Video length in drop zones

Is there a limit on the length of videos I can put in drop zones?

Sue,
I don't think so-why do you ask?
There is - and I've run into it - but I don't remember right now exactly what it is.
Setting the duration of a movie in a drop zone
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iDVD/6.0/
en/260.htm
That is a dead link because you said "htm" - it should end in "html". The iDVD 5 Help article is at: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iDVD/5.0/en/260.html

Similar Messages

Dropping Video into a drop zone...

Is it possible to put video in a drop zone without losing any qaultiy? I have video clips that I insert into drop zones that are over 1GB, but once inserted, the file size of my project only says 256MB. I would like that video clip to be uncompressed for best quality.

If your working in DVD SP, all video assets are converted to Mpeg2, if not before bringing it into DVD SP, then during the build by compressor 2.
If your exporting out of FCP, using QT conversion, STOP! You should be using "QuickTime Movie" as your export, (first option in FCP 5 export.) You should also, to save time, uncheck the self contained movie option, this creates a reference movie that compressor can use and take a fraction of the time to export.
Using QuickTime conversion just adds a whole new layer of compression to your video, using the QT Movie export doesn't and references the source footage, (no loss of video quality. This file is then used by Compressor 2 to create the Mpeg 2 file for DVD SP.
PS: don't remove any of the FCP render or source files, till Compressor is finished creating the Mpeg 2 file. The Mpeg2 file that is created, doesn't need any of the source footage to work in DVD SP, (like the FCP footage and reference movie does.)
Using Compressor as a stand alone App, gives you far better control over the quality of the video asset, than letting DVD SP automatically use Compressor during the build, plus it save time during the build, due to the fact that all assets are already in Mpeg2 format.

Scripting video in drop zones? possible? necessary?

is it possible to have different video play in a drop zone when a viewer returns to the menu. is this something that can be scripted? Or do i have to create a separate menu for each diferent piece of video in the drop zone and assigne that menu as the return point for the next menu with a different video in the drop zone at the time of returning from the end of a chapter? what do you think?
-trevor

You can target loop point from the track and the drop zone will be the same length in - in other words lets say the drop zone is a 30 second clip and you set the loop point in the menu to 20 seconds into the menu if you target the loop point via a script as a return the drop zone will play from 20 seconds on (as will the rest of the menu)
But it is really not very elegent nor does it sound like what you want - each drop zone will have to be timed
The script is
Jump Menu :: (Loop) //loop is a checkbox option in the inspector

Adding Pictures/Video to Drop Zones

Hello All,
I've created a drop zone in motion and saved it as a master template. However when I bring it into FCP I have no idea how to place my footage into the drop zone. Whenever I drag something into the canvas it just overwrites the template.
Also, can images/footage be resized and animated within a drop zone?
Thanks!
rT

Thanks Jerry, I can't believe I missed that.
It seems though I can only animate the drop zone as a whole and not the picture/ video inside the drop zone. Is there a way to do that. For example I may want a picture inside the drop zone to scale up a bit. However the scale parameters on the motion tab only control the drop zone as a whole - not what is within it. Is threre any way to resolve this?
Thanks.

Dropping a Track into a Drop Zone?

Attempting a complex menu: Client wants a "live" menu throughout a video so that the viewer can navigate at any time while the video is playing. I have accomplished this by using a large Drop Zone in a menu and setting the loop point to the length of the embedded video, and setting an End jump to Still. The user can then select another section to view by clicking on another button on the live menu - or, "all of the choices all of the time".
The problem: Client wants to include a "?" button onscreen at all times so that (hypothetically) if the viewer wanted to "pause" the video they were watching and look at another menu of "FAQ" buttons/select one/watch a video, then the viewer could then select a "Resume" button on-screen and it would return them to a location near where they were prior to when they clicked the "?" button.
I do not believe this can be done based on the "live" menu design. My understanding is that there is a Last Chapter Viewed function that will memorize where the viewer was when they left a Track, but that it will only work if the video that was being watched was a Track, and not an embedded video in a Drop Zone. You cannot drop a Track into a Drop Zone, and Tracks are the only place you can embed chapter markers, so you cannot refer to a Last Chapter Viewed in the "live" menu I created.
In other words, a raw MPEG2 clip cannot have chapter markers placed in it, then dropped into a Drop Zone because chapter markers can only be done on a Track, and Tracks cannot be used inside a Drop Zone. (sorry if that is redundant - this is odd)
Do I have that right? I need to know if this can/cannot be done so that my client can consider an alternative.

Thank you so much! I tried to find this in the manual, but not knowing what it is called it was obviously not easy. I am glad you were able to figure out what I was talking about despite the shortcomings of my video editing vocabulary.
I am slowly discovery that I love to edit in FCE. I have volunteered to edit the video from a children's play my church puts on each year. Each year it seems to get more difficult as we add more cameras. I finally took the plunge this year with FCE as iMovie did not seem up to the challenge.
I have audio from a professional sound board, and synced that up with the camera that has the best angle. I have locked the sound board audio, and then I delete any new audio that is added when I add video tracks....Which now that I look at my timeline it does not seem to be adding any audio when I add clips from the viewer which suits my purposes just find, but I am not sure why.

Drop Zones in DVDSP menu templates

I like to occasionally use the menu templates that come with DVDSP. One thing that frustrates me is the quality of the playback video in the Drop Zone of the template. The image has a somewhat jagged/blocky look to it. It is not as smooth and clear as the original m2v file. Is this an encoding problem? What can I do to correct this situation.
The original work is done in FCP5 and then encoded to m2v using the Quicktime Conversion options. I usually chose the settings for a 6 bit target rate with a 7 max, one time VBR, and "Better" motion detection.

What David said - any footage on a menu that includes other shapes or items from the palette will get encoded to MPEG2. If you have already used MPEG2 as the source footage then DVDSP will pass it through another enocde process, and you will lose quality... your best bet therefore is to use .mov files in this case.

Motion 5 / FCP X - Frustrating Drop Zones

I've been (trying) to use Drop Zones lately on a number of projects and while I've been able to kludge things here and there to get them to work properly, they sure have frustrated me. The projects I'm working on need snippets of properly timed video floating around the screen, usually within the opening sequence for the video. The trouble is I've never been able to really figure out the timing for these things.
1) Initially, the logical thought was (for me, at least) to set at least an in point for the video before dropping it into the Drop Zone in FCP X. That certainly didn't work because it appeared as though FCP X totally ignored my clip's in point. I wanted that clip video to start exactly at the beginning of that drop zone.
2) Since that didn't work I did some Internet research and someone posted that Drop Zones ignore clip in points. They said that when selecting the clip for the drop zone to place the cursor on the exact frame where you want the video to start before applying it to the Drop Zone. Well, that works to an extent.
Here's what I found after doing some experimentation in both Motion 5 and FCP X (latest versions of each). First, I created a video with timecode in it so that I could accurately track where the video really started on the first frame of the individual Drop Zone. The video starts with 10 seconds of color bars followed by 5 minutes of burned in timecode, then another 10 seconds of color bars. I created a simple Motion Generator with four Drop Zones - upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. Each Drop Zone was placed exactly 10 seconds apart. So, for example:
For the first test I placed each Drop Zone within one Group in Motion. Drop Zones start at the following timecode for each location as follows:
UL: 00:00:00:00
LL: 00:00:10:00
UR: 00:00:20:00
LR: 00:00:30:00
After publishing the project, I loaded it into FCP X. I used the same timecode video for each Drop Zone starting it at timecode value 00:01:00:00. Now, one would think that each drop zone window, having been placed exactly 10 seconds apart, would show timecode values for the inserted videos also each 10 seconds apart. But they don't! All four Drop Zones show exactly the same timecode value. They are acting as if all four were placed within the Motion 5 timeline starting at 00:00:00:00. But they weren't.
So, I thought, what would happen if I placed each Drop Zone in Motion in a separate Group? I created four Groups, each one holding only one Drop Zone. It didn't make a difference. The timecode videos in each window were still in sync with one another.
The only way I can get this to work properly is to offset the beginning of each clip by -10 seconds. Unfortunately, if there's not enough "preroll" in the clip to do that, I'm out of luck.
But it gets stranger! Further experimentation leads me to believe that all of the Drop Zones within a project reference themselves to the very first Drop Zone within the project. I picked a new point within the timecode video - in this case, the 2 minute point (00:02:00:00) and dropped it into the UL drop zone. I did the same then for the other three and now they all track based on that 00:02:00:00 point within the video!
But it gets even stranger!!! I tried one more experiment, this time loading the Drop Zones in reverse order. That seemed to work. But still, why should I have to mess around like this trying to sync drop zones in some of weird order?
The question is, why do Drop Zones work this way and what can be done to fix this problem? However I select the first frame of video for a particular drop zone should be what that drop zone references when rendering. Ideally it would be great to be able to use an in point on the clip, but I'm also happy with just moving the clip's cursor to the first frame. It's easy enough to do. Hopefully the software team working on these apps can come up with a solution that makes sense. Thanks.
John

I've had this too and the fix then was to delete my project render files (FCP that is).
Russ

Using drop zones

I have a template from motion that I exported to generators in fcp x. When I drag to the timeline I can't seem to drop my videos into the drop zones. I used to be able to select the drop zone in the inspector but for some reason I can't find that option anymore. Did I somehow disable the dropzones? or am I looking in the wrong place?
please help,
Brian

Koen
That worked well for me, once I found the menu. It is an auto hide menu to the right of the "To" button in the Image tab. Once you have published a zone, you can also "Unpublish" is as you can see from the screen grab.
One other thing. You can select Layers, and then the top layer "Project", and in the inspector, it will show you everything that you have published.
Thanks for sorting that one out for me Koen, saved me lots of re work
G

Drop Zone referencing time code 00:00:00:00

FCPX drop zone is referencing timecode 00:00:00:00 in my Motion template. How can I use drop zone footage with a different timecode?

I appreciate the post Fox and the link to your fine video on using the Comparator Generator; however, what I'm finding is that when multiple drop zones appear in a project clip they seem to reference the first drop zone. (Your example uses only one drop zone. I've never had a problem syncing video with only one drop zone.) My post, that I referenced above, didn't specify using this procedure, but that is exactly what I did. Just to review a portion of that post:
For the first test I placed each Drop Zone within one Group in Motion. Drop Zones start at the following timecode for each location as follows:
UL: 00:00:00:00
LL: 00:00:10:00
UR: 00:00:20:00
LR: 00:00:30:00
After publishing the project, I loaded it into FCP X. I used the same timecode video for each Drop Zone starting it at timecode value 00:01:00:00. Now, one would think that each drop zone window, having been placed exactly 10 seconds apart, would show timecode values for the inserted videos also each 10 seconds apart. But they don't! All four Drop Zones show exactly the same timecode value. They are acting as if all four were placed within the Motion 5 timeline starting at 00:00:00:00. But they weren't.
I perfectly aligned the start point for each timecode clip segment for it's appropriate drop zone, (first one at 00:00:00:00; second at 00:00:10:00; third at 00:00:20:00 and fourth at 00:00:30:00) but found that FCP X ignored the clip's cursor location for all but the first drop zone. Each of the other three referenced that first drop zone and when playing the project back, the timecode readout in each window precisely matched when they should have been 10 seconds apart.
However, I also found that if I loaded the drop zones in reverse, starting with the last and moving to the first, using the exact same procedure, then all four drop zones synced perfectly. Honestly, it's got me scratching my head. I'm now working on a project that uses 12 drop zones and I'm seriously considering creating each drop zone video clip separately, exporting them from FCP X, importing them into Motion directly, then export the Motion project as a video which I can then import into FCP X. I shouldn't have to do that, but at least that seems to work.
John

How do you adjust the timings of a video placed in a drop zone?

Hi,
I brought a template online and have dropped a video into one of the drop zones. It plays fine, although I would like it to start in a different place and fade the sound in and out.
How do I go about doing this?
Thanks

Trim the Out point of your video so that the entire clip is not in your project (this is so you can slip the video and audio). This step may or may not be necessary if the drop zone is not the same length as your video clip.
Open the timing pane (F6). Hold down OPT while dragging the layer to slip the clip in the project. This will also slip the audio. Once you have it in the right spot, click the audio display button at the bottom of your timing pane (it looks like a little speaker). This will show you your audio track.
Select the audio layer and go to add behavior/audio/audio fade in out. In the inspector, adjust the behavior to taste.
Andy

Video in drop zone breaking menu transition...

this seemed simple.
i have a drop zone on my main menu with a quicktime in it. no interactivity. also on the main menu is a text button. that button triggers a custom transition/wipe that i built in motion. eveything worked fine, until i placed the drop zone with the quicktime: what happens is that when the menu button is selected, the drop zone clip jumps to a different point, then applies the transition and goes to the track. but that's not all. when going back to the menu, the drop zone clip will go to somewhere in the middle of that clip, then go to the head...
the menu length is set to the length of the qt in the drop zone.
if i delete the drop zone, the trans works fine.
any ideas?

Hi:
The transition in your final disc will be a MPEG-2 video file, it will not be created on the fly while playing. That means that DVDSP will use a frame from your menu as starting point to create the transition "to the movie" video file and another one to create the "from the movie" transition. The same happens when you use a movie as background in your menu.
I don't know what rule uses DVDSP to select what frame to choose to build the transition, but you cannot expect that your transition will start in the frame that you are seeing in any moment. Do you know what I mean?
Alberto

Drop Zones in FCPX used to be videos, now show icons

I made a long video using motion transitions and build-ins with drop zones. When originally applied, you dropped them onto the timeline above the vide you wanted them to work with, and the video would play behind it with it showing through the drop zone portions. It was a very nice effect. I have to reexport my movie, and I'm now updated with FCPX 10.0.5 (I believe I lasted exported at 10.0.2 in Lion), and now the dropzones just show the downward arrow, the video won't display through.
Anyone else encouter this? Any solutions? Adding them into the dropzone frame just creates still images, which is stupid.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
FCPX 10.0.5
ML 10.8.1

Have you tried trashing your preferences?
Unexplained faults like this can often be fixed by clearing out FCP X's preferences (for some reason, they get knotted up from time to time).
Download Digital Rebellion's Preference Manager (free, simple to use, and perfectly safe, both to download and use).
http://www.digitalrebellion.com/prefman/
With Preference Manager, you can backup the Prefs when FCP X (or any of the Apple Professional Applications) are working normally. Then when either of the applications are acting strangely, Trash the Preferences, then Restore from your backups (just a mouse-click).
If you trash the prefs and don't restore them, you will need to manually restore all your FCP X settings again, so it's a great idea to backup Preferences from time to time when FCP X is working well, then your backups are up to date.
Doesn't fix every problem, but it fixes a lot.
Andy

Drop Zone will not play video - only still frame

I have a generator template with drop zone, in and out.
When I select the video clip to use in the drop zone it shows as a still freeze frame - video does not play. Only the first frame displays.
This was a bug that Apple said is fixed in the last version... it is still a problem for me.
Anyone know about this?

Motion Template.
To quote FCPX 10.0.08 "Drop zones are no longer reset to the first frame of video after application restarts".... this is in the 'What's New' in the App store.
But if you use a drop zone in a generator template, FCPX only displays the first frame - no video. Many users reported this bug on the eearlier version. Some tried using a compound clip but this did not work for me. The bug is nto fixed.
I need to select a part of two different clips in the timeline on both sides of the template to ceate a transition - one ingoing and one outgoing.

Drop zone video playing too fast

I am building a Motion title sequence with a drop zone for video. I placed it into FCPx as a connected clip (purple timeline box), and associated the video under it to the drop zone. It all works except the video dropped in plays super fast, far out of sync with the audio below. Not sure why.
My FCPX timline, source footage and motion file are all the same frame rate, 23.98. Any ideas?

Where can you place a marker en set the project loop end. Because can place a marker and then go to edith marker. But i see no list as above?
1. Deselect any objects in the Timeline. Select Mark/Markers/Add Marker. If that menu item is not available, make sure there are not layers selected in the Layers window.
2. A timeline marker will be created at the playhead. When the playhead is on that marker, the Edit Marker menu item will become available.
3. Select Mark/Markers/Edit Marker. This brings up the dialogue where you can Name, Comment and select the marker type. Choose Project End Loop from the Type menu, then click OK.
4. Drag the Marker to the end of the timeline.
Adrie, I have not encountered your problem with freezing drop zones. In the past I have had many drop zones playing simultaneously, so it should work. If you suspect that you have a bad install, you should probably reinstall it before troubleshooting any further to eliminate that possibility. I am running a fresh install of 5 on a system that has never had 4 on it.
Where did you find that tutorial? do you have a link.
Ripple Training - Motion 5 - Rigging and Publishing

CHOPPY VIDEO ON MENU AND DROP ZONES

I am ready to burn the DVD but the video on a menu page is very choppy. The drop zone is rotating slowly, etc.
Any ideas on why this is happening? Any ideas on how to fix it?
Thanks.

Steve:
As good practice save the project as a disk image (File->Save as Disk Image menu option) instead of burning directly to disk. This allows you to play the disk image in DVD Player to verify that the encoding of the project was good. If the project plays OK in DVD Player you can then burn that disk image to disk with Disk Utility at the slowest speed available. If there is any problems with the disk playing it can then be narrowed down to the burn process. Also use the top grade media. Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden or Maxell -R are the most recommended brands in this forum.

Video length in drop zones

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for