How to Apply DissolveMaster                          DissolveMaster's main help page

1. Overlap two events in the SAME video track of your Vegas timeline, automatically creating a crossfade transition.
2. Drag DissolveMaster (the name, or a Vegas preset for it) from the Vegas Transitions list onto the crossfade. Or right-click the crossfade and choose Transition Properties, then double-click DissolveMaster. The DissolveMaster interface will then appear.

• To apply DissolveMaster to a title, drop a DissolveMaster transition onto the head or tail of a title event, then adjust DissolveMaster's duration as desired. Or overlap a title event with an empty event (right-click in the track and choose Insert Empty Event), then apply DissolveMaster to the overlap.

How to Use DissolveMaster to Animate Other Video FX & FX Plugins

DissolveMaster is more than a transitions tool -- it can animate/flow ANY video effect in a SINGLE clip, such as color changes, tonal adjustments, blurs, and even the video effects from other third-party video effects plugins! Now you can progressively reveal or fade effects in a way that relates to your scene's content rather than the standard approach of ramping an effect's strength uniformly. The technique is simple:
1. Sync two copies of the SAME event/clip in two adjacent tracks of the Sony Vegas timeline -- one clip directly above the other clip copy.
2. Apply the video effects (Vegas built-in video fx and/or third-party plugin effects) that you want to flow/animate to only ONE of the two event copies.
3. Drop DissolveMaster onto the beginning or end of the TOP event copy, then adjust DissolveMaster's duration as desired.

Basics Within DissolveMaster

DissolveMaster is an OFX plugin for Vegas. Thus it utilizes familiar interface elements that Vegas users have seen in many other video effects, making it easier to use and learn. See below for the basic steps to using our OFX plugin. In a few minutes of seeing the below and then experimenting with the DissolveMaster plugin, you will have much of the creative power of DissolveMaster at hand for your projects.

DissolveMaster Saved Settings and Presets

Choose from nearly 500 pre-made professional effects in DissolveMaster. There are THREE ways to access presets -- Effect Browser presets, Vegas presets, and Section presets.

Effects Browser presets

This is the most powerful and visual way to access presets and is where our 500 effects presets are located. Click the Load a Pre-made Effect button at the top of DissolveMaster (as shown by the smiley in the above images) to open a wonderful large Effects Browser window to visually choose/compare pre-made effects. The Effects Browser is shown below. To save your own custom presets in the Effects Browser, use DissolveMaster controls to set up the desired transition, then click the Save to Effects Browser button ("B" above).

Time-saving tips to load presets faster:
The Effects Browser is fast, but sometimes you may already know which preset you want to use, such as when you are applying the same preset repeatedly in a project. In that situation, selecting a preset by a following method can be faster... To see recently chosen Effects Browser presets, Ctrl-click the Load a Pre-made Effect button. For a drop-down menu of Effects Browser presets, Shift-click the button. To use a standard Open file dialog box, Alt-click the button.

Handy tips while working within the Effects Browser:

• If your Vegas project properties Pixel format is "32-bit floating point (full rnage)" and Compositing gamma is "1.000 (linear)" the Effects Browser images will appear dark. Use the Vegas Gamma button at the bottom of the Effects Browser to compensate for this. Also note that if Vegas project properties View transform is "On" the colors in Effects Browser images will not exactly match the Vegas preview.
• To scroll through presets in a folder while keeping your eye on the top preview image for comparison, click in the right panel then use left or right arrow keys.
• To increase/decrease the thumbnail image size, use the Size button at the bottom of the Effects Browser.
• To copy a favorite preset into the My Favorites folder located atop the left column of preset folders, right-click any preset image and choose Copy to My Favorites. To copy the preset into a subfolder within that folder (such as if you want to organize presets per project or per client), right-click the preset and choose Copy to My Favorites >> [new subfolder]. You can then name the subfolder as desired. After the subfolder is created, it will also appear in the right-click menu.
• To rename a preset that is in the My Favorites folder, right-click the preset there and choose Rename this preset. To remove a My Favorites preset, right-click and choose Delete this preset.
• To hide any preset, right-click the preset and choose Hide this preset. To show all hidden presets in a folder, right-click any preset in that folder and choose Restore all hidden presets here. To temporarily view the folder's hidden presets, which can be handy if you just want to momentarily browse them, choose Temporary show hidden presets.
• To toggle between viewing the source file image and the DissolveMaster preset, click the top large preview image in the Effects Browser.

Time-saving tips to load presets faster:
The Effects Browser is fast, but sometimes you may already know which preset you want to use, such as when you are applying the same preset repeatedly in a project. In that situation, selecting a preset by one of the following methods can be faster... To see recently chosen Effects Browser presets, Ctrl-click the Load a Pre-made Effect button. For a multi-level menu of Effects Browser presets, Shift-click the Load a Pre-made Effect button. To use a standard Open file dialog box, Alt-click the Load a Pre-made Effect button.

Handy tips while working within the Effects Browser:
• To scroll through presets in a folder while keeping your eye on the top preview image for comparison, hold the mouse pointer over the right panel then use arrow keys or the mouse wheel.
• To increase/decrease the thumbnail image size, use the Size button at the bottom of the Effects Browser.
• To copy a favorite preset into the My Favorites folder located atop the left column of preset folders, right-click any preset image and choose Copy to My Favorites. To copy the preset into a subfolder within that folder (such as if you want to organize presets per project or per client), right-click the preset and choose Copy to My Favorites >> [new subfolder]. You can then name the subfolder as desired. After the subfolder is created, it will also appear in the right-click menu.
• To rename a preset that is in the My Favorites folder, right-click the preset there and choose Rename this preset. To remove a My Favorites preset, right-click and choose Delete this preset.
• To hide any preset, right-click the preset and choose Hide this preset. To show all hidden presets in a folder, right-click any preset in that folder and choose Restore all hidden presets from this folder. To temporarily view the folder's hidden presets, which can be handy if you just want to momentarily browse them, choose Temporarily show hidden presets.
• To toggle between viewing the source file image and the DissolveMaster preset, click the top large preview image in the Effects Browser.

Vegas Presets

If you prefer, you can save favorite Effects Browser presets and/or custom presets in Vegas's usual place, although using our Effects Browser is much more visual and easier to compare choices. The one advantage of the usual Vegas way is you can apply a favorite preset quickly without entering the DissolveMaster interface at all.

Section presets

Unlike the Effect Browser presets or Vegas presets, these change ONLY the controls in ONE section of DissolveMaster. Mixing presets from several sections is a quick and easy way to try hundreds of fresh transition variations. For example, try different Glow presets with your dissolve transition without affecting what you have set up in the other controls of DissolveMaster. Just click any section's Section Presets button. To choose a section preset visually instead of from a list, Shift-click the button.

Detailed Help on Each DissolveMaster Control

 

Dissolve Keying

Set where the dissolve will start/end within the image, what image information will be used to form the dissolve, and edge softness.
Set the Key at... Choose the target for the next two Key controls in this section. For example, when a white "Key Color" is selected, choosing "Start of dissolve in Clip 1" will start the dissolve in the first clip's brightest areas; "End of Clip 1" will end the dissolve in the first clip's brightest areas. Likewise in the second clip if "Start of Clip 2" or "End of dissolve in Clip 2" is chosen. NOTE: When applied to only one non-overlapped clip, choose a "Clip 2" option for the clip's head or a "Clip 1" option for the clip's tail.
Key Type Choose the type of image information that will visually flow the dissolve over time. Click the adjacent Compare button to visually compare options. "Luminance" creates a dissolve based on brightness; a good choice to simulate optical/film dissolves. "Color" uses RGB values to start or end the dissolve in a particular hue within a clip. "Red channel" (or Green or Blue) uses the color intensity in one color channel. "Timing adjusted" options better match the dissolve's visual progress to the transition's actual start/end.
Key Color Use the eyedropper or color controls to set where the dissolve will visually start or end within your images. For example, if white is selected the dissolve will start or end (depending on "Set the Key at..." choice) in the clip's brightest areas; if black, then in the clip's darkest areas. If a color is chosen, the dissolve will start or end in color areas that most closely match. To use the eyedropper, click it, then click in the preview image.
Softness Adjust the edge softness of the dissolve.
Shape Choose a shape from several options. "Inverted" choices reverse the dissolve's direction of flow.

Shape

Use this section to conform the dissolve to a shape, partially or entirely. Create ultra-soft "directional dissolves" with a shape, for example, to subtly radiate a dissolve outward from any subject in a scene.
Shape Choose a shape from several options. \"Inverted\" choices reverse the dissolve's direction of flow.
Strength Set how strongly the dissolve conforms to the chosen shape.
Position Position the shape within the image by dragging the center point. If "Linear Wipe" is selected, you can adjust its angle by moving the center point. For more precision, enter numerical values, such as to match the shape in two different dissolves.

Blending

Optionally use Photoshop-like blend modes in this section to create new dissolve looks.;TWIRLC;[BASE]\\Blending
Mode 1 To fine-tune the look of the dissolving area within a clip, choose a Photoshop-like blend mode. NOTE: When applying DissolveMaster onto a single non-overlapped clip, blend modes other than "Normal" will produce irregular visual results.
Mode 2 Optionally choose a second blend mode for further visual creativity. NOTE: When applying DissolveMaster onto a single non-overlapped clip, blend modes other than "Normal" will produce irregular visual results.
Blend Mix Adjust the mix of Mode 1 and Mode 2. Greater values increase the relative strength of Mode 2.
Mid Contrast Adjust the contrast in the dissolve area.
Gamma Adjust the brightness in the dissolve area.

Saturation

Optionally ramp the clip's color saturation during the dissolve.
Saturation Choose where the saturated color will appear.
Strength Adjust the intensity of the color saturation during the dissolve.

Blur

Optionally add a blur to the dissolve's look.
Blur Choose where the blur will appear within the image. NOTE: When applied to only one non-overlapped clip, "Blur Clip 1 only" will be ignored at the clip's head and "Blur Clip 2 only" will be ignored at the clip's tail.
Strength Adjust the blur's strength.

Glow

Optionally add a glow to the dissolve.
Color Select the glow color using the eyedropper or color controls. To use the eyedropper, click it, then click in the preview.
Mode Set how the glow mixes into the images. "Add" tends to brighten or tint towards the chosen glow color. "Overlay" replaces the image with the chosen color.
Size Control the glow size.
Strength Set the visual strength of the glow.
Transparent Turn on this checkbox to show lower track visuals (such as a still-image or video clip) in the glow area instead of a glow color.

Progress Control the dissolve's progress over time, typically changing in value from 0 to 100. To ease-in/out the dissolve, adjust its start/end keyframes or add additional keyframes. To hold a dissolve, set two adjacent keyframes to equal value.


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