Importing a sequence into another...

[Mike Downey]

I would LOVE to create a sequence for basic moves and then be able to insert them into a sequence for a song.

Example: Would love a sequence for a basic move with a fan... the lights bouncing back and forth.

I can then insert that move into any other sequence where needed.

Is this possible?

[jimswinder]

Yeah...but as far as I know only by Copying and Pasting.

I open up both sequences, minimize them so they both fit on the screen, then just copy the Channels you want to copy and then paste them into the one where you want it.

Just in case you don't know, just highlight the first cell (or cells) of the column of channels you want to copy and if you want to copy all the way to the end of the sequence, hold down the shift key and then hit the "End" key and it will highlight all the cells in that (those) channels.

Hit Control "C" (copy) go into the other sequence where you want to copy, highlight the very first cell where you want it to start and hit Control "V" (Paste).

If it is not where you want it to be, hit Control "Z" (Undo), then highlight the cell again where you want it to be and hit Control "V" (Paste) once again...

[Randy]

Would the "Subsequence" feature work for this? I've never tried it....

[George Simmons]

Mike,

Why not create an animation sequence for just the more time-consuming elements of the display - like the fan? I made an animation sequence for my Robin wheel and copied samples of all the things I've done with it into that sequence. Then whenever I want to use one of those patterns again it's a simple matter of cut and paste. Whenever I create a new pattern I also copy it into the master animation sequence and it's ready if I want it again later on. It took me a couple hours to set up originally, but since then I've saved far more than that by not having to re-create those patterns again and again.

[jimswinder]

George Simmons wrote:

Mike,

Why not create an animation sequence for just the more time-consuming elements of the display - like the fan?

Hey George...

What happens when the beat is not the same in different songs?

Or (as usual) am I missing something?

[Don]

jimswinder wrote:

Hey George...

What happens when the beat is not the same in different songs?

Or (as usual) am I missing something?

I'll try to explain without taking the time to work up some graphics.

Suppose for a moment that you had a 16 slice/string/section mega tree with 4 color each. One of the effects you want to repeat over and over has the tree sweeping left to right with red, then green, then clear, then blue lights. At the most basic of effects this will take 64 cells to complete. (16*4=64)

Now, you're working on a song for your display when it think to yourself, "Self, that spot in the song with the wind chimes, that last for 4.29 seconds, would be great for that effect."

Besides needing help for talking to yourself (kidding) you would do the following.

1) Select the area that you want the effect to appear.
2) Right click and "Delete Selected Timings"
3) Now highlight that cell (you should only have one cell in that space) and "Subdivide Timings"
4) Type in "64" to divide that space into 64 cells.
5) Copy and Paste the effect from your effect file (which I didn't mention earlier in the post) into this space.

[jimswinder]

Isn't talking to ones self a prerequisite for this addiction???

Who else would listen to our rants?

Thanks for the explanation... :cool:

[Mike Downey]

Thank you so much for the wonderful ideas!!!



If you ever need help with the video side of things let me know! I work For Grass Valley and am the tech expert for thier EDIUS Video editing software!



Thanks again!!!

[jimswinder]

Mike Downey wrote:

If you ever need help with the video side of things let me know! I work For Grass Valley and am the tech expert for thier EDIUS Video editing software.

So Mike...

What Pro-Consumer Video Camera would you suggest?

I have been looking at a Canon XH-A1S 3CCD HDV.

[jimswinder]

Don wrote:

Besides needing help for talking to yourself (kidding) you would do the following.

1) Select the area that you want the effect to appear.
2) Right click and "Delete Selected Timings"
3) Now highlight that cell (you should only have one cell in that space) and "Subdivide Timings"
4) Type in "64" to divide that space into 64 cells.
5) Copy and Paste the effect from your effect file (which I didn't mention earlier in the post) into this space.

Okay....

let's say I have a channel copied from Track 1 into Track 2 (so I can see where a particular beat starts and stops).

And now I want to do your Step 2 "Delete Selected Timings" in Track 2.

Anyway I can have that happen just in Track 2 and not have it effect the same timings in that time span in Track 1 with out removing the copied Channel from Track 2?

[Mike Downey]

That camera is actually a very good lower end camera to use for everything from family video to pro event work!

I am still using my Sony Z1 for most of my Doc work that I do.

If you don't want to spend the money... (Our 8000 camera that was used at the Summer olympics only costs $185,000 without lense) this is what I would look for.

1. Make sure that your camera has ood low light capability. That is what made me go for the Z1... I could shoot with very little light and still get good detail.

2. If you don't want to be a pure auto shooter, make sure the controls are easy to reach and use while you are filming.

3. Removable lese really dosen't matter that much... I have seen MANY people buy cameras like the XL1 because they could use different lenses... 99% of them NEVER take the original lense off.

4. Sticking with the big names is a safe bet... Canon, Sony, Panasonic, and JVC all have quality equipment so it depends on whether you like the picture and how it feels.

Now on the scene are a few SLR cameras that shoot High Def video in the AVCHD format and from what I have hear from the production studios that use them they are very nice.

I hope I helped a little bit!

Mike

[Don]

jimswinder wrote:

Okay....

let's say I have a channel copied from Track 1 into Track 2 (so I can see where a particular beat starts and stops).

And now I want to do your Step 2 "Delete Selected Timings" in Track 2.

Anyway I can have that happen just in Track 2 and not have it effect the same timings in that time span in Track 1 with out removing the copied Channel from Track 2?

Jim,

If you want to have different timings, you'll need to create a new timing grid. You can use the different timing grids to do what you are wanting to do. (I usually have a "base" grid that I don't ever change. That grid will be what I base everything else off of.)

[jimswinder]

Don wrote:

If you want to have different timings, you'll need to create a new timing grid. You can use the different timing grids to do what you are wanting to do. (I usually have a "base" grid that I don't ever change. That grid will be what I base everything else off of.)

I understand that...but when you want to insert a different timing, using the method like you suggested, it doesn't work if you have a copied channel from a different track, because then it screws up the timings for the track from which the channel was copied...

[jimswinder]

Mike Downey wrote:

Now on the scene are a few SLR cameras that shoot High Def video in the AVCHD format

My friend has a Canon Rebel that does that...he came and shot my display with it, but I wasn't that impressed...especially with the low light. But he had just gotten it, so maybe he didn't have all the settings just right.

Is the Sony Z1 a tape format or Hard Drive?

[Mike Downey]

Canon is not know for thier great low light. The Z1 is a tape camera... it is older. Come on over to our forums to ask about cameras others are using.



http://ediusforum.grassvalley.com

We have many pros there and they are more into the day to day shooting than I am

I am GrassValley MD there and I am the admin.

I don't want to hijack this forum with Video stuff

[Don]

jimswinder wrote:

I understand that...but when you want to insert a different timing, using the method like you suggested, it doesn't work if you have a copied channel from a different track, because then it screws up the timings for the track from which the channel was copied...

When you copy a channel to a new track, and make changes to that channel, it will change in all channels.

So, no, if you make changes to a channels events in one track, those events will have changed in the other track. If you change the timings in one track, the events won't be affected in any track.


*Events - The actual light effects.

[George Simmons]

jimswinder wrote:

I understand that...but when you want to insert a different timing, using the method like you suggested, it doesn't work if you have a copied channel from a different track, because then it screws up the timings for the track from which the channel was copied...

What you could do is: instead of duplicating/copying a channel from another track, simply insert a new channel into your 'new' track. If you want info from a channel in another track then copy and paste that info with the paste mode set to time. That would give you the information you want without either the track the info came from or the track in which you're working affected in any way. Whatever changes you might make to the timings of the 'new'track will only affect that track and when you're finished sequencing that track all you have to do is delete the timing channel you inserted.

[jimswinder]

George Simmons wro

What you could do is: instead of duplicating/copying a channel from another track, simply insert a new channel into your 'new' track.

Yep..that would work...IF I was done with that channel and didn't need it to update further in the track it was copied to... lol

I guess more items to the wish-list email, huh?

[George Simmons]

jimswinder wrote:

...IF I was done with that channel and didn't need it to update further in the track it was copied to...

Huh? Try that again with different words.

[jimswinder]

George Simmons wrote:

jimswinder wrote:

...IF I was done with that channel and didn't need it to update further in the track it was copied to...

Huh? Try that again with different words.

LOL....

Okay....If I Copy and Pasted the channel (from Track 1 into Track 2), as opposed to using "Copy To Other Track" (from Track 1 to Track 2) then I would have a static copy in Track 2, so if I was not done with that original Channel in Track 1, it would not be updating in Track 2...where I would be needing to see the updates...unless (per the origianl statement) I was done sequencing that channel in Track 1.

clear as mud? :shock:

Maybe I sequence differently than you do George. Let's look at the first 10 seconds of a song. I sequence ALL my channels for that 10 seconds, then move on to the next 10 seconds. Perhaps, by your statement, you sequence one channel (or track) for the WHOLE song, then move onto the next channel (or track), so that channel/track is completely sequenced and then could be copied into another track without the worry of it changing.

I would be interested in how others do their sequencing...

One channel (or track) at a time, or do you do all channels for a part of the song?

Perhaps I should create a "beat" channel like others do...but I guess because of the way I sequence, I don't know what "beat" I am going to use until I get to that portion of the song.