Messages posted by ConnieZ

Quote Here we are, PD18, the year 2020 (December) and the same issue. Fixed! Thanks from 9 years into the future!

- Good one!! I appreciate the humor!!

Thank you for submitting the ticket Optodata, that saved me lots of time figuring out how to submit one!! It's a pleasure working on my project now that I have my waveforms back!!

Quote

Yes, you have the latest patch, and thanks very much for letting us know the problem is still present even with the latest version. The patch came out after we came up with the workaround, and I actually haven't seen it happen in my projects since then so I wasn't sure if it had been fixed or not.

Now that I know it's still an issue, I will "officially" report it to Cyberlink. The ticket # is CS001965816

Hi Optodata, thanks for the tip about the patch. I checked the version I am on and it is: 17.0.2314.1

Does that mean I'm on the most current version?

If so, then the problem isn't resolved. But YOUR workaround works for now.

This is what that page says, but I don't know if it is a patch to 2314, or if 2314 IS the patch to all earlier versions:

"The PowerDirector 17 patch update v.2314 is now available."

Thanks again!!

Quote I'm so glad this worked for you! This was a real challenge to solve, and it was only through teamwork and collaboration that we managed to get this thing figured out.

It seems that Cyberlink has actually addressed the issue in the latest release of PD17, so run the App Manager (if you have the subscription version) or download and install v2314 from this page if you're at an earlier version.

Happy Editing

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! Oh my goodness, between you and Sven, you have worked a miracle. I am so grateful for a fix for this issue. This is a miserable glitch in the software. I just cannot believe that Cyberlink has allowed this issue to exist through at least two versions. Thank you again. You are a life-saver.

I just upgraded from 14 to 17 in order to resolve a glitch with the audio skipping anytime I added Fade transitions, and then I got hit with this suprize of the missing waveforms. Music is always an important part of my video projects, so this was a big, big issue. I use the waveforms to match up Titles to the right spots in the audio.

Quote Sven - you've done it! You've cracked the mystery here! You found consistancy, which had eluded the rest of us, and you found that the library was involved. Those two clues are critical to the workaround I've just found. Thank you so much for sharing your findings!

It turns out that it's not the size of the library or how many clips are inside - but something in the library code is absolutely key to triggering the waveform to be generated (or is preventing the waveforms from being generated).

I first tried doing your test (EDIT: using my own clips, NOT the ones in your Google Drive folder). I imported 224 media files (well over 100GB in total) and dragged four of the video clips to the timeline. In your video, the waveforms appeared and you only had trouble when you dragged an MP3 clip to the timeline from File Explorer.

On my system, none of the 4 clips had a waveform, and neither did an MP3 clip that I dragged onto the timeline. If I copied those four video clips to a new project and pasted them on the timeline, there still weren't any waveforms, even though the library was empty. Opening and closing PD had no effect for me, so there had to be something more than just library content or size.

As I was working on the library's possible role, I found that right-clicking in a blank section of the Media Library and choosing either of these commands would be the solution!

There are only 3 steps in my proposed workaround, but all are mandatory:

Open a project that doesn't display audio waveforms, then right-click on an empty part of the Media Library and chose either Empty the Library or Remove All Unused Content from Library. It doesn't matter how many clips are there to start with or how many you end up with. Even if the library is already empty, or if its only contents are the clips on the timeline, chosing one of those commands is needed to trigger the waveforms.
(EDIT #2: It seems like the Empty command works on more projects than Remove does, so try Remove first)
(EDIT #3: If you do have to empty the library but don't want to lose the contents, right click in the library and choose Export Library. You will be prompted to save the library in a .pdl file, and then you can empty the library)

Save the project (or Save As), and then close PD. This is required!

Reopen the project in PD, then watch and wait while the waveforms are generated!
(EDIT 3A: Remember to use Import Library to restore the original project contents (if needed)

The best news is that once these steps have been performed, my testing shows that the project will always generate waveforms EVEN if you manually delete any of the ~PD_xxxx.txt files from the waveform cache folder. In other words, PD should finally work as expected

I have tried this over a dozen times on several different projects, and it works every single time. If other people can confirm that this approach forces wavforms on their machine then we'll finally have a reliable workaround for this issue, and hopefully Cyberlink will be able to work out what's been going on all this time.

Please post back with your results. Again, a huge shout-out to Sven (Elfgren) for his detailed effort!

Hi again Warry!

Not only did it work with a fresh project file, but I loaded the malfunctioning project file I've been working with today, and it works fine!!

I'm singing a happy song right now!!

Thank you again. Your kindness to share your ideas with me have really helped me tremendously.

... Connie Z

Hi Warry, thank you for the quick reply and for the suggestion about trying the demo version and the other info you've provided.

As you suggested I just downloaded it, and then experimented with Titles and Transitions. So far it is like a DIFFERENT WORLD!!! It is fast and functioning properly.

Now I will try adding music and Trimming the video track into clips.

Thank you SOOOOOO much for your suggestion.

I'll report back when I am finished with all of my testing.

... Connie Z

Quote It has been a long time since I worked with PD14. I don't recall that I had similar problems. What has changed of course since PD14 is that the video specs and size have changed. May this stopping, slowing and hanging have anything to do with that?

Maybe you recognize that you are currently using higher spec videos? If you don't, and PD14 used to work fine for you earlier, I would certainly look for any processes on your computer that may have a slowing (etc.) effect.

Likely, PD17 is able to handle higher range video formats, and may (automatically) generate lower specced video that make the editing a more smooth process, while using the higher formats for the production.

Anyway, you can always download a demo version of PD17 and test its performance yourself. Mind you: a full 17 version may perform faster than the demo version. And also demo 17 may not handle ALL the video formats. But it maybe worth it while to test it before youdecide to buy it.

Hi all,

I am using PowerDirector 14 at this time on a Windows 10 Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series with an I7 processor (low end gaming laptop).

My Data drive is a 1TB with 720GB free.

I have 16GB of RAM

I typically make family or other short videos which contain an audio track, a video/audio track and titles which are mostly on the Title track and overlay the video track.

I have a terrible problem, as I've seen others mention as well, with playback during editing. All is well until I add Titles. Then it will play until it hits a Title it doesn't like (no rhyme or reason that I can figure out), and then it hangs on that Title.

Each track hangs seemingly indepenent of each other at times:

Title will hang

Music track will hang

Video will hang

The audio track of the video file will hang

It hangs and then eventually catches up, but skips a lot of what it was hung on.

The problem is so bad, that it makes placement of overlaying titles almost impossible because I can't play it properly.

I like PowerDirector very much in most other regards, but this problem renders it almost unusable.

If I turn off the Title track (unclick the check box) then the whole thing plays fine. Once I turn them back on, instantly the problem returns.

What I've tried:

Lowering the playback resolution
Removing all transitions (I initially thought it was a transition problem, but then realized it was titles)
Closed every other problem on my computer
Turned off Virus protection

If anyone can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'd like to just stay on PD14 if possible, but will definately upgrade, IF that will solve the problem.

Thanks so much!

Connie Z

Hi Gurus!

I am using PD14 (14.0.4207.0) on a new-ish gaming laptop. DELL Inspiron 15.

I have attached a DxDiag file, as recommended in the "readme" for this forum.

I am making a video of a song, with the lyrics on the screen. The preview feature is so choppy it is prohibiting me from being able to insert my text in the accurate locations. It skips and jumps.

I am a novice, although have made a number of short videos in the past, always scratching and clawing my way through the process.

I used to use Ulead VideoStudio. I had hoped that PowerDirector would bring me a more stable environment, but alas... although some aspects are better, some, like this... are a major headache.

BUT... maybe I am doing something wrong. So here are my questions for your consideration:

1.) I am using Titles to input the text. Is there another feature, or way, which would create less drain on the system? Everything starts going bad, the minute I start adding Titles.
2.) The primary problem I'm having is that the song/sound cuts out and then drops me in a position a bit farther down the timeline. Only seconds, or milliseconds, but enough the skew my whole effort.
3.) Is it my hardware, or settings?

I've been reading Forum posts for ages... and have not found the right solution for my problem. It does seem that a LOT of folks are suffering my same pains.

Thank you VERY much for help you will give me.

... Connie

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I experienced the same issue of the "Reverse Fade" and followed the suggestion of restarting the program, and voila! it worked. I have just reported to this issue to CyberLink support via there support portal. I told them that folks have been dealing with it since 2011.