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I have a Christmas lights display and have a "show" that's approximately 30 minutes. In this, there are 10 songs. I use 2 cameras on a tripod and a drone to video the lights.
I'll have to replace batteries on at least the drone and 1 camera once throughout the show, so there isn't a continuous option for me (though that would've been a cool idea).
My GoPro also segments the files to keep filesize down so at the very least I'd have to render all these together to break them down to use the precut option.
Maybe there's a way to only use multicam and not using precuts, but I can't see how. At this point in time, I'm segmenting and rendering each song on each camera (a lot of time), then bringing them into multicam.
Any alternate ideas?
The clips in the multicam timeline don't have to be continuous/contiguous. There can be gaps between clips where you had to change batteries. And once you've synched all the clips up, they stay like that no matter how many times you enter or exit the MC Designer.
I do about 90% of my editing in MCD. It really suits what I do and I haven't found another NLE that does it as easily as PD.
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Sorry, I'm not saying that precuts shouldn't be available to MCD, I'm saying that they seem redundant for MCD. Doing precuts for MCD adds extra editing that can just as easily be done in MCD.
But. I'm not judging, if you choose to do that. It's your time (and I assume money).
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I don't see precuts as being cumbersome for the main timeline use. In fact a lot of other editors do it that way as industry standard practice going back to editing film.
But the MCD facility is light years ahead of trying to assemble a multicam production on the timeline.
Here's the work flow for that
1 Bring in all the camera footage (and audio track(s)) and synch it all together. Even in MCD this is a major pain if you can't use the audio synch function.
2 Scrub through all that footage and split all the footage and audio at your desired mark- and mark-out points. Delete the footage from the camera(s) that you don't want.
3 If your output is going to be discontinuous to the original footage, delete the footage and audio that is unwanted, being careful not to accidently delete wanted stuff. Hopefully, this closes all the gaps and everything is still is synch AND hopefully, PD doesn't crash in the middle of all this editing.
4 So far so good. But now imagine that you want to restore some of the footage you deleted as it's better than the a clip you actually included. Trying to get that footage back into the timeline and synched up with its audi is a nightmare scenario. I tried it before MCD came out. After 4 or 5 re-edits like this, I just gave up and said "Too hard!".
5 Re-editing with MCD makes this a breeze. You just go back into the MCD and move the ends of your "recordings around or get rid of them (this part is a bit clunky in MCD), then pres OK and everything gets synched up and the new version is there on the timeline "Hey Presto!".
6 Here's the best bit: I use the audio from my cockpit camera for "ambient" (read engine noise) sound. I use recorded audio that taps into the radio/intercom as the main audio. During the flight, the engine audio varies with climbing/descending etc and HAS to be synched to the video. So, How to get two audio streams? Like this
7 When I've finished my cuts in MCD and have included the intercom audio, that all goes back to track 1 on the timeline. Now, I select the first cut of the MCD on track 1 and copy it to track 2. I now have a duplicate MCD. I edit that MCD, but in this copy, I select the audio from Camera 3 (the cockpit camera) and then press OK. All my original cuts re-appear on track 2, but with different audio. I delete the video portions on track 2 (duplicates what's on track 1) and then with a bit of volume adjustments in the audio "room" I mix the cockpit voice (track1) and ambient sound (track2) to give a realistic effect.
Try doing all that just on the timeline!
This is how it all turns out
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If all your camera footage is continuous (which I assume it is because you are wanting to cut it up) then you are still using a hammer to drive screws.
Just bring all the footage from all four cameras into MCD and synch them once.
Then use the features in MCD to create the videos for each song and let that all go back to the timeline.
To produce each song independently from the timeline, just use the "produce Range" function.
If you pre-cut the footage from each song then import into MCD, you'll have to re-synch the 4 pre-cut clips each time.
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When I have a long clip, being able to preview it at x2,x3 etc. speed to look for sections I want to edit would be great instead of going through it in real time. I know you can adjust the clip for production to play at faster or slower speed but is there a way to preview them (no editing required) at faster than normal play speed? Thank you!
If you set the preview resolution to a lower setting, you will get smoother performance from "scrubbing".
Scrubbing is moving the edit point manually. Use the slider at the bottom of the preview window to move to any point at almost any speed.
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Ah yes, the motion tracking. Another automatic function that doesn't work very well. It requires a very high contrast item to track correctly. I see that they've added a frame by frame tracking in PD17. I guess that is an enhancement to improve the usefulness of it.
That said, I have used the motion tracking, but if the tracked object hasn't got a high contrast to the surrounding area or nice sharp edges, it tends to lose lock on it after a few frames.
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Using pre-cuts in MC Designer seems to go against the idea of MC designer. Precuts are a second way to get the same effect of using MC designer without using MC Designer. Also, the MC Designer is most useful for synchronising the footage from multiple cameras and then doing switches between cameras much like the director does at a live event. MC Designer also allows you to use the audio from a single camera or a separate audio recording. All of this just seems inconsistant with precuts.
I use multiple cameras in my flying videos and use MCD extensively for that. I don't use all of the footage end to end (most of my flights are 2+ hours long), I just start and stop the "recording" on the sections I want (the highlights of the flight) with the camera of my choice that shows what I want to show at that point.
It just seems to me that by trying to use precuts in MCD you're trying to use a hammer to drive screws.
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I've never found the automatic stuff in PD to be all that useful. I've never had the synch by audio work for me since it was introduced. I've had various odd results from things like automatic scene detection, automatic music beat detection, and content aware analysis.
I would rathere see the editing controls of PD developed more rather than more "bells and whistles" for lazy editors added. With each new version of PD, they seem to add more junk like this and "More effects and transitions" and I get another step towards going to another NLE.
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I've been trying to find out what is new in PD17 apart from more fizzy graphics, consolidation of the Multicam Designer and the video collage designer and some other enhancements that don't look all that useful to me.
The big emphasis in the advertising seems to be pushing the subscription version, which I definitely WON'T go for. IMO, subscription software is just a price rise by stealth.
Since I don't see any mention of any of the changes I asked for, there's no incentive for me to upgrade from 16 to 17.
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Hi Briancher,
I have an XDV 360 camera as well, Pano View 360 Panoramic Action Cam. A one-lensed 360 camera that outputs a circular fisheye type of file. Is it that one?
To use this footage, you need to convert (stitching it's called) the fisheye video to an 'equirectangular' format using other software. There's a few options here that are free.
First, XDV has it's own Windows app to convert your videos. If you format your SD card within the camera, a textfile with links to it should be placed on there. Sadly the Windows link seems to be broken (a few weeks ago, maybe fixed by now, I don't know). Since you own it and the software was free in any case, I've attached it here (is that ok Cyberlink?)
Other options are the stitching software for either the 360Fly camera (360Fly Director) or for the Kodak Pixpro SP360 4K camera. You can Google for them and download them from the official sites for those camera's. The software is free to download and use.
I'm seriously hoping (and counting on it) that PowerDirector will support fisheye and dual fisheye footage per quick patch or at least in version 16. They have to. Their main competition Pinnacle Studio in it's 20.5 version recently added native support for those.
regards, Frank
As of today when I downloaded and installed it, PixPro sp360_4K will not run unless it can find a kodak PixPro camera connected to the computer.
The most recent version of the software PixPro VR sp360 will not recognize the files of anything except those from Kodak camera.
At the moment, the 360Fly program still works with the XDV footage, but converting the footage to Equirectangular format is very slow. Still, at this time it's better than nothing.
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Hi All:
For the benefit of anyone else puzzling over this, the 360Fly Desktop Director will convert this type of footage to Equirectangular format that PD requires... But it is SLOOOOOOOW!
Given that these cameras are becoming cheaper and more prevelant, it would be really greate if PD supported this format for "360" video as well as the Equirectangular format, in the future release
HINT
HINT
;
Are you there Cyberlink???
Thanks all for the suggestions and help, especially Tony for the link to the other thread, and the poster of that other thread for putting in the hard yardds in the first place.
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Scott -
I forgot to mention something else I came across right in these forums. One user posted a Windows version of the XDV-360 app. Don't know if that'll make it any better for you.
Cheers - Tony
Hi Tony:
I looked at the XDV 360 "app" and you have to install an app environment program to run the "apk" file (whatever that is). I also came across some YouTube videos saying that you could use the Kodak PixPro software with the footage. But alas, Kodak have "improved" their software and now it won't run without their camera plugged into the PC.
Arrrgh! This seems to be a case of diminishing returns.
Thanks again though for your efforts.
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G'day Scott -
First up, I doubt I'll be much help. I've never heard of that camera before you posted & what I've learnt about it has been in the last 10 minutes or so.
This guy did an unboxing & showed how to use the XDV 360 app. One viewer asked if he could upload the video he was playing with in the app, but he hasn't done that yet.
My impression is that that camera would not be able to generate a 360° video. If you had two of them connected via the threaded "tripod" hole, you'd get a full 360° equirectangular video after stitching.
 I saw that here.
Anyway - I'm thinking that's why there's a "hole". Based on what the first guy was doing in the app, where there were various view options... none of which appeared to be actual 360. Interesting though.
Is the app you're using called XDV-360?
Yeh - I know - about as much help as an ashtray on a motor bike. 
Cheers - Tony
Au contraire Tony, that was very helpful!
Yes, that is the camera I bought, and yes that is the app I loaded on my iPad. On the iPad, the video can be displayed in a number of different ways, as you mentioned, but there are no holes showing in the views.
I haven't looked at this yet, but even if the app can convert the footage to something like what it displays on the iPad, I don't fancy running all my footage through the iPad to be able to use it.
I wouldn't mind that the video footage is not truly 360, but is in fact an extreme wide angle lens, if I could make some sensible use of the footage through PD or another NLE. The iPad app makes a useable display of the footage, which would be acceptable for my uses. I just don't know if there's another program to convert the footage from what it is to something more useful.
Failing finding a solution, I probably will just send the camera back. If they refuse the return of it, then I haven't lost much money. It was only $63US with free postage so it's not going to break the bank if I'm stuck with it.
In any case; thanks for your input.
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Hi Scott,
Can you provide the full details of the camera type and model that you bought so we can better help you?
Also, FYI, video shot with a 360 camera needs to be stiched before imported into PowerDirector. Usually the camera comes with software that does this part for you.
So just provide your camera info and we can help you sort it out.
David
David:
Thanks for your help.
I'm not sure what to call this camera. It is not a brand name camera.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360-WIFI-4K-HD-VR-Camera-Panoramic-Camera-Action-Dash-Cam-LCD-display-Sports/391945123920?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=660907327890&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
WRT Stitching, from what I've read (and I'm just starting with this so this could be wrong), stitching only needs to be done for the footage shot by multiple cameras, or when the camera shoots the footage in a double circle type format or the cube type formats. If my footage does need stitching, how do I go about that?
In any case, when I load footage from my camera into PD's library, it looks circular.
Again, thanks for any help you can give me.
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Hi all:
I recently purchased a camera off eBay that purports to do 360 video, but I can't make it work with PD16. Viewing the video feed through the camera maker's app on the iPad, the footage looks OK. But when I import it into PD, I get holes in the footage and it doesn't seem to operate with the 360 viewer.
So far, I've found out that
a) I think the camera shoots something like "little planet" format, rather than "equirectangular"
b) I'm not even sure it's in "little planet" format because when I use the footage to make 2D footage and use the view designer, I still have holes in the footage.
Questions
1) Is there a way to convert footage from "little planet" to equirectangular?
2) Is there a way to use "little planet" footage as 360 video in PD?
3) Have I just wasted my money?
Admittedly, the camera was an "el-cheapo", but I'd still like to make it work.
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I use PD and have done since V8.
Click to see Outback Australia
I recently tried out some other NLEs but came back to PD. It still seems the best fit for me, feature-wise and price-wise.
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Hi all:
I recently discovered that PD has a slip edit function, hiding in plain sight in the Trim window.
I would like to find the other two types of edit functions if PD has them
a) Rolling edit
b) Sliding edit
I've attached two images that I think illustrate the two edit types fairly well. So here's the challenge. Find simple ways to do these edits in PD as I've done with the Slip edit.
There is an edit function on the Multi Cam designer that provides a rolling edit function, but I haven't yet discovered the same for the main timeline.
Good hunting
Scott
Hi Scott
I think you should be looking at Action Camera Centre. Once open, click on the help to watch a very informative tutorial video. I would have thought it would be right up your street
Robert
In words of one syllable, please. What is achieved with rolling and sliding edits that's not achieved with ordinary fades etc.? Also, looking at the timelines of both isn't the audio subject to sudden changes without the use of audio transitions?
Hi:
OK, Where to start?
Cuts are different from transitions. I use transitions when there is a time lapse in my video that I need to soften or mask, otherwise, I just use straight cuts.
Yes, there is an abrupt audio change with a straight cut which usually isn't a problem, but in the clips I used in the examples it would be. BUT! Those clips were just chosen at random to illustrate the methods and make the edits clear.
If you look at professionally edited media, such as movies, music videos, even TV ads, you'll see that they don't use transitions all that often. Mostly if they need to soften an edit, they use a fade to black.
So when making changes to a project sometimes you need to move footage around. Slip, Slide and Rolling edits are ways to do this. There are numerous books that describe the process better than I can here, and the NLEs used by professional editors all provide these facilities (Avid, Davinci, Lightworks etc). These edit types mimic the traditional techniques used with film editing and are very powerful when provided in a Non Linear Editing program.
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Hi all:
I recently discovered that PD has a slip edit function, hiding in plain sight in the Trim window.
I would like to find the other two types of edit functions if PD has them
a) Rolling edit
b) Sliding edit
I've attached two images that I think illustrate the two edit types fairly well. So here's the challenge. Find simple ways to do these edits in PD as I've done with the Slip edit.
There is an edit function on the Multi Cam designer that provides a rolling edit function, but I haven't yet discovered the same for the main timeline.
Good hunting
Scott
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Hi all:
I found it!
Yes, PD CAN do slip editing. It is done easily in the Trim window using the little padlock icon, labelled "Lock Duration". Simples!
Scott
Sorry for being a bit thick but I can't understand what this does. I am not used to using the trim function. I usually just split the clips and insert them and maybe I am missing something that would be useful and make my life easier. I think I tried what you outlined (using the padlock) but it still allowed me to adjust the clip on the timeline by dragging each end.
As I understand it you are saying that the central clip can be trimmed (shortened) without its duration being altered so presumably it runs slower?
I am sure I have got this wrong but perhaps you would be good enough to enlighten me.
Regards
Nigel
Hi Nigel:
Imagine this scenario:
You have a project open and let's say you have 30-40 clips on your timeline. Also, let's say that you have some music on your music track to provide a soundtrack background. So if you make any more changes to your project, you don't want to change the overall length of it because that would ruin the alignment with the backing soundtrack. BUT, let's say that you decide to change the in and out points of the third clip on the timeline. You can do this by moving the beginning and end points and actually do this on the time line. However, if you want to move the in point forward (to the left), first, you'll have to move the out point to the left and then drag the clip to the right to give yourself room to move the in point.
If you want to move the in point and out point by a large distance (say a minute or more) and your clip is just a few seconds long, you'll have to do the above process quite a number of times. There is a danger in all that pfaffing around of something getting tangled up and ruining your project. So here's the easy way:
1) Select (highlight) the clip you want to slip
2) Click the scissors button to bring up the Trim window.
3) Click the little padlock button to lock the clip duration
4) While still in the Trim window, Click in the middle of the blue bar and drag it.
5) You'll notice that the in point and out point move in unison but stay the same distance apart
5a) You'll also see that the Trim window gives you a preview thumbnail of the first and last frame of your clip so you can see how the edit will work. Unfortunately, these thumbs don't update until you stop dragging the blue bar, so you have to fiddle a bit if you're trying to get it just right.
6) When you press OK, you'll be returned to the timeline with your clip still the same length, but with the new in and out points.
I know this is a very long answer, but try setting up a simple project with a few clips and experiment with it. This technique is really useful for long complicated projects.
Regards, Scott
PS, I forgot to add that this only works on the Single Trim tab of the Trim window. It isn't available in the Multi Trim tab of the Trim function. HTH?
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Hi all:
I found it!
Yes, PD CAN do slip editing. It is done easily in the Trim window using the little padlock icon, labelled "Lock Duration". Simples!
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