Selecting timeline/project resolution

Big_Steel_29

Newbie Location: South Korea Joined: Apr 24, 2016 12:20 Messages: 7 Offline

Solved by

Apr 24, 2016 12:31

Hi folks,

I'm looking for an option to select resolutions/frame size. I can't seem to find this anywhere, even after a bunch of online searches. I'm used to having this after the little bit of editing I've done in Premiere Elements.

If I drag 4k footage into my timeline, it sits at 100% in the preview window. Same thing for 1080p. I would like to know whether or not I'm working in a 1080p or 4k timeline. If I drop HD footage alongside my 4k footage, I'd like it to fill up a quarter of the frame, and conversely, have to scale back the 4k footage by 50% if I drop it into an HD timeline.

That way I can know sor sure that I'm downsizing 4k to 1080p. As it stands now, everything fills the preview window to 100%.

Thanks~~

JL_JL

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

Apr 24, 2016 15:59

That's correct, everything dropped on the timeline in PD will fill the currently defined aspect ratio completely or in one direction if item is of different scale. That's just the way PD is. If you want to know what type of clips you are working with, define your own name convention or simply right click and "View Properties" on the file in the timeline or the media library.

Jeff

Big_Steel_29

Newbie Location: South Korea Joined: Apr 24, 2016 12:20 Messages: 7 Offline

Apr 25, 2016 01:24

Thanks JL

So if I have a 1080p clip, then drop in a 4k clip, it fills the aspect ratio. This means that PD is automatically downsizing the 4K footage to fit the 1080p timeline?

Likewise, if I drop the 4K clip in first, and then the 1080p clip in afterwards, the 1080p clip is being upsized to fit th 4K timeline?

This still seems a little strange to me. PD only lets you define as aspect ration and not a resolution?

JL_JL

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

Apr 25, 2016 09:34

The change in scale occurs during "Produce" operation. If your timeline has mixed content, all sized to full frame, during the "Produce" operation everything will be up or down scaled to fit your desired output specification.

So if one has 1920x1080 and 3840x2160 in a timeline, both are 16:9 and will display full frame in the timeline, however, during "Produce" if I output to a 1920x1080 frame, the 3840x2160 will be downscaled but maintain 16:9 frame aspect but a 1920x1080 resolution. If I "Produce" to a 3840x2160, the 1920x1080 will be upscaled to match but again simple maintain the 16:9 aspect.

So the timeline display for editing simply has either the more standard 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio for viewing. Underlying source details are maintained for "Produce" operation. That's why one can change the timeline "Preview Quality" to low, normal, high, HD... to aid the display smoothness during playback of high data load sources in a timeline at the expense of visual clarity, although nothing will be lost when you actually "Produce" your video regardless of playback quality.

What are you trying to achieve?

Jeff

Big_Steel_29

Newbie Location: South Korea Joined: Apr 24, 2016 12:20 Messages: 7 Offline

Apr 25, 2016 10:10

Aha! Perfect. Thanks, JL.

I fugured it must be up/down scaling it at some point, I just wasn't sure when it was happening. The only '4K' stuff I have is from a smartphone, which looks OK in well-lit, outdoor scenes, downscaled to 1080p. That was what I was curious about.

Thanks again~

kmjk333

Member Joined: Feb 16, 2016 02:23 Messages: 93 Offline

Apr 26, 2016 02:49

When I mix 4K with 1080, I "produce" in 4K