Aspect Ratio (compressed horizontally)

NancySue

I am attempting to load a video. The picture is compressed horizontally; in aspect ratio 16/9, it has been squished with black areas added on each side. I tried changing the aspect ratio, whereupon the black areas disappeared, but the picture did not become wider. How can I return it to its original proportions?

Thank you!

borate

Videopad doesn't alter the original, so it can be loaded once more to return to how it looked at the outset.
After loading, right-click the clip and choose Change Aspect Ratio. Test the many options, to see which is best. Try Stretch. Then drop the clip onto the timeline.

If the video is on the timeline, as yet unchanged, try a few video effects. Letterbox to Aspect Ratio and Stretch to Aspect Ratio are good candidates.

Depending upon the A/R of the original apply the Scale effect. Some picture content may be lost.

If you share the video, someone may have further suggestions. Here's how...

Upload the file to a free server, such as Google Drive or MS OneDrive, right-click the link and Share or Copy. Copy the result and paste it here or to me in a Private Message via the mail envelope in the top-right corner of this forum. When using Google Drive, right-click the file, then click SHARE | SHARE and change "restricted" to "anyone with link can view.**

NancySue

Thank you, Borate! It's been several years since I used VideoPad, so it's slow going and I'll probably ask stupid questions. I closed out the video I was working on and re-opened the original. It leapt immediately onto the timeline, no opportunity to do anything to it pre-timeline. I went to Menu/video effects/aspect ratio transformers. Letterbox to Aspect Ratio didn't help, but Stretch did, and it suddenly looked right on the big viewing screen, but the video on the timeline was still skinny. I dragged the clip down to the timeline and it replaced the first attempt, and now all seems to be well! I was surprised that it replaced the other and didn't like add a second track; I guess that's how it works? So, thank you for your magic!

I have another question: this video is in Portuguese, and I am incorporating English subtitles. Managed to do that successfully. But they are awfully large, and occasionally run off the screen. Is there a way to control the size of the font?

Thanks again!

borate

Some VP releases will place video on the timeline automatically when a clip is imported, but you can delete it there if you prefer to work with the original clip in the bin.

If Stretch to A/R is added to a timeline clip it should should the same in preview and on the timeline, but not in the original bin clip. On Export there's also a stretch option.

To make changes in subtitle fonts click the Format tab...

NancySue

Sorry; how did you get to that "Subtitles - Sequence 1" box?

borate

"Sequence One" is simply the sequence being edited. In most cases only one is needed.

Just invoke the subtitles box, compose the titles and click the Format tab to apply customization.

For general HELP, click the ? at the top-right of the VP window. Pressing <ctrl-F> will bring up a search box.

NancySue

Ah right, got it. I didn't recognize the box because it was full of lines of dialogue. Thank you!

NancySue

Ok; I think that portion of the video (it's a 3-part video) is good! But when I watched it through, the whole video began again, in the compressed aspect ratio. I realized that when I moved the corrected clip onto the timeline, it didn't replace the other attempt (which had immediately leapt onto the timeline before I could correct the aspect ratio), it sat in front of it. How can I load a video, so that it doesn't go on the timeline until I have corrected it?

borate

If an imported clip appears on the timeline automatically you can delete it. Select the clip and press DEL or right-click the clip and delete.

Remember, there's a STRETCH option in the export dialog box as well.

NancySue

Ok. So you mean, I can edit the video in the distorted aspect ratio, and then when I export it, I can stretch it to its proper dimensions? (which is 1.85:1). Or can simply delete the distorted video where it's tacked onto the end. But it seems like when I used VideoPad in the past, a clip or clips would just sit there in the clip box, until I dragged them down to the timeline. Am I doing something wrong, or is it something in the nature of this particular video that causes it to go immediately to timeline?

borate

You can test that stretch export mode, to see if it does what you want.

Some VP releases do place imported clips automatically on the timeline, some don't. But when clips are dragged from the bin, they stay there - unchanged - even if various effects or ratios are applied to them on the timeline.

If you want to take the time, share your project. Follow these steps one-by-one. Don't skip any. If using Google Drive for the upload, be sure to change "restricted" to "anyone with link can view" as instructed below. Someone will check it out.

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.
Zip the folder --- It will be numbered. In Windows right-click on it and Send To > Compressed (zipped) folder.
Upload --- Use a free server - Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc. - to upload the zipped folder. When it completes...
Get link --- Right-click the file and click SHARE. If using Google, right-click the file, click SHARE | SHARE. Change "restricted" to "anyone ... can view"
Share --- Click COPY LINK or OK | DONE. Paste that link here. Or request first that it be made private.