I just got Vegas 7 and was wondering how I can position a Spec. Effect on a certain area of the video... (Like the blur effect you see on the news and such...) I found the Pixelate Spec. Effect but when I try to apply it is automatically applied to the entire video.

Hi,

You can split the section by placing your cursor at the biginning of the area you want to apply the effect to and click "S" on your keyboard. Repeat this at the end of the area you want the effect to be applied.

Now add the effect to this section.

You could also use keyframes.

__________________
Gordon
www.learningvegas.com

Sorry, but thats not what I meant. I do not want the effect to be applied to the entire screen... Only a certain area to blur out a face or something...

Use keyframes, Go to the fx you want move to the spot you want and add key frames for your movement

__________________
Wil Chapman Jr.
Oly, Washington
DP, Producer, Editor

Feel free to visit ( UPDATED!!! )
http://www.myspace.com/chapmanphotography
http://www.myspace.com/sport_specific (personal and training site)

One way....
I'll assume you want to blur/pixelate a face
Put your clip onto the timeline
Copy the clip onto the track above (only copy the video portion)
Mute the lower track for now (it's easier to see what you're doing)
On the upper track, add the Sony Cookie Cutter effect
Select Shape = Circle, Method = Cut away all but section
Use the "position" box to centre the circle on the face you want to blur
Resize the circle and feather to taste
Scrub forward through the timeline until the face moves.
Move the centre of the circle so it is back over the face and create a keyframe (click the <+> at the very bottom of the window) resize the circle if necessary.
Repeat the last two steps as often as necessary to keep the circle over the face.
Now add the pixelate or a blur effect to the upper track and set the amounts/types as necessary
Unmute the lower track and admire your handiwork.

For more flexibilty you could use a Pan & Crop Bezier Mask on the upper track instead of a cookie cutter.

Or for a custom shape, you could create a mask on a third track, above the other two, make it a parent of track two and change the compositing mode to Multiply (mask)

There are, I'm sure , many more ways of doing this, but this is what is so great about Vegas - each different method brings different results and yet more ideas.

__________________
Tim

Thanks man, I appreciate it and will give it a try when I get a chance. Do you happen to know a video tutorial or anything that actually shows it being done as I literally just got the program and don't know much about it yet.

Thanks again,
- Devon

--Edit--

Thanks, I managed to figure it out the way you described... 3 more questions though.

1) I am trying to make a slide show but when I import images they are low quality, why is this and how can I make them good quality like normal?

2) How do you scale an image or video over a series of frames? (Start small and make it larger.)

3) Back to the original topic... How would I apply this effect (Blur the face) to something moving... For example, if the person is walking the face will be moving so the pixelated effect will have to move with the face... I could do this with a Motion Tween in Flash but I've never worked with Vegas before.

What resolution and format are the pics. Ideally you want something that matches the resolution of your video system with the same Pixel Aspect Ratio. This is unlikely so I just try to ensure my still are exactly 576 pixels high (I'm PAL) or an exact multiple thereof. A BIGGER number of pixels does NOT necessarily result in a better video - video is only 720 x576 (PAL) or 720 x 480 (NTSC)

Use help (or search forums) for Track Motion and Keyframes

[/quote]
I've already told you this, but I suspect you didn't understand
Scrub forward through the timeline until the face moves.
Move the centre of the circle so it is back over the face and create a keyframe (click the <+> at the very bottom of the window) resize the circle if necessary.
Repeat the last two steps as often as necessary to keep the circle over the face.

Learn to use keyframes as recommended by others. When I het a chance I'll post pointers to some tutorials

__________________
Tim

See "Blurring faces a la "Cops" in

http://www.videoguys.com/Vegas_Tips/TTS01-12.pdf

In fact I highly recommends all of Ed Troxel's Vegas tutorials in his newsletters.

www.jetdv.com :: Index

__________________
Tim

I'll second that, Edwards The man when it comes to vegas (sorry Grazie)

__________________
Wil Chapman Jr.
Oly, Washington
DP, Producer, Editor

Feel free to visit ( UPDATED!!! )
http://www.myspace.com/chapmanphotography
http://www.myspace.com/sport_specific (personal and training site)