I can't copy video clips from one track to the other. How to edit?

mariamar123

Newbie Joined: Sep 27, 2022 18:53 Messages: 10 Offline

Solved by

Jan 03, 2023 20:48

Hi,

I've been using PowerDirector for several years for free and purchased PowerDirector 365 last year.

I am editing a video from video clips I recorded with my webcam using my camera roll app, MP4 format. I've done this before.

Since I cannot edit directly in the preview window ~that I know, I bring the video from the media content onto track #3 and then clip and copy/paste the parts I want to Track #1 for the final video. I've done this before also.

But in this particular video when I do this, the video clip in Track #1 is blank. Not all of it. The last part is visible. Not always. Some clips are fine. But as I keep editing it's happening too often, so I'm stuck.

I tried to not copy/paste, but to take the clipped part from the source video and move it directly to where I want it in track #1. It looked fine... until I locked track 3. Then the clip in track #1 went blank.

I'm at a loss on how to edit this video. Is there another way to do it?

I am super behind with this video, that was for a New Year event I had planned!

I appreciate your help as soon as possible!

Thanks,
MM

PowerDirector Moderator

Senior Contributor Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan Joined: Oct 18, 2016 00:25 Messages: 2104 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 04:23

Quote Hi,

I've been using PowerDirector for several years for free and purchased PowerDirector 365 last year.

I am editing a video from video clips I recorded with my webcam using my camera roll app, MP4 format. I've done this before.

Since I cannot edit directly in the preview window ~that I know, I bring the video from the media content onto track #3 and then clip and copy/paste the parts I want to Track #1 for the final video. I've done this before also.

But in this particular video when I do this, the video clip in Track #1 is blank. Not all of it. The last part is visible. Not always. Some clips are fine. But as I keep editing it's happening too often, so I'm stuck.

I tried to not copy/paste, but to take the clipped part from the source video and move it directly to where I want it in track #1. It looked fine... until I locked track 3. Then the clip in track #1 went blank.

I'm at a loss on how to edit this video. Is there another way to do it?

I am super behind with this video, that was for a New Year event I had planned!

I appreciate your help as soon as possible!

Thanks,
MM

Hi,

Not quite sure I can get what's happening? I can't simulate anything like that on my system as a quick investigation.

As a start, can you provide a screenshot of your timelines, but ideally a screencapture of your editing to highlight the issue would be very useful.

For completeness can you also check your exact version of PDR [https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/97579.page#post_box_392512]

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

For customer support related issues, please contact:
- Customer service: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/customer-services.do
- Technical support: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/service/technical-support.do

mariamar123

Newbie Joined: Sep 27, 2022 18:53 Messages: 10 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 14:51

Quote

Hi,

Not quite sure I can get what's happening? I can't simulate anything like that on my system as a quick investigation.

As a start, can you provide a screenshot of your timelines, but ideally a screencapture of your editing to highlight the issue would be very useful.

For completeness can you also check your exact version of PDR [https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/97579.page#post_box_392512]

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

At the moment I can't take screenshots and I'm not sure they will tell the story. Let me see if I can be more clear, but I thought I was doing something totally basic in editing. Now I'm wondering.

I am recording a visual arts course. I do each step and record it in my labtop using my Camera Roll app. So I end up with lots of small video clips, one for each step.

Now I am editing a video to put these clips together into a course.

I bring the MP4 formatted clips into the content library.

Some clips need editing or I want just one part of the clip. I have not find a way of editing those clips in the content preview. Therefore, I place the clip in Track #3. That way I can see the places in the timeline that I want. I clip that part and copy/paste it into the final video that is running in Track #1.

And that is when I'm running with problems, as some of those clips come up blank when I copy/paste from Track 3 to Track 1.

It seems to me that teachers with how-to courses that need demonstration would do this often, so it should not be that obscure... unless there is an easier way to do this that I haven't seen!!

So basically I'm cutting video clips I made in my computer and adding them together to create a final video. How would you do this in an easier way? That may help me, (if there is an easier way.)

Thanks,
MM

AVPlayVideo

Senior Contributor Location: Home Joined: Apr 06, 2016 19:03 Messages: 703 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 15:40

Quote
At the moment I can't take screenshots and I'm not sure they will tell the story. Let me see if I can be more clear, but I thought I was doing something totally basic in editing. Now I'm wondering.

[oSo basically I'm cutting video clips I made in my computer and adding them together to create a final video. How would you do this in an easier way? That may help me, (if there is an easier way.)

Thanks,
MM

Seems to me you're doing the right thing.
But there are other ways to do the same.
1 - Select and drag the part of the video to the new location, keeping the D key pressed, release the mouse first and then the D key
Note that in PD the tracks below overlap the ones above, unlike most editors, but it can be
Set it the other way around if you like.

Settings / Preferences / Editing / Reverse timeline track order...

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jan 04. 2023 15:49

XEON-E5-2680 v4 / Mem. 16GB DDR4
M.2 NVME 512Gb / 2-SSD Sata3 1TB
AMD RX570 / Display Philips 272V8
Windows 11_64Pro / PD22/365

mariamar123

Newbie Joined: Sep 27, 2022 18:53 Messages: 10 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 15:48

Quote

Seems to me you're doing the right thing.
But there are other ways to do the same.
1 - Select and drag the part of the video to the new location, release the mouse first and then the
D key
Note that in PD the tracks below overlap the ones above, but it can be set to the opposite if you are used to it.

OK. Thanks.
I did try dragging the clip instead of copy/paste. The clip was visible on Track 1 as long as Track 3 was visible. But when I locked Track 3 it again went blank. I assumed that when I completely delete track 3 it would remain blank, so that was not a solution.

I'm curious. When dragging you say "release mous first and then the D Key" -why would I have the D Key pressed? What I do is just select and drag. If I have to press the D key before, please let me know. Thanks.

My launch teacher Jeff Walker says that for every problem there is a solution and for every solution there is a problem. I subscribed because I needed to do better/longer videos. That was a solution. But I've been encountering several problems to that solution, and they are taking the same time and trouble as the old problems!! LOL!!

Thanks again,
MM

AVPlayVideo

Senior Contributor Location: Home Joined: Apr 06, 2016 19:03 Messages: 703 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 16:00

Quote

OK. Thanks.
I did try dragging the clip instead of copy/paste. The clip was visible on Track 1 as long as Track 3 was visible. But when I locked Track 3 it again went blank. I assumed that when I completely delete track 3 it would remain blank, so that was not a solution.

I'm curious. When dragging you say "release mous first and then the D Key" -why would I have the D Key pressed? What I do is just select and drag. If I have to press the D key before, please let me know. Thanks.

My launch teacher Jeff Walker says that for every problem there is a solution and for every solution there is a problem. I subscribed because I needed to do better/longer videos. That was a solution. But I've been encountering several problems to that solution, and they are taking the same time and trouble as the old problems!! LOL!!

Thanks again,
MM

I fixed my glitch the use of the D key is for when to copy, if you just want to change places, just drag.
I don't understand, (padlock) block track 3, that only locks the track, it can't do anything.
The (eye) turns off the track and what's on it disappears.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jan 04. 2023 16:02

XEON-E5-2680 v4 / Mem. 16GB DDR4
M.2 NVME 512Gb / 2-SSD Sata3 1TB
AMD RX570 / Display Philips 272V8
Windows 11_64Pro / PD22/365

mariamar123

Newbie Joined: Sep 27, 2022 18:53 Messages: 10 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 18:03

Quote

I fixed my glitch the use of the D key is for when to copy, if you just want to change places, just drag.
I don't understand, (padlock) block track 3, that only locks the track, it can't do anything.
The (eye) turns off the track and what's on it disappears.

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Once I move or copy a clip from Track 3 to Track 1, even if it is visible at the beginning, when I padlock track 3, it goes blank on track 1!! It's as if it is still part of the source video and cannot stand on its own in the final video on track 1. I hope this helps to detect what could be wrong.

At this point, I had to cancel the free video I offered. I hate to not deliver, but it was to create New Year gifts and by the look of it it won't be solved this week.

This is what is happening to me with PD365. It is great and can do beautiful things. But at each step I find technical problems that delay my videos; sometimes for so long that I have to cancel. This is creating a bottleneck on my videos timeline and generating undo stress for me.

If you know of a simpler way to put clips together from my MP4 video clips into a final video, please let me know, as this problem seems to not present a solution right now.

Thanks,
MM

AVPlayVideo

Senior Contributor Location: Home Joined: Apr 06, 2016 19:03 Messages: 703 Offline

Jan 04, 2023 20:46

I might suggest you do the video trimming before adding to the timeline.
There's no guarantee this fixes it, it could be something different.
In the media library, right click on the desired file and select, Precut Tool
Select the part you are going to add to the project by the yellow side beams, OK
Now drag the same file that was cut into position on the timeline.
If that still doesn't work, try taking a screenshot or a video showing what happens.
Remembering that here we are voluntary users.
For official help on PD click query icon "?" and choose Online Support Website and follow.

This link
https://www.cyberlink.com/support/index.html XEON-E5-2680 v4 / Mem. 16GB DDR4
M.2 NVME 512Gb / 2-SSD Sata3 1TB
AMD RX570 / Display Philips 272V8
Windows 11_64Pro / PD22/365

PowerDirector Moderator

Senior Contributor Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan Joined: Oct 18, 2016 00:25 Messages: 2104 Offline

Jan 05, 2023 03:22

Quote I might suggest you do the video trimming before adding to the timeline.
There's no guarantee this fixes it, it could be something different.
In the media library, right click on the desired file and select, Precut Tool........

Hi,

These links might be helpful :

https://help.cyberlink.com/stat/help/powerdirector/21/win/enu/08_02_01_trimming_a_video_clip.html

https://www.cyberlink.com/learning/powerdirector-video-editing-software/974/using-pre-cuts-for-productive-video-editing

Cheers,
PowerDirector Moderator

For customer support related issues, please contact:
- Customer service: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/customer-services.do
- Technical support: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/service/technical-support.do

mariamar123

Newbie Joined: Sep 27, 2022 18:53 Messages: 10 Offline

Jan 05, 2023 03:45

Quote

Hi,

These links might be helpful :

https://help.cyberlink.com/stat/help/powerdirector/21/win/enu/08_02_01_trimming_a_video_clip.html

https://www.cyberlink.com/learning/powerdirector-video-editing-software/974/using-pre-cuts-for-productive-video-editing

Cheers,
PowerDirector Moderator

WOW! That is super-handy. THANKS!
MM