SynthEditor v0.1.1 Beta - A Video Editor

[Rockas]

As I said, I don't think that would be hard to implement but now I have a question:
I'm no Video expert... I only edit a few home made videos that I usually capture to MPEG2... I know it isn't the better thing to do but why I do it is the reason to my question... how do you guys make DV-AVI play smoothly on your computers? Is there any kind of plug-in? is it free? or do you use an extremely powerfull system?
I'm asking you this 'cause When I load any uncompressed AVI file, it chokes... the audio goes fine but the video just chokes - I don't know how to explain this... the image just doesn't keep up with the audio, it seems in slow motion, got it?
I use my laptop to program... it's an HP Pavillion zd8000 with a P4 3.2 HT... 1GB Memory and VGA ATI x600 256MB memory (not shared). Even on this system the video doesn't play fine
Can you "video experts" give me a clue on this?

Thanks

[dipstick]

I think you're confusing DV-AVI with Uncompressed Video. They are not the same. Uncompressed RGB 720x480 30fps is about 30 MB/s. That's one MB for each frame. That's pretty hard on any PC. DV-AVI is a codec used in Mini-DV Camcorders and is compressed to about 25% of Uncompressed Video.

WMP plays DV-AVI just fine. If you need a codec to work with it, you can download the free Panasonic dv-codec.

[Rockas]

Thanks for the info dipstick - yes... as I said, I'm not a video expert, Im just making this application 'cause I simply don't like the other tools available. That's the good thing about programming, You can make it as you like it.
I know that usually people prefer "timelines" and stuff like that, but (sorry) that's exactly what I don't like... I love Numbers and Letters... something powerfull but simple and the use of AviSynth just grants you all the freedom an advanced user may want but it can be made very simple for a beginer to use.

I forgot that i can capture my self using DV-AVI - my Samsung DV Camera came with the codecs... I'll make a few tests... I hope I can play them smoothly but if it is compressed by 25% only I think it will be hard to make it play 3 clips at a time
Anyway... I'll think about that after the "Encoding" stage.

[byteguy]

What I want is a simple way to watch all three files and select which one I want as the final output. .

I can do it in EditStudio. Maybe you can figure out a similar way in your NLE.

ES uses layers numbered down (1 is top). It builds from the bottom up.

Say you put your videos on layers 4, 6, and 8 (5, 7, and 9 are the audio). That gives you room on 2 and 3 for transition/mix settings and effects

They have a free plug-in by RosaNegra called Quarter that lets you show 4 videos from four different layer sources. Put that on layer 1 and point three of the windows to pick-up layers 4, 6, and 8 to see your unmodified sources. Then point the extra window at layer 2 so it picks up the "final" version.

Make all your transitions. When you are done, or if you want to see "final" fullscreen, just disable the entire layer 1 (a one-click option in EditStudio).

[dipstick]

Rockas wrote:

I know that usually people prefer "timelines" and stuff like that, but (sorry) that's exactly what I don't like... I love Numbers and Letters... something powerfull but simple and the use of AviSynth just grants you all the freedom an advanced user may want but it can be made very simple for a beginer to use.

No problem. I also like AviSynth and use it a lot. I mostly use it for filtering and frameserving, but I agree it's a nice powerfull little tool. I think your Video Editor is very easy to use and has lots of potential.

[Rockas]

Sorry for the delay on the new release... I'm having some problems with the "Save Project" routines... I think I'll manage to make it work today... not sure though
I know this may not be extremely important at this stage of development but I also found that it is a pain to me everytime I need to test something I have to redo everything from scratch... enabling the projects saving will speedup my tests and the testers tests too.
Just a little more patience

[guns1inger]

No probs - your project, you set the pace.

FWIW, I used toe dit DV-AVI on a celeron 400 (OC'd to 500) with 5400 rpm drives without any problems. Renders were slow, but playback was realtime.

[Richard_G]

I can do it in EditStudio. Maybe you can figure out a similar way in your NLE.

I've used Ulead Mediastudio Pro since version 5 and can do as you suggest by applying a picture in picture moving path to each of the streams. However, that only allows me to view them simultaneously, it doesn't allow me to do anything with them in realtime while they are playing. I would like to have something that simulates a real time video mixer. Display the three streams and click a button to select which one becomes the fourth (output) stream. Exactly as if it was being done live (I've been in the BBC production suite during a very large outside broadcast that was going out live, 17 incoming video streams from different cameras and the producer simply hits the respective button to select which one goes out on air).

Guns1inger suggested the VAAST plugin for Vegas which looks like it might be able to do the job. However, that would involve buying Vegas (by all accounts a very capable editor but upper end so has features I will never use), which isn't cheap and then a further $150 for the VAAST plugin. I've then got to learn to use a different editor and it still might not do what I want at the end, or will do it but not how I would like it to. I don't mind spending the money (well I do, but if that's what it takes) but I'm looking for something very basic as editors go. The only transitions I actually need are crossfade and fade to black. I occasionally use others but only because they are there.

[Rockas]

ok... here's another one.
- I've chaned those ridiculous violet (on CRT monitors only) colors... it's a little grey now, that means I'll change the again later

-I've fixed some annoying and stupid bugs found by several Testers... don't worry I'll add your names on the future documentation.


- I've add the possibility to edit the "already selected" segments, start and end points.

-Added the possibility to save Projects... the projects files will be on a folder selected by the users... remember... the source file (the original you are editing) must remain on the same folder you have it at the editing time.

I haven't enabled the Encoding yet... sorry... if there aren't many bugs on this release I may enable it for the next one

here's the link:
http://dvd-rb.dvd2go.org/downloads/SynthEditor/VideoEditorA2.rar

please... test it as much as you can and don't forget that you must have AviSynth installed on your system.

Thank you all.

[compuser]

I don't know if it is me, but i can't load it. It gives me a error 76 -- path not found.

[Rockas]

Have you unpack it into a folder?
Please, don't use a drive root.

[compuser]

i unpacked it on to the desktop

[Rockas]

Sorry... that was my mistake.
Please... download ir again... it's fixed... I hope

Anyway... you souldn't use you desktop... just put it inside a folder on your desktop... that way you won't be getting many files on the desktop.

thanks

[Rockas]

please... tell me if it worked, ok?
thanks

[compuser]

It loads now!

[guns1inger]

Just installed the new version on a clean machine - didn't even have avisynth on it. So far, evey video I have tried to load has crashed the program with a Runtime Error '13' : Type mismatch. Types include AVI (Xvid/Divx codecs) and mpg (mpeg-1 and mpeg-2).

[compuser]

Rockas, I have something for you. I tried loading a AVI file, your software correctly identified it using the dvsd codec... However it didn't work. I checked the AVS file that your program spits out, it uses the AVIFILESOURCE command. I find that with DV files that using DirectShowSource() works best.

Looks like a good possible alternative to VirtualDub.

[Rockas]

@guns1inger
hummm... something is not right
I have one PC that I need to clean up, so I'll take the chance to test the app on a clean system.

@compuser
I changed that for the next release... I think that I can use DirectShowSource on every AVI files without problems.

[guns1inger]

The problem must be with the clean machine. I just put it on my main box and it is working. I'll look into the other box tomorrow.

I like the segment edit facility. Seems to work well.

[Rockas]

Thanks...

Maybe there's something missing on your clean box... if you find what it is can you tell me about it?
Sooner or later I'll build an Installer package, so every info about what the requirements will be great.

Thank you guys.

[Rockas]

WARNING!!!

Please... take a note of this:

THE PROJECT FOLDER MUST BE USED FOR SYNTHEDITOR ONLY... DON'T USE A FOLDER THAT ALREADY HAVE FILES ON IT... THE CONTENT WILL BE ERASED...

I forgot to put a warning about this on the app... I'll add it for the next release.

Just create a new folder for each project you may want to save.

Thanks and forgive the absense of such warning on the Program.

[gadgetguy]

I just tried opening a video (never got to browse window) and McAfee popped up with Suspicious Script Stopped for attempting to call the DeleteFolder method within IFileSystem3 object. What folder would it be trying to delete while attempting to open a file?

[liquid217]

What I want is the same as energy80s but with 3 source windows. Play back the 3 views in three windows and simply click on the one that I want as the final output. Just like a realtime TV studio.

I wrote a small utility a while back that did something similar to this. It is a small frontend to avisynth that displayed up to 4 videos. While the videos played, you could press the button for that camera to mark the dissolve to the camera you pushed. It even had a simple method of allowing you to sync of the videos. If anyone would like to play with it, be my guest. I can post the sourcecode to it as well, as soon as i can find it. Here is the program.

http://liquid217.tripod.com/multisynth.zip
--------------
Simple instructions.
(a)Click the 'load video clips' button and load up either an avs or an avi file.
(b)Once the files are loaded, click 'preview'
(c)Press (A), (B), (C), or (D) as you watch the video to call the 'shots'
(d)Click 'Build Script' to complete the process.

[Rockas]

I just tried opening a video (never got to browse window) and McAfee popped up with Suspicious Script Stopped for attempting to call the DeleteFolder method within IFileSystem3 object. What folder would it be trying to delete while attempting to open a file?

Sorry... I guess that happens when you press the "Browse" button, right?
The Folder is the "TEMP" under SynthEditor folder... I forgot to enable the routine that will clean the folder only if the User wants to... sorry... it's on the same module of the Warning message about the Project folder (I posted above )

Don't worry... no virus or hacks

anyway... thank you for remembering me about that... it will be fixed for the next release.

[Rockas]

@gadgetguy

To my knowledge, AviSynth does not handle the audio from Type1 DV-AVI well.

Have you ever tried to encode audio Type1 DV-AVI through BeSweet? if yes Did it worked fine?
Thanks

[gadgetguy]

No, I've never tried besweet. What I usually do is open the files in VDub and save Wav. Then use the wav file in AviSynth and do audiodub. It's a little faster and uses less hdd than saving the whole file using direct stream copy (which converts it to a Type2). I don't remember where, but I recently read a suggestion to frameserve it untouched from VDub to AviSynth. I did a short test and it works, but I'm not sure if there are ramifications regarding colorspace changes or if it will negate the speed benefits of AviSynth. I'll do more experimentation when I get a chance.

[Rockas]

In that case I think a demux on the wav will fix that problem... easy enough

The only problem with the AVI is exactly the audio... my objective is to edit mainly home videos but I know sooner or later people will be editing DivX and Xvid... the audio formats change a lot

Anyway... I'll release a new Alpha shortly just to take care of the "cleaning" files problem... I may have the Encoding of MPGS ready on that one too - using the mpeg audio... no audio convertions for a start.

Thank you.

[energy80s]

What I want is the same as energy80s but with 3 source windows. Play back the 3 views in three windows and simply click on the one that I want as the final output. Just like a realtime TV studio.

I wrote a small utility a while back that did something similar to this. It is a small frontend to avisynth that displayed up to 4 videos. While the videos played, you could press the button for that camera to mark the dissolve to the camera you pushed. It even had a simple method of allowing you to sync of the videos. If anyone would like to play with it, be my guest. I can post the sourcecode to it as well, as soon as i can find it. Here is the program.

http://liquid217.tripod.com/multisynth.zip
--------------
Simple instructions.
(a)Click the 'load video clips' button and load up either an avs or an avi file.
(b)Once the files are loaded, click 'preview'
(c)Press (A), (B), (C), or (D) as you watch the video to call the 'shots'
(d)Click 'Build Script' to complete the process.

Could you re-post this file, as Tripod says its no longer avaliable.

Thanks,
Rodney.

[liquid217]

Could you re-post this file, as Tripod says its no longer avaliable.

Thanks,
Rodney.

No problem. I have updated the installer, but I still haven't found my sourcecode. It wasn't that complex a program, so I could probably re-write it easily.

https://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/Multi-Synth_1.00.exe

[energy80s]

Could you re-post this file, as Tripod says its no longer avaliable.

Thanks,
Rodney.

No problem. I have updated the installer, but I still haven't found my sourcecode. It wasn't that complex a program, so I could probably re-write it easily.

https://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/Multi-Synth_1.00.exe

OK, I have installed this programme, but it won't run. It comes up with the error ...

Failed to load "Slider" from comctl32.ocx. Your version of comctl32.ocx may be outdated. Make sure you are using the version of the control that was provided with your application.

What's that all about? This is to run on W2K SP4 and XP SP2.