List of Vegas Pro suggestions

Cosmin_Gurau wrote on 5/28/2016, 9:57 AM

AESTHETICS

-Slider to set UI lightness/darkness
-Icon revamp
-General interface eye-candy revamp (Vegas needs to look like a 21st Century piece of software - your Video Pro is not a bad reference, for that matter)

BUG FIXES

Universal Bugs
-Improve general program stability
-Fix export as: vegas project archive (highly buggy even for simple projects)
-Fix export as: final cut/after effects/premiere/omf (they almost NEVER work, as noticed by... absolutely everybody. Either fix them so they work RELIABLY or remove them altogether)
-Fix selecting multiple events in timeline using the Selection Edit Tool when after selecting one group, holding CTRL then trying to select another group (https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/976336)
-Fix bug where after copying a video event with one aspect ratio and then pasting its attributes to another event with a different aspect ratio, the crop/pan is messed up until project reload/vegas restart
-When cutting an event, moving it on another track, then moving the timeline cursor, the split function stops working, (probably the timeline becomes unfocused somehow) pressing S does nothing (in theory it should split all tracks or only the selected track), and the user is forced to click somewhere in the timeline again in order to re-enable the ability to split
-Importing "too much" ProRes content consistently and absolutely crashes Vegas

Possibly non-universal bugs
-Fix bug when the first time(it only happens the first time) you try to save a project and you create a folder from the "save as" dialog, Vegas crashes and exits

USER INTERFACE CHANGES

-Ability to right-click copy and paste individual or multiple selected effects from event/media/track/master effects chain, directly to other chains or on selected events in timeline
(be it generated, video or audio events), while keeping current "Paste attributes" and "Save plug-in chain" functionality
-Ability to tick-disable the "double-click on event edge" expand track layers behavior
-Ability to tick-disable the automatic smart/force resample of all video events, making it the default behavior
-Ability to lock a whole track, the way you can lock an event

NEW FEATURES

-Improved primary color correction tools
-Improved secondary color correction tools (better precision, a choke option like in BorisFX would be nice)

-A Cursor Video Scrub feature for the Project Media panel (like Premiere, or Catalyst)
-An improved Nested timeline (timeline in timeline) feature(like in Catalyst)
-An "audio gain" option, with a slider and precise value entering, in the properties section for every audio event, right next to normalize
-A way to move (left or right) multiple cuts on a single or multiple events
-An integrated, GPU accelerated LUT support with a slider for mixing original with processed

-Implementing an After-Effects grade real motion blur option for Track Motion (current motion blur is just dreadful!)
-More track composting modes (like Color, for example - After Effects is a good reference)
-Add more functionality for tweaking keyframes in "Expand Track Keyframes" mode (linear/smooth/slow/etc)
-Add ability to select multiple Track Motion keyframes (perhaps a new tool?), even when unexpanded, even on multiple tracks at the same time
-Add more functionality for "Titles and Text" and "(Legacy) Text (the latter is still BETTER, I never use the new one) - more compatibility with font sizes and thickness,
the ability to individually change color of each character, better rendering for text in general (antialiasing, character spacing,etc) - After Effects is, in this regard, a very good example
-Add timecode/time display for audio events too!

IMPORTANT UNDER-THE-HOOD IMPROVEMENTS

-Make it so that disabling video FX (split screen view button) actually turns off the effects, as there are lots of cases when I can playback in realtime the timeline with no effects applied, and at only half that with them applied, but seemingly turned off via the split screen view button
-Develop a new, (multiple) GPU powered (CUDA / OpenCL) rendering engine that can handle consistent, high quality real-time preview playback and fast, no-flaw inducing render
-Permanently solve the insanely aggravating h.264 gamma issue (the one that needs to be compensated with the "Computer RGB to Studio RGB Levels" preset when rendering) - what you see is what you get
-Implement a different way to handle chroma sub-sampling, especially with codecs like h.264 (https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/982957)
-Dramatically improve the rendering engine and its presets/custom settings dialog (for ex. doing away with limits like the Sony AVC/MVC 25.999.360 bps cap)

PRODUCT BRAND SUGGESTIONS

-Market Vegas Pro as a real Pro tool, capable of handling almost all post-production needs from start to finish, target it at industry professionals (like Blackamgic does with its new "all in one" approach with Davinci Resolve) more than at hobbyists and videographers, using an aggressive campaign, even possibly changing the product's name (at this point, unfortunately, Vegas Pro is -ignorantly- regarded as Windows Movie Maker on steroids by most workers in the industry)
-Insist on the unmatched, unique, superb AUDIO capabilities of the NLE
-Decide on a recognizable, non-generic, cool looking logo and STICK WITH IT (the current one is meh to say the least, IMHO version 11 had the best logo (different strategy, cameras, I know), but an even better one can be designed)
-Choose to be represented by the very best available production house video reels out there that use Vegas, for example Lavette Film (great reel), straying away from mediocrity and plain cheesiness (BORIS FX's way of promoting itself is a very good negative example) Such action will not alienate hobbyists, low budget indie filmmakers and low-level pros, as they are much more concerned with an easy to use interface (at which Vegas excels at) and would very much like to be associated with a high quality product that promises high quality results.
-Insist on the fact that ease of use does not mean lack of powerful features, find a way to market Vegas as "the most powerful all-in-one NLE solution that has the flattest learning curve of them all"
-Buzz must be generated in the young professionals community. If you can make "No Film School"-like websites pay attention to your product and take it seriously, you are in the game.

Comments

videoITguy wrote on 5/28/2016, 11:40 AM

In addition to work with the properties and handling of VegasPro software, more thought needs to be given to making DVDArchitect Pro software the valuable companion piece that it should be. There is absolutely no competition worldwide for the market that a combined entity of VegasPro/DVDAPro can satisfy. The emphasis going forward should be creating Blu-ray as well 4k video Blu-ray disc media.

Perhaps the DVDAPro area of software is most underserved by the lack of the exact how-to do tasks within the software - not actual bug cleansing.

Here for Gary Rebholz and Eric Dettman, a list of in-depth discussions about the state of mis-info.misunderstood features of DVDAPro.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?Forum=4&messageid=914008

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?Forum=22&messageid=913372

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/showmessage.asp?Forum=22&messageid=912951

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=761338

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=22&MessageID=835404

Former user wrote on 5/28/2016, 12:11 PM

videoITguy, I just read the link about Title sets. That must have been extremely frustrating for you. I originally used Scenarist to author DVDs where I worked, and if people really knew the variables involved and what Title Sets vs. Titles, vs. Chapters vs. language vs. aspect ratios really meant in the DVD structure, they would be amazed at how progams like Encore and DVDA have dumbed it down.

There are many variables that don't get set that should be in programs like DVDA. Scenarist requires that you basically either use or block every possible option on the DVD structure. It was quite a leaning experience.

Gary James wrote on 5/28/2016, 1:25 PM

Withing the set of routine editing tasks I perform with Vegas, I've found that manual Vegas Keyframe based Masking is the most tedious job to complete. Vegas could really use some enhancements to automate the process of setting mask points (anchors) around image elements that follows the element across multiple frames - rotoscoping.

PeterDuke wrote on 5/29/2016, 3:04 AM

DonaldT

"if people really knew the variables involved and what Title Sets vs. Titles, vs ... really meant in the DVD structure"

Could you please explain in a few words what the difference is between Title Sets and Titles? I have always assumed that both meant a complete movie from start to finish, i.e. a movie file you render in one go from Vegas.

Former user wrote on 5/29/2016, 9:25 AM

Not meaning to hijack this thread. This is some basic information

[url=http://club.myce.com/f62/tutorial-dvd-video-file-structure-77646/]

PeterDuke wrote on 5/29/2016, 7:59 PM

Thanks, but that reference did not tell me anything I did not know nor explicitly answer my question. My answer to my own question then is that a "title" is a single video entity, and the "title set" is the set of VOB, IFO and BUP files that relates to that title.

A DVD may have more than one title and hence more than one title set. DVD Architect Pro can create a DVD with two or more titles and hence title sets. The list of files from such a DVD which I just created is

VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_0.VOB
VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_02_0.BUP
VTS_02_0.IFO
VTS_02_1.VOB
VTS_02_2.VOB

I asked this question because VideoITguy said, "Here for Gary Rebholz and Eric Dettman, a list of in-depth discussions about the state of mis-info.misunderstood features of DVDAPro.", to which you replied, "videoITguy, I just read the link about Title sets. That must have been extremely frustrating for you.": You are therefore saying that you agree with him that DVD Architect Pro cannot create a DVD with two or more title sets. I add my voice to all the others who say that it can.

<END OF HIJACK>

Former user wrote on 5/29/2016, 9:19 PM

Sorry, this has more explanation.

[url=http://mediachance.com/dvdlab/Helppro/vts.htm]

A Video Title set can have 99 titles. But not in DVDA, each title is one VTS. One result being, you can have 99 titles only, because of the VTS limitation of 99 title sets. In DVD authoring where you can control the VTS, you can have 99 titles in each of the 99 title sets.

Of course, that is only a very basic difference between DVDA and an authoring program like Scenarist of DVD Lab and for most of us, that many titles is not needed. But other things such as controlling where titles go for faster navigation, grouping menus and languages. Again, for most people. these are not needed or they don't need to know how it works. But using a different title set for each title, does slow a DVD down.

I think what videoITguy was saying is that Video Title Sets are not true Video Title Sets in DVDA, because they do not allow mutliple titles within them. They are basically separate titles.

There is not a manual available online for Scenarist. I used to have one, but lost it in my recent move. Once you see all of the options needed to set up a DVD from scratch, you will see how DVDA and many other programs have dumbed it down for us mortals.

Since DVDA does allow some scripting, it is more powerful than Encore, which does not allow scripting.

videoITguy wrote on 5/29/2016, 11:05 PM

The follow-up by DonaldT was a bit more explanatory of what the auto title set creation factor in DVDAPro allows for. Again if you look at the original thread that I participated in there was just merely a discussion between several people along the very same lines.

I think maybe the best way to visualize and experience the difference between DVDAPro programming and the full DVD spec possibility - is that a true independent video title set is walled-off from the rest of the title sets on the disc. Review a Hollywood disc where the Extras are in their own title set. That means the only way you can navigate to them is by accessing the menu link where it is positioned in the navigation stream.

In a DVDAPro disc you can create entries for several different media to exist in one disc, but if you are not careful, buy using the (next) button of the set-top player, you create THE opportunity to move from one media to the next. So the situation arises when the viewer presses the next button leaving the main movie and jumping right into the Extras segment. The viewer will be startled by this sudden transistion and you will have failed in authoring a disc that can have predictable navigation.

PeterDuke wrote on 5/30/2016, 1:31 AM

DonaldT

Thanks

tim-evans wrote on 5/30/2016, 10:14 AM

I remember several years back I wanted to create separate menu structures, formatted differently depending on the users TV aspect ratio, 4x3 or 16x9. Many professional DVD's did this at the time.

I managed to do it within DVDA using scripting. I did have issues trying to keep the menus completely isolated from each other, which meant I had to use more scripting than I expected.

Reading up online I learned how Hollywood does it using Title Set's. It was the first time I realized the limits of applications like DVDA and Encore. I was somewhat jealous of the feature but doubt I would need it for much else.

VEGAS_EricD wrote on 5/31/2016, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the bug list and feature suggestions. These are being documented and looked into.

set wrote on 5/31/2016, 10:44 AM

Speaking of DVD Architect:

Update to include Blu-ray's Pop-up menu, at least we can do navigation from it, rather than just being limited only to Top Menu / Title Menu like DVDs.

Set

videoITguy wrote on 5/31/2016, 11:36 AM

re: Thanks for the review..
as above Reply by: MAGIX_Eric D- Date: 5/31/2016 8:27:42 AM " Thanks for the bug list and feature suggestions. ...."

Regarding Set's comment about pop-up menu - there is a little documented and definitely under-utilized feature in DVDAPro 5.2 version where on-screen menus are permitted. This kind of utllity already there, needs to be fully exploited by tutorials...

BUT on the other hand, an actual Pop-up delivery for the on-screen menu would be most desirable. This kind of feature was last implemented by the last version of Adobe Encore, which is sadly no-longer available.

If DVDAPro would bring this to the market once again - it would be the single add-on feature that would make the going retail price of DVDAPro worthwhile. Sometimes just one single feature can provide the momentum in a market devoid of competition to actually surge to the forefront.

Spectralis wrote on 5/31/2016, 2:01 PM

I would like a much easier rendering system. For example, it would be great to have specific rendering options that are compatible with 3rd party software such as Mocha Pro. The number of times I've rendered out a file only to find it's incompatible with other programs I use to create a final project. Rendering can sometimes take ages so I'd like a system that is able to guide as well as offer comprehensive options.

Recently, I had to assign a name to a hard drive because Vegas won't render OuickTime codecs otherwise. Whether it's a QT or a Vegas problem is not the point - the developers of Vegas need to find a solution that doesn't involve changing basic system settings.

There could also be specific presets for uncompressed video in various codecs and for best compression/least impact on image quality. Want HD 24fps high compression with the least image deterioration for editing in Mocha Pro? A few clicks on a preset matrix and it's all set up. That would be great!

Jumping Rascal wrote on 5/31/2016, 3:33 PM

I think that DVDA is still an important and very useful part of Vegas Pro and would like to see it updated to include:

-the addition of modern looking templates for Blu-rays and DVDs. For example, the Star Wars Force Awakens Blu-Ray uses a format that is also used in many other current Blu-Rays. A similar format template would be great, especially given DVDA allows for customization. The current look of DVDA Blu-rays and DVDs is not really contemporary. Easy to create popups for Blu-ray would be appreciated.
-more tools to customize the look and feel of the menus.
-DVDA version 5.2 seemed to have fewer issues than 6.0 (eg. WAV files when added to the background media of 6.0 show up in preview but not when played in the machine) so improvements might start from 5.2.
-would like to see background audio volume adjustable from DVDA GUI.
-allow for use of more than one background video and or images(i.e. divide up the workspace on the menu).
-fix discrepancy between actual file size and the space used noted on the GUI. We shouldn't have to create via DVDA menu (not burn) the DVD/Blu-ray and then check the file size to see if it actually fits on the Blu-ray or DVD.

I find most of the people who want to see my full length projects ask for either DVD or Blu-ray. Therefore I use DVDA quite a bit and like its ease of use (after going thru the learning curve and figuring out the quirks) and speed. There are competitors to DVDA but they are either really basic (but improving) such as Roxio or Pinnacle (the two Corel competing products for which I get sales emails every week) or much more expensive ones that I can't afford. I hope to see DVDA (Magix Video Architect?) updated and included with Vegas Pro as it is now (Vegas Edit doesn't include DVDA).

In addition, and more generally, I'd like to see Magix Vegas Suite 14 have a BCC tie in just as the present Pro Suite has a Hitfilm/NewBlue component. The Suite version has many extra tools and it would be a good opportunity to integrate some of Magix's other products into Vegas or have them as included standalones.

I find the various lists of Vegas suggested fixes to be excellent; it will be interesting how Magix assigns a priority to each one. When Reallusion made a quantum jump from animation software iclone 5 to iclone 6, they did it by in stages over a year from 6.0 (they should have waited until it was better) to the current 6.4 with more significant improvements and add ins with every version from 6.0 to 6.4 (all free upgrades). This would be a better approach I think than having Magix try to fix everything in one pass.

Thanks to Magix for stepping up to the plate in its purchase of Vegas!!!