Newbie question about cookie cutter

NMP wrote on 1/19/2007, 2:02 PM
In VMS 7 is there a way to change the aspect ratio of the rectangle cookie cutter?

When I started to write this question I thought the rectangle always came up as a horizontal rectangle. Then I went back to play around with it some more to make sure I didn't miss something obvious, and when I did I noticed that the rectangle cookie cutter sometimes comes up as a vertical rectangle and sometimes as a horizontal rectangle and I don't see any reason for this. If I did something different I can't figure out what it is, and if I didn't then why is this? Does VMS just decide on its own?

The main thing I want is to be able to do either horizontal or vertical, but if it were possible to make more detailed changes (different aspect ratios) that would be cool. Anyone know?

Thanks is advance for your help!

NMP

Comments

rustier wrote on 1/20/2007, 7:17 PM
Take a good look at the video event fx pop up window. After you add cookie cutter click on the green cross near the end of the clip. Your pop up window has sliders that can change many properties of the shape - its size and location - the edges - you can add colors - many options. Its all there waiting for you to play with it. Keep in mind the key frame timeline - near the bottom of the pop up. There you can add event points that will cause your cookie cutter shape to change throughout the clip
NMP wrote on 1/21/2007, 4:38 PM
Thanks rustier,

I looked in that window and played around. I see where to change the shape, the borders, size, where to center it, etc. For the oval, for example, there is a vertical and a horizontal option (oval and oval side) and then you can vary the size. But for the rectangle there is only "Rectangle" and you can vary the size and how many rectangles you want, but not whether you want the rectangle horizontal or vertical, or how long you want the rectangle relative to the height. I am using some still images and many of those are vertical, so obviously the horizontal shape isn't very helpful in those conditions.

I had kind of given up and assumed that there was no option to do it vertical, but then I added the cookie cutter to another event and it just showed up vertical! I just wanted to know whether that is something I can control.

Again, thanks for your help.
rustier wrote on 1/22/2007, 9:00 AM
in that case add a rectangle color gradient from media generators tab on the line above your picture. you can add control points, change color, feather the edge, change the shape any way you want. the generators with areas of checkerboard are transparent, so you might want to start playing with rectangle transparent to black.
Tollkuhnator wrote on 1/22/2007, 12:17 PM
A somewhat painful way to make a rectangular cutout is to add a second square Cookie Cutter to your FX chain. You can start by creating two squares of the same size. Place the right edge and top of the first square where you want them, then position the second square so it masks the left and bottom edges. It's easier to try this than explain it! You can control which square cutout is active by clicking the check box in the effect chain at the top of the Video Event FX window. Clicking one or the other of the "Cookie Cutter" event buttons selects which of the two the event controls are operating on. (After you get the hang of it you can try large squares like they were old-fashioned cropping angles you'd make out of black cardboard.) You could probably make a moving rectangle using keyframes, but I didn't rise to that challenge.
NMP wrote on 1/23/2007, 4:44 AM
Thanks so to both of you, I will give those a try!

NMP
pjfarr wrote on 1/23/2007, 5:16 AM
In my experience, it has to do with the orientation of the original event (if it's "portrait" or "landscape" oriented - i.e. taller than it is wide or viceversa).

If it's portrait oriented, the cookie cutter shape will be vertical. If it's landscape oriented the cutout will be horizontal. I found this can be adjusted with the pan/crop dialog. Disengage the Lock Aspect Ratio button and reshape the cropping frame to horizontal or vertical shape and the cutout shape will adjust itself accordingly. Give it a shot. Again, it's done in the pan/crop dialog, not the video fx dialog.

~P.J.F.

Here's a tutorial I put together for using the cookie cutter and pan/crop dialogs for splitscreen and other fx, if you're interested.

Click HERE.
NMP wrote on 1/23/2007, 7:22 AM

You guys are awesome!

rustier: Great idea, it works like a charm, and is a piece of cake.
Tollkuhnator: I have now tried it and it also works, using two square cookie cutters and overlapping them gives me a smoother transition from rectangle to square and viceversa than I managed to get from one cookie cutter alone since I can slide two sqares that overlap completely and separate them into a rectangle. And both this and rustier's idea allow me not just to change the orientation but the aspect ratio to whatever I want.
pjfarr: Indeed, you are right, it has to do with the orientation of the original. I didn't think of this initially because I was placing the cookie cutter on generated media and didn't think of it having an orientation, but of course, it does. I'll give it a try at reshaping in the pan/crop dialog. Excellent tutorial by the way. I'll have to try it.

Thanks