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metallums18
Known Participant
March 11, 2019
Answered

How best to select lower tracks to edit that are below Essential Graphics text tracks

  • March 11, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 2062 views

I'm having trouble recently selecting clips in tracks below essential graphics titles/object tracks.    I've maybe forgotten something small but important.  I feel like I am in grade school with this issue.  Please help. 

Steps attempted.

  1. I select the clip in the lower track (background main video) in the timeline, source window may then sometimes show the selected video, but the effects controls are showing empty.  Something else is selected.  fail.

  2. I then try to select the same clip in the lower track in the timeline, then double click it in the Program viewer and effects controls show up, but they are not for the clip I tried to select. fail.  I then try to manually move whatever is selected in the program viewer to see what I have selected and the essential graphics text item on a much higher track starts to move.  The selection box for the single word text item covers the entire program view.  Therefore covering the lower clips.  I fail again.

  3. I then try to turn off the view of all tracks above the clip I want to select.   It still selects the small text item which is turned off.  I fail again.

  4. I then move the text track below the background video clip track in the timeline and I am able to easily select anything above the text track in the timeline.  I have to later move the text back above it in the timeline.  This works but I know I shouldn't have to do this.

Sometimes step 2 or 3 will occasionally get me the right selection.  But most of the time it just selects the top level Ess G.text items.  Step 4 works, but this has to give someone a good laugh on a Monday.


What am I doing wrong while trying to select a lower clip to edit its effects.
Why does a one word text title that doesn't move cover the entire stage as a selectable region, and even when it is turned off in the timeline?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Ann Bens

    If you want a clip to show up which is on a lower track in the Program Monitor and move it around:

    Click (or you may double click) on the clip in the timeline it will show the properties in the Effect Controls.

    Highlight the word Motion: now you can move the clip in the Program Monitor.

    3 replies

    A
    AudioEditor
    Inspiring
    March 11, 2019

    I also am trying to do a simple slide show with a title on each still.  After the still's title (from title graphics) is in it's place over the still's track then I can't affect the still, animate it growing larger, because the

    Title graphic track above it screws up the scale animation. I'm sure I was able to do this in Premiere 15.3with titles made in the legacy

    titler. Now once a title graphic is in a track over the stills track you are screwed for animating anything about the still on it's track.

    M
    metallums18Author
    Known Participant
    March 11, 2019

    AudioEditor,

    Ann's suggested way works.  Even if it doesn't look selected with a bounding box after double clicking track in the timeline, just highlighting one of the settings names in Effects does give you control over that lower content track.

    However, I noticed another workaround for that unruly Title Text that is creating a bounding box as large as the Program Monitor:

    1. Create the text/title. (don't format it yet)
    2. With the text track selected in timeline, double click the program Monitor so you see that full window bounding box around the Title.
    3. Goto Effects Panel and scale the text far down, down to even 15-25% small.  The large bounding box is now small. (so is your text)
    4. Now goto Essential Graphics properties panel and format that text (scale it back up from that Ess. Graphics panel and format the title the way you want it.)
    5. At this point the large outer Title/Text bounding box no longer fills the program window up and no longer blocks selection of items below it.

    I have no idea why the essential graphics text is creating more or less two bounding boxes.  One is the size of the text, and one the size of the video sequence all for one small title.  I'm guessing the large one is a container for all the items you could pack into one graphics track, not certain.  But it is this large one that stops us from selecting items below it in the timeline. (even if the track is hidden - glitch?)  Once we scale it down and out of the way it's much less a problem. I would guess this will make it harder to include shapes or more text on the same graphics track.

    Ann Bens
    Community Expert
    Ann BensCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 11, 2019

    This has nothing to do with graphics.

    Any lower clip will have to be highlighted in the Effect Controls to see the wireframe in the Program Window. Regardless off what is in the upper tracks.

    Double clicking in the Program window will always give the top clip regardless of being a clip, still or graphic.

    That is how it is designed.

    Ann Bens
    Community Expert
    Ann BensCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    March 11, 2019

    If you want a clip to show up which is on a lower track in the Program Monitor and move it around:

    Click (or you may double click) on the clip in the timeline it will show the properties in the Effect Controls.

    Highlight the word Motion: now you can move the clip in the Program Monitor.

    M
    metallums18Author
    Known Participant
    March 11, 2019

    Ann, that worked!   Thank you. 
    --> Double clicking the track in the timeline and then going to effects panel and Highlighting "Motion", or any of the transform names (scale, position, ...) in the effects panel helps to actually select what you selected in the timeline, even if it's under Ess. Graphics Text.

    This works.  It's a bit strange but it works well.  Thanks again.

    M
    Meg The Dog
    Inspiring
    March 11, 2019

    I have not seen this behavior on my system.

    If you create a new sequence and test, does the problem remain?

    Is the clip below the Graphic part of a Group (several clips are selected then Grouped)?

    Do you have Selection Follows Playhead toggled on?

    Is track targeting toggled on for the track that contains the clip you want to work on?

    MtD

    M
    metallums18Author
    Known Participant
    March 11, 2019

    Meg,   Tried a new sequence, didn't help.  No groups in original, or in the new sequence test.  Selection follows playhead is off. 

    I did originally have target tracking on for a few different layers on original sequence.  Turning all off except that which I was trying to work on seemed to clean things up and make it easier to finally get my clip selected, but the Ess. Graphics Text is still creating a bounding box the size of the program monitor and making everything below it hard to select.  The new test sequence of only two tracks confirmed it's still an issue. 

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