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Timelapse issues
KacieG61 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Aug 28, 2018 17:52 Messages: 5 Offline
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Hi,
Newbie here...first time trying a timelapse with stills. Watched a tutorial, following it, makes sense. Imported about 1400 stills, dragged them in groups to the timeline. Set the duration for each to one frame, as suggested in the tutorial. In real time it's about 47 sec. worth, but the timeline shows only about 22 sec. elapsed. Ending the piece with a transition, 5 sec. still and fade to black. In playback, the cursor just skips over that entire sequence like it doesn't exist. The music track doesn't match since the timeline isn't showing real time. I'm stumped. Any help is appreciated.
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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1400/60=23sec, matches your 22sec comment. Any chance you have your timeline set to 60fps? Pref > General
To see if playback is ok, you might try:
1) "Produce" your project and see if playback is ok
2) Mark off the timeline and use "Produce Range" and see if playback is ok
3) Mark off the timeline and use "Render Preview" and see if playback is ok

Jeff
KacieG61 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Aug 28, 2018 17:52 Messages: 5 Offline
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Thanks, Jeff

Confirmed timeline was and is set to 30fps.
1) Producing is not OK. Piece should last :54. When Produced lasts 1:55. Timelapse runs way too slow and final sequence plays in just a few frames. Placed that :07 sequence (transition/still/fade) on another video track, no difference. Music bed is :54, plays fine and ends on time. Have Produced as MPEG-2 and WMV both 24fps and 30fps. No difference.
2 & 3) Where are these Produce options located? Haven't been able to find.

Thanks!
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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Can you post a pic of your timeline, maybe that will clarify a little on what you have.

How did you get to 1:55 time stated now when previously you indicated 47 sec or 22 sec? Just for reference, timecode is hours:minutes:seconds:frames. So if your timeline is 30fps and you have set each photo set to 1 frame it's typically not wise to produce at 24fps as you will simply skip some frames (photos) in your timelapse sequence.

Also, make sure to expand your timeline or use the end key to verify you don't have a photo out at 1:55. 1 frame photos are hard to see on the timeline.

Jeff
KacieG61 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Aug 28, 2018 17:52 Messages: 5 Offline
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Hey Jeff,

This is the third try at this post. Apparently this interface doesn't like what I'm attaching. Also doesn't notify that the post didn't succeed.
In my attempt to be brief, I wasn't very clear. Thanks for your patience.
The timelapse consists of a little over 1400 stills, :02 transition, :05 still that includes an :02 fade to black.
On the timeline, the timelapse is 16:07, the end sequence is 7:15 = 23:22.
When this is played in the preview window...in real time (the clock on my wrist), the timelapse is :47, end sequence :07 = :54 secs. (I don't have the frames here because I'm timing it with my watch).
The playback looks good visually. I believe :54 is the correct time it should last. The timeline for the video track says 23:22 and I have to stretch out the audio track to :54 on the timeline to make it sync.
I Produce this at 30fps. When I played it back in the Produce window, it lasted, in real time, 1 minute 55 seconds. Obviously, the timelapse was very slow.
I caught my mistake. I went to the actual Produced file, and it plays exactly the opposite. It's true to the timeline, 23:22. The timelapse is way too fast and the music bed is accelerated. In fact, if I match the audio track to the video at 23:22 on the timeline, the Produced file music ends at 8:22. That's how fast it's playing back.
It seems to me there must be a duration setting or some other setting that is not correct. Is it possible to change the duration of the stills to 2 frames here on the timeline? I do not know why the timeline does not move in real time during preview playback. The real time speed in playback is correct visually...it's just not reflected that way on the timeline.
Thanks,
-Kirk
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ynotfish
Senior Contributor Location: N.S.W. Australia Joined: May 08, 2009 02:06 Messages: 9977 Offline
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Hi Kirk -

I have to admit to being a bit confused by your explanations, but I think the inclusion of transitions (especially if they're overlap type) might be contributing to your issue.

Here, I have a timelapse sequence in the timeline (with no end sequence & no transitions):

There are 1380 photos, set to 00:00:00:01 (1 frame) in a 30fps project.
1380 frames ÷ 30 = 46, so the timelapse sequence is 46 seconds in duration.

The timeline, with audio bed, plays back correctly & the produced file - MP4 1920x1080/30p @ 10Mbps is correct too. Duration is 00:00:46:00.

The timelapse consists of a little over 1400 stills, :02 transition, :05 still that includes an :02 fade to black.


Does that mean you have transitions between each of the ~1440 photos? A timelapse would typically have no transitions.

Cheers - Tony

P.S. for Jeff - the timelapse is the planting of CP's garden ♥

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 30. 2018 16:59


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KacieG61 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Aug 28, 2018 17:52 Messages: 5 Offline
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Hey Tony,
Thanks! No, the stills do not have transitions between them. I don't want the timelapse to just end, poof, black. The sequence is showcasing the build of a piece of equipment. So following the last still, the :02 transition comes up from black, to a still of the machine completed, then fades to black. 1400 stills, 1 frame per still, 30 fps = 46.6 seconds.
That's exactly what it plays back on the clock, :47 secs. Unfortunately the timeline plays that :47 of real time in 16:07. Each second of time on the timeline equals 2.92 seconds of real time on a clock. The timeline is moving slow...not in real time.
So when you Produce, the :47 of real time becomes 16:07 of real time and the timelapse runs way too fast.
I agree...this makes no sense.
I didn't catch it as I dragged the stills in groups to the timeline, because each time I played what I had dragged and it looked fine visually, 1 frame per shot. It wasn't until I played the whole thing that I noticed the timeline and real time (on a clock) didn't jive.
That's why I was curious if it's possible to double the duration (2 frames per still) or alter some other setting to correct it.

Thanks,
-Kirk
JL_JL [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline
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Kirk, this may simplify things for you. Drop your 1400 pics in the timeline, set them to 1 frame each and "Produce" this video to your desired format. If timeline is 30fps produce to desired resolution, (for example, 1920x1080, H.264, 24Mbps) and 30fps. For 1400 photos, 1 frame each, at 30fps you have ~46sec of video content. If you want longer duration than that, set each photo to 2 frames and it will be twice as long.

Bring the above produced video back into a clean timeline. If at this edit stage you want your timelapse to be a different duration in time, you can use power tools, and adjust speed and/or time to extend or compress the timelapse video. The add your music and your closing, transitions, whatever else you like. Produce again to the same specs as used above for your final project.

The timeline scale in PD is accurate. You cannot judge anything time related by playing back content in the timeline and using a watch. If the computer is sluggish, this playback won't match physical time. In fact, the timeline scrubber may even pause or jump ahead while the audio may appear somewhat normal during playback.

Jeff
KacieG61 [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Aug 28, 2018 17:52 Messages: 5 Offline
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Thanks, Jeff! I'll try it. I'll let you know what I learn.
Have a good holiday weekend,
-Kirk
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