Organisation of Video Conversion advice

[Xenofex2]

I’d like to ask what are two probably simple questions re the adding of video clips.

For the first time I think, I have just added video via the O&A tab. I knew video has to be converted but according to the Manual that I checked after adding the clip, it seems that this can only be done via the File List (and so before insertion) or the Slide List – something I have normally done in the past and thus the video clip, already added to one's Project, is converted.   

Although then what happens in the conversion process has probably happened to me before it is not something I would have noticed, as removing the video from O&A in order to convert, after conversion in my File List I see I now have two video clips, and so have to check which is the converted one and make sure I add the right one back into the Project. Okay if you add just one clip perhaps but even then I had to scroll to the right to see which one had been converted.

1. So how do others organise their Project File for video insertion? Do you have two Video Folders within the Project Folder, one in which has the original video clip, and the second in which, after changing the destination folder before conversion, all converted video clips are stored here for use? Presumably that is possible?

2. If I then use a number of video clips and perhaps forget and do not convert them straight away, is there any way of telling if they have all been converted? And then what is the effect on playback after exporting to an Exe File if one or more video clip were not converted? Guess if I organise myself as suggested in Point One, then I should know if I have converted all video clips used? Any other thoughts please?  

George

[Ronniebootwest]

This is a good question! I would like to know the answer as well so please try to make it as detailed as possible.

 

 

[goddi]

1 hour ago, Xenofex2 said:

I’d like to ask what are two probably simple questions re the adding of video clips.

For the first time I think, I have just added video via the O&A tab. I knew video has to be converted but according to the Manual that I checked after adding the clip, it seems that this can only be done via the File List (and so before insertion) or the Slide List – something I have normally done in the past and thus the video clip, already added to one's Project, is converted.   

Although then what happens in the conversion process has probably happened to me before it is not something I would have noticed, as removing the video from O&A in order to convert, after conversion in my File List I see I now have two video clips, and so have to check which is the converted one and make sure I add the right one back into the Project. Okay if you add just one clip perhaps but even then I had to scroll to the right to see which one had been converted.

1. So how do others organise their Project File for video insertion? Do you have two Video Folders within the Project Folder, one in which has the original video clip, and the second in which, after changing the destination folder before conversion, all converted video clips are stored here for use? Presumably that is possible?

2. If I then use a number of video clips and perhaps forget and do not convert them straight away, is there any way of telling if they have all been converted? And then what is the effect on playback after exporting to an Exe File if one or more video clip were not converted? Guess if I organise myself as suggested in Point One, then I should know if I have converted all video clips used? Any other thoughts please?  

George

Greetings George,

I have been using a lot of video clips. It can get confusing but after you  have done a 'conversion', the filename will be changed by adding 'converted' to it and it will have the 'avi' format. I keep all of my files, images and videos, in the same folder for each project.

As an example of a conversion I had to do with on video clip, in the attachment, are 4 of the same video file that had been created in the process. The original file from my camera is an MOV clip. I then 'converted' it and it becomes a 'converted.avi' file. But then I decide to run it through my Mercalli program to stabilize it  and it was saved as converted-Merc.mp4. Now, since I think it should be an 'avi' file again, I ran it through the 'convert' process and it becomes 'converted-Merc.converted.avi'.

The primary reason I do this is to watch the Bit Rate so that I can try to keep the file sizes down. The lower the Bit Rate, the smaller the file. And you will notice that the file that is actually used in the project will be highlighted. In this example, I have not yet used the final 'converted-Merc.converted.avi' file yet. For the time being, I still am using the 'converted.avi' file.

But this is the way I manage the conversion of video clips. I still have questions, myself, about when I really need to do a 'convert' of a video clip. It seems that for sure I should do it  to an MOV video clip. They don't play well in the Preview screen. But should I do it  to a MP4 clip that was an AVI but was outputted from Mercalli as an MP4 to get it back to the AVI format? Not sure.

Gary

[davegee]

When the Converted File is added to the File List it contains the suffix "Converted".

DG

 

[Xenofex2]

Yes I agree that the converted file does have the suffix 'converted' added but that seems to be at the end of the file name (and probably then my fault, mine have a long header so that I knew what was what and where I want to use it) and it appears I have to 'right click' and go into File Information to find which is which.

Gary, and there is me thinking of organising my video clips after just using one video with two files, and there is you with four. But then the more video clips that one may use, in your case you are multiplying up each one by four.

Some while ago, and learning from old mistakes, I utilised Barry Beckham's advice and within each Project Folder, I have sub folders, adapted over the years - and for me these are now a) Images for Show, b)  Layered Files, c) Movie Images, d) Potential Images, e) Project & Exe and f) Sound Files. So I then move all potential images that I will use into either the Potential or Movie Folder. This means that everything is together just in case I wish to re-visit at some stage in the future. 

Whilst I don't go through the same process as Gary, I do have another program through which I actually edit Video Clips, maybe merge and also am just watching a tutorial on using a plug-in so that I can use fade in/fade out styles when I join up two video clips. Of course I save work in progress to this same Movie Folder which means the folder gets larger and larger.

George

[Ronniebootwest]

It is getting really confusing now! Perhaps we could ask Barry Beckham to produce an updated version of his excellent tutorial on the complete process of adding video to a PTE slide show. Using the latest version of PTE of course!
 I for one, would be verfy happy to purchase it.

[davegee]

Where's the confusion?? If you Convert and Trim etc your video from the File List then there is nothing else to do.

Use of third party software is optional and I have never found the need.

DG

[goddi]

50 minutes ago, davegee said:

Where's the confusion?? If you Convert and Trim etc your video from the File List then there is nothing else to do.

Use of third party software is optional and I have never found the need.

DG

Greetings All,

After much use of Convert and Trim, I finally have got the hang of it. However, the Trim process can be improved, for example, if we had the  ability to insert markers where we want to Trim. It is not easy to make minor adjustment. It is not easy to see exactly the point of the trim or to make minor adjustments. It would helpful if, after you have set the Trim points, it would Play only within the Trim points. Now, it just plays right through them so you can't be real sure about the trim settings until you actually finish the Convert process and see if it is what you want.

Another problem is that once a Convert/Trim is processed, you have to clear the clip out and start over. You can't make an adjustment to your previous settings and just redo it. I think Igor has mentioned he is redoing the entire process so I hope this gets on his to-do list.

However, sometimes you want to use a stabilizer program on a clip. You may have a choice of saving it as an AVI or an MP4 from that  program. I am never sure if  I should re-convert it. Usually, I take a look at the Bit Rate of each file after it is outputted to make some determination as to which to use. Some allow the setting of the bit rate, some don't. Wouldn't it be nice to have a stabilizer built into PTE?

Also, setting the Quality level is sort of a blind choice. It seems to affect only the Bit Rate, therefore the final size of the video clip. I wish it would change from choice of Percent, to an actual choice of a Bit Rate. If you are dealing with only a few small clip, it might not matter much. But, with many clips, it might, if you want to get it down below the Max Upload size for the  SlideShowClub.

One  of the problems is that the  File List will only highlight a file that is used as the Main Object. If you use a clip (or image) within a clip (or image), it does not show up highlighted in the File List, so that can cause some confusion as to which files were actually used in the project. So when you want to delete unused or test clips or images, you have to be careful.

Gary