“Open still-image sequence” SVP 11 not working?

[Steve Rhoden]

Convert them instead to the png format and you shouldn’t have
any problems there….png sits very well with Vegas.
I suspect its those raw files being imported as sequence that’s
causing problems initially.

Steve Rhoden
(Cow Leader)
Film Maker
Filmex Creative Media.
1-876-832-4956
https://filmex-creative-media.blogspot.com/

[Monte Krause]

…for a successful image-sequence import, you must open the folder containing the numbered sequence of images, click on the 1st image, the check the box that says, “Open still-image sequence”.

Ta da.

Is that want you wanted to know (a few monthes back). I’ve been on a still-image sequence jag for a while. you can really jack with them an come up with some creative content.

Monte Krause
Dallas, TX

[Lars Hansen]

Thanks for this Monte.

For some reason this has never worked well for me and vegas does not seem to recognize the sequence of some naming conventions my cameras produce (including my sony nex-5 — not sure why?…).

As described in the link included in my original post at the top of this thread, I wanted to do this so I could handle multiple stills as if they were a single video event (i.e. zoom, pan, fxs, etc) and not lose the resolution of the original stills. Based on the help I’ve received here and other web locations the work flow I use now for timelapse and stop-motion is:

1) batch edit stills as RAW files in CaptureOne

2) import all stills as individual events, drop them on the timeline, and arrange in the sequence I want

3) save as a .veg file (project file)

4) open veg file in a new project (in my case, often many separate veg files) which lets me handle the veg as if it were a video event

5) edit as desired (eg, add fxs, pan/zoom, etc)

6) then render

I’m still not certain if any quality is lost limiting, for example, the amount of zoom I’m capable of when vegas processes these toward the final image/event(i.e. there may be some resolution quality lost), but it does work and the resolution is higher than rendering the stills to a 1080 format and bring back as a new video event, allowing for longer zooms and pans etc.

If you or anyone knows what is preventing me from importing my stills as a sequence I’d love to hear from you/them as I’d like to experiment with this technique too.

Thanks again Monte and all the others who have posted responses to this and my other thread!

LDC
Victoria, Canada

[Monte Krause]

…your #2 is not going to happen – not how you go about it. You need to “Import Media” (into Vegas) the images as a numbered, still image sequence.

Perhaps, and many artists may disagree, the highest quality image file you can import, as a numbered, still-image sequence, is an umcompressed TIF – about 3.5 MB per fame(rich color)@720p/1280×720

A TIF with LZW compression would be (my) 2nd best choice – at about half that size and visually undiscernable – or a PSD – Vegas will abide.

Me, I create the still image sequence outside Vegas, in Photoshop, by automating the editing process – as in, playing back a Photoshop Action I created – on each image – and saving them as a TIF, TIF w/LZW, or PSD in another folder – in sequence (numbered)- the numbering is part of the automation process – part of the dialog/automation wizard. It’s magic.

Then you move to Vegas and push the “Import Media” button on the Project Media Tab. Browse to that folder, click inside it, highlight the first image im the squence and put a check mark in the box in the lower-left corner labeled: “Open still image sequence”. Voila, you now have video to drag to your timeline. Ta-da.

Yes, garbage-in-garbage-out is the battle, but in order to edit video, you have to adopt one of the existing video formats – an unavoidable given. If you are worried about quality of image, and you have a banging PC, reach for the moon.

There are tricks and work-arounds – bait and switch techniques – you can employ if you need to get to the promised land with a less than ideal rig.

I work back and forth between Vegas or Premiere and Photoshop – or all 3. But Photoshop Extended is my rock.

Digital is digital, a copy is as good as the original.

*Don’t put the cart before the horse.

*[It may seem there is no reason to say that, but I somehow find it appropriate due to the scatter-shot nature of your post. All due respect]

I’ll take questions and any heat comin’ my way.
Let me know what happens.
~Monte

Monte Krause
Dallas, TX

[Matt Crowley]

For importing as a still image sequence, Vegas seems to like having a sequential number SUFFIX as part of the file name. Using a prefix number won’t work, and having gaps in the sequence will limit the import to the contiguous files before or after the gap.

This will work:
IMG0912.png
IMG0913.png
IMG0914.png
IMG0915.png
IMG0916.png

This won’t use all files since there’s a gap:
IMG0912.png
IMG0913.png
IMG0914.png
IMG0916.png
IMG0917.png

This won’t work at all. Needs to be numbered suffix:
0912IMG.png
0913IMG.png
0914IMG.png
0915IMG.png
0916IMG.png

It’s also possible that Vegas won’t use some file types as a sequence. Stick to common formats to be sure. Only JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP and variations on these are support in VMS. Vegas Pro might support more formats. Check the file types under Image Sequence in the File Types list in the Import dialog.