[VEGAS 13] How to add drop shadow effects?

[vegas13]

Im looking to add a drop shadow around a video layer or image layer to stylize it. Perhaps also add a border around it just to make it less dull. Practical example. Suppose im making a video and I want to show a tweet that someone posted. I would have a layer in the background of something, like a gameplay or something like that, and on top I would show this tweet:



And here's the idea of the composition:



As you can see, this is the typical composition often used in commentary channels. I blurred out the gameplan and shadowed the corners of the screen to make it look better and make the tweet more readable.

Now what im asking here is, I want to have the tweet with a drop shadow around it and perhaps a white border around it. I can do this in paint.net, but I would like to work directly within Vegas 13, because with an static image it may be easier, but if instead of the tweet you want to have a clip of something with the gameplay in the background and add the drop shadow or border around the clip, then that is not as easy. I would need to make a square on paint.net that fits the aspect ratio of the clip, add in the drop shadow and border, then put the clip on top of this area. This is just annoying when it could be done directly on Vegas 13.

Here is the drop shadow + border effect done in paint.net:



So there you have it. I want to do this within Vegas 13. Anyone knows if there is a pluging that does this? I've got the Sapphire FX pack from back when installed, it adds a lot of handy stuff, but I cannot find a drop shadow effect and an outline effect for some reason. So if someone knows let me know, otherwise im going to have to work separately within paint.net and then place the clips on top as I described... I guess in more modern video editors this is easily done but I cannot be arsed to learn a new software at this point.

Thanks

[jagabo]

I can't help you with Vegas. But it's pretty easy to do with AviSynth.

background = ColorBars(width=1920, height=1080, pixel_type="YV24") # make a background image

ovr = ImageSource("image.png", start=0, end=23, fps=23.976).AddBorders(16,16,16,16).ConvertToYV24()

amask = ovr.ColorYUV(off_y=256, cont_y=-256, cont_v=-256).Crop(16,16,-16,-16).AddBorders(16,16,16,16,color=color_black).BinomialBlur(50).ColorYUV(cont_y=40)

Overlay(background, ovr, x=400, y=300, mask=amask) # overlay the image with

The script first creates a background video on which to overlay the tweet image. You would load your source video instead.

After that it loads your tweet image, adds a 16 pixel black border all around, and calls it "ovr".

Then it creates an alpha mask from ovr, makes it pure white, crops away 16 pixels from each side, adds back pure black on each side (you now have a white box inside a black box), applies a large blur (you now have a big fuzzy white box inside a slightly bitter black box), and calls it amask (short for alpha mask).

Finally it overlays ovr onto the background video using amask as an alpha mask.


[Attachment 90365 - Click to enlarge]

You might be able to use that as a guide for how to do it in Vegas without a specific plugin.

[jagabo]

Here's an update that makes the procedure a callable function:

function OverlayWithBackdrop(clip v, string FileName, int Xpos, int Ypos, int FirstFrame, int LastFrame)
{
   ovr = ImageSource(FileName, fps=v.framerate).AddBorders(16,16,16,16).ConvertToYV24()
   mask = ovr.ColorYUV(off_y=256, cont_y=-256, cont_v=-256).Crop(16,16,-16,-16).AddBorders(16,16,16,16,color=color_black).BinomialBlur(50).ColorYUV(cont_y=40)
   #mask = ovr.ColorYUV(off_y=256, cont_y=-256, cont_v=-256).Crop(16,16,-16,-16).AddBorders(16,16,16,16,color=color_black).BilinearResize(60, 30).BilinearResize(ovr.width,ovr.height).ColorYUV(cont_y=50)
   Overlay(v, ovr, x=Xpos, y=Ypos, mask=mask) # overlay the image with
   Trim(v, 0, FirstFrame-1)++Trim(FirstFrame,LastFrame)++Trim(v, LastFrame+1, 0)
}

You can then use it something like this:

ColorBars(width=1920, height=1080, pixel_type="YV24") # create a background video for this example
OverlayWithBackdrop("Image1.png", 556, 100, 100, 199) # FileName, Xpos, Ypos, FirstFrame, LastFrame
OverlayWithBackdrop("Image2.png", 556, 100, 400, 499)
OverlayWithBackdrop("Image3.png", 556, 200, 600, 699)