VSE parenting strips content + VSE "Empty"
This idea is pretty simple and I feel the need for some kind of functionality like this since the addition of editing from preview.
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rotation, location and scale of all strips contents with these 3 properties, should be possible to be parented to one another in order to create possibility of very simple 2D rigs in VSE. I imagine this parent object could be a dropdown property in each strip. CTRL+P hotkey would be nice too.
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add a "Empty" object to VSE add menu which would work simmilarly to empties in 3D viewport. Main difference is that Z axis is not needed and display color adjustment of some sort would be nice for better visibility in some cases.
EDIT: this is sort of how I imagine GUI should look. Works basically as you would expect. User clicks on that blackish empty frame and chooses one of already existing suitable strips ( I circled strip types, that I think should have this option, but I forgot to include my newly suggested empty, that should be there as well. I will possibly fix this mockup later)
11 Comments
sounds great
Seems great and familiar way to get it done
You can change the origin of the strip (even set it to a negative value), which achieves the same thing as parenting to an empty.
Parenting is already possible with meta strips. Put the videos you want in a meta strip, and they will all be transformed together when moving the meta strip.
Yes, that is pretty close and actually closest to what I had in mind, but I see a few problems with that:
Metastrips work basically the same way "precomposition" works in Aftereffects yet Aftereffects still allows for parenting objects within, cause it is usefull. And once again, yes you could go ahead and do the work in aftereffects, if that option is available to you, but that is besides the point, because what we try to do here, is more like "remove the limits of blenders usecase as much as it can be done" (at least to my understanding)
In conclusion: That's why I still think there has to be better solution to this problem and why I suggested empties in the first place. They are just super convinient in 3D viewport and I believe they will be convinient for 2d viewport of VSE too once better parenting system would be established.
Yeah. Those are issues meta strips have, and I think proper parenting behaviour should be possible to achieve.
It needs to be carefully planned though, or else you end up with a design that's messy and cumbersome to use (like the current effect strips).
I think that's a feature that should be implemented in the compositor (and it technically already is possible, though it's different and the experience isn't ideal yet). Having a separation between the sequencer (for editing the timing of different shots), and a compositor (for adding effects to those shots) makes each task simpler and easier.
The compositor can't be used to apply effects to strips yet, so it would require a lot more preliminary work, but I think its worth it for the sake of usability.
That sounds to me like really powerful route of implementation, but as you said it would require a lot of preliminary work.
However I don't really see why a simplier system sholudn't be applied in the meantime. For example If each strip had content parenting parameter where you could choose another strip, it would already be a huge step up in my opinion, which I think still could be build on and hopefully fairly easily reimplemented if new node based infrastructure was to be developed.
Damn I've been using VSE for quite some time now and never thought I need this function great suggestion!
Why not do that in the viewport?
If you mean 3D viewport, that is quite different.
You get whatever footage in the 3d viewport, parent it to an empty, do a 2D rig like many people already do. And in the VSE you add the scene as a strip.
The only difference compared to, let's say, AE, is that AE doesn't have a separation between viewports and footage preview.
But in Blender, it gives you all the advantages of the actual 3D viewport. Instead of empties, use an armature, with all the animation tools that come with it. Since you import footage or any image as a mesh, you can also deform the mesh or use shading effects.
In short, it's actually even better.
You can also use Duik . Like many AE people have been using for 2D puppeteering for years now. That will make all the setup work for you.
Yeah but scene strips are quite heavy. for something so simple it is unnecessary workaround, even tho it is a great option to have. I'm aware of Duik, but it seems irrelevant in this case. Not that it is not used for the purpose of 2D animation, rather moving to another software kinda defeats the purpose. I'm suggesting this idea, because I'd like to see VSE grow, as I like the idea of having one powerful program for most if not all of my creative needs. Basic parenting isn't necessarily solely about creating rigs for 2D puppet animation. It is usefull in other cases too and just generally basic and nice tool to have in disposal.