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the VDub Primer
version 2.15


Why use Virtual Dub?
Capture
Basic Editing
Joining Avi's in Vdub
Fisherboys way of Fixing bad files in Vdub
Increasing audio volume
Fixing Files that won't Join
Sites for more Advanced Help
there's more coming, but hopefully this will tide you over


Joining Avi's in Vdub
From Rocker John's post, via Alice in Dallas: sixteen steps to a perfect join:
  1. Download Vdub from the author's home page, then unzip it to a directory of your choosing and create a shortcut for it.
  2. Click on the link to open up Virtual dub.
  3. On the tool bar click on FILE.
  4. Locate the folder that has the files you want to join, then click on the first file.
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  5. Don't worry if you don't see any video in the gray windows. All you should see for this operation is just the gray background.
  6. Click on Video tab on tool bar. You will see a dot next to Full processing mode.
  7. Scroll down to Direct stream copy and click. This should change the video compression mode to direct stream.
  8. Verify the change by clicking on the Video tool bar again and now you will have a dot beside Direct stream copy.

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  9. Click on the Audio tab on the tool bar. You will see two dots - one on avi audio and one on direct stream copy.
 10. If you don't have these settings change them by clicking on each of these features.

 11. Now click on the File tab again.
 12. Click on the second line from the top which should be Append video segment.

 13 Again locate the next file you want to add, then click on it.

 14. Repeat 12 and 13 again for as many parts as you wish to join.
 15. Then click on File and select Save AVI
 16. Name it any new name you wish; but consider always including "Joined" so that you'll remember that you altered it from the original posters work.

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 And you've just completed your first join.
If the file refuses to join, the first step is to see if one of the parts is of different frame size, video codec, or audio type or data rate. If so, the next section provides information on how to fix it.


PolarBear's Way of Fixing Files that won't Join
The Question is asked: How come Audio different on clip 4? Can' t Join them Please Help.

Sometimes that's how it was posted originally. I suspect this was to discourage people from joining the clips and posting the joined copy.
In this example we'll look at a 4 part set that has a audio stream that's different on one clip than the other 3. By subbing "video" for "audio" you could apply this to a different sized / type video track.
In this audio example, you do so by saving a copy of the "odd" part with the audio modified to match the other  three. Use the current version of VirtualDub (1.5.1 now).
    1. Load the different video.
    2. Set "Video" to "Direct Stream Copy"
    3. Set Audio to "Full Processing Mode"
    4. Set Audio "Source Audio"
    5. Set Audio "Conversion" "8000Hz" "No Change" "Mono" (the current settings on the audio)
    6. Set Audio "Compression" "MPEG Layer-3" "16 kBit/S, 8,000 Hz, Mono" ( the setting needed to get to to agree with the other clips).
Then:
    7. Click "File", "Save As AVI", and rename the file to a new name - "Redid.avi"
    8 Go back to Joining above, and use the newly created file to join with the other three.
Do not post the modified file, and do not post the joined file.



Fisherboy's Way of fixing badly Downloaded Avi files
  (I've got to start this off by saying how delighted I am to be able to show all Fisherboy's real smarts. He seldom lets himself be dragged into techincal discussions, but when he does, he shows that he's got the know how)

This is kind of like the divfix (which never seems to work for me) but I do not think you loose anything. If you like to screw around with changing codec's, editing or what not it's not too bad. I hope I have the right steps listed. I think I read a lot of this
from a message Alice posted.

1.  File (Task bar) - Open up file you want
2. Click on "timebar" (bottom of screen) (or barely nudge) to show vid
3. Click on 2nd icon fr right to indicate start of vid
4. Move "timebar" to end of vid by sliding it
5. Click on last icon to indicate end of vid
6. Video (Task bar) - Click on 'direct stream process'
7. File (Task bar) - Save as avi - I use same nm as the file with the addition of fixed-fb ChinaBoxfixed-fb so I do not ever repost it.
This usually adds 10 bytes to the file size. Why, I do not know. In some cases VDub will give a message about the index being fu.
    Once in a while a reposter, not a needer, just a wanter.


Increasing Audio Volume
You'll need VirtualDub v1.4.9 or better (build 13720/release)
1. On the top menu bar, under "Audio", select "AVI Audio" and "Full Processing Mode".
2. If you're overlaying an audio track from somewhere else, you'll need to change the "AVI Audio" to "WAV Audio" and then select the input track.
3. After you've chosen "Full Processing Mode", you'll see the greyed-out "Volume" become available.
4. Click "Audio" then "Volume" and a smaller window will come up that says "Audio Volume".
5. Check the box that says "Adjust Volume of Audio Channels" then set the volume control slider. I find that 250% - 300% is needed for weak input audio tracks, although you get some hiss with that.
6. Click on "OK" and you're done.
Note: the increased volume can be heard when playing both the "input video" side and the "output video" side.
PolarBear


Sites for more Advanced Help
These pages are intended to provide a beginning, not by any means a complete or even indepth look at all the features to be found with the multible versions of Virtual Dub. Some of the sites with greater depth are listed below:
The Home of Virtual Dub
Divx.com support /guide
nickyguides.digital-digest.com
Filters and tools by Donald Graft
jelli belli's Guide to Vdub Compression


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