I put this under the Bug category since this is an unintended consequence with how the Text: Rich filter was designed.
Because of how the filter allows you to type and highlight text directly on the VUI, there is currently no clear way to drag a clip with Text: Rich from the Source tab to the timeline. Also, if you press the shortcuts V or B to bring it to the timeline that way it may not work as it will type those letters into the text. This only leaves the + button on the timeline toolbar as the only clear way to bring a clip with Text: Rich from Source to timeline.
There are only 2 workarounds. The first is to click out of the VUI and into either the filters window or the timeline. That will let you then use the shortcuts V or B only. The second is to disable the Text: Rich filter on the list of filters which then lets you drag the clip to the timeline as well as use shortcuts V or B.
I’m not sure what a solution to this could be because this is a unique scenario. I was thinking that maybe there could be some sort of button added either to the filter’s parameters or the toolbar on the VUI that would allow for dragging to the timeline. Sort of like a text lock button similar to the lock buttons for the video and audio tracks on the timeline that would lock the text in the VUI so it can’t be changed and with that you can drag it to the timeline. But I don’t know if that would be an awkward or strange thing to add.
I have known about this since I created it. Another workaround is if it is a playlist clip, drag it from the playlist. Fortunately, most people are adding things to playlist and adding filters to timeline clips and avoiding this issue. Yet another workaround is when the text background rectangle is smaller than the frame - drag from outside the rectangle.
This will have to wait until I add some function to turn off the VUI similar to the lock idea you offered.
I just thought of this: When a clip with a filter is only in the Source tab, there is no actual way to deselect so that you don’t see any of the VUIs like you can do in the timeline. How about adding a deselect button in the Filters tab like here:
It would serve several purposes. It would allow a clip that is only in the Source tab to be played without any VUIs like I already mentioned. It would also be a visual cue for people who want to see the playback without any VUIs while working in the timeline to know that it can be deselected by pressing that button rather than clicking on another clip or even on the Output tab since the only way to actually see that option would be by right clicking away from any clips. Even then when people open that right click menu I think many miss the Select None option. And finally, it would serve as the more obvious way to drag a clip with Text: Rich from the Source tab to the timeline.
There is the issue that when deselecting is done in the timeline the whole Filters tab turns empty. Well, when it’s done with a clip in the Source tab then what could happen is that simply all of the buttons and values are still there but just grayed out. If you want to activate the Filter tab again with a clip in the Source tab then all you would have to do is just select one of the effects in the filters menu.
I have been thinking for awhile about a button to turn off the VUI. I think your suggested location is a decent idea. Previously I was thinking somewhere in the player controls, but that is rather full. Do you think there should be a VUI toggle or a deselect filter? If a toggle it could be sticky. How sticky? Should the toggle reset when choosing another filter or only when selecting another clip?
Nevermind. I added the deselect button. It works nicely! I also added buttons to move the selected filter up or down since I think it is not obvious to many people that you can drag-n-drop to reorder. This is in the next version 20.11
Wow, these are two additions which would be SO useful! For a few years (!) I’ve been adding a transparent clip to the timeline to click, just so I can see a text clip (or to see a clip with SPR filter applied) without the boundary box!!
Then only recently I got the idea from @Hudson555x that if you click the Output box it does the job.
Many thanks @shotcut, and also to @drm for suggesting this!
I assume that the deselect button deselects all filters in the clip, but that the image in the player reflects the clip with all filters applied.
This brings me to the following suggestion.
When selecting a clip in the timeline today the first filter is selected automatically, why not apply this state where no filter is selected.
It does! Thanks for adding it! There is just a slight issue. If you deselect from the Filters window then go to the Player layout, the filters are reselected again. Anyway to have the layouts respect the user picking to deselect filters whether from the Filters tab or the timeline before going to the Player?
Also, on the subject of layouts, I have found that if you are in Logging then close the project and reopen it again, since your saved project was last in Logging it will open with it except that the timeline will also be opened. Can this be fixed so that when opening a saved project that was last in Logging the timeline won’t open?
Not really. The layout switching does not deal with special conditions, and I do not want to clutter the code to add that.
the timeline will also be opened
Currently, when you open a timeline project, we open the timeline panel to show the project. I will think about it. It is not totally incorrect to show the timeline in the Logging view. It is simply not in the default logging layout.
There is just a slight issue. If you deselect from the Filters window then go to the Player layout, the filters are reselected again. Anyway to have the layouts respect the user picking to deselect filters whether from the Filters tab or the timeline before going to the Player?