Annotate video

[sailvayu]

I am doing some how to videos and I would like to add things like circles and arrows and labels within the video. I have looked all over the web but the only solutions I find are high end software like after effects and the like with long tutorials on how to do it with what looks like a major learning curve. Then there are a handful of aps to do it on my cell phone which does not seem useful for what I am doing. So it is either high end or very low end with nothing in between? I am use Sony Vegas to do my editing but so far I see no easy way to do this. Is it really that hard to put a arrow or label up and have it follow the video? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Cornucopia]

Vegas should be able to do this. Maybe use its titler with Wingdings or other graphical fonts.

Or use BluffTitler. It can do all those things you mentioned. But it's not free.

Maybe AVIUtil could, I've heard it is pretty versatile (don't really need to use it myself).

Scott

[sailvayu]

I have tried this but it is a bit of a tedious process it just seems like there would be a simpler solution. Maybe not but thought I would see if someone knew of something I could not find. Thanks for the ideas and I will check out BluffTitler

[_Al_]

Is it really that hard to put a arrow or label up and have it follow the video?

Not at all, but you'd need a database of all objects in the World, because other person can ask, how hard it is to put for example a heart on the screen.

So, you make the object or rather google it, and download from web, then put it on timeline on the track above your video track. If Vegas use pan and crop to position it. Then add text on the most top track and place it at that object location if wanting write something.

Google or Apple perhaps still does not have an app that does that automatically or with spoken commands what do you want to put on the top of video... This is no joke, it is going to happen I guess very soon if it is not out yet. Kids are playing with this sort of things. ... But it is going to be different, you enter what feel or theme you want to give to your video and it will put graphics in it. For very specific ideas we need to grab true NLE or softwares that specializes in those graphics overlays , creations.

[sailvayu]

Yeah that is a possibility I guess what I had in mind was something that could record me drawing the arrow. An example might be drawing a path on a map or drawing a circle around something to highlight it. Guess I might be asking for too much.

[Cornucopia]

Yeah that is a possibility I guess what I had in mind was something that could record me drawing the arrow. An example might be drawing a path on a map or drawing a circle around something to highlight it. Guess I might be asking for too much.

You could record doing that on a greenscreen or whiteboard and then overlay it. But the steps involved are such that you might want to avoid that option.

@_Al_, that's not going to happen for some time, as it requires Artificial Intelligence & Pattern Matching against World Knowledge & Natural Language processing, and throw in a "sense of style".

Scott

[sailvayu]

I am looking into some whiteboard software, that might be the way to go. Funny I would have thought there was an easier way to do this but guess not. Anyway thanks for the help.

[jagabo]

Yeah that is a possibility I guess what I had in mind was something that could record me drawing the arrow. An example might be drawing a path on a map or drawing a circle around something to highlight it.

You can fake drawing by using a static image of the object and moving a mask over it. That's not exactly the same thing but it might be good enough for you.

[sailvayu]

I found something that although not perfect is easy to use and does do sort of what I had in mind. Not free but I was able to try the 30 day trial and it seems to work pretty good for the limited stuff I want to do. It is Camtaisa. I can import the clips I want to add notes or arrows to and then export them in mp4 back to the editing software. A little messy but is works well and is quick something I really needed. I guess if I get to the point of doing fancier I will have to get better with After Effects. Thanks for all the suggests, I will try to hang around a bit now that I am a member and maybe learn a thing or two. With luck I might even get to help someone else