PE11: Accuracy of Automatic Project Preset (New Project Dialog) Setting

INTRODUCTION

In Premiere Elements versions earlier than 11, the user had to get started by trying to match the project preset in the New Project Dialog with the properties of his/her source media so that the program was directed to set up the appropriate Monitor template (space) for editing purposes. This setting also gave direction to disc menu availability as well as subtle project settings. If one did nothing but OK the New Project Dialog as is, the project preset would default to NTSC or PAL DV Standard.

Premiere Elements 11 opens with no signs of the New Project Dialog and now assumes the default of NTSC AVCHD Full HD1080i30 or PAL AVCHD Full 1080i25 not NTSC or PAL Standard. These new defaults will be replaced by the program if it determines that another project preset is the "right" match between the project preset and the properties of the first video clip dragged from Project Assets to the Timeline (Expert view). According to Adobe, the choice is made based on clip dimensions, frames per second, PAR (pixel aspect ratio), and field order.

ISSUE

The "expected" project preset was not always being set in this automatic process by the program, so various cases were looked at to try to figure out why and what to do about the matter.

Windows 7 or 8 64 bit, NTSC Project 

Case 1

Import: 1280 x 720 pixels, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, progressive
(the wildlife.wmv sample file from Windows 7)

Automatically Selected Project Preset: NTSC AVCHD Full HD1080i30
1920 x 1080, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, upper field first, interlaced
Program's default setting, unexpected

Case 2

Import: 1280 x 720 pixels, 24 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, progressive
(one of the H.264.mov files from iPod Touch 4th Generation)

Automatically Selected Project Preset: NTSC DSLR/720p/DSLR 720p24
1280 x 720, 24 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, progressive
Expected setting

Case 3

Import: 640 x 480 pixels, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, progressive
(one of the MPEG4.avi files from Casio camera)

Automatically Selected Project Preset: NTSC/AVCHD Full HD1080i30
1920 x 1080, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, upper field first, interlaced
Program's default setting, not sure what to expect

Case 4

Import: 720 x 480 pixels, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 0.9091, lower field first, interlaced
(NTSC DV AVI standard export from a Premiere Elements 11 project)

Automatically Selected Project Preset: NTSC DV Standard
720 x 480, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 0.9091, lower field first, interlaced
Expected setting

Case 5

Import: Slideshow from Elements Organizer 11 Slideshow Editor/Output Option = Edit with Premiere Elements Editor, with that Output Option triggering automatic opening of Premiere Elements 11 displaying its Project Assets Palette containing a file which represents the slideshow in a video .psess format as well as a folder containing the assets that went into the slideshow. In addition, the slideshow as a video is found already placed on the Timeline Expert view.
(Slideshow used photos with pixel dimensions of 3264 x 2448, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720, 1000 x 750, 854 x 480, or 720 x 480. Slideshow Preferences used "Crop to Fit Slide" to avoid black borders in the Elements Organizer 11 Slideshow Editor Filmstrip slides. This Crop option is mentioned for black border detail and did not factor into the project preset selected automatically by Premiere Elements 11.)

Automatically Selected Project Preset: NTSC/AVCHD Full HD1080i30
1920 x 1080, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, upper field first, interlaced
Program's default setting, not sure what to expect

Case 5a

Import: .Wmv Slideshow from Elements Organizer 11 Slideshow Editor/Output Option = Save As File/Save as Movie (.wmv) sized for DVD-NTSC (720 x 480) or "Browse for more"/Widescreen High Definition.prx which has the sizing for 1280 x 720 at 30 frames per second.
(In Window 7 or 8 64 bit, the "Browse for more" path to the additional .wmv profiles (.prx) is:
Local Disk C\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Elements 11 Organizer\Assets\locale\en_US\tv_profiles.
See Figure 1 for some tv_profiles Folder details.

Figure 1. Elements Organizer 11wmv profile files (.prx)

The .wmv video file generated was saved to the Elements Organizer 11 as well as to computer hard drive. The import of the .wmv was looked at by two different routes.
(As for Cases 1, 2, 3, and 4...in Premiere Elements 11 Expert view workspace, Add Media was used to import the .wmv file into Project Assets, followed by dragging the .wmv file from Project Assets to the Timeline. Also tried was right clicking the .wmv file saved to Elements Organizer 11, selecting Edit with Premiere Elements Editor which triggered the automatic opening of Premiere Elements 11 and its Project Assets Palette containing the .wmv video which was found already placed on the Timeline Expert view.)

Automatically Selected Project Preset in all instances for Case 5 and 5a: NTSC/AVCHD Full HD1080i30
1920 x 1080, 29.97 frames per second, PAR = 1.0, upper field first, interlaced
Program's Default setting, not sure what to expect

SOLUTION

Case 1 would suggest that the automatic feature may be taking into account video format as well as the other criteria cited in the reference. And, it would appear that, if the automatic feature has a problem finding a match according to its programming, it defaults to the program's default of NTSC/AVCHD HD1080i30 or PAL/AVCHD HD1080i25. Suggested solution is to set the project preset in the New Project Dialog manually if in doubt before any media is added to the project.

In Case 5 and 5a where the Elements Organizer 11 command of "Edit with Premiere Elements Editor" was used, the answer appears to be to set manually the Premiere Elements 11 project preset in the New Project Dialog, leave Premiere Elements 11 opened, and then execute the "Edit with Premiere Elements" command in the Elements Organizer 11.

HOW TO

Manual Project Preset Setting

1. Open program to Premiere Elements 11 Expert view workspace and go to File Menu/New/Project.

2. In the New Project Dialog that opens, select the project preset that best matches the properties of your source media. And, make sure that there is a check mark next to "Force selected Project setting on this project". Click OK to exit the New Project Dialog.

3. Then import your project's media using:

(a) If the Elements Organizer 11 "Edit with Premiere Elements Editor" command is involved...with Premiere Elements 11 opened with its manually set project preset in the New Project Dialog, execute the "Edit with Premiere Elements Editor" command in the Elements Organizer 11.

(b) If a file saved to computer hard drive is involved, then use Add Media/Files and Folders. From Project Assets, drag the file to the Timeline (Expert view).

4. Verify project settings via Edit Menu/Project Settings.

PE11: Replace Footage

In exploring the Adobe documentation for Premiere Elements 11, the Replace Footage description caught my attention.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/premiereelements/using/WSDFC96396-A9C4-4a7a-A1B0-2549F5E479D4.html

especially the part about replacing the footage, but still retaining the edits that were done for the footage that was being replaced.

The above is the lead in for my focus on Replace Footage and its use when the Media Offline sets in for a project whose source media have been moved after the project was saved closed.

My suggestion (and still is) use the "Where is....?" messages to reconnect the missing media. These "Where is ....?" messages will appear when you try to open this project whose source media have been moved after the project was saved closed.

But, if you opted out of those messages with the Skip/Skip All Options and find yourself with the opened project populated with Media Offline colorful displays, one choice to reconnect the missing media at this stage is via Replace Footage.

(a) In Project Assets, right click the thumbnail with the Media Offline display and select Replace Footage.

(b) Browse for the original footage that was imported in the project and select it.

(c) Repeat as necessary for any remaining Project Assets thumbnails with the Media Offline display.

ATR

PE11: Dual Monitor Workflow Concerns

It would appear that Premiere Elements 11 Expert view Dual Monitor project display is not the same after this project is saved/closed and re-opened to same dual monitor system. Adjustments are required to get the program workspace components back into the monitors as seen before the save.

DETAILS

Intro

Given computer dual monitor setup (Multiple Displays "Extend these displays...").

In this example, Monitor 1 (right) displayed desktop with desktop icons and Monitor 2 (left) just displayed the Windows 7 64 bit screensaver.

1. Opened default Premiere Elements 11 Program in Expert view, not selecting Dual Monitor Workflow under the program's Window Menu.

2. Added Media...4 jpegs to the Expert view Timeline.

3. Then selected Dual Monitor Workflow under the Window Menu.
At this point, the whole Timeline automatically moved to Monitor 2, leaving the rest of the program interface on Monitor 1.

Basics

The test protocol called for Timeline and Audio Mixer on Monitor 2 and everything else on Monitor 1.

1. ONLY Expert view offers Dual Monitor Workflow as a choice under the Window Menu, and it is ONLY Expert view that has the Audio Mixer and Smart Mix names under Action Bar/Tools, and they are listed under Tools as separate entities; whereas Quick view has just the Smart Mix of the two named in its Action Bar Tools lineup of options. What makes this more interesting with regard to what you will see going between Expert and Quick views is you will get the same Mixer Options dialog with Smart Fix and Audio Mixer panels if you click on Smart Fix or Audio Mixer name under Export view Action Bar Tools. So, in this case, if you want the Audio Mixer on Monitor 2, then you have to click and drag the mixer Options dialog to Monitor 2.

2. Also of note, if the Monitor 2 Timeline needs to be expanded, that needs to be done on Monitor 1 since the - + slider is not part of the Timeline panel which is now on Monitor 2 along with the Mixer Options dialog/Audio Mixer.

3. If for some reason at this point the view gets changed from Expert to Quick, then the undocked Timeline panel with its media disappears from Monitor 2 and appears on Monitor 1 as the undocked Timeline with media. The opened Audio Mixer disappears completely, leaving the Smart Mix portion of the Mixer Options dialog on Monitor 2.

But, what is all this going to look like when the project is saved, closed, and re-opened to the same setup from which it was created? Here are some of the scenarios that I observed:

A. Project Monitor Displays, Expert view and Dual Monitor Workflow option in effect just before save/close
Monitor 1. Rest of the workspace
Monitor 2. Undocked Time with its media on Video 1 and volume keyframed audio on Audio 1 plus Mixer Options dialog/opened Audio Mixer Panel.

B. Project Monitor Displays, Expert view and Dual Monitor Workflow, after above project saved/closed/reopened
Monitor 1. Undocked Timeline displaying all its media that I had placed in Video 1 and all volume keyframed audio in Audio 1 as well as the rest of the workspace presenting in the Expert view.
Monitor 2. Northing but Windows 7 64 bit screensaver. No signs of Mixer Options/Audio Mixer dialog. The adjustments to get back to view at save/close included:
(a) Drag undocked Timeline from Monitor 1 to 2 and select Dual Monitor Workflow under the Window Menu.
(b) Select Aduio Mixer under Action Bar/Tools, and drag the Mixer Options dialog from Monitor 1 to 2. The Audio Mixer, Audio 1 channel, remembers the settings used for the audio that was volume keyframed using it.

What to make of all this?

Although the saved re-opened project seems to lack "remembrance" of monitor displays associated with Dual Monitor Workflow after re-opening of project saved in that workflow, the program seems to be displaying some memory with regard to whether the saved re-opened project was saved in the Expert or Quick view.
 All sorts of variations on all this, but we will conclude with be aware of the situation and do your mini test runs before the grand projects until you establish a Dual Monitor Workflow to suit your requirements.

ATR

PE11: Menu Marker Limit Implementation Problem

There appears to be a major area of concern with regard to what Adobe has done with menu markers situation (either an oversight or by intent) in this new version.

Premiere Elements 10 limits the users to no more than 25 menu markers. A program message stops you from applying the 26th. No way around it. In Premiere Elements 11 you can place over 25 menu markers on the Timeline, no program message telling you of a 25 menu marker limit or stopping you from adding more than 25 menu markers. You can see the 25+ menu markers, each represented above the Timeline as a colored dot. I was up to 75 menu markers when I stopped counting.

With 75 menu markers (scene markers in this case) on the Timeline, the moment of truth came when I selected a movie menu with 6 scenes per page and got only 5 scene selection pages, with 6, 6, 6, 6, 1 thumbnails on each page respectively. So there would appear to be a 25 menu marker limit after all? Whether I put 32 or 76 scene markers on the Timeline, all I would get was my 5 scene selection pages representing 25 scene markers.

To prove to myself this was a "number of menu markers" and a "not number of scene selection pages" matter, I set up for 32 scene markers and used a movie menu with 3, not 6, scenes per page. In support of the "number of menu markers", not scene selection pages, being at the core of this, I obtained 9 scene selection pages: 8 of the 9 scene selections with 3 thumbnails and 1 of the 9 scene selection pages with 1 thumbnail.

No solution found other than devise a workflow with no more than 25 menu markers. It would appear that main menu markers as well as scene markers are included in this menu marker 25 limit, but not stop markers.

ATR

PE11: Exporting a 1080p50 or 1080p60 file with 5.1 Channel Audio

ISSUE

Premiere Elements will support the import, but not the export, of Dolby Digital 5.1 channel audio. For Dolby Digital, the user is left with Stereo (2 channel) option for export to file or disc. But the program does allow for some very limited opportunities for export to file for 5.1 channel with AAC instead of the Dolby Digital codec. However, the latter errors out at export with the following message

The source and output audio channels are not compatible or a conversion does not exist.

unless a project preset (New Project Dialog) was selected for the project that has 5.1 channel incorporated into its sqpreset file in the Program Files (these sqpreset files for version 11 can be found in the Windows 7 or 8 64 bit path = Local Disk C\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Elements 11\Settings\SequencePresets\NTSC or PAL\AVCHD).

In setting up these AVCHD project presets/sqpreset files, Adobe provided for some separate project presets for video with Stereo or 5.1 channel. The choices available include the PAL choices shown below as well as the counterpart NTSC choices.

• AVCHD Full HD 1080i25
• AVCHD Full HD 1080i25 5.1 channel
• AVCHD HD 1080i25
• AVCHD HD 1080i25 5.1 channel

But when Adobe introduced the PAL AVCHD 1080p50 and NTSC AVCHD 1080p60 project presets in version 11, it created only the project preset with the Master Track Type = Stereo, that is, just AVCHD 1080p50 and AVCHD 1080p60 and did not include the AVCHD 1080p50 5.1 channel and AVCHD 1080p60 5.1 channel options.

SOLUTION

From Notepad document for AVCHD 1080p60.sqpreset file copy, create a NTSC AVCHD 1080p60 5.1 channel.sqpreset file and place it in the NTSC/AVCHD Folder in the above path. And, from Notepad document for PAL 1080p50.sqpreset file copy, create a PAL AVCHD 1080p50 5.1 channel.sqpreset file and place it in the PAL/AVCHD Folder in the above path.

HOW TO

1. Make a copy of the PAL AVCHD 1080p50.sqpreset file and NTSC AVCHD 1080p60.sqpreset file which came with the program and which are found in the above path. Paste to computer Desktop and proceed for each file as follows.

2. First right click the PAL AVCHD 1080p50.sqpreset.file copy that was pasted to the computer Desktop, select Open With, and then select Notepad.

3. In the Notepad document of the PAL AVCHD 1080p50.sqpreset, where it says

<InitialNumberOfFiveOneTracks>3</InitialNumberOfFiveOneTracks>

<InitialNumberOfStereoTracks>3</InitialNumberOfStereoTracks>

Change to:

<InitialNumberOfFiveOneTracks>3</InitialNumberOfFiveOneTracks>

<InitialNumberOfStereoTracks>0</InitialNumberOfStereoTracks>

And where it says

<AudioChannelType>1</AudioChannelType>

Change to:

<AudioChannelType>2</AudioChannelType>

Before saving and closing out of this Notepad document, Save As, changing the name of the document to AVCHD 1080p50 5.1 channel. Place the file in the AVCHD Folder in the PAL/AVCHD Folder cited above.

Repeat the How to in order to create the NTSC AVCHD 1080p60 5.1 channel.sqpreset for placement in the Program Files in the NTSC/AVCHD Folder cited above.

4. It is highly recommended that you take control over setting up the Premiere Elements 11 project when you are using the sqpresets described. To do this, open to Premiere Elements 11 workspace, go to File Menu/New/Project and, in the New Project Dialog, select your 1080p50 5.1 channel or 1080p60 5.1 channel project preset. Make sure you put a check mark next to "Force selected Project Setting on this project" before you click OK. And, then move forward to Add Media and import of video with its 1080p50 5.1 channel properties. In the opened project, you should see a little "5.1" to the right of the name Audio 1 for that track.

EXPORT SETUP FOR 1080p50 AAC 5.1 CHANNEL (AVCHD.mp4)

Publish+Share/Computer/AVCHD/ with Presets: = MP4 - H.264 1920 x 1080p25

Under the Advanced Button of that preset:

VIDEO TAB

Codec = MainConcept H.264 Video

PAL dotted

Frame Width = 1920 pixels

Frame Height = 1080 pixels

Frame Rate = 50 frames per second

Field Order = None (Progressive)...grayed out

Pixel Aspect Ratio = Square Pixels

Profile = Main

Level = 5.1

AUDIO TAB

Audio Format = AAC

Output Channels = 5.1 Channels

Frequency = 48 kHz

Audio Quality = High

MULTIPLEXING TAB

Multiplexing - MP4

Stream Compatibility = Standard

The properties readout programs gspot and MediaInfo both confirm the results (1080p50 AAC 5.1 channel/AVCHD.mp4 export from Premiere Elements 11 Windows 7 64 bit.) And, these exported files played back with great quality video and audio wise on at least Windows Media Player and VLC Player.

This type of issue presented here is not unique in principle to Premiere Elements 11. But Premiere Elements 11 is the only version with the Adobe included 1080p50 and 1080p60 project presets.

Please refer to July 7, 2013 blog post for further information on this subject.
http://atr935.blogspot.com/2013/07/pe11-exporting-1080p25-or-1080p30-file.html