Clip vs. sequence vs. output aspect ratios

HEC

I've set my sequence previews to be 1:1 for the eventual output in the same aspect ratio, and I have inserted a 16:9 clip which I wish to crop drop down to 1:1. However, despite adjusting A/R of both the clips (via right click on the clip in the bin) and the sequence, my preview looks cropped down with missing content as shown delow:

https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230622a.jpg

There are always these black bars above and below in the preview which I can't figure out how to get rid of! Help!

borate

A 'big box' can't fit into a small one without some content being lost, or distortion (unlocking the A/R). Borders are expected.

The original... If exported with the Crop and Zoom setting (or via the C&Z effect)...

HEC

Thanks Borate, but right now the problem is that the content being lost is actually less than the frame of the small box. Instead of guessing where the cropped edges are while working on this before exporting, can I work with a 1:1 frame while editing so that I can see what I am working with?

I intend to use the 1:1 frame to zoom/pan to different parts of the original 16:9 image (Ken Burns effect) so not seeing the frame means I can never be sure exactly what I'll see in the final video. I hope I'm explaining this properly, but it's like working on photoshop with an image of a fixed size overlaid with a layer of a much bigger size which I can shift around to determine what see in the final image.

borate

Go to the 3-lined Menu at the top-left and choose VIEW | SHOW DUAL PREVIEWS. Then you can adjust in the clip PV window and see the result in the Sequence PV window.

To adjust the PV window display, click the caret to the right of the Aspect Ratio field (under the PV window) and make your choice...

As an alternate to 'Ken Burns', the MOTION and POSITION effects can be used to plot movement, by plotting an animation graph. See...

http://help.nchsoftware.com/help/en/videopad/win/effects_animating.html

Record_2023_06_22_18_18_16_357.mp4

HEC

Oh sorry, I didn't see this response until after I replied the other one. This is probably the answer i'm looking for. I'll give a try now. Many thanks!

HEC

Borate, sorry to bother you again. After much experimenting I had managed to achieve the proper aspect ratio cropped down to 1:1, but for reasons I cannot understand sometimes a clips will suddenly revert to a a stretched aspect when i am trying to adjust the length of a clip, as shown in this example in the link:
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230623b.jpg

None of the aspect ratios in the bin, the effect window and the sequence panel have been changed when I was adjust the lip on the timeline, but this still happens. Have I missed something out?

ps. I had generated a quick test video just before this happened, and everything seemed fine: https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/test1.mp4

borate

The video looked good.

If the problem reoccurs, share the project. Someone will take a look. The process is easy, quick and can be done privately. Just follow these steps...

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.

HEC

HI Borate, here is the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1slEm_2DGmJeScq2ikOjmKXTT4uHFflCS?usp=sharing

The strange thing is that when I opened the project this morning the problem was gone and the clip looked normal again. However, when I started working on this another clip which was previously normal started showing this problem, which I hope you can see in the project I just shared with you. I am beginning to think that there might be some bug either with my RAM, with my PC configuration, with the software, or in the project itself.

Here is a link to the test video generated with the latest problem: https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Test2.mp4

borate

Could not replicate the issue with your original, but did make a few tweaks and eliminate possible effect conflicts.

To see what those were, load the revision and examine each image effect in the bin and on the timeline.

Export was set to 1080 letterbox (not crop), SmartMax45 fps. This is full-screen 1080, which seems pleasing.

HEC

Hi Borate, strangely when I downloaded and opened up your version of the project the preview sequence actually looks different from theoutput video you generated:
1) The first 3 clips as well as the last were in 16:9 with black bars above and below inside a 1:1 frame.
2) Clip #4 filled the entire 1:1 frame
3) the text "this october" was properly lcated to the right of the frame instead of being in the centre like your video.

I've been doing videos in 16:9 format and I don't ever recall problems of the sort. This only started happening now with the current project which I intend to export in 1:1 format. I can still see that the problem in the video you linked me to above in the third clip (the one with the fisherman working on his net) where the start frame is not where I had originally set it much farther to the right. And then there's the position of the text "this October"...

borate

Make each clip CROP to ASPECT RATIO on the timeline. Some are LETTERBOX to A/R. That may be causing the A/R problem.

Export as shown below. Here's the revised project, based on your original, with no positional changes.

HEC

Thanks Borate, but sorry to say, the sequence doesn't actually give the output I want:
1) Clip 3 (fisherman and net) still doesn't show the pan and zoom originally intended
2) The final clip (church over water) is also not framed as originally intended.

I understand that the clips should be "Crop to Aspect Ratio", which seems logical. However, when I select the clip and click on the FX button, this is what comes out:
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230624a.jpg with the start/end frames in 16:9 ratio not representnig the actual frame in the sequence at all (I have highlighted the frame in dash green line).

I am starting to think that this could be a bug in Videopad itself. Is that possible?

borate

For these comparisons, the zipped attachment, above, was loaded and exported, then the result compared with your unaltered upload.

Your original "fisherman" and my revision look the same here. (That clip in the revision was extended slightly to smooth the next transition.)

And the "church" framing appears to be just as you programmed it...

Your green-boxed area... The result in the revised project...

HEC

Yes I did. The green box was simply to show the result you got relative to the frame I saw in Videopad.

I just opened the original project Videopad again after rebooting and this is what I have: https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230625a.jpg
As you can see the clip has been cropped down to 1:1 with the 1:1 start frame, but I cannot access the rest of the clip which lie outside of this frame.

However, I seemed to have managed to resolve this, finally, even if there are some doubts as to what exactly is need to fix this. Here are 4 screenshots:
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230625a2.jpg
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230625d.jpg
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230625b.jpg
https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230625c.jpg

Note that the AR setting for every clip is different from each other, but this time everything seems to work as intended: https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Test3.mp4

Could there be some conflict between Videopad and some setting or another software in my own computer that is causing all these unexpected hiccups?

ps.What I'd like to know is whether you saw the same interface when working the project as I did above. From the screenshot above it looks as if the frame got squashed horizontally (is this actually what you saw?) which is different from what I had (https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/Screenshot 230624a.jpg).

borate

Comparing shot for shot here there's no difference in the programmed first frames (after dissolves) and the export. Never a sign of A/R distortion.

Videopad seems to be rendering faithfully what was programmed.

The issue likely arises from the mixed A/Rs and effects.

To simplify, try this...

Set preview Aspect Ratio drop-down to 1:1, so what's shown is what you will get.

Remove the A/R effects (Letterbox or Crop) on every clip. Just leave the P&Z settings.

Prior to adding fades to the clip, adjust the Pan/Zoom Start/End boxes if necessary to reframe a shot.

Export at 1:1 , such as Resolution 1280x1280

Widescreen Fit: Crop and Zoom

Frame Rate: Variable (Smart Max 45fps),

Quality/Filesize: Default

You should get this. Download and view with WMP or other player. Looks just fine here.

For smoothness and enhancement, fades have been added, the "fisherman" clip has been extended slightly, and there's a dip between the two ending background shots.

Also, confirm that the PC's video driver and Direct-X are up to date...

AMD / ATI users: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx Intel users: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx nVidia users: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us Update DirectX: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179113

HEC

I have done as you advised and am happy to report that it works. As you say, seemed the A/R effects were conflicting with the separate A/R setting of the P&Z. In any case, I have exported using Smart Max 45fps as well as 30fps. You can see them for youself here:

Smart Max 45fps - https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/FB_ad2306-test3(45Var).mp4
30 fps - https://www.ergo-travel.com/TEMP/FB_ad2306-test3(30fps).mp4

Strangely the 30fps video has smoother running text than the Var 45fps despite having a smaller file size, so I'm going for the former.

Many thanks for spending all this time with me!

ps. I have submitted feedback to the NCH Developer team to do a detailed info sheet on the various A/R settings. It's been incredibly confusing since this can be set in so many different places - for the individual clips in the bin, on the sequence preview, as a separate effect on its own, and within the P&Z effect settings. It's easy to get all these mixed up and I think a summary of what each does to the whole will be very useful.

borate

Glad it worked out. Yes, VP has numerous ways to handle a project; it can get confusing when mixing different A/Rs and resolutions.

Both your clips look okay here. The slight 'flicker' at the end of the dissolve from the fisherman can be avoided by extending just a bit.