i hope some one reads this b4 xmas, cuz im making my family a gift and i need it to b done by then.

what im doing is putting video and pictures together from our trip to hawaii. i really havent seen any video from our DV Camera yet, so im not sure what kind of quality it is. im working on the pictures first, and the problem is that im having trouble importing them at high quality. they were taken with a new Sony Mavica camera (the one that records to mini cd) and at a resolution of 1024x something or other. I know its the highest the camera would go. any how, when i import them into Avid they look really bad. i opened up the import settings box and set it to import at maintain, square. it says thats the option to select if the file isnt NTSC or PAL. so i guess the problem im having is in the resolution tab. i cant set it to anything other than the third option (im able to click the other ones, but it just resets it self back the the ask me one).

i found this in one of the help files, but im not sure what exactly it means:

Use source compression for OMFI: When selected, the resolution for OMFI files compressed with native resolution types (4:1s, 3:1, 1:1) is used. This allows for fast import of these files. When deselected, the resolution in the Resolution pop-up menu is used as the resolution for import. This option always overrides the OMFI Resolution setting in the Import Settings dialog box.

it says it always overrides the setting in the import settings dialog box, which is what im thinking is happening. but i dont know where the resolution pop up menu is.

if what im saying isnt right, how do you import pictures at their highest resolution? id really appreciate it if u could help me out b4 xmas, as i want to have this done by then. thanks

I'm confused. There is only one resolution in DV 3.5. DV.

Images when imported into the Avid are converted to NTSC DV resolution of 720x480.

There is a plugin call "Pan and Zoom" that will allow you to do Ken Burns style moves by accesing the orginal file.

You can download this from Avid when you register I beleive.

if your settings are ntsc you should format the pics to 720x486 w/72dpi. Make sure they are pict files. the pics should look better once this is done.

Actually this is incorrect.

720x486 is the NTSC pixel size, however NTSC (and PAL) use NON-SQUARE pixels while your computer monitor uses SQUARE pixels.

If you make a graphic at 720x486 in Photoshop it will look slightly oblong when you bring it into Xpress. This is because of the square VS. non-square pixel difference.

For Xpress you need to create your images at 720x540 or 648x486 (72dpi) and import them into Avid using the 601 settings. If you select the 601, non-square settings in Avid on import it will automatically convert the image into 720x486 NON-SQUARE pixels for use in Avid and it will look normal on your video monitor.

BUT to throw a further wrench into the whole thing DV is not 720x486. The actual frame size for DV is 720x480 non-square pixels.

So if you are creating images for Xpress DV only and will not be using the same images in "normal" Avids create your graphics at 640x480 so that they will be properly converted to their non-square pixel equivalent in the DV world.

If you do create them using 648x486 or 720x540 you will loose the top and bottom 3 pixels. (not a big deal since this loss will not show on your NTSC monitor since it is outside of the viewable picture area)

Hope this helps.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

Also Xpress DV 3.5 will now import native Photoshop files and it will even preserve the layers.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

I was wrong.

No worries. Although for FCP this is different.

To create graphics for FCP:

1. Work in Photoshop at 720x534, 72dpi.
2. Name that file with 534 at the end of it.
3. When you are ready to bring it into FCP, resize to 720x480 (for DV) and name it 480. It will look squished.
4. Import this 480 file into FCP and it will fine in FCP and your NTSC monitor.
5. If you need to make changes alter the 534 file and resave it to the 480 file and re-import.
FCP does not automatically convert upon import and you need to do it manually.

Also be aware that white and black levels are also not corrected for.

Values of 0 and 255 for black and white are illegal when brought into FCP.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com