Source Crop Not Saving with Pre-Set

Report · May 21, 2025

TLDR: Hi. I need this setting to stick with the pre-set when I save the preset.

Here is what I'm doing, to many hundreds of file - so it's important that this work and I can export the complete settings for my presets in a backup file.

A watch folder has been set up to wait for a video file. (This happens in many many folder, but let's just talk about one.)
The video is CROPPED in Media encoder, 4:3, to chop off the sides. The final video is square, with the 4:3 action area in the center of the square, with an overlay covering the blank spots that contains branded info.
The CROPPED video has an overlay applied.
The final video is EXPORTED to a 1:1 video with audio removed.
I use SHUTTER ENCODER to add our branded audio file to every video because Media Encoder wont do this.

Currently, when I save the preset, the crop setting seems to vanish and does not appear when I just want to edit a preset. Help! Any suggestions?

Report · May 21, 2025

Hi, thanks for reaching out and sorry for the problems you currently have. The good news is that the issue is already fixed in the upcoming next release 25.3

Report · Jun 17, 2025

Hi. Good news, the Encoder is working better and SOME of the settings are saving. I even see those settings in the code, using a text editor. BUT... the Cropping settings are not saving or working properly. I see the proper settings in the text editor, but when the watch folder uses that EPR to process the video files - the crop setting is ignored. I hope these images help explain what I'm doing for HUNDREDS of files.

1) The video files is a 16:9 coming from a GoPro.

2) CROP the video to appear in the 4:3 box in the center of a 1:1 video. Why will become apparant.

3) The Crop 4:3 sits in the center. A graphic overlay sits on top of that, covering the "black boxes" at the top and bottom.

4) A Title is applied to the video, over the overlay. The title is the file name.

5) Export the whole thing as a 1:1 square video 1080x1080 for marketing purposes.

The CROP, that center video, just won't keep the setttings. Even when the settings are in the file.

Please ask me any questions. Thanks for the help!

Report · Jun 18, 2025

Hey Chris,

sorry to hear you still having issues with crop setting not being saved properly. I will re-open the case and try to figure out what is still missing. If I have questions or need some guidance in order to repro, I will come back to you.

Thanks!

Report · Jun 18, 2025

To be more specific, the crop settings seem to be saved, and do appear in the EPR file when you look at it in a text editor, as shown in the previous attachments. But, Media Encoder is not applying the crop to files that are picked up by a Watch Folder. I have rebooted, cleared the cache, but ME ignores the crop, resulting in the video sitting wrongly, leaving black lines instead of enlarging the video to fill that space. Hope that makes sense. It looks like I need to open each preset, apply the change using the SOURCE / OUTPUT / COMPARE window, then save a New Preset, as the revisions won't save into the existing preset. Not good, as I have 30 some folders with a unique preset for each. And plans for many many more, as I am planning on processing hundreds of these files weekly to do the same thing. Please ask for any other details you might need. Thanks for helping!

Report · Jun 19, 2025

More specifics, after some expirements...

if I make changes to the preset in the Preset Browser - these changes do NOT carry over into the preset that is assigned to a Watch Folder - so the watch folder processes videos using the "old" preset info.

If in the Watch Folder area, I swith a folder to a different preset - even for a moment - then go back to the "original, (but edited in the Preset Browser) preset" it not appears to use the "new" settings. It's like the Watch Folder is cacheing it's own copy of the presets - rather than use the community presets.

EDIT - Nope. Switching back and forth didn't work after all. I will have to correct and resave new Presets.

Report · Jun 25, 2025

I went through all my watch folders, using the refreshed Presets with the proper crop. The crop works when applying directly to a manually added video and selecting the preset. However, I just started a LARGE batch of videos, using Watch Folders - and the crop is being ignored. So, the video in the center, "under" the graphic being applied, is not zoomed in / cropped to 4:3, so it leaves an ugly black bar. This does work when manually applied.

Report · Jun 26, 2025

Thanks a lot, these new information will help a lot. Yeah, probably we missed checking the watchfolder workflow when fixing the original bug. I will bring this issue up today and let you know how we proceed. Thanks again!

Report · Jun 26, 2025

Could you give it a quick try with AME beta 25.4x63 or newer since we made some changes to the watchfolder engine. Please create a new crop preset and run it in the watchfolder to see if the crop settings are kept. Thanks!

Report · Jun 26, 2025

Unfortunately, I recreated all the watch folders and presets as I had a huge backlog and had to move forward somehow. I did discover an issue. Presets are duplicating.

1) In the Watch Folder space, I created a Preset that works perfectly. But it was not appearing in the Preset Browser.

2) I imported the Preset "Zero" into the Preset Browser.

3) Preset Browser created "Preset_1" and that's what appears in the Preset list. The original preset is no longer referenced.

I ended up creating a perfect preset. Then, using SUBLIME text editor, I dupicated that EPR file, renamed the references inside the file, pointed to the correct image overlay. I created 30 new EPR files this way. Inside Preset Browser, I imported those EPRs. It DUPLICATED the presets, ending all with "_1" and I had to tell my new Watch Folders to use the Duplicate "_1" EPR.

I just want to have a single EPR preset appear accross the board, whether in the browser, the Watch Folder list or inside Premiere. If I make a change to the preset - I expect that change to appear everywhere that uses the same EPR. This isn't happening.

When I can get this to work properly, it works great. Changes, like changing the size of the text and position of the text overlay is just such a hassle to make sure the revised EPR is used - not an old version.

I would love to try the beta, but I will have to backup all my EPR files and related files first and I still have a giant backlog to get through, so it wont be immediate. Thank you for following up on this. Please let me know if you need a more detailed description of what happening "offline" as I can't post the exact files and screenshots of company material here.

Report · Jul 01, 2025

I could no longer repro the issue with 25.4x68 anymore, so I assume we fixed it. Should be in the upcoming 25.4 release, or testable in current beta builds >x68. Hope the issue is now gone and apologies for the problems caused.

Report · Jul 02, 2025

Thank you for giving this attention. I do backup the files, just in case. At the moment, all the new presets are working properly. Although, I did have a new preset replicate itself when I imported it into the preset list. So, now all my presets have the "original" preset, and the duplicate preset, which is what the system is using, ignoring the original.