A sequence is referring to the video clips/media that you have laid out on your timeline within your project. You could also refer to it as a "scene". Supporting multiple sequences means you could have many different versions of that scene or sequence within the same project but in a new timeline. It allows an editor to cut the scene in different ways, possibly for emotion, flow, or whatever reason, to give a client or producer options for a final decision. You could work with, or switch between those different sequences while working within the same project.

"Sequences" isn't just a term or option that was available in my old NLE, it is used in other current editing software. I know Final Cut Express supports it and I'm sure FCP (I have not used FCP but I own FCE). Premier Pro does as well.

"Sequence: The middle level of the Final Cut Express organizing framework, a sequence is an edited assembly of audio and video clips. A sequence is always part of a project, and you can have multiple sequences in a project, but you can't save a sequence separately from a project. However, you can copy a sequence from one project and paste it into another project."

Is this what you are referring to?

Just watched a "how-to" video on sequences in FCP. The answer to your question is "yes." It's just a matter of terminology from one NLE to another.

I've never experienced working with "Sequences" but, from the description, it sounds like you can get close in Vegas Pro by using "Nesting" along with "Take"
-Dan

Since Vegas can have only one timeline open in any project, the workflow would be a matter of opening a separate project instance of Vegas, and working with the different scene, instead of within one single project. Same end result, just have to change my way of thinking I guess.

OK, Thanks

Vegas does not support sequences. I think just about all other current NLEs do and have for a long time. Vegas does not.

Vegas gets close to sequences by allowing you to nest one project in another.

Basically, in most NLEs you have a project with several timelines in it. These are sequences. Usually you can put the sequences onto other sequences. The key difference from Vegas here is that because you have multiple sequences in one project you can have common bins for all the sequences. You can also get consolidated information about the media that's being used in the sequences.

I suppose the down side of it is that a project with lots of sequences must also contain lots of clips. This can be a problem, I suppose, if the edit software can't manage that much information. It definitely bogs down our PPro systems.

Most if not all of these other systems give you a tabbed timeline so you can easily access multiple sequences. In the case of vegas, you just get one timeline per project file. Vegas doesn't provide a lot of help to manage multiple timelines.

Rob Mack

It's a pretty significant limitation in Vegas. I got bit by it 2 years ago working on a large training video project.

When I finally got my nested projects into my finalized timeline, it wouldn't render because it kept running out of RAM. I was absolutely stuck with a timeline I couldn't render.

I ended up rendering each timeline to a separate file, then bringing the renders into a finalized timeline, and finishing out that way.

It's surely a limitation, but having sequences in Vegas wouldn't necessarily have solved the memory problem. PPro uses sequences and we manage to run it out of memory all the time. Part of that probably had to do with the Axio hardware compounding the memory problems of PPro.

It'd be very nice to have as a means of managing projects, it'd be even nicer if the feature was well implemented.

Rob

It would be a useless feature just like it is in those other NLE's.

There are a few ways you can do this already and they are pretty obvious. There is absolutely no need for what they call sequences.

"There are a few ways you can do this already and they are pretty obvious"

Would you care to elaborate. I believe I've tried the obvious and come up against walls that make them tedious to use, unreliable and overall unworkable. I'm not saying that sequences are absolutely vital to getting anything done but they would seem to make the task easier to manage.

Bob.

Mark are you referring to a multicam edit?

Where you have five different takes from five different cams of the same sequence of event filmed
These are dropped on the timeline, or each on its own and edited with all takes visible at the same time in preview
And you simply cut to the take you want .

The answer is yes. Check out multicam edit


Some guys refer to a Comp as a sequence or a multicam edit as a sequence or when they import say 10 clips this would be binned and referred to as a sequence

Rory

Well, I miss the ability to have multiple sequences within the same project because that's the way I was used to working. I could have one set of bins in my project for multiple sequences. Kinda felt more organized. Like I said, I'll have to adjust my way of thinking and go from there.

What I find more interesting, is with some of the replies here, just the term sequences seems to put some people off. At least that's the feeling I got. Not sure why, even in Vegas with clips in one open timeline, that in itself is a sequence. I'm just trying to make the switch to Vegas which I truly find intuitive and powerful.

I appreciate the helpful replies, and if Sony ever implements that feature, I will surely use it.

Thanks, Mark

No Rory, that's not what I was asking about. The ability to have multiple timelines in one project is my real question. I see that Vegas doesn't have this feature. I do understand what the multi cam edit feature is. Not currently looking to cut between several cameras on the same timeline.

Thanks though,

mark

Mark Sony Vegas has multiple timelines there is no difference in the multi track sequencing in Avid composer and multi tracks in Vegas.??

It’s a basic question and the answer is basic. I=:) assumed you were referring to something more complicated

"multiple timelines"

Can someone, please, explain what this means and why Vegas doesn't have it?

I'm still confused. Obviously, I still do not understand the question.

I do wish Vegas would add mutlitple sequences. I have gotten used to them in After Effx and even Final Cut. It is great to have multiple versions of a project available, or prebuilt sequences open so you can move them to other sequences without opening and closing the file.

Sequences are better than multiple instances and I don't understand what they are talking about with multiple timelines.

Dave T2

Mark,

Don't get put off. You're going to find that a number of users here are very territorial about Vegas and get incensed with someone asks how something is done in Vegas that they have used in another NLE. Many people here have what seems to be a personal attachment to Vegas and do not like seeing it compared to other NLEs. Especially if other NLEs can do things Vegas can't.

Sequences and bins is an excellent way to organize a project which is why it was brought over from the film world after nearly a 100 years of being perfected on that medium. It works and works well. Vegas doesn't have them, quite frankly because I don't think at it's outset it was ever designed to do large projects. Same reason it was built without strong media management, and a number of other features.

Nothing to get huffy about, it is what it is. Other's have explained how you work around this in Vegas. I strongly suggest that you do two things.

1. Use the Vegas single timeline like you would a bin. So lay out a sequence in one area... then further down the timeline, lay out another. Everything related to a scene.

2. Become conversant with a couple of lossless codecs. You'll need to do more rendering in Vegas to accomplish certain tricky tasks and you'll need to use some third party tools from outside the NLE from time to time. Going to a lossless codec eliminates the pain of generational loss, and only incurs the loss of time. You are going to need to get used to this.

There are a few pros on this forum who can offer objective assistance. Seek out their help if you get stuck.

" I don't understand what they are talking about with multiple timelines."

I think because each sequence effectively has its own timeline. It's kind of moot I think as you can only see / play / edit one sequence at a time. Technically each sequence can have a different frame size and frame rate etc too.

Bob.

Yes, having different specs on each sequence is handy. also instant switching between sequences is very useful, to either compare or copy/paste. Another good thing about sequences is sharing assets. If the same footage is used in both sequences, you only have to import it once.

Keeping track of versions of spots, one sequence can have your generic, un-supered version and the other sequences can have your custom tags or deals.

It is a convenient efficient way to work, and probably one of the few features missing from Vegas that I wish they would implement.

Dave T2

Nesting is a way of using Sequences, but in workflow, they are not the same. Nesting is when you have created a sequence, or in Vegas another project, and you want to bring that project into a current project.

Sequences allows you to have several "projects" open at once, with only one instance of the program. This way you can have a client version and your version of the spot and do a quick compare without closing and opening files.

Dave T2

I'm confused.
I can run multiple instances of Vegas and have several projects open at once.
It seems to me that multiple instances and embedded veg files acts as "multiple sequences" would.

What am I missing?

Steve,

Basically, it is the same. But you don't have to run mutliple instances, you have one project open with multiple sequences. It is a different workflow and one that I prefer. For the reasons, I have mentioned earlier. Mainly, speed in switching, only having to import assets once. Of course, there are risks. If you get a corrupted project file, then you lose all your sequences.

Multiple instances is just not a natural flow for me, I guess because I work with Avid, FCP and After Effects also which all have versions of a sequence workflow.

Even Photoshop works in a sequence style. You don't need multiple instances of Photoshop open to work on multiple images.

Dave T2