Erratic timeline behavior: any workarounds?

CyberStink

Newbie Joined: Jun 05, 2016 21:56 Messages: 7 Offline

Solved by

Jun 05, 2017 21:58

I have a simple slideshow of JPG files on track 1, with text and other things in tracks 2 and 3. The content in tracks 2 and 3 is lined up carefully to sync with the slideshow in track 1.

When I add transition effects between the pictures of track 1, the behavior of tracks 2 and 3 is unpredictable. Sometimes tracks 2 and 3 shift by the same amount as track 1, and sometimes tracks 2 and 3 do not shift at all.

In case this explanation isn't clear enough, here is a video of it:

http://twedt.com/Capture.mp4

I already wrote to CyberLink support, and 1) they did not admit that this was a bug (let alone say that they're going to fix it any time in the future), and 2) their "solution" was for me to first add all of my pictures and required transitions into track 1 first, then add other stuff to tracks 2 and 3. (In other words, no solution.)

I hope I'm not the only one who thinks that this is insane advice - it would be like the makers of Finale or Sibelius telling a composer that they must write only the violin part for a symphony first, then go back and add all the other instruments. How can any developer design this software to run this way? It blows my mind.

I am writing to see if the PowerDirector user community can come up with any other ideas. The solution the CyberLink person gave me is not a solution, because it means I must discard a great deal of work I've already done.

Chad

P.S. I noticed this same behavior in PowerDirector 13, and was so incredibly disappointed to see that such a debilitating bug (a bug that I would only expect in Beta level software) not only existed in the thirteenth version of a commercial software title, but even still remained in version 15. Is version 17 any better?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Jun 05. 2017 21:59

tomasc

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

Jun 06, 2017 00:26

The posted video is clear enough to show what is happening. It is normal behavior because your default transition behavior is set to overlap instead of cross. On your 3rd transition everything to the right only on track 2 and 3 moves because there are gaps in the 3rd and 4th tracks before the next asset.

Goto Preferences/Editing and change the default transition behavior to cross instead of overlap. That should take care of the problem.

CyberStink

Newbie Joined: Jun 05, 2016 21:56 Messages: 7 Offline

Jun 06, 2017 08:59

Quote The posted video is clear enough to show what is happening. It is normal behavior because your default transition behavior is set to overlap instead of cross. On your 3rd transition everything to the right only on track 2 and 3 moves because there are gaps in the 3rd and 4th tracks before the next asset.

Goto Preferences/Editing and change the default transition behavior to cross instead of overlap. That should take care of the problem.

THANK YOU! Changing the preferences solved my problem.

I'm feeling a lot of sympathy right now for various other newbie users in the future who are doomed to be affected by this problem. A couple more questions, if you have time (or for anyone who wants to chime in):

Is there a good reason why "overlap" behavior should be the default transition behavior setting, given the problems that I had (and likely most new users will have) with erratic timeline behavior?

You called the erratic timeline behavior "normal," but when one deletes an asset, extends or reduces the length of an asset, or moves an asset to a different track (i.e. when timing of an asset is directly changed), the software prompts the user for how the current (and other) tracks should behave in response to the change in timing. I fail to see why any edit that affects asset timing (whether it's an "overlap" transition effect or a straight timing edit of an asset) should be treated any differently. Even though Cyberlink apparently (?) coded this behavior into the software on purpose, it seems like it ought to be treated as if it were a bug. Would it ever be advantageous to not have the same timing shifts happen in other tracks? It seems to me that in the worst case scenario, the user hasn't lined anything up in the other tracks yet, so timing shifts or no timing shifts, it wouldn't matter. But many times it will matter, and in those cases the user needs the option to shift everything over by the same amount.

Thanks again!

Chad