Sony Vegas 5 Manual

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Changing the interpolation curve
The interpolation curve determines the rate at which Vegas software animates between two keyframe 
settings. You can right-click a keyframe to choose a different shape for the interpolation curve. The shortcut 
menu provides six options: 
Linear, Fast, Slow, Smooth, Sharp, and Hold. Selecting Hold from the shortcut 
menu prevents any animation from being interpolated between two keyframes. The color of the keyframe 
indicates which interpolation curve is being used. 
Changing the relative spacing of keyframes
You can change the relative positions of the keyframes as a group. This can be useful if you need to change 
the overall length of an animated sequence or if you need to copy a set of keyframes to another event that 
has a different duration than the original.
1.Click on the first keyframe, hold the   key, and click on the last keyframe in the sequence to select all 
of the keyframes.
2.Hold   and drag the first or last keyframe to scale the keyframes.
When copying keyframes from longer events to shorter events, you must temporarily lengthen the duration 
of the shorter event so that all of the keyframes appear on the keyframe controller. Once you have pasted the 
keyframes, you can rescale the keyframes using the above procedure, and then resize the event to its original 
length.
Hold (red) Linear (gray)
Fast (green)
Slow (gold)
Smooth (lilac)
Sharp (pink)
Shift
Alt  
						

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Working with keyframes in track view
You can move and modify track keyframes in track view. These keyframes are used in the following three 
track-level effects:
Track effects plug-in (pg. 208)
Track motion (pg. 245)
Mask generator plug-in on a parent compositing track (pg. 226)
Viewing and moving track keyframes
Once you have added keyframes to one of these track-level effects, the track keyframes appear at the bottom 
of the track on the timeline. Click the 
Expand Track Keyframes button ( ) to view the keyframes. 
You can drag a keyframe on the track in the same way you would in the keyframe controller. To move several 
keyframes at once, use the 
Envelope Edit tool ( ) to select and drag multiple keyframes.
Tip: You can use ripple editing to automatically move track 
keyframes as you edit in the timeline. For more information, 
see Applying post-edit ripples on page 73.
Adding new track keyframes
You can add new track keyframes to an existing track-level effect by double-clicking the track keyframe area.
Editing track keyframes
Double-click a track keyframe to open the associated window and adjust the settings. To change a keyframe 
interpolation curve, right-click the keyframe and choose a curve type from the shortcut menu.
Locking track keyframes to events
When track keyframes are locked, you can move events along the track and the keyframes move along with 
them. Only keyframes that occur within the selected events move. 
Select the 
Lock Envelopes to Events button ( ) to lock track keyframes to the events on the track.
Hiding track keyframes
If track view becomes too cluttered, you can hide track keyframes from view. From the View menu, choose 
Show Video Envelopes, and choose Tr a c k  K e y f r a m e s from the submenu to hide track keyframes.
Expand Track Keyframes button
Collapse Track Keyframes buttonWith track keyframes
collapsed, keyframes
are minimized.
With track keyframes
expanded, each
set of keyframes
displays. You can 
move any keyframe
by dragging it to a Keyframe
Keyframe
new position. 
						

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Sample uses for keyframe animation
The following section provides several examples of how keyframe animation can be used with features such 
as event panning and cropping, video effects plug-ins, and generated text events.
Animating event panning and cropping
You can combine event panning and cropping tools with keyframe animation to create several special 
effects. For more information, see Cropping video on page 187.
Zooming in on a still image
By using keyframe animation in the Event Pan/Crop window, you can zoom in and out on a still image. In 
this example, four keyframes are used to zoom in on faces in an old photograph and zoom back out again. A 
generated color gradient event masks the edges of the image during the zoom to enhance the effect. For more 
information, see Using generated media on page 213.
1.Click the Event Pan/Crop button ( ) on the still image event.
2.Click the keyframe controller to position the cursor for the second keyframe.
3.Click the Add Keyframe button ( ). Resize and move the selection area to zoom in on a portion of the 
image.
4.Click the keyframe controller to position the cursor for the third keyframe.
5.Click the Add Keyframe button ( ). Resize and move the selection area to zoom in on a different portion 
of the image.
6.Click in the keyframe controller near the end of the event to place the final keyframe. 
7.Click the Add Keyframe button ( ).
8.Right-click in the selection area and choose Restore from the shortcut menu. The selection area is zoomed 
out to include the full image for the last keyframe. 
						

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9.Preview the event in the Video Preview window. Adjust the settings in the Event Pan/Crop window as 
you preview the zoom effect.
Using pan-and-scan
Another way to use keyframe animation in the Event Pan/Crop window is panning, or pan-and-scan. Pan-
and-scan is a technique commonly used when film is converted for television. Movie screens and film are 
usually wider (~2.35:1) than television (~1.33:1). When you transfer the film to video, you have four 
choices: (1) squash the film horizontally to fit, distorting it in the process; (2) crop it, possibly losing 
information on the sides; (3) letter box it so the top and bottom have black areas and the picture is shorter 
overall; and (4) pan-and-scan. Pan-and-scan is a variation of cropping, where someone goes through the 
movie and moves the crop area back and forth to follow the action or subject.
1.Click the Event Pan/Crop button ( ) on the event. The Event Pan/Crop window appears.
2.Confirm that the Stretch to fill frame check box is selected.
3.Right-click the selection area and choose Match Output Aspect from the shortcut menu.
4.Select a starting position, size, and angle of rotation for the crop rectangle. This is the start position (first 
keyframe).
5.Click in the keyframe controller and press  . This moves the cursor to the end of the event.
6.Click the Create Keyframe button ( ). A new keyframe appears in the keyframe controller at the end of 
the event. 
7.Change the position, size, and angle of rotation. This is the final position (last keyframe).
First keyframe Second keyframe Third keyframe Last keyframe
 
 
 
Ctrl+End 
						

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8.Preview the event. Add and adjust keyframes as needed to create the desired effect. You can adjust both 
temporal and spatial interpolation for each keyframe:
Temporal interpolation (how the pan occurs over time) is controlled by the keyframe interpolation 
curve type. Experiment with temporal interpolation by right-clicking a keyframe to change the 
interpolation curve type (hold, linear, fast, slow, smooth) and previewing the result. For more 
information, see Changing the interpolation curve on page 239.
Spatial interpolation (how the pan occurs within the video image) is controlled by the 
Smoothness 
setting of each keyframe. If you have three or more keyframes, the blue arc in the window shows the 
path of the center of the frame during the panning. A smoothness value of 0 makes the movement 
linear from one keyframe to the next. A higher smoothness value makes the path of the pan more 
curved. Select a keyframe and change the 
Smoothness value to adjust spatial interpolation.
Animating video effects plug-ins
You can use keyframe animation to smoothly and gradually apply an effect to an event. This example uses 
the Add Noise plug-in. The Add Noise plug-in adds static or noise to a video sequence. When added to a 
simple solid-colored background with a monochrome setting and animated, a pattern is produced that is 
similar to a television that is not tuned to any station.
1.Add an Add Noise plug-in to an event. For more information, see Adding a video effects plug-in on page 208. 
The Video FX window appears with the keyframe controller at the bottom of the window.
2.Add two keyframes to the event for a total of three including the one at the beginning. New keyframe 
attributes are copied from the previous keyframe.
3.Click the first keyframe to select it. Drag the Noise level slider to 0.
4.Click the last keyframe to select it. Drag the Noise level slider to 0.
5.Click the second keyframe to select it. From the Preset drop-down list, select Grainy.
6.Hold   and drag the second keyframe to duplicate it. Position this new keyframe between the second 
and final keyframes.
The effect is off at the first keyframe and smoothly transitions to a grainy effect at the second keyframe, at 
which point the effect remains constant until the third keyframe. Then the effect gradually fades out until it 
reaches a minimum value at the last keyframe. Ctrl
Keyframe 1
Noise = NoneKeyframes 2 and 3
Noise = GrainyKeyframe 4
Noise = None
The results of gradually transitioning into an effect using keyframe animation. 
						

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Animating generated text 
You can add a generated text event to a project by dragging a text generator from the Media Generator 
window. For more information, see Using generated media on page 213. You can then animate the text by adding 
keyframes. 
Not all attributes of generated text media can be animated using keyframes, however. You cannot, for 
example, morph one text message into a different one. Some aspects can be easily and smoothly animated 
using the keyframe controller, such as text, color, transparency, leading, tracking, and position.
Other aspects of generated text do not allow interpolated keyframe animation. For example, if you set the 
text to “One” initially and then at five seconds change it to “Tw o”, the text will suddenly jump to the new 
value at the five second keyframe. This behavior is different from the behavior of other keyframe animation 
techniques. 
In this example, keyframes are used to make a title appear one letter at a time across the screen.
1.Drag a text generator from the Media Generator window to the timeline.
2.Right-click the new event and choose Edit Generated Media.
3.Enter the first letter of the title, for example “T”.
4.Click the keyframe controller at the 1.000 second mark and enter the second letter, for example “y”. The 
title now reads “Ty”. A new keyframe appears in the keyframe controller at the 1.000 second mark.
5.Proceed down the keyframe controller to 2.000 and enter the letter “p”.
6.Proceed down the keyframe controller repeating this process until the title is finished: “Ty p i n g”.
7.Preview the event in the Video Preview window. The word “Ty p i n g” appears one letter per second until 
finished.
Keyframe
Controller Text box 
						

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Adding track motion
The Track Motion window (accessible by clicking the Track Motion button   on any video track) is used to 
move a video track across a background. This background can be a solid color, another video event, or an 
image. Picture-in-picture effects and scrolling title sequences are two simple cases where this tool is 
important.
The gray area in the center of the window (covered by the blue/gray rectangle) represents the actual screen 
or area that is visible in the movie. The area outside of the main screen, which is filled with dotted lines, is 
the general workspace. The video you are moving can be positioned off of the visible screen and then 
animated onto and across the screen. The dots are markers to help position the video window. If snapping is 
enabled, these serve as snapping points. 
The main window allows you to control the placement, size, and orientation of the overlay video through 
time. The blue and gray rectangular overlay in the middle represents the video on the track. The selection 
box in the workspace is used to represent the orientation of the track.
You can also use 3D compositing to move tracks through space. For more information, see 3D Compositing on 
page 218.
Controlling track motion
1.Click the Tr a c k  M o t i o n button ( ) on the track that contains the overlay that you want to animate. The 
Track Motion window is displayed. 
2.Adjust the selection area to change the viewable area of the track and its position in space. Guides are 
displayed in bold to indicate how the track will be moved or rotated: 
Keyframe controller Properties Controls
Track area
Moving closer to or farther 
from viewer. Drag across 
corners to flip the track.Dragging the track.Rotating counterclockwise
around the Z axis. 
						

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3.Use the buttons at the top of the dialog to allow or prevent movement or scaling. For more information, see 
Changing editing options on page 246.
4.The track motion occurs instantly, and the results are updated in the Video Preview window. 
5.Use the keyframe controller at the bottom of the Track Motion window to establish distinct track motion 
settings throughout the duration of the track. 
During playback, immediate frames are interpolated to create smooth motion. Expand the 
Keyframe 
interpolation
 heading on the left side of the window and drag the Smoothness slider to adjust the 
interpolation. For more information, see Using keyframe animation on page 237.
Using the track motion shortcut menu
When you right-click anywhere in the Track Motion window, a shortcut menu 
appears:

Restore View returns the workspace display to its original state.

Restore Box returns the overlay to its original state (size, rotation, and 
position).

Restore Rotation returns the overlay to its unrotated state.

Restore Size returns the overlay to its original size.

Restore Center moves the overlay to the center of the frame.

Flip Horizontal flips the overlay backwards or left to right.

Flip Vertical flips the overlay upside-down.

Match Output Aspect sets the aspect ratio to the frame value.

Make Square Aspect sets selection box to a square aspect.
Changing editing options
Use the toolbar at the top of the Track Motion window to change your editing options.
Icon Command Description
Enable Rotation Select this button if you want to be able to rotate, or spin, the video. 
When the button is not selected, video is locked so you can move it horizontally or vertically, but the track 
cannot be rotated.
Enable Snapping to Grid Select this button if you want your editing to snap to the grid.
Edit in Object Space Select this button if you want to edit in the objects space rather than the cameras space. 
For example, if a track is rotated, its X axis may not correspond to the X axis of the of the Video Preview 
window. Selecting the Edit in Object Space button in conjunction with the Prevent Movement buttons allows 
you to move the object along its own X and Y axes.
Prevent Movement (X) Select this button if you want to prevent horizontal movement of the track.
Prevent Movement (Y) Select this button if you want to prevent vertical movement of the track.
Lock Aspect Ratio Select this button if you want the selection box to retain its aspect ratio during resizing. 
When the button is not selected, the height and width can be resized independently.
Scale About Center Select this button if you want the selection box to retain its center point when you resize the box by dragging 
its edges.
When the button is not selected, the opposite side of the selection box will remain anchored when you drag the 
edges to resize it.
Prevent Scaling (X) Select this button if you want to lock the horizontal dimension of the selection box.
Prevent Scaling (Y) Select this button if you want to lock the vertical dimension of the selection box. 
						

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Using keyframes in track motion
Keyframes are what create the motion in the track motion feature. You can create, modify, and remove 
keyframes in the keyframe controller in the same way as with any other feature that uses keyframes. For more 
information, see Using keyframe animation on page 237.
The keyframe controller in the Track Motion window has three attributes that can be animated: position, 
shadow, and glow. Each effect can be animated independently. The shadow and glow effects can be turned 
on and off. Each effect has its own set of controls that appear on the left-hand side of the window. You can 
access these controls by clicking the respective item on the keyframe controller.
Tip: If any controls described in this section are not visible on 
the screen, enlarge the Track Motion window by dragging the 
lower right corner until all controls are revealed.
Position 
You can control the position of the overlay in the main window by 
dragging the selection box or editing the controls on the left side of 
the window. However, the 
Po si t io n, Orientation, and Rotation controls in 
the window are invaluable when you need precision in resizing, 
moving, or rotating the overlay. 
The 
Smoothness box allows you to modify the smoothness of the 
interpolation curve among three or more keyframes. 
You can use the 
Workspace controls to adjust the magnification and 
viewable area of the workspace. Use the 
Snap Settings controls to adjust 
the grid in the workspace. 
2D Shadow 
This creates a simple drop shadow that appears under the entire window or only under the opaque 
(nontransparent) parts of the overlay. You can control the size and offset of the shadow as well as the shadow 
color. A shadow is especially effective under a picture-in-picture window or to emphasize text and titles. Use 
the 
Eyedropper tool to select a specific color from anywhere on the screen.
The shadow effect creates a drop shadow under an object, window, or title. A shadow is especially effective 
under a picture-in-picture window.
1.Select the 2D Shadow row in the keyframe controller. When the 2D Shadow row is selected, shadow 
controls are displayed in the Track Motion dialog. 
Select the 
2D Shadow check box to apply the shadow so you can see the results of your shadow in the 
Video Preview window, or clear the check box to bypass the shadow.
2.Use the 2D Shadow controls on the left side of the window to set the color and appearance of the shadow:

Blur % — type a number in the box or click the   button to display a slider you can use to soften the 
edge of the shadow. Set to 0 for a hard edge, or increase the setting to feather the edge of the shadow. 
						

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Intensity — type a number in the box or click the   button to display a slider you can use to establish 
the transparency of the shadows blurred edge. Decrease the setting for a translucent shadow, or increase 
the setting for a more opaque shadow.

Color — click the down arrow next to the color swatch to display a color picker. Use the sliders or edit 
boxes in the color picker to set the shadow color, or use the eyedropper tool ( ) to sample a color from 
your screen.
3.Adjust the size position of the shadow by dragging the box in the workspace or using the Pos i ti o n, 
Orientation, and Rotation controls on the left side of the window. For more information about manipulating 
the selection box, see Controlling track motion on page 245.
4.To animate the shadow, click in the 2D Shadow row of the Keyframe Controller to set the cursor to a later 
time and adjust the shadow settings.
2D Glow 
Glow is a bright haze surrounding an overlay. In general, light colors are used for glow effects, but you can 
emphasize bright text on complex backgrounds by using a very small black glow, with little or no feathering, 
and 100% intensity.
1.Select the 2D Glow row in the keyframe controller. When the 2D Glow row is selected, glow controls are 
displayed in the Track Motion dialog. 
Select the 
2D Glow check box to apply the glow so you can see the results of your shadow in the Video 
Preview window, or clear the check box to bypass the glow.
Cropped video
Shadow