"Open MLT as Clip" odd behavior (can't drag from preview)

Bug
,
#1

I use a few “mini projects” as special effects (overlays, etc.). To use them, I “Open MTL XML as clip” and then add to the timeline. This has worked time and time again.

Today, I do the same, but the clip is “Non Seekable”, so when I try to drag the clip to the timeline, I can’t because of it.

I tried to use the “overwrite” chevron above the timeline instead and it DID add the clip (once), but the naming was all “C:% …” (rather than the actual name of the clip (e.g. “circle.mlt”) … and Shotcut immediately crashed thereafter. Attempting to recreate this, I not get a “You cannot add a non-seekable source”.

Did a recent update change/break this? Has anyone dealt with this? … any idea what else might be causing this?

(I’m on Win 10 and Shotcut version 22.10.25)

Imported MLT animated title clip will not drag to timeline or playlist
#2

Does this now happen on all of your “mini projects”, or just this one?

#3

Does this now happen on all of your “mini projects”, or just this one?

Just tried it with another … same behavior (so apparently not confined to a single “mini project”).

But you gave me an idea: I also open an older project (that has already a “mini project” imbedded & is working flawlessly). Here the MLT does NOT open as “non-seekable”, which leads me to believe the problem is with my current video project.

… but what might be causing this and how might I fix it? (why would something all the sudden open as “non-seekable”? … I HAVE close the project, closed ShotCut, etc., but non of that makes a difference.)

#4

Known bug in that version. Latest version available has fix.

#5

Well … that got me excited - so I immediately updated to version 22.12.21 (for some reason I thought I was on the latest version) …

… unfortunately, that did not fix the problem … the behavior is still the same. :confused:

#6

The bug fix was specifically about this, which after saved made it missing/unlinked upon reopening.
I also experienced the non-seekable part. I guess that is also a recent bug that is not fixed. However, there is a simple workaround: instead of using File menu, from an external Explorer window drag the .mlt file to the Playlist or Timeline of an existing project.

#7

Interesting suggesting … I didn’t know that could work as well. (thank you for pointing that out)

While that DID allow me to add the mlt as a clip to the project (yeah!), it simultaneously seems to mess with pretty much EVERY filter in the project as well. (not yeah)

Clips that do not have a filter applied appear to be unfazed, but everything else now is massively zoomed in, cropped differently, etc. … why on earth would THAT all the sudden be? :astonished:

(… and any idea how to prevent that from happening?)

#8

Your Video Modes between the two projects do not match. Nested projects use the video mode of the parent project, and there is no auto-magical adjustment. You can either correct that in one of them (and adjust things accordingly), or you should export the sub-project to an intermediate video file and use that instead.

#9

Okay … that is REALLY helpful information (good to know - it explains a lot of other challenges I have faced) … thank you.

I went ahead and rebuilt the (formerly 1080p) mlt “mini project” as 4k (2160p) to match the new project(s). Et voila … that seems to have done the trick. :slightly_smiling_face:

… do the fps matter as well or just the resolution? (I have them both @ 30 fps right now, but it would be helpful to understand how this might turn into a new problem if had a project w a diff framerate.

But now a new problem cropped up: Since Shotcut crashed earlier, I get “missing files” when I open the project - I can remap them and save the project, but when I reopen the repaired project, it forgot and I have to map everything again … and again … and again. (why wouldn’t the new xml file store the info?)

And - just happened - when I drop new assets into the playlist, Shotcut immediately crashes … (sigh) :cry:

(Should I revert back to the older version …?)

*edit: … uhm - even more problematic: The same appears to be true for ANY project now.

To test this, I just created a new (empty) project and tried to drag a file into the playlist … Shotcut crashes (wheels keeps spinning indefinitely w/o anything happening - only way out is to force close SC)

**update: After rebooting the system serval times, going back and forth between versions (22.10.25 & 22.12.21), and applying a Win 10 update, I finally figured out what the problem was … and it had nothing to do with any of the above.

… I had named several files with a “%” - and Shotcut doesn’t like that … most of the time (every now it then it worked - which is probably why I didn’t pick up on it earlier. :wink: