I should point out that I'm still experimenting. (1)Especially if I have a lot of clips to edit down I import them into VirtualDub (either direct Capture using VD or by using the capture option of another program) and edit away by paring down the content into a single file.VD imports successive files by name so that it pulls in sequences like 001, 002, 003, 004, etc and will do the same with image files.It is so fast and easy and you can get a precision cut so that other programs I've used seem cumbersome in comparison.
(2)After the edit I 'SAVE AS AVI'. (3) Then I open up the same file in Movie Maker or Sony Vegas and proceed to add titles, trim, make a few cuts and add transitions. (3) I then RENDER to as much quality as I can muster then compress it for the web in QuickTime Pro. I edit my audio in Audacity. However, Virtual Dub offers audio grab just like SonyVegas but I need to review the literature on the DIY. MovieMaker has very limited audio editing functionality. While VirtualDub offers sub titling, it doesn't offer other text options nor the ability of importing single text images but I'm still researching that option and trying to find a work around. It seems to me that after the VirtualDub edit -- I can render much faster than I can with SonyVegas and, because I've concentrated all the original clips in the one file,I can import the video into Vegas or MovieMaker very quickly for another edit to add transitions, titles, etc. I have a bookmark archive on delicious for anyone who wants to follow up on VirtualDub (which is a free open sourced program for Windows): http://delicious.com/ratbagradio/virtualdub You can also obtain a copy of the VD Manual here: http://rapidlibrary.com/index.php?q=virtualdub+manual What I'm interested in, and someone may have suggestions, is to be able to create titles on video clips separate from this protocol and import those into the edit. That way I only need to use VirtualDub. The issue is saving to the same format and while VD can handle many formats it can only handle one format at a time I find. Text on stills is easy -- but for various video text options and effects I have to depend on Vegas on MovieMaker(and MM is my favorite tool box in that regard -- although I loved the offerings from Pinnacle when I was using it). Technically you can do this with Virtual Dub too but you have to lay down the text frame by frame -- and that's a bit time consuming. Of course if you are animating... dave riley
