tonight. (I joined the foum just a few sours ago). And just before I could finally export my little creation, the free trial expired! I didnt know I was on a time fuse. Can I have couple of hours extra just to export my project to MP4 please?

borate

No need to panic! First...

To protect your project always Save Project File AS routinely, giving it a unique # or name, so as not to overwrite prior saves. Using Save Project Files (no AS) will overwrite. From the HOME tab, that choice is available by clicking the caret to the right of the Save Project button on the toolbar.

Try an AVI (instead of mp4) export. That often succeeds. Or, in lieu of a purchase...

Reinstall the free version, which may re-enable export.

Install the 'pro' version which even if unlicensed, should be fully featured for the trial period.

If none of those measures succeed come back here.

Discounts are frequent; there may be another one along shortly.

MeNovice

Borate,

I do not know if you are just a user like me (but obvisoly more experienced) or a member of the company, but thank you for your advice.

I tried savng as other file tyoes before now but it always came back and stopped me due to the end points problem. Now of course it won't let me do anyhting unless I buy.

I was just one step away from success. I wanted to show this little movie next week. Not sure if I will be able to go through the reinstall or purchase options that quickly.

Can you tell mei f the Home User purchase option will be the same as the one I have been using please - it mentions something about only being able to have one or two audio tarcks. I don;t thnk I will ever need more than one (how can oyu have two audios playing at the same time?).

Many thanks, but have to get some sleep now.

borate

Many projects have multiple voice and music tracks, and it might be wise to purchase the 'pro' (master) release unless you feel that HOME will suffice.

You should be able to export if you install one of the versions linked above. Open the link, which may automatically download the file. Locate it on the PC (likely in the DOWNLOADS folder) and double-click on it to install. Takes only seconds.

If exports are still locked out try a Videopad UNinstall from the Windows Control Panel | Programs and Features list prior to installing a new VP release.

Just be sure that you have backed up your project, as noted above. Then you can simply click on the VPJ file in the back-up folder to restore the project.

If these measures fail, share the project and we'll supply a finished product. Follow these instructions precisely; it should take only minutes and the shared link can be posted here or to me via Personal Messenger - the envelop at the top-right of this forum.

To share the project...

Back up --- With your project on the timeline, click on MENU at the top-left. Click FILE|BACK UP PROJECT FILES TO FOLDER. Choose a folder and SELECT FOLDER.
Upload --- Use a free server - Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc.* - to upload the saved, numbered FOLDER. Do NOT upload the individual VPJ or export file.
Get link --- Get a public link. If using Google Drive click GET SHAREABLE LINK. If necessary change "restricted" to "anyone with the link can view"
Share --- Click COPY LINK | DONE. Paste that link here, or click the folder at the top-right of this forum to message it privately to me. It won't be shared.

* Before uploading, right-click the folder, click PROPERTIES. Look at the File Size to confirm that it's not too big for the free space on the server.

MeNovice

Thank you very much for this Borace.

Here is the state of play:

1. This morning I downloaded the software again, home trial version, as you suggested. It allowed me to do the extraction.
2. I did the extraction but it still gave me the warning that only the section between the start and stop points would be extracted. Having – hopefully – adjusted those points last night in accordance with your directions, I proceeded. And it did the job. So thank you for that Borace.
3. What baffles me though is how those start and end points got there in the first place. That never happened when I did my first little video. Am I supposed to deliberately create start and end points when I make a sequence next time, and how do I do that? I saw nothing about this in the getting started guidance, nor in the help tutorials.
4. Does this mean that I always have to add blank sequence when I make the next video?
5. With regard to the start and end sliders, when I select Sequence they do not show. Only when Clip is selected. Odd?
6. By the way, when I made the change to the end point, it was showing as -141 hours! (not the +17 minutes that my video lasts for).

So, for now I should be able to continue using Videopad. One last question: When you save a project does it only create a set of instructions as to where all the different image and audio clips are to be found on my PC? And when I backup a project to a folder, does it actually save the clips to the backup file?

Once again, many thanks for your much appreciated help. No way would I have worked out what to about adding a blank sequence in order to be able to see and move the sliders!

Thank you very much.

borate

MeNovice wrote:

What baffles me though is how those start and end points got there in the first place.

Hard to say. When in clip viewing mode the brackets are shown. They appear when a clip or THE sequence (under the Sequences tab in the upper-right bin) is in focus. Rarely would one preview and trim the sequence folder in the bin, where you sliders had been moved.

They don't appear in sequence viewing mode.

MeNovice wrote:

Does this mean that I always have to add blank sequence when I make the next video?

Not necessary, unless you want to preview the sequence from the bin (not the timeline), and the Sequences tab above the bin (to the left of the Video tab) is missing.

MeNovice wrote:

When you save a project does it only create a set of instructions as to where all the different image and audio clips are to be found on my PC? And when I backup a project to a folder, does it actually save the clips to the backup file?

When a project is saved (as instructed above) it writes a VPJ instruction file to where clips are found, what effects and transitions are used, etc. Don't move the clips.

When a project is backed up to a folder, it saves all source files + the VPJ. This is a portable project that should run on any PC that has Videopad installed.

MeNovice

Borace, many thanks for all your help. You have saved my project and got me started again.

One other thing I have noticed is that during compiling and then editing a sequence, sometimes the images get all jumbled up and out of the order they were placed in originally. It seems impossible to sort out, and I can only proceed by going back to a previously saved version and taking it from there.

Is this a common occurrence?

borate

Not common at all. It's unclear exactly what you mean by "jumbled up."

If a mistake occurs, immediately press <ctrl-Z> to go back, step-by-step. That's the same as EDIT | UNDO.

MeNovice

I mean the photo images I put on to the sequence sometimes change their order. e.g Stuff on the back end jumps to earlier positions in the timeline.

Last night I even had one image that put itself into the transition betwee two other images, but it was so very short lived - a fraction of a secnond, less than the blink of an eye - I could not isolate it in the sequence to delete or move it.

borate

Clips should never arbitrarily jump. It's possible that another edit affected them??

To isolate a clip, expand the timeline with the slider at the bottom-right of the window.

Also, if clips are on track one, switch to Storyboard mode. Every clip, even gaps between clips, will be shown.

Use the latest release. For licensed users upgrades are free for up to six months from purchase date. After that, VP will continue to fully function but a fee will be required in order to register the newest. Retain your old install file and registration info.

MeNovice

No idea whay this happens. I tried the timeline expansion as far as it would go, but it would not reveal the rogue clip, neither would storyboard. It was only visible when the video was played, but then extremely fast. Just have to hope this does not happen again.

borate

Well, install the latest and see if the issue persists. And share the project if possible, as instructed above, so someone here can analyze it.

Mention where the problem lies.

MeNovice

Thanks Borace. I cannot share the project as I did not save that corrupted version, closed out, and went back to the previous OK version and worked from there.

So is this problem now resolved, if it is not open a support ticket?

https://www.nch.com.au/support/supportcontact.html

borate

If the issue comes up again, please share the project - as above - and note specifics where you see the problem.

MeNovice

I will do that Borace. I'll probably do some more Videopad work after Christmas and see how it goes. Thanks again for your help and I hope you have a good Christmas.

And I just realized I have had your name wrong all along - apologies Borate!