Track Motion Keyframe added even when Sync cursor unchecked

[László Kovács]

Hi,

If you have sync cursor off, main timeline cursor may be anywhere, while (keyframe) cursor stays at another position.
If you make a movement at this position (track motion, parent motion), even a fraction of a pixel, a keyframe is automatically created with the new values.
This is how Vegas 14 (and Vegas 10 I used before) behaves in this regard, and I really think this is the normal behavior.
What you describe:
[Mel McMurrin] “More often than not track motion creates a new keyframe at the new time line cursor position even though sync cursor is off.”
I never noticed such a behavior, and I often use trackmotion and pancrop keyframed as well.

Best regards

László Kovács

[Mel Mcmurrin]

Thank you László!

Your description clarified it for me. I had assumed that a highlighted keyframe should mean that I am editing that keyframe! Silly me. So in addition to setting sync cursor off I need to move the track motion cursor back to the keyframe I wish to edit. Ah my poor mouse hand, lots of moving between timeline and track motion window…but you are right I think this is normal behavior.

I bet going back to 0:00:00 after a track motion undo is “normal” too … I can’t tell you how many time’s I’ve been making track motion changes to the first keyframe not the 100th one as I thought! The fix: delete keyframes and start over don’t Cntrl-Z them (or never make key frame mistakes!)

[Paul Berk]

I agree with Laszlo .. there is no way to turn off automatic keyframing. When you change your track motion setting, a new keyframe is created, unless there already is a keyframe at that exact position.

>>to make changes to that new keyframe (after moving Timeline cursor forward a touch so I can see changes
>> in the video preview. More often than not track motion creates a new keyframe at the new time line cursor position

I’d say you should leave the “sync cursor” on all the time.

Why do you need to move the timeline cursor forward to see preview? If you just leave the cursor where you just created a new keyframe, you should be able to adjust Track Motion and see it in the preview without creating another keyframe. The trick is to STAY exactly on the newly created Keyframe.

Preview is controlled by the Timeline cursor, not the Track Motion Timeline cursor, but if “sync cursor” is ON, you should be ok as they would be at the same position. Unless I’m misunderstanding you.

[Mel Mcmurrin]

Thanks for chiming in Paul,

My experience is that timeline cursor must be forward of the keyframe or you will not see the actual position in Preview.
Notice how in picture 2 position of red box in Preview maintains position of previous keyframe (picture 1) until moving forward (picture 3)

This is always the way it has worked for me…if yo have a setting which will change that I will be very grateful!

[Paul Berk]

Thanks for taking the time to explain with the screen grabs.

I can’t duplicate that behavior. Maybe I don’t get it ?? .. When I create the second keyframe, I see it in preview exactly — no need to move the timeline forward to see the placement — and as long as I stay on that keyframe, I can adjust all I want without creating an unwanted keyframe. I think this is normal behavior. What your seeing, to me, is not the way things should work.

Something might be up here with your system — or like I said — I may not be getting it.

With sync cursor on, can you go back with the Track Motion cursor to one of the already created keyframes and do track motion adjustments, seeing those adjustments in preview as you do them?

[Paul Berk]

I just tried this is VP13 .. I see the problem now — just as you described.

I think it has to do with HOLD. The work around is to place all your keyframes first as LINEAR and then go back and make them all HOLD or the ones you need for the effect.

VP14 seems not to have the problem at all.

[Mel Mcmurrin]

Hey thanks Paul for verifying I’m not crazy!

Yes, I almost always work first with HOLDs for precision then change them to LINEARS etc for smoothness as needed. That is great news about VP14. I have a vague memory that VP 6 behaved “correctly”, and was just about to install it to see.

Now tell me this, with the track motion sync cursor off, make a change to a keyframe (HOLD or LINEAR) and then undo….does track motion cursor move back to 0:00:00? in VP14? In VP13?

[Paul Berk]

Yes. Same behavior in VP14 .. undo bounces you back to the head of the Track motion timeline, 00:00:00. Bummer.

[Paul Berk]

But .. with Sync cursor ON .. undo works as you’d expect. Stays put.

I generally work with Sync cursor ON so I never noticed this behavior.

[Mel Mcmurrin]

Thanks for the research Paul.
I’ve tried over the years to work with sync ON, but I end up with unwanted Keyframes dropped all over the place!