CHAPTER

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Vegas allows you to save and render projects into many different multimedia formats. When you render a

Vegas project to a different format, your project is not affected, and a single project may be rendered in any number of different formats.

This chapter explains saving a project and using the Save As and Render As functions. In addition, you will find reference information for the rendering options available in Vegas. This chapter also describes the different options for delivering your projects, such as printing to DV tape, burning a Video CD, or burning a multimedia CD.

Using custom settings to render to streaming media formats is available only in Vegas Video. Printing to tape from the timeline and CD burning are only available in Vegas Video.

Saving a project

A project in Vegas is saved as a small VEG file. This file contains all of the information Vegas needs to recreate your project: source file locations, trimming, track and bus plug-ins, volume and panning envelopes, bus assignments, assignable effects settings, etc. This is not the same as creating a final media file, which is done with the Render As command.

Vegas also provides the option of saving a project as an

Edit Decision List (EDL). For more information, see

Creating an EDL on page 188 .

1.

Click the Save button ( ). The first time a project is saved, the Save As dialog appears.

In subsequent saves, the Save As dialog is bypassed, your existing file name is retained, and your project is updated to include any changes.

2.

Select Vegas Project File (.veg) from the Save as type list

(default).

3.

Select the drive and folder where you want to store the project.

4.

Type the project name in the File name box.

5.

Click Save .

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Creating a copy of a project (using Save As...)

After you have been working with your project, you may use the Save As command in the File menu to create a copy of the small project file with a different name. Since multimedia projects can be very complex, and since Vegas project files are so small, saving a number of different versions of a project is a low-risk way to try new techniques.

1.

From the File menu, choose Save As . The Save As dialog appears.

2.

Select the drive and folder where you want to store the project.

3.

Type a new name in the File name box.

4.

Click the Save button on the Save As dialog.

Saving a project with media

Vegas also provides the option of saving both the project file (VEG) and the media files to a common location. You can choose to save all media files along with the project file or allow Vegas to consolidate and trim the media for you. With this second option, Vegas optimizes media storage by saving only those portions of files that are used in the project and by eliminating unused takes.

The option to consolidate and trim media when saving is only available in Vegas Video.

Note: Peak files (.sfk) and audio proxy files

(.sfap0) are not saved with the project when

Copy and trim media with project

is selected.

Because Vegas can regenerate these files as needed, they do not need to be archived. For more information, see

Peak File (.sfk)

on page

278

or

Audio proxy files (.sfap0) on page

267

.

1.

From the

File

menu, choose

Save As

. The Save As dialog appears.

2.

Select the drive and folder where you want to store the project.

3.

Type the project name in the

File name

box.

4.

Select the

Copy and trim media with project

check box.

5.

Click

Save

. The Copy Media Options dialog appears.

6.

Select the appropriate option:

• Copy all media: Copies all media files to the same location as the Vegas project file.

• Create trimmed copies of source media: Optimizes media storage by saving only those portions of media files used in events and discarding unused takes. Audio media is saved as Wave64 files (.w64) and DV video media is saved as

AVI files. Non-DV video files are copied in full.

Enter an Extra Head and Tail (seconds) value to indicate how much time Vegas should include before and after the trimmed media. For example, if the project contains a 2-minute media file, but the event on the timeline for that file lasts only from 1:00 to 1:20, you could enter 5 seconds in the Extra Head and Tail box to have Vegas save the media file from 0:55 to 1:25 (5 seconds added to the head and tail of the event). Including this extra material allows space for future edits.

7.

Click OK . Vegas saves the project file and the related media files to the location you specified.

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Autosaving a project

Vegas automatically saves a backup copy of your project every five minutes. If your system crashes, Vegas prompts you to open the backup file the next time you start the program.

Backup files are saved in the location specified in the

Temporary files folder

box on the

General

tab of the

Preferences dialog. Files are saved with the .autosave.veg extension and are deleted when you close Vegas.

If you prefer not to autosave your project, you can clear the

Enable autosave

check box on the

General

tab of the Preferences dialog.

Vegas also creates .veg.bak files in your project folder when you save a project to allow you to return to the project's last-saved state. Creation of .veg.bak files is independent of autosaving.

Rendering a project

Rendering refers to the process of converting the Vegas project into a single new multimedia file and formatting it for the desired playback method: media player, Internet streaming media, CD-ROM, video tape, etc. The project file is not overwritten, deleted, or altered during the rendering process. You may return to the original project to make edits or adjustments and render it again later.

Rendering a video file can take quite a bit of time, depending on the complexity of your project, the speed of your CPU, and the final format you have selected. For longer movies, you might want to plan to render your movie overnight or when you are not using your computer.

The process for rendering a project is essentially the same, regardless of the final format of the rendered file.

Using custom settings to render to streaming media formats is only available in Vegas Video. Vegas Video LE requires you to select from several predefined templates.

1.

From the

File

menu, choose

Render As

. The Render As dialog appears.

2.

Select the drive and folder where you want to save the rendered file.

3.

Type a new name in the

File name

box, if necessary.

4.

In the

Save as type

drop-down list, choose the

appropriate format. For more information, see Selecting a file format on page 240 .

5.

In the

Template

drop-down list, select the appropriate template.

If your source media is in DV format, select a DV

template. For more information, see Working in DV format on page 189 .

You can customize the rendering settings by clicking the

Custom

button. For more information, see

Customizing the rendering process on page 241 .

6.

Select any check boxes as needed:

• Render loop region only: Renders only the portion of your project within the loop selection.

• Stretch video to fill output frame size (do not letterbox): Adjusts the aspect ratio so the output frame is filled on all edges. When the check box is cleared, Vegas maintains the current aspect ratio and adds black borders to fill the extra frame area (letterbox). This option is useful when the desired output format does not match the frame aspect ratio of your project.

• Save project markers in media file: Saves any regions and markers in your project to the final rendered file.

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7.

Click the

Save

button. A small dialog box appears displaying the progress of the render and a status bar appears in the lower-left portion of Vegas. You may cancel the rendering process by clicking the

Cancel button on the status bar.

Selecting a file format

The following table describes the formats available for rendering your Vegas project:

Format Name Extension Definition

Audio Interchange File Format .aif

MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 .mpg

MPEG Layer 3

OggVorbis

QuickTime

RealMedia

Sonic Foundry Perfect Clarity

Audio

Sonic Foundry Wave64

Video for Windows

Wave (Microsoft)

Wave (Scott Studios)

Windows Media Audio

Windows Media Format

.mp3

.ogg

.mov

.rm

.pca

.w64

.avi

.wav

.wav

.wma

.wmv

The standard audio file format used on Macintosh computers.

Some versions of Vegas also support MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 file creation through the use of MainConcept MPEG technology (see notes following table).

Compressed audio format. You may render up to 20 .mp3 files without registering the optional plug-in.

A patent-free audio encoding and streaming technology.

Apple QuickTime multimedia format.

The RealNetworks standard for streaming media via the Web. This option renders both audio and video into one file.

A Sonic Foundry proprietary format that is compressed and completely lossless (see notes following table).

A Sonic Foundry proprietary format that allows wave files that are

(practically) unrestricted by file size (see notes following table).

The standard video file format used on Windows-based computers. This option renders both audio and video into one file.

The standard audio file format used on Windows-based computers.

Standard audio format used with Scott Studios systems.

The Microsoft audio-only format used to create files for streaming or downloading via the Web.

The Microsoft standard used for streaming audio and video media via the

Web.

More about the MPEG format

Vegas Video supports MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 file creation through the use of MainConcept MPEG technology.

MPEG renders can sometimes take more time than renders with some other formats. MPEG video files can be played back on most computer systems. MPEG video files can also be burned to CDs or DVDs for playback in standalone VCD, SCVD, and DVD players. Sonic Foundry cannot guarantee the compatibility of MPEG files with VCD/DVD authoring software or VCD, SCVD, and DVD standalone players. Consult your specific authoring software's documentation for information on what constitutes a valid file and then customize the MPEG rendering properties to match.

More about the Wave64 and Perfect Clarity Audio formats

The Wave64 (.w64) and Perfect Clarity Audio (.pca) formats are proprietary formats developed by Sonic

Foundry to work around some limitations inherent in other formats. Currently, neither is compatible with many other applications and may not be playable in other media players, but both are excellent choices for

Sonic Foundry projects.

• Wave64 files work around the maximum file size limitation inherent in the WAV format. The Wave64 format has no maximum file size and is useful in long format productions.

• Perfect Clarity Audio is the Sonic Foundry Perfect Clarity Audio (PCA) format, a compressed format that is completely lossless. Unlike MP3 and other highly compressed formats which are lossy, 100% of the quality of your audio is maintained by using the PCA format.

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More about video formats

When you create a final movie, you will find that there are dozens of formats to choose from, each having dozens of options. The destination of your final movie is the most important factor in selecting a format.

Movies created for broadcast television must be of the highest quality, but for many other destinations, such as a CD-ROM or the Internet, you may have to sacrifice some quality when you render the file. Heavy compression may create visible artifacts in the video, such as when you create streaming video for the

Internet. Every case is different and it is necessary to experiment to obtain the best results.

VCR or television

If you are creating a movie that you want to send back out to a television, a VCR or a camcorder, there is only one choice: use the same settings as the original video.

There is no way to improve upon the quality of your original video (as far as compression is concerned). If you have captured your video at 640X480, at 24 fps in an MJPEG codec, then that is how you should set up

your final movie. This is the only way to maintain 100% quality. For more information, see Working in DV format on page 189 .

Computer

This can be the most complicated case because you have to decide exactly which computer it is going to be played back on, how fast it is, what software is installed, and how you are going to get it there (e.g., burn to a

CD). Your biggest concern with creating a video file is compatibility. When you create a movie, you must select a specific codec to compress the video. That same codec must then be used to view the movie. This is not a problem if you are viewing the movie on your own computer, since the appropriate codec is already installed. To ensure that your audience has the appropriate software, you should use a fairly universal codec.

Intel Indeo, Cinepak, and QuickTime (which is not a codec, but installs with a number of different codecs) are all widely available.

Internet

When video on the Internet is discussed, people almost always mean streaming. There are two streaming media formats that come with Vegas: RealMedia and Windows Media Format. There is nothing particularly magical about streaming video, and the three rules of creating video files for the Internet are as follows: compress, compress, and compress. The smaller the file size the better, and this inevitably results in a loss of quality. There are two main places where you can save space: frame dimensions and frame rate. Typical

Internet video files should be about 160X120 and should rarely exceed 320X240. This is not very big, and video with lots of detail does not translate well to this frame size. The frame rate should also be as low as possible, with 15 fps being a good maximum. Fast action, pans, and moving backgrounds (e.g., tree leaves or ocean waves) do not compress well. Streaming media files must be placed on a special Internet server in order to stream properly.

Customizing the rendering process

Using custom settings to render to streaming media formats is only available in Vegas Video. Vegas Video LE requires you to select from several predefined templates.

Every media file format has different variables and controls. Vegas has a number of templates that appear on the Render As dialog’s

Template

drop-down list to automatically configure a particular format for a particular destination.

You may also choose to create custom settings for your render by clicking the

Custom

button. Once you have customized the settings, you may create your own template so that you can reuse the custom settings at a later time.

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Selected rendering format

Selected template and description

Click Custom to change control settings or create/delete a template

Customizing the Render As settings

1.

From the File menu, choose Render As .

2.

In the Render As dialog, choose the format [e.g., Video for Windows (.avi)].

3.

Click the Custom button. The Custom Settings dialog appears.

4.

Adjust the settings in each of the tabs as desired.

5.

Click OK to close the Custom Settings dialog.

6.

Enter a name and location for the new file and click Save .

The customized settings that have been chosen here can be saved for future use. One of the most important reasons to save a new template is to save the specific compression codec used to create the final media file, since this is not predetermined by the project properties.

Saving custom settings as a template

1.

Modify the parameters in the Custom Settings dialog.

2.

In the Template drop-down list, enter a name for the new template.

3.

Click the Save Template button ( ).

Changes cannot be made to the default template. To use the new template in the future, simply select it from the Template list in the Save As dialog. Custom Audio and Video settings are saved in the same template.

Note: To delete a template, select it from the drop-down list and click the Delete button

( ).

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Creating custom rendering settings for AVI files

The options that appear in the Custom Settings dialog depend on which format you choose for your rendered file. This section provides descriptions of the Custom Settings options for creating a Video for

Windows (AVI) file. For descriptions of the options used to customize other formats, use the What’s This

button ( ) in the specific Custom Settings dialog for that format. For more information, see What’s This? help on page 18 .

Some of the rendering settings are identical to your Project Properties and can be saved as a part of a project

template. Final render settings override Project Properties settings. For more information, see Modifying project video properties on page 190 .

The Custom Settings dialog for rendering to an AVI file has three tabs: Project , Video , and Audio .

Project tab

Video rendering quality

Higher quality settings result in longer rendering times. Good is the default.

Motion blur type

Motion blur can be used to smooth any animated effects created in Vegas, including track motion, panning, and cropping effects.

Exposure time (seconds)

This determines the amount of Motion blur to apply. Specify a duration over which the blur will occur.

Smaller fractions of a second are recommended.

Resample the frame rate of all video

This option resamples the frame rate for all source media files in a project that differ from the target frame rate of the final movie where necessary. This may or may not improve the quality of the final video, but will

almost certainly increase rendering times. For more information, see Resampling video on page 187 .

Video tab

Frame size

Frame size contributes to quality and file size. The appropriate frame size is determined by the final destination of the movie. See your video capture card’s manual for more information. The final frame size of the movie can be different from the project’s default settings.

Frame rate

Frame rate is important in determining the quality and size of the final media file. The appropriate frame rate is determined by the final destination of the movie. See your video capture card’s manual for more information. The final rendered multimedia file can have a different frame rate from the project itself.

Field order

Video that is displayed on a television monitor is interlaced. This means that every frame of video is actually composed of two fields, each of which is made up of half of the lines that make the final frame. These two fields are woven together in alternate lines, but which of the two fields is displayed first can be important.

The interlace can be ignored for video that is going to be displayed on a computer: choose None

(progressive scan). For video on a television, most hardware supports Lower Field First. If the output is jittery or shaky on a television, or your hardware’s manual specifies it, choose Upper Field First.

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Pixel aspect ratio

A pixel is a single picture element or dot on a television or computer screen. Computers display pixels as squares: 1.0. Televisions display individual pixels as rectangles: 0.909, 0.899, or anything other than square.

Using the wrong pixel aspect ratio can result in distortions or stretching of the video. Select the aspect ratio for the final movie’s destination. Consult your hardware manual if you are in doubt about the appropriate ratio. The pixel aspect ratio is unrelated to the frame’s aspect ratio.

Video format

Codec, which stands for COmpressor/DECompressor, is the mathematical algorithm used to compress a media file. The codec directly determines the size and quality of the movie, as well as its compatibility with various playback devices. The final destination for the movie dictates the choice of codec. Many of the codecs used for specific rendering formats are updated periodically by their creators. For information about specific codecs, contact the codec’s manufacturer.

Each codec is a small program that may have additional custom controls used to fine tune the output. Click the Configure button to adjust these parameters manually.

Quality slider

If the codec chosen in the

Video format

list supports it, use this slider to adjust the quality of the compression applied by the codec chosen from the

Video format

list.

Interleave every

When enabled, this control allows you to specify how often the audio and video streams are interleaved.

Interleaving relates directly to how the data is saved in the file. For example, during the rendering process, the audio data is written in between the video data based on the frame setting that you specified.

Interleaving allows for optimal playback of the AVI file.

Keyframe every

If the codec chosen in the Video format list supports compression keyframes, select this option to set compression keyframes to adjust the quality of the compression. More keyframes typically produce higher quality video, but a larger file size (and thus a higher data rate).

Data rate

If the codec chosen in the

Video format

list supports a data rate ceiling, select this option and enter a maximum data rate for the final file.

Render alpha channel

If the codec chosen in the

Video format

list supports alpha channel transparency, select this option to save this information with the file.

Create an OpenDML (AVI version 2.0) compatible file

Select this check box if you want to save your file as an OpenDML file. OpenDML files allow you to create files that are limited in size only by the format of your hard disk: 2GB using FAT32 or 4GB using NTFS.

Audio tab

Audio format

This lists the audio rendering codecs that are available.

Attributes

If the codec chosen in the Audio format list supports it, select the appropriate attributes for the codec from this list.

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Sample rate

The sample rate directly affects the audio’s quality. The sample rate is defined as the number of times a second that data is sampled in an audio file. It is similar to the concept of resolution in an image file. The higher the setting you choose, the better the quality, but the larger the file size.

Bit-depth

The bit depth directly affects the audio’s quality. The bit depth is defined as how much data is used to save each sample. The higher the setting you choose, the better the quality, but the larger the file size.

Channels

A project may be rendered in either stereo or mono.

Printing with Video Capture

Once you have rendered your project, you can use Sonic Foundry’s Video Capture application (installed with Vegas) to print your finished video onto DV tape in your video camera or VTR.

Note: You must have an IEEE-1394/

OHCI-compliant video capture card installed to use Video Capture.

1.

If you have not already done so, connect your video camera to your video capture card using the cable provided with the card.

2.

In the Media Pool window, click the Open Video Capture button ( ). The Sonic Foundry Video Capture application starts.

Note: If your video camera is properly connected, the Video Preview window in the center of the application area should display

“Device connected.”

3.

Follow the instructions for printing to tape provided in the Video Capture online help. To access online help, click the Help menu within the Video Capture application, and choose Contents and Index . The

Video Capture online help file displays.

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Printing to DV tape

Print to tape from the timeline is only available in Vegas Video.

You can print either a portion of your project or the entire video right from the project timeline. Vegas

examines your project, prerenders any complex portions, and then prints to DV tape all in one action. For more information, see Prerendering video on page 231 .

Note: Printing to tape from the timeline can require significant drive space for temporary prerendered files. Set the Prerendered files folder on the Video tab of the Project Properties dialog to an A/V-capable drive with sufficient space. Prerendering a DV project uses approximately 228 MB/minute, so plan accordingly.

To print to DV tape, you must first establish a connection to the video camera or VTR to which you will

print. For more information, see Video device tab on page 262 .

Establishing a connection to the recording device

1.

On the Tools menu, choose Preferences . The Preferences dialog appears.

2.

Click the Video Device tab.

3.

In the Device drop-down list, select OHCI Compliant IEEE

1394/DV .

4.

Click OK . The Preferences dialog closes.

Printing to DV tape

1.

To print just a portion of your project, make a time selection in the timeline.

2.

From the Tools menu, choose Print Video to DV Tape . The Conform Timeline to DV Format dialog appears. Complete the following information:

• In the DV Template drop-down list, select the appropriate template for rendering your video or click

Custom

to select custom settings. For more information, see Customizing the rendering process on page 241 .

• To print just a portion of your project, select the Render loop region only check box.

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3.

Click

Next

. The Leader and Trailer dialog appears. Complete the following information:

• In the

Leader section, select a test pattern, and indicate the test pattern and black duration that will precede the video. To print without a test pattern or black leader, enter 0 for the

Duration

value. Select the

Play 1 kHz tone with test pattern

check box to include a tone in the leader.

• In the

Trailer section, indicate the duration of the black to follow the video. To print without a trailer, enter 0 for the

Duration

value.

4.

Click

Next

. The Device Setup dialog appears. Choose the device control mode:

• Manual: You must manually cue the device and set it to record.

• Use device control: Enter a timecode value where the device will begin recording. The device must support OHCI 1394-DV device control to use this option.

5.

Click

Finish

. Vegas begins printing the selected video to the device. A progress meter appears indicating the percent completed.

Note: The tone that can be included in the leader is fixed at -12 dB. If you need a different tone level (to match your audio mix), create a test pattern and tone clip that is calibrated to your record deck.

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Burning Video CDs

CD burning is only available in Vegas Video.

You can render your project as an MPEG and burn it to a Video CD all in one step. Video CDs can be played in many home DVD players and on computers with a CD-ROM drive and VCD player software.

1.

From the Tools menu, choose Burn CD , and choose Video CD from the submenu. The Burn Video CD dialog appears.

2.

Select the options for burning the Video CD:

• Select the

Render loop region only check box to burn only a portion of your project.

• Select the

Stretch video to fill output frame

check box to have Vegas reformat your video so that it fills the output frame size listed in the

Description

field. When the check box is cleared, Vegas maintains the current aspect ratio and adds black borders to fill the extra frame area (letterboxing).

• Clear the

Fast video resizing

check box if you see unacceptable artifacts in the rendered video. Turning off this option can correct the artifacts, but it increases rendering time.

• From the

Burn speed

drop-down list, choose the speed at which you want to record. The

Max

option records using the fastest speed possible with your drive. Decrease the speed if you have difficulty recording.

3.

Click

OK

.

Note: You can use this same command to burn an existing MPEG file to a Video CD.

Select the

Use an existing file option in the

Burn Video CD dialog to record an MPEG.

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Burning multimedia CDs

CD burning is only available in Vegas Video.

You can render and burn your finished project to a CD in one step. Vegas provides the options of embedding the finished video in an HTML file or including a media player installer on the CD.

1.

From the Tools menu, choose Burn CD, and choose Multimedia CD from the submenu. The Burn

Multimedia CD dialog appears.

2.

Select the options for burning the multimedia CD:

• Choose the appropriate format and template for rendering the project from the

Format

and

Template drop-down lists.

• Select the

Render loop region only check box to burn only a portion of your project.

• Select the

Stretch video to fill output frame

check box to have Vegas reformat your video so that it fills the output frame size listed in the

Description

field. When the check box is cleared, Vegas maintains the current aspect ratio and adds black borders to fill the extra frame area (letterboxing).

• Clear the

Fast video resizing

check box if you see unacceptable artifacts in the rendered video. Turning off this option can correct the artifacts, but it increases rendering time significantly.

• Select the

Play movie inside web page

check box to create an HTML page and embed the finished video in it.

• Select the

Include movie player installer

check box to include a media player installer on the CD. Click the

Browse

button to locate the installer file.

• From the

Speed

drop-down list, choose the speed at which you want to record. The

Max

option records using the fastest speed possible with your drive. Decrease the speed if you have difficulty recording.

3.

Click

OK

.

Note: You can use this same command to burn an existing file to a CD. Select the

Use an existing file option in the Burn to Data CD dialog to record a file to the disc.

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