Edit for black or fade to black

[loninappleton]

I'm trying to black out a pesky intertitle on an MKV.

Whether I use make a black section or fade to black  in AVI Demux to get rid of the intertitle caption
the most I get is near black but still visible.  I've tried every setting and time start and stop
but it remains visible,  if dimly,  where the black should be.  I could just cut short but I want to retain the effect of some applause on the audio fading out at the end of the clip.

[eumagga0x2a]

What version of Avidemux do you refer to? Does the issue exist with the latest nightly (r200622)?

https://avidemux.org/nightly/win64/

[loninappleton]

I can check the version.  But I think my problem is working the program properly.  If a version difference did anything ever show a "darkening" rather than a true black in the 'replace with black'
option?

Maybe someone could say that they've used it effectively and the steps to do so.

All this has to be done by time stamps and I may be getting something wrong in defining
the job.

My version is:  2.7.5  and run on x64.

I'll refresh the program but please respond to my queries above.

thanks

[eumagga0x2a]

I can check the version.  But I think my problem is working the program properly.  If a version difference did anything ever show a "darkening" rather than a true black in the 'replace with black' option?

There were issues in the last release with the both "fade" filters due to a bug in populating the lookup table, specific to macOS Avidemux builds. As you didn't reveal what platform you use, I could not rule out that you see that bug.

Maybe someone could say that they've used it effectively and the steps to do so.

You wrote: "I've tried every setting and time start and stop" so there is no reason to think that you haven't set the end time to the exact timestamp of the last frame which should be fully black, which is the only step necessary to achieve the desired result.

I've rechecked this filter with the current Avidemux code on Linux as well as with very recent nightlies for Windows and it works correctly (the last picture is black, well, at least it is black in the limited range 16-235 normally used for video). Maybe something is unusual (like the full range 0-255 which I could not test) with your source video? Could you eventually share a short sample saved in copy mode?

My version is:  2.7.5  and run on x64.

My private Avidemux builds at the current state of development are all nominally 2.7.5 and run on x64 too – on Linux, macOS and Windows. I mean, this provides near to zero information. If you open Avidemux log (admlog.txt from %localappdata%\avidemux\ on Windows), you will find the version and build date in the log header.

I'll refresh the program but please respond to my queries above.

Yes, please, do it.

[loninappleton]

My OS is Win7 Ultimate.  Yes I saw that there is lots of discussion on 2.6 vs 2.7
I have installed what is on latest but will double check it.  I'm a not a coder so
picking through the program will take a minute.  Why are these nigthly builds not shown just on the 'about' for the program?

Back when I get the data.  As I go I'm finding more features of the program to ease editing-- things I just nver paid attention to other than a necessary fade when needed.

An earlier post said use MKVtoolnix to add back in subtitles.  Subtitle Extractor worked a treat for that:  did them all in one command.

[loninappleton]

I was surprised I could find it.  A big load of text to dump in the forum, so I attached
as a notepad file.

  I will give it another try but was doing a different edit today.

Any special tips,  I'll apply those.


For the 'make blank'  I understand that the start and stop point is for the edit
and written from beginning of the file.

   So to do this blank(black) cover up  the end point will be before end of file, correct?

   I'll give it another whirl on this version that you see attached.

Thanks for your replies.    I am slow to pick up on new programs or featrures.

[loninappleton]

I gave it another try and no success.
To begin:

I have an mkv file total length 01:37:00,280 on your notation

I want to start the blackout at time stamp 01:36:45.00  (really anywhere close)
and go to end of file.

  I still see the intertitle text -- just call it 'to be continued' which does not black out.

 

[eumagga0x2a]

You've installed a MinGW Avidemux build from 2020-06-01 (the oldest available), still pretty close to the latest from 2020-06-20 but nevertheless one and a half pages of commits (as of now 56 commits, some generally relevant for different reasons) behind the current state of affairs.

I have an mkv file total length 01:37:00,280 on your notation

What matters is the timestamp of the last picture, not the total. You should seek to the end (with alternative keyboard shortcuts enabled, press "E") and use that time as the end time of the filter.

Why are these nigthly builds not shown just on the 'about' for the program?

The git revision is shown in the "About" dialog except of in VC++ builds where it is broken for some unknown to me reason, but it shows in all other versions like in MinGW builds for Windows.

[eumagga0x2a]

Actually, we already discussed the matter in the topic including https://avidemux.org/smif/index.php/topic,18879.msg87544.html#msg87544, everything said there applies here.

If your video still doesn't get fully to the black despite following the advice, please save appox. the last minute of it in copy mode (set the marker A at a keyframe about one minute prior to the end, leave the B marker at the total duration) to an MKV and provide this file as a sample via WeTransfer (no email address required!), Mega, Dropbox, Google Drive or an equivalent service.

[loninappleton]

Without having to pull teeth, can you just give a link to what I should be using.  As I recall, I just picked one at the top of the link list you provided.

I don't understand what you mean by 'the last picture' to describe the edit.

I also wondered should I just be using the video rather than an MKV package.  If that is not
material significant just acknowledge it.

  But lets start with the right build.

[eumagga0x2a]

I generally avoid posting direct links to Avidemux binaries, letting the browser search for text "r200620" in the posted link to the directory listing points immediately to the target.

Regarding the last picture: in Avidemux GUI, load the video and press the third navigation button from the right (it shows a tooltip "Go to last frame" on mouseover).

I also wondered should I just be using the video rather than an MKV package.  If that is not
material significant just acknowledge it.

Please use a container, preferably MKV (or MP4), not the raw video "Video only" output. You don't need to include any audio tracks.

[eumagga0x2a]

What you probably want is not just "fade to black" to fade out, but to really make a stretch of the video before the end black. In this case add the "Black" video filter starting from the end time of the "Fade to black" filter to the total duration of the video.

The "Fade to black" should end (and "Black" start) just before the intertitle is shown then.

(I guess I don't need the sample then :-))

[loninappleton]

I see my error on the build.  I should have looked by date to the last executable rather than the
'first one' shown.

For the problem at hand I tried make black and fade in/out.  So the other fade option you show is
something to use for this?  Unfortunately I'm confused by the descriptions.  Fade to black, depending on the "slope",  is liable to miss the whole image (!)  I also wondered if the slope can be changed.

I'll keep the MKV container then.  And for the intertitile  to start at the beginning of the image and end at the end of the image using the black.  I'm sure I did that but will redo once more.  Otherwise
I'll just have to snip short and avoid any fine tuning.  I really did do this many times with that 'almost gone' image staying on. 

  I may give this a rest for bit so no immediate replies from me.  Like I said I've done this same operation to the frustration point.

[eumagga0x2a]

For the problem at hand I tried make black and fade in/out.

To be able to exactly assess what you tried and what should have been done (or what sort of a bug in Avidemux prevents the whole from working properly), it would be indeed necessary to have a sample and precise steps to reproduce.

So the other fade option you show is something to use for this?

There is no other fade option. There is this one and it works as it should according to my (as always limited) testing.

Unfortunately I'm confused by the descriptions.  Fade to black, depending on the "slope",  is liable to miss the whole image (!)

If the effect of the filter ends short by one picture, this may happen due to rounding as timestamps are internally stored and compared with thousand-fold higher precision than displayed. Add 0.001 to the time to include that last picture.

I also wondered if the slope can be changed.

The slope for "fade to black" is linear between the start and the end point. Adding the same filter the second time would make the cumulative slope parabolic.

And for the intertitile  to start at the beginning of the image and end at the end of the image using the black.

I fail to parse this sentence and therefore can't tell whether it correctly reproduces what I tried to explain.

I really did do this many times with that 'almost gone' image staying on.

Then maybe it is time to investigate all parts of the equation – the exact steps and the source video.

I may give this a rest for bit so no immediate replies from me.  Like I said I've done this same operation to the frustration point.

If you've done what I already suggested, than of course don't repeat it – the result will be the same. Instead, the problem should be analysed.

[loninappleton]

Today I'm just acknowledging your reply.  I will get a fresh start  with that corrected version number and note the steps.  Maybe not just immediately.  I am a total amateur in doing this-- no professional need or credential.  I'll practice it when I get ready.