Problems with trimming a video

Hi David,

Did the timeline update as well to be 10 seconds less than expected? If so, see if extending the timeline allows for the remainder of the video to play. You may also want to confirm that you're working on local project files as detailed here. 

Also just as a reminder, here are the directions in regards to editing a screen recording, so you'll want to ensure you're following along with those as well. 

Hi Ashley,

The Timeline remains at the original length after trimming. When the trimmed screencast ends prematurely, the slide background is all that's visible 'til the player reaches the end of the Timeline. I've been trimming it as per the directions you link to.

Hi David, 

Sorry, I should have clarified - the timeline of the slide and the timeline of the video element? Are you able to share that one slide from your .story file here with us? 

I am attaching the screencast.  I noticed what the source of the problem is (although I still don't know how to resolve it).  It turns out the timeline in the video editor is not synchronized with the timeline in the development window.  I'm trying to trim off the last few seconds during which nothing is happening in the screencast, so I trim it at 1:45 in the video editor.  When I view the trimmed video in the development window, it shows on the timeline that it ends at the position where I trimmed it (105s).  However, when I play it in the development or preview window, it cuts off a few seconds before the narration ends -- more than ten seconds earlier in the video editor than the trim point.  In other words, although the development timeline shows the end of the screencast at 105s, the point where it ends when played in the development or preview window is reached at 1:34 in the video editor, even though the video editor shows the trim at 1:45.  I hope that makes sense.  How do I get the clocks in the two timelines synchronized?  It's only happening with this one screencast.

Hi David,

Thanks for sharing the .story file here with us. I see the behavior you're referring to here - but on the slide timeline itself, I was able to re-extend the timeline of the video element and allow for all the elements to play as expected from your clip? Is it possible that you adjust the timeline on the slide itself as well? 

You mentioned it only happened with this one screencast as well - did you confirm to be working with all local project files as mentioned? 

If you look at the story file I attached, you'll see that the end of the timeline already extends beyond the end of the screencast.  After, trimming the screencast, the length of the timeline stayed at the original length of the the full recording and the screencast ends prior to the timeline because of the trim.  But extending the Timeline further doesn't make any difference -- the screencast still ends prematurely.  I develop it with the story file located on the physical hard drive of the same PC Storyline runs on (is that what you mean by "local project files"?).  How did you get the screencast to trim at the position I wanted, Ashley?

Hi David,

Yes, I did see that - and what I ended up doing was clicking on the end of the timeline of the screencast object and extending it by a few seconds until it matched what was shown in the edited portion. That's what I meant in regards to if you had possibly moved the timeline of that object - that could be why you were not seeing the entire element, as the overall slide timeline will stay at the original length of the video. 

Yup - it sounds like you're working locally, typically your C drive. 

If my file is working for you and it's only just this one screen recording that was problematic hopefully it was just a minor error in terms of adjusting the timeline - but if you see it again, let us know! 

I got it now -- you want me to stretch out the length of the actual screencast object itself.  I thought you meant to move the End of the Timeline.  I didn't realize that you could adjust the length of the screencast object without going to the Video Editor.  Anyway, I adjusted the length of the screencast object and got it to end where I want it.  Thanks for your help, Ashley.

BTW, after I adjusted this screencast, I edited the subsequent screencast in my course.  The subsequent screencast also exhibit the same misbehavior (i.e. Trim in Video Editor not aligning with the ending of the screencast object in Timeline after saving).

I was doing more adjustments on the screencasts when I discovered how else it's misbehaving.  As I trim it shorter and shorter, at a certain point the audio moves against the timeline internal to the object.  

Staying on just the screencast object inside the timeline of the development window, I can track this by picking out a distinctive word in the narration.  I note where it is on the timeline in seconds.  Then I trim it a couple of times within the development window and check where the word is heard.  After two or three trims, the same word is suddenly heard ten or fifteen seconds later (measured against the timeline's scale) than it was before the trim.

I am experiencing this behavior now in at least two different screencast objects.  What should I do?  I can't get the trim quite where I want it with the audio bouncing around in time within the screencast.

Hi David, 

It sounds like you've got some additional odd behavior going on there! I know you already confirmed to be working locally, but since you're seeing this now in more than one screencast (more than one file too?) I'd look next into going through the repair steps. 

If you're able to consistently reproduce the behavior on a new file as well after doing the repair, can you walk me through the steps you go through to see this in terms of recording, trimming, previewing, etc. and how many times so that i can try to recreate and share with our QA team if necessary. 

Yes, I can consistently reproduce it.  In fact, I discovered that I don't even need to trim the screencast.  Here are the steps I can reproduce (using the file I already attached above, Edit_Video.story):

1. Open file in Articulate Storyline 2
2. Open slide in Slide View
3. Position playhead at about 95s
4. Play slide from there to end
5. The final words heard in playback are "in one window."
6. Reposition playhead at about 95s
7. Play slide from there to end
8. The final words heard in playback this time are "enrolling users button."

In other words, the audio's position in time is skipping around from playback to playback even without making any edits whatsoever.  I also tried it in Preview mode and experienced the same thing.  After playing the Preview and noting the final words, I replayed it and discovered that it ended with different words each time.

Can you reproduce this same playback misbehavior, Ashley?  If so, how do I prevent it?  I need to make sure the slide will end at the desired point every time.

Hi David,

Thanks for listing those steps out for me here. I've been testing it this AM and previewing from the slide timeline and then previewing from the entire course preview (I turned on the seekbar to be able to go to about 95 seconds and play from there) I'm not able to replicate this. I always hear as the last part of the audio "...in one window. When I'm done..." I tried to conduct a screen recording of this to show you how that was what I heard each and every time - but it wasn't picking up the internal audio, so for this scenario defeats the purpose of a screen recording. 

I know we already discussed working locally - but were you able to go through the repair steps as I mentioned? Also what update of Storyline are you on? The latest update is Update 4 and that's what I'm using to view the file. 

Please let us know if you're able to go through the repair, and if you continue to experience the behavior, can you replicate it on a brand new screen recording as well? If so, I'll want to know more about your system set up (ie. Windows version, operating in a VM or not, etc.). 

I took so long to respond because I did a system recovery back to the factory default setting on my PC (for another reason, not this).  Then I did a fresh installation of Storyline, which it automatically upgraded itself to Update 4.  After that, I opened the file in the new installation of Storyline 2 and was still able to reproduce the erratic playback behavior in the Timeline and Preview

However, when I published it as HTML and viewed it on my web site, the slide consistently ended at exactly the spot I wanted.  So I'm not going to bother trying to record it again.  Instead, I'll let a sleeping dog lie, so to speak, and continue on developing the project.  If I encounter the problem again, I'll let you know.  If I don't, I'll write it off as a random glitch that's not recurring.  Thanks for trying to help, Ashley.

Thanks for the update David.