File format question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I'm new to MM2. I created a movie and saved the file but there are several
files, 1 for Movie Maker and 1 for Media Player. Do I need both files? Can I
add to a MM file after I have 1st saved it?
 
the MSWMM file is the project file, only used by Movie Maker, and editable
in future sessions.... the are only playable in a preview mode, not at a
final movie setting. You don't need to save it if you don't want to do any
editing, or more editing.

the WMV or DV-AVI files are the saved movies, playable in the Windows Media
Player... but not editable... they are the distribution copies. They can be
used as new input files to Movie Maker for other projects.
--
PapaJohn

Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 - www.papajohn.org
Photo Story 2 - www.photostory.papajohn.org
..
 
Sifu,

MM2 creates .MSWMM files when you choose to save your project. These .mswmm
files can be altered and resaved and altered again. When you are DONE
editing the project, you choose the "save movie file", option from the menu,
you can save the movie in several different formats such as .wmv or .avi
depending on what you're planning to do with the movie (burn to DVD or post
on web, etc.) These "finalized" video files (.wmv or .avi) cannot be changed,
unless you create a new project and use them as the starting point for
further editing of that video. FOR EXAMPLE: if you saved the video with
titles, those titles are now a part of the video and cannot be edited (can't
change font, color, size, etc) beyond cutting them out completely...

To answer your question....you only need the .mswmm file on your PC for
editing the project. It's there so you can retrieve the project and edit it.
The output file .wmv or .avi etc. is the file you'd use to view your final
video...it contains all the source videos, audio tracks, titles, special
effects, etc. within that one video file....no other files are needed. I
hope that answers your question. Anyone else, feel free to correct or add to
my answer...
 
Movie Maker creates two kinds of files -- both of which are important.

..WMV and .AVI files -- these are created by capturing video from your
camcorder using the "File->Capture Video" command. These files contain your
raw, uneditted video. Windows Movie Maker also creates files of these types
using the "File->Save Movie File" command. When create this way the files
are the editted movies -- ready for viewing in Windows Media Player.

..MSWMM files -- These are the Windows Movie Maker Project files. In a sense
the project files are the "script" for creating the final, watchable movie.
The project files themselves don't contain any video footage -- but simply
instructions like "play this video file from 10.5 seconds to 15.6 seconds",
"play this title", etc. The .MSWMM files are only usage in Windows Movie
Maker -- Windows Media Player doesn't recognise them. These files are
created using the "File-Save Project" command.

So a typical way that these files might get used.

1) Using the "Capture Video" command you transfer video from your son's
birthday party from your camcorder into a file names "Party.WMV"

2) Windows Movie Maker presents that file as "Clips" -- each clip represents
a shot -- e.g. a shot is created for each time pressed record on the
camcorder and started recording. You scan through the shots and find the one
where your son blew out the candles on the cake. You select that shot and
add it to the story board. You then add a title "Birthday Party" and use the
"Save Project" command and the filename "Party Candles.MSWMM" to save the
project file.

3) The you use the "Save Movie" command to create watchable movies. First
you create "Party Candles DSL.wmv" for your friends and family that have
broadband internet connections. You use the "Video for broadband (512kbps)"
profile. Then you create a second movie file "Party Candles dialup.wmv" for
your friends that are using a dial-up internet connection. You use the
"Video for dial-up access (38kpbs)" profile.
Finally for your family that doesn't have a computer you use "Save Movie" to
create the file "Party Candles for DVD.AVI" using the "DV-AVI" profile.

4) The you upload "Party Candles DSL.WMV" and "Pary Candles Dialup.WMV" to
a website for you friends to download and view.
5) You fire up a DVD buring package and create a DVD from "Party Candles for
DVD.AVI"

Then next week you go back and load "Party Candles.MSWMM" into Windows Movie
Maker and add movie video from the party and some still images from a friends
still camera to create a richer story of the birthday party.

hope that helps
 
by Luggy
I have saved a number of projects as MSWMM extensions, including titles and
credits. PapaJohn implies that MM2 will open these for editing when I 'Open
Project'. This seems logical, but whenever I try to open a project I get a
load of red crosses where the pictures should be in the storyline. The WMV
extensions open without any problem. Have I a fault please ? Or have I done
something wrong ?
 
the MSWMM file doesn't have the files in it, and needs the other files to be
still there... or it gives you red Xs

the WMV one has all the pixels and sounds in it to be self-contained... it
needs nothing more to play on your computer or another
--
PapaJohn

Movie Maker 2 and Photo Story 3 - www.papajohn.org
Photo Story 2 - www.photostory.papajohn.org
..
 
PapaJohn (MVP) said:
the MSWMM file doesn't have the files in it, and needs the other files to
be still there... or it gives you red Xs
Click to expand...

In otherwords you moved the original source files.
 
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