Time ruler

You can specify how the time ruler will be displayed (in time units).

TIP

To set the cursor position, click in the timeline or time ruler. The cursor moves to the position you click, and the cursor position is displayed below the timeline.

Changing the format of the ruler

To change the ruler time format:

  • Select the Ruler tab in the Project Properties window. Choose a format from the Ruler time format drop-down list. For more information, see Setting project properties

  • From the Options menu, choose Ruler Format and choose a format from the submenu.

IMPORTANT When synchronizing audio to video, it is crucial that the SMPTE timecode format used in the sequencer or digital audio workstation is the same as the SMPTE timecode striped onto the video. This guarantees that the SMPTE times on the video screen and computer monitor synchronize during playback.

Format

Description

Samples

Displays the ruler in samples.

Time

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds.milliseconds.

Seconds

Displays the ruler in seconds.

Time & Frames

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds.frames.

Absolute Frames

Displays the ruler with all frames numbered sequentially from the beginning of your project.

Measures and Beats

Displays the ruler in measures.beats.ticks, where 64 ticks = 1 beat.

To set the tempo and number of beats per measure, use the Ruler tab in the Project Properties dialog. For more information, see Setting project properties

Feet and Frames 16mm (40 fpf)

Displays the ruler in feet+frames at a rate of 40 frames per foot.

Feet and Frames 35mm (16 fpf)

Displays the ruler in feet+frames at a rate of 16 frames per foot.

SMPTE Film Sync IVTC (23.976 fps)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 23.976 frames per second. This frame rate matches the frame rate used when the inverse telecine process removes pulldown from progressive-scan 24 fps (24p video).

This format will display running film time correctly if you will be transferring your project to film. To see running project time, use SMPTE Film Sync (24 fps) or SMPTE Drop (29.97 fps).

SMPTE Film Sync (24 fps)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 24 frames per second. This frame rate matches the standard crystal-sync 16/33 mm film rate of 24 fps.

SMPTE EBU (25 fps, Video)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 25 frames per second. This is known as SMPTE EBU (European Broadcasting Union) because European television systems run at 25 fps.

Use SMPTE 25 EBU format for PAL DV/D1 projects.

SMPTE Non-Drop (29.97 fps, Video)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 29.97 frames per second, which leads to a discrepancy between real ("wall clock") time and the SMPTE time, because there is no compensation in the counting system as there is in Drop Frame.

Use SMPTE Non-Drop format for NTSC D1 projects that will be recorded on master tapes striped with Non-Drop timecode.

SMPTE Drop (29.97 fps, Video)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds;frames with a frame rate of 29.97 fps to match the frame rate used by NTSC television systems (North America, Japan).

Use SMPTE Drop Frame format for NTSC DV/D1 projects.

Both SMPTE Drop and SMPTE Non-Drop run at 29.97 fps. In both formats, the actual frames are not discarded, but they are numbered differently. SMPTE Drop removes certain frame numbers the counting system to keep the SMPTE clock from drifting from real ("wall clock") time. The time is adjusted forward by two frames on every minute boundary except 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, when SMPTE Drop time increments from 00:00:59.29, the next value will be 00:01:00.02.

SMPTE 30 (30 fps, Audio)

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 30 frames per second.

This rate is exactly 30 fps and is commonly used when synchronizing audio applications such as multitrack recorders or MIDI sequencers. This format should not be used when working with video.

Audio CD Time

Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 75 frames per second for creating Red Book CDs. For more information, see Disc-at-once (DAO or Red Book) CD Burning
Set Time at Cursor Allows you to set the current time at the cursor position.
Set Project Tempo Allows you to set the tempo for the project.

Creating a time ruler offset

A time ruler offset changes the ruler so it starts at a specific time. Typically, this feature is used in conjunction with SMPTE and MIDI projects when their timelines are the main reference. An offset allows you to set the VEGAS Pro ruler based on another project's timeline for reference purposes.

NOTE Since an audio CD must always begin at 00:00:00, you cannot create a time ruler offset when the time ruler is set to the Audio CD Time format.

  1. Right-click the time ruler and choose Set Time at Cursor from the shortcut menu. An edit box is displayed in the time ruler.

    TIP To create a simple offset, click Go to Start to move the cursor to the beginning of your project.

  2. Type a time in the edit box and press Enter.

    The time ruler is shifted so the cursor position matches the time you specified. For example, if the cursor is positioned at the 2:00 minute mark and you enter 15:00 minutes, the start of the project will be set to 13:00 minutes.