User manual

Import Settings
396
Image sized for
current format
Select this option if the image is properly sized and formatted for
the current project format, or to maintain field data when you
import two-field media that follows exact NTSC or PAL
dimensions. Your Avid editing application converts the existing
pixel dimensions, if necessary, so that the image fills the screen.
If the aspect ratio of the original frames does not match the aspect
ratio your Avid editing application is using, the imported frames
might appear distorted.
Do not resize smaller
images
Select this option to import graphic files that have a smaller size
than the full-raster SD or HD frame. You typically use this option
for either temporary web graphics (in either SD or HD) or to bring
SD-formatted graphics into an HD project without blowing them
up and losing quality.
Resize image to fit
format raster
Select this option to resize both smaller and larger images to fit
the full-raster SD or HD frame. Your Avid editing application
maintains the file’s aspect ratio.
Alpha Channel Controls how your Avid editing application handles the alpha channel in imported
images. The following options are available:
• Invert on import (white = opaque): Select this option to reverse the black and white
elements of the alpha channel if they differ from the matte key requirements of your
Avid editing application. Avid applications use a white background, a black
foreground, and a gray transparency blend between the two.
• Do not invert (black = opaque): Select this option to import the image, using the
existing alpha channel information.
• Ignore: Select this option to import an image that contains alpha channel transparency
information as one opaque graphic. The imported graphic appears as a single master
clip in the bin.
n
If an image contains an embedded alpha channel but your Avid editing application
does not support alpha channel import for the file type, select this option to import
the image successfully. For information on alpha channel support, see “Import
Specifications for Supported Graphics File Formats” on page 1.
• Dilate Fill: This option bleeds the fill just a bit along the edges where transparent
alpha meets non-transparent alpha. It is useful when importing graphics files
containing alpha that have abrupt transitions between transparent and opaque. It can
help prevent black/gray pixels from seeping into the fill.
Frame Import
Duration
Duration n seconds
Defines the duration of the single frame your Avid editing application creates from the
import. The default is 30 seconds. This option does not apply to importing sequential
image files because each file represents one frame of the clip, so the total number of files
determines the total duration.
Importing an image with alpha channel creates a matte key effect as a single frame, with
no associated media file.
Importing as a single frame takes less time and requires less storage than importing as a
media file. However, a single frame has limited real-time playback capabilities,
particularly at high resolutions, because your Avid editing application loads the frame
into memory and handles it in real time, rather than playing it back from a disk.
Option Description