Lens Flare

gabo

Newbie Joined: Sep 23, 2018 17:16 Messages: 30 Offline

Solved by

Jul 04, 2023 08:54

Back in something like PD17 or so, I used lens flares for a project involving live band video. It was very nice to be able to add lighting effects to the live stage performance.

Back then, I could add a lens flare to an FX track, edit the length of it, edit the intensity of the flaring and overlap/fade different lens flares during the performance. I could put a white light in from the side, then fade to an orange light in from the back, etc.

Fast forward to today, using the latest PD365 and I can't seem to do any of that! The Lens flare is only available to put directly on a video clip and not on a separate fx track, so I can't size the lens flare and I don't know how to edit the lens flares for intensity. It's like all I can do is put it directly on a clip, it runs the length of the clip and I can't do any editing of it.

What am I missing? There has to be a way to work with these lens flares in the newest versions. Most of the time these things are changed for the better so I'm hoping that with a little education I can make lens flares even better than I could in the past. But right now I can't seem to figure out how to control the lens flares at all.

Thanks for any help.

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 10:47

You'd have to add a FX track so you can add the Lens Flare Fx to that track so you can apply to only part of a video without splitting the video.

Jeff

gabo

Newbie Joined: Sep 23, 2018 17:16 Messages: 30 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 11:16

Quote You'd have to add a FX track so you can add the Lens Flare Fx to that track so you can apply to only part of a video without splitting the video.

Jeff

Unfortunately I can no longer do that! That's my problem.

When you drag a lens flare to an FX track, it doesn't work and gives a note that says to drag it to the clip to apply it to the clip. So I don't have the option of putting it on an FX track, only directly on the clip. So then I can't find a way to adjust it.

Thanks

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 11:19

Quote Unfortunately I can no longer do that! That's my problem.

When you drag a lens flare to an FX track, it doesn't work and gives a note that says to drag it to the clip to apply it to the clip. So I don't have the option of putting it on an FX track, only directly on the clip. So then I can't find a way to adjust it.

Thanks

Maybe an "enhanced" feature of PD365, I've got the perpetual key PD21 and Lens Flare works as normal. Maybe one of the other users with PD365 will respond with their experience.

Jeff

tomasc

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 25, 2011 12:33 Messages: 6464 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 14:55

Quote Maybe an "enhanced" feature of PD365, I've got the perpetual key PD21 and Lens Flare works as normal. Maybe one of the other users with PD365 will respond with their experience.

Jeff

It was never possible to place a lens flare effect on the fx track on any version of PD. That is a Blending effect that must be applied to a clip which would appear just below it.

The fx track doesn’t work with blending effects, and color luts either which was placed in the fx library in later versions of PD.

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 15:07

Quote It was never possible to place a lens flare effect on the fx track on any version of PD. That is a Blending effect that must be applied to a clip which would appear just below it.

The fx track doesn’t work with blending effects, and color luts either which was placed in the fx library in later versions of PD.

Must be talking apples and oranges, the "Lens Flare" Fx on the Fx track as shown in PD21. Looks like it's possible.

Jeff


Filename	PD21_LensFlare.png	Download
Description
Filesize	523 Kbytes
Downloaded:	7 time(s)

PowerDirector Moderator

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

Jul 04, 2023 15:31

Quote Back in something like PD17 or so, I used lens flares for a project involving live band video. It was very nice to be able to add lighting effects to the live stage performance.

Back then, I could add a lens flare to an FX track, edit the length of it, edit the intensity of the flaring and overlap/fade different lens flares during the performance. I could put a white light in from the side, then fade to an orange light in from the back, etc.

Fast forward to today, using the latest PD365 and I can't seem to do any of that! The Lens flare is only available to put directly on a video clip and not on a separate fx track, so I can't size the lens flare and I don't know how to edit the lens flares for intensity. It's like all I can do is put it directly on a clip, it runs the length of the clip and I can't do any editing of it.

What am I missing? There has to be a way to work with these lens flares in the newest versions. Most of the time these things are changed for the better so I'm hoping that with a little education I can make lens flares even better than I could in the past. But right now I can't seem to figure out how to control the lens flares at all.

Thanks for any help.

Hi,

I think you will find that it may depend on the lens flare?

I've attached a quick illustration of 3 lens flares as they appear to work on my system with PDR21.5.3027 - 2 old type and 1 new type. Obviously I haven't exhaustively tested all of the lens flares!

Does that help at all?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

Filename	Lens flares.mp4	Download
Description
Filesize	34363 Kbytes
Downloaded:	41 time(s)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jul 04. 2023 15:48

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tomasc

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 25, 2011 12:33 Messages: 6464 Offline

Jul 04, 2023 16:43

The op was using the newer blending mode lens flare which must be applied to the clip as he has stated. The op was probably using the fx effect lens flare which can be placed on a fx track in his previous version of PD as shown in the screenshot..That fx track can be added via the track manager in PD365. Hope that everything is cleared up now.

gabo

Newbie Joined: Sep 23, 2018 17:16 Messages: 30 Offline

Jul 05, 2023 08:52

Yea, I guess it's cleared up, clear as mud, haha.

Yes there appears to be two different types of lens flares, some that can go on an FX track and others that can't. I guess the ones that can't are the "new type" as someone mentioned.

Unfortunately the good lens flares, the ones in the lens flare pack which contains 48 lens flares, are all the new style which aren't very easy to get what you want out of them. They look nice, they just can't be manipulated and customized.

I guess the answer is to go back and find the ones from the old versions and load them in or go find some 3rd party ones that are nice. It looks like most of the ones I have that allow me to put them on the FX track are 3rd party ones.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jul 05. 2023 08:53