Is MSPro 5.2's editing interface crippled, or is it me?

[Alexei]

After using Premiere 4.2 with great satisfaction, for certain technical resons I decided to give Ulead MS Pro 5.2 another try. On a second look, it appears to be a decent package. However there is one question that really bugs me.

In Premiere there's ripple and rolling editing modes, that allow you to extend the duration of one clip on the timeline while either preserving the overal length of the project or shifting all the consequitive clips on the timeline back. Well, MSPro allows the former, but not the latter.

Am I overlooking something? Or do I really have to MANUALLY DRAG ONE-BY-ONE EACH CLIP located later on the timeline, if I want to increase duration (move back the Out point) of a clip located somewhere in the middle of the project?!?! I constantly have this necessity, becasue it takes a while to find the best spot for a cut.

Premiere has several ways to do so. First of all, there is a special tool, called Rolling Edit, if I remember it right (I remember its icon). Then, you can increase the length using Trimming window and clip window, and all following clips would shift. Also you can drag the clip to the next video track, extend it the way you like, and then drag it back to the empty slot between the clips on the previous video track, and all the following clips would shift accordingly.

I spend half of yesterday trying to figure this out in MSPro. I just couldn't find a way. If I double-click on a clip to open its window, and then try to move the out point back to increase the clip duration, an error message appears "The available timeslot is too short to accomodate the clip", or something like this.

Am I overlooking something? If I am right, and MSPro does not have this functionality, then there is no sense in calling it "Pro". Anyone half serious about editing very often needs to shift the out point of a clip located in the middle of a project back and forth, and it appears that Ulead has made it very difficult to do. To anyone half serious about filmmaking, convenient editing controls are far more important than all those flashy transitions.

Ok, I am very frustrated now. I would be very happy if anyone proves me wrong.

Regards,

Alexei

[fluggo99]

You're half-right.

MSP doesn't allow to trim a clip long in the Scratch Pad if it doesn't fit, and it won't let you insert a clip into a space where it won't fit.

BUT it does allow you to extend a clip in the editor window beyond its timeslot and automatically adjust. There are several ways to do this. First of all, when doing these operations, having the trim window open is a good replacement for using the scratch pad. (Right-click in the tool bar area to find it.)

There are three trim options and two modes for a total of six operating modes:

1. Normal trim, ripple off - Can't extend beyond space anywhere.

2. Overwrite trim, ripple off - Dragging the end of the clip beyond its timeslot overwrites any clip to its right.

3. Stitch trim, ripple off - Dragging the endpoint moves both the markout of the first clip and the markin of the second clip later, so they keep the same times in the track. You can't drag past anything if the clips aren't bumped up against each other.

4. Normal trim, ripple on - You can drag past; all the later clips will move relative.

5. Overwrite trim, ripple on - Just like #2, really...

6. Stitch trim, ripple on - Just like #3.

P.S. You never have to manually drag clips one-by-one. Two ways around this: 1. Use the "time select" feature, which will take everything from a specific time slot and move it, making all appropriate cuts. 2. Hold down shift and click-and-drag a rectangle around all the clips you want to move. Or select a whole track by clicking its label.

Respectfully submitted,
fluggo99

[Alexey]

Fluggo99, you're a star!

You definately deserve a thank-you mention at the Oscars ceremony!

P.S. I knew Ulead could not be so stupid to omit such important functionality.

Alexei (re-registered, as I couldn't find the password on my home computer))

[fluggo99]

Thanks -- I should tell you that I was editing yesterday and by accident I noticed that whenever you're "dropping" a clip (like putting in a new file or pasting from the clipboard), MSP will allow you to drop it straight on top of things or in tight spaces. It's weird; I haven't experimented with it a lot, but it might do what you were wanting.

I love this forum!

[This_Idiot]

Hi guys,

Looks like you both found what you were looking for. I don't get enought ime to check out all of the responses, but my recollection is that setting ripple editing "on" allows insertion of clips with all other material being shuffled up the timeline appropriately.

When you have trimmed each clip to their start and end points as required you can then search the timeline for gaps, and (almost) automatically drag all the amended clips back together. That makes it a whole lot easier to start dropping titles/effects /transitions onto the timeline.

The flexibility of Ulead is also (almost) its bane, as there are so many ways of doing things that the combination of editing steps becomes incalculable.