Playback rate

129

Time compressing/stretching events

Time stretching and compressing events is the process of using the same amount of source media to fill a shorter or longer event. While this can be done to both video and audio events, the two cases are fundamentally different.

Press Ctrl and drag the edge of the event toward the center of the event to compress (shorten) it or drag the edge out away from the center to stretch (lengthen) it.

You can see the results of the time compression or stretching by viewing the properties of the event. Right- click the event and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. Time compressing/stretching an audio event affects the Time stretch/pitch shift settings, while Time compressing/stretching a video event affects the

setting.

Tip: You can time compress/stretch several events at once by grouping them first. You can also apply a ripple edit after time compressing or stretching events. For more information, see Grouping events on page 179 or Applying post-edit ripples on page 110.

Time compressing/stretching video

Time stretching video allows you to fill a given duration with a set amount of actual video, sometimes called fit-to-fill. For example, if you have a five-second video event and you want this event to fill an eight-second slot, press Ctrl and drag the edge of the event to eight seconds. The resulting video is in slow motion, but the contents (footage) remain the same. If you had used a velocity envelope to slow the video to the same rate, the event would also be in slow motion, but its duration would remain unchanged at five seconds. Stretched video has a zigzag line between thumbnails. Video can also be compressed (sped up and shortened in length) by using this method.

When stretching video events or slowing video down, a set number of frames are extended across a period of time. For example, if you take source footage at 30 frames in a second and slow it so that only 15 source frames run during that same second, an additional 15 frames must be created to maintain the project’s 30 fps frame rate. Simply duplicating frames is the easiest way to do this. A more sophisticated method is to resample the frames of an event, allowing Vegas software to interpolate and redraw these intervening frames. For more information, see Resample (video only) on page 173 and Resampling video on page 232.

CHP. 5

ADVANCED EDITING TECHNIQUES