The simple answer is so you can overlay multiple objects over your base track.

For example, a project I'm working on now has a scene where a main video is running in the background for 15 seconds. On track 2, a graphic runs across the top of the screen 2 seconds after the start of track one and stays there for the remainder of track one's duration. On track 3, a picture moves in from left to right 4 seconds after track 1 starts and stays there for the remainder of track one's duration. This repats for 2 additional pictures so the project requires 5 tracks to accomplish the effect I am looking for.

Use your imagination and multiple tracks make perfect sense.

Hope that helps

Absolutely, Wnuk, same here. Bizily - there is no limit as to the possibilities that multiple tracks are offering, be they for video or audio.
Video does, after all, include moving as well as stationery pictures/images/special effects etc, and it makes a project so often more interesting to add those. Sure, you don't want to distract from the main video or slide-show, but just try it. Something like a picture in picture, for example - you just modify one, making it smaller and having it being displayed within the original video in a good area. Same as to adding still pictures into a video.

Also, if your slide-show photos do not cover the background area completely, you can add some background, such as simple color or even another photo for it.

As to Audio. You can add a voice-over and still leave the original audio with the video, or if it's a slide-show, maybe the music. I often have three or more audio tracks 'open' as I add different music for the different portions, moving them up or down a track, sometimes letting them overlap a little bit, again using a couple of audio tracks at least to do that.

I suggest for you to play around a bit and see what you can come up with.

Multiple tracks for amateurs such as myself are optional - for professional editors they are a must, as every effect requires it's own layer, or track, and often enough 10 and more are needed to come up with a simple commercial, for example, that has a moving video, photos, text, a variety of effects all visible at the same time...

So the answer to the question, "Doesn't only one video track appear at a time?" is no, you can have multiple tracks all appear at once. I wasn't thinking about overlay effects, such as subtitles, where the overlay background is transparent such that the main background shows through. I think I understand now. Thanks for responding to my newbie question.

Don't underline the 'newbie' with yourself, Bizily. Our post-count determines that status in this forum - that does not mean that in real life we are newbies. I am sure you have done a great job with your video projects, just maybe different than others.

Since my oldest son is a professional editor I know more about editing probably than the average person - but that does not mean I am any better in than others, since my son is the pro and not me. I just watch him at times and am in awe how he handles those many, many layers/ tracks, making them all work together correctly, be it for a commercial or TV-show. Wished I had HALF his talent and knowledge...

You've got the right idea now. Just remember that track 1 is your main track and everything else "lays" on top of it so ordering of your project is important. Keep having fun and experiment with it.

If you want 10 videos showing at the same time multi PIP tracks are mighty handy........as in a video wall using 10 track or more and there are several samples of those in these forums... also if you experiment with it, the tracks have priority over one another... track 1 has priority and Wnuk is correct, all other tracks stack on top of track 1..... __________________________________________
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Tutorials
PDtoots PowerDirector Tutorials

**NOTICE**
When you are asked to provide a DXDIAG you go the following link and do part "B". Your posted specs are NOT what we are looking for as they tell us nothing. The specs on the box of your computer mean nothing. The DXDIAG shows us how your computer is configured as it runs.

DXDIAG Link

Another way you may want to use multiple tracks is if you have the same video shot with multiple camera's. I usually put my main track on top and then my secondary camera below. By using the Clip Attributes function of the Keyframe tab on the second track, you can fade the second track in or out. The only hard part is synching the two tracks, which is much easier now in PD10 using the automatic music beat detection option.

I have learned that I must never use "overwrite" on PD10 Track1. Subsequent editing can inadvertantly cause displacement of audio from the primary video track, and if not noted and corrected with "undo", can lead to a PD10 timeline confusion from which it cannot recover. Fully mature software should disallow actions from which it cannot recover. PD10 is not there yet.
Put all "overwrite" or "overlays" on separate tracks.

I use 2 tracks when I edit a 4:3 aspect video, like from a capture of old tapes.
I edit and render my 4:3 tape video, then place it on top of a 16:9 background so the viewer (assuming a wide-screen TV) won't have black bars visible on each side. My background is in the #1 track, and I usually use a photo or photos clipped from the video itself. I blur the photo so it's not distracting from the video. I use this edit method because stretching to 16:9, or using CLVP, degrades 4:3 video too much sometimes. HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

Hi, - just a little hint


Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com

1nina, would have liked to see how that video came out but when I click on it, it says that the video is private
Could you make it available for all to see.

Of course, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3jyamqo4HI&feature=channel_video_title

It's just a "handmade" slideshow, no template.

Nina
Just something.
https://www.petitpoisvideo.com

Very nice work. I have been doing a lot of Jazz videos lately, you will find them all on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/user/dkinaz1
Once again, no templates.