Originally Posted by Z Cheema Get a small boy who used to work up chimneys and get him to do it.... |
Nah. I'll do it. It's fun......
OK, this looks complex but, if you've got a lot of clips is worth considering. I've tested this with VMSP version 6.
Conceptually what we do is drag the clips to the timeline with a 2 second overlap and then convert that overlap into a cut - which will effectively cut 1 sec off each clip. Good, eh?
The main requirement is that the clips appear in the "project media" window in the sequence you want them. This should be no problem if you are simply repeating the order that they come off the camera.
Important, this uses keyboard shortcuts which require that the num lock is on.
1. Import media to get all your clips into the Project Media tab.
2. Options | Preferences | Editing Tab.
...Tick the box "Automatically overlap multiple selected media when added" and set the amount to 2.00 seconds. Also ensure the Alignment is set to "centred on cut".
3. Select all the media in your project media and drag to the timeline.
Now it's all there with 2 sec crossfades!
4. Click on the first crossfade and press the * key on the numeric keypad to convert this to a dissolve transition. Just close the dialog which pops up. (Alternatively right-click on the crossfade and select Transition | Insert Sony Dissolve then close the dialog). Actually any transition other than crossfade will do here.
5. Right Click on the dissolve you've just created and select "copy".
6. Select the next crossfade and then then shift-click the final crossfade to select all crossfades.
7. Right Click on one of the selections and select "Paste Event Attributes". This will convert all the crossfades to dissolves (or whatever transition you chose)
So we now have all your clips with two second dissolves.
8. Click on the first dissolve then press Ctrl+ "/" on the num keypad. This will convert the dissolve to a cut.
9. You now need to step through all of the dissolves repeating this. Unfortunately selecting them all and pressing Ctrl+ Num / doesn't work - at least in version 6 but there is a fairly quick way:
Use the Numeric keypad 9 to step along the timeline selecting in turn the beginning of an event, the end of and event and the dissolve. It becomes quite quick to get into the routine of going 9, 9, 9, Ctrl + Num / (Trust me - it just looks cumbersome typed out!)
10. You can now do the same for the crossfades on the audio track - just select the first and press Ctrl + Num /, then 9, 9, 9 etc etc etc
As I say I did this with version 6. Version 10 may well make it even simpler - eg allowing you to select all clips and apply a "Convert to Cut".
Let me know how you get on.