® ® Avid Media Composer Editing Guide
Legal Notices Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. This product is subject to the terms and conditions of a software license agreement provided with the software. The product may only be used in accordance with the license agreement.
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 by Jef Poskanzer. Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. This software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty. Copyright 1995, Trinity College Computing Center. Written by David Chappell.
The following disclaimer is required by Ultimatte Corporation: Certain real-time compositing capabilities are provided under a license of such technology from Ultimatte Corporation and are subject to copyright protection. The following disclaimer is required by 3Prong.com Inc.: Certain waveform and vector monitoring capabilities are provided under a license from 3Prong.com Inc. The following disclaimer is required by Interplay Entertainment Corp.
FlexCable, TechFlix, Tel-Ray, Thunder, Titansync, Titan, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, tools for storytellers, Torq, Torq Xponent, Transfuser, Transit, TransJammer, Trigger Finger, Trillium Lane Labs, TruTouch, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Velvet, Video the Web Way, VideoRAID, VideoSPACE, VideoSpin, VTEM, Work-N-Play, Xdeck, X-Form, Xmon, XPAND!, Xponent, X-Session, and X-Session Pro are either registered trademarks or t
Contents Using This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Accessing the Goodies Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Project Window Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Using the Bins Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Using the Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Using the Format Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Film-Related Log Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Chapter 6 Preparing for Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Logging and Shot Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Importing Shot Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Preparing the Hardware for Capture . . . . .
Relinking Clips by Key Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 Modifying the Pulldown Phase After Capturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 DV and HDV Scene Extraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Using the Panasonic VariCam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 Chapter 8 Importing Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 9 Working with Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Object Icons in Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Bin Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Bin Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading the Media Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 Refreshing Media Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Deleting Unreferenced Clips and Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Backing Up Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 Finding a Related Media File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using PhraseFind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555 The Results Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557 Filtering Your Find Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559 Find Window Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the Script Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617 Working with the Script Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618 Working with Script Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621 Working with Page or Scene Numbers and Searching in a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623 Linking Clips to a Script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting Trim Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723 Overwrite Trimming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727 Ripple Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 729 Dual-Roller Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730 Refining Trims . . . . . . . .
Mixing Down Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815 Splitting Multichannel Tracks to Mono Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817 Using the Audio EQ Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818 Recording Voice-Over Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830 Chapter 19 Using External Audio Devices . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 22 Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 985 Understanding Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 986 Preparing to Export a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987 Exporting With the Send To Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 988 Send To Templates Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Output Mode Resolution Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050 Outputting DV 50 and DVCPRO HD Media Directly to a DV Device . . . . . . . . . . 1052 Selecting Output and Timecode Formats for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects . . . 1053 Selecting Output Formats for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1053 Output Format Reference for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1054 Selecting the Timecode Format for Output .
Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1128 Editing with Remote Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1132 Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1144 Finding Remote Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1163 Capturing Media to Interplay Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Group Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1230 Creating Multigroup Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1231 MultiCamera Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1232 MultiCamera Editing Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1238 Selective Camera Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deck Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1311 Deck Preferences Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1313 Desktop Play Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314 Dynamic Relink Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314 Effect Editor Settings. . . . . . . .
Video Output Tool Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1379 Video Satellite Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1384 Workspace Linking Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1385 Chapter 31 File Format Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1386 Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files . . . .
Editing with Low-Res RED Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1464 Color Management with RED Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1465 Outputting a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1466 Working with HDV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1466 Understanding HDV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using This Guide This guide contains the task-oriented instructions, conceptual information, and reference information you need to use the features of your Avid editing application. The contents of this guide is also available in the Help. This guide is intended for all users, from beginning to advanced. Unless noted otherwise, the material in this document applies to the Windows® and Mac OS® X operating systems.
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action (Windows), (Windows only), (Macintosh), or (Macintosh only) This text indicates that the information applies only to the specified operating system, either Windows or Macintosh OS X. Bold font Bold font is primarily used in task instructions to identify user interface items and keyboard sequences. Italic font Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables. Courier Bold font Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
Accessing the Goodies Folder Avid supplies a Goodies folder located on the editing application DVD. Access the Goodies folder by browsing the DVD. This folder contains programs and files you might find useful when trying to perform functions beyond the scope of your Avid editing application. The information in the Goodies folder is provided solely for your reference and as suggestions for you to decide if any of these products fit into your process.
1 Editing Overview The topics in this chapter provide an overview of the editing workflow: • Editing Workflow • Starting a Project • Preparing to Edit • Editing a Sequence • Outputting a Sequence Editing Workflow Your editing workflow depends on a variety of factors. For example, you might work on a standard-definition video project, a film project, or an HD project.
Starting a Project For more information, see “Creating and Editing Sequences” on page 563 and “Using the Timeline” on page 655. 7. Use Trim mode, Effect mode, and Color Correction mode to fine-tune your edits and effects. For more information, see “Working with Trim Edits” on page 718 and the Effects and Color Correction Guide for your Avid editing application. 8. Add any titles you need.
Preparing to Edit 1 Turn on your system and start your Avid editing application 2 Select or create a project 3 Select the Project settings 5 Back up the project 4 Create and organize bins Preparing to Edit When you capture and organize footage before you edit, follow these basic steps: 1. Batch capture, log and capture, or capture on-the-fly your source material into your Avid editing application. For more information, see “Preparing for Capture” on page 156 and “Capturing Media” on page 218.
Editing a Sequence 2. Use bins to organize your project items. For more information, see “Working with Bins” on page 318. 3. Use the Media tool to manage media files. For more information, see “Managing Media Files” on page 435. 4. Use the bins to create storyboards. For more information, see “Creating a Storyboard” on page 359.
Editing a Sequence 2. Build your sequence in Source/Record mode in the Timeline. See “Creating and Editing Sequences” on page 563. 3. Use Segment, Trim, and Effect modes to fine-tune your edits and effects. For more information, see “Using the Timeline” on page 655, “Working with Trim Edits” on page 718, and the Effects and Color Correction Guide for your Avid editing application. 4. Use the Audio tool to adjust and mix multiple audio tracks and prepare for final playback or output.
Outputting a Sequence 4 Fine-tune audio pan, volume, and EQ 5 Screen and continue editing, repeating any or all of steps 1 through 4 as necessary Outputting a Sequence When your sequence is finished, you can output it in any of the following ways: • Export as a file or a series of files. For more information, see “Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences” on page 985. • Output a digital cut in one or more formats. For more information, see “Generating Output” on page 1017.
Outputting a Sequence Finished sequence.
2 Starting a Project Your work begins when you turn on your system, start your Avid editing application, and open an existing project or create a new project.
Working with the Desktop Working with the Desktop You can use some of the desktop navigation features of your operating system to speed your work or customize for your convenience while you edit. You can: • Control how the Windows taskbar appears on the screen (Windows only). • Use the Macintosh Dock as a quick way to launch your Avid editing application (Macintosh only). • Use shortcut menus (also sometimes known as context menus) to quickly access editing commands.
Working with the Desktop To change the taskbar settings: 1. Right-click an unused part of the taskbar, and select Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box opens. 2. Select the options you want: t To keep the taskbar hidden, deselect “Keep the task bar on top of other windows” and “Auto hide the task bar.” t To set the taskbar to appear when you want, select “Keep the task bar on top of other windows” and “Auto hide the task bar.” 3. Click OK.
Working with the Desktop Option Command To select or deselect a check box or an option in a dialog box. Press Right Arrow, Left Arrow, or the space bar. To move up or down in a menu, or increment a Press Up Arrow or Down Arrow. numeric value. Using the Mouse Scroll Wheel for Navigating You can use the mouse scroll wheel to navigate in your Avid editing application, as described in the following table.
Working with the Desktop To set the mouse scroll speed: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab, and then double-click Mouse. The Mouse Settings dialog box opens. 2. Select a speed from the Vertical Scroll Speed menu. Normal is the default setting. Normal scrolls one item at a time. Moderate scrolls two items at a time, and Fast scrolls four items at a time. To assign functions to additional mouse buttons: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab, and then double-click Mouse.
Working with the Desktop In Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options, select High Performance. • Do not enable the Windows Display setting “Show window contents while dragging.” This setting hinders redraw performance on your Avid editing system. In Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Personalization > Window Color and Appearance > Effects, deselect Show window contents while dragging. • Enable setting to adjust for best performance.
Working with the Desktop • Do not leave a Windows Explorer window open. Windows Explorer attempts to update file information. • Do not leave an e-mail application open if it is set to do periodic checks for mail. • Do not run any application that periodically “wakes up” and performs an action. • Disable screen savers. • Do not keep media on the same partition where you install your Avid editing application. Avid recommends external media drives.
Starting Your Avid Editing Application (Windows) • Set sleep options to Never in Energy Saver preference. In System Preferences > Hardware Energy Saver, select Never. • Disable screensavers. In System Preferences > Personal Desktop & Screen Saver > Screen Saver, select Never. Antivirus Applications Antivirus programs that contain autoscanning features can interfere with the operation of your Avid editing application.
Starting Your Avid Editing Application (Macintosh) After your Avid editing application starts, the Select Project dialog box opens. For more information on the Select Project dialog box, see “Working with Projects” on page 43. Starting Your Avid Editing Application (Macintosh) Your Avid editing application is in the following location: Macintosh HD/Applications/Avid editing application For most users, the desktop or Dock is a more convenient location to start your Avid editing application.
Working with Projects n If you will be working in a shared project environment, you should carefully consider the location of your projects and media. This will make for a much more efficient working environment in terms of time and disk storage space. If you are working with projects created on local drives, then note the following: • A local project resides on the C: drive of the Avid editing system.
Working with Projects Shared A Shared Project is stored locally. It can be accessed by any user that can log on the editing machine. On a Windows system, a Shared Project is always stored in the machine’s Shared Documents directory.
Working with Projects External An External Project can be saved to any directory, either local or remote. Depending on the file-system permissions set on the selected folder, other users or an administrator may or may not be able to access the project. The external option is particularly useful when you want to save the project on shared network drive to make project maintenance easier. n Avid does not support sharing bins in an Interplay environment.
Working with Projects Private Shared Windows drive:\Documents and Settings\Windows login name\Documents\Avid Projects drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Avid Projects Macintosh Macintosh HD/Users/Mac login name/Documents/Avid Projects Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/Avid editing application/Shared Avid Projects Locations of Avid Users Folders The Avid Users folder is located in the application folder: n Windows 7 drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Av
Working with Projects Files and Folders Created For User Profiles When you create a new user profile, your Avid editing application creates a folder for the user and two files that are stored within the user folder: • A user profile file (.ave) • A user settings file (.xml) The user folder and the two files all use the user profile name you provide. The new folder is stored in the Avid Users folder.
Working with Projects Element Description (Continued) 3 User Profile Displays the name associated with the current settings. By default your Avid editing application uses the login name. The list button changes profiles or creates a new one. For more information, see “Understanding User Profiles” on page 84. 4 Project list Displays a list of the Avid projects in the currently selected folder. Double-click a project to open it. 5 Browse button Lets you navigate to a different folder.
Creating a New Project Project Type Source Footage Transfer (Continued) Color Space 720p/25 For video-originated material that can be captured, edited and output for HD broadcast. It can also be captured in DVCProHD format. YCbCr 720p/29.97 For video-originated material. Can be directly captured, edited, and output YCbCr for HD broadcast. 720p/50 For HDV broadcast (European broadcast). 720p/59.94 For video-originated material. Can be directly captured, edited, and output YCbCr for HD broadcast.
Creating a New Project For more information, see “Select Project Dialog Box” on page 48. 2. In the Select Project dialog box, select the folder in which you want to create the project: Private, Shared, or External—see Working with Projects. 3. Click New Project. The New Project dialog box opens. 4. Type the name of your new project in the text box. Project names may be given certain conventions—see “Setting Project-Naming Conventions” on page 53. 5.
Creating a New Project Option SD Raster Dimension The Raster Dimension menu appears only for HD projects on a supported system. For more information, Color Space Specifies the color space for some HD project types, N/A either RGB 709 or YCbCr 709. For more information, see “Project Types” on page 49 and “Working with Color Spaces in HD Projects” on page 75.
Setting Project-Naming Conventions Project name and user name in the title bar (left) and Close button (right) in the Project window 9. (Option) If your project uses a film project type, set film preferences immediately after you create the project. Setting Project-Naming Conventions The system limits bins and project names to 27 characters, not including the period and 3-character extension that the system automatically adds to a file name.
Opening and Closing Projects To extend project and bin names to 31 characters (Macintosh only) 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Double-click General Settings. 3. Select Allow files names to extend 27 characters. This extends the names of projects and bins to 31 characters. Opening and Closing Projects You can open a project from the Select Project dialog box, and navigate from the Select Project dialog box to find any project on your system.
Opening and Closing Projects To browse for a project in a location other than the default Shared and Private folders: 1. Start your Avid editing application. The Select Project dialog box opens. Browse button in the Select Project dialog box 2. Click the Browse button. The Browse for Folder (Windows) or Project Directory (Macintosh) dialog box opens. 3. Navigate to the folder that contains the project you want. 4. Click OK (Windows) or Choose (Macintosh). 5. Select a project in the Projects list. 6.
Opening and Closing Projects The Interface Settings dialog box opens. 3. Click the General tab, select “Automatically Launch Last Project at Startup,” and then click OK. The next time you start your Avid editing application, it opens your last project. To turn off the automatic opening of projects so that you can select another project when you start your Avid editing application: 1. Deselect “Automatically Launch Last Project at Startup,” and then click OK. 2.
Deleting a Project Deleting a Project To delete a project: 1. Start your Avid editing application. The Select Project dialog box opens. 2. Click the project you want to delete. 3. Press the Delete key. 4. If you see a message asking if you want to delete the selected project and associated bins, click OK The deleted project no longer appears in the Select Project dialog box. c n Deleting a project also deletes any bins that are in that project.
Changing Project and User Names t Click Cancel to return to the Select Project dialog box and select another project. To view remaining storage on your media drives: 1. Click the Info tab in the Project window, and then click Hardware. The Hardware tool opens. 2. Click the appropriate drive tab. For more information, see “Using the Hardware Tool” on page 113. c Quit your Avid editing application before you turn off your equipment. To turn off your equipment: 1.
Backing Up Your Project Information To change a project name or user name: 1. Navigate to the Avid Projects or Avid Users folder, and then double-click the folder to open it. 2. Click the name of the folder you want to change. The name highlights. 3. Type the new name of the folder. 4. Double-click the folder with the new name to open it. The folder contains profile, settings, and project files with the old name. 5. Change the old name of each file to the new name.
Avid Attic Folder To restore a project or user information from a backup storage device: 1. Mount the drive or insert the removable media that contains the backup copies you want to restore. 2. From the desktop, double-click the icons for the drive or storage media and for the internal hard drive (Windows) or for the Macintosh HD (Macintosh). 3. Drag the copies from the storage device to the appropriate folder on the internal hard drive (Windows) or Macintosh HD/Users/Shared (Macintosh).
Avid Attic Folder n The oldest backup file is overwritten only if the second-oldest backup file is more than 2 hours old. Retrieving Files from the Avid Attic Folder (Windows) To retrieve a file from the Avid Attic folder: 1. Minimize your Avid editing application. 2. From the desktop, double-click the Avid Attic folder, located in: (Windows XP) drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Avid editing application.
Avid Attic Folder 6. Select the backup bin file or files you want to retrieve. 7. Ctrl+drag the selected backup bin files to the desktop. This makes a copy of the files, leaving the original files in the Avid Attic folder. To copy backup files to a new bin: 1. Click the taskbar item for your Avid editing application to restore it. n If the taskbar is hidden, see “Using the Windows Taskbar (Windows Only)” on page 36. 2.
Avid Attic Folder For example, if you are retrieving clips from a backup bin called Audio.2, you can call the new bin Audio New. 7. Select the material you want to keep from the backup bin, and drag the files to the new bin. 8. Repeat steps 3 through 7 for any other backup bin files you copied to the desktop. 9. Select and delete the backup bins in the Other Bins folder. 10. Drag the backup bin files on the desktop to the Recycle Bin.
Avid Attic Folder The Bins folder opens and displays a folder for each bin in the project. 4. Double-click the folder for the bin you want to retrieve. 5. Select View > as List, if the bin folder is not already in the List view. The bin folder displays the backup bin files and their creation dates. A backup bin file has the same name as the bin, with a number appended. For example, a bin named Source Clips might have backup bin files named Source Clips.1 and Source Clips.2. 6.
3 Working with the Project Window The Project window provides controls for structuring and viewing important information about your current project. You can also modify User, Project, and Site settings from the Project window and display a list of effects.
Controlling Project Window Display Project window information is organized in tabs. Tab Function Bins Lets you create and open bins. See “Using the Bins Tab” on page 67. Settings Lets you view and modify settings. See “Using the Settings Tab” on page 73. Effects Lets you access a library of effects. See “Applying Effects” in the Help. Format Lets you view information about the format of the project. See “Using the Format Tab” on page 74.
Using the Bins Tab t Click in an area of the Project window to bring it forward. To close the Project window, do one of the following: t With the Project window active, select File > Close Project. t Click the Close button in the Project window. The Select Project dialog box opens. Using the Bins Tab When you create a project, your Avid editing application automatically creates a bin with the name of the new project, which displays in the Bins tab.
Using the Bins Tab Creating a New Bin To create a new bin from the Project window: 1. Do one of the following: t Select File > New Bin. t Click the New Bin button in the Project window. A new (empty) bin opens and is given the name of the project as displayed in the title bar of the Project window. The new bin appears in the Bins list in the Project window with a default name highlighted and a number appended to it. 2. In the Project window, click the new bin name and type in a new name. 3.
Using the Bins Tab Opening and Closing Bins You can open a single bin or open multiple bins at once. You can also open a bin from another project. c Never open a bin that is stored on a removable disk or equivalent device; otherwise, your Avid editing application cannot save your work. Always copy the bin to a project folder on the system drive before you open it. To open a bin directly: 1. Click the Bins tab. 2. Double-click the Bin icon next to the bin name. The bin opens in a separate window.
Using the Bins Tab n The Other Bins folder disappears from the Bins list when you delete all the bins in the Other Bins folder. Deleting bins from the Other Bins folder does not remove the bins from your system; only the pointers to the bins are removed. To close a bin, do one of the following: t Click the Close button. t Select File > Close Bin. Displaying Folders of Bins in the Bins List You can add folders to the Bins list to help organize your project.
Using the Bins Tab c Only bins and folders appear in the Trash. If you select a clip, subclip, or effect directly in a bin and press the Delete key, the item is permanently deleted and does not appear in the Trash. To delete a bin or folder from the Project window, do the following: t Select the bin or the folder you want to delete in the Bins list, and press the Delete key. A Trash icon appears in the Bins list in the Project window. The Trash contains the deleted item.
Using the Bins Tab When an autosave occurs, any open bins update with changes made since the last autosave, and copies of these bins are placed in the project’s backup bin folder: Windows 7 drive:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Avid editing application\Avid Attic folder Macintosh /Users/Shared/Avid editing application/Avid Attic folder Your Avid editing application automatically saves copies of all bins into the Avid Attic folder at regular intervals for backup.
Using the Settings Tab The system saves all the bins for the project. Using the Settings Tab From the Settings tab in the Project window, you can view, select, open, and alter various User, Project, and Site settings. Each setting either displays information about that specific tool or window or lets you select options or preferences associated with that tool or window. For more information, see “Viewing and Modifying Settings” on page 1277.
Using the Format Tab Using the Format Tab The Format tab in the Project window lets you view basic project information, such as the video format (NTSC, for example). The information lists the options you selected in the New Project dialog box when you created the project. For some project formats, the Project Type list lets you change the format of the project to another format that shares the same frame rate. For example, if you are working in a 1080i/59.
Working with Color Spaces in HD Projects Working with Color Spaces in HD Projects In full HD projects, some Avid editing applications and Avid input/output hardware devices let you work in either the YCbCr or the RGB color space. Your Avid editing application uses a project’s color space setting to control how it displays video, processes most effects, and outputs sequences. RGB and YCbCr both separate colors into three channels, but they store color information differently.
Working with Color Spaces in HD Projects Because no color data is lost, your Avid editing application can make more precise calculations when processing effects using RGB media. The quality improvement over YCbCr processing is most noticeable in effects that perform color analysis, such as chroma keyers. Even if the original video data is in YCbCr, your should consider converting to RGB to process effects as precisely as possible. The disadvantage of RGB is file size.
Changing the Project Color Space for an HD Project You can check the color space of the media for any clip in your project by viewing the Color Space bin heading in the bin that contains the clip. For more information, see “Moving, Aligning, and Deleting Bin Columns” on page 340. Changing the Project Color Space for an HD Project You typically set the color space for a project when you create the project (see “Creating a New Project” on page 50). However, you can change the color space at any time.
Using the Usage Tab Using the Usage Tab The Statistics feature gathers and reports information on system usage. You can use this information to support business functions such as resource management. All statistics are gathered and reported by project. The file that contains this information is formatted so you can use it as input to software programs such as analysis applications, spreadsheets, or report generators. c Do not rely on the Statistics feature for billing or other financial purposes.
Using the Usage Tab The statistics file is formatted as comma-separated ASCII text, so it can be accepted by a variety of software programs. Each line in the file is tagged with indicators for identifying content and data type to assist in programming custom applications. The following illustration shows a sample Statistics file.
Using the Usage Tab 01 title1 02 title2 03 Title Only 100 project info 101 Time Project open 102 Capture tool open 104 Capture tool active 105 Captured Media bytes used 106 Rendered Effects bytes used 110 Effects rendering time 111 Title tool open 113 Title tool active 114 Title tool rendering 115 Capture tool capturing 116 Capture tool logging 117 user comments The values in the second column indicate the type of data in the line: 01 project info 02 time used 03 bytes
Using the Usage Tab The Text Import wizard starts. 4. Select Delimited for the Original Data Type, and click Next. 5. Select Comma for Delimiters, and click Next. 6. Select General for Column Data Format. 7. Click Finish. The statistics file appears in spreadsheet format. The following illustration is the sample file from the previous section as it appears when you import it into a spreadsheet.
Using the Info Tab 3. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). 4. Select File > Load Media Database. After the media database is loaded, the Usage window displays the number of files and disk space used for captured media and rendered effects. To update the display: t Click the Usage tab in the Project window. To prevent recalculation: t Reenter the toggleStatSpace command.
Managing Bins and Memory Item Description Total page file The total number of bytes stored in the paging file. The paging file is used as virtual memory by the Windows system. Available page file The total number of bytes available in the paging files. Working set (minimum and maximum) The set of memory pages currently available to your Avid editing application in RAM.
Understanding User Profiles A dialog box opens asking if you want to close and save all opened bins. 3. Click OK. This operation deletes cached data for the online master clips only. Memory might also be used by other parts of your Avid editing application and will not be reduced by using the Clear Memory button. Understanding User Profiles User profiles let you switch between settings without having to log out of your system and log back in under a different user name.
Managing User Profiles to another location (a server), and then import it to a different system. Any time you change the Jennie user profile, it updates to the server and when you open the Jennie user profile on either system, it uses the most updated Jennie user profile. - When you select Group, the user profile auto-loads but it does not auto-save. Changes made to the user profile only affect the system where you made the change. The changes do not update to the server.
Managing User Profiles 2. Click the User Profile Selection menu, and select Create User Profile. The Create User Profile dialog box opens. 3. Type a name in the Profile Name text box, and then click OK. The new user profile appears selected in the menu, and the user profile name appears in the Project window title bar. To import user settings from another user or user profile: 1. Click the Settings tab. 2. Click the User Profile Selection menu, and select another user profile. 3.
Customizing the Avid User Interface To delete a user profile from your desktop: 1. Navigate to the Avid Users folder, and then select the user folder you want to delete. For information about the location of the Avid folders, see “Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders” on page 46. 2. Do one of the following: t (Windows) Press the Delete key, then click OK in the dialog box. t (Macintosh) Drag the folder to the Trash. 3.
Customizing the Avid User Interface c When you use the selection slider to modify interface settings, it overwrites any previous user settings. Avid recommends you save a copy of your user settings before you use the selection slider. To set the brightness and color of interface components: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab, and then double-click Interface. The Interface dialog box opens. 2. Click a highlight color to change button highlight colors. 3.
Customizing the Avid User Interface 5. (Option) If you want to be able to set custom background colors for bins, select Allow Custom Bin Backgrounds. For more information, see “Changing the Bin Background Color” on page 334. 6. Do one of the following: t Click Apply to apply the changes you selected. If you click Cancel after you click Apply, interface components retain the colors you applied. t Click OK to close the dialog box and put the new setting into effect.
Using Workspaces n Any font installed on the Avid system appears in the list. For information on adding fonts to your system, see the documentation for your operating system. 4. Type another point size for the font in the Size text box. 5. Click OK. The new font and point size appear in the active window. When you close the window, the last font and point size applied are saved with the window.
Using Workspaces To select a workspace, do the following: t Select Windows > Workspaces > workspacename. To customize the workspace: 1. For the workspace you want to customize, select Windows > Workspaces > workspacename. 2. Open other tools with which you want to work, and position them where you want them. 3. Select Windows > Workspaces > New Workspace. 4. Type a name for the new workspace in the Workspace Name text box. 5.
Using Workspaces The active workspace is deleted. Linking User Settings and Workspaces You can link User settings to a workspace. You can create a customized workspace, set up specific options in any Settings dialog box, and link them together by name. For example, you can create an Audio workspace that opens the Audio Mixer tool and Audio tool. This workspace can also open a customized Timeline (with enlarged audio tracks and rubberbanding displays). To link a workspace to another setting: 1.
Using Workspaces Examples of linked settings (top and center) and a linked workspace view (bottom) 7. In the Settings list of the Project window, double-click the workspace you want to link. The Workspace View Setting dialog box opens. 8. Select Link to Named settings. 9. Type the name of the custom settings to which you want to link the workspace.
Using Workspaces For more information about creating and naming custom settings, see “Working with Settings” on page 1277. n You can link workspaces only to User settings. 10. (Option) Click the Bin Layout menu and select a layout you want to link to the workspace. For more information, see “Using Bin Layouts” on page 95. 11. Click OK. The workspace is linked to the custom setting you specified. To link a workspace to an unnamed setting: 1.
Using Workspaces The workspace button appears in the new location. To assing a bin layout button: 1. Select Tools > Command Palette. 2. Click the Workspaces tab. 3. Click the workspace menu next to the button you want to assign. Bin layouts appear in the menu below the divider line. Bin Layout menu in the Workspaces tab of the Command Palette 4. Select Button to Button Reassignment. 5.
Using Workspaces Keyboard settings and toolbar button mappings for workspaces are user settings. Bin layouts are project settings. When you link bin layouts to workspaces, to keyboard settings, or to toolbar buttons, you can access these layout assignments only when you work in a project containing a bin layout with the same name as when you created the link. For this reason, you should be careful to maintain a consistent bin layout naming convention for your projects.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment 2. Click OK. Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment Avid MediaNetwork and Avid ISIS let you share bins and projects across the network. When you place your bins and projects on Avid Workspaces (drive volumes), several users can work on the same project at the same time. For example, an editor creates sequences in one bin while an assistant recaptures media in another bin.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment Sharing Both Bins and Projects If you share bins and projects, you create and store the project folder and bins on the shared workspace (or copy an existing project, bins, and the related media files). Your Avid editing application identifies information from each computer using the shared workspace as follows: n • Creates a project folder for each computer that accesses the project.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment The Project window opens. For a description of the elements specific to Avid shared storage in the Project window, see “Sharing Bins and Projects in Avid Shared Storage” on page 97. 3. Double-click a Bin icon to open one of the bins. The bin appears with a Bin Lock Status button.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment You can instruct your Avid editing application to keep a bin locked even after you close it. You can click the red or green Bin Lock Status button in the bin to view a history file that shows which computers and users have modified the bin. To open a bin without controlling the lock: t Alt+double-click (Windows) or Option+double-click (Macintosh) the bin in the Project window. To permanently lock a bin: 1.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment Avid recommends that you do not use a common prefix for machine names. If you must use a common prefix, make sure all the names are the same length (ABC01, ABC02, ABC03, etc.). • Do not use Windows Explorer to examine, copy, or manipulate shared bin files or shared project folders or their contents when you use those files or folders.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment Avid recommends that you institute policies where media files are deleted by the editor who created them, or if necessary, the deleting editors notify the editor who created the media files that a deletion has occurred. This editor can then switch to the desktop and back, and all other editors can see the deleted file go offline.
Working with Bins and Projects in an Avid Shared Storage Environment Drive Filtering in Networked Workflows The Drive Filtering and Indexing tab of the Media Creation Settings dialog box includes three options: • Filter by Resolution • Filter by System Drive • Filter by Launch Drive Depending on the version of your Avid editing system, the drive filtering options could be on or off by default. Avid recommends that all drive filtering options should be on by default.
4 Using Tools The Tools menu provides quick access to essential tools that you can use in your projects. In addition to the tools available from the Tools menu, you can also add a controller to your system that you can use as an alternative to your keyboard and mouse for editing footage.
Using a Deck Controller The tab bar in the target tab window displays all tool tabs. To move a tool into separate window: t Click the tab for the tool you want to move, and drag it to a clear region of the application interface. The tool displays in a separate window. To view tool tabs that do not display in the tab bar, do one of the following: t Click the Previous Tab button or the Next Tab button to shift the tab view to the left or the right.
Deck Controller Window Reference Deck Controller Window Reference 2 1 3 6 4 5 Element 1 Timecode display Description Provides information about the control status of the tape deck: • If the deck is properly connected and power is on, the deck controller displays timecode when you mount a tape. • If a deck is not properly connected to the system or power is off when you open the controller, the indicator displays the message “NO DECK.
The Command Palette Element 6 Logging controls Description Let you log IN and OUT marks while you cue your tape. For more information on logging, see “Logging Directly into a Bin” on page 135. The Command Palette The Command palette provides a central location for all user-selectable buttons that you can map to various locations for ease of use. User-selectable buttons let you perform a wide range of commands with a single click of the mouse. The Command palette organizes buttons by editing function.
The Command Palette n When you map buttons to the keyboard, the mapping might be specific to the current editing mode. For example, buttons mapped to the Page Up key or the Page Down key revert to the default key functions when you enter Effect mode. After you exit Effect mode, the keys return to the mapped function. The following are examples of buttons you might want to map: Buttons you use to subcatalog clips. Left to right: Make Subclip, Find Bin, and Add Marker.
The Command Palette The Blank Button The Blank button in the Other tab of the Command palette lets you replace a defined button with an undefined button. If you do not need a specific button on the Tool palette, you can replace this button with a Blank button. For more information on mapping the Blank button to a new location, see “Mapping User-Selectable Buttons” on page 109. Modifier Keys You can add modifier keys to functions already associated with keys and buttons.
The Command Palette t Open the Mouse Settings dialog box from the Settings list in the Project window. 2. Select Tools > Command Palette. The Command palette opens. 3. Select Button to Button Reassignment at the bottom of the Command palette. 4. Click the tab from which you want to select a user-selectable button. 5. Drag the button from the Command palette to a button location on the other palette.
Using the Avid Calculator Activating Commands from the Command Palette You can perform a command function directly from the Command palette. For example, you can click the Play button in the Command palette to play the material in the Source monitor. To activate a command from the Command palette: 1. Select Tools > Command Palette. The Command palette opens. 2. Select Active Palette at the bottom of the Command palette. 3. Click the tab from which you want to select a command function. 4.
Using The Console Window If you enter drop-frame timecode into the calculator while non-drop-frame timecode is selected in the format menu, the calculator converts the entered timecode to a non-drop-frame equivalent (and vice-versa). Using The Console Window The Console window provides a number of features including, finding your system ID number, viewing log error messages, getting information about your sequence, displaying your networked drives, and information after you capture or import.
Using the Hardware Tool To get information with the Console window: 1. Select Tools > Console. The Console window opens. 2. Select the item about which you want information, for example: t In the Timeline, move the position indicator to the selected clip or segment and select File > Get Position Info. t In the bin, right-click and select Get Bin Info. Information about the clip appears in the Console window. To make your mapped network drives available: 1.
External Controllers as Editing Control Surfaces To check the hardware configuration of your Avid system, do one of the following: t Select Tools > Hardware. t Click the Info tab in the Project window, and then click Hardware. The Hardware tool opens. External Controllers as Editing Control Surfaces Adding a controller to your Avid system provides an alternative to using the keyboard and mouse for editing your sequence.
5 Logging When you import shot log files or log directly into a bin, you provide your Avid editing application with frame-accurate clip information that it uses to capture the source footage. The logs you create form the foundation for organizing, tracking, storing, retrieving, and generating lists of edit information throughout your project.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import When you convert an ATN file that contains multiple sections to an ALE file, the system creates multiple ALE files. The Avid Log Exchange window displays only the first ALE file. The succeeding ALE files are given the same file name with incremental numbering. For example, the file Nations1.atn converts to Nations001.ale, Nations002.ale, Nations003.ale, and so on.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import The file appears in the Avid Log Exchange window. For specific information on the various file types, see “Log Formats Compatible with Avid Log Exchange” on page 123. 7. Use the Options menu to select the tracks to include in the Tracks column of the log. The default track selections are Log V, Log A1, and Log A2. After you import the log into an Avid bin, the system captures all tracks shown in this column when you batch capture.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import 11. (Option) Select the original file from the Window menu if you want to convert the file again using different options. 12. Select File > Close. If you made changes in the editor, a message box opens. 13. Click Yes. The converted file is stored in the same folder as the original log file. Using Drag-and-Drop Conversion for Log Files (Windows) Use this shortcut to convert files into an ALE file.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import 3. Open the folder that contains the files you want to convert. Position the folder so the ALE utility Shortcut icon is visible. 4. Select the files you want to convert. 5. Drag the selected files to the Shortcut icon, and release the mouse button. 6. Depending on the type of files you convert, one of the following occurs: - If the ALE utility recognizes the file type, a message box opens indicating the conversion was successful.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import To convert a log file to an ALE file: 1. Select Go > Applications, open the ALE folder, and double-click the ALE icon. The Avid Log Exchange dialog box opens. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Avid Log Exchange dialog box 1 Files you can convert 5 Global Settings information 2 Files you can generate 6 Convert button 3 Clean and Relaxed options 7 Quit button 4 Track selection 2. Select the type of file you want to convert from the Input list.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import After you import the log into an Avid bin, the system captures all tracks shown in this column when you batch capture. The Track selection only works on non ALE files that you convert to an ALE format. When ALE is the incoming format, Track selection does not work. 5. Select the options Clean if you want ALE to clean the ALE output file to eliminate overlapping timecodes for clips.
Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import Using Drag-and-Drop Conversion for Log Files (Macintosh) Use this shortcut to convert files into an ALE file. n If the log file is a Final Cut Pro, Cinema Tools, or a Tab Delimited shot log file, you cannot use drag-and-drop conversion. Use the procedure in “Converting Log Files with Avid Log Exchange (Macintosh)” on page 119) to convert files of this type. To convert a log file by using drag-and-drop conversion: 1.
Avid Log Specifications The ASC_SOP and ASC_SAT information appears as part of the edit event. Log Formats Compatible with Avid Log Exchange The table lists the log formats that you can import directly or convert for import when you use Avid Log Exchange (ALE). Log Format Requirements File Name Extension AatonBase Conversion required .atn or .atl Avid Log Import directly .ale Cinema Tools Conversion required .txt CMX EDL Conversion required .cmx Evertz® Conversion required .
Avid Log Specifications An Avid log is composed of three sections, in this order: • Global Titles • Standard and custom column Titles • Data Titles When you create an Avid log, you must follow the order precisely. The tables in these topics follow this order. The tables use the following conventions: • A Title appears in the first column, without angled brackets or square brackets. For example, FIELD_DELIM is the first global Title. • A is surrounded by angled brackets.
Avid Log Specifications FIELD_DELIM [Tab] [Enter] or Required [Return] VIDEO_FORMAT [Tab] [Enter] or Required [Return] FILM_FORMAT <16mm> <35mm,3perf> <35mm,4perf> [Enter] or [Return] AUDIO_FORMAT [Tab] <22kHz> <24kHz> <44kHz> <48kHz> [Enter] or [Return] Audio sampling rate for catpure. You can override this for individual clips. TAPE [Tab] [Enter] or Required [Return] Name of the videotape reel you log.
Avid Log Specifications COLUMN Titles: Column Titles are case sensitive and must be spelled exactly as shown. Note that the first five Titles are required. Other Titles are optional but might be necessary for your project. This table lists only the column Titles that are relevant to shot log files. Some data, such as Creation Date, is gathered by the system. The table does not include Titles for such data. The maximum number of combined global, standard, and custom Titles in a log file is 64.
Avid Log Specifications Film TC [Tab] Title for the timecode used on the film. Ink Number [Tab] Title for the ink number used for the clip. KN Duration [Tab] Title for the length of the clip, expressed in feet and frames. KN End [Tab] Title for the ending key number for the clip. KN Start [Tab] Title for the starting key number for the clip. Labroll [Tab] Title for the lab roll ID for the clip. Lab rolls are a combination of several camera rolls.
Avid Log Specifications COMMENTS [Tab] Title for comments about clip. [Tab] Add any category of information you want. Add as many Titles as you want, but do not use more than a total of 64 global and column Titles in the file. Press the Tab key between each Title. Do not press the Tab key after the last Title. [Enter] or [Return] [Enter] or [Return] Press [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (Macintosh) twice (do not press Tab) after the last Title.
Avid Log Specifications [Tab] Required Under End Title. Enter the video timecode for the last frame of the clip. <22kHz> <24kHz> <44kHz> <48kHz> [Tab] Under Audio Title. Enter the audio sampling rate for this clip only. If omitted, global entry applies. [Tab] Under Auxiliary Ink Number Title. Identify a second ink number for the start of the clip. [Tab] Under Auxiliary TC Title. Enter a Nagra timecode, Arri code, and so on, for the sync point.
Avid Log Specifications (matchback only) [Tab] Under Pullin Title. Identify the telecine pulldown of the first frame of the clip (pulldown phase). NTSC only. (matchback only) [Tab] Under Pullout Title. Identify the telecine pulldown of the last frame of the clip. NTSC only. [Tab] Under Reel # Title. Identify the reel, use numbers. [Tab] Under Scene Title. Identify the scene, use letters and numbers.
Avid Log Specifications Enter an additional line of data for each remaining clip. Sample Avid Log This is a sample Avid log for an NTSC video project. Formatting keys (such as [Tab] and [Enter] (Windows) or [Return] (Macintosh)) display in brackets. Heading [Enter] FIELD_DELIM [Tab] TABS [Enter] VIDEO_FORMAT [Tab] NTSC [Enter] AUDIO_FORMAT [Tab] 44kHz [Enter] TAPE [Tab] 001 [Enter] FPS [Tab] 29.
Creating an Avid Log Heading [Return] FIELD_DELIM [Tab] TABS [Return] VIDEO_FORMAT [Tab] NTSC [Return] AUDIO_FORMAT [Tab] 44kHz [Return] TAPE [Tab] 001 [Return] FPS [Tab] 29.
Double-Checking Log Files To open Text Edit: t Select Go > Applications, and double-click TextEdit. To create a text document in TextEdit: t Select Format > Make Plain Text. To create an Avid Log by using a word processor or text editor: 1. Enter shot log information according to the specifications described in “Avid Log Specifications” on page 123. 2. Save your file as a text file in the Save As dialog box. You can use the file name extension .txt, but it is not required.
Transferring Bins from MediaLog If you log your source footage with MediaLog, you can transfer the bins directly to your Avid editing application to batch capture. You can also import the logs as described in “Importing Shot Log Files” on page 157. To transfer bins from MediaLog: 1. Save the MediaLog bins to a storage device or disk. If you use MediaLog for Macintosh, make sure that your Windows system can mount the storage device or disk correctly.
Logging Directly into a Bin Logging Directly into a Bin To log clips directly into a bin use the Capture tool in one of two ways: • Log directly into a bin with an Avid-controlled deck for semiautomated data entry. • Log manually during or after you view footage offline with a non-Avid-controlled deck or other source. Before you capture, observe the following important guidelines for preroll, timecode formats, and naming of tapes when you log.
Logging Directly into a Bin n If you want your Avid editing application to consider master clips as coming from the exact same tape, you should try to select that tape name from the Select Tape dialog box. If you do not see the tape, but know you have online media from that tape, you should click the Scan for Tapes button. For more information, see “Logging with Avid-Controlled Decks” on page 136. • c It is important that you create a naming scheme for your tapes.
Logging Directly into a Bin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 Capture/Log Mode button 6 Timecode display 2 Mark IN button 7 Deck controls 3 Channel Selection buttons 8 Deck Selection menu 4 Clip Name text box 9 Source Tape Display button 5 Clip Comment text box If you forget to connect and turn on the power to the deck before you open the Capture tool, click the Deck Selection menu and select Check Decks to reinitialize the deck control. 4.
Logging Directly into a Bin The Select Tape dialog box opens. Select “Show other project’s tapes” to display the tape names and associated project names for all bins. Select Tape dialog box. Top: New tape name button. Center: list of tapes. Bottom: Show other projects option. Because the media file database does not open when you start your Avid editing application, tape names of all online media files do not appear automatically.
Logging Directly into a Bin If you want to pause the deck while you enter a clip name and comments, see “Pausing the Deck While Logging” on page 140. t To cue your source tape: Use the deck controls in the Capture tool to cue your source tape to the start or end point. Click the Mark IN button or the Mark OUT button in the Capture tool.
Logging Directly into a Bin Logging controls (left) and Log Clip button (right) The clip name highlights in the bin. The system automatically names and numbers the clip, you can rename the clip. 11. (Option) Type a new name in the highlighted area to rename the clip. You can accept the clip name and proceed with the logging process and change the clip names in the bin at a later time. 12. Repeat these steps until you log all your clips.
Logging Directly into a Bin Using a Memory Mark When Logging You can add a memory mark to a particular location on a tape, then use the Go to Memory button to move through the tape to the marked location. To use a memory mark for a particular location on a tape: t Click the Mark Memory button in the Capture tool to mark the location. t Click the Go to Memory button to move through the tape to the marked location. t Click the Clear Memory button to clear the memory mark.
Logging Directly into a Bin 6. Select Tools > Capture. The Capture tool opens. 1 2 3 4 5 14 6 13 7 8 9 12 10 11 1 Capture/Log Mode button 8 Deck Selection menu 2 Channel Selection buttons 9 Source Tape Display button 3 Message bar 10 Mark Memory button 4 Clip Name text box 11 Go to Memory button 5 Clip Comment text box 12 Clear Memory button 6 Timecode display 13 Clear IN and OUT buttons 7 Deck controls 14 Mark IN and OUT buttons 7.
Understanding the Pulldown Phase 8. Click the Source Tape Display button. A dialog box opens. 9. Click Yes to open the Select Tape dialog box. 10. Double-click the name of the tape in the dialog box, or click New and enter the name of the tape. 11. Click OK. 12. Use the Channel Selection buttons to select the tracks you want to log. 13. Type the start timecode in the Mark IN text box. 14. (Option) Enter a clip name and comment in the corresponding text boxes. 15.
Understanding the Pulldown Phase Set Pulldown Phase option in the Film and 24P Settings dialog box You set this relationship when you select the pulldown phase (sometimes called the pulldown frame or pullin frame), which is the video frame at which the master clip starts. The pulldown phase is designated A, B, X, C, or D. Film labs and transfer houses typically use the A frame to start the transfer. The illustration shows the relationship between film frames and video frames.
Understanding the Pulldown Phase A B C D A1 .1 A2 .2 B1 .1 B2 .2 B3 .1 C1 .2 C2 .1 D1 .2 D2 .1 D3 .2 A B X C D Relationship between four film frames (left) and five NTSC video frames (right). On the right, .1 indicates an odd field and .2 indicates an even field. n This setting is not available in matchback projects. However, you can modify the pulldown phase after you log it. See “Entering Pulldown Information” on page 148.
Setting the Pulldown Phase Setting the Pulldown Phase To set the pulldown phase: 1. Determine the correct pulldown phase for 00:00:00:00 in one of the following ways: t If you capture film-to-tape transfers, check the transfer log. t If you capture tapes that have been downconverted from 1080p/24, check what pulldown frame was set for 00:00:00:00 on the deck that performed the conversion. t If you still cannot determine the pulldown phase, see “Determining the Pulldown Phase” on page 149. 2.
Film-Related Log Information Displaying Film Columns To display film columns in the bin: 1. Click the Bin View menu at the bottom of the Bin window, and select Film to display all the required film column Titles. Location of the Bin View menu 2. To log data under optional Titles (such as Ink Number, Auxiliary TC1-Auxiliary TC5, or Film TC), do the following: a. Select Bin > Choose Columns. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. b.
Film-Related Log Information 3. Create a custom Title to track custom information for the job. To create a new Title, type a name that describes the information in the Titles bar at the top of the bin. For more information on customizing bin views, see “Saving a Custom Bin View” on page 323. Entering Pulldown Information To accurately capture NTSC transfer tapes in 24p projects, you need to enter pulldown information into the bin. (This information is not required for PAL transfer tapes.
Film-Related Log Information n For 24p projects, you can set a default pulldown phase in the Film and 24p Settings dialog box. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 146 (24p projects only). For matchback projects, you need to log key-number information before you can log pulldown information. If you specify the pulldown phase in the Pullin column, you accomplish the following: • You ensure that clips start with the correct frame for the pulldown.
Film-Related Log Information If you have not keypunched your footage, you can determine pulldown according to clapsticks or any other distinctive frame at the beginning of the clip. It is easier to determine the pulldown if the frames depict motion. n For instructions on how to modify the pulldown phase, see “Modifying the Pulldown Phase After Capturing” on page 271. To determine the pulldown phase: 1.
Film-Related Log Information - If the timecode changes from the first to the second field, the fields came from a D frame. 5. Enter or edit the information in the Pullin column in the appropriate bin, as described in “Modifying the Pulldown Phase Before Capturing” on page 151.
Film-Related Log Information 3. Click the menu, and select the correct pulldown phase for timecodes ending in 0 or 5. 4. Click OK. The pulldown phase for each selected clip changes, based on the pulldown phase you select for 00:00:00:00. The Pulldown Phase setting also appears in the Film and 24p Settings dialog box (24p projects only). You can override that setting with the Modify Pulldown Phase dialog box. The selection in the Film and 24p Settings dialog box remains the same.
Film-Related Log Information The Avid editing application automatically calculates the ending key number (KN End), based on the timecode duration. c c Make sure the correct number appears when you press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). For key-number formats other than Keykode, you might need to type the space, hyphen (-), and plus sign (+) or ampersand (&) to format the number correctly. Modifying tape names and timecodes affect any key numbers you enter for the selected clips.
Film-Related Log Information Entering Ink Numbers To enter ink numbers: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab. 2. Double-click Film and 24p. The Film and 24p Settings dialog box opens. 3. Make sure the correct options are selected for ink number format and ink number display, and click OK. You can log different ink number formats in the same project as long as you change the ink number setting to the appropriate format before you log each type.
Film-Related Log Information 6. Click Options. The Export Settings dialog box opens. 7. Click the Export As menu, and select one of the following: t Select Avid Log Exchange to export the selected bin as a shot log file that complies with ALE specifications. For information about Avid Log Exchange, see “Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import” on page 115. t Select Tab Delimited to export the selected bin as a tab-delimited ASCII text file.
6 Preparing for Capture The chapter provides information on preparing your Avid editing application and your capture hardware before you capture media.
Importing Shot Log Files For film projects, most telecine and other film-to-tape transfer systems generate a log that you can import directly to the bin, after you convert it to .ale format by using the Avid Log Exchange (ALE) utility. Even if the telecine facility supplies you with an .ale file, you should process it through the ALE utility, using the Clean function. For more information, see “Using Avid Log Exchange to Prepare Log Files for Import” on page 115.
Importing Shot Log Files Look in menu (top) and Files of type menu (bottom) in the Select files to import dialog box on Windows.
Importing Shot Log Files Enable menu (top) and From menu (bottom) in the Select files to import dialog box on Macintosh. 4. (Option) If you want to select options for combining events on import, click Options to open the Import Settings dialog box. Select the appropriate options from the Shot Log tab, and then click OK to close the Import Settings dialog box and return to the Select Files to Import dialog box. For information on Import settings, see “Import Settings” on page 1351.
Preparing the Hardware for Capture When your Avid editing application finishes importing the file, the clips appear in the selected bin. Preparing the Hardware for Capture Your source material can originate from a videotape (or other recording media such as P2 memory cards), a digital audiotape (DAT), a compact disc (CD), an in-house router, a tuner, or straight off-the-air, with the proper hardware configuration.
Preparing the Hardware for Capture Item Description (Continued) Striped drives If you are capturing media at high resolution, you must use striped drives. See “Storage Options and Drive Striping” in the Help and “Getting Information About Striped Drives” on page 161. Getting Information About Striped Drives Avid maintains information about striping drives that is available through Avid online support. For more information, see “Storage Options and Drive Striping” in the Help.
Selecting Settings for Capture c If you need to synchronize audio with video clips captured separately, Avid recommends that you connect a sync source to both your Avid input/output hardware device and the audio deck. Otherwise you might experience drifting of the audio during editing. Digital Audio Input Digital audio inputs (ADAT, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and SDI Embedded Audio) provide their own timing reference.
Selecting Settings for Capture n In the MXF Media Type tab or the OMF Media Type tab of the Capture Settings dialog box, review the setting for “Maximum (default) capture time.” This setting limits the length of capture-on-the-fly and capture from an IN point without an OUT point. The default setting is 30 minutes. For more information, see “Capture Settings” on page 1298.
Selecting Settings for Capture 4. Click the Video Resolution menu, and select a video resolution. The Video Resolution menu contains a list of the available resolutions, which depend on such factors as the model of your Avid editing application, your Avid input/output hardware, and your project format. For HDV projects, no video resolutions are available for capture, because your Avid editing application automatically selects the correct resolution.
Selecting Settings for Capture 7. To apply your video resolution and drive selection to all the Media Creation tabs and the rest of your Avid editing application, click Apply to All. This sets your selected video and audio drives for all the Media Creation tabs. It also sets them for any place in your Avid editing application where you select drives. Your settings are not saved until you click OK. 8. Click OK to save your settings.
Selecting Settings for Capture n t (Windows) Click the Start menu, and then select All Programs > Accessories > Notepad. t (Macintosh) Click Go > Applications, and double-click TextEdit. This file must be a plain text file. On a Windows system, use Notepad. Do not use Wordpad. On a Macintosh system, select TextEdit > Preference > Plain Text. Other files might introduce characters that your Avid editing application cannot recognize. 4. Type each resolution you want to disable on a separate line.
Selecting Settings for Capture To enable the resolutions you disabled: t Navigate to the location of the DisabledRes.txt file and delete it. Setting Drive Filtering Your Avid editing application lets you select any drive on your system to use for media storage. However, high-quality resolutions require striped drives. For more information, see “Getting Information About Striped Drives” on page 161.
Selecting Settings for Capture n Options for indexing local drives apply only in an Avid Interplay™ environment. For more information, see the Avid Interplay Software Installation Guide. 3. Select one or more drives to filter out: t Select Filter Network Drives Based on Resolution to remove those network drives that cannot support, or handle playback of, the selected resolution. t Select Filter Out System Drive to remove the drive on which the operating system resides.
Selecting Settings for Capture 3. Click the Preroll Method menu, and select one of the following methods. Preroll Method Description Best Available Your Avid editing application first checks the tape for timecode to use for preroll. If there is no timecode, or not enough timecode, your Avid editing application uses the control track for preroll.
Selecting Settings for Capture 4. Select or deselect “Capture across timecode breaks.” When you select this option, your Avid editing application begins capturing a new master clip at each timecode break. Select this option when you are performing an unattended batch capture or autocapture. Deselect this option if you plan to capture the entire tape as a single clip by capturing to multiple media files. See “Capturing to Multiple Media Files” on page 170. 5. Click OK.
Selecting Settings for Capture 7. To capture to multiple files across drives, click the Target Drive menu in the Capture tool, and select Change Group. The Drive Group dialog box opens. 8. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) multiple drives to include in the capturing session, or click the All button to select all drives. If you click Clear, your Avid editing application removes all selections. You must select at least one drive before you can click OK to exit the dialog box. 9. Click OK. 10.
Selecting Settings for Capture AVID CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT VERSION 10/13/11 172
Selecting Settings for Capture Option Description Video Pulldown Cadence Lets you specify how your Avid editing application handles pulldown frames: • Video rate, no pulldown: Select this option when capturing 24-fps footage that was transferred MOS (roughly translated as “without sound”) to 30 fps by speeding up the film, and the audio was brought into your Avid system separately at 100 percent of the actual speed.
Configuring Decks Option Description Audio Source TC Rate Lets you specify the digital audiotape (DAT) timecode format: either 30 fps or 29.97 fps (NTSC only). This timecode format must conform to the timecode format on your original DAT tapes. This setting is active when capturing audio only. This setting does not appear in 23.976 projects. Set Pulldown Phase of Timecode Lets you set a default pulldown phase for a 24p NTSC project. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 146.
Configuring Decks 3. Click the Add Channel button. The Channel dialog box opens. n Channel refers to the signal path for deck control, whether directly through a serial port, through a V-LAN® VLXi system connected to a serial port, or through a FireWire® connection. A direct serial port or FireWire connection allows one deck for each channel, while a V-LAN VLXi system allows multiple decks. 4.
Configuring Decks Option Description VLAN VLX Use if you are controlling decks through a V-LAN/VLXi connection 5. Click the Port menu, and select one of the following items: Option Description OHCI OHCI refers to a FireWire connection on the computer (Host 1394). COM1 Use if you selected Direct or VLAN VLX for the channel. 6. Click OK to close the Channel dialog box. A dialog box asks if you want to automatically configure the channel now. 7.
Configuring Decks n You can reopen the Channel settings to change the options at any time by double-clicking the channel box in the Deck Configuration dialog box. 8. If you did not autoconfigure the deck, click the channel box to select it. 9. Click the Add Deck button to open the Deck Settings dialog box. n When a deck is already connected to the system, you can click the Auto-configure button to bypass the Deck Settings dialog box and automatically configure a deck with the default settings. 10.
Understanding Timecode 12. Repeat the channel and deck setup process for each additional channel or deck you want to configure. 13. (Option) If you want your Avid editing application to check the deck configuration against the decks physically connected to the system, select “Verify configuration against actual decks.” Your Avid editing application checks the deck configuration after you click the Apply button in the Deck Configuration dialog box and when you start a work session.
Connecting a DV Device NTSC video, however, might use either of the following two formats: • Drop-frame timecode matches the NTSC scan rate of 29.97 frames per second (fps) by dropping two frames of timecode every minute except for the tenth minute. This does not drop any of the video frames themselves. Drop-frame timecode is indicated by semicolons between the digits, for example, 01;00;00;00.
Setting Up the Capture Tool You can connect a DV device to a 1394 port on your computer (Host 1394) For HDV media, playback directly to an HDV device is not supported. You need to export a transport stream. For more information, see “Outputting HDV” on page 1470. Setting Up the Capture Tool The Capture tool provides controls for cueing, marking, and logging footage, and specifies capturing parameters such as source and target locations.
Setting Up the Capture Tool 7 Edit to Timeline buttons (optional) 14 Video Lock icon 1 2 3 9 4 5 6 7 8 Bottom of Capture tool 1 Clip Name text box 6 Deck controls 2 Clip comment text box 7 Deck Selection menu 3 Resolution menu 8 Source Tape Display button 4 Single/Dual Drive Mode button 9 Time remaining on target drive(s) 5 Target Drive menus When you are working in a 24p NTSC project, the Capture tool includes a pulldown button.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Opening the Capture Tool To open the Capture tool: 1. Ensure the deck or other playback device is properly connected to the system and is turned on. 2. Do one of the following: t Click a bin to activate it and select Bin > Go To Capture Mode. t Select Tools > Capture. 3. Ensure you are in Capture mode. If the Capture tool is in Log mode, click the Capture/Log Mode button until the CAP icon appears.
Setting Up the Capture Tool n After deck control has been properly initialized, it remains active for all deck controllers throughout the session until you quit your Avid editing application. You must have V-LAN VLXi hardware to manage more than one deck at a time. For more information on V-LAN equipment, contact your Avid sales representative. Activating Playback from an Available Deck To activate playback from an available deck: t Click the Deck Selection menu, and select the deck.
Setting Up the Capture Tool n Drop-frame timecode appears in the Timecode indicator with semicolons between hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Non-drop-frame timecode appears with colons. For more information, see “Understanding Timecode” on page 178. 3. Provide the system with a tape name in one of the following ways: t Select the name of the tape from the list in the Select Tape dialog box and click OK.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Channel Selection buttons in the Capture tool If you do not see source video or hear source audio in Capture mode, click the Channel Selection buttons to ensure they are not the cause. n When you use an Avid-controlled deck, the TC (timecode) track is selected by default, and the system captures the timecode from the source tape. If you deselect the TC button, the system captures with time-of-day timecode.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Audio Channel Grouping buttons in the Capture tool When you capture stereo audio, you can view the multichannel audio format in the bin in the Track Formats column. Setting the Video and Audio Input in the Capture Tool The Video and Audio menus show you the current input settings for the Video Input tool and the Input tab in the Audio Project Settings dialog box. The menus also provide a convenient way to change the settings if necessary.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Detecting a Valid or Locked Sync Signal On systems using Avid input/output hardware, the Capture tool uses an icon to indicate if the sync source you are using is valid and locked. The icon appears in the message bar of the Capture tool. n • Video Lock icon: When you select a video track in the Capture tool, the Video Lock icon is displayed. If the current source has a valid video signal and your Avid input/output hardware can lock to it, the icon is displayed in green.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Pulldown button in the Capture tool When the pulldown switch is on a label explains that you can capture audio sampled at 0.99 percent of its recorded speed (referenced to NTSC video), to match the slowdown rate at which the footage was transferred. Film Project Pulldown and Transfer Settings The following table explains how you should set the pulldown switch and transfer settings, depending on your input media.
Setting Up the Capture Tool Pulldown Switch Setting Source Playback Speed Film to Video Transfer Settings (Set in Film Settings Dialog Box) Audio and picture both 25 fps (100%+) Picture Transfer Rate: Not applicable Audio Transfer Rate: Video Rate PAL MOS film-to-tape transfer with 24p PAL Off (1.00) separate audio. Digital audio (DAT) or (Method 2) analog audio (Nagra) to sync with video in the Avid system.
Setting Up the Capture Tool In an Avid Interplay environment, the Capture tool includes an option to capture to a local bin or a remote folder. To select a target bin: 1. (Option — systems in an Avid Interplay environment only) Do one of the following: t If you are capturing to a local bin, select Local Bins. t If you are capturing to a remote project folder in an Avid Interplay environment, select Interplay Folders.
Setting Up the Capture Tool If you are capturing high-quality resolutions, you need to select striped drives. For more information, see “Getting Information About Striped Drives” on page 161 and “Storage Options and Drive Striping” in the Help. You can filter some drives out of the available drive list. For more information, see “Setting Drive Filtering” on page 167. You can set target drives in the Media Creation dialog box. See “Selecting Video Resolutions and Media Drives” on page 163.
Setting Up the Capture Tool To create and target a drive group: 1. Click the Target Drive menu, and select Change Group. The Drive Group dialog box opens. 2. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) to select multiple drives to include in the capturing session, or click the All button to select all drives. 3. Click OK. Your Avid editing application creates the drive group, and it appears in the Target Drive menu.
Preparing to Capture Audio Preparing to Capture Audio Your Avid editing application provides you with a wide range of options for audio input: capturing audio with video from tape, capturing audio from a digital or analog deck, capturing through a microphone, or capturing through an external audio device such as an Mbox device, and in various formats and at various sample rates. The topics in this section describe preparations you might need to take before capturing audio.
Preparing to Capture Audio Selecting the Audio Sample Rate and Controlling Audio Sample Rate Conversion Selecting the audio sample rate in the Audio Project settings dialog box sets the audio sample rate for capturing audio and for sequences that you create in the project. You can change the sample rate for individual sequences and audio clips.
Preparing to Capture Audio Option Description When needed When this option is set, your Avid editing application automatically converts incoming audio sample rates to match the project sample rate. 5. Close the Audio Project Settings dialog box. Selecting the Audio File Format You create audio files when you: • Record audio tracks in Capture mode. • Create tone media by using the Audio tool. • Mix down audio tracks by using the Audio Mixdown tool. • Import files by using the Import dialog box.
Preparing to Capture Audio 2. Double-click Audio Project. The Audio Project Settings dialog box opens. 3. Click the Main tab. 4. Click the Audio File Format menu, and select WAVE (OMF), AIFF-C (OMF), or PCM (MXF). The default file format is AIFF-C (OMF). For more information on audio file formats, see “Audio Projects Settings: Main Tab” on page 1292. 5. Close the Audio Project Settings dialog box.
Preparing to Capture Audio ensure full compatibility between your Avid editing application and your audio hardware. In these cases, you can use the Sound Card Configuration dialog box to map audio input sources to specific audio output sources. If your system has a surround sound audio chip installed, your Avid editing application might not be able to configure the Windows Mixer properly for audio output.
Preparing to Capture Audio To override the mute feature for surround sound: 1. In the Settings list, double-click Sound Card Configuration. The Sound Card Configuration dialog box opens. 2. Click the Override Mute menu. The menu contains a list of the output sources available in Windows Master Volume control. 3. Click one or more of the output sources to override the Sound Card Configuration settings and to accept the default settings of the Master Volume control.
Preparing to Capture Audio Component Description Volume unit (VU) scale (analog) to the right of the meters Displays a range of values that you can conform to the headroom parameters of your source audio. Meters Dynamically track audio levels for each channel as follows: • Meters show green below the target reference level (default reference level is –20 dB on the digital scale). • Meters show yellow for the normal headroom range, above the reference level to approximately –3 dB.
Preparing to Capture Audio Adjusting Audio Input Levels You can use the Audio tool and the Audio Project Settings dialog box to check the audio input levels. If the input levels are too high or too low, you need to adjust the output level of your source signal, if possible. n On software-only systems, you can adjust audio input through a slider in the Input tab of the Audio Project settings. For more information, see “Audio Project Settings: Input Tab” on page 1293.
Preparing to Capture Audio 7. Click OK. After a few seconds, your Avid editing application creates the media file and a master clip appears in the target bin. The default name reflects the options you selected. You can rename the clip by typing a new name. Using the Passthrough Mix Tool The Passthrough Mix tool lets you select the mix and adjust the volume and pan values of the source audio that you monitor.
Preparing to Capture Audio In Direct Mix mode, the Pan Value display and pop-up sliders at the bottom of the Passthrough Mix tool are replaced by Channel Menu buttons. 3. Select the audio channel to be adjusted by doing one of the following: t Click the Channel Selection button for the appropriate audio channel. t In Direct Out mode, click the Channel Menu button, and select a channel from the menu. You can select only channels that exist in the source audio. 4. Adjust the volume as needed.
Preparing to Capture Audio Calibrating Audio Hardware for Avid Nitris DX and Avid Mojo DX By default, your Avid editing application is calibrated for analog 0 Volume Unit (VU) to be digital –20 dBFS, which matches the default calibration of the Avid Nitris DX and Avid Mojo DX hardware. You can do two things to calibrate audio — make the audio adjustment to correspond to your hardware calibration setting by using the default, or refine the calibration to get to within 1/4 dB.
Preparing to Capture Audio 7. To change the digital level of the meter’s display of 0 VU, click Set Reference Level. The Set Reference Level dialog box opens. 8. Enter the new reference level in dB. This should be set to match the 0 VU standard in your workflow. Avid recommends a -20 dBfs value. 9. Select the interface you want to calibrate: Analog XLR input, Analog RCA input, Analog TRS input, Monitor output, or Analog output. Options vary depending on your Avid input/output hardware.
Preparing to Capture Audio From HW Calibration menu Use for all Outputs Use for all Inputs -14 dBFS -6.00 +6.00 -18 dBFS -2.00 +2.00 -20 dBFS 0.00 0.00 12. Repeat this procedure for each channel. To calibrate the audio input channels: 1. Connect the tone generator to the analog inputs on the back of the Avid Nitris DX or the Avid Mojo DX. 2. Double-click Audio Project in the Settings list of the Project window. 3. Click the Hardware tab. 4. Click Open Calibration window.
Preparing to Capture Audio 10. Use the Up and Down buttons in the Audio Hardware Calibration window to adjust the calibration in 0.5dB increments. The meters in the Audio tool should display around 0 VU. 11. Click Calibrate from the Audio Hardware Calibration window. The Audio tool changes to Calibrate mode. The scales display a range of approximately 8 dB, and the meters indicate levels within this range. 12. Repeat this procedure for each channel.
Preparing to Capture Video 11. Click Play Calibration Tone. 12. Repeat this procedure for each channel. Using the Console Window to Check Audio Levels Once you have played back audio through the Audio tool, you can use the Console window to view a list of precise information about the peak levels. To check peak levels in the Console: 1. Select Tools > Audio Tool. The Audio tool opens. 2. Click the RP (Reset Peak) button to clear your system’s record of the most recent maximum peaks. 3.
Preparing to Capture Video If you are capturing SDI, HD-SDI, or DV, for example, from a D1, D5, digital Betacam, DV, or HD deck, you cannot adjust levels by using the video input controls in your Avid editing application. If you plan to make adjustments at the source deck, information in this section regarding the internal Waveform and Vectorscope monitors might be useful. Opening the Video Input Tool To open the Video Input tool, do one of the following: t Select Tools > Video Input Tool.
Preparing to Capture Video Using the Factory Preset Buttons in the Video Input Tool The preset buttons in the Video Input tool show the status of each calibration setting as follows: • When you first open the Video Input tool in a new project, all preset buttons are lit (green), with the factory presets loaded for each slider. • When you click the slider of a lit preset button, the arrow changes to black and the slider moves to the position of the pointer.
Preparing to Capture Video 3. Click the Input menu, and select the appropriate video input channel. Your options for video input depend on the model of your Avid editing application and the project you select. The Video Input tool displays the appropriate parameters for the selected video format. For a description of each parameter, click the Video Input tool and press the F1 key (Windows) or Help key (Macintosh). n Sync for video input comes from the source selected in the Video Input tool.
Preparing to Capture Video Top: full-field color bars (the leftmost bar is 100% white). Bottom: SMPTE standard split bars (the leftmost bar in the top row of bars is 75% white, the second bar in the center row of bars is 7.5 black level, and the second bar in the bottom row of bars is 100% white). 5.
Preparing to Capture Video NTSC (top) and PAL waveform values in the Video Input tool. NTSC values are measured in IRE, with the white level at 100 IRE (digital 235), the black level at 7.5 IRE (digital 16), and the 75% white level at 77 IRE (digital 180, the horizontal dotted line in the display). For NTSC-EIAJ, the black level falls at 0 IRE. PAL values are measured in volts, with the white level at 1 V (digital 235) and the black level at 0.3 V (digital 16).
Preparing to Capture Video 11. Adjust the Sat and Hue sliders (composite or S-Video) or the RY Gain and BY Gain sliders (component) until the angle and amplitude of the six color vectors fall within the target boxes on the Vectorscope monitor. There is no hue adjustment for PAL video. n c You can also monitor hue with a vectorscope in the Color Correction tool. See “Working with the Waveform Monitors and Vectorscope Monitor” in the Help.
Preparing to Capture Video Capturing from Unstable Time-Base Sources Your Avid system is optimized for use with modern, broadcast-quality VTRs that contain time-base correctors (TBCs). If the input is stable, your system captures the video by using a high-quality, very-low-jitter clock reference. However, some sources do not include an internal TBC.
Preparing to Capture Video n Video Input settings do not restore the source format (Composite, Component, S-Video, DV, or SDI). The source format you select in the Video Input tool remains the default for that project until you select another format from within the project. This lets you establish a new format on a project basis when moving between systems, or from the offline to the online phase. The Video Input tool is not available on all models.
Capture Preparations Check List You must use this spelling and initial capitalization. Adjusting Video Levels for Tapes Without Color Bars Color bars are the best way to set the video levels consistently. However, if you have a tape or series of tapes with no color bars, you might need to adjust levels by using the internal Waveform and Vectorscope monitors. n Calibrate your Client monitor before making these adjustments.
Capture Preparations Check List Select options in the Media Creation Settings, Capture Settings, General Settings, and (if appropriate) Film and 24P Settings dialog boxes. See “Selecting Settings for Capture” on page 162. Configure your deck or decks using Deck Configuration and Deck Preferences settings. See “Configuring Decks” on page 174. Insert a tape into the deck, and set up the Capture tool for source tape, source deck, pulldown switch (24p projects), and other requirements.
7 Capturing Media This chapter provides information on capturing media from video or audio input. When you capture, you convert source material into master clips that contain reference information and media files that contain the digital audio and video.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time Capturing and Logging at the Same Time When you capture without entering log information in a bin ahead of time, your Avid editing application creates clips and associated media files while you capture. You manually cue source footage with an Avid-controlled deck, using the deck controls in the Capture tool. If you entered log information in a bin, see “Batch Capturing from Logged Clips” on page 234.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time You can log and capture at the same time with either a PAL or NTSC film-to-tape transfer as the source. However, when capturing an NTSC transfer, you must observe the following basic rules: • Specify the pulldown frame before capturing. See “Entering Pulldown Information” on page 148. • The mark IN must be an A frame, and you cannot capture with a mark OUT only, unless you have set the correct pulldown phase. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 146.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time To name a clip and add a comment before capturing: 1. Click the arrow in the Capture tool to display the Name and Cmnt text boxes. Name and Cmnt (comment) text boxes in the Capture tool 2. Type a name for the clip. 3. (Option) Press the Tab key and type a comment. You can edit the text before capturing. To add clip names and comments during capture: 1. Click the arrow in the Capture tool to display the Name and Cmnt text boxes. 2.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time Capturing by Setting Both Marks To capture by specifying a mark IN and a mark OUT: 1. Select the proper Capture settings and set up the capture tools, as described in “Preparing for Capture” on page 156. 2. (Option) Click the arrow in the Capture tool to display the Name and Cmnt text boxes if you plan to enter clip names or comments. You can enter this information before you capture a clip or while you are capturing a clip.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time 6. If you did not type a clip name while capturing, type it now while the clip name is highlighted in the bin. If you return to the Capture tool and begin another clip, the default clip name remains in the bin until you change it. Capturing by Setting Only One Mark To set only one mark and enter the other mark on-the-fly: t Mark an IN point and click the Record button to begin capturing.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time c Capturing on-the-fly can cause incorrect pulldown and stuttering playback. Do not use this method for capturing 24-fps film that has been transferred to NTSC video unless you have set the correct pulldown phase. See “Setting the Pulldown Phase” on page 146. In some circumstances, the captured material might exceed the 2-GB media file size limit. In such a case, set up the Capture tool to capture to multiple media files.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time 4. To begin capturing, play the deck. When it gets up to speed, click the Record button or press the F4 key. n Make sure you clear any previous marks so the deck does not begin cueing to the previous location. Capturing begins within a few frames, and the timecode for the clip’s IN point appears. The Capture indicator, to the right of the Record button, flashes on and off. The message bar displays a message that your Avid editing application is capturing.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time Before you begin autocapturing entire tapes, you should do the following: • Select the following settings in the Capture Settings dialog box. - Capture to multiple files (Media Files tab) - Maximum default capture time (Media Files tab). Set this to the length of your tape. Do not underestimate, because the system captures for only the specified number of minutes.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time To autocapture: 1. Create one bin for each tape. This keeps bins to a manageable size and automatically names all clips from each tape after the name of their respective bins. 2. Name each bin after the source tape number. By default, all clips are named after the tape and are numbered incrementally beginning with .01. 3. Open the bin for the first tape and select Bin > Go To Capture Mode. 4.
Capturing and Logging at the Same Time You can select the option Show other projects to display the tape names and associated project names for all bins that were opened in the current session. n Because the media file database does not open when you start your Avid editing application, tape names of all online media files do not appear automatically. If the tape name you are searching for does not appear in the Select Tape dialog box, click the Scan for tapes button to list tape and project names. 5.
Capturing Directly from a DV Device Capturing Directly from a DV Device You can capture DV 25, DV 50, DVCPRO HD, and HDV media directly from a DV camera or deck (a DV device). You can also play and output directly to the DV device. To use a DV device, you must connect it your system correctly, as described in “Connecting a DV Device” on page 179.
Capturing Directly from a DV Device For information on connecting a DV device to your system, see “Connecting a DV Device” on page 179. Understanding DV Capture Offset DV capture offset lets you offset the incoming DV stream against the timecode assigned to each frame during capturing. This offset is only used in a transcoder configuration or in configurations where the DV stream does not encode timecode into the incoming DV frames.
Frame Chase Capture Example of a DV offset of 6 frames: tape frames (top) and master clip frames (bottom) To adjust for this device behavior, set the DV capture offset to –6 frames. The result should be a frame-accurate capture. However, the results are dependent on device behavior. If the device behavior for sending streams across a FireWire cable is inconsistent, frame-accurate results on capture are also inconsistent. Capturing DV Material with Offset To offset the sequence for capture: 1.
Frame Chase Capture n You can also perform Frame Chase captures using a line feed or ingest device connected to the Interplay workgroup, for example, an Avid AirSpeed® video server controlled by an application such as Avid CaptureManager™. For more information, see the Avid Interplay Transfer Setup and User’s Guide or Avid Interplay Best Practices.
Frame Chase Capture Your Avid editing application and Interplay might not know the true length of a capture in advance (because you can end a capture at any time). So the length of an in-progress clip is based on the expected duration of the clip when capture begins. This duration is either the duration indicated by IN and OUT points set in the Capture tool, or, if no marks are set, is a default duration that you define in the Capture Settings dialog box.
Batch Capturing from Logged Clips Requirements and Guidelines for Frame Chase Capture You should be aware of the following when you are planning to perform Frame Chase captures: n • Frame Chase capture is only available on Avid editing applications that are part of an Avid Interplay workgroup environment. The media file format must be MXF. If your \ application is not connected to an Interplay workgroup, the “During capture, clip is updated in Interplay” setting in the Capture Settings dialog box is not
Batch Capturing from Logged Clips You can also use the batch-capturing process to recapture clips you have already captured. The recapturing process is described in “Recapturing and Decomposing” on page 238. You cannot recapture a mixed-rate sequence without using decompose because you cannot batch capture material in formats other than the project format. A message box appears if you attempt to recapture such material.
Batch Capturing from Logged Clips c You cannot batch capture clips that contain timecode breaks between the logged IN and OUT points. Also, you cannot capture across breaks in the recording (that is, if the recorded footage breaks up into noise between shots). If such breaks in recording exist on your tape, consider using the methods described in “Capturing On-the-Fly” on page 223. Batch Capturing Clips To batch capture clips: 1.
Batch Capturing from Logged Clips 5. Select options in the dialog box: t If the bin contains some clips that are already captured and you do not want to recapture those clips, select “Offline media only.” If this option is not selected and some of the selected clips have media files, your Avid editing application deletes the media files and recaptures new media files. t Select “All clips in a group edit” to allow capturing of each clip in a group clip.
Recapturing and Decomposing n To bypass specific clips in the process of batch capturing a particular tape, you must abort each clip manually by clicking the Trash button. Then click the Skip Clip button in the Abort window to continue. When your Avid editing application has finished batch capturing, a dialog box notifies you that the process is complete. Recapturing and Decomposing Recapturing is the process of recording previously captured source footage based on existing clips and sequences.
Recapturing and Decomposing Recapturing Master Clips and Subclips The procedure for recapturing master clips and subclips is identical to the process for batch capturing logged clips. See “Batch Capturing from Logged Clips” on page 234. Although the procedure is the same, the result is slightly different, as follows: • Master clips link to entire media files and serve as sources for subclips and sequences.
Recapturing and Decomposing Consider creating a duplicate of the original version of your sequence before recapturing. You might also want to create a new bin to store the duplicate sequence and keep the new master clips created by the recapture or decompose operations separate from existing clips. For example, duplicate a sequence that uses low-resolution clips to save storage space if you want to recapture the sequence at a higher resolution while retaining the low-resolution version.
Recapturing and Decomposing If you decompose only some of the clips in a sequence, the resulting sequence contains some clips that remain linked to existing master clips and media (the clips you did not decompose) and other clips that are linked to new offline master clips (the clips you did decompose). Once you recapture media for the new master clips, all the clips in the sequence are available in the formats you have chosen.
Recapturing and Decomposing Existing Format Target Formats Source Rate Change Edit Rate Change 30i NTSC 30i NTSC 720p/29.97 720p/59.94 1080i/59.94 1080p/29.97 No No Yes No No No No Yes No No 24p PAL 24p PAL 1080p/24 No Yes No No 25i or 25p PAL 25i PAL 25p PAL 720p/25 720p/50 1080i/50 1080p/25 No No No Yes No No No No No Yes No No Decomposing Sequences You can decompose sequences to create new master clips that you can then recapture.
Recapturing and Decomposing 3. To preserve clips that already have existing media files, select “Offline media only.” Do not select this option if you plan to decompose and recapture any material in the sequence or sequences that has available media. 4. Select other options for the types of clips to decompose: captured only, imported only, captured and imported, or all clips in a group edit. 5.
Recapturing and Decomposing 7. (Option) If you want to create a copy of each selected sequence to use for the decompose, select Create New Sequence. When the decompose process starts, your Avid editing application creates a duplicate of each of the selected sequences, named using the suffix .Decomposed.xx. For example, the duplicate of a sequence named MySequence is named MySequence.Decomposed.01. Your Avid editing application decomposes the duplicate sequences, and the original sequences remain unchanged.
Recapturing and Decomposing Using Expert Decompose If you select the Expert Decompose option in the Decompose dialog box, the Expert Decompose dialog box opens before the decompose process begins. In the Expert Decompose dialog box, you can: • View information about the tapes/sources or clips in the sequences you are decomposing.
Recapturing and Decomposing To sort or reverse sort a column of information: t Right-click the column heading for any column, and then select one of the following: Command Description Sort Column Sorts the information in order, for example, alphabetically A to Z.
Recapturing and Decomposing Some source formats can only be recaptured in their original format. For these formats, the entry in the Target Format column is only for your information, and you cannot select a different format. For more information, see “Expert Decompose” on page 240. To proceed with the decompose process: t Click OK.
Alternate Source Capture For example, if the starting timecode for a master clip is 1:00:10:00 and the resulting master clip after a decompose with handles causes the new master clip to begin at 1:00:09:00, batch capturing fails if there are any timecode discontinuities between 1:00:09:00 and 1:00:10:00. 10. Click OK. Your Avid editing application prompts you to load the first tape. 11. Load the tape into the tape deck if you have not already done so. 12.
Alternate Source Capture You can also use an alternate tape name if the original tape name was incorrectly logged. You can use any custom column in the bin as a source name when you batch capture in addition to Labroll, Camroll, and Soundroll, or you can correct for timecode offsets and store them in the Auxiliary TC column and batch capture from that. n n When you use an alternate tape source, the tape does not have to display in the list of tapes.
Using Capture Function Keys You can choose to mount the tape or skip this particular clip. 10. Load the tape into the tape deck and click Mounted. The deck rolls to the alternate source timecode and begins the capture process. Your Avid editing application captures each clip from the alternate source timecode and tape. Using Capture Function Keys Several function keys are mapped to specific capture functions when the Capture tool is active.
Handling Errors During the Capture Process n The Start Capture function is not included in the key menus. F4 always starts capture. You can map an additional function to F4 to use after capture starts; End Marker Entry is the default. 4. Click OK. Handling Errors During the Capture Process You can log errors that occur during the capture process to the Console window. If you are not logging, you can respond to errors if they occur.
Creating Subclips While Capturing - If “Log errors to the console and continue capturing” is selected, when you batch capture and your Avid editing application encounters an error, it aborts the clip, enters error comments into the Console, and continues capturing the next clip. - If “Log errors to the console and continue capturing” is not selected, a message appears and your Avid editing application pauses if an error occurs while capturing. If this happens, use the last procedure below. 4. Click OK.
Creating Subclips While Capturing • If your Avid editing system is an asset manager client in an OMF workgroup, and you are capturing with shared volume segmentation (“chunking”) enabled, see your Avid shared storage documentation for details on the capture procedure. • If your Avid editing system is an asset manager client in an MXF/AAF workgroup, you cannot create subclips while capturing media using the Capture tool.
Adding Markers On-the-Fly While Capturing 3. While your Avid editing application is capturing, you can type a name for the subclip. Press the Tab key to type comments about the clip. Adding Markers On-the-Fly While Capturing You can use function keys to add markers on-the-fly while capturing. When the Capture tool is active, eight colored markers are mapped to the F5–F12 function keys on the keyboard, and the End Marker Entry key is mapped to F4.
Naming a New Tape from the Keyboard While Capturing Naming a New Tape from the Keyboard While Capturing You can name a new tape without taking your hands off the keyboard. To create a new tape name by using a keystroke in Capture mode: 1. Select Tools > Capture. The Capture tool opens. 2. Do one of the following: t Load a tape in the deck. t Click the Source Tape Display button. The Select Tape dialog box opens. 3. Press Ctrl+N (Windows) or Command+N (Macintosh). A new tape name text box opens. 4.
Ejecting Tapes with a Button or Key The following restrictions apply: • You must select the Capture tool, Digital Cut tool, or Deck Controller window for the keys to be active. • Single-field stepping is not supported. • If you remap the function of the J-K-L keys, you can no longer control decks with those keys.
Using Dolby E Media • Add the Dolby E clip to your sequence, and edit the video and audio. Your Avid editing application maintains synchronization between audio and video as long as you do not convert or modify the Dolby E clip. • When you finish editing, output the sequence. The Dolby E track preserves the encoded data and can be restored to the original multichannel audio.
Using Dolby E Media To select Dolby E safe settings: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab, and then double-click Audio Project. The Audio Project Settings dialog box opens. 2. Click the Main tab. 3. Click Keep Dolby E Material Safe, and select Yes. If you modify your sequence to change any of these settings, the Keep Dolby E Safe setting automatically changes to No. You can reset the settings by selecting Yes.
Delaying Audio During Capture n The Dolby E Safe button appears only on systems using the following Avid hardware: Avid Nitris DX and Avid Mojo DX. To capture media while protecting Dolby E information: 1. In the Main tab of the Audio Project Settings dialog box, Click Keep Dolby E Material Safe, and select Yes. 2. Select Tools > Capture. The Capture tool opens. 3. Check to make sure the Dolby E Safe button displays blue.
Live Capturing with External Timecode Live Capturing with External Timecode LTC (longitudinal or linear timecode) from an external source lets you capture from multiple sources at the same time as recording to tape. If your facility has a central timecode generator you can use that clock to send identical timecode to all systems. You can run this timecode output directly to your Avid system through the LTC IN connection available on some Avid input/output hardware.
Capturing to the Timeline Toggle Source button showing No Deck icon in the Capture tool 6. Click the TC Source menu, and select LTC Input. The menu contains two other choices: - Internal: Uses internal system timecode. - Auto Detect: Detects LTC input by default. If the LTC input is deactivated, the Capture tool automatically switches to internal timecode. If the LTC input is reactivated, the Capture tool switches back to LTC input. LTC is only available with some Avid input/output hardware devices.
Capturing to the Timeline 2. Set options in the Capture Settings dialog box: a. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. b. In the Settings list, double-click Capture. The Capture Settings dialog box opens. c. Click the Edit tab. d. Select “Enable edit to timeline (splice, overwrite)”. e. Set the handle length (the amount of footage you want to capture before and after the IN and OUT points of the clips). f. Click OK. 3. Load a sequence into the Record monitor. 4.
Capturing Video Without Pulldown into a 24p NTSC Project t If you are recording to the end of a sequence, you can mark just an IN point and then mark the OUT point later on-the-fly. 8. Click the yellow Splice-in button or the red Overwrite button in the Capture tool to select the type of edit. Record button (left) and Splice-in and Overwrite buttons (right) in the Capture tool 9. Click the Record button to begin recording. 10.
Remote Play, Capture, and Punch-In Function Description Remote Capture Controls the capturing of media into an Avid editing system while using an edit controller. Remote Capture lets you record and stop. Remote Play Controls sequences loaded in the Record monitor and played back through an edit controller to the edit room, along with other sources. Remote Play lets you cue, play, and stop. Remote Punch-In Controls the recording of audio into an Avid editing system while using an edit controller.
Remote Play, Capture, and Punch-In 2. Click the Mode menu, and select Remote Play, Remote Capture, or Remote Punch-In. For information about each option, see “Remote Play and Capture Settings” on page 1365. Enabling Remote Capture Before you enable Remote Play and Capture, ensure your edit controller is properly connected. n The Remote Play and Capture command behaves like a Local/Remote switch on a playback device, with the VTR in Local mode by default when you start your system.
Remote Play, Capture, and Punch-In 9. Select Tools > Capture. The Capture tool opens. 10. Select the tracks onto which you want to capture by clicking the Channel Selection buttons. 11. Choose Bin > bin. 12. Click the Toggle Source button until the Deck Offline icon appears. 13. Control capturing from the controller. Enabling Remote Play Remote Play lets you control sequences through an edit controller. You can play, cue, and stop your sequence from the edit controller.
Remote Play, Capture, and Punch-In Setting up Your System for Remote Punch-In Before you enable your Serial Remote, you must set the following options on your edit controller: • 049 — Send Record In and Out to Machine set to 1=Yes • 065 — Locate Type set to 0=Locate • 077 — Extended Status Request set to 1=Off In addition, all devices controlled by the controller must be genlocked, and your Avid editing system must be configured as the Master device.
Relinking Clips by Key Number Input Channels buttons in the Audio Punch-In tool 11. Select the tracks you want to record to by clicking the Input Channels buttons. 12. Load a sequence in the Source monitor. 13. Using the controls on the external controller, set an IN point in the Timeline. If you set the IN point at the first frame of the sequence, you must add filler to the start of the sequence equal to the amount of preroll.
Relinking Clips by Key Number Alternatively, if you are finishing a sequence in an online suite and need only an EDL, you do not need to batch capture the footage. Just import the new shot log, relink to the offline items, and then create the EDL. Relinking by key number eliminates the need for the telecine transfer facility to match the timecode and pulldown of the second transfer to the timecode of the first transfer. n c For more information about relinking, see “Relinking Media Files” on page 458.
Relinking Clips by Key Number 9. Select Relink > Key Number [KN Start] - video only. 10. Select “Relink all non-master clips to selected online items.” 11. (Option) If you did not batch capture the original clips, select “Allow relinking to offline items.” 12. In most cases, select “Relink only to media from the current project.” Deselect this option if you know the new clips were captured with a different project name.
Modifying the Pulldown Phase After Capturing If you duplicated the offline sequence, the offline sequence is still linked to the original clips. If you did not duplicate the sequence, you relink it to the original clips. To relink a sequence to the original clips: 1. Duplicate the sequence. 2. Create a new bin and move the sequence to the bin. 3. Locate the original clips. Look for a bin with the original clips, or use the Media tool to locate the original clips.
Modifying the Pulldown Phase After Capturing t If you do not need to maintain the start timecode: a. Step through the clip frame by frame (using the Step buttons or another method). Look for two frames that are identical (no movement). b. Think of these frames as frames B and X of a four-frame series.
DV and HDV Scene Extraction Your Avid editing application deletes the original media file. 5. Make sure the clip is still selected. Press Ctrl+Shift and choose Unlink from the Clip menu. The clip information is unlinked and you can modify it. 6. Type the correct letter for the pulldown phase in the Pullin column. If necessary, type a new timecode and key number. For multiple clips, you can use the Modify command or the Modify Pulldown Phase command.
DV and HDV Scene Extraction To set up DV and HDV scene extraction before capturing: 1. Double-click Capture in the Settings list of the Project window. The Capture Settings dialog box opens. 2. Click the DV&HDV Options tab. 3. Select DV or HDV Scene Extraction, depending on your type of project. 4. Select one of the following options: Option Description Add Markers Creates marker marks where the TOD information breaks occur while capturing.
Using the Panasonic VariCam Option Description Both Creates subclips and marker marks where the TOD information breaks occur while capturing. 7. If you have chosen to create subclips, select the bin where you want these subclips stored. 8. (Option) To cancel the process, press Ctrl+period (Windows) or Command+period (Macintosh). 9. Click OK. In the bin, your Avid editing application creates subclips with the same source clip name and the file name extension .sub.
8 Importing Files When you import files, your Avid editing application converts them into objects in a bin. You can manipulate and edit these objects as you would any other clip or sequence. You can specify a target drive to store any corresponding media files.
Preparing to Import Files Preparing to Import Files Before you begin the import process, make sure the system and the files are ready for import: • Prepare the files in advance according to specifications described in “File Format Specifications” on page 1386. • Determine the source for the files. Consider copying all files to a single folder before you import. See “Importing Media Files” on page 279.
Creating and Modifying Import Settings Custom setting name column in the Settings list of the Project window 3. Select the duplicated entry, click the Custom setting name column, type a name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). 4. Double-click the new Import setting. The Import Settings dialog box opens.
Importing Media Files 5. Select the appropriate options. For more information about Import settings, see “Import Settings” on page 1351. 6. Click OK. To modify an existing Import setting: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Double-click an Import setting. The Import Settings dialog box opens. 3. Select the appropriate options, as described in “Import Settings” on page 1351. 4. Click OK.
Importing Media Files t Select Tools > Media Creation. The Media Creation dialog box opens. 3. Click the Media Type tab. 4. Click the File Format menu, and select the format (MXF or OMF). n If you are working in an HD project, you cannot select OMF as a file format. MXF is selected by default. 5. Click the Import tab. 6. Select the resolution and target drives. For more information on using the Media Creation dialog box, see “Selecting Video Resolutions and Media Drives” on page 163.
Importing Media Files 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 7 9 10 Select Files to Import dialog box (Windows) 1 Look In menu 6 Options button 2 Details button 7 Single/Dual Drive button 3 File browser 8 Video Resolution menu 4 File to import 9 Media Drive menu(s) 5 Files of Type menu 10 Disk Label (for XDCAM only) 281
Importing Media Files 1 2 7 3 4 8 5 6 Select Files to Import dialog box (Macintosh) 1 Enable menu 5 Single/Dual Drive button 2 From menu 6 Video and Audio Drive menus 3 Options button 7 Source file list 4 Resolution menu 8 Disk Label (for XDCAM only) 10. Do one of the following: t Click the Files of Type menu (Windows) and select All Files, or select the Any Documents option (Macintosh) to display all files in a selected folder, regardless of file type.
Importing Media Files Option Description (Continued) Shot Log Use to import Avid Log Exchange (.ale) files containing clip information to a bin. For more information about Avid log specifications, see “Avid Log Specifications” on page 123. Graphic Use to import one of the supported graphics file types. For more information on the file types and their import specifications, see “Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files” on page 1386. Audio Use to import one of the supported audio file types.
Importing Media Files 11. (Option) Click Options to open the Import Settings dialog box, select the options you want, and then click OK to save the settings. For a complete description of all options in the Import Settings dialog box, see “Import Settings” on page 1351. 12. Use the Look In menu (Windows) or the From menu (Macintosh) to locate the folder containing the source files. 13.
Importing with Multichannel Audio Importing with Multichannel Audio You can use the Import Settings dialog box to define the audio track formats for the audio channels in your imported media, up to a maximum of 16 audio channels for the clips in your bins. This allows you to specify which source channels are treated as mono or multichannel audio tracks in your project, rather than having to modify the clips in your bin after you import the source media.
Importing with Multichannel Audio 3. Click the format buttons to select one of the following audio track formats for each pair of source channels: Button Track Format Mono Stereo 5.1 Surround Sound 7.1 Surround Sound You must map source audio channels in mono or stereo pairs. For example, you cannot map A1 to a mono track and A2 and A3 to a stereo track. Instead, map A1 and A2 to mono tracks, and A3 and A4 to a stereo track.
Importing Audio Files from a Music CD Importing Audio Files from a Music CD To import audio files from a music CD: 1. Follow the procedure in “Importing Media Files” on page 279. 2. In step 10, select Files of Type > Audio (Windows) or Show > Audio Documents (Macintosh). 3. In step 16, navigate to the music CD and select the track or tracks you want to import. n (Macintosh) If you encounter an error, copy the audio files to your desktop and import them from there. 4. Finish the procedure.
Sample Rate Conversion and Audio Import To adjust the gain after import: 1. Choose one of the following methods: t Select the clip in the bin, and select Clip > Apply Gain. t Right-click a single clip and select Apply Gain. The Apply Clip Gain menu opens. 2. Type a decibel level from 12 to -96 to adjust the volume, or use the Up and Down arrows on the keyboard to locate the decibel level you want to apply. 3. Click OK. The gain adjustment applies to every clip.
Setting Sample Rate Conversion Options Before Importing Audio Files sample rates with non-pullup or non-pulldown sample rates, and the length and pitch of the imported audio changes by plus or minus .1%. Again, this means that a source audio file with a 48048 sample rate is marked on import with a 48000 sample rate, and it plays back .1% slower than audio with a converted sample rate.
Photoshop Graphics Import When the files import and appear in the bin, any converted sample rates display in the bin for the imported files. If you do not convert audio files with pullup or pulldown sample rates, these audio files display in your bin with the sample rate closest to the source sample rate. For example, a file with a 48048 sample rate displays in your bin after import with a 48000 sample rate, regardless of the project sample rate.
Photoshop Graphics Import Some layer options in Photoshop are not supported for import into your Avid editing application. See “Support for Multilayered Photoshop Graphics Import” on page 292. For example, a title with a Drop Shadow and an Outer Glow effect would not keep these effects when imported. To preserve the effects in these layers, merge them in Photoshop (as described in the Photoshop documentation) and then import the file.
Photoshop Graphics Import During the import, your Avid editing application creates a sequence with each layer on a separate video track. This makes it easy to edit all layers into the final sequence. This sequence preserves the names and order of the layers as created in the original Photoshop file. You can then edit the tracks to build up to the full collage.
Photoshop Graphics Import • Importing rasterizes text and shape layers. • Not all layer options and types are supported for import. For information on preserving layer effects during import, see “Importing Photoshop Files” on page 294. For information on support for layer options and types, see the following tables.
Photoshop Graphics Import Importing Photoshop Files To import a single-layer graphic, or a flattened multilayered Photoshop graphic: t Follow the standard instructions for importing a graphic, as described in “Importing Media Files” on page 279. To import a multilayered Photoshop file: 1. Prepare the Photoshop graphic for import. For more information, see “Support for Multilayered Photoshop Graphics Import” on page 292. 2.
Digital Bars and Tone The resulting image contains only the layers that contain layer effects. Digital Bars and Tone If you expect to output your final sequence as a digital cut that requires calibration before playback (a digital cut that will be broadcast, for example), in most cases you might need a clip of color bars. You can add the clip to the front of the sequence, or you can output the clip separately as an assemble or insert edit onto tape during digital cut.
Importing Color Bars and Other Test Patterns - (Windows) Click the Files of Type menu, and select Graphic Files. - (Macintosh) Click the Show menu, and select Graphic Documents. 5. Use the Look in menu (Windows) or the From menu (Macintosh) to locate the folder containing the test pattern file. Test pattern files are located in the following folder: - (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\Avid editing application \SupportingFiles\Test_Patterns - (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Applications/Avid editing appli
Importing Editcam Files 12. Select the new subclip, Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) the audio clip containing the tone, and select Bin > AutoSync. A new subclip containing bars and tone appears in the bin. 13. Rename the clip as necessary. Importing Editcam Files You can import clips recorded with Ikegami® disk-based Editcam™ or Editcam-station products. The Editcam is a digital news-gathering (DNG) camera that uses Avid's CamCutter® technology.
Setting XDCAM Import Options 4. Click the Files of Type menu (Windows) or the Show menu (Macintosh), select CamCutter, and then select the CamCutter bin by doing the following: a. From the desktop, select the FieldPak drive letter (Windows) or FieldPak volume name (Macintosh). b. Open the bin folder on the FieldPak. c. Select the CamCutter bins or select the .spl files you want to import. The Outakes.bin contains clips that were discarded by the Editcam operator.
Importing XDCAM Media Use these settings to override the selections made in the Select Files to Import dialog box or to set default behavior when you import XDCAM media. For more information, see “Import Settings: XDCAM Tab” on page 1356. Importing XDCAM Media XDCAM and XDCAM HD devices store media as MXF OP1a interleaved files. Your Avid editing application does not use these files directly. Instead, you must first import the media.
Importing XDCAM EX Media There are several ways to access XDCAM media: • Automatically import all proxy media when you load a disc in your XDCAM device. See “Automatically Importing Proxy Media from an XDCAM Device” on page 302. • Manually import all proxy media on all discs currently loaded on your system. See “Importing Proxy Media from an XDCAM Disk” on page 304.
Importing XDCAM EX Media First you need to export the clip from the XDCAM EX device. There are two export options to choose from, one option is to export “MXF for NLEs.” This option creates an OP1a .mxf file, and then import the file into a bin. The other option is to choose to export “Avid AAF.” This option creates an AAF composition file, and concurrently creates an OPAtom MXF media file. In the Avid AAF export options, choose a valid Avid MediaFiles folder.
Automatically Importing Proxy Media from an XDCAM Device To import an XDCAM EX clip using MXF for NLEs: 1. With an XDCAM EX camera or reader attached to your system, insert an XDCAM EX card. 2. Launch the Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser. n The XDCAM EX Clip Browser application should have come with your Sony camera or reader. For information about the Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser, see Sony’s documentation. 3. From within the Clip Browser window, select the clips you want to export. 4.
Automatically Importing Proxy Media from an XDCAM Device 2. Click the XDCAM tab. 3. Select Automatically Import Proxies when disk is inserted. 4. Click OK. 5. Open the bin in which you want to store the imported files. If you do not select a bin, or if you have more than one bin open, a dialog box opens and directs you to select from a list of open bins or create a new bin. 6. Insert a disk into your XDCAM device. The Import XDCAM Proxy from drive: dialog box opens. 7.
Importing Proxy Media from an XDCAM Disk When the import finishes, the clips appear in the selected bin. Your Avid editing application imports XDCAM media at the native resolution of the media on the XDCAM disc. Your Avid editing application ignores other resolution settings — for example, in the Select Files to Import dialog box. 10. (Option) Repeat this procedure for each XDCAM disc that holds media you want to import.
Copying XDCAM Proxy Media to a Local Drive or a Server Copying XDCAM Proxy Media to a Local Drive or a Server You might want to import proxy media when the XDCAM device is not available. For example, if you want an editor to start editing the XDCAM footage while the actual XDCAM disk is at another location, you can transfer the proxy media files to an FTP server. You can then download the files from the server, and an editor can import the proxy media and begin editing.
Importing Essence Marks as Markers in XDCAM Media For more information, see “Importing Media Files” on page 279 and “Using the Drag-and-Drop Method to Import Files” on page 312. n Your Avid editing application imports XDCAM media at the native resolution of the media on the XDCAM disk. The system ignores other resolution settings — for example, in the Select Files to Import dialog box.
Editing XDCAM Proxy Media 2. Click the XDCAM tab. 3. Select Import Essence Marks as markers. 4. Click OK. Editing XDCAM Proxy Media When you import proxy media files, a new master clip is created that you can edit in the timeline just like any other clip. You can mix the clips in the Timeline with any supported resolutions, add effects or titles, or perform any other editing function available in your Avid editing application. XDCAM proxy media is single-frame resolution media.
Batch Importing High-Resolution XDCAM Media from the XDCAM Disk To set the playback options for XDCAM media: 1. Right-click the Video Quality menu button, and select Draft Quality (yellow/green) or Best Performance (yellow/yellow). Some effects, such as IllusionFX and FluidMotion effects, do not playback in real time when you select Draft Quality. For these effects, you must also select the Progressive Source button in the Effect Editor before you render. 2.
Batch Importing High-Resolution XDCAM Media from the XDCAM Disk 2. Click the XDCAM tab. 3. Select Batch Import High-resolution Video. 4. Click the Handle Length text box and type the number of additional frames you want to import at the heads and tails of the new master clips. This provides enough overlap for trimming and adding transition effects. The default is 30 frames. 5. Click OK. 6.
Batch Importing High-Resolution XDCAM Media from the XDCAM Disk The Batch Import dialog box opens. Single/Dual Drives button (left) and Video Drive and Audio Drive menu location (right) in the Batch Import dialog box Your Avid editing application imports XDCAM media using the native resolution of the XDCAM files. 11. Click the Video Drive and Audio Drive menus, and select a destination drive or drives for all the media files. You can separate video and audio onto different drives. 12. Click Import.
Editing and Finishing High-Resolution XDCAM Media Editing and Finishing High-Resolution XDCAM Media Once you import the high-resolution media, you can playback and edit your sequence with full resolution and in real-time. You can also send the sequence to a broadcast playback server using Avid Interplay Transfer. As you edit your sequence, you can move between the proxy media and the high-resolution media by relinking your clips with the corresponding media files.
Importing Sequences from Pro Tools through Interplay A progress box appears as the clips import. When the import is complete, the clips appear in the active bin. You can play and edit the clips; the media resides on the P2 card. If you leave your Avid editing application and then restart it, you see the clips in the bin, but the media is offline. You need to import the clips again to continue working with them. To import media from a P2 card: 1.
Reimporting Files 5. Open the folder that contains the files you want to import. 6. Select the file you want to import and drag it to the bin. To select multiple files, Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) the files and drag them to the bin. 7. (XDCAM only) The Import file(s) from XDCAM dialog box opens. Type a name in the Disk Label text box, and then click Import.
Reimporting Files t Select Tools > Media Creation. The Media Creation dialog box opens. 3. Click the Media Type tab. 4. Click the File Format menu, and select the format (MXF or OMF). n If your project uses an HD resolution, you cannot select OMF as a file format. MXF is selected by default. 5. Open the bin, and select the imported master clips and sequences you want to reimport. 6. Select Clip > Batch Import. A message box opens. 7.
Batch Import Dialog Box If you select more than one clip displayed in red, the system first attempts to find the rest of the clips in the same folder as the first clip and then in folders that maintain the same relationship with the first clip’s folder. Found clips are displayed in black. 10. Click the Video Resolution menu, and select a video resolution for all the reimported files. n OMFI and AAF files do not convert DV 25 to DV 50 or DV 50 to DV 25. 11.
Batch Import Dialog Box Batch Import dialog box. Top: Selected Clips area. Center: Import Target area (including, top to bottom, Video Resolution menu , Video Drive menu, and Audio Drive menu). Bottom: Import Options area. Area Control Selected Clips list Description Shows the clips you selected for import. The caption at the top of the section summarizes the total number of clips shown and how many of them are available for import. Found clips display in black.
Batch Import Dialog Box Area Control Import Target Description Lets you select a resolution and destination drives. Video Resolution menu Lets you select a video resolution. Video Drive and Audio Let you select a destination drive for the media files. Drive menu Import Options Contains global settings that affect all the files you are importing. n If you change the Import settings by using the Import Options section, the new settings apply to all the files you import.
9 Working with Bins Bins provide powerful database tools for organizing and managing your captured material. Bin functionality lets you view bin objects and information in several different ways. You can rename, sort, sift, duplicate, assign colors, and delete clips and sequences, move or copy clips from one bin to another, and print single-clip frames or whole bins.
Bin Views Icon Object Type Description Master Clips A clip that references audio and video media files formed from captured footage or imported files Shared Storage Master Clip A master clip that references media files located on a shared storage system In-progress Master Clips A master clip that references media currently being captured that you can view and edit. For more information, see “Understanding Frame Chase Capture” on page 232.
Bin Views Using Text View Text view provides the most complete view of clip information. It uses database columns that you can rearrange and customize to suit your needs. You can select individual or multiple headings to display or hide in the bin. For a complete description of each column heading, see “Working with Bin Columns” on page 339. To enter Text view: t Click the Bin View button in the bin, and select Text. Text view in the bin.
Bin Views t Click a selected heading to deselect it. t Click All/None to select or deselect all the headings. 3. Click OK. Only the headings selected in the Bin Column Selection dialog box appear in the bin or bin view. For information on hiding columns, see “Moving, Aligning, and Deleting Bin Columns” on page 340. Sorting in Bins You can sort clips to arrange them in either numerical or alphabetical order, based on the data in the column you select as the sorting criteria.
Bin Views This step is useful after you add new clips to a sorted bin. t Click the column heading and select Bin > Sort. To perform a multilevel sort using the information in the bins: 1. With a bin in Text view, arrange the columns in the bin to establish the primary column. The column that appears farthest to the left in the bin has higher sort priority. 2. Select the headings for the columns you want to contribute to the sort criterion.
Bin Views View Description Statistics Displays standard statistical column headings derived from information established during capture, such as start and end timecodes, duration, and resolution. You can also create and save customized bin views, and then access them from the Bin View menu. For more information, see “Saving a Custom Bin View” on page 323.
Bin Views The bin view name changes to an italic name with the file name extension .n to indicate that it no longer matches the original view. If you select a new bin view setting while the current setting is untitled or italic, the system discards the current setting. 3. Click the Bin View menu, and select Save as. The View Name dialog box opens. 4. Type a name for the custom view, and click OK. To change a custom bin view with the Bin View dialog box: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window.
Bin Views Frame view in the bin. Top to bottom: bin tab, clip frame, clip name, and Bin View buttons To enlarge the frame size: t Select Edit > Enlarge Frame. The display size increases each time you select this option, up to seven times. To reduce the frame size: t Select Edit > Reduce Frame. The display size decreases each time you select this option, up to seven times. To rearrange a single frame: 1. Click the frame, and drag it to its new position. 2.
Bin Views 2. Drag the selected frames to a new position in the bin. 3. Click the background area of the bin to deselect the clips. To align all frames to an invisible grid: t Select Bin > Align to Grid. To align selected frames to an invisible grid: t Select Bin > Align Selected to Grid. To space the frames evenly to fill the Bin window: t Select Bin > Fill Window. To arrange frames in the order in which they are sorted in Text view: t Select Bin > Fill Sorted.
Bin Views • Select any frame to represent the footage. • Play back the footage within any clip. To enter Script view: t Click the Bin View button in the bin, and select Script. Script view in the bin. Top to bottom: bin tabs, script text box, Script Bin View button To type text in the script box: 1. Click the text box and begin typing. 2. (Option) If the text you type extends beyond the size of the script box, you can use the Page Up and Page Down keys on the keyboard to scroll through the text.
Bin Procedures Bin Procedures You can manipulate material in the bin in a variety of ways, including selecting, deleting, duplicating, moving, copying, and sifting clips and sequences. When you work with bins, an asterisk appears before the bin name in the bin’s title bar. The asterisk indicates that the changes to the bin have not been saved. Once you save the bin, the asterisk is removed. Using Bin Tabs When you create a new bin, the bin opens in a separate window by default.
Bin Procedures To move a bin into separate window: t Click the tab for the bin you want to move, and drag it to a clear region of the application interface. The bin displays in a separate window. To view bin tabs that do not display in the tab panel, do one of the following: t Click the Previous Bin button or the Next Bin button to shift the tab view to the left or the right. The bin tab displays adjusts to display the next bin either on the left or the right.
Bin Procedures n t Select a clip, and then Shift+click another clip to select a range of items. If you then Shift+click another clip, the range covers all clips from the one you originally selected to the new clip. In Frame view, the range of items includes all clips within a rectangular region bounded by the first and last clips selected. t Lasso several items. Click the mouse pointer outside the first item and drag it to surround the items with a white dotted line.
Bin Procedures 2. Position or resize the original bin and the new bin so that you can see both of them at the same time. 3. Select the clips or sequences that you want to move. 4. Drag the clips or sequences to the new bin. n If the destination bin’s display has been set to show reference clips, the referenced object types do not appear until you save the bin. For more information on setting the bin display, see “Setting the Bin Display” on page 359.
Bin Procedures Deleting Items from a Bin You can delete the following items from a bin: c n • Clips • Subclips • Sequences • Effect clips and their media files • Motion effect clips and their media files • Rendered effects clips and their media files • Data clips and their media files • Master clips and their media files • Sources • Groups When you delete media files, you can no longer see the deleted material.
Bin Procedures Examples of the Delete dialog box with one master clip selected (left) and with multiple clips selected (right) 3. Select the items you want to delete: t Select clips and their associated media files for deletion. t Select only the media files for deletion if you want to retain the clips to recapture later. t Select only the clips for deletion (in case the media file is referenced by other clips in your project). t Select the resolutions you want to delete.
Bin Procedures n When you select a title for deletion, you might see more than one resolution. (Macintosh) To delete clips, subclips, and sequences with their media files from a bin: 1. Select the clips, subclips, or sequences you want to delete. 2. Do one of the following: t Select Edit > Delete. t Press the Delete key. The Delete dialog box opens which displays information about the selected items. 3. Select the items you want to delete.
Bin Procedures To restore the default bin background color, do the following: t Activate the bin you want to change, and then select Edit > Set Bin Color to Default. Assigning Colors to Objects in a Bin You can assign colors to clips, subclips, sequences, and effect clips to help you manage and organize the bin objects. You can also display colors in bins and in the Timeline. For information on displaying colors in the Timeline, see “Displaying Clip Colors in the Timeline” on page 660.
Bin Procedures Locking and Unlocking Items in a Bin You can lock any items in a bin — including source clips, master clips, subclips, and sequences — to prevent deletion. When you lock clips in a bin, you lock their associated media files on your desktop as well. To lock items: 1. Click a clip, subclip, or sequence to select it. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Cmd+click (Macintosh) additional clips, if necessary. 2. Select Clip > Lock Bin Selection.
Bin Procedures To unlock previously locked items: 1. Select the items in the bin. 2. Select Clip > Unlock Bin Selection. You can use the clip-locking feature along with archiving software to automatically archive all locked media files. Selecting Offline Items in a Bin Offline items are clips, subclips, or sequences that are missing some or all of their original media files or that have never been captured.
Bin Procedures To identify offline items, do one of the following: t Select Bin > Select Offline Items. t Click the Bin Fast Menu button, and then select Select Offline Items. The bin highlights all items that are missing media files. To identify offline items in the Timeline, see “Displaying Clip Colors in the Timeline” on page 660.
Working with Bin Columns Selecting Sources Used by an Object in a Bin The Select Sources command identifies all the sources used by a particular object. For example, if you select a sequence as the object, the Select Sources command identifies every master clip, subclip, tape, and media file that is a source for that sequence. To identify sources for a clip or sequence: 1. Select one or more objects in a bin. 2. Select Bin > Select Sources. All sources for the selected objects in all open bins highlight.
Working with Bin Columns Moving, Aligning, and Deleting Bin Columns You can move, align, and delete columns in a bin. When you align bin columns, the system maintains the same order of columns from left to right but spaces them according to the length of their contents. This is useful to remove spaces which remain after you move or rearrange columns. When you delete a statistical column it is the same as hiding the column; you can restore the column at any time by using the Bin Column Selection option.
Working with Bin Columns Duplicating Bin Columns with Timecode Information You can duplicate existing columns containing timecode information into other compatible columns that you target. When you duplicate a timecode column (Start, TC 24, TC 25, TC 25P, or TC 30), the values for master clips and subclips convert to the appropriate timecode. For more information, see “Displaying Timecodes in a 24p or 25p Project” on page 344. To duplicate a timecode column: 1. Click the column head you want to duplicate.
Working with Bin Columns 5. Type the information, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to move to the next line. Changing a Custom Bin Column Heading You can change the heading name of custom columns only. You cannot change any of the standard column headings. To change the name of a custom column: 1. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh), and click the heading to highlight it. 2. Type the new text for the heading, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).
Working with Bin Columns Manufacturer generated metadata column headings in the Bin Column Selection dialog box 3. Click OK. Only the metadata headings selected appear in the bin. n When you use AMA and metadata column headings, Avid recommends that you do not create custom bin views. Use the default preset bin views.
Working with Bin Columns Shortcut Description Enter (Windows, on main Enters any new information you type in the cell and moves the pointer down to the keyboard) or Return cell in the next row. You can continue to press Enter or Return to scroll down the (Macintosh) column until the last cell in the column highlights. The next time you press Enter or Return, the first cell in the column highlights. Shift+Enter (Windows, on Moves the pointer up to the cell in the previous row.
Working with Bin Columns Adding Timecode Columns to a Bin or the Media Tool To add timecode columns to a bin or to the Media tool: 1. Select Bin > Choose Columns. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 2. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) the timecode columns you want to display. 3. Click OK. The timecode columns appear in the bin or the Media tool. Frame Counting for Timecodes The table shows the frame count for each timecode available for your Avid editing application.
Modifying Clip Information The values for master clips, subclips, and sequences in the Start column convert to the appropriate timecode format and display in the column you selected. Modifying Clip Information You can change or modify the information in certain columns for your master clips, subclips, tapes, and other objects stored in the bin. This is useful if some of the data is incorrect or if you need to conform information for organizational purposes.
Modifying Clip Information You can modify information in bin columns. For example, you can type a new name for a clip or correct the start and end timecodes. For more information, see “Modifying Data in Bins” on page 352 and “Modify Command Options” on page 354. You can modify any data in the bin even while you log, prior to capture. After the footage is captured, however, you can modify information only in selected headings, with restrictions. For more information, see the following table.
Modifying Clip Information Bin Column Heading Description AuxInk End Ending auxiliary ink number for the clip. You cannot modify this number. AuxInk Film Film gauge for the auxiliary ink number. Ctrl+click the cell, and then select the gauge. See “Selecting a Film Gauge” on page 357. Cadence Type of pulldown present on the source NTSC tapes when in a 23.976 or 24p project. Modifiable after capture (Ctrl+click and choose from the menu).
Modifying Clip Information Bin Column Heading Description Field Motion Sets the default source parameter value for the Motion Adapter effect. Film TC Timecode you use on film. For 24p and 25p projects only. Format The format of a clip or sequence which you determine by the project type, such as 30i NTSC or 1080i/59.94. This is useful if you have both SD and HD clips in the same bin. FPS Play rate: the number of frames that display each second. The default is 29.
Modifying Clip Information Bin Column Heading Description KN Start Starting key number for the clip. Modifiable after capture only for 24p, 25p, and matchback projects. If you alter the starting key number, you also alter the KN End to maintain the duration. This causes discrepancies with any auxiliary timecode information that you enter manually. Labroll Labroll containing the clip. Lock Specifies whether the clip is locked from deletion.
Modifying Clip Information Bin Column Heading Pullin Description Telecine pulldown of the first frame of the clip (pulldown phase). Pullin can have the values A, B, X (matchback only), C, or D. For 24p projects and matchback projects only. (NTSC only) Modifiable after capture only for 24p projects and matchback projects. You can only alter pullin data imported from a telecine-generated list directly before you capture or after you unlink.
Modifying Clip Information Bin Column Heading Description TC 30NP 30-fps timecode with no pulldown (frames 00 through 29). Modifiable after capture with no restrictions. Track Formats Multichannel audio tracks for master clips and audio clips. Tracks All tracks used by this media object. Transfer Frame-counting field for sources that you prepped for transfer.
Modifying Clip Information c When you modify tape names and timecodes it affects any key numbers entered for the selected clips. To modify the clip data directly in a bin: 1. Click the Text View button in the bin to enter Text view. 2. Click the cell that you want to modify. Select only one item at a time. The timecode data highlights, as displayed in the following example. 3. Click the cell again to enter text.
Modifying Clip Information 5. Select an option or type information into the text boxes. For more information, see “Modify Command Options” on page 354. 6. Click OK. The modification takes effect. Modify Command Options Type of Modification Options Description Set Timecode Drop/ Non-drop Drop, Non-drop Changes the timecode format between drop-frame and non-drop-frame. Setting must match the timecode format of the tape. Set Timecode By Field Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode.
Modifying Clip Information Type of Modification Options Description Increment Timecode Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode. If you increment the start timecode automatically, it modifies the end timecode by the same amount. You can only alter start timecodes after capture. Timecode text box Lets you enter custom incremental timecode. Start or End Changes either the start or end timecode.
Working with Film Information in Bins Type of Modification Options Description Set Multichannel Audio Lets you assign multichannel formats to audio tracks. For more information, see “Working with Multichannel Audio Tracks” on page 748. Mixed, Mono, Stereo Copying Information from Another Cell in a Custom Bin Column To copy information from another cell in a custom column: 1.
Working with Film Information in Bins Tracking Frames Based on File Name Bins can display a digital file name for each frame in addition to key numbers, ink numbers, and other reference numbers. Tracking frames with the frame number is useful when using the film scanning process where each frame is an independent file. It is also useful when working with effects and animation processes that are dependent on a frame-based counting scheme.
Working with Film Information in Bins To specify the gauge of the film: t Ctrl+click the cell, and then select one of the following film sizes and perf count or frame count: - 35mm, 4 perf - 35mm, 2 perf - 35mm, 3 perf - 35mm, 8 perf - 16mm, 40 perf - 16mm, 20 perf - 65mm, 15 perf (used in IMAX® films) - 65mm, 10 perf - 65mm, 8 perf - 65mm, 5 perf - VistaVision® Tracking 3-Perf Counts You can track 3-perf counts in film projects.
Creating a Storyboard Edgecode Type Edgecode Format Sample Edgecode Key Number XX NNNNNN NNNN+NN (Film type Film ID Feet on film+Frame in foot) KL 43 5146-0152+00 Edgecode (4 count) NNN-NNNN+NN (Identifier-Feet on film+Frame in foot) 103-9025+03 Edgecode (5 count) NNN-NNNNN+NN (Identifier-Feet on film+Frame in foot) 203-09025+03 Frames NNNNN 45678 Creating a Storyboard To create a storyboard: 1. Synchronize picture and sound, convert audio timecode, and modify clip data. 2.
Sifting Clips and Sequences You can use the Set Bin Display option to display clips referenced by a sequence, even if the clips were not previously in the bin. To set the bin display: 1. Place a sequence in a new bin and click the bin. 2. Select Bin > Set Bin Display. The Set Bin Display dialog box opens. 3. Select the object types that you want to see: master clips, subclips, sequences.. For information on the icons used to represent the different object types, see “Object Icons in Bins” on page 318. 4.
Sifting Clips and Sequences Custom Sift dialog box. Left to right: Criterion menu, Text to Find text box, and Column or Range to Search menu 2. Click the Criterion menu, and select one of the sifting options. 3. Click the first Text to Find text box, and type the text that you want to use as a sift criterion. When sifting by color, type the exact name of the color (using uppercase and lowercase letters) in the text box. 4.
Sifting Clips and Sequences Understanding Sifting Timecodes or Keycode Ranges You can sift on a timecode (or keycode) number within a specific range. For example, you can sift for all the clips that start before and end after a particular timecode. Example of a bin before a custom sift by timecode If you type a value in the Text to Find text box in the Custom Sift dialog box, click the Column or Range to Search menu, and select Start to End Range.
Sifting Clips and Sequences Example of a bin after a custom sift by timecode. The detail of the Custom Sift dialog box (top) shows the query used for sifting, and the bin (bottom) shows only those clips that encompass the timecode number entered. Some column pairs explicitly define a range, for example, Start and End or Mark IN and Mark OUT. Other columns define the beginning of a range, and the end of the range is determined by the Duration column.
Sifting Clips and Sequences Keycodes contain letters, numbers, and a dash before the feet and frames; for example, KJ23 6892-0345+13. When you sift on a keycode number, you enter only the numbers after the dash (the actual counter portion). Any information before the dash is ignored. If you do enter characters before the dash, they must match the corresponding characters in the bin column exactly. The table lists all columns associated with explicit ranges and their corresponding menu choices.
Working with Restricted Material Sifting Timecodes or Keycode Ranges To sift for a timecode or keycode number within a specific range: 1. Select Bin > Custom Sift. The Custom Sift dialog box opens. 2. Type the timecode (or keycode) number for the range in which you want to sift. 3. Type the timecode number for the range in which you want to sift. 4. Click the Column or Range to Search menu, and select a range; for example, Start to End Range or Mark In to Out Range.
Working with Restricted Material When you first open a restricted clip or load a sequence containing restricted clips, a warning message box opens. The warning appears every time you open or display a clip on restricted material in this session, not just on the present clip. The same warning appears when you try to perform a digital cut, send the sequence to playback, or export. If you send more than one clip to export, the message box lists all the clip names that contain restricted material.
Printing Bins Printing Bins To print entire bins: 1. Make sure your printer is correctly set up. 2. Select the Text, Script, or Frame bin view of the bin you want to print. 3. Select File > Page Setup. The Page Setup dialog box opens, reflecting the specific options for your printer. 4. Select the appropriate options. 5. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Macintosh). 6. Select File > Print Bin. The Print dialog box opens, reflecting the specific options for your printer. 7. Select the Print options. 8.
10 File Based Media - AMA You can link, import, or export clips and sequences from many third-party volumes or third-party files to and from the Avid editing system. You can manipulate and edit this media as you would any other clip or sequence. You obtain this media from a third-party device (a camera, reader, or drive), from a CD or DVD, from a folder on your system, or from a virtual volume (a server connected to your system).
XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media The Sony® XDCAM™ decks and camcorders use an optical disk with either a capacity of 23.3 or 50 GB to store recorded media. The XDCAM devices record media in high-resolution MPEG IMX™, DVCAM™, and XDCAM HD formats or corresponding low-resolution or compressed (proxy) media (MPEG-4).
XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media XDCAM and XDCAM EX Formats and Resolutions Number of Audio Channels Resolution/Bit Rate Frame Rate/Raster XDCAM HD: 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080p/23.976, 2 or 4 720p/50, 720p/59.94*, 1440 x 1080, 2 or 4 1280 x 720 (25/35mb) 2 or 4 2 or 4 XDCAM HD 17.5 Mbits XDCAM HD 25 Mbits XDCAM HD 35 Mbits XDCAM HD 50 Mbits (24-bit audio) 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080p/23.976, 8 1080p/25, 1080p/29, 720p/59.94, 720p/50, 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 XDCAM EX 25Mbits* 1080i/59.
XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media HDCAM SR Formats and Resolutions The following table lists the formats and resolutions available when you work with HDCAM SR media: Number of Audio Channels Media Type Frame Rate/Raster HDCAM SR Lite 1080i/50, 1080i/59.94, 1080p/23.976, 1080p/24, 1080p/25, 1080p/29.97, 1280 x 720 16 HDCAM SR SQ 1080i/50, 1080i/59.94, 1080p/23.976, 1080p/24, 1080p/25, 1080p/29.
XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media Installing the XDCAM Drivers Before you use XDCAM or XDCAM EX devices, you need to load the appropriate drivers. Your XDCAM device should include a CD that includes the driver. To install XDCAM or XDCAM EX drivers: t n Follow the instructions included with your XDCAM or XDCAM EX device. Download the most up to date driver from the Sony website, www.sony.com. Connecting the XDCAM or XDCAM EX Device Use an IEEE-compliant 1394 (i.
XDCAM, XDCAM EX and HDCAM SR Media To eject an XDCAM EX card from its device: 1. With an XDCAM EX card inserted in the XDCAM EX device and your Avid editing application running, click the Safely Remove Hardware icon located at the bottom right-hand corner of the taskbar. 2. Select Safely Remove XDCAM EX device name. This removes the XDCAM EX device from your system. 3. To use the card again, unplug and then plug-in the XDCAM EX device from your system using the USB cable.
P2 Media 3. Navigate to the actual XDCAM EX card or XDCAM disk and select the folder with the media. 4. Do one of the following: t Copy and paste the contents of the card or disk media folder to the folder on the other drive. t Click the card or disk folder and drag it to the folder on the other drive. 5. Eject the card or disk. P2 Media Panasonic’s P2 equipment records DV, DVCPRO, and DVCPRO 50 media on compact, solid-state memory cards (P2 cards).
P2 Media Panasonic Format Avid Format Number of Audio Channels DVCPRO 50 DV 50 (NTSC and PAL) 4 AVC-Intra See “Resolution Specifications: AVC-Intra” in the Help for a detailed list. Avid editing applications support one video track and up to four tracks of 48 kHz, 16-bit audio, the maximum you can record on Panasonic P2 equipment. P2 Files and Folders Panasonic P2 video and audio media is recorded in MXF format, one of the two media file formats you can use in Avid editing applications.
P2 Media Panasonic P2 devices write individual MXF audio and video media files for each track of each clip. For example, a P2 clip that includes one track of video and four tracks of audio is stored on the P2 card as five individual media files. Within your Avid editing application the five media files are represented as a single clip with audio and video. Installing the Panasonic P2 Drivers Before you use a Panasonic P2 device, load the appropriate drivers.
P2 Media Setting up a P2 Card Reader (Windows only) Before using a P2 card reader with a Windows system, you need to set Autoplay options. To set up a P2 card reader for the first time: 1. Make sure your Avid editing application is not running. 2. Make sure the appropriate driver is installed. See “Installing the Panasonic P2 Drivers” on page 376. 3. Connect the card reader to a USB port. 4. Insert a P2 card into each slot. Each P2 card displays as a single lettered drive on the Windows desktop. 5.
P2 Media Before you start your Avid editing application, Avid recommends that you rename each P2 card to its unique serial number as shown on the card edge when it’s mounted in the reader. For example, P21 = Card1, P22 = Card2, P23 = Card3. n The P2 name changes back to “No Name” when you reformat the card in the camera. 6. Start your Avid editing application and open a project. 7. Insert the P2 cards. The P2 cards automatically display on the desktop. To unmount a P2 drive: 1. Select File > Unmount.
P2 Media 4. Do one of the following: t Copy and paste the Contents folder to the folder on the other drive. t Click the Contents folder and drag it to the folder on the other drive. 5. Eject the P2 card. Changing P2 Cards in the Card Reader You can change (“hot-swap”) cards while you work in your Avid editing application. To change one or more cards in the P2 card reader: 1. Remove the old card or cards and insert the new ones. 2. Select File > Mount All.
P2 Media Example of spanned P2 clips. The white rectangles represent P2 cards and the gray rectangles represent clips. The first and third clips span multiple cards. When you work with spanned clips, consider the following: • If you remove a card that contains a spanned clip, for example Card 2 in the above example, and you try to play Clip 1, it plays until it reaches the portion of the clip that resides on Card 2. Media Offline appears until you reach the media on Card 3.
AVCHD Media AVCHD Media AVCHD is a file-based format and does not use magnetic tape. Instead, video can be recorded onto DVD discs, hard disk drives, non-removable solid-state memory and removable flash memory cards. n Play performance might vary depending on the type of medium you use and the speed of our computer. The Avid supported compliant cameras include the Panasonic AG3DA, Panasonic AG-HMC151E, Panasonic AG-AF100P, Sony NXCAM: HXR-NX5U, Sony HDR-CX12, and the Canon Vixia.
AVCHD Media AVCHD Files and Folders AVCHD media files are recorded in MTS format; the file contains both the video and audio. Audio can be either uncompressed PCM or Dolby® AC-3 format. n You must activate the Dolby AC-3 codec the first time you AMA link to an AVCHD clip. If you are connected to the Internet, activation is automatic. If you are not connected to the Internet, the system opens a dialog box and then the Avid License Control tool. Follow the on screen instructions to activate this feature.
Canon XF Media The name does not have to be the same as the actual card, disc or drive name. 3. Navigate to the actual card, disc or drive and select the media folder. 4. Do one of the following: t Copy and paste the media folder to the folder on the other drive. t Click the media folder and drag it to the folder on the other drive. 5. Disconnect the camera or eject the card, disc or drive. Canon XF Media The Canon XF305 and Canon XF300 camera records MPEG-2 media onto compact flash cards.
Canon XF Media Canon XF Files and Folders Canon XF video and audio media files record in MXF format. Each card stores the video and audio files in: n • (Windows) drive:\CONTENTS\CLIPS • (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/CONTENTS/CLIPS AMA does not recognize clips if the folder names in the selected path contain double-byte characters (DBCS). AMA recognizes folders with the directory path that includes ASCII alphanumeric characters.
GFCAM Media 3. Navigate to the actual flash card and select the CONTENTS folder. 4. Do one of the following: t Copy and paste the CONTENTS folder to the folder on the other drive. t Click the CONTENTS folder and drag it to the folder on the other drive. 5. Eject the flash card. GFCAM Media The Ikegami GFCAM HDS-V10 is a tapeless camera/recorder that uses flash memory instead of video tapes as a recording medium.
GFCAM Media Resolution/Bit Rate n n n Raster/Frame Rate Number of Audio Channels (maximum) 1080p/23.98 pulldown and 720p/23.98 pulldown record at 59.94fps and are only compatible with 1080i/59.94 and 720p/59.94 projects. 1080p/29.97 records as PSF at 59.94fps and is only compatible with 1080i/59.94 projects. 1080p/25 and 720p/25 record as PSF at 50fps and are only compatible with 1080i/50 and 720p/50 projects.
GFCAM Media Connecting the GFPAK Device You connect the GFPAK directly through an industry-standard USB 2.0 port on your computer. Use a cable to connect the GFPAK to a Windows system or a Macintosh system. The GFPAK mounts as individual media drives on your desktop and then link to your Avid editing system through AMA. Spanned Clips and GFCAM GFCAM allows gapless recording over several GFPAKs, however, each GFPAK handles the contents as a separate clip.
RED Media Working with Shot Marks and Check Marks with GFCAM Media GFCAM products use Shot Marks and Check Marks to store metadata about media clips. Shot Marks allow GFCAM cameras to mark events such as clip start points or audio clipping. Press the RET button on the GFCAM device while you record or playback to set a Shot Mark. For a description of Shot Marks, see your GFCAM documentation. In the AMA method, Shot Marks are brought over automatically and appear as markers in your Avid editing application.
RED Media RED Formats and Resolutions The following table lists the formats and resolutions available when you work with RED media: Media Type Resolution RED R3D 2K 2:1 2K 16:9 2K ANA 3K 2:1 3K 16:9 3K ANA 4K 2:1 4K 16:9 4K ANA 4.5K 5K Full Frame 5K 2:1 5K 16:9 5K ANA Number of Audio Channels (maximum) 4 RED Files and Folders The RED Camera records a unique clip name and additional files that include the REDCODE RAW files and an optional QuickTime reference file placed in a clip folder (.RDC).
RED Media Connecting the RED ONE Drive or Card Connect the RED Drive directly through an industry-standard USB or FireWire port on your computer, or insert the RED Card into the RED camera and connect to your computer. The drive or card mounts as individual media drives on your desktop and then link to your Avid editing system through AMA. n See RED documentation for specific information about the RED ONE camera, REDFlash card and RED drive.
RED Media 5. Remove the drive. Adjusting RED Source Settings When you link to R3D (RED) files, the Avid editing system reads each REDCODE RAW file directly. You can then change the clip’s color values: color balance, exposure, and contrast in the Source Settings window. This color value information is encoded with the R3D file through an RLX, RSX or RMD file. These files hold the camera’s original color values of your clip.
RED Media 3. Drag the video slider to the frame you want to view. The new frame displays and the histogram updates. The histogram is a tool that helps you more precisely adjust Source Settings. For more information about the histogram, see “Understanding the Source Settings Histogram” on page 397 4. Set the appropriate options, you can select from a menu, drag the sliders, enter values or click the eyedropper: Option Description Color Space Choose from: Camera RGB: as close to RAW REC.
RED Media Option Description Gamma Curve Lets you override the gamma curve. Choose from: REC.709: a REC.709 gamma curve with a linear portion at black and a gamma at 2.2 curve REDLog: maps the 12-bit sensor data on to a 10-bit curve with minimal loss REDLogFilm: a way of containing a large dynamic range in a video file. Needs to be viewed through a LUT to convert it for viewing on a monitor. REDSpace: based on REC.
RED Media Option Description DRX Lets you recover potentially lost dynamic range by extending and balancing highlights, taking into account the rendering intent of the desired Kelvin and Tint white balance. Click and drag the slider from 0.00 to 1.00. Default is 0.00. Debayer Detail Choose from High (default), Medium, or Low. Chroma Denoise Choose from Off (default), Minimum, Milder, Mild, Strong, or Maximum. OLPF Controls the optical low-pass filter.
RED Media Option Description Blue Increases or decreases the camera’s sensitivity to blue light by amplifying the B channel digital video signal received from the sensor. At 0 (zero), no blue light is visible, the image has a strong yellow cast. Click and drag the slider from 0.00 to 10.00. Default is 1.00. 5. Click Apply. The changes apply to your clip. You can continue to make additional changes.
RED Media When you edit a clip into a sequence, the material you edit in uses the clip’s current attribute values or RED source settings. If you change the RED source settings at a later point in your workflow, the sequence does not automatically adjust for the change. If you want the sequence to use the RED source settings for clips that you have changed since you edited, you must refresh the sequence.
RED Media To import additional source settings: 1. From the Source Settings window, click the Load button. The Load External Settings window opens. 2. Browse to the Settings file. 3. Change the filter to display RSX, RLX or RMD files. 4. Select your setting and click OK. The new source setting appears in the Source Settings menu, and is immediately applied to the clip.
RED Media n Pixels with color values that are out of range are grouped into either the maximum or minimum color values on the plot. Spikes in either the highest or lowest color values might indicate loss of color information due to clipping. Your Avid editing application draws separate histograms for the red, green, and blue color components. The histograms for each color stack on top of one another, with the fill color changing appropriately to indicate overlap.
RED Media Option Result Zoom In Zooms in on the lower half of the vertical axis. Changes the scaling of the vertical axis so that the height is half that of the maximum value in the plot. You can zoom in indefinitely to display, for example, 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16 of the maximum value. Zoom Out Zooms out of the vertical axis by a factor of two. Changes the scaling of the vertical axis to be twice that of the maximum value in the plot.
QuickTime Media t Full t Half (Best Quality) t Half (Good Quality) t Quarter t Eighth t Sixteenth 4. Click OK. 5. Transcode, mixdown or render your clip or sequence as required. For information about transcoding, see “Using the Transcode Command” on page 451. For information about mixdown, see “Performing a Video Mixdown” in the Help. For information about render, see “Basics of Effects Rendering” in the Help.
QuickTime Media Supported QuickTime AMA Codecs and Resolutions You can create a QuickTime movie on an Avid editing system or from a third-party application such as Adobe After Effects with a supported QuickTime AMA codec. QuickTime codecs are installed automatically on your Avid editing system, or you can install the Avid codec on the system which runs the third-party application.
QuickTime Media 3. Drag the video slider to the frame you want to view. The new frame displays and the histogram updates. The histogram is a tool that helps you more precisely adjust Source Settings. For more information about the histogram, see “Understanding the QuickTime Source Settings Histogram” on page 404 4. Set the appropriate options: Option Description Settings Default Custom: User created in Avid. Field Ordering Default Progressive: The image is interpreted as a progressive image.
QuickTime Media Option Description GFX/Video Level Do not modify levels: Leave as is Expand video levels to graphic levels: Changes the dynamic range from an 601/709 video range (16-235) to RGB range (0-255). Compress graphic levels to video levels: Changes the dynamic range from RGB (0-255) range to an 601/709 video range (16-235). This option is useful if you created a QuickTime movie with graphic levels in AfterEffects and then brought the clip into an Avid editing application. 5. Click Apply.
QuickTime Media 3. Click Apply. The settings apply to the clip and if the clip is loaded in the Timeline, the video updates and displays in a Client monitor (if one is attached) and the Source monitor. 4. Click OK to save your settings and close the window. The system updates the bin column metadata with the parameters. If you make additional changes after you select a setting, the system creates a Custom setting and Custom appears in the Settings list.
MXF Media n Pixels with color values that are out of range are grouped into either the maximum or minimum color values on the plot. Spikes in either the highest or lowest color values might indicate loss of color information due to clipping. MXF Media Material Exchange Format (MXF) is a wrapper or container format which encapsulates media and rich production metadata into a single file, which is useful for media storage and exchange.
MXF Media Company Resolution/Bit Rate Raster/Frame Rate Number of Audio Channels (maximum) Omneon, Rhozet D10 SD 30i 4 or 8 Sony XDCAM HD 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 4 1080p/23.976, 1440 x 1080 4 4 4 4 1080i59, 1080i50 XDCAM HD 17.5 Mbits XDCAM HD 25 Mbits XDCAM HD 35 Mbits HDV (25 Mbits CBR) XDCAM HD 50 Mbits 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080p/23.976, 1080p/25, 1080p/29, 720p/59, 720p/50,1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 8 Sony XDCAM EX 25Mbits 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080p/23.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow Number of Audio Channels (maximum) Company Resolution/Bit Rate Raster/Frame Rate Sony, Ikegami MPEG IMX: MPEG 30 MPEG 40 MPEG 50 SD NTSC 30i and PAL 25i SD NTSC 30i and PAL 25i SD NTSC 30i and PAL 25i Sony MPEG-4 (proxy media) SD NTSC 30i and PAL 25i 4 or 8 Canon XF MPEG-2 HD 50 and 35Mbits 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 25Mbits 1440 x 1080 Ikegami MPEG-2 HD LongGOP 50 Mbits n 4 or 8 4 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 4 1080p/23.98 pulldown, 1080p/29.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow The following considerations and limitations apply: • When the AMA setting is activated, the non-AMA method does not appear in the File menu. Deactivate the AMA setting to display the File > Import P2 (and Import XDCAM Proxy) option. The AMA setting is on by default. • The Link to AMA File(s) menu choice is available for third-party AMA file based media plug-ins. To see the available AMA plug-ins available to download for your Avid editing application, go to www.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow 3. Click the Volume Mounting tab. 4. Select “Enable AMA Volume Management.” By default, this option is selected. If you deselect the option and then reselect it, you must quit and restart your Avid editing application. When this option is selected, the File > Import menu item is no longer available. 5.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow n Depending on your AMA Settings, every time you insert a card into a reader , the system creates a new bin whether the same card or device has been previously inserted or not. 8. To map source audio channels to multichannel or mono tracks in your clips, click the Link Options tab, and then click Edit. The Set Multichannel Audio dialog box opens. For information on setting multichannel audio options, see “Linking to AMA Multiple Resolution Media” on page 416. 9.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow AMA Linking with Multichannel Audio You can use the AMA Settings dialog box to define the audio track formats for the audio channels in your linked media, up to a maximum of 16 audio channels for the clips in your bins. This allows you to specify which source channels are treated as mono or multichannel audio tracks in your project, rather than having to modify the clips in your bin after you link to the AMA media.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow 4. Click Edit. The Set Multichannel Audio dialog box opens. 5.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow You must map source audio channels in mono or stereo pairs. For example, you cannot map A1 to a mono track and A2 and A3 to a stereo track. Instead, map A1 and A2 to mono tracks, and A3 and A4 to a stereo track. If the source media does not have an audio channel on A2, the Avid editing application ignores the channel. 6. Click OK to close the Set Multichannel Audio dialog box, and then click OK to close the AMA Settings dialog box.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow To automatically link clips on a volume with AMA: 1. Connect the drive, card reader or device through a USB or FireWire port on your computer, insert a card or disk. The system scans the device and links the clips into the default bin and with the default multichannel audio track formats (based on the AMA settings). A link icon appears next to the clip.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow 3. Select Bin Selection options. Option Description Single Bin Based On Selected Folder Places all linked clips into one default bin. n Single Bin Named Lets you create a new bin and type in a new bin name. Places all linked clips into that bin. Bin(s) Based on Current AMA Setting Places the clips in the bin(s) you set up in the AMA Settings Bins tab. Bin(s) Based on Subfolders Places the clips in bin(s) based on their subfolders.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow 5. Click Open. The clips appear in the active bin with the default multichannel audio track formats (based on the AMA settings). A link icon appears next to the clips. If the system cannot link a file, an error message displays informing you to open the Console window for more information about the file(s) in error. If you move the clip from the original drive to another drive on your system, the clip displays as offline in your bin.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow For information about the AMA Settings, see “AMA Settings” on page 1289. 3. Click the Quality tab. 4. Click the appropriate resolution for your video in the AMA Link Preference section, and click OK. If a particular resolution is not available, it will be grayed out. 5. Insert the disk into the device. 6. Select Bin Selection options from the Bins tab. For information on bin selection options, see “Linking Media with AMA” on page 413. 7.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow Switching Between Multiple Resolution Media Once you link to the low-resolution or high-resolution media and complete your edits, you can easily switch from low to high and high to low-resolution media. When you switch to a different resolution, the system replaces the clip in the bin with the new clip and resolution. The steps below highlight switching from low-resolution to high-resolution media. You can also switch from high-resolution to low-resolution.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow The steps below highlight consolidating high-resolution media. You can also consolidate low-resolution media. For information on why you should consolidate, see “Consolidating Media” on page 445. To consolidate high-resolution media: 1. In the Project window, click the Settings tab. 2. Double-click AMA. The AMA Settings dialog box appears. For information about the AMA Settings, see “AMA Settings” on page 1289. 3. Click the Quality tab. 4.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow Relinking to AMA Files After you link AMA QuickTime files into your sequence, you have the option to make changes (in a third party applications, such as Adobe After Effects) to that file. If you change the filename or change the location of the file, the best way to link that clip back into your sequence is through the relink option. Relinking to an AMA file allows you to link to a different file.
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow The AMA Plug-in Log File The Avid system creates an AMA plug-in log file when you link clips. The log file records errors and information about the clips. If you experience any problems while you link clips or if you receive an error message, check the AMA log file to get more information about the error (for example: a corrupt file or a bad filename). You can view the log file from the following location on your system: • (Windows) drive:\Program Files\Avid\Media Comp
The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow Virtual Volumes and AMA Bins If you select Volume Name in the AMA Bin Settings tab, the system names the bin the same name as the virtual volume drive name. If you continue to use the same virtual volume to link other media through AMA, the system continues to place the linked media in the same bin.
Workflows for Editing with AMA 4. Select Delete master clips and Delete associated media files. 5. Click OK. Workflows for Editing with AMA The following topics include high-level procedures of a typical workflow you might use when you edit with a particular media type and AMA. Workflow for Editing XDCAM and XDCAM EX Clips with AMA The following steps describe a typical workflow for editing XDCAM and XDCAM EX clips with AMA. n Do not mix AMA and traditional workflows.
Workflows for Editing with AMA 5. (Option) Rename the clips to help organize your material. 6. You can either transfer your media to your hard drive and then transcode or consolidate your sequence or clips, or consolidate directly from the XDCAM disk. n When you consolidate, if you want to keep your AMA clips linked to the original source, select the option “Keep Master clips linked to media on the original drive,” in the Copying Media Files dialog box.
Workflows for Editing with AMA A typical workflow is as follows: 1. Use Sony’s PDZ-1 software to associate your low-resolution clips with metadata to identify the clip in the Avid bin. This includes entering a User Disc ID in the Disc Properties window. 2. The Sony XDCAM and XDCAM EX AMA plug-in should be installed on your system. 3. Install the appropriate Sony XDCAM drivers. 4. In the Project window, click the Settings tab. 5. Double-click AMA. The AMA Settings dialog box appears. 6.
Workflows for Editing with AMA provided a disk name in the User Disc ID field, the system message displays the disk label name. If you did not use the PDZ-1 software, the system asks you to insert the disk containing the (low-resolution) clip selected in the bin. 16. Remove the XDCAM disk. Workflow for Editing P2 Clips with AMA The following steps describe a typical workflow for editing P2 clips with AMA. n Do not mix AMA and traditional workflows.
Workflows for Editing with AMA Workflow for Editing AVCHD Clips with AMA The following steps describe a typical workflow for editing AVCHD clips with AMA. n Do not mix AMA and traditional workflows. Either use AMA when you work with an AVCHD device or use the traditional import/batch import workflow. A typical workflow is as follows: 1. Install the AVCHD AMA plug-in on your system. 2. To link to an entire volume, attach the camera and insert a card, disc or drive.
Workflows for Editing with AMA n For information on transcoding your sequence, see “Using the Transcode Command” on page 451. Workflow for Editing Canon XF Clips with AMA A typical workflow is as follows: 1. The Canon XF AMA plug-in and the MXF AMA plug-in should be installed on your system. 2. Mount the flash cards. The system links the Canon XF clips automatically into a bin. n If you use multiple flash cards and you remove one of the cards, your media displays offline. 3.
Workflows for Editing with AMA 4. (Option) Rename the clips to organize your material. 5. Consolidate or transcode your sequence or clips. Consolidating your media helps when you work with multiple GFPAKs. If a GFPAK is unplugged, consolidating lets you view your sequence with all the media online. n n When you consolidate, if you want to keep your AMA clips linked to the original source, select the option “Keep Master clips linked to media on the original drive,” in the Copying Media Files dialog box.
Workflows for Editing with AMA 7. Transcode your sequence or clips to an HD or SD resolution. If you need to output to a resolution higher than HD, then export an AFE of your sequence for the conform process on an Avid DS. If your high-resolution media is on a shared storage device and Avid DS has access to the device, Avid DS automatically relinks to the RED files. 8. Remove the RED drive or card.
Workflows for Editing with AMA The clips appear in the active bin. A link icon appears next to the clips. 9. Use the linked clips to edit your sequence. 10. If you need to change the QuickTime clip in After Effects or FCP, open the existing file in After Effects or FCP and make the change.
Workflows for Editing with AMA 4. Select File > Link to AMA File(s). You can also right-click a bin and select Link to AMA File(s). n For information about AMA, see “The Avid Media Access (AMA) Workflow” on page 407. The Select file(s) for AMA linking dialog box opens. 5. From the AMA Plugin Filter menu, select MXF. 6. Select the file(s) you want to link. Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select multiple files. 7. Click Open. The MXF clips appear in the active bin. A link icon appears next to the clips.
Workflows for Editing with AMA You should be aware of the following: • You can link to the ancillary data clip without an Avid input/output hardware, however, in order to view the ancillary data in a monitor, an Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX device is required. • If you consolidate the XDCAM or MXF clip or the sequence that contains the XDCAM or MXF clip with ancillary data, the ancillary data track stays with the consolidated clip or sequence.
Workflows for Editing with AMA When you consolidate the XDCAM or MXF clip or the sequence that contains the XDCAM or MXF clip with ancillary data, the ancillary data track stays with the consolidated clip or sequence. n For information on consolidating your sequence, see “Consolidating Media” on page 445. For information on transcoding your sequence, see “Using the Transcode Command” on page 451.
11 Managing Media Files When you capture footage, the system creates digital media files on the media drives connected to your system. In addition to the bins where you organize the clips that reference these media files, your Avid editing application provides tools for directly managing these media files.
Working with Media Files in an Avid Interplay Environment Working with Media Files in an Avid Interplay Environment If you are using your Avid editing system in an Avid Interplay environment, you can use Avid’s media asset manager, the Avid Interplay Engine, to share media files between systems.
Using Avid Editing Systems in an Avid LANshare Workgroup Using Avid Editing Systems in an Avid Workgroup Environment When you work with Avid Interplay, you belong to a workgroup that allows you open a bin with assets stored in the Interplay database. To read and write media to the database you first need to mount a workspace. For information on mounting workspaces, see “Mounting Workspaces on an Avid Unity MediaNetwork System” on page 1128 and “Mounting Workspaces on an Avid ISIS System” on page 1129.
Viewing Media with a 100Base-T Connection to Avid ISIS The dialog box closes, and auto-connect is set. Viewing Media with a 100Base-T Connection to Avid ISIS Avid editors can access MPEG-2 low-resolution video and MPEG-1 Layer II (or MP2) compressed audio stored on an Avid ISIS media network. This is useful if you connect to the media network with a 100Base-T connection in a Zone 3 configuration, instead of the higher bandwidth connection used for Avid ISIS clients in a Zone 1 or Zone 2 configuration.
Mounting and Unmounting Drives This is useful in several circumstances: n c • If you work with optical drives for backup and retrieval of low-resolution material, you can unmount drives and mount them as needed to avoid cluttering the desktop during normal use. • If you work with an extensive array of fixed-storage drives, which might involve many partitions divided among several projects, you can selectively mount and unmount drives according to use.
Using the Media Tool n If you receive an error message that prevents you from unmounting a drive, it might be that you have Avid Media Access (AMA) enabled. AMA does not require you to mount and unmount drives. AMA is on by default. To turn off AMA (and unmount your drive), see “Selecting the AMA Settings” on page 408. Using the Media Tool The Media tool is your window into the captured video and audio data files stored on your media drives.
Using the Media Tool n • Media Tool database and display options are saved as User settings. When you close the Media tool, the view you are in (Brief, Frame, Script, or Text) is saved and any customizations of columns are saved. • You have the option of saving a custom view of the Media tool. Any view created in the Media tool is available from all bins and all custom bin views are available in the Media tool from the Views menu.
Using the Media Tool Opening the Media Tool To open the Media tool: 1. Select Tools > Media Tool. The Media Tool Display dialog box opens. 2. Select the media drives from which to load by doing one of the following: t In the Media Drive(s) list, select individual media drives. t Click the All Drives button. The Media tool loads the media database only for the drives you select. The more drives you select, the more memory is required for the Media tool to open. 3.
Using the Media Tool 5. Click OK. The Media tool opens. Example of media objects in the Media tool. Top to bottom: a master clip, a precompute clip, and a media file. Deleting Media Files with the Media Tool You can use the Media tool to delete selected media files without harming the related master clips, subclips, and sequences. c If you use the Media tool to delete selected media files, you no longer have access to visuals of the deleted material.
Using the Media Tool 3. Do one of the following: t Select Edit > Delete. t Press the Delete key. The Delete Media dialog box opens. 4. Select the media objects that you want to delete: Option Description Video media file (V) After deletion, the master clip linked to that file is black, with the message “Media Offline” displayed. Related subclips and sequences are affected in the same way. Audio media file After deletion, the master clip linked to that file is silent.
Consolidating Media The selected media files are deleted. Consolidating Media When you consolidate media files, your Avid editing application finds the media files or portions of media files associated with selected clips, subclips, or sequences. It then makes copies of them, and saves the copies on a target drive that you specify. There are three basic reasons to use the Consolidate feature: n • To copy media onto one drive for storage or transfer to another system.
Consolidating Media Consolidating a master clip (original clips and media files in red, new clips and media files in black). Top: in this scenario, the original master clip remains linked to the original media file (for example, on drive A), and the new master clip (which receives a .new.01 file name extension) is linked to a new copy of the original media file (on drive B).
Using the Consolidate Command n Because a consolidated sequence is linked to the new files by default, consider duplicating the sequence each time you consolidate if you need to maintain links to the original files. Consolidating a sequence. Left: the original clips and their media files — consolidating breaks the links between the sequence and these clips. Right: the new clips and their copied media files — the sequence now links to these new clips.
Using the Consolidate Command 4. Select Consolidate in the upper left corner. 5. In the Target Drive(s) area, select a drive or drives. 6. Select the appropriate options. Option Description Video, audio and data on same drive(s) Select to store the consolidated media files on the same target drive. Deselecting this option lets you select separate drives for the audio, video and data media files.
Using the Consolidate Command Option Description (Continued) Handle length n frames If you are consolidating subclips or sequences, type a handle length for the new clips, or accept the default: leave it at 60 frames (NTSC), 50 frames (PAL), or 24 frames (progressive). The handle length is the number of frames outside the IN and OUT points that you can use for dissolves and trims with the new, shorter master clips.
Using the Consolidate Command Option Description (Continued) Target Audio Format Select either OMF (WAVE), OMF(AIFF-C), or MXF (PCM) audio format. See “Audio Projects Settings: Main Tab” on page 1292. 7. Click Consolidate in the lower right corner. The Copying Media Files dialog box opens. 8. Select an option for how you want your clips to link to the new media.
Using the Transcode Command Using the Transcode Command The Transcode option in the Consolidate/Transcode dialog box lets you create new clips and new media files that use a different resolution. If you have a sequence composed of clips that use different resolutions, you can use the Transcode feature to create a sequence in which all clips use a single resolution. The Transcode option also lets you convert from OMF to MXF, and from MXF to OMF, except in HD projects where MXF is the only available format.
Using the Transcode Command 3. Select Transcode in the upper left corner. 4. In the Target Drive(s) area, select a drive or drives. 5. In you are an Interplay environment, with Dynamic Relink enabled, select whether or not to create new master clips for the transcoded media. For more information, see “Understanding How Clips are Associated with Multiple Resolutions” on page 1189.
Using the Transcode Command The Create new clips check box in the Consolidate/Transcode dialog box 6. Click the Target Video Resolution menu, and select a video resolution. n If your project uses an HD resolution, you cannot select OMF as a file format. MXF is selected by default. 7. Select the appropriate options. Option Description Video and audio on same drive(s) Select to store the transcoded media files on the same target drive.
Using the Transcode Command Option Description (Continued) Create new sequence(s) Select this option to create a new sequence from the transcoded clips. Create new clips In an Interplay environment, with Dynamic Relink enabled, select this option to create new master clips for the transcoded media. If you do not select this option, the existing master clip is associated with both the original media file and the transcoded media file.
Loading the Media Database Loading the Media Database The media database is a catalog of master clips and precomputes stored on a media drive. One use of the media database by your Avid editing application is to display master clips and precomputes in the Media tool. n The information in this topic applies only to media on local drives or on unmanaged shared storage drives. The information does not apply to shared storage managed by Avid Interplay. For more information, see the Interplay documentation.
Refreshing Media Directories Refreshing Media Directories Each media folder (OMFI MediaFiles and Avid MediaFiles) includes database files for the media in that folder. The Refresh Media Directories command reexamines all the media folders (directories) on the system and determines whether any of the files are out of date and need to be rebuilt. If so, it tells your Avid editing application to rebuild the files.
Backing Up Media Files 4. Select Bin > Reverse Selection. All the clips in the bin that are not source clips for the sequence are now highlighted. 5. Press the Delete key, and then click the check boxes in the Delete dialog box to select the clips or the media files to delete. 6. Click OK. The selected clips and media files are deleted.
Relinking Media Files (Windows only) If more than one file is related to the clip, a message box asks if you want to see the next file. If you click OK, you need to bring the Explorer window forward by pressing and holding the Alt key while pressing the Tab key until you select the OMFI MediaFiles folder or the Avid MediaFiles folder. Relinking Media Files Sometimes, after you consolidate or move material between systems, the clips or sequences lose their links to the original media files.
Relinking Media Files When you select subclips or sequences and select the Relink command, the system searches for master clips that contain the same material included in the selection. If you relink online media, the system searches for media clips that best match the options selected in the Relink dialog box. You can relink master clips to appropriate media files or to source tapes with compatible rates, and you can relink based on resolution.
Relinking Media Files 460
Relinking Media Files 3. Select options.
Relinking Media Files Option Description Allow relinking between tape and file based media Allows you to relink between imported and AMA linked media and captured tape based media. When comparing tape names to source file names the tape names are treated like source file names, for example extensions are ignored and version separators are included. Match case when comparing tape and source file names Makes tape name and source file name search case sensitive.
Relinking Media Files Option Description Format Lets you select a target project format for relinking. The selected format is used for quality comparison; you specify the relink format in the “Relink to” parameter. Resolution Lets you select a target resolution for relinking. The selected resolution is used for quality comparison; you specify the relink resolution in the “Relink method” parameter.
Relinking Media Files 7. If you selected Specific Resolution as your Relink method, Select one of the following: t Use Existing Media — displays the media to which the clips are currently linked t Unlink (Take Offline) — unlinks the clip and displays the message Media Offline If you are working in an offline resolution and want to capture in a higher resolution, select Unlink to ensure that you recapture all the media at the higher resolution.
Relinking Media Files Relinking Tape and File Based Media You can relink between imported and AMA linked media and captured tape based media. Usually you can only relink between clips with the same source file name or clips with the same tape name. By selecting the “Allow relinking between tape and file media” option, the system can relink by comparing the tape name to the source file name or the source file name to the tape name.
Unlinking Media Files To relink consolidated subclips or sequences: 1. Select the new master clips for a consolidated subclip or sequence (the clips have the file name extension .new), and unlink them. For information on unlinking, see “Unlinking Media Files” on page 466. 2. Select Clip > Relink. The Relink dialog box opens. 3. Select “Relink offline master clips to online media files” to relink master clips to media files that share similar database information. 4.
Archiving and Restoring Media Files to Videotape t (Windows) Ctrl+Shift+Right-click the clips and select Unlink. t (Macintosh) Using a multi-button mouse: Press and hold Cmd+Shift and Right-click the clips and select Unlink, or select Clip > Unlink from the main menu. t (Macintosh) Using a standard mouse: Press and hold Cmd+Ctrl+Shift and click the clips and select Unlink, or select Clip > Unlink from the main menu. The clips are unlinked and display the message Media Offline.
Archiving and Restoring Media Files to Videotape The archiving process divides the archive into multiple archive sequences based on the lengths of the available videotapes. The archiving to videotape process adds handles to the new clips that let you reedit the sequence after you restore the media files from the videotape. During the archiving process, the original media is archived to videotape.
Archiving and Restoring Media Files to Videotape 7. Select the appropriate options. If the clips or sequences that you want to archive are not highlighted in the active bin, Archive to Videotape appears dimmed in the Clip menu. Option Description Archive Name Type a name for the archive in the Archive Name text box. ProjectArchive is the default name. The archive name is numbered incrementally beginning with 001 to indicate the order of the tapes.
Archiving and Restoring Media Files to Videotape The Archive Length area displays the calculated length of time required for archiving the media files. The archiving process might require more time than indicated because individual clips are not divided between tapes. 9. Under the “Enter the quantity of tapes available for the archive” area, do one of the following: t Type the number of blank videotapes needed for the archive next to the length of time of your blank tapes.
Archiving and Restoring Media Files to Videotape Restoring an Archive from Videotape Restoring an archive from videotape is similar to performing a batch capture. The archiving process creates new master clips for sequences. During the restore process, each archived master clip is stamped with the archive tape name and archive timecodes. The original source information on the master clips remains unchanged.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Your Avid editing application recaptures the archived sequences and clips, and relinks the selected clips and sequences to the new master clips. 11. Batch import any graphics and render all non-real-time effects. For information about batch import, see “Reimporting Files” on page 313. Sequence and Clip Information Summary You can generate a report to display information about the contents of a sequence.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary n If a plug-in is not loaded on your system when you generate the summary, if you select the option "Show Missing Effects Only" from the Sequence Report dialog box, the information displays "unavailable effect," in addition to the plug-in name, the plug-in ID (is this gone?), and other information associated with the effect. (Is the vendor and version number displayed). This is helpful when identifying the effect.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary 2. (Option) Do the following: t If you selected specific tracks, click Enabled Tracks Only. t If you set In and Out points, click Use Marks. If you want to run a report on the entire sequence regardless of tracks or marks, do not select either of these options. 3. Select the Summary Info options you want to include in your report. For information on report options, see “Summary Information Options” on page 475. 4. Click Generate Report.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Summary Information Options The following options allow you to select which information to include in the sequence report. Summary Option Suboption Description Create Effect Summary This displays the types of effects and how many were found in your sequence, the breakdown by effect type, and an effect plug-in summary. If you have selected individual tracks or selected IN and OUT points, only those effects that fall within those parameters appear.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Summary Option Suboption Create Clip Summary or Create Source Summary Description Depending on the criteria you selected, a Clip Summary displays the number of clips found, type of clip, track, offline information, clip name, and clip Mob ID. A Source Summary displays the number of tape-based sources found, project name, tape name, tape ID, and tape Mob ID. It also displays a list of import paths for any imported clips, such as graphics.
12 Viewing and Marking Footage Before you begin editing, you can review your footage, add markers and comments to clips, mark IN to OUT points, and create subclips. By viewing and marking your material in advance, you can concentrate on editing and refining your sequence at a later time without having to pause and set marks each time you load a new clip.
Viewing Methods Viewing Methods You can work with clips and sequences in several ways, depending on your needs and preferences. Each method has its own uses and advantages, as described in the following table: Viewing Method Description In bins You see pictorial images of the clips in your bins by using Frame or Script view and can play the clips in the bin. For more information, see “Using Frame View” on page 324 and “Using Script View” on page 326.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors The Composer window is central to the editing process, providing all the essential controls for viewing, tracking, marking, and editing source and record footage. The Composer window includes the Source and Record monitors. All monitors in your Avid editing application use a display aspect ratio that matches the aspect ratio for the project. For HD projects, this is always 16:9.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Resizing the Composer Window and Monitors You can resize the monitors that display your footage in a variety of ways. You can: • n Resize any monitor to provide more area for displaying the Timeline or other windows If you are working with a multi-track Timeline, you might want to change the screen resolution to display more information on the screen. See your Windows or Macintosh documentation.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors To toggle between the single Record monitor and the Source/Record monitors: t Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) and then click the Source/Record Mode button. To hide or display the video in a monitor: t Right-click the monitor, and select Hide Video. The video disappears or reappears. When the video is hidden, the Hide Video command has a check mark beside it. To hide the controls in a monitor: 1.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Tracking information is updated continuously to reflect your current position in the footage. You can select which information you want to track from the Tracking Information menu (see “Tracking Format Options” on page 483). Tracking information in the Composer window. Left to right: First row of information (bottom) and second row of information (top). center duration display, and Tracking Information menu.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Tracking Format Options The Tracking Information menu contains options for information to be displayed above the monitors. The contents of the menu varies, depending on the monitor. Examples of the three panes in the Tracking Information menu for the Source monitor (left) and for the Record monitor (right) Panes in the Tracking Information Menu The Tracking Information menu has three panes.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Pane Description (Continued) Pane 1 example when you select Sequence > Timecode > TC1 Pane 1 example when you select Source > V1 Pane 2 Lists Source or Sequence timecode options, such as master timecode (Master), duration of the entire clip (Duration), IN to OUT duration (In/Out), absolute timecode (Absolute), and time remaining (Remain). The format type that you select from pane 1 determines the tracking format that is displayed.
Customizing the Composer Window and Monitors Pane Description (Continued) Example of Pane 2 in the Tracking Information menu Pane 3 Displays the timecode for the source track of a specific track (V1, A1, A2, and so on). The information is continuously updated based on the location of the position indicator. Tracking Format Options The following table describes the tracking format options. Option Description Master Displays master timecode at present location.
Using the Info Window Option Description (Continued) TC1, 24, 25, 25PD, 30D, 30ND For 24p and 25p projects only. TC1: base timecode for the project; 24: 24p project; 25: 25p project; 25PD: 25p with pulldown: 30D: 30 drop frame; 30ND: 30 non-drop frame Clip Name Displays the name of the clip. Timecode Displays tracking information as timecode (24p and 25p projects include a submenu with the various timecodes). Footage For 24p and 25p projects only. Displays tracking information as feet and frames.
Using the Timecode Window To display information from a bin: 1. Select a clip or sequence in a bin. You can use any bin view, and you can Ctrl+click to select multiple media objects. 2. Do one of the following: t Press Ctrl+I (Windows) or Command+I (Macintosh). t Right-click the clip or sequence and select Get Info. The Info window opens. Only fields with data are displayed. If you select more than 8 media objects, a dialog box asks if you want to open information windows for all selected items.
Playing Video to the Client Monitor 2. Click anywhere in the Timecode window, and select an option. Example of a Timecode menu 3. To add an additional line of timecode, click Add Line, then click the new line and select an option. 4. To change the size of the font displayed in the Timecode window, select Size > font size. 5. Click the Close button to close the Timecode window.
Activating and Deactivating the Client Monitor Display n If you do not have a Client monitor connected, you can still view the video through the camera eyepiece or through a monitor attached to a deck when outputting to an external camera or deck. For details on playing video to a DV device, see “Playing Back to a DV Device” on page 505.
Selecting the Video Display Settings Client monitor display becomes active or inactive. The Toggle Client Monitor button has a blue monitor icon when the Client monitor is active, and has a black monitor icon with a red diagonal line when the Client monitor is inactive. (If the Toggle Client Monitor button has a gray monitor icon, your application is running in software-only mode and clicking the button has no effect.) The states of the Toggle Client Monitor button.
Selecting the Video Display Settings 3. Select or modify the options for video display and click OK. n The options available vary depending on the model of your Avid editing application. For information about all options in the dialog, see “Video Display Settings” on page 1377. Some of these settings apply to playback and how effects are processed.
Playing Video to a Full-Screen Monitor Playing Video to a Full-Screen Monitor The Full Screen Playback option lets you view your video on a full-screen monitor. To enable full screen playback: 1. Make sure your system is properly set up for full-screen monitor play. For more information, see “Understanding Full Screen Playback Options” in the Help. 2. Check the Full Screen Playback Settings to ensure you have them set properly. For more information, see “Full Screen Playback Settings” on page 1345. 3.
Using the Tool Palette Using the Tool Palette The Tool palette provides additional buttons for editing and navigating with your Avid editing application. The Tool palette buttons can appear with or without labels, and you can “tear off” the Tool palette to display it in another screen location. You can also map other functions and buttons to the Tool palette for easy access. See “The Command Palette” on page 107. To use the Tool palette: 1.
Playing Selected Clips in a Loop Playing Selected Clips in a Loop You can view several clips one after another in a continuous loop by selecting Bin > Loop Selected Clips. This feature is useful if you want to view several versions of the same scene. While playing the loop, you can jump to the next clip by pressing the Tab key or jump to the previous clip by pressing Shift+Tab. To play several clips in a continuous loop: 1. Select the clips in the bin that you want to play in a loop. 2.
Loading and Clearing Footage t Double-click the single clip or sequence, or any one of the selected set of clips or sequences. By default, the material opens in the Source or Record monitor. If you have the “Double-click loads clip in” option in the Bin Settings dialog box set to “New Pop-up Monitor,” the material opens in a pop-up monitor. For more information, see “Bin Settings” on page 1298.
Loading and Clearing Footage 2. Select a different clip name from the menu. The selected clip replaces the current clip in the monitor display. n To see the list of clips or sequences sorted in the order in which they were loaded into the monitor, press the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) while opening the menu. Clearing Clips from Monitors You can use the Clip Name menu located above each monitor to clear clips from a monitor.
Controlling Playback Controlling Playback There are several ways to play, view, and cue clip and sequences: • Instantly access frames or move through footage by using the position indicator within the position bar under the monitors. • Play, step (jog), or shuttle through footage by using user-selectable buttons. • Play, step, or shuttle by using keyboard equivalents.
Controlling Playback Blue position indicator in the monitor position bar (top) and in the Timeline (bottom), with the Timeline ruler above the Timeline. To move the position indicator in the Timeline, do one of the following: • Disable the segment tools (Lift/Overwrite and Extract/Splice-in) and click an area of the segment outside of the active trim region. • Use the Timeline ruler.
Controlling Playback t To move the position indicator and access the frame at the new position, click anywhere in a monitor’s position bar or in the Timeline, or drag the position indicator to the left or right in a monitor’s position bar or in the Timeline. The speed with which you drag the position indicator determines the speed at which you move through the footage. t To go directly to the beginning or end of a clip or sequence, click to the far left or far right of the position bar or the Timeline.
Controlling Playback n Button Primary Default Location Function Play Monitors Plays the footage at normal speed. Changes to the Stop button when playback is taking place. Stop Play tab in Command palette Stops playback. Changes to the Play button when you have stopped playback. Pause button Play tab in Command palette Pauses playback. Play Reverse button Play tab in Command palette Plays the footage backward at normal speed.
Controlling Playback Button Primary Default Location Function (Continued) Step Backward 10-frames or 8-frames button Move tab in Command palette Moves the footage 10 frames backward (NTSC or PAL) or 8 frames backward (progressive formats). Step Forward 10-frames or 8-frames button Move tab in Command palette Moves the footage 10 frames forward (NTSC or PAL) or 8 frames forward (progressive formats).
Controlling Playback Playback Control Using the Keyboard Many playback functions, including most of the playback controls covered in “Playback Control Buttons” on page 499, are mapped to keys on your keyboard. You can customize the keyboard by mapping buttons or menu commands to it from the Command palette, for example to add other playback functions. Default keyboard mappings vary, depending on the type of keyboard attached to your Avid system.
Controlling Playback Keys Function Home, End, Left Arrow, • and Right Arrow keys J, K, and L keys Home key—move to the beginning of a clip or sequence • End key—move to the end of a clip or sequence • Left Arrow key—moves the footage 1 frame backward • Right Arrow key—moves the footage 1 frame forward Let you play, step, and shuttle through footage at varying speeds.
Controlling Playback Press the L Key To Play Footage at NTSC Rate PAL Rate 24p Rate 5 times 8x normal speed 200 fps 192 fps 240 fps t Press the J key to move backward at the same shuttle speed increments. t Press the K and L keys together for slow forward (8 fps for NTSC, 6 fps for PAL, and 6 fps for 24p projects). t Press the K and J keys together for slow backward. t Press and hold the K key and tap the L key or the J key to step through footage one frame at a time.
Playing Back to a DV Device Playing Back to a DV Device If you do not have Avid input/output hardware attached to your system (software-only), you can play back DV media through a DV device. Your options for playback of media to a DV device vary, depending on whether the media is played back as DV 25, DV 50, or DVCPRO HD (DV 100). • You can play back DV 25 media through a DV device attached to a 1394 port on your computer..
Video Quality Options for Playback n - If you do not select Realtime Encoding, you are in native play mode. You must render all effects and any media not matching the selected format will be played as black. The Video Quality menu only lets you select Full Quality (green) playback. Disabling Realtime Encoding is helpful if your machine has a slower processor. - Select Realtime Encoding to output 24p media to a DV device. You must also select Full Quality playback.
Video Quality Options for Playback Video Quality Name and Icon Description (Continued) Full Quality 10-bit Processes and plays the full image raster for the project, as described for Full Quality in the previous row. However, this option uses a bit depth of 10 bits, which provides higher quality processing for some effects. For more information, see the “Change the Bit Depth for Effects Processing” section in “Options for Controlling Real-Time Effects Playback” in the Help.
Setting the Video Quality for Playback Setting the Video Quality for Playback To set the video quality for playback: 1. Do one of the following: t Click the Video Quality Menu button to cycle through the video quality options available until the button icon indicates the video quality you want. t Right-click the Video Quality Menu button, and select a video quality option. For detailed information on the video quality options, see “Video Quality Options for Playback” on page 506. 2.
Marking and Subcataloging Footage Even if your marks are not accurate now, your Avid editing application lets you trim the edit points and fine-tune the sequence later without reediting the material. To mark IN and OUT points: 1. Load a clip or sequence from a bin into a monitor, or select a clip in the bin (Frame view or Script view). 2. Play or step through the material. Use the J-K-L keys when playing a clip in a bin (Frame view or Script view).
Marking and Subcataloging Footage By default on United States keyboards, the Mark OUT key is the O key. In the monitor, a Sawtooth icon appears on the right to indicate the mark OUT frame. To clear the IN point, do one of the following: t Click the Clear IN Mark button. t Press the Clear IN Mark key. To clear the OUT point, do one of the following: t Click the Clear OUT Mark button. t Press the Clear OUT Mark key. To clear both the IN and OUT points: t Click the Clear Both Marks button.
Marking and Subcataloging Footage For more information, see “Understanding the Track Selector Panel” on page 695. 4. Click the Mark Clip button. Creating Subclips When you mark footage with IN and OUT points, either you can save the entire clip along with the new marks, or you can create subclips based on the marks you set to break up longer master clips into smaller segments of selected footage.
Marking and Subcataloging Footage t Click the Create Subclip icon, located above and to the side of the Source monitor, and drag it to the bin in which you want to store the subclip. Create Subclip icon in the monitor The Create Subclip icon changes to an icon of a hand pointing at a frame during the drag, and then becomes a Subclip icon when you release the frame in the intended bin. t Click the Make Subclip button in the Edit tab of the Command palette.
Using Markers Marking Audio Clips You can mark audio and video separately for an edit by using the Audio Mark buttons. This feature is useful for creating an overlap edit for an audio clip. You can map the Audio Mark buttons from the Edit tab of the Command palette. For information on mapping buttons, see “Understanding Button Mapping” on page 107. To mark IN and OUT points on audio tracks: 1. Load a clip or sequence into a monitor. 2.
Using Markers There are eight Add Marker buttons in the More tab of the Command palette. Each Add Marker button is a different color, which lets you group markers by color. For example, you can use the red Add Marker button to identify color correction frames and use the blue Add Marker button to identify cutaway shots. You can map Add Marker buttons, as described in “Understanding Button Mapping” on page 107.
Using Markers Use Description Print a list of reviewer comments Use the Markers window to print a list of changes or comments that you can distribute to other people in the production. See “Using the Markers Window” on page 520. Import and export markers Import or export markers from one sequence or clip into another sequence or clip. See “Exporting and Importing Markers” on page 523.
Using Markers Adding Markers While Editing To add markers and comments while in an editing session: 1. Load a clip or sequence. 2. (Option) Select a specific track by using the Track Selector panel. See “Understanding the Track Selector Panel” on page 695. 3. Cue to the frame, and click an Add Marker button. The Add Marker buttons are in the More tab of the Command palette. The Marker edit entry window opens. The marker name, color, frame, and track information appear.
Using Markers Adding Markers On-the-Fly while Playing To add markers on-the-fly while playing: 1. Load a sequence or clip. See “Loading and Clearing Footage” on page 494. 2. (Option) Select a specific track, using the Track Selector panel. See “Understanding the Track Selector Panel” on page 695. 3. Map the Add Marker button to a key by doing the following: a. Open the Command Palette, click the More tab, and select Button-to-Button Reassigment. b.
Using Markers Marker edit entry window. Top: a comment in the comment area. Bottom: button to open the Markers window 3. (Option) Type a new name in the Name text box. 4. Type your comments in the comment area of the Marker edit pane. 5. (Option) Change the color from the Color menu or change the marker name. 6. To save your information, click OK, or press the Enter key. The information is stored with the marked frame.
Using Markers Editing Marker Information You can open the Marker edit entry window directly from a monitor, from the position indicator bar, or from the Markers window. In the Marker edit entry window, you can change the color of a marker, the marker name, or the text of the comment associated with a marker. To edit Marker information in the Marker edit entry window: 1. Do one of the following: 2. Click the oval Marker icon in the Source or Record monitor. 3.
Using Markers The area between the two markers is selected. Moving to the Previous or Next Marker You can move to a frame marked by a marker by using the Go to Previous Marker button or the Go to Next Marker button. To move to the previous marker: t Click the Go to Previous Marker button in the Move tab of the Command palette. To move to the next marker: t Click the Go to Next Marker button in the Move tab of the Command palette.
Using Markers • Export markers to send out as a review and approval file. • Print the Markers window. This is especially useful for identifying and listing specific frames to be used in an effect, for example. You can also make a list of IN and OUT points for adding music. • Copy and paste markers from one clip or sequence to another. The following illustration shows a Markers window with three markers. Viewing Markers in the Markers Window The Markers window is monitor specific.
Using Markers You can also: • Export and import markers For more information, see “Exporting and Importing Markers” on page 523. • Copy and paste markers For more information, see “Copying and Pasting Markers Using the Markers Window” on page 524. • Print the contents of the Markers window For more information, see “Printing the Contents of the Markers Window” on page 526. To select a marker item: t Click anywhere in the marker item’s row except in the Comment column.
Using Markers To change the color of a Marker icon: t Right-click the marker icon, select Change Marker Color, and select a color. To delete markers: 1. Click a marker item, or Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) multiple marker items. 2. Press the Delete key. Exporting and Importing Markers You can export markers from a sequence or a clip. A text (.txt) file is created when you export the marker and a tab-delimited file displays all the information about the marker.
Using Markers Creating a Marker Text (.txt) File You can create a Marker text file if you don’t have access to an Avid system. This lets you make timecode-specific comments offline and give them to an editor to import into a sequence. The Marker text file is a tab-delimited file which must be created with certain parameters. This file can be edited in a text editor application or in a spreadsheet program. The Marker text file can be exported from or imported into the Markers window.
Using Markers t Select Edit > Copy. t Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Macintosh). 3. Load a new clip in the Source monitor. 4. Click the Marker window and do one of the following: t Select Edit > Paste. t Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Macintosh). The marker is pasted into the new clip. To copy markers from a clip and paste them into a sequence using the Markers window: 1. Select the markers in the Markers window by doing one of the following: t Click a single marker.
Using Markers Printing the Contents of the Markers Window You can print the complete contents or the current view of the Markers window. n If you select Show Images to display the frame associated with each marker and you want to print the frames, you must use the procedure for printing the current view of the Markers window. Printing the complete contents does not print the frames. To print the current view of the Markers window: 1. Make sure your printer is correctly set up. 2.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins 10. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Macintosh). The system prints the marker information displayed the Console window. Disabling the Marker Edit Window If you want to add markers without including comments, you can modify the behavior of the Marker edit window so that it does not open each time you create a new marker. This lets you add markers quickly and then edit marker information later.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins Using Timecode to Find a Frame You can cue a loaded clip or sequence to a specific frame by typing timecode values with the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard. In addition, you can cue backward or forward from the current location in the clip or sequence by a specified number of minutes and seconds, or feet plus frames, by using positive or negative frame-offset values.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins Example of timecode entry with the numeric keypad. The timecode appears in the monitor. In this example, the interface displays master timecode. Use one of the following formats: Format Description SMPTE timecode Use two digits each for the hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. For example, type 01230200 to enter 01:23:02:00. Current timecode To find a timecode that starts at the same hour, minute, or second as the current timecode, type only the last digits.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins If you have performed step 2 on a notebook computer or a keyboard that does not have a dedicated numeric keypad, use the standard keyboard plus (+) and minus (-) keys. 4. Type a number for the frame offset, and then press Enter on the numeric keypad. If you have performed step 2 on a notebook computer or a keyboard that does not have a dedicated numeric keypad, use the standard keyboard number keys, and then press the Enter key (Windows) or Return key (Macintosh).
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins For a table of all the options available in the Find Window, see “Find Window Attributes” on page 560. Things You Should Know About Text Find • You can continue to work, while the system indexes your project. • The system creates a SearchData folder located in your Projects folder when you index text or phonetic searches. If you are working in an ISIS environment, the SearchData folder is located inside the Project client (computer name) folder.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins n The Bin Index status at the bottom of the window indicates if the data files in your bins have been indexed. A full green display indicates that your files have been indexed and are ready to search. A partial green display indicates that the index is in process and if you perform a search, your results might not be complete. 2. Type a word or phrase that you are looking for in the text box. 3. Select to search in Clips and Sequences, Script Text, or Timeline and Monitors.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins 5. If you select Script Text, then select from the following: Scripts in Project The system searches for the text criteria in all the scripts within the project regardless if the script is currently opened. Current Script The system searches for the text criteria in the last active script. The script must be open and active in order for the system to search within the script. 6.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins n To select the next occurrence in your bin, press Ctrl+G (Windows) or Cmd+G (Macintosh). 12. (Option) To refine the number of results, you can enter additional criteria in the filters. Select a specific column from the Filter menu that you would like to search in, then enter additional text relating to that column. The column you are searching on does not have to display in the bin. n Click the “+” button to add additional filters. Click the “-” button to remove filters.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins To use Match Frame to locate the source clip for a selected frame or motion effect: 1. Load a sequence into the Record monitor or a subclip into the Source monitor. 2. Move the position indicator to the frame or motion effect that you want to match. 3. In the Track Selector panel, select the track for the frame that you want to match. For more information, see “Understanding the Track Selector Panel” on page 695 and “Selecting Tracks for Matching Frames” on page 536. 4.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins Selecting Tracks for Matching Frames Track selection determines the match frame. If you select a video track, your Avid editing application m matches a frame from the video. If you enable several tracks, your Avid editing application matches the frame from the highest selected track level, in descending order: V1, A1, A2, and so on. You can match frame a single track without having to turn off all other tracks.
Finding Frames, Clips, and Bins Locating a Master Clip from a Subclip in a Sequence You can use the Match Frame and Find Bin buttons together to find the original clip in the bin for a subclip that was edited into a sequence. n For this operation, you must have the monitors in the two-monitor display and the Match Frame button must be mapped below both the Source and Record monitors. To locate a master clip from a subclip: 1. Cue to the subclip in the sequence. 2.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Sequence and Clip Information Summary You can generate a report to display information about the contents of a sequence. For example, you can generate a list of the types of effects in your sequence or the location of a particular effect. You can also create a clip summary or a source summary. This allows you to display a list of clip names, tape names, offline clips, and path locations of imported clips contained in your selection.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Creating a Summary of Effects and Source Information Before you use the Sequence Report dialog box to create a summary of effects, source information, or clip information, you might want to do the following: n • Determine if you want the report to cover specific tracks or a section of the sequence between In and Out points.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary 2. (Option) Do the following: t If you selected specific tracks, click Enabled Tracks Only. t If you set In and Out points, click Use Marks. If you want to run a report on the entire sequence regardless of tracks or marks, do not select either of these options. 3. Select the Summary Info options you want to include in your report. For information on report options, see “Summary Information Options” on page 541. 4. Click Generate Report.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Summary Information Options The following options allow you to select which information to include in the sequence report. Summary Option Suboption Description Create Effect Summary This displays the types of effects and how many were found in your sequence, the breakdown by effect type, and an effect plug-in summary. If you have selected individual tracks or selected IN and OUT points, only those effects that fall within those parameters appear.
Sequence and Clip Information Summary Summary Option Suboption Create Clip Summary or Create Source Summary Description Depending on the criteria you selected, a Clip Summary displays the number of clips found, type of clip, track, offline information, clip name, and clip Mob ID. A Source Summary displays the number of tape-based sources found, project name, tape name, tape ID, and tape Mob ID. It also displays a list of import paths for any imported clips, such as graphics.
13 PhraseFind The PhraseFind option (phonetic find) searches and finds audio dialogue throughout bins in a single project. PhraseFind starts by indexing all the audio in your bins (based on the language you choose). You then enter search criteria, and the system searches through those bins for all occurrences of the audio search criteria you enter. PhraseFind indexes and finds audio in master clips, subclips and group clips.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind How Do I Purchase PhraseFind? • You can purchase PhraseFind through your Avid Reseller. • You can purchase PhraseFind from your Avid editing application’s Find window. • You can purchase PhraseFind directly through the Avid web store at http://shop.avid.com, then search for PhraseFind.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind - If you purchased your Avid editing application from the Avid store, you can also view your System ID number by logging in to your Store account at http://account.avid.com/ If you have a dongle attached to your Avid editing application, check the License Profile tab of the Avid License Control tool or use DongleManager to obtain your System ID. See the steps below for information about this utility.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind Your trial is activated. Your 30-day trial of PhraseFind also includes access to all available languages during the trial. You do not need to activate any additional language packs at this time. However, you need to select your language from the Select a Language menu in the PhraseFind window. 6. In the PhraseFind window, select your language from the Select a Language menu and wait for the PhraseFind Index to turn green.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind To purchase PhraseFind through the Avid editing application’s Find Window: 1. Open your Avid editing application and an Avid project. 2. Press Ctrl+F or select Edit > Find. The Find window opens. 3. Type a word or phrase in the text box, then click the PhraseFind button. A dialog box opens which informs you that PhraseFind is not activated on this machine. 4. Click Buy.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind Activating PhraseFind with the Avid License Control Tool When you purchase PhraseFind and open the Avid License Control tool, you are ready to activate the PhraseFind feature. You can only use and activate PhraseFind on a single machine at one time. If you have an Internet connection on the machine that you will be using PhraseFind, follow the instructions “To activate PhraseFind with the Avid License Control tool and with an Internet connection:” on page 549.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind To activate PhraseFind with the Avid License Control tool and with an Internet connection: 1. With the Avid License Control tool open, click Activate next to PhraseFind. A dialog box opens.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind 2. If your computer has an Internet connection, select “I am connected to the Internet and will use this computer.” 3. Click Continue. The Avid Activation dialog box opens. 4. Enter your system identification number in the System ID text box. This number pre-displays if you have activated your Avid editing application. If the System ID does not appear, see “What Will I Need to Activate PhraseFind?” on page 544 for more information.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind The Activation tool confirms your system information, and the Select the default language dialog box opens. 7. Select your language. The language you choose is the one free language included with PhraseFind. You can also purchase additional language packs and select different languages to search on in the Find window.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind Depending on your web browser, the license.bin file could be located on your desktop or in a download folder. 9. Move the license.bin file to the system you need to activate PhraseFind. You can use a removable storage device such as a USB drive or you can transfer the data over your network. 10. Open the Avid License Control tool. 11. Click Browse and navigate to the license.bin file you moved to your system, then click Open. 12.
Purchasing and Activating PhraseFind 6. Enter your system identification number in the System ID text box. This number pre-displays if you have activated your Avid editing application. If the System ID does not appear, see “What Will I Need to Activate PhraseFind?” on page 544 for more information. n You can copy and paste your system identification number and your Activation ID from a text file to the appropriate text boxes. 7. Enter your language pack Activation ID in the Activation ID text box.
Understanding PhraseFind Understanding PhraseFind Now that you have purchased and activated PhraseFind, there are a few things that might help you understand how PhraseFind works. Things You Should Know About PhraseFind • You can continue to work while the system indexes your project. • The system creates a SearchData and a PhoneticData folder located in your Projects folder when you index text or phonetic searches.
Using PhraseFind Selecting a Language Avid supports several different languages. Language packs are purchased separately. You receive one free language with the purchase and activation of PhraseFind. You can purchase and have multiple languages licensed on your system, however, you can only use one language per project. Every time you choose a new language, the system re-indexes and re-populates with the new language phonetic files.
Using PhraseFind n The PhraseFind Index status at the bottom of the window indicates if the phonetic files in your bins have been indexed. A full green display indicates that your files have been indexed and are ready to search. A partial green display indicates that the index is in process and if you perform a search, your results might not be complete. 3. Make sure a language is selected. 4. Type a word or phrase that describes the dialogue you are looking for in the text box. 5.
The Results Window 7. Select Ignore Case if you want the system to search for the text regardless if it is upper or lower case characters (for Current Bin only). 8. Click PhraseFind or press Enter. A Cancel button appears and the system informs you that it is finding your criteria. The results appear in the Results window. The system displays the total number of items found after your search. 9.
The Results Window To resize the Results window: t Click and drag the corner of the window to enlarge or reduce the size of the window. The window adjusts. If you enlarge the window, more results display in the Results window. To display columns: 1. Click Select Columns. The Click column names to select dialog box opens. The default columns are pre-selected (Bin, Name, Duration, Video, Creation Date, Start, End, Tracks, Mark IN-OUT, IN-OUT). The Icon, Name and Bin columns always display.
Filtering Your Find Results Column selections reset from search to search. The system does not remember columns you have previously selected. 2. Click the columns you want to display in the Results window. You can deselect the default columns. 3. Click OK. The columns you selected appear in the Results window. To move columns: t In the Results window, click and drag a column heading. The column moves to the new location.
Find Window Attributes To filter a search: 1. After you perform a text find or PhraseFind, select a specific column from the Filter menu that you would like to search in and enter additional text criteria. n You need to perform a find before columns display in the Filter menu. As you enter the text criteria, the results start to update and less results appear in the window based on your criteria. 2. Click the “+” button to add additional filters.
Find Window Attributes Results Window Attributes Description Clips and Sequences Select this option if you want the system to search through your clips and sequences. The system does not search and find referenced clips in a sequence. Then choose to search in the current bin and script opened in your project or all bins and scripts in the project regardless if they are opened or not. Script Text Select this option if you want the system to search through your scripts.
Find Window Attributes Results Window Attributes Description Found Displays the total number of results found after your search. after filtering Displays the total number of results found after you filter.
14 Creating and Editing Sequences This chapter introduces you to procedures that you use to build a sequence, as described in the following topics: • Entering Source/Record Mode • Creating a New Sequence • Making a First Edit • Creating an Instant Rough Cut • Undoing or Redoing Edits • Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence • Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types • Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios • Refreshing Sequences to Use Current Clip Attributes • Lifting, Extracting, and
Entering Source/Record Mode • Creating Video and Audio Leaders • Using MetaSync to Synchronize Metadata Entering Source/Record Mode Source/Record mode is the default editing mode. It includes the screens and controls used for the Source and Record monitor. Use Source/Record mode to create new sequences from source clips. To enter Source/Record mode from another mode: t Click the Source/Record Mode button.
Creating a New Sequence - If just one bin is open or you activate a bin, the new sequence appears in that bin. It also appears in the Record monitor and in the Timeline, with the generic title “Untitled Sequence n.” Each new sequence is numbered incrementally until you rename it. - If a bin is not activated, the Select dialog box opens. Select the bin where you want to store the new sequence, or click New Bin to create and open a new bin, then click OK.
Creating a New Sequence Start timecode text box (left) and Start key number text box (right, for 24p or 25p projects only) in the Sequence Report dialog box 2. Type a new name in the Name text box. 3. Drag the pointer across the start timecode (Starting TC) to select it, and type a new timecode. You need to type only the first colon (non-drop-frame timecode) or semicolon (drop-frame timecode). For example, type 01:000000 for 01:00:00:00.
Creating a New Sequence To change the start timecode of a sequence in a bin: 1. In the bin, click the start time for the sequence in the Start column. 2. Type a new timecode. Track Display for New Sequences When you create a new sequence with the New Sequence command and no material is loaded in the Source monitor, the Timeline displays a default set of tracks—the master timecode track (TC1), at least one video track (V1), and at least two audio tracks (A1 and A2).
Creating a New Sequence The default settings are: • Auto-create New Tracks: Whenever you edit new source material from the Source monitor, the system automatically creates any new tracks in the sequence that match enabled tracks on the source side. • Auto-enable Source Tracks: Whenever you load new source material into the Source monitor, the system automatically enables all existing source tracks.
Making a First Edit t Move the position indicator for the sequence to the point where you want to add the filler. t Mark an In point at the point in the sequence where you want to add the filler. 4. Click the Splice-in or Overwrite button to edit the filler into the sequence. Splice-in button (left) and Overwrite button (right) For more information, see “Performing an Insert or Splice-in Edit” on page 572 and “Performing an Overwrite Edit” on page 573.
Creating an Instant Rough Cut As another example, if you lay down a music track first, you would select track A1 or A2 depending on where the music was recorded, and deselect V1. 4. Click the Splice-in button to add the edit to the sequence in the Record monitor. The Record monitor displays the end of the last frame of the new edit. (You can drag the position indicator in the Timeline or the position bar beneath the monitor to review the clip.
Undoing or Redoing Edits n If no sequences are loaded in the Record monitor, the Timeline has no features. 3. Do one of the following: t Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) the clips. t Lasso the clips by dragging left to right and down to select more than one clip. For more information, see “Selecting Clips and Sequences” on page 329. t Select Edit > Select All if there are no other clips in the bin. 4.
Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence You can limit the Undo function to undo only record actions by selecting the Undo Only Record Events option in the Edit tab of the Composer Settings dialog box. For example, you can select the Undo Only Record Events option and then mark several In and Out points in clips loaded in the Source monitor. If you decide to undo the last edit made to the sequence, then you would not lose the In and Out points in the source clips.
Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence Existing material moves beyond the spliced material, lengthening the overall duration of the sequence. 4 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 A splice-in edit. Clip 3 in the sequence moves down when you splice clip 4 in at the insertion point (red line). To perform an insert edit: 1. Load a clip into the Source monitor. 2. Mark an In point and an Out point. 3. Mark an In point in the sequence as follows: n a.
Editing Additional Clips into the Sequence To perform an overwrite edit: 1. Load a clip into the Source monitor. 2. In the monitor, mark an In or Out point, but not both, to show the start or end of the clip you want to use. 3. In the Record monitor, mark both an In point and an Out point to select the material in the sequence you want to overwrite. You can also mark an Out point and move the position indicator to the In point. 4. Click the Overwrite button (red) to complete the edit.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types The system calculates In and Out points for the source material by using the sync frames and the existing In and Out points in the sequence for the previously edited clip that you want to replace. n When you select the tracks you want, check the durations before you perform the edit.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types Mixed rate clips always play at the project’s frame rate, both in Source or pop-up monitors and in sequences. Audio remains synchronized with video. You can stack clips with different frame rates or field motion types on multiple video tracks, apply effects, and otherwise perform all normal editing operations.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types User Interface Summary for Mixed Rate Clips Illustration Description In the Timeline, several visual indicators highlight mixed rate clips. For more information, see “Viewing Mixed Rate Clips in the Timeline” on page 578. In the Motion Effect Editor, you can view the parameter values for a Motion Adapter effect, and adjust the render type. To make further adjustments, you need to promote the Motion Adapter effect to a Timewarp effect.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types Viewing Mixed Rate Clips in the Timeline Mixed rate clips that are unrendered always appear with a green dot that represents the Motion Adapter effect, the green dot appears on mixed rate clips edited into a sequence. If you use the Toggle Source/Record button to view the Timeline for a mixed rate clip loaded in the Source monitor, you also see the green dot on that clip. Mixed rate clips also display with their original frame rate appended to the clip name.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types n In some circumstances, the Adaptive Deinterlace Source option is active in the Motion Effect Editor for a Motion Adapter effect. Adaptive deinterlacing is a processing option that can improve the look of interlaced source material that is being converted to progressive frames. For more information, see “Using Adaptive Deinterlacing” in the Help. To view parameter values for a motion adapter and adjust the render type: 1.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types 3. Select a rendering option from the Type list. For information on the rendering types available, see “Rendering Options for Timewarp Effects” in the Help. To promote a motion adapter to a Timewarp effect 1. Move the position indicator to the mixed rate clip that uses the motion adapter you want to adjust. 2. Click the Motion Effect button. The Motion Effect Editor opens. 3. Click the Promote button.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types Changes you make to the Field Motion attribute apply only to the individual clip or subclip. You can have several subclips derived from the same master clip, and set different Field Motion values on each of them. When you change the Field Motion attribute of a clip, it updates if it is loaded in a Source or pop-up monitor, and new edits into a sequence from the clip use the new Field Motion attribute value.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types Considerations When Working with Mixed Rate Clips Playback of Mixed Rate Material with Different Frame Sizes When your mixed rate sequence includes clips of different frame sizes, consider using the High-Quality Scaling for Real-Time Decode setting. This setting improves image quality during playback of mixed-format sequences where material requires resizing. For more information, see “Video Display Settings” on page 1377.
Mixing Frame Rates and Field Motion Types them into sequences in the same project type. When existing material in a sequence is transcoded across edit rates, your Avid editing application automatically removes motion adapters and adjusts Timewarp effects. Your Avid editing application creates new clips whose duration and start and end timecode matches the original clips as closely as possible and which are as compatible as possible with the project’s edit rate.
Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios Effect Templates and Mixed Rate Material You can use effect templates that you save in bins with clips of all frame rates and in sequences of any project type. When you apply a template, your Avid editing application adjusts keyframes if necessary to account for differences in frame rate. Dynamic Relink and Mixed Rate Material You can enable the Dynamic Relink feature to work with mixed rate clips.
Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios Changing the Aspect Ratio for a Project You typically set the aspect ratio for a project when you create the project (see “Creating a New Project” on page 50). The aspect ratio can be changed at any time, however this will affect any titles that you have created, so the titles also need to be recreated at the new aspect ratio. n For HD projects, only the 16:9 aspect ratio is available as this is the only aspect ratio allowed in the HD standard.
Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios Modifying the Reformat Attribute for a Clip Your Avid editing application uses the Reformat attribute of a clip to resize and reposition the clip so that it conforms to the current frame size and aspect ratio specified in the Project Settings. When you create a clip or subclip, the Reformat attribute is automatically set to Stretch. If you are using AMA to link to clips, then the default is set to Center Keep Size. You can modify this Reformat attribute at any time.
Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios 2. Click the Text tab. 3. (Option) If it is not already visible, display the Reformat bin heading. For more information, see “Using Text View” on page 320. 4. Click the Reformat field for the clip or sub-clip, and select an option. Options apply only to clips that do not match the frame size and aspect ratio of the project. For more information, see “Reformatting Options Reference” on page 587.
Mixing Frame Sizes and Aspect Ratios Option Description Pillarbox/Letterbox preserve aspect ratio Scales the clip to create the largest possible image without cropping, while maintaining the original aspect ratio. The illustration shows two examples. When you edit a 16:9 clip into a 4:3 sequence (left), the resulting segment has horizontal bars at the top and the bottom. When you edit a 4:3 clip into a 16:9 sequence (right), the resulting segment has vertical bars at the sides.
Refreshing Sequences to Use Current Clip Attributes Refreshing Sequences to Use Current Clip Attributes You can change certain attribute values or settings for a clip at any time. You can change a clip’s Field Motion attribute value or its Reformat attribute value. You can also change the source settings for a RED clip that has been linked in a sequence.
Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material Lifting, extracting, and copying let you remove or reposition material quickly in your sequence. For example, you can move a clip from the end of your sequence to the beginning; or you can remove the material from the sequence altogether. Your Avid editing application places the material you remove into the Clipboard. You can then paste the material elsewhere in the sequence or into another sequence.
Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material To extract material: 1. Mark In and Out points at the start and end of the material in the sequence that you want to extract. 2. Select the tracks containing the material. The system performs the function on selected tracks only. If sync locks are on, all material on all tracks is extracted. For more information, see “Understanding the Track Selector Panel” on page 695 and “Understanding Locking and Sync Locking” on page 701. 3.
Lifting, Extracting, and Copying Material The Clipboard lets you restore lifted or extracted segments quickly. This is useful if you have performed one or more edits since removing the material. In contrast, if you use the Undo function to restore the material, your Avid editing application also undoes all edits performed in the meantime. n Material in the Clipboard does not appear as a clip in the bin and is deleted when you close the project.
Adding Comments to Sequence Clips Adding Comments to Sequence Clips When you add comments to sequence clips, they appear in the Timeline or in lists that you create, such as an EDL or a cut list. Comments can include instructions for color correction or for adjusting an effect. To add comments to the clips in a sequence: 1. Click one of the Segment buttons (located in the Timeline palette), and highlight the clip to which you want to add a comment in the Timeline.
Playing Back a Sequence To play a sequence: 1. Click the Video Track Monitor icon located on the uppermost video track to display all video tracks and effects during playback. 2. Click the Active/Inactive button to ensure proper playback of the audio tracks. 3. Click the Data Track Monitor button to ensure proper playback of the data track. You can only monitor and view the data on a client monitor capable of handling ancillary data.
Understanding Sync Breaks See “Mounting and Unmounting Drives” on page 439. You can remount the drives at any time by selecting File > Mount All. • When displaying real-time effects, adjust the video quality (see “Setting the Video Quality for Playback” on page 508). • Restart your computer once a day to refresh the system memory. • Split the sequence into two or more segments, if possible.
Understanding Sync Breaks By default, the Timeline displays sync breaks whenever they occur while you edit. They appear at break points as white numbers indicating negative or positive offset values relative to zero. The Sync Breaks option also displays match-frame edits as an equal sign (=) on the edits. For more information on match frames, see “Working with Add Edits (Match Frames)” on page 710.
Understanding Sync Breaks Task Tips Perform Segment Use the Lift/Overwrite function instead of Extract/Splice-in. (Lift/Overwrite edits leaves filler behind and overwrites material at the new destination, maintaining sync in both cases.) For more information, see “Working with Segments” on page 681. Trimming Sync lock tracks to avoid breaking sync or use the Alt (Windows) or Option (Macintosh) key function for adding black during trims.
Fixing Sync Breaks Fixing Sync Breaks You fix sync breaks by eliminating the overlapping portion of out-of-sync tracks. You can do this in one of several ways, depending on the type of break and your sequence. For more information, see “Tips for Fixing Sync Breaks” on page 597. You can customize the sync breaks display in the Timeline, for example to limit the display to video tracks only. This can reduce clutter and help you focus on a particular set of fixes.
Understanding Sync Lock There are several unique aspects to sync locking: • You control sync lock by the Segment Drag Sync Locks option in the Edit tab of the Timeline Settings dialog and the Sync Lock icons in the Timeline. For more information on sync locking tracks, see “Maintaining Sync with Segment Edits” on page 688. • When trimming, sync lock applies only to single-roller trims because dual-roller trims do not break sync.
Understanding Sync Lock Syncing with Markers You can add markers to material in the Timeline to track and adjust breaks in sync between any number of tracks. You can place markers anywhere in the sequence and you can add specific notes. For more information on using markers, see “Using Markers” on page 513. To mark sync points with markers: 1. Move the position indicator to the point in the sequence where you want to maintain sync between two or more tracks. 2.
Ganging Footage in Monitors To restore sync: 1. Find the point at which the sync was lost. 2. Use the appropriate edit function to add or remove frames, as described in “Fixing Sync Breaks” on page 598. Using Add Edit When Trimming When you trim with several audio tracks in sync, you can create an edit in the silent or black areas of the synced tracks. They occur in line with the track you trim, and they trim all the tracks at once to maintain sync. n You can also add an edit to filler.
Sync Point Editing To gang footage in monitors: 1. Load a sequence into the Record monitor. 2. Load one or more clips into the Source monitor and pop-up monitors. 3. Click the Gang button for each monitor that you want to synchronize (the Record monitor is always ganged). 4. View the footage in any of the monitors. As you move through footage in one monitor, the footage in all other monitors freezes. The footage is updated when the play stops.
Autosyncing Clips t Mark an In or Out point in the Source monitor, or an In or Out point in the Record monitor. For example, if you marked an In point in the Source monitor, mark the Out point in the Record monitor. 4. Move the source position indicator to the sync frame in the clip. This establishes the source sync point. 5. Move the record position indicator to the sync frame in the sequence. 6.
Autosyncing Clips Use the following guidelines when autosyncing: • You can autosync audio clips with video clips only. To link two or more video clips or audio clips, use the Grouping option described in “Understanding Grouping and Multigrouping Clips” on page 1229. • You can create only one autosynced subclip at a time. You cannot autosync numerous pairs of audio and video clips simultaneously.
Understanding AutoSequence Option Description Auxiliary TC1–TC5 Use this option if the two clips have matching timecode in the same Auxiliary Timecode column or to Autosync multiple clips, use the Aux 1-5 timecode. Select an Aux TC, 1 through 5, from the menu. Keep audio on clip with video Use this option if you want to keep the selected video clip’s audio tracks. Specify which audio tracks you want to keep from the Start and End range. All audio tracks within this range will be kept. Off by default.
Adding Audio or Video to Original Videotape Using AutoSequence To establish sync with the original videotape, use filler to add where gaps in audio or video exist in the sequence. After you finish editing the audio or video, you can use the Digital Cut command to output only the audio, or both audio and video only the video onto the original videotape. If you do not use AutoSync and the video clip timecode does not match the audio clip timecode, you should select only video clips when you use AutoSequence.
Resyncing Subframe Audio The system creates a synchronized sequence with the clips you selected. The new sequence appears in the Record monitor and in the Timeline. The sequence also appears in the bin with the same name as the tape name (for tape-based media) or the same name as the source file name (for file-based media) with a .xx (.01, .02, .03) extension. 5. Edit the audio or video tracks. 6.
Resyncing Audio for a Selected Subclip • n From imported audio media (OMFI, AIFF-C, or WAVE format), master clips generated by AudioSuite plug-ins, or tone generator media You cannot slip at the perforation level of the imported QuickTime audio media. The batch import process does not create new clips; therefore, slipping at the perforation level is not available when you batch import audio clips from Avid editing application versions earlier than v10.5.3.
Working with Phantom Marks To enable phantom marks: 1. In the Settings tab of the Project window, double-click Composer. The Composer Settings dialog box opens. 2. In the Edit tab, select Phantom Marks., and then click OK. When you enable phantom marks, your Avid editing application displays blue mark In or Out icons in the position bars below both the Source and the Record monitors.
Creating Video and Audio Leaders Creating Video and Audio Leaders Film editors use standard head and tail leaders to cue and sync material. You can use digital leaders in your Avid editing application to mark the beginning and end of tracks and to help you maintain sync, as described in “Syncing with Tail Leader” on page 599. You can create your own leader for video or film. Whatever you choose for specifications, make all your leader clips the same length, with common sync points.
Using MetaSync to Synchronize Metadata For information on placing add edits, see “Working with Add Edits (Match Frames)” on page 710. b. Move the position indicator before the first add edit, and open the Audio Mixer tool. c. Bring the audio level all the way down. d. Move the position indicator after the second add edit, and use the Audio Mixer tool to bring the level all the way down.
15 Script-Based Editing The following topics provide information about working with script-based editing: • Understanding Lined Scripts • Script Integration — Lining in the Digital Realm • Understanding the Script Window • Working with the Script Window • Working with Script Text • Working with Page or Scene Numbers and Searching in a Script • Linking Clips to a Script • Interpolating Position for Script Integration • Working with Slates in the Script Window • Working with Takes in the Sc
Understanding Lined Scripts A traditional lined script is created by hand at the time of shooting. The following is an example of a scene from a lined script. 33/1 33A/1 33A/2 33B/133B/2 33B/3 33C/1 33C/2 Each vertical line drawn through the scene represents a single take from the moment the director says “Action” to the moment the director says “Cut.” Each scene might require several camera angles and positions, with one or more takes, all of which are lined and identified alphanumerically.
Script Integration — Lining in the Digital Realm Additional setups The lines for each subsequent camera setup within the scene are labeled with the scene number (33 in our example) followed by a letter for each setup, followed by a slash and the number of the take within that setup. These lines can be any length, depending upon what portion of the script is covered by the particular shot. Off-screen dialog The jagged lines in the script represent the parts of dialog where the actor is off screen.
Script Integration — Lining in the Digital Realm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 Toolbar 5 Off-screen indicator 2 Slates 6 Color indicator 3 Takes tabs 7 Script mark 4 Takes In addition to the standard lining conventions, script integration includes the following enhancements: Slates Takes are organized into slates that display a representative frame and clip name for the take that is currently selected.
Script Integration — Lining in the Digital Realm The Script window provides additional controls for matching back to clips in the source bins, loading and playing back takes, and searching for takes and script text. Script Integration Workflow The basic workflow for script integration is as follows: 1. The continuity person or an assistant creates the lined script in hardcopy form during shooting. 2.
Understanding the Script Window Left to right: narration track synced to the script, B-roll shots ready to be loaded and cued (color indicates preferred shots), music cuts linked to appropriate sections of the script. Understanding the Script Window You begin the script integration process by importing a script into a project. The script appears in a script bin, and opens in a Script window.
Working with the Script Window You can also specify the text encoding of the script from the Script menu. This ensures that diacritical marks and multibyte character sets appear correctly in your script. Script Window Behavior The Script window behaves in many respects like a bin: • When you make changes in the Script window, an asterisk appears in the title bar to indicate that the changes are not yet saved.
Working with the Script Window 2. Make the changes to settings that you need, and then click OK. For information on the settings, see “Script Settings” on page 1370. To import a new script: 1. Place the script file in a local or network directory that is available to your Avid editing system. c The imported script must be in text format. To maintain the original formatting, however, export the script from your word processor by using the “Text Only with Line Breaks” option.
Working with the Script Window To select text encoding: t Select Script > Text Encoding, and then select one of the following: Option Description None Your Avid editing application uses your system’s default encoding. Select this option when the text was created on a system with the same system character set you are currently using. Use this option for non-Latin-based encoding where UTF-8 was not used.
Working with Script Text To adjust the left margin of an imported script: 1. Select Script > Left Margin. The Left Margin dialog box opens. 2. Type a new margin size (in pixels) in the text box, and click OK. The Script window reflects the new setting. To open the Info window from a Script window: 1. Press the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh), and click the Takes tab. 2. Drag the window to a new location to leave the Info window open.
Working with Script Text To select a single line of script: t Click anywhere in the line to highlight it. To select several lines of script, use one of the following methods: t Lasso the first line of the selection, drag through the text, and release the mouse button when you finish lassoing the lines you want to select. As you drag, a box outlines your selection. After you release the mouse button, the text is highlighted.
Working with Page or Scene Numbers and Searching in a Script If you select only one line at the insertion point, a message box asks if you want to replace the selected line. If you select more than one line at the insertion point, no message box opens. When you select Edit > Paste, your Avid editing application replaces the selected lines with the text you cut or copied in step 2. You cannot use the Undo command after performing this step. 5.
Working with Page or Scene Numbers and Searching in a Script To add a page or scene number: 1. Select the line of the script at the beginning of the scene or page. 2. Click the Add Scene (AS) or the Add Page (AP) button in the Script window toolbar, or select Script > Add Scene or Script > Add Page. A dialog box opens. 3. Type the number for the scene or page, and click OK. The scene number appears in the left margin.
Linking Clips to a Script To delete a page or scene number: 1. Select the first line of the scene or page. You can also delete all page or scene numbering throughout a range of the script by selecting the range of lines or the entire script. 2. Press the Delete key. The Delete dialog box opens. 3. Select the options for Delete scene(s) or Delete page break(s) as appropriate, and click OK. Your Avid editing application deletes the numbering from the Script window. To search for a page or scene number: 1.
Linking Clips to a Script To link clips to the script: 1. Open the script bin by double-clicking the Script Bin icon. 2. Open the source bin for the clips that you want to link to the script. 3. (Option) Sort the source clips to make the job easier: t You can sort the Scene/Take column for an alphanumeric list of clips that matches their relative order in the script.
Interpolating Position for Script Integration 6. Continue to apply clips to additional portions of the script until you have finished creating all your slates. Alternatively, you can create slates one at a time, place script marks, and fine-tune the lining of each scene before proceeding to the next portion of the script. Interpolating Position for Script Integration Interpolate Position matches a clip to a take and lets you see where a particular line in the script would appear in the clip footage.
Working with Slates in the Script Window Working with Slates in the Script Window Once you create a slate by dragging a clip into the Script window, you can manipulate the slate’s appearance and position. You can: • Select one or more slates. Selecting multiple slates is especially useful when you are adding or deleting color or off-screen dialog indicators across takes, as described in “Working with Takes in the Script Window” on page 631.
Working with Slates in the Script Window To hide or show the slate frames, do one of the following: t Select or deselect Show Frames in the Script Settings dialog box before you open the Script window. For more information, see “Script Settings” on page 617. t Select or deselect Script > Show Frames. When Show Frames is enabled, a check mark appears to the left of the Show Frames command. When Show Frames is deselected, the Script window shows only the clip names for the takes.
Working with Slates in the Script Window To move a slate, do one of the following: t To move a slate horizontally, drag it to the left or the right. If necessary, resize the Script window by dragging the size box. t To move a slate vertically without moving the position of the take lines in the script, drag it up or down. The take lines remain fixed over the text to which they have been previously linked.
Working with Takes in the Script Window c You cannot undo the deletion of slates. To restore a slate after deletion, you need to re-create the slate. See “Linking Clips to a Script” on page 625. Working with Takes in the Script Window Script integration provides a number of tools and techniques for manipulating the relationship between lined takes in the Script window and their source clips. You can: • Select takes. • Add and delete takes.
Working with Takes in the Script Window To delete one or more takes: 1. Select the takes in the Script window. 2. Press the Delete key. The Delete dialog box opens. 3. Select Delete Takes, and click OK. The takes are deleted. c You cannot undo the deletion of takes. To restore a take after deletion, add the take again using the procedure above. To display the take numbers in the tab of each take: t Type the numbers in the Take column of the source bin for the clips.
Indicating Off-Screen Dialog in a Script To play back a take, do one of the following: t Double-click a take to load it into the Source monitor, and then click the Play button or press the Play key. The clip plays back and stops when it reaches the end. t Select a take in the script, and then click the Play button at the top of the Script window. The clip loads and plays back in a continuous loop until you press the space bar. If you select more than one take, each take plays in sequence.
Using Color Indicators in the Script Window Using Color Indicators in the Script Window You can use color to indicate several pieces of information, including: • Preferred takes or takes used in the current active sequence. • Picture versus audio track used in the current active sequence. • Line changes in dialog. • Use of multiple cameras. To apply color to takes: 1. Select Script > Color > color. 2.
Script Marks For more information, see “Using Real-Time Screening and Marking” on page 636. • Place marks automatically using ScriptSync, if you have purchased the ScriptSync feature in your Avid editing application. For more information, see “Marking with ScriptSync” on page 638 and “Moving or Deleting a Script Mark” on page 650. Once you have created script marks, you can load and play marked segments. You can also move or delete existing marks.
Script Marks You can also step (jog) or shuttle through the footage, place the position indicator on the exact frame, or scrub the audio to find the exact line of dialog. The clip does not have to be playing. 4. When the playback reaches the selected line of dialog, click the Add Script Mark button or press the Add Script Mark key. The line is marked in the Script window with a small horizontal bar, and play stops. 5. Repeat these steps to add more script marks.
Script Marks Example of real-time screening and marking: several takes are selected for automatic playback, and the current playback is highlighted in green 3. As you hear a line of dialog or see a particular clip that you want to mark, click the matching line in the Script window. A script mark appears at that location in the take, and the clip continues to play. You can scroll through the Script window without affecting playback. 4.
Script Marks Marking with ScriptSync Some Avid editing applications include the ScriptSync feature (purchased separately). ScriptSync uses phonetic-indexing technology from Nexidia™ to analyze the audio portion of a clip and match it to lines of the script text. To add script marks with ScriptSync: 1. Select one or more takes that include audio. 2. Double-click any line in the take to select the take and load it into a monitor. 3. Select Script > ScriptSync. The ScriptSync dialog box opens.
Script Marks 4. Select options as described in the following table. Option Description Language Select the language of your script (this setting is for both the audio and the text). n Depending on the language you select, the Acoustic model (Broadcast or Telephony) that Nexidia uses changes. Only one model applies per language. Broadcast has a higher resolution and can be more accurate than Telephony in some cases.
Script Marks Option Description Skip text before colon ‘:’ Select this option to skip all text before the first colon in a line of text. For example, select this option if your script uses the convention of placing a character’s name before a colon when the character begins to speak. Skip lines indented less than dialog Select this option if action is indented less than dialog in your script.
Script Marks Purchasing and Activating ScriptSync The ScriptSync option is sold separately from your Avid editing application. Once you purchase ScriptSync, you will receive a ScriptSync Activation ID that you use to activate the ScriptSync feature. You activate the ScriptSync feature with the Avid License Control tool. To find out the benefits of the ScriptSync feature, you can try out ScriptSync for a free 30-day trial period before you purchase.
Script Marks What Will I Need to Activate ScriptSync? • The ScriptSync Activation ID (obtained after you purchase ScriptSync) If you purchased through an Avid Reseller, the ScriptSync Activation ID is on a sticker adhered to your Instruction letter. If you purchased through the Avid web store, you receive your ScriptSync Activation ID through an Avid e-mail or you can also view your Activation ID by logging in to your Store account at http://account.avid.com/.
Script Marks n If you are running the Avid editing application trial version, you do not need to run the trial version of ScriptSync. The ScriptSync feature is included with the trial version of the Avid editing application. To run ScriptSync for a 30-day trial period: 1. Open your Avid editing application and an Avid project. 2. Create a script, File > New Script. 3. Browse to your script then click Open. 4. In the script, click the section where you want to place the clip (take).
Script Marks The system opens the Avid web store, allowing you to purchase ScriptSync. Once you purchase ScriptSync and obtain your ScriptSync Activation ID, you can activate ScriptSync. A dialog box opens informing you that Activation will quit your Avid editing application and launch the Avid License Control tool. 8. Click Continue. The Avid License Control tool opens. To activate ScriptSync, see “Activating ScriptSync with the Avid License Control Tool” on page 645 to continue.
Script Marks The Avid License Control tool is installed with your Avid editing application and is located in the Utilities folder. To open the Avid License Control tool: 1. Open the Avid License Control tool from your Avid editing application. Go to the following location: (Windows) Start/All Programs/Avid/Utilities/License Control (Macintosh) Applications/Utilities/Avid Utilities/License Control The Avid License Control tool opens.
Script Marks 2. Click Copy. The information copies to your Clipboard. You can cut and paste from the clipboard to an e-mail or create a text file, if you need to send system information to Avid Customer Support. To activate ScriptSync with the Avid License Control tool and with an Internet connection: 1. With the Avid License Control tool open, click Activate next to ScriptSync. A dialog box opens.
Script Marks 2. If your computer has an Internet connection, select “I am connected to the Internet and will use this computer.” 3. Click Continue. The Avid Activation dialog box opens.
Script Marks 4. Enter your system identification number in the System ID text box. This number pre-displays if you have activated your Avid editing application. If the System ID does not appear, see “What Will I Need to Activate ScriptSync?” on page 642 for more information. n n If you have a dongle attached to your system, the system should pre-display your System ID. You can copy and paste your system identification number and your Activation ID from a text file to the appropriate text boxes. 5.
Script Marks The system creates a license.bin file. This file contains license information needed to activate ScriptSync. If you entered an e-mail address, the .bin file will be sent to you as an attachment. You can also download the .bin file directly from the site. 8. Click Download to download the license.bin file to your system. Depending on your web browser, the license.bin file could be located on your desktop or in a download folder. 9. Move the license.
Script Marks Loading and Playing Marked Segments Once you place marks syncing lines in your script to points in the source clips, you can quickly load and cue takes for selected lines of dialog. You can load a single take, or you can load all the coverage for any given range of lines. To load the marked segment of a take: t Double-click the script mark at the line of dialog that you want to cue.
Finding Clips and Script To delete a script mark: 1. Click once on a script mark to select it. You can select multiple script marks for removal by highlighting an entire region of text and selecting the takes containing the script marks you want to remove. 2. Press the Delete key. The Delete dialog box opens. 3. Select Delete 1 mark(s), and click OK. The mark is deleted.
Editing From the Script Window Editing From the Script Window To use the Script window most effectively during an editing session, make sure the Script window is fully prepared, including preferred takes, alternative takes (indicated with colors), and script marks for matching lines of text to sync points in the clips. Consider using the Single Mark Editing option, which lets you skip several steps by performing edits on-the-fly while playing back clips (without marking OUT points).
Editing From the Script Window Assembling a Rough Cut From the Script Window To quickly assemble a rough cut from the Script window: 1. Open the Script window for the current cut. 2. Double-click the first preferred take to load it into the Source monitor. Your Avid editing application automatically marks and cues to the IN point. 3. Play the take until the appropriate OUT point is reached, and stop play. 4. Click the Splice-in or the Overwrite button to make the first edit.
Editing From the Script Window The marked section of the clip is spliced into the sequence.
16 Using the Timeline Your Avid editing application represents each edit and effect on a timeline to help you track and manipulate the elements of your sequence. The Timeline continuously updates as you work, displaying icons and information that you can customize in various ways. The Timeline also has its own set of editing tools for creating and revising edits and transitions across multiple tracks. The audio and video tracks in the Timeline play in the Record monitor.
Customizing Timeline Views Customizing Timeline Views You can customize your view of the Timeline to display a variety of information about your sequence as well as the clips and transitions it contains. You can do the following: • Use options in the Timeline Fast menu to change the display in a variety of ways For more information, see “Using the Timeline Fast Menu” on page 658 and “Timeline Fast Menu Options” on page 658.
Customizing Timeline Views Purpose Description (Continued) Complex audio work If you are doing advanced audio work with multiple tracks or fine-tuning difficult audio edits, you can hide video tracks and enlarge audio tracks while displaying waveform plots. If you enable per track settings in the Track Control panel to display waveforms on specific tracks, these settings are not saved in custom Timeline views.
Customizing Timeline Views Purpose Description (Continued) Basic trimming If you are fine-tuning and trimming simple edits at the early stages of a project, you can view the sequence in Heads and Tails view to see a display of the first and last frame of every clip. You cannot use Trim mode in this view. Using the Timeline Fast Menu You can customize the appearance of the Timeline by using various options from the Timeline Fast Menu.
Customizing Timeline Views Option Description (Continued) Clip Text Displays a submenu of clip text display options. Sync Breaks Displays a submenu of sync break display options; see “Fixing Sync Breaks” on page 598. Dupe Detection Enables color-coded dupe material display for V1 track; used in 24p projects and matchback projects. See “Dupe Detection” on page 711. Color Correction Displays indicator lines to show which segments have Source or Program color correction.
Customizing Timeline Views Option Description (Continued) Zoom Back Restores the Timeline to the previous view before zoom; see “Zooming and Focusing in the Timeline” on page 679. Zoom In Zooms the Timeline into a detailed view for a selected area; see “Zooming and Focusing in the Timeline” on page 679. Enlarging and Reducing Timeline Tracks You can enlarge or reduce the height of one or more tracks to improve visibility and display more information within the tracks.
Customizing Timeline Views • Clips whose frame rate does not match the sequence frame rate (mixed-rate clips). • Clips that do not match the video resolution type of the project — for example, HD clips in an SD project, or SD clips in an HD project. • Clips to which you assign a local color in the Timeline. • Clips to which you assign a color in the bin. When working in a MultiRez environment, you can also use colors to track available resolutions.
Customizing Timeline Views 2. Select one or more of the following: Option Description Resolution Tracking Colors clips to indicate the availability of particular resolutions in a MultiRez environment. For more information, see “Using Clip Coloring to Show Available Resolutions” on page 1212. This option is only available if you are working in a MultiRez environment. Offline Colors clips that have offline media.
Customizing Timeline Views Option Description Timeline Local Colors clips to which you have assigned a local color in the Timeline. For more information, see “Assigning Local Colors to Clips in the Timeline” on page 664. Source Colors clips to which you have assigned a color in the bin. (Colors assigned to sequences, groups, motion effects, and title clips do not appear as source colors in the Timeline.) For more information, see “Assigning Colors to Objects in a Bin” on page 335.
Customizing Timeline Views The color you select becomes the display color for that option. To reset the display colors for the Resolution Tracking, Offline, Mixed Rates, and SD/HD options: 1. Click the Timeline Fast Menu button, and select Clip Color. The Clip Color dialog box opens. 2. Click Default Colors. The Offline, Mixed Rates, and SD/HD color swatches reset to their default colors. Changing the Timeline Background or Track Color To change the background color of the Timeline: 1.
Customizing Timeline Views 2. Select Timeline Local, and then click OK. 3. Select one of the segment tools in the Timeline palette, and select a clip you want to color. 4. Do one of the following: t Select Edit > Set Local Clip Color > color to select a standard color. t Select Edit > Set Local Clip Color > Pick to select a custom color from the Windows Color dialog box. The assigned local color appears in the clip in the Timeline. To remove a local clip color: 1.
Customizing Timeline Views To customize the tracks to be displayed in the Timeline: t n Click the Timeline Fast Menu button, and select Show Track > tracks. The TC1 track represents the timecode of the active project. Showing Markers in the Timeline When you add markers to a sequence, the markers are displayed in the Timeline. You can modify which markers to display in the Timeline by selecting Show Markers from the Timeline Fast menu.
Customizing Timeline Views 2. Click the Display tab, and select one of the following: t Page t Scroll t None 3. Click OK. Disabling the Smart Tool in the Timeline Using the Smart tool enables a dynamic, cursor-based editing method in the Timeline. This changes the standard behavior of the mouse pointer so that you cannot scrub through the Timeline as you do in normal edit mode.
Customizing Timeline Views To restore a resized Timeline window to its default position: t Click the Timeline and select Windows > Home. To control whether the Timeline wraps around in the Timeline window: t Click the Timeline Fast Menu button, and select Wrap Around. To enlarge tracks: t Select the tracks, and press Ctrl+L (Windows) or Command+L (Macintosh). To reduce tracks: t Select the tracks, and press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Macintosh).
Customizing Timeline Views Timeline palette, located to the left of the Timeline, with the Timeline ruler at the top of the Timeline The Timeline palette provides you with the most common tools you need for Timeline editing, as well as several buttons you can use to enable editing modes such as Effect mode or Color Correction mode. Icon Tool Description Link Selection Allows you to select segments in the Timeline that are linked by common source media and timecode.
Customizing Timeline Views Icon Tool Description Effects mode Enters Effects mode, opening the Effect Editor and changing the Record monitor to the Effect Preview monitor. Color Correction mode Enters Color Correction mode, opening the color correction controls. Motion Effect Opens the Motion Effect Editor, allowing you to edit Timewarp effects. Keyframe Selection Lets you select and move audio keyframes in the Timeline.
Customizing Timeline Views • The Transition Manipulation tool lets you select and modify transition effects in the Timeline. You can adjust the duration and position of the transition effect by moving the effect handles or the effect icon. For more information, see “Adjusting Transitions in the Timeline” in the Help. • The Smart tool toggle bar lets you turn off the Timeline palette editing tools.
Customizing Timeline Views Component Description Solo Allows you to monitor a single track of audio without deselecting other tracks. RTAS plug-ins Lists the RTAS plug-ins inserted on the track. Clicking the button for an existing RTAS insert opens the RTAS plug-in window so you can edit the plug-in parameters. Clicking a blank RTAS button opens the RTAS tool so you can insert a plug-in on the track. Mute Allows you to mute a single track of audio without deselecting it.
Customizing Timeline Views Displaying Source Material in the Timeline You can display source material in the Timeline. This feature is useful when you edit with a sequence or subclip created from a sequence. You can also use it to look at the contents of any source clip in a Timeline display. n Heads and Tails view is disabled when you are displaying material from the Source monitor.
Customizing Timeline Views To show the Timeline top toolbar: 1. In the Project window, double-click the Timeline Setting. The Timeline Settings dialog box opens. 2. Select Show Toolbar in the Display tab. 3. Click OK. To hide the Timeline top toolbar: t Deselect Show Toolbar, and then click OK. Managing Customized Timeline Views You can save a customized Timeline view. Timeline views appear in the Settings list in the Project window. You can save, rename, and copy multiple views.
Customizing Timeline Views 3. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) while you click the View Menu button to display the list of saved view names, each appended with the Replace command. 4. (Option) If you want to replace a Timeline view, select a view name from the list that you want to replace. Your Avid editing application applies the current Timeline view to the selected name and displays that name in the Settings list in the Project window.
Navigating in the Timeline Timeline View buttons in the More tab of the Command Palette 3. Select Button to Button Reassignment. 4. Click a Timeline view button (T1 – T8), and drag the button to a location on another palette (for example, the Tool palette) or the Keyboard settings window. For more information, see “Mapping User-Selectable Buttons” on page 109. The Timeline view button appears in the new location.
Navigating in the Timeline Timeline window: (left to right) Timeline palette, Track Control panel, Position indicator, with the Timeline bottom toolbar under the Timeline (left to right: Timeline Fast Menu, Focus, Toggle Source/Record in Timeline, Video Quality, DNxHD Native, Step In, Step Out, Scale bar Timeline scroll bar) Understanding the Timeline Position Indicator and Scroll Bar The position indicator in the Timeline marks your place in the sequence.
Navigating in the Timeline An advantage of the position bar is that when you focus on only a portion of the sequence, both the Timeline and Record monitor’s position bars show a highlighted region around the position indicator. This represents the range of material displayed in the window. Position indicators with highlighted regions in the monitor and in the Timeline Switching to the Timeline Position Bar To switch to the Timeline position bar: 1.
Navigating in the Timeline Zooming and Focusing in the Timeline You can change your view of the Timeline to focus in on particular information in the following ways: • You can use the scale bar to stretch and contract the Timeline area centered around the position indicator. This lets you either zoom in to focus on a specific area of your sequence or zoom out to display your whole sequence. This feature is especially useful when you have a lengthy sequence with many edits.
Navigating in the Timeline 3. To return to the previous Timeline display, click the Timeline Fast Menu button, and select Zoom Back. To focus the Timeline using the Focus button: 1. Make sure none of the edit tools in the Smart tool is active. 2. Move the position indicator to the frame or transition you want to expand. 3. Click the Focus button. Your Avid editing application centers and enlarges the region of the Timeline immediately surrounding the position indicator. 4.
Working with Segments To snap to the tail of transitions: t Press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Command+Option (Macintosh) as you drag either the position indicator or any selected segments. To snap the selected segments to an edit point in the track above or below the current track: t Click a segment edit button in the Timeline palette, and then press Ctrl+Shift while dragging the segments.
Working with Segments Guidelines for Segment Editing General Guidelines • Moving a selection with an Extract/Splice-in edit deletes transition effects on either side of the selection. If the selection includes multiple segments around a transition effect, moving the segments preserves transition effects inside the selection. • You can track the audio while moving segments by pressing the Caps Lock key to enable audio scrub. For more information, see “Using Audio Scrub” on page 754.
Working with Segments Selecting and Deselecting Segments You can select segments for moving or editing by activating tools on the Timeline palette and then clicking segments in the Timeline, or you can lasso one or more segments. You can also select linked clips when you enable Link Selection. For more information, see “Linked Clips” on page 684. You can then continue to select or deselect additional segments.
Working with Segments To deselect one or more selected segments, do one of the following: t To deselect an entire track, click the Track button in the Track Selector panel. For example, if you lasso segments on V1, V2, and A1, you can click the V2 and A1 Track buttons to leave only the segment on the middle track, V1, selected. t Click one of the segment tools on the Timeline palette, and then Shift+click specific segments on any track.
Working with Segments • When two or more video tracks from the same clip overlap in the Timeline and sync is broken with the linked audio segments, link selection links to the video segment with the smallest sync break point. • When you move a linked clip independently of the tracks to which it is linked so it no longer vertically overlaps the linked segments, the link relationship is broken.
Working with Segments To select segments on enabled tracks using the multiple segment selection buttons: 1. Move the position indicator to the first or last segment you want to select. 2. Select Tools > Command Palette, and click the Edit tab. 3. Do one of the following: t Click the Select Left button to select segments under the position bar and all segments to the left. t Click the Select Right button to select segments under the position bar and all segments to the right.
Working with Segments Four-frame display. The two outer frames indicate ending and beginning frames of clips before and after the segment. The two inner frames represent the start and end frames of the segment. The offset counter is highlighted. When you drag the segments, the original highlighted segment remains in place, while a “ghost” segment enclosed in a dotted white box moves along with the pointer until you release it at a new edit point.
Working with Segments As you drag the segment, the monitors maintain their Source/Record configuration rather than shift to the four-frame display or two-frame display. Maintaining Sync with Segment Edits When you use the Lift/Overwrite tool, the application adds filler to the sequence to maintain sync. When you move segments in the Timeline using Extract/Splice-in, the sync might be broken.
Working with Segments Top: before segment drag sync lock, showing the segment that will move. Bottom: after segment drag sync lock, showing the moved segment and filler added after the move (left), and the filler left in the original location (right). Moving Segments with Drag and Drop You cannot move segments to locked tracks. If you attempt to drop a selection on a locked track, the move fails and all selected segments return to their original position in the Timeline.
Working with Segments If you used the Extract/Splice-in method, the system extracts the selected segment from its old position, closes the gap left by its removal, and then splices the material back into the sequence at the newly selected location. If you used the Lift/Overwrite method, the system lifts the selected segment from its old position, leaving black filler, and then overwrites the material onto the sequence at the newly selected location.
Working with Segments 2. Select one or multiple segments. 3. Press the Delete key. The system deletes the segments and any effects applied to them. n If the segment contains transition effects, and you delete the segment, the transition effect remains. For information about how the system preserves transition effects, see “Transition Effect Preservation” in the Help.
Working with Segments Cutting, Copying, and Pasting in the Timeline You can use the shortcut keys for cutting, copying, and pasting segments selected in the Timeline. To cut or copy and paste segments: 1. Do one of the following: t Select both of the segment tools on the Timeline palette, and then position the mouse pointer over the top of the segment (for Lift/Overwrite operations) or the bottom of the segment (for Extract/Splice-in operations).
Working with Segments Enabling Only One Segment Edit Tool at a Time You can use the Timeline Settings dialog box to specify the behavior of the segment tools in the Timeline palette to allow only one segment tool to be enabled at a time. This overrides the default behavior, which allows both segment tools to be enabled at once, and is useful in some workflows. For more information on Timeline settings, see “Timeline Settings” on page 1371.
Working with Multiple Tracks t Extract/Splice-in (yellow) acts as a splice edit, inserting the clip into the sequence, moving existing material down, and lengthening the total duration. If you do not select a segment tool, or if you select both tools, your Avid editing application defaults to the segment tool specified in the Timeline Settings dialog box. For more information, see “Setting the Default Segment Edit Tool” on page 692. 3. Drag a clip from the bin into the Timeline.
Working with Multiple Tracks n Multiple video tracks do not immediately play back at the same time until you apply an appropriate effect that composites the layers. Multiple audio layers, however, do play back immediately if correctly monitored. Occasionally, effects editing involves a procedure known as nesting. Nesting involves stepping into existing tracks to reveal added layers for combining multiple images and digital video effects.
Working with Multiple Tracks Icon Button Audio 5.1 Surround Track Monitor button Audio 7.1 Surround Track Monitor button Audio Track, Source and Record Timecode button The source side of the panel displays only those tracks available for the clip currently loaded. For example, a clip that has audio captured only for track A1 does not display an A2 track in the Track Selector panel. The record side of the panel displays only those tracks currently in use for the sequence.
Working with Multiple Tracks Track buttons in the Tracks tab of the Command Palette To select one or more tracks, do one of the following: t Click the Track button of any inactive track to select the track. t Drag a lasso around multiple tracks to select them at once. t With the Timeline active, select Edit > Select All Tracks to select all tracks on the record and source sides.
Working with Multiple Tracks When you edit with multiple tracks, you can activate the monitoring of a lower track to monitor only the video on that track and below. You can use this feature when you have multiple layers of video effects and need to isolate lower tracks for viewing. You can also monitor a solo track. n If you monitor a video track below the topmost track, return monitoring to the topmost track to view, export, mix down, or record all the tracks together.
Working with Multiple Tracks Solo monitoring provides several advantages: • You can eliminate slow cueing and playback when working with a complex sequence by monitoring a specific track. • You can view any individual layer of a composited effect. • You can isolate an individual audio track with a single mouse click (without manually deselecting the other audio tracks). • You can isolate audio tracks for audio scrubbing without having to deselect monitoring of all other audio tracks.
Working with Multiple Tracks The Track Monitor button changes to green with a black Monitor icon (video track) and the Solo button changes to green (audio track) to indicate solo monitoring. The Mute button on all other audio tracks changes to orange. Track Selection panel, with video and audio tracks selected for solo monitoring To deselect solo monitoring: t Click the Track Monitor button or the Solo button again.
Working with Multiple Tracks Track selection buttons for tracks with unsupported track formats dim as you drag the source track to a record track and you cannot patch to those tracks. For example, if you patch a source mono audio track, then all record stereo and record video tracks are disabled and you can only patch to a record mono audio track. n If you move the mouse pointer over a track selector button, and then press and hold the mouse button, a list of available tracks displays.
Working with Multiple Tracks Locking tracks prevents further editing from being performed on them and can help in the following workflows: n • For video or picture editing, you can lock tracks when you have completed a set of complex, multilayer edits and want to avoid making accidental changes while you work on adjacent tracks. • For audio editing, you can lock audio tracks containing sync dialog that should be maintained while you edit adjacent video tracks or audio tracks.
Working with Multiple Tracks To unlock tracks: 1. Select the tracks you want to unlock. 2. Do one of the following: t Select Clip > Unlock Tracks. t Right-click in the Timeline, and select Unlock Tracks. t If you want to unlock a single track, right-click the track selector button and select Unlock Track. The Lock icon disappears and the tracks are unlocked. To sync lock tracks, do one of the following: t Click a Sync Lock button to activate the Sync Lock icon for each synchronized track.
Working with Multiple Tracks t Right-click in the Timeline, and select one of the following: - New Video Track. - New Audio Track Mono. - New Audio Track Stereo. - New Meta Track. - New Data Track. The new track appears in the Timeline. To add a new track to a sequence and customize its numbering: 1. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh) and select the type of track you want to add: t Select Clip > New Video Track. t Select Clip > New Audio Track Mono.
Working with Multiple Tracks - If you selected the number of an existing track in step 3, a dialog box asks if you want to insert the new track. Click Insert to add the new track below the current track with that number. Your Avid editing application labels the new track with the number you selected and renumbers the existing tracks in consecutive order. To add a custom name to a track in the Timeline: 1. Right-click the Track Selector button, and select Rename Track. The Comments window opens. 2.
Working with Multiple Tracks If you duplicate a clip in a bin and split the copy to mono, or if you edit a stereo clip into a sequence on multiple tracks and split one track to mono, your sequence can contain both a stereo and a mono instance of the same master clip. This does not cause a problem with editing, playback, or any other operation.
Working with Multiple Tracks The stereo track splits into two mono tracks, with the second mono track added below the original stereo track. A copy of your original sequence is saved to your bin as [sequence_name].Copy.[number]. To split all stereo audio tracks in the Timeline to mono, do one of the following: t Right-click in the Timeline, and select Split All Tracks to Mono. t Select Clip > Split All Tracks to Mono.
In to Out Highlighting in the Timeline In to Out Highlighting in the Timeline When you mark a sequence with In to Out points, the system indicates the selection by highlighting the marked region on selected tracks in the Timeline. Marked region highlighting in the Timeline This visual guide helps you monitor track and segment selection more carefully when mixing or applying effects across multiple tracks and segments.
Performing a Quick Edit Using the Top and Tail Commands Heads view (top) and Heads Tails view (bottom) in the Timeline. Heads view shows the Head frame for each clip. Heads Tails view shows both the head and tail frames for each clip. 3. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (Macintosh), click the frames representing the clip you want to move, and drag the clip to its new position. The sequence is rearranged to match the changes you made.
Working with Add Edits (Match Frames) t Click the Tail button to extract footage from the position indicator to the end of the clip or segment. Working with Add Edits (Match Frames) The Add Edit function places an artificial edit point between frames of a clip. The edit appears in the Timeline as a transition between two clips, but when you play the clip, the footage appears unchanged because the frames are continuous. This form of edit is also known as a match frame.
Dupe Detection n By default, the match-frame indicator is white. If a change in level occurs, the match-frame indicator changes to red. To add an edit to filler clips at the position indicator: 1. Move the position indicator to the selected frame. 2. Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) the Add Edit button. The edit appears on all tracks with filler in the sequence at the position indicator. To remove match-frame edits: 1.
Dupe Detection Two duplicate frames marked above the clip in the Timeline by the automatic Dupe Detection feature Orange bars mark the first set of duplicate frames, green bars mark the second set, and so on. You can use Dupe Detection while you edit to locate duplicate frames, and remove them as the sequence evolves. Activating Dupe Detection n c You can change the handle size used by Dupe Detection in the Edit tab of the Timeline Settings dialog box.
Dupe Detection 1 2 3 Example of a splice on a safety frame. Frames 1 and 3 are still usable, but frame 2 has been cut in the middle and is lost. In 16mm film editing (using the multiple-strand method), labs sometimes use the zero-frame cutting method to avoid seeing each splice in a 35mm blowup print. In this method, the negative is conformed along with the handles so that the cuts appear as soft frame handles rather than jumps in the resulting 35mm blowup.
Editing with the Film Track Adjusting Handle Length in Dupe Detection To adjust handle lengths in Dupe Detection: 1. Double-click Timeline in the Settings list in the Project window. The Timeline Settings dialog box opens. 2. Click the Dupe Detection Handles menu in the Edit tab, and select the number of handle frames. The typical 35mm safety frame setting is 0.5 frame (amounting to a 1-frame total with both sides of a cut). 3. Click OK. The selected value is applied to the head and tail of every event.
Tracking Color Frame Shifts To quickly view more frames as you scroll: t Drag the resize box in the lower right corner of the Timeline for a full-screen view. You can reduce the size of Timeline tracks to wrap the sequence around several times. As you continue to scroll, each strand of the Timeline wraparound is updated.
Finding Black Holes and Flash Frames Example of color-framing boxes. Top: color sync signals are in phase and the boxes align horizontally. Bottom: color-sync signals are out of phase. 3. Trim one frame at a time on one side of the transition or the other until the green boxes align and the color-frame phase bars stop blinking. If you pay attention to color framing while editing, you do not need to think about it when assembling your master tape.
Printing the Timeline To find flash frames: 1. Set the maximum frame length that you want to detect: a. In the Project window, double-click the Timeline Setting. The Timeline Settings dialog box opens. b. Click the Edit tab. c. In the option Find Flash Frames Shorter Than, type the maximum number of frames you want to detect. The default is 10, which indicates the system will detect clips with 9 or fewer frames. d. Click OK. 2. Click the Timeline to activate it. 3.
17 Working with Trim Edits Basic editing of a sequence initially produces a rough cut, which is loosely defined as a series of straight-cut edits with many rough edges and few effects. After creating a rough cut, you can use trim edits to fine-tune the transitions between each clip or between whole segments. You can also trim edits as you build a sequence rather than create a rough cut first.
Trimming with the Timeline Palette Trimming with the Timeline Palette You can perform trim edits by using the trim tools on the Timeline palette. This lets you create trims quickly in your sequence which you can later fine-tune by using the advanced functionality of trimming.
Understanding Trim Displays Small Trim display — replaces Record monitor in two-monitor view. Outgoing and incoming frames appear side-by-side on the right, with playback loop parameter controls above them, and with frame offset counters and Trim buttons beneath them. Quick Trim Display If you display only the Record monitor (for example, as you review the final version of a sequence), you can use Quick Trim display for making quick adjustments to transitions in your sequence.
Setting Small Trim Display n When you click the Trim Mode button with the Record monitor active, the system enters Big Trim display. If you click the Trim Mode button again, the interface switches back to the Record monitor. This toggle feature is useful if you like to trim quickly as you finish your sequence. Big Trim Display Big Trim display replaces the Source and Record monitors with displays of outgoing and incoming frames. Big Trim display also shows transition playback loop parameters.
Trim Settings Overview Trim Settings Overview You can customize how trimming works from the Trim Settings dialog box. The Trim Settings dialog box has two tabs: Features and Play Loop. The Play Loop feature continuously replays the last trim you performed for review purposes. You can learn about specific Trim settings as follows: • For setting some default behavior for trimming, see “Dual-Roller Trimming” on page 730.
Selecting Trim Sides As you move the pointer back and forth across a transition, notice that the roller icon changes from an A-side roller (facing left), to a dual roller, to a B-side roller (facing right) to indicate the type of trim. Trim icons for the outgoing frames of the A-side clip (left) and the incoming frames of the B-side clip (right) The following table describes the kinds of trim you can perform in each zone adjacent to your transition.
Selecting Trim Sides Single trim rollers: Overwrite trim selected (left), Ripple trim selected (center), Dual-roller trim selected (right) • Your Avid editing application highlights one or both of the frame counter indicators below the monitors to reflect the active trim sides: A-side, B-side, or both. The number indicates the frames added to or subtracted from the transition. When you clear your trim selections, the trim tools remain active.
Selecting Trim Sides t Shortcut Key Selection S Next transition Use the Trim Counter frame indicators located below the monitors. Click the A-side or B-side of a frame indicator to select single-roller trimming, or Shift+click both frame indicators to select dual-roller trimming. The Trim Counter frame indicators: A-side (left) and B-side (right). The counter is purple when the side is active.
Selecting Trim Sides To change only the trim rollers on the video tracks: t Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) either the outgoing monitor or incoming monitor, or either the A-side or the B-side. The trim rollers change only on the video tracks. To return to the last position of the trim rollers: t Press the Alt key when you click the Trim Mode button. Selecting Additional Transitions You can select additional transitions for trimming in different contexts.
Overwrite Trimming You can select and trim two heads or tails simultaneously, in any combination, for each track in the sequence. All selected transitions are trimmed the same number of frames. This lets you save time and, in some cases, maintain sync by performing a single-trim procedure across multiple tracks and transitions. Tail frames on two clips selected for simultaneous trimming across an overlap edit To select transitions on clips linked by common source and timecode: 1.
Overwrite Trimming If you enable link selection, clicking a transition also selects transitions on linked segments (see “Linked Clips” on page 684). To perform and overwrite trim: 1. Do one of the following: t Select the Overwrite Trim tool on the Timeline palette, and then click a transition to select it for trimming. Shift+click to select multiple clips aligned at the same transition. t Select the Overwrite Trim tool on the Timeline palette, and then lasso the transitions in the Timeline.
Ripple Trimming Ripple Trimming If you make a single-roller trim on either the outgoing or the incoming frames of your transition on an unlocked track, you can move the rest of the your sequence in the direction of the trimmed segment while maintaining the duration of all other clips. Ripple trims “ripple” the effects of your trim along the sequence. However, ripple trims can change the duration of your sequence if you select all tracks, and it can break synchronization with any unselected track.
Dual-Roller Trimming Dual-Roller Trimming Using a dual-roller trim allows you to move the transition point between segments without changing the duration of the sequence. This adds frames to one side of the transition and subtracts them from the other side. There are several ways to select a transition for dual-roller trimming. Which method you use depends on your editing workflow.
Refining Trims If the transitions are a straight cut, the system selects all selected tracks. If the nearest transition is an overlap edit with staggered transition points, the system selects the next transition where all selected tracks have transitions at the same point. t Click the Play Loop button on a palette twice, or press the Play Loop key on the keyboard twice. When you click the Play Loop button once, the system plays the transition in a playback loop.
Reviewing Trim Edits For greater control while performing a trim, do one of the following: t Press Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or press the Command+Option key (Macintosh) as you drag one frame at a time. t Press the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh) to snap to other transition points. As you trim, all selected transitions in the Timeline move in unison.
Trimming On-the-Fly n You must display two rows of buttons in the Composer window to see the trim controls. For more information, see “Composer Settings” on page 1304. 4. To stop the playback loop, click the Play Loop button again. 5. To deselect trim points, click the Source/Record Mode button. To review footage starting from the previous transition: 1. Move the position indicator to the transition you want to review. 2. Click the Edit Review button.
Using Dual-Image Playback During Trims The monitors and the Timeline update to reflect the trim. Using Dual-Image Playback During Trims Dual-image playback lets you view A-side and B-side frames in real time while performing a trim. You can play through the transition by using the J-K-L keys or the Play and Trim buttons. n Using the Dual Image Play option disables real-time effects. To use dual-image playback during trims: 1. Double-click Trim in the Settings list in the Project window.
Creating Overlap Edits If you are having difficulty determining which side of the transition to trim (for example, during a difficult audio edit), use the Go to In and Go to Out keys to review only one side. Your Avid editing application performs the trim before the next playback loop. You can then view the trimmed transition during playback and make further changes until you are satisfied with the result. 4. When you finish, exit the playback loop by doing one of the following: t Press the space bar.
Extending an Edit 3. (Option) You can also create an overlap edit for an audio track by using the Audio Mark buttons (see “Marking Audio Clips” on page 513). Extending an Edit Use an extend edit to perform dual-sided (A-side and B-side) trims on selected tracks. An extend edit lets you quickly create a split edit without selecting trim sides at a transition. It also lets you establish the exact frame that you want to trim to by using the position indicator.
Maintaining Sync While Trimming Maintaining Sync While Trimming Because single-roller trims (A-side or B-side) can change the duration of the track being trimmed, any relationships that exist with other tracks downstream of the trim lose sync.
Slipping or Sliding Segments If you trim the B-side of the transition in the same direction, the additional sync-locked segments slide back in the sequence to maintain sync until they encounter another segment in the same track. At this point, you can trim no further and the system emits a warning sound. - When you trim back the A-side of a transition, additional segments locked in sync move back as well.
Slipping or Sliding Segments The type of trim you perform (slip or slide) determines which frames update: • In slip trimming, the two inner monitors for the head and tail frames of the clip change because this adjusts only the contents of the clip. It does not affect the frames that precede and follow the clip. 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 5 Example of a one-frame slip to the right. The head and tail frames of the segment change by one frame. The material before and after the segment remains fixed.
Slipping or Sliding Segments Four-frame display for slip and slide trimming. Left to right: outgoing video at position indicator, head and tail frames of the selected clip, incoming video at position indicator. Selecting Segments for Slip or Slide Trimming To select segments for slip or slide trimming by dragging a lasso: 1. In Source/Record mode, select a segment for slipping or sliding. 2. Drag a lasso from right to left around a segment (two or more transitions).
Slipping or Sliding Segments To select segments for slip or slide trimming: 1. Position the mouse pointer over one of the transitions for the segment you want to trim so the pointer changes to a trim icon, and double-click the transition to select the segment for slip trimming. 2. To select a segment for slide trimming, double-click the transition.
Trimming in Two Directions To slip a shot in Source/Record mode: 1. Select the tracks for the clips to be slipped. 2. Move the position indicator within the shot that you want to slip. 3. Slip the shot by doing one of the following: t Click the Slip Left button to slip the shot one frame left (revealing later material from the source clip). t Click the Slip Right button to slip the shot one frame right (revealing earlier material from the source clip).
Using the Transition Corner Display To trim in two directions: 1. Select one or both of the trim tools on the Timeline palette, and then click the outgoing (A-side) or incoming (B-side) monitor to define which side of the transition to trim. The pointer changes to an overwrite trim or a ripple trim icon over either the A-side or the B-side of the transition, depending on the position of the pointer. 2. Shift+click the other transitions in the Timeline you want to trim. 3.
Using the Transition Corner Display To trim a transition using the Transition Corner Display: 1. Select a transition effect for trimming by doing one of the following: t Position the mouse pointer over the transition you want to trim so the pointer changes to a dual-roller icon, and click the transition. t Lasso the effect in the Timeline from right to left.
18 Working with Audio You edit audio by using many of the same techniques and tools you use to edit video. Your Avid editing application also provides several unique features that facilitate audio editing, such as audio scrub, waveform displays, and tools for adjusting and mixing audio levels and pan between speakers as well as the frequency ranges of segments.
Overview of Audio Tools • Using the Audio EQ Tool • Recording Voice-Over Narration Overview of Audio Tools The following table describes the general purpose of each audio tool in your Avid editing application: Audio tool Description Audio Mixer tool This tool adjusts pan and volume levels on clips or whole tracks within a sequence. For more information, see “Using the Audio Mixer Tool” on page 773.
Overview of Audio Tools To access one of the audio effect tools: t Select Tools > tool name. To keep more than one tool open at the same time: t Select Tools > tool name, and then drag the tool to a tabbed tool window. To prevent confusion, your Avid editing application allows only one copy of an audio effect tool to be open at a time. For example, you can open only one copy of the Audio EQ tool.
Working with Multichannel Audio Tracks 6. Do one of the following: t Select Fill Undecodeable Frames to instruct the system to fill in any timecode breaks with continuing timecode. This is the default. t Deselect Fill Undecodeable Frames if you do not want to fill timecode breaks. For example, in a 3-minute master clip, the audio timecode starts at 1:00:20:20. At 1:00:22:10, the timecode ends.
Working with Multichannel Audio Tracks • 5.1 surround sound • 7.1 surround sound The Track Formats column in the bin Text view displays the format for all multichannel audio tracks in a master clip. You can modify the audio format by grouping or ungrouping selected audio tracks. You can modify audio formats for master clips only. Track formats for sequences, group clips, or subclips cannot be modified.
Working with Multichannel Audio Tracks To set the multichannel audio format for audio tracks: 1. Open the bin and click the Text tab. 2. Click the icon to the left of the clip you want to modify. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Cmd+click (Macintosh) each additional object you want to modify. 3. Do one of the following: t Select Clip > Modify. t Right-click a clip and select Modify. The Modify dialog box opens. 4. Click the Modify Options menu, and select Set Multichannel Audio.
The Track Control Panel Option Description Mono tracks Sets the paired audio tracks to two mono tracks. Stereo tracks Sets the paired audio tracks to one stereo track. 5.1 Surround Sets the selected tracks to one 5.1 surround sound track. sound tracks Sets the selected tracks to one 7.1 surround sound track. 7.1 Surround sound tracks 6. Click OK. The bin information updates to reflect the audio format modifications.
The Track Control Panel Component Description Solo Allows you to monitor a single track of audio without deselecting other tracks. RTAS plug-ins Lists the RTAS plug-ins inserted on the track. Clicking the button for an existing RTAS insert opens the RTAS plug-in window so you can edit the plug-in parameters. Clicking a blank RTAS button opens the RTAS tool so you can insert a plug-in on the track. Mute Allows you to mute a single track of audio without deselecting it.
The Track Control Panel For more information about audio scrubbing, see “Using Audio Scrub” on page 754. n You can also use the Track Solo buttons in the Audio Mixer tool. See “Using the Track Solo and Track Mute Buttons” on page 778. To solo an audio track: t Click the Solo button in the Track Control panel for the track you want to solo. The Solo button turns green, and Mute buttons on all other audio tracks turn orange.
Using Audio Scrub Icon State Description Inactive track — Voices and audio plug-ins are not processed for these tracks during playback. To make an audio track inactive, do the following: t Deselect the Active/Inactive button in the Track Control panel. You can click the Active/Inactive button again to restore audio monitoring to the track.
Using Audio Scrub The following table shows how many tracks you can scrub at the varying speeds of play. When you play footage forward or backward at: You can scrub: Normal speed 16 tracks Two times normal speed 16 tracks Three times normal speed 2 tracks Greater than three times normal speed 0 tracks To ensure an audio track is monitored during scrubbing: t Enable the Active/Inactive button in the Track Control panel for the selected track.
Using Audio Scrub Adjusting Digital Scrub Parameters The default parameters for the number of frames you hear as you scrub are zero frames of outgoing audio (behind the position indicator) and one frame of incoming audio (ahead of the position indicator). To isolate frames for marking or trimming, the default parameters are sufficient.
Audio Displays in the Timeline You can also activate digital audio scrub by pressing and holding the Shift key while you drag the position indicator or click the Step buttons as described in step 3. 3. Move through the material in one of the following ways to hear the scrub: t Drag the position indicator. t Click the Step buttons to step through in fixed increments: 1 frame backward, 1 frame forward, 10 frames (8 frames for 24p) backward, or 10 frames (8 frames for 24p) forward. Step Buttons.
Audio Displays in the Timeline The following notes apply to audio displays: n • When you click a Waveform or Clip Volume/Pan button in the Track Control panel, or when you Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) a Waveform or Clip Volume/Pan button to display all waveforms or pan displays, the Avid editing application maintains the display setting with the sequence. You cannot save specific per track settings in a custom Timeline view.
Audio Displays in the Timeline Press Ctrl+period (Windows) or Command+period (Macintosh) at any time during the redraw of the waveform plot to stop the redraw. The waveform appears in all audio tracks. 3. (Option) Maximize the visibility of your waveform display using one of the following procedures: t Continue to expand or shrink your view of the Timeline by using the scale bar, spreading out the waveform plots to show detailed variations in the audio levels.
Audio Displays in the Timeline You can turn off all waveforms on selected tracks by disabling Allow Per Track Settings. This disables the display of waveforms, but it does not change the per track settings. Enabling per track settings again restores your per track waveform displays. You can also save the Allow Per Track Settings state as part of a customized Timeline view. For more information, see “Customizing Timeline Views” on page 656.
Audio Displays in the Timeline t (Option) If you want to view both clip volume and volume values, repeat the previous step and select an additional volume value to display. To turn on the display of pan values in the Timeline: 1.
Audio Displays in the Timeline Depending on which sample rate you selected for your project, the color black is displayed on those clips. For example, if you selected 48 kHz from the Sample Rate menu in the Main tab in the Audio Project Settings dialog box, the sample plot of these clips (48 kHz) is displayed as black, and the sample plot of all other clips with different sample rates (32 kHz and 44.1 kHz) is displayed as white.
Audio Displays in the Timeline You can also mute audio in several ways: • Using the Master Volume button in the Timeline • Using the Mute button in the Play tab of the Command palette The Mute button lets you quickly make all audio tracks inactive or active during editing. This is convenient when you fine-tune complex audio and video edits, making it possible to shift quickly between the two.
Displaying Audio Formats in Bins 2. Continue to click and hold, and drag the volume control to the audio level you prefer. 3. Release the mouse button. To adjust the volume control (models using Avid input/output hardware): t n Adjust the volume control on your Avid input/output hardware to the desired audio level. Adjusting the volume control affects the volume only while you work in your Avid editing application.
Working with Surround Sound Audio To add the Audio Format column to a bin: 1. With a bin in Text view, select Bin > Choose Columns. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 2. Click Audio Format in the list to select it. 3. Click OK. The Audio Format column appears in the bin. Working with Surround Sound Audio Avid editing applications let you edit audio in mono and multichannel formats, including surround sound audio.
Working with Surround Sound Audio L C LFE R Lsr Rsr 5.1 SMPTE surround sound configuration, with left (L), center (C), right (R), left surround rear (Lsr), right surround rear (Rsr), and low frequency effects (LFE) speakers C LFE L R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr 7.
Working with Surround Sound Audio Audio Mixer tool: Sequence Format button 2. Click the Sequence Format button and select one of the following: t Stereo Sequence t 5.1 Sequence t 7.1 Sequence Channel meters in the Audio Mix tool default to the Film format (for 5.1 sequences) or Pro Tools (for 7.1 sequences). Channel meters in the Audio tool reflect the monitor mix format. Surround Mixing Your Avid editing application allows you to mix in surround sound and create output in different formats.
Working with Surround Sound Audio example, a mono track always has a single track meter, even when assigned to a stereo output path. If you assign a mono track to a 5.1 output path, the output splits among six output channels, depending on the position of the panner. Surround Monitoring In order to monitor your multichannel mix, you must have appropriate hardware connected to your computer — for example, an audio card that supports surround sound or a Nitris DX connected to your system.
Working with Surround Sound Audio Sequence format Speaker Layout 7.1 Mono: All channels panned to center Stereo: C and LFE channels panned to center; L and R channels panned to Left/Right; Lsr, Rsr, Lss, and Rss channels panned to Left/Right and volume lowered by 3dB 5.1: C, L, R, Lsr, Rsr, and LFE channels panned to appropriate speakers; Lss and Rss channels panned to center of the Left/Left Rear and Right/Right Rear speaker pair 7.
Working with Surround Sound Audio Assigning Surround Sound Mix Output You can set a surround sound mix output for any sequence in your project. This specifies how the Avid editing application sends surround sound signals to your speakers and determines what you hear when you monitor the audio in your sequence. Your monitor mix output might differ from your sequence format.
Working with Surround Sound Audio If your workflow requires analog output to a tape deck, you configure the XLR outputs to connect to a deck. You see these channels, 1 through 4, in the Direct Out Channel Menu map in the Output tab of the Audio Project Settings dialog box. If your workflow does not require analog output to a tape deck, you can use the XLR outputs to provide Center, LFE, Left Rear and Right Rear channels for desktop monitoring.
Working with Surround Sound Audio HDMI carries both video and audio in an uncompressed, all-digital signal. HDMI is an interface standard for audiovisual equipment such as high-definition television. In order to use HDMI for audio, the HDMI device attached to your system must receive at least two channels of PCM (uncompressed) audio at the project sample rate and receive 6 channels or more of PCM audio.
Adjusting the Play Buffer Size for Audio (Software-only Models) Adjusting the Play Buffer Size for Audio (Software-only Models) You can use third-party host audio devices, such as a Sound Blaster® audio card, in software-only configurations of Avid editing applications. Although most host audio devices work properly within Avid editing applications, some exhibit problems during output (for example, audio clicking).
Using the Audio Mixer Tool Mode Task Description Live Mix Lets you temporarily override any existing volume and pan automation settings. You can use the controls on the Audio Mixer tool or use an external controller to change volume and pan settings without modifying the existing volume and pan automation settings. For more information, see “Using Live Mix Mode” on page 805.
Using the Audio Mixer Tool 2 Element Description (Continued) Monitor Mix button Controls how your system interprets audio values during playback: • Stereo: Mixes the currently monitored audio tracks into a stereo pair. Depending on your Avid input/output hardware, you can customize the mix using the Stereo Mix Tracks option. • Mono: Pans all the currently monitored tracks to center and ignores pan effects. • 5.
Using the Audio Mixer Tool Element Description (Continued) 8 Display/Hide Sliders Lets you switch between hiding and displaying the Volume Level sliders. button 9 Which Set of Tracks Lets you select which enabled tracks to display in the mix panes. When you display to Display in Mix 8 panes (with the Number of Mix Panes button), Grp 1 displays tracks 1-8. Click the Panes buttons Which Set of Tracks to Display in Mix Panes button to change it to Grp 2, which displays tracks 9-16.
Using the Audio Mixer Tool Element Description 1 Pan value and knobs Displays the pan value and lets you adjust it. These controls appear only when you select a surround sound format using the Sequence Mix Format menu or when you set Stereo, 5.1 Surround, or 7.1 Surround as output in the Audio Project settings. 2 Track Solo and Track Lets you solo or mute selected tracks.
Using the Audio Mixer Tool To switch between displaying four tracks and eight tracks: t Click the Number of Mix Panes button. To show or hide the Volume Level sliders: t Click the Display/Hide Sliders button. To adjust levels when the sliders are hidden, do one of the following: t Select a track, and type level values by using the numeric keypad on the keyboard. t Type values into the Volume Level display.
Rendering and Unrendering Order for Audio Effects Position indicator lights in the Audio Mixer tool The following table describes how to interpret the position indicator lights. n Colors Description Both lights are blue. The fader matches the current Timeline volume. Only top light is blue. The fader is higher than the Timeline volume. Only bottom light is blue. The fader is lower than the Timeline volume. Both lights are gray.
Audio Volume Staging and an Audio Editing Workflow 3. EQ (Audio EQ tool — real-time, can be rendered). 4. Audio Fade or Dissolve (Quick Dissolve button — real-time, can be rendered). 5. Volume and pan automation (Audio Mixer tool in Volume and Pan Automation mode — real-time). Changing an audio effect unrenders any audio effect that follows it in the render order but does not affect audio effects that precede it in the render order.
Audio Volume Staging and an Audio Editing Workflow You can set audio volume levels with the Audio Mixer tool. When you use the Audio Mixer tool in Clip Volume mode, values set by the volume level sliders are referred to as system clip volume values. When you use the Audio Mixer tool in Volume and Pan Automation mode, values set by the Audio Mixer tool are additive to the system clip volume values. This lets you adjust the values separately.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode The Audio Mixer tool in Clip Volume and Pan mode lets you do the following: • Adjust volume and pan for an individual clip, a whole track, several tracks at once, or a whole sequence. • Adjust the volume, pan, or both for one track at a time. • Adjust the volume, pan, or both for multiple tracks simultaneously by grouping them together. The system uses these adjustments for all playback, including output to a digital cut.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode t To adjust a track in a sequence, click the Record monitor to make it active. 2. Select the track or portion of a track you want to adjust: t To adjust the track in a single edited clip in a sequence, place the position indicator in the clip. t To adjust an isolated section of audio on a track, mark In and Out points. t To adjust levels from an In point through the end of the track, mark an In point only.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Values are cumulative until you press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). For example, if you want to enter the value 12, type it. However, if you enter 1 and then want to change the value to 2, press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) before typing the 2. - Click the Volume Level display, type a value, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). - Click the Level slider, and then drag the slider to a new position.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode t (Option) If you are working with a stereo sequence, click the Stereo Link button if you want to link the two Pan controls so that when you move one control the other moves correspondingly. You can also click the Stereo Mirror button so that the two Pan controls mirror each other as you adjust them. t If you mix for a surround sound format, a multichannel Pan grid appears for each track. Click the panner icon and drag it to the desired pan position.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode 3 4 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The following table describes the Pan grid and Advanced Panner controls: Element Description 1 Pan Grid Allows you to input pan information by dragging the Pan Location cursor anywhere within the grid. 2 Advanced Panner button Opens the Advanced Panner. 3 Stereo Link button For stereo sequences, links the two pan controls so that when you move one Pan Location cursor, the other moves in a parallel direction.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Element Description 7 Volume Level sliders Lets you adjust the volume level of the clip. 8 Audio meter Displays the volume level for each channel in a track. 9 X/Y Grid Allows you to input pan information by dragging the Pan Location cursor anywhere within the grid, by using 3-Knob mode, or by entering numeric values in the Position data fields. 10 Front Position control Displays and controls the current front X-axis (left/right) position of the panner.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode 4. With the Audio Mixer tool active, use any playback method (such as the J-K-L keys on the keyboard) to play, shuttle, or step through the audio to check for necessary pan adjustments. 5. (Option) If you are working with a stereo track, click the Stereo Link button if you want to link the two Pan controls so that when you move one control the other moves correspondingly.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode 6. (Option) If you are working with a stereo track, click the Stereo Link button if you want to link the two Pan controls so that when you move one control the other moves correspondingly. You can also click the Stereo Mirror button so that the two Pan controls mirror each other as you adjust them. 7. Drag the Pan Location cursor to pan the track. The location of the Pan Location cursor determines the pan position of the signal.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode To pan using the Position controls: 1. Adjust the Front and Rear Position controls to set the trajectory line. 2. Rotate the Front/Rear Position control to pan along the trajectory. The Pan Location cursor is constrained to the trajectory line. 3. If you want to change the trajectory angles, do one of the following: t Drag either end point (Front or Rear) of the trajectory line. t Adjust the Front or Rear Position controls. 4.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode 6. Turn the Center Percentage control as needed. 7. When you finish adjusting the Center Percentage with the Advanced Panner, click the Close button to return to the Audio Mixer tool. To adjust the LFE control: 1. Select Tools > Audio Mixer. The Audio Mixer tool opens. 2. Select Clip Volume and Pan mode by doing one of the following: t Click and hold the Audio Mixer mode button, and select Auto Mode from the menu.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode t Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) the Track Selection button, and then select a track. 4. With the Audio Mixer tool active, use any playback method (such as the J-K-L keys on the keyboard) to play, shuttle, or step through the audio to check for necessary pan adjustments. 5. Click the Advanced Panner button. The Advanced Panner opens. 6. Adjust the LFE slider as needed. 7.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Points Set Description Both In and Out points Commands apply adjustments to selected tracks between the points. In point only Commands apply adjustments to full clips from the In point to the end of selected tracks. Out point only Commands apply adjustments to full clips from the beginning of selected tracks to the Out point. None Commands apply globally (across entire tracks).
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Bypassing Existing Volume Settings You can instruct your Avid editing application to ignore the volume settings established with the Audio Mixer tool when playing back or recording a sequence. To turn off current volume adjustments, do one of the following: t Click the Bypass button in the Audio Mixer tool. t Click the Clip Volume/Pan button in the Effects Bypass panel in the Effects tab of the Audio Project Settings window.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode Your Avid editing application repeatedly loops through the selected area as follows: - If you have In and Out points on your sequence, the command loops over the selected area. - If there are no In or Out points, the command loops over the shortest segment on the selected audio track at the position indicator. - If you have only an In point or only an Out point, the system uses the location of the position indicator as the second point.
Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode You can set global pan settings before or during editing by using the Audio Settings dialog box or the Audio Project Settings dialog box. You can also set pan for individual mono clips by using the Center Pan command. To modify the way the system interprets pan during playback: t Set the default pan values in the Audio Settings dialog box, which you access from the Settings list in the Project window.
Using Volume and Pan Automation The system pans all the selected clips to the center. Isolating Clip Portions for Audio Adjustment When making audio level and pan adjustments, your Avid editing application looks at either an individual clip in the Source monitor, a segment in the sequence, or entire tracks. To change level or pan settings in an area not defined by a discrete clip or group of clips, use the Add Edit function to define your own custom area. To isolate clip portions for adjustment: 1.
Using Volume and Pan Automation Your Avid editing application uses a linear ramp to change the volume or pan from one keyframe to the next. When you adjust pan parameters, you can select which parameter displays in the Timeline. The pan parameters available depend on your sequence format and the audio track format. The following table lists the volume and pan displays available in the Timeline: Sequence Format Audio Track Format Volume and Pan Parameters Stereo Surround Sound 5.1 Surround Sound 7.
Using Volume and Pan Automation Using Volume and Pan Automation in the Timeline To use volume and pan automation to adjust volume or pan in the Timeline: 1. Select an audio track for adjusting volume or pan. 2. Click the Clip Volume/Pan button in the Track Control panel, and select the Volume or Pan option you want to adjust. Alt+Click the Clip Volume/Pan button to select all tracks.
Using Volume and Pan Automation After you add the first keyframe to a segment, you can adjust the volume for the entire clip. After you add a second keyframe, you can adjust the volume between keyframes. 5. Adjust the volume automation or pan keyframes by doing one of the following: t Click a keyframe and drag it up or down to increase or decrease the volume or pan at that point. If there is a point at the same position on another enabled track, it moves also.
Using Volume and Pan Automation To delete groups of volume automation or pan keyframes: 1. Mark an In point and an Out point or mark the entire segment. 2. Delete any keyframes in the marked area. Volume and Pan Automation Mode This topic describes controls in the Audio Mixer tool that are active only in Volume and Pan Automation mode. In Volume and Pan Automation mode, record controls are available, as shown in the following illustration and described in the table.
Using Volume and Pan Automation You can do the following: • Use sliders in the Audio Mixer tool to adjust volume values while you play the clip, as described in “Using the Audio Mixer Tool for Volume and Pan Automation” on page 802. For additional information, see “Audio Mixer Tool Fast Menu: Volume and Pan Automation Mode” on page 803 and “Using Keyboard Shortcuts with Audio Keyframes” on page 804. • Use the stereo pan controls or surround sound controls to adjust pan values as you play the clip.
Using Volume and Pan Automation 6. Move the blue position indicator to the section of audio that you want to adjust and mark In to Out points. 7. Click the Record button or press the B key to start recording your actions. 8. Listen to the audio and do one of the following: t Adjust the Audio Level sliders in the Audio Mixer tool as necessary. t Click the Pan Location cursor in the Pan grid in the Audio Mixer tool and adjust the position.
Using Volume and Pan Automation Points Set Description None Commands apply globally (across entire tracks). The commands in the Fast menu appear inactive until you select a track. The following table describes the Audio Mixer tool Fast menu commands for Volume and Pan Automation mode: Command Description Filter volume automation Removes approximately 50 percent of the volume automation keyframes on Track in the marked region.
Using Live Mix Mode n The Audio Mixer tool must be active when you use the Fast Forward or Rewind keys. To use the Fast Forward and Rewind keys when editing volume automation or pan keyframes: 1. Click the Audio Mixer tool to make it active. 2. Do one of the following: t Click and hold the Audio Mixer Mode button and select Auto Mode from the menu. t Click the Audio Mixer Mode button and cycle through the Audio Mix mode settings to the Auto mode setting. 3. Select the appropriate track or tracks. 4.
Using Live Mix Mode Entering Live Mix Mode To enter Live Mix mode: 1. Select Tools > Audio Mixer. 2. Do one of the following: t Click and hold the Audio Mixer Mode button and select Live Mix Mode from the menu. t Click the Audio Mixer Mode button and cycle through the Audio Mix mode settings to the Live mode setting. The Audio Mixer tool changes to Live Mix mode.
Using Live Mix Mode Using Live Mix Mode with an External Controller To use a control surface in Live Mix mode: 1. Connect and configure the control surface. For more information, see “Using the 002 and the Command|8” on page 844 or “Using Avid Artist Series Controllers” on page 869. 2. Double-click Controller Settings in the Settings list and make sure that the Controller, Port, and Gain Controller Port options identify the controller you are using.
Using Live Mix Mode Using Live Mix Mode Without an External Controller You can use Live Mix mode without an external controller but you cannot change the volume or pan sliders in real time. To use the controls in the Audio Mixer tool: t Move the volume sliders or change the pan settings, and then play the audio. When you play the audio, the system uses your new settings without saving any volume automation information.
Using Live Mix Mode Command Description Set Live Mix to Default Sets the active tracks to 0 dB and does not modify any existing volume automation keyframes. Set Live Mix to Automation Sets the Live Mix mode settings to match the volume and pan settings where each track crosses the Position bar in the Timeline. When you use this option, the system permanently removes the existing automatic volume or pan key frames between the In and Out points.
Using Live Mix Mode Live Mix level settings at 0 dB and -45 dB The following illustration shows a sequence in the Timeline with volume automation applied. The following illustration shows the result after choosing Set Live Mix to Automation In/Out from the Audio Mixer Fast menu. The portion of the Timeline between the In and Out on Track A1 is changed to 0 dB and the same portion of Track A2 is changed by -45 dB to match the Live Mix settings.
Fading and Dipping Audio After changing the levels in this way, you might enter Volume and Pan Automation mode and further adjust the volume between the In and Out points. Fading and Dipping Audio In traditional analog editing, you manually change volume levels to smooth audio transitions between elements in an edited sequence by doing any of the following: • Fading audio up or down. • Crossfading between audio elements on two separate channels. • Dipping audio to a lower level.
Fading and Dipping Audio 3. Click the Add menu, and Select Dissolve. Only dissolves work with audio tracks. 4. Click the Position menu, and select the location for the dissolve. 5. Select a duration for the dissolve by doing one of the following: t Type a duration, measured in frames (30 frames equals 1 second of NTSC footage; 25 frames equals 1 second of PAL footage), in the Duration text box. t Click either the left or right edge of the Dissolve Effect icon, and drag it to change the duration.
Audio Sample Rate Conversion n The Skip Existing Transition Effects option is useful when you want to add a number of dissolves to a sequence that already has transition effects. Do one of the following: t Select Apply to All Transitions (In -> Out) to overwrite all existing transition effects between the In and Out points. t Select both options to avoid overwriting any existing transition effects. 9. Click Add to move the effect to the transition point without rendering.
Changing the Audio Sample Rate for Sequences and Audio Clips • You can perform on-the-fly sample rate conversion while playing when the system encounters different sample rates. See “Audio Projects Settings: Main Tab” on page 1292. • You can instruct the system to perform sample rate conversion during an import operation if it encounters a sample rate different from the project sample rate. See “Sample Rate Conversion and Audio Import” on page 288 and “Import Settings: Audio Tab” on page 1355.
Mixing Down Audio Tracks Option Description Target Drive Identifies the drive for the new media files. Make sure that you choose a target drive with enough storage space for the generated media files and the ability to play back media. 4. Click OK. Mixing Down Audio Tracks When you work with multiple audio tracks while editing your material, you might need to mix down the final audio to a multichannel track or to a mono track.
Mixing Down Audio Tracks 5. Select Mono, Stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 and select the target track to which you want to mix down the audio. A mono mixdown goes to the next available mono track in the Timeline, and a stereo or surround sound mixdown goes to the next available stereo or surround sound track. If there are no appropriate tracks in the Timeline, the mixdown operation creates them. 6. Select a drive and a bin. The drive is the media drive where the system stores the media files for the mixed-down audio.
Splitting Multichannel Tracks to Mono Tracks Splitting Multichannel Tracks to Mono Tracks You can split a multichannel audio track in the Timeline into separate mono tracks if you want to edit separate audio channels or if you need to export a sequence either to an older version of the Avid editing application or to Avid Pro Tools. You can also split a clip or sequence with multichannel tracks to mono from a bin.
Using the Audio EQ Tool When the Avid editing application splits a stereo track to two mono tracks, it changes some audio properties of the track: • Removes stereo track effects such as RTAS plug-in effects. • Converts stereo AudioSuite plug-in effects to mono effects. • Applies any existing volume automation to the resulting mono tracks. • Applies any existing pan automation to the resulting mono tracks, panning odd-numbered tracks to the left and even-numbered tracks to the right.
Using the Audio EQ Tool t If one of the Audio tools is already open, click the Effect Mode Selector menu, and select EQ. The Audio EQ tool opens. Audio EQ Tool Features This topic describes the basic buttons and menus on the Audio EQ tool as well as the EQ-specific items on the tool. 1 2 3 4 6 5 7 Top part of the Audio EQ tool Button Description 1 Effect icon Lets you create an EQ template. Drag the icon to an open bin to create the template.
Using the Audio EQ Tool 7 Button Description Bypass RT EQ Lets you instruct the system to ignore all the EQ effects. This button is also available in the Audio Mixer tool and the Output tab in the Audio Project Settings dialog box. If you select this feature in one place, it is selected in the others as well.
Using the Audio EQ Tool • The second band is the parametric midrange. This band has two bandwidth values, 1/4 octave and 2 octaves. These values control the width of the curve. For more information, see “Audio EQ Examples” on page 826. • The third band, the high shelf, has four turnover points (6 kHz, 8 kHz, 12 kHz, and 15 kHz). The high shelf affects all frequencies from the high shelf turnover point to 20 kHz. The horizontal center line of the graph is 0 (zero).
Using the Audio EQ Tool Example of shelf, parametric midrange, and turnover point information in the Audio EQ tool. The current value for all EQ parameters is 0 dB. Top: buttons that display turnover points (for the low shelf and high shelf curve) and bandwidth (in this case, 2 octaves) around the center point of the parametric curve. Bottom: EQ Range slider showing the center point of the parametric midrange curve. The Audio EQ tool lets you emphasize or de-emphasize audio frequencies.
Using the Audio EQ Tool Track Selection Menu button in the Audio EQ tool The Track Selector panel in the Timeline updates to reflect your selection. If you enable multiple tracks in the Timeline, plus signs (+) appear next to the enabled tracks in the Audio EQ tool. 6. Click the Audio Loop Play button to play the currently selected audio clip within the current In to Out range. To stop playing the loop, click the button again or click anywhere in the Timeline. 7.
Using the Audio EQ Tool Saving Audio EQ Effects Your Avid editing application treats an EQ setting as an effect. You can save EQ settings in a bin just as you save any other effect template. This makes it easy to save EQ settings and apply them whenever you need them. The following illustration shows an EQ Effect icon in a bin and in the Timeline. Examples of an EQ effect icon in the bin and in the Timeline To save EQ settings in a bin: t Drag the effect icon in the Audio EQ tool to a bin.
Using the Audio EQ Tool For example, the following illustration shows a segment with one EQ effect applied to the second audio clip on the first audio track. If you select Set EQ In/Out, the current EQ effect is also applied to the first and third audio clips on the first audio track. If there is no EQ setting on the currently selected clip, selecting Set EQ In/Out deletes the EQ settings on all clips within the In to Out range.
Using the Audio EQ Tool t In Effect mode, press the Delete key. Audio EQ Examples The following procedures are examples of two different ways to use the Audio EQ tool to remove excess bass from an audio track. Assume that a bass drum in the sound track is very pronounced. You want to use the Audio EQ tool to de-emphasize it, but there are voices on the same track as the music.
Using the Audio EQ Tool To isolate the frequency: 1. Use the ¼-octave influence range. 2. Set the midrange EQ parameter to –15 dB. 3. Use the EQ Range slider to move the midpoint of the parametric curve until it isolates the bass frequency. In this case, the bass frequency to de-emphasize is approximately 80 Hz. Once you locate the frequency you want, you can adjust it as needed.
Using the Audio EQ Tool Predefined EQ templates in the Audio EQ tool Fast menu The following illustration shows the contents of the Audio EQ tool when you select the Female Voice with Presence template in the Timeline. As explained in the tool, you cannot change the parameters of a predefined EQ template.
Using the Audio EQ Tool n To see the parameter values of one of the EQ templates that cannot be edited, view the Console window after you apply the effect. For more information, see “Using The Console Window” on page 112. If you create an EQ effect, you can use it again as a template in another sequence or on another track. Your Avid editing application stores predefined EQ templates in a special bin named Site_EQs_Bin.avb.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Adjusting EQ While Playing an Audio Effect You can use the Audio Loop Play button to create or change an EQ effect while a clip is playing. Use the same procedure as described in “Adjusting Volume While Playing a Clip Volume Effect” on page 794. If the clip has no existing EQ effect before you start, you do not hear any changes until you click the Audio Loop Play button to stop and replay the effect.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Audio Punch-in Tool Features You can use the Audio Punch-in tool to record voice-over narration directly into the Timeline. However, you can only record to mono tracks when you use the Audio Punch-In tool. You can “rehearse” the voice-over while listening to the sequence. The voice-over is not recorded while you rehearse. You can continue to rehearse until you get it right. While recording, you can watch and listen to the sequence and hear the playback of edited sound tracks.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Audio Punch-In Tool Feature Description 4 Go to Mark In button Moves the position indicator to the In point. If there is no In point, your Avid editing application goes to where the position indicator was previously located or to the start of the sequence. 5 Cancel button Stops a recording without saving the recorded data. 6 Audio Tool button Opens the Audio tool so you can monitor and adjust the audio levels during recording.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Audio Punch-In Tool Feature Description 14 Target Bin menu Lets you choose a target bin. Audio Punch-in Tool Scenarios You can punch-in audio in several ways: • Scenario 1 — Set only an Out point. The position indicator is used as the In point. Set a preroll time. Click the Play In/Out button to loop continuously through the sequence. Click the Record button when you find what you want to punch-in, and then click the Record button again to end recording.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Audio Punch-In tool. Top, left to right: Play In/Out button, Record button, and Stop button. Center: Input Source menu. Bottom left: Input Channels buttons. Bottom right: Timeline Track menus. 3. Select the input source and input channels that correspond to your hardware setup, and set other values in the window as appropriate. To select the input channels you want, click and hold the appropriate Input Channels button. 4.
Recording Voice-Over Narration 9. Click the Stop button, or press the space bar to stop play and recording. Your Avid editing application automatically names the voice-over and saves it as an audio clip. You can change the clip name as you would for any other clip. The position indicator stops to get ready for your next voice-over. 10. (Option) To go to the In point at any time, click the Go to Mark In button.
Recording Voice-Over Narration Using Peak Hold While Recording Voice-Over Narration Peak Hold lets you customize the meter displays, and sets and plays back the internal calibration tone. You can use Peak Hold while recording a punch-in as follows: • Use the Peak Hold menu in the Audio tool to change between Peak Hold and Infinite Hold. • Use the Reset Peak button in the Audio tool. For more information about Peak Hold, see “Understanding the Audio Tool” on page 198.
19 Using External Audio Devices Avid editing applications support the following external fader controllers or mixers for volume automation and pan recording or as control surfaces. n External fader controllers or mixers are optional. You do not need them to perform volume automation or pan recording on an Avid editing system. • 002 (Windows only) and Command|8 — These units support touch-sensitive flying faders. While recording volume automation, the faders automatically move.
Feature Digi 002 (MC/NC only) Command|8 MC Control MC Mix MC Transport Provides audio play, input, and output Yes No No No No Record volume automation Yes Yes Yes Yes No Record pan Yes Yes Yes Yes No Flying faders Yes (8) Yes (8) Yes (4) Yes (8) No Touch-sensitive faders Yes Yes Yes Yes No Touch-sensitive panners No No Yes Yes No Solo/mute Yes Yes Yes Yes No Supports audio mixing Noa No No No No Latch mode Yes Yes Yes Yes No 1024 1024 1024 Not appl
Configuring an External Controller Configuring an External Controller Some fader controllers require specific configuration procedures before you can use the devices with your Avid editing application. For more information, see the following topics: • “Configuring the Command|8” on page 845 • “Configuring the Mbox Device” on page 852 • “Using Avid Artist Series Controllers” on page 869 For information about using third-party devices, see the documentation that came with your fader controller.
Configuring External Controller Settings Position indicator lights in the Audio Mixer tool 5. Move the faders on the external fader controller. The corresponding fader should move in the Audio Mixer tool. Configuring External Controller Settings You use the Controller Settings dialog box to configure your system so that it can communicate with supported fader controllers.
Configuring External Controller Settings 2. Click the Port menu, and do one of the following, depending on your operating system, to select the appropriate port: t (Windows) Select COM1 or COM2 t (Macintosh) Select Port #1, #2, #3, or #4 3. Select Controller > [controller]. 4. Click Edit Settings. The Controller Settings dialog box for your controller opens. For information on the layout of the dialog box and the default button mappings, see the documentation that came with your controller.
Using an External Fader Controller or Mixer to Record Volume Automation t If your controller uses shifted functions, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard, click the function in the Command palette, and drag it to the button in the Controller Settings dialog box whose function you want to program. As you drag between the Command palette and dialog box, the pointer changes to the hand pointer. The new function appears on the controller button.
Adjusting the Volume or Pan of Individual Keyframes 8. To decrease the number of keyframes, click the Audio Mixer Tool Fast Menu button, and select Filter Volume Automation on Track — In/Out. (Click the Track Selection button for a track to enable Filter Automation.) If you delete too many keyframes, use the Undo command to restore them. 9. Repeat the previous step until you have decreased the number of keyframes to an acceptable level.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 For information on connecting a fader controller or mixer, see “Using an External Fader Controller or Mixer to Record Volume Automation” on page 842. n The position indicator lights do not apply to pan. Using the 002 and the Command|8 You can use the Command|8 as a control surface for your Avid editing application as well as a controller for volume automation and pan recording.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 Configuring the Command|8 Before you configure your Command|8 with your Avid editing application, install and configure the device as described in the documentation that comes with Command|8. n You must start Command|8 before you start your Avid editing application. If you start your Avid editing application when the controller is turned off, you must exit your Avid editing application, turn the controller on, and then start your Avid editing application.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 The buttons on the 002 (for Windows systems only) and Command|8 can have different functions depending on the modifier key you press. You can either use the keyboard or press one of the Keyboard Modifier switches on the controller surface. n For the 002 and the Command|8, pressing the Option key on a Macintosh system is equivalent to pressing the Alt key on a Windows system. Pressing the Command key on a Macintosh system has no equivalent on a Windows system.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 Groups of controls in the Command|8 Controller Settings dialog box. Top, left to right: Console View controls, Transport and Navigation controls, Display Controls and Foot Switch. Center: Keyboard Modifier switches. Bottom: Open Command Palette button. To view the different button settings on the Controller Settings dialog box: t Press the Shift, Control, Option, or Command key while viewing the Command|8 Controller Settings dialog box.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 4. Click Edit Settings. The 002 Controller Settings dialog box or Command|8 Controller Settings dialog box opens. 5. Click Open Command Palette. The Command palette opens. 6. Click Menu to Button Reassignment on the Command palette. As you move the mouse over a button, the cursor changes to a menu icon. 7. Click the button on the dialog box that you want to change. The system highlights the button. 8. Select a menu command. For example, select Tools > Audio Punch-In.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 To ensure that you perform the correct operation when you press a button on the control surface: 1. Map some buttons to menu commands that makes a particular window or tool active. For example, on the 002, the F5 key is mapped to Tools > Timeline by default for Windows systems. Pressing the F5 button on the 002 makes the Timeline active. 2. (Option) To see the function of a mapped button, hold the cursor over the button to view the tooltip.
Using the 002 and the Command|8 Position indicator lights 2. Click the Timeline Fast Menu button and select Audio Data > Pan. 3. Move the blue position indicator to the section of audio that you want to adjust and mark In to Out points. 4. Set Preroll and Postroll values, if necessary. 5. Click the Record button to start recording your actions. 6. Listen to the audio and turn the pan knob for the track.
Using Mbox Family Audio Devices To use Latch Mode: 1. Click the Latch Mode button for the appropriate tracks on the controller. You can click the button before or during a recording session. 2. Set In and Out points, and click the Record button. The system begins playing the section and the faders move accordingly. 3. When you want to make an adjustment, move the fader to change the volume. The system immediately begins recording. 4. When you are finished adjusting the section, release the fader.
Using Mbox Family Audio Devices Device Connection Type Input/Output Types Mbox 2 Mini USB Analog Mbox 2 Micro USB Analog (monitor audio only; no input/output available) Mbox (3rd Generation) USB Analog, S/PDIF, MIDI Mbox Pro (3rd Generation) 1394 Analog, S/PDIF, MIDI, Word Clock In Mbox Mini (3rd Generation) USB Analog Mbox (3rd Generation) devices support audio sample rates up to 96 KHz. For a full description of MBox specifications, see the documentation that came with your device.
Using Mbox Family Audio Devices 6. Click the Peripheral menu, and then select your Mbox device. 7. Close the Audio Project Settings dialog box. Once you configure the Mbox device, you can select the audio input interface in the Capture tool and the Audio Punch-in tool. For more information, see “Preparing to Capture Audio” on page 193 and “Recording Voice-Over Narration” on page 830. You can also use your device to monitor output audio by connecting headphones or speakers to the Mbox device.
Configuring USB-to-MIDI Software for External Controllers t (Windows XP) Click Avid Mbox Pro. The Mbox Pro Control Panel opens. 4. Select your headphone output, and then click the Audio Source menu and select Stereo Mix 1. 5. Close the Mbox Pro Control Panel.
Configuring USB-to-MIDI Software for External Controllers Testing External Fader Controller Connections To test the external fader controller connections: 1. Connect all MIDI hardware devices. MIDI port A is the default port used by the Avid system. To change the port configuration, see “Switching Between MIDI Connections on the USB-to-MIDI Converter” on page 856. 2.
Configuring USB-to-MIDI Software for External Controllers 11. To disable the hardware calibration, click the Audio Mixer Tool Fast Menu button, and select Calibrate Hardware Sliders. The Recording Status Light changes to black. 12. Move the sliders on the external fader controller. The corresponding sliders move in the Audio Mixer tool. Now you are ready to use the fader controller with your Avid editing application.
Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Configuration for Avid Editing Systems 3. Check the Controller Settings dialog box in the Settings list of the Project window. Verify that the correct Gain Controller port is selected. 4. (Macintosh only) Use the Apple System Profiler to check whether the system is recognizing the MIDI device: a. Select Apple menu > About This Mac. b. Click More Information. The Apple System Profiler opens. c. Click the Devices and Volumes tab.
Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Configuration for Avid Editing Systems With Pro Tools|HD Native hardware installed on a supported Avid editing system, you can perform the following: • Play back audio through up to 8 audio outputs. You can also play back audio with a SYNC HD or SYNC I/O device connected. The Avid editing application does not control the clock settings for these devices.
Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Configuration for Avid Editing Systems 4. Click the Control Panel button. The ASIO Control Panel opens. 5. (Optional) Click the Buffer Size menu and select a buffer size. Generally, smaller buffer sizes are preferable. However, if you experience any problems with performance (such as clicks and pops during recording or playback), try increasing the Buffer Size setting. 6. Click the Device menu and select the audio device connected to your HD or Native hardware. 7.
Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Configuration for Avid Editing Systems 8. Select the options you want for your audio input/output operations. For more information on the settings in the Hardware Setup dialog box, see “Configuring Your Pro Tools|HD Native System” in the Pro Tools|HD Native User Guide that came with your Pro Tools system. Your Avid editing application uses only 8 channels of audio output. Also, the application controls the audio sample rate, not your HD or Native hardware. 9.
Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Configuration for Avid Editing Systems To configure the CoreAudio driver: 1. Do one of the following: t If your Avid editing application is running and you have an audio sequence loaded in the Source/Record monitor, click Play and then click the CoreAudio Manager icon in the dock. t Double-click the CoreAudio Manager file (located in /Applications/Digidesign/). The CoreAudio Manager opens. 2. (Optional) Click the Buffer Size menu and select a buffer size.
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool 4. Select the options you want for your audio input/output operations. For more information on the settings in the Hardware Setup dialog box, see “Configuring Your Pro Tools|HD Native System” in the Pro Tools|HD Native User Guide that came with your Pro Tools system. Your Avid editing application uses only 8 channels of audio output. Also, the application controls the audio sample rate, not your HD or Native hardware. 5.
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool Understanding GPI Trigger Signals Your Avid editing application sends three different GPI trigger signals under the following circumstances: Trigger Signal Sent When Play Out Playback begins. Recording with the Audio Punch-In tool ends but playback continues because a postroll value is set in the Audio Punch-In tool (that is, the signal is sent when the Stop button in the Audio Punch-In tool changes to blue).
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool Example of Linking GPI Actions to Trigger Signals You can configure the GPI to respond to each signal sent by your Avid editing application in a specific manner. For a simple indicator light, you might create a GPI setting linking the Record Out signal from your Avid editing application to the GPI Set action (to turn the light on) and a setting linking the Stop Out signal from your Avid editing application to the GPI Reset action (to turn the light off).
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT IN OUT SERIAL LAN CF AC 1 SERIAL PARALLEL REF 2 SERIAL A 3 TIMECODE A IN OUT 4 5 SERIAL B 6 TIMECODE B IN OUT LAN CF AC VLX TRANSMITTER VLX 2R DUAL RECEIVER Top left: GPI terminals on the VLXi-GT GPI (for connections to external hardware). Top right: V-LAN connection (from VLXi-GT to V-LAN VLXi controller) and terminator (required when cable length is more than 50 feet (15.24 meters).
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool 5. Click OK. The Autoconfigure message box opens. 6. Click Yes. The connected GPI is automatically detected and appears in the Deck Configuration dialog box. Working with GPI Settings You must create a separate GPI setting for each trigger signal you want the GPI to recognize. For example, you would need one setting for the Record Out signal and another for the Stop Out signal.
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool 3. Select the name of the GPI you want to edit. 4. Click Edit. 5. Make the applicable changes to the setting. 6. Click OK. 7. Click Apply. The GPI setting is updated. To delete a GPI setting: 1. In the Project window, double-click Deck Configuration. The Deck Configuration dialog box opens. 2. Click the VLXi-GT text box. 3. Select the name of the GPI you want to delete. 4. Click Delete. 5. Click OK. 6. Click Apply. The GPI setting is deleted.
Using a GPI Device with the Audio Punch-In Tool GPI Option Description Delete Click to delete an existing GPI node setting. Add Click to add another GPI node setting. GPI Node Option Description Function Select one of the three active functions: • Record Out • Play Out • Stop Out Seven options are listed, but only the three signals described in “Understanding GPI Trigger Signals” on page 863 are active. Node Click the Node menu, and select a node.
20 Using Avid Artist Series Controllers This section includes topics that provide information on configuring and using the Avid Artist Series controllers with your Avid editing application: Avid Artist Control, Avid Artist Transport, and Avid Artist Mix. These controllers employ the EUCON™ (Extended User Control) protocol, which allows for integrated control of your Avid editing application and EUCON-compatible devices.
Installing EuControl Software If you want to connect your Artist Series controller to an Avid editing system that is part of an Avid ISIS shared storage environment, the following requirements apply: • (Macintosh only) Avid recommends that you connect your Artist Series controller to the built-in Ethernet 1 port on your Macintosh system.
Installing EuControl Software EUCON icon in the notification area t (Macintosh) Click the EUCON icon in the dock, and then select Window > EuControl Settings. The EuControl Settings dialog box opens. b. Click the Surfaces tab, and then click Update Firmware. If there is updated firmware for your Artist Series controller, EuControl automatically downloads it. c. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the new firmware. 4. Shut down your system. 5. Connect your Artist Series controller.
Configuring Avid Artist Series Controller Settings Configuring Avid Artist Series Controller Settings You use the Controller Settings dialog box to configure your Avid editing application so that it can communicate with your Artist Series controllers. To configure your Avid editing application for an Artist Series controller: 1. Double-click Controller Settings in the Settings list of the Project window. The Controller Settings dialog box opens. 2. Select Controller > EUCON Controller. 3. Click OK.
Setting the IP Address The Euphonix dialog box opens. 4. Click the Network Interfaces menu and select either Ethernet 1 or Ethernet 2, depending on which Ethernet port you want to use for your Artist Series controller. 5. Close the Euphonix dialog box. 6. Select the Apple menu > System Preferences. 7. In the Internet & Wireless area, click Network. The Network dialog box opens. 8. Click the Action menu and select Set Service Order. The Service Order dialog box opens. 9.
Setting the IP Address connect a controller to a system using an Ethernet cable. You can override these methods of obtaining IP addresses by supplying a static IP address, which the devices use in all cases when turned on. n Avid does not recommend setting up static IP addresses unless you have experience in configuring network properties. To set a static IP address (Avid Artist Control): 1. Press and hold the Page Left and Page Right keys while you press and release the Power button.
Setting the IP Address 3. Touch the first box of the IP Address field to select it, and then adjust its value by turning any of the eight knobs or the Jog wheel. 4. Repeat the previous step to adjust all values of the IP Address and the Subnet Mask fields. 5. Touch OK to save this static IP address. Turn off the controller and then turn it on to use the new IP address. You can touch Cancel at any time to discard changes made to the IP address. To set a static IP address (Avid Artist Transport): 1.
Configuring EuControl Settings To set a static IP address (Avid Artist Mix): 1. Press and hold the Page Left and Page Right keys while you press and release the Power button. The Use DHCP screen appears in the channel display for fader strip 1. 2. Turn the knob underneath the display clockwise to change the Use DHCP value from yes (default) to no. You can use the SEL and ON keys instead of the knob to decrease or increase the value, respectively. 3.
Configuring EuControl Settings The EuControl application starts when you start your computer and runs in the background. Avid recommends that you make sure EuControl is running before you start your Avid editing application. For a full description of configuration procedures and options, see the documentation that came with your Artist Series controller. To connect an Artist Series controller to your system: 1. Connect your Artist Series controller to your system and turn on the power for the device. 2.
Configuring EuControl Settings 4. Click the Automatically add: menu, and select one of the following: t To add all controllers listed in the All Surfaces list — which lists all devices available on your subnet — select All Surfaces. This setting is useful when you are the only person running EuControl on your network. t To add only those controllers listed in the My Surfaces, select My Surfaces Only.
Artist Series Controller Button Mappings 7. (Option) If you want more than one workstation to access your Artist Series controllers, do the following: a. Select the workstation in the All Workstations list and click Add. b. Select the workstation in the My Workstations list and click Attach. A check mark appears in the Attached column in the My Workstations list. The workstation can now access the Artist Series controllers connected to EuControl. 8. Close the EuControl Settings application.
Artist Series Controller Button Mappings Artist Control and Artist Transport can control multiple applications, each with its own soft key assignments. Since the EuControl application responds dynamically as you move between applications, soft key assignments might change in the Soft Keys tab as the active application changes. Changing the focus to the desired application and then to the EuControl application restores the current assignments.
Customizing Avid Artist Series Controls Customizing Avid Artist Series Controls You can modify the default Soft Key functions of the controls on your Artist Series controller by mapping them to buttons and keyboard shortcuts in your Avid editing application. You can also add custom key sequences, EUCON commands, pages to the surface controls or the touchscreen, and jog and shuttle wheel functions for some devices. The following procedure provides a generic description of how to customize your controller.
Customizing Avid Artist Series Controls 3. Do one of the following: t Select a button whose function you want to customize, and click Command. t Double-click a button whose function you want to customize. The Soft Key Command Editor opens. 4. Specify the action you want to associate with the control button. The Soft Key Command Editor organizes the default commands as they appear in the Command palette or in menus. 5. Close the Soft Key Command Editor.
Customizing Avid Artist Series Controls The Artist Transport controls for the Touchscreen. 3. If the display does not include any blank keys, click the Page menu and select a new page. You can also click the Add button to add a new page. 4. Do one of the following: t Select a blank key and click Command. t Double-click a blank key. The Soft Key Command Editor dialog opens. 5.
Moving Through Footage with Artist Series Controllers - EuCon - Page - MC - Wheel 6. In the Details column, select the function you want to associate with the new soft key. EUCON commands automatically label the button but do not select an icon. 7. Close the Soft Key Command Editor. The Soft Key tab updates and displays the new function. Moving Through Footage with Artist Series Controllers You can use your Artist Series controller to control how you move through footage.
Volume Automation and Pan on Artist Series Controllers • The track selection buttons on your Artist Series controller allow you to select and deselect tracks in the Timeline. Selecting tracks in the Timeline or in the Audio Mixer tool updates the track selection display in your Artist Series controller. • You can solo and mute tracks on your Artist Series controller to isolate tracks as you monitor the audio playback.
Recording Volume Automation and Pan with Artist Series Controllers assignments by the number of available faders — for example, shifting assignments from tracks 1 – 8 to tracks 9 – 16. The Nudge button changes track assignments by one track — for example, shifting assignments from tracks 1 – 8 to tracks 2 – 9. Artist Mix provides buttons and indicator lights mapped to standard audio editing functions: Button Function SEL Controls and indicates pan recording.
Recording Volume Automation and Pan with Artist Series Controllers 3. Attach the Artist Series controller to your system. (See “Configuring Avid Artist Series Controller Settings” on page 872.) The position indicator lights in the Audio Mixer tool change to blue when the fader controller or mixer is on and correctly attached to the system. Position indicator lights 4. Click the Timeline Fast Menu button and select Audio Data > Auto Gain or Audio Data > Audio Pan. 5.
Using the Latch Mode Feature on Artist Series Controllers t To move the track assignments to the left or right by one track, click the Nudge Left or Nudge Right button. Using the Latch Mode Feature on Artist Series Controllers Some Artist Series controllers have an Auto REC button for each track that lets you enable or disable latch mode for recording volume automation and pan information.
Using the Artist Series Controller for Editing Media Using the Artist Series Controller for Editing Media You can use your Artist Series controller to perform some of the basic editing functions available in your Avid editing application, including the following: • Mark In and Out points • Splice in and Overwrite edits • Lift and Extract edits • Trim edits • Multicamera edits These functions allow you to edit and trim clips in your sequences using the controller rather than the buttons and tools
Controller Application Sets Avid Artist Control The following table lists the default application set for Avid Artist Control when used with your Avid editing application. n Not all hardware and software versions support all of the functionality listed in this section. Some buttons might be unavailable on your controller.
Controller Application Sets Control Function Fader strips Allow you to adjust parameters while recording volume automation or pan. Press the Shift key and touch a fader to set it to unity gain. Soft key navigation Moves through the pages listing soft key functions in the display. Press Shift+up arrow (Home) or Shift+down arrow (End) to go to the first or last page. Display Displays functional information and controls, including the knob functions, Touchscreen controls, soft key labels.
Controller Application Sets Control Function Close (Shift+Nudge Right) Closes the active dialog box or tool. Home (Shift+Bank Left) Moves the set of four tracks assigned to the faders to tracks 1 – 4. End (Shift+Bank Right) Moves the set of four tracks assigned to the faders to the last bank of four faders. Zoom Horz Allows you to use the Jog wheel to zoom horizontally in the Timeline. Zoom Vert (Shift+Zoom Horz) Allows you to use the Jog wheel to zoom vertically in the Timeline.
Controller Application Sets Avid Artist Transport: Display, Soft keys, Numeric keypad (Show/Redo/Undo), Transport keys, Application change key, Shift key Control Function Display Displays functional information including timecode, active application, and soft key labels. Soft keys Provide editing and navigation functions specified in the soft key pages in the application set. You can view the soft key functions by pressing the Show button.
Controller Application Sets Control Function Show+soft key Shows the label for the selected soft key in the display. You can lock the Show key by pressing the key and then quickly pressing a soft key. Press the Show key again to unlock it. Redo (Shift+period) Redoes the last undone edit. Undo (Shift+asterisk) Undoes the previous edit. Transport keys Allow you to perform navigation and editing functions specified in the application set.
Controller Application Sets Avid Artist Mix The following table lists the default application set for Avid Artist Mix when used with your Avid editing application.
Controller Application Sets Control Function On Switches two-state parameters, such as EQ Band 1 on/off. Soft knobs Eight continuously rotating knobs allowing you to adjust parameters such as pan levels. The knob has a built-in switch allowing it to be pressed from the top. The Touchscreen displays the current functions of the knobs. Solo button Solos the selected track. On button Unmutes and mutes the selected track. Chan Enables channel mode.
21 Using Audio Plug-Ins This chapter describes how to access and use the audio plug-ins, including the Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) and AudioSuite plug-ins that come with your Avid editing application. • Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins • Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins • Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins Your Avid editing application supports up to five RTAS plug-in inserts on each audio track.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins Inserting an RTAS Plug-In on a Track in the Timeline You can insert up to five RTAS plug-in track effects (inserts a through e) on an audio track. When you insert a plug-in effect to a track, you select the track where you want to apply the effect, which insert location you want to use on the track, and the specific effect you want to add to your sequence. You can also insert an RTAS plug-in track effect by dragging an RTAS effect template from a bin to your sequence.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins 2. Click an RTAS effect category, select the RTAS effect you want, and drag it to the segment or to the RTAS insert button where you want to apply the insert. You can only insert mono effects on a mono track, stereo effects on a stereo track, and surround sound effects on a surround sound track. The Select Insert dialog box opens. 3. Do one of the following: t If you want to add a new insert, click an [Empty] insert button.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins Editing an RTAS Plug-In on a Track in the Timeline After you insert an RTAS plug-in on an audio track, you can access the plug-in controls by using the Track Control panel or the RTAS tool. When you select an RTAS insert button in the Track Control panel or an effect in the RTAS tool, the controls for the plug-in appear in the RTAS tool window.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins The Compressor/Limiter Dyn 3 plug-in window displayed in the RTAS tool dialog box. You can also open the RTAS tool by selecting Tools > RTAS or right-clicking the Record Track button for the track where you want to edit an insert and selecting RTAS tool. You can use the buttons in the RTAS tool to select a specific insert to edit. 3. (Option) If you want to change the plug-in effect for your insert, click the Select Effect button and select a new plug-in. 4.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins 7. To save your changes, do one of the following: t Click the Save Effect icon in the RTAS tool. t Close the RTAS tool. Moving and Copying RTAS Inserts You can move and copy RTAS inserts from one track to another. However, you can only move mono inserts to mono tracks and stereo inserts to stereo tracks.
Real-Time AudioSuite Plug-Ins Removing RTAS Inserts on a Track Removing an insert deletes the effect from the track. To remove an RTAS insert: 1. Do one of the following: t Select Tools > RTAS. t Right-click the Record Track button for the track where you want to edit an insert and select RTAS tool. t Click the RTAS insert button for the RTAS effect. The RTAS tool opens. 2. Click the Select Track button and select the track where you want to delete an insert. 3.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins The RTAS effect is applied to the track. Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Your Avid editing application supports AudioSuite, the Avid host-based, file-based plug-in specification. Users have access to mono and stereo audio-processing plug-ins developed by Avid and by Avid third-party developers. These plug-ins perform pitch modifications, artifact removal, audio reversal, and many other processes.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Using Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins You can use AudioSuite plug-ins in two ways. • You can apply a plug-in to a clip in the Timeline and then create a rendered effect. For more information, see “Applying an AudioSuite Plug-in to a Clip in the Timeline” on page 905. • You can use the controls in the AudioSuite window to create a new master clip. This method lets you process more than one channel at a time and to create new media with a duration longer or shorter than the source media.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins n If you want to use plug-ins that operate on stereo pairs or that change the length of the audio clip, use the methods described in “Creating New Master Clips with AudioSuite Plug-Ins” on page 908. To apply an AudioSuite plug-in to a clip in the Timeline: 1. Open the AudioSuite window by doing one of the following: t Select Tools > AudioSuite. t If an audio tool is already open, click the Effect Mode Selector menu, and select AudioSuite. 2.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Common buttons in the AudioSuite Plug-In dialog box The following table describes the six common buttons: Button Description OK Saves the effect and closes the dialog box. Cancel Closes the dialog box and does not save the effect. Preview Plays back a portion or all of the currently selected audio clip with processing. Some plug-ins can preview in real time and some cannot.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins The following commands appear in the menu: Command Description Global The segment has no In points. The command affects all the plug-ins on the enabled tracks. IN/OUT The segment has In to Out points. The command affects the plug-ins on the enabled tracks within the marked region. From IN The segment has an In point but no corresponding Out point. The command affects all plug-ins on enabled tracks, starting with the In point.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins AudioSuite Controls for Creating New Master Clips When you drag a master clip onto the AudioSuite window, the window automatically expands to display additional controls. You can also click the Display/Hide Master Clip Controls button to display or hide the additional parameters. The following illustration identifies the controls in the expanded AudioSuite window.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins 2 Control Description Input Source Track selectors Let you choose the input source tracks for the effect. The system automatically chooses a preview track and displays a blue Speaker icon on the track. To change the preview track, Alt+click (Windows) or Option+click (Macintosh) the appropriate source track. If the source track used as the current preview track is deselected, the system chooses the lowest available track.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Control Description 10 Mark IN to OUT indicators These lights change to green when a mark In or mark Out exists on the current master clip. 11 Find Source From Effect button Lets you find the master clip associated with an AudioSuite template. When you drop an AudioSuite effect template into the AudioSuite window, the system activates this button. Click the button to load the master clip into the AudioSuite window as the active master clip.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Most AudioSuite plug-ins automatically select the appropriate processing mode and label the values in the Processing Mode Selection menu. For example, the Normalize plug-in offers two choices: Level On Each Chan-Track and Levels On All Chans-Tracks (default). You select the processing mode from a menu in the AudioSuite window as described in the next section. Using AudioSuite Plug-ins to Create New Master Clips To create new master clips using the AudioSuite plug-ins: 1.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins Using AudioSuite Effect Templates When you create a new master clip, your Avid editing application also creates an AudioSuite effect template in the bin. This effect template contains a reference to the original master clip to which you applied the effect. Template names take the following format: • (Windows) Your Avid editing application combines the original clip name with the effect name — for example, Test Audio clip - AudioSuite Plug-In Effect: Normalize.
Avid AudioSuite Plug-Ins 7. Close the bin. Your Avid editing application does not save the effect to the bin until you close the bin. 8. Click the AudioSuite Fast Menu button to locate your new template. Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins in Stereo You can use some AudioSuite plug-ins on either mono or stereo tracks.
Working with Dolby E Surround Sound Plug-ins In most cases, you should click Cancel and open the AudioSuite window. If you have not installed the plug-in when you go to render a plug-in effect, your Avid editing application displays an error message informing you which plug-in you must install. At that time, you can cancel or bypass the rendering process. 2. To cancel a render operation, press Ctrl+period (Windows) or Command+period (Macintosh). Be careful not to press these keys multiple times.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Dolby E plug-in effect from your sequence. This allows you to continue to monitor and edit the surround sound audio. Alternately, you can leave the effect in the Timeline as long as you do not perform either a render or mixdown of the sequence. For more information, see the documentation that came with your Dolby E plug-in. Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins A set of core audio plug-ins installs with your Avid editing application.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Audio Plug-ins Plug-In Description AIR Ensemble Creates fluid, shimmering modulation effects. For more information, see “AIR Ensemble (RTAS)” on page 924. AIR Filter Gate Breaks the audio signal into staccato rhythmic patterns with variable filtering, amplitude, and panning. For more information, see “AIR Filter Gate (RTAS)” on page 925. AIR Flanger Applies a short modulating delay. For more information, see “AIR Flanger (RTAS)” on page 926.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Audio Plug-ins Plug-In Description AIR Vintage Filter Applies a modulating, resonant filter to the audio signal. For more information, see “AIR Vintage Filter (RTAS)” on page 944. BF Essential Clip Remover Repairs clipped audio recordings. For more information, see “BF Essential Clip Remover (AudioSuite)” on page 945. Bomb Factory BF76 Provides compression modeled after the 1176 studio compressor.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Audio Plug-ins Plug-In Description Funk Logic Mastererizer Provides low-fidelity sound design capabilities for the creative degredation of audio. For more information, see “Funk Logic Mastererizer (AudioSuite)” on page 965. Gain Same as Normalize, but allows positive or negative gain adjustment. For more information, see “Gain (AudioSuite)” on page 965. Invert Inverts the polarity (phase) of the audio file. For more information, see “Invert (AudioSuite)” on page 966.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Audio Plug-ins Plug-In Description Time Shift Adjusts both the duration and the pitch of a selected clip. For more information, see “Time Shift (AudioSuite)” on page 980. Trim Attenuates an audio signal from -[Infinity] dB to +6 dB or [Infinity] dB to +12 dB. For more information, see “Trim (RTAS)” on page 983. AIR Chorus (RTAS) You can use the AIR Chorus plug-in to apply a short modulated delay to give depth and space to the audio signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins The following table lists the AIR Distortion plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Drive Lets you increase the drive (input volume) of the signal from 0 dB (no distortion) to 60 dB (extreme distortion). An increase or decrease of 1– 2 decibels can make a big difference on the amount and quality of distortion. Output Lets you lower the Output level of the distorted signal from 0–100%. At 0%, no distorted signal passes through the output.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins AIR Dynamic Delay (RTAS) You can use the Dynamic Delay Plug-In for a delay line that can synchronize to the tempo of your audio sequence, and you can modulate the delay using an envelope follower. The following table lists the AIR Dynamic Delay plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Sync When you enable Sync, the delay time synchronizes to the tempo of your audio sequence. When you disable Sync, you can set the delay time in milliseconds independently of the tempo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Feedback Lets you adjust the amount of delay feedback. At 0% the delayed signal repeats only once. As you increase the feedback, the number of times the delay repeats increases. At 100%, the delay repeats for an extended period of time. Each Delay mode produces a different feedback pattern, especially when you do not center the L/R Ratio. Delay Section • EQ Env Mod Feedback Mode Mix L/R Ratio — Lets you set the ratio of left to right delay times.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins AIR Enhancer (RTAS) You can use the Enhancer plug-in to enhance the low and high broadband frequencies of the audio signal. The following table lists the AIR Enhancer plug-in parameters: Parameter Description High Gain Adjusts the frequency to boost the high end. Low Gain Adjusts the frequency to boost the low end. Tune Lets you set the center frequency for low and high-end enhancement. Harmonic Generation Output • Low — Sets the center frequency for the bass boost.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Mix Lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (processed) signal. At 50%, the output includes equal amounts of dry and wet signal. At 0%, the output is all dry and at 100% it is all wet. AIR Filter Gate (RTAS) You can use the Filter Gate effect to chop up the audio signal into staccato rhythmic patterns with variable filtering, amplitude, and panning.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Rate Lets you select the duration, or frequency of the Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO). The duration of one cycle of the LFO is measured in Steps. Mix Lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (filtered) signal. At 50%, the output includes equal amounts of dry and wet signal. At 0%, the output is all dry and at 100% it is all wet.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Rate Lets you select from the following rhythmic values: • 16 (sixteenth note) • 8T (eighth-note triplet) • 16D (dotted sixteenth-note) • 8 (eighth note) • 4T (quarter-note triplet) • 8D (dotted eighth-note) • 4 (quarter note) • 2T (half-note triplet) • 4D (dotted quarter-note) • 2 (half note) • 1T (whole-note triplet) • 3/4 (dotted half note) • 4/4 (whole note) • 5/4 (five tied quarter notes) • 6/4 (dotted whole note) • 8/4 (
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description EQ Provides controls for cutting lows from the Flanger signal, and inverting phase. • Phase Invert — When enabled, Phase Invert flips the wet signal’s polarity, which changes the harmonic structure of the effect. • Low Cut — Lets you adjust the Low Cut frequency for the Flanger, to limit the Flanger effects to higher frequencies. Feedback Lets you adjust the amount of delay feedback for the Flanger. At 0%, the delay repeats only once.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins AIR Fuzz-Wah (RTAS) You can use the Fuzz-Wah plug-in to color the audio signal with different types and varying amounts of transistor-like distortion. The following table lists the AIR Fuzz-Wah plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Fuzz Turns the distortion effect on and off. Drive Sets the level of gain in the Fuzz algorithm. Mix (Fuzz) Lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (distorted) signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Mix (overall) Lets you balance the amount of fuzz-processed signal with the amount of wah-processed signal. At 50%, there are equal amounts of fuzz and wah signal. At 0%, the output is all fuzz, and at 100% it is all wah. AIR Kill EQ (RTAS) You can use the Kill EQ plug-in to remove the Low, Mid, or High broadband frequency range from an audio signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Anti-Alias Provides control over anti-aliasing filters that you can use before and after downsampling to reduce aliasing in the resampled audio signal. • On — Lets you enable or disable the Anti-Alias filter. Disabling the filter creates a much grittier sound. • Pre — Lets you adjust the anti-aliasing filter cutoff applied to the audio signal before resampling. The filter is applied as a multiplier of the sample frequency (Fs) between 0.12 Fs and 2.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description LFO Lets you apply a Low Frequency Oscillator to modulate the Sample Rate. • Sync — Synchronizes the LFO Rate to the audio sequence tempo. When you enable Sync, you can select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the LFO Rate. When you disable Sync, you can change the modulation rate independently of the sequence tempo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Env Mod Provides Envelope Modulator control over an envelope follower that can affect the sample rate. You can use this for accentuating and enhancing signal peaks (such as in drum loops) with artificially generated high-frequency aliasing. Distortion • Attack — Sets the time it takes to respond to increases in the audio signal level. • Release — Sets the time it takes to recover after the signal level falls.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Mod • Pre Delay — Sets the Pre-Delay in milliseconds. • Waveform — Selects a triangle or a sine wave for the LFO. This affects the character of the modulation. The sine wave has a gentler ramp and peak than the triangle wave. Voices Sets the number of layered chorus effects that are applied to the audio signal. The more voices you use, the thicker the effect.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Delay Taps Provides five Taps (delay lines). Each tap provides the same set of controls. You can edit the controls for each tap independently of the other taps. • On — Turns the selected tap’s signal on or off. • Delay — Sets the length of delay for the tap, relative to the main Delay setting. • Level — Changes the output level of the tap. • Pan — Pans the audio signal from the tap left or right in the stereo field.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description EQ Provides tonal control over the reverb signal. • Low Cut — Adjusts the frequency for the Low Cut filter. For less bass, raise the frequency. • High Cut — Adjusts the frequency for the High Cut filter. For less treble, lower the frequency. Reverb Time Changes the length of the reverberation’s decay. Mix Lets you balance the amount of dry signal with the amount of wet (processed) signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Rate When you enable Sync, the Rate control lets you select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the Phaser Modulation Rate. When you disable Sync, you can change the phaser rate independently of the sequence tempo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Phaser Provides control over the effect’s center frequency and number of phaser stages (or poles). LFO • Center — Lets you change the frequency center (100 Hz to 10.0 kHz) for the phaser poles. • Poles — Lets you select the number of phaser poles (stages): 2, 4, 6, or 8. The number of poles changes the character of the sound. The greater the number of poles, the thicker and more sweeping the sound.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Early Reflections Changes the perceived location of the reflecting surfaces surrounding the audio source. Reverb simulates early reflections by using multiple delay taps at different levels that occur in different positions in the stereo spectrum (through panning). Long reverberation generally occurs after early reflections dissipate.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Room Controls the overall spatial feel of the simulated room. High Frequencies Low Frequencies • Ambience — Affects the attack of the reverb signal. At low settings, the reverb arrives quickly, simulating a small room. At higher settings, the reverb ramps up more slowly, emulating a larger room. • Density — Changes the rate at which the sound density of the reverb tail increases over time. Higher Density settings create a smoother reverberated sound.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins The following table lists the AIR Spring Reverb plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Pre-Delay Determines the amount of time (0–250 ms) that elapses between the original audio event and the onset of reverberation. Reverb Provides control over the diffusion and stereo width of the reverb signal. • Diffusion — Changes the rate at which the sound density of the reverb tail increases over time. Higher Diffusion settings create a smoother reverberated sound.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Mode Lets you specify the method by which the Stereo Width plug-in will create the artificial stereo field. • Adjust — Adjusts the existing stereo width of the signal by M-S encoding, equalizing the S component with the Low/Mid/High controls and boosting/attenuating it with the Width control, then M-S decoding back to stereo. The Delay control delays the right signal relative to the left for an additional widening effect (known as “Haas panning”).
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description LFO Provides controls that let you apply a Low Frequency Oscillator to modulate the Formant setting. Sync — Synchronize the LFO Rate to the audio sequence tempo. When you enable Sync, you can select a rhythmic subdivision or multiple of the beat for the LFO Rate. When you disable Sync, you can change the modulation rate independently of the sequence tempo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Envelope Modulates the Formant setting by using an envelope follower. This allows you to accentuate and enhance signal peaks in rhythmic material. Mix • Thresh — Sets the amplitude threshold at which the Formant setting begins to be modulated by the envelope follower. • Attack — Sets the time (10.0 ms to 10 seconds) it takes to respond to increases in the audio signal level. • Release — Sets the time (10.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Envelope Provides an envelope follower for controlling the Cutoff frequency, which allows you to control the envelope’s shape and depth of modulation. LFO Mode Output • Attack — Sets the time (10.0 ms to 10 seconds) it takes to respond to increases in the audio signal level. • Release — Sets the time (10.0 ms to 10 seconds) it takes to recover after the signal level falls.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Bomb Factory BF76 (RTAS and AudioSuite) The Bomb Factory BF76 plug-in is a compressor modeled after the solid-state (transistor) 1176 studio compressor. Introduced in the late 1970s, the 1176 offers a much different compression sound than other compressors.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Gain Lets you adjust the input volume of the chorus to prevent clipping or to increase the level of the processed signal. This slider is set to a default of +3 dB. If you recorded your source audio close to peak level, this +3 dB default setting might cause clipping. Use this control to reduce the input level. Sum Inputs button When you use the Chorus plug-in in Stereo mode, a Sum Inputs button appears next to the right channel Gain slider.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Compressor/Limiter III — Dynamics III (RTAS and AudioSuite) The Compressor/Limiter III plug-in applies either compression or limiting to audio material, depending on the ratio of compression used. Compression reduces the dynamic range of signals that exceed a chosen threshold by a specific amount. Limiting prevents signal peaks from ever exceeding a chosen threshold, and is generally used to prevent short-term peaks from reaching their full amplitude.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Gain Reduction meter (GR) Indicates the amount the input signal is attenuated (in dB) and shows different colors during dynamics processing.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Compressor/Limiter panel (COMP/LIMIT) Knee Sets the rate at which the compressor reaches full compression once the threshold has been exceeded. As you increase this control, it goes from applying “hard-knee” compression to “soft-knee” compression. Values range from 0dB (hardest response) to 30dB (softest response). With hard-knee compression, compression begins when the input signal exceeds the threshold. This can sound abrupt and is ideal for limiting.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Attack Sets the attack time, or the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold. Values range from 10 microseconds (fastest attack time) to 300 milliseconds (slowest attack time). The smaller the value, the faster the attack. The faster the attack, the more rapidly the Compressor/Limiter applies attenuation to the signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins D-Verb (RTAS and AudioSuite) Digital reverberation processing can simulate the complex natural reflections and echoes that occur after a sound has been produced. Reverberation can take relatively lifeless mono source material and create a stereo acoustic environment that gives the source a perceived weight and depth in a mix. In addition, digital signal processing can be used creatively to produce reverberation characteristics that do not exist in nature.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Decay Controls the rate at which the reverberation decays after the original direct signal stops. The value of the Decay parameter is affected by the Size and Algorithm parameters. You can set this parameter to infinity on most algorithms for infinite reverberation times. Pre-Delay Lets you determine the amount of time that elapses between the original audio event and the onset of reverberation.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Levels panel Input/Output level meters Show peak signal levels before and after processing. • Green indicates nominal levels • Yellow indicates pre-clipping levels, starting at –6 dB below full scale • Red Indicates full scale levels (clipping) n Unlike scales on analog compressors, metering scales on a digital device reflect a 0 dB value that indicates full scale (fs)—the full-code signal level. There is no headroom above 0 dB.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description De-Esser panel Frequency Sets the frequency band in which the De-Esser operates. Values range from 500 Hz (lowest frequency) to 16 kHz (highest frequency). When HF Only is disabled in the Options panel, gain is reduced in frequencies within the specified range. When HF Only is enabled, the gain of frequencies above the specified value will be reduced.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Mix Lets you control the balance between the delayed signal and the original signal. If you use a delay for flanging or chorusing, you can control the depth of the effect somewhat with the Mix setting. LPF (Low-Pass Filter) Controls the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter. This parameter lets you attenuate the high-frequency content of the feedback signal. The lower the setting, the more high frequencies are attenuated.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins EQ (AudioSuite) EQ plug-ins provide a set of high-quality options for adjusting the frequency spectrum of audio material: • 1-Band EQ III • 4-Band EQ III • 7-Band EQ III 1-Band EQ III Parameters The following table lists the 1-Band EQ III plug-in parameters. Parameter Description Input Sets the input gain of the plug-in before EQ processing, letting you make up gain or prevent clipping at the plug-in input stage.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins 4-Band EQ III Parameters The following table lists the 4-Band EQ III plug-in parameters. Parameter Description In and Out meters Show peak signal levels before and after EQ processing. Green indicates nominal levels. Yellow indicates pre-clipping levels, starting at –6 dB below full scale. Red indicates full scale (clipping) levels. The clip indicators to the right of each meter indicate clipping at the input of output stage of the plug-in. Click a clip indicator to clear it.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Type selectors The HPF, LPF, LF, and HF band sections have type selectors that toggle between the two available filter types for that section, as follows: Q • High-Pass Filter (HPF band) — Attenuates all frequencies below the Frequency setting at the selected slope while letting all frequencies above pass through. • Low-Notch EQ (HPF band) — Attenuates a narrow band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description In and Out meters Show peak signal levels before and after EQ processing. Green indicates nominal levels. Yellow indicates pre-clipping levels, starting at –6 dB below full scale. Red indicates full scale (clipping) levels. The clip indicators to the right of each meter indicate clipping at the input of output stage of the plug-in. Click a clip indicator to clear it.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Type selectors The HPF, LPF, LF, and HF band sections have type selectors that toggle between the two available filter types for that section, as follows: Q • High-Pass Filter (HPF band) — Attenuates all frequencies below the Frequency setting at the selected slope while letting all frequencies above pass through. • Low-Notch EQ (HPF band) — Attenuates a narrow band of frequencies centered around the Frequency setting.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Expander/Gate III — Dynamics III (RTAS and AudioSuite) The Expander/Gate III plug-in applies expansion or gating to audio material, depending on the ratio setting. Expansion decreases the gain of signals that fall below a chosen threshold. It is particularly useful for reducing noise or signal leakage that creeps into recorded material as its level falls, as often occurs in the case of headphone leakage.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Gain Reduction meter (GR) Indicates the amount the input signal is attenuated (in dB) and shows different colors during dynamics processing.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Attack Sets the attack time, or the rate at which gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the threshold. Use this along with the Ratio setting to control how soft the Expander’s gain reduction curve is. Values range from 10 microseconds (fastest attack time) to 300 milliseconds (slowest attack time). Release Sets how long it takes for the gate to close after the input signal falls below the threshold level and the hold time has passed.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Sum Inputs button When you use the Flanger plug-in in Stereo mode, a Sum Inputs button appears next to the right channel Input Level slider. Clicking the Sum Inputs button sums the source input signals (regardless of whether the input is mono or stereo) before processing them. The source signal then appears in the center of the stereo field, and the processed signal is output in stereo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins You can specify the desired gain level in several ways: • Enter a numeric decibel value. • Enter a percentage value. • Drag the slider. • Press and hold the Ctrl key (Windows) or the Command key (Macintosh), then drag the slider to fine-adjust. • Use the rms and peak buttons to switch the calibration of gain adjustment between RMS and Peak modes. Peak adjusts the gain of the signal to the maximum possible level without clipping.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Sample Rate The Sample Rate slider adjusts an audio file’s playback sample rate in fixed intervals from 700 Hz to 33 kHz in sessions with sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 176.4 kHz; and from 731 Hz to 36 kHz in sessions with sample rates of 48 kHz, 96 kHz, or 192 kHz. Reducing the sample rate of an audio file has the effect of degrading its audio quality.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Distortion/Sat The Distortion and Saturation sliders provide signal clipping control. uration The Distortion slider determines the amount of gain applied and lets clipping occur in a smooth, rounded manner. The Saturation slider determines the amount of saturation added to the signal. This simulates the effect of tube saturation with a roll-off of high frequencies. Output Meter The Output Meter indicates the output level of the processed signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Sum Inputs button When you use the Multi-Tap Delay plug-in in Stereo mode, a Sum Inputs button appears next to the Mix sliders. Clicking the Sum Inputs button sums the source input signals (regardless of whether the input is mono or stereo) before processing them. The source signal then appears in the center of the stereo field, and the processed signal is output in stereo.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins You can select one of two display options by clicking the corresponding button in the Options area of the plug-in window. Display Option Description Phase Meter The Phase Meter indicates the phase coherency of two channels of a multichannel signal. The Phase Meter is green when the channels are positively out of phase (values from 0 to +1) and red when the channels are negatively out of phase (values from 0 to –1).
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Meter Description Peak (Default meter type) Uses the metering scale in DigiRack EQ III and Dynamics III plugins. RMS (Root Mean Square) was used in previous versions of the Avid SurroundScope plugin and uses the same “true” RMS metering scale. n The “true” RMS meter scale is not the same as the AES 17 RMS scale. For a sine wave with a peak value of –20 dBFS, the “true” RMS meter will show a value of –23 dBFS.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Ping-Pong Delay (AudioSuite) The Ping-Pong Delay plug-in modifies an audio signal by adding a controllable delay to the original signal. It is ideal for adding spatialization and creating a characteristic ping-pong echo effect. The following table lists the Ping-Pong Delay plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Gain Adjusts the input volume of the Ping-Pong Delay to prevent clipping or increase the level of the processed signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Gain The Gain controls set the input level, in tenths of a decibel. Set the input level so that the plug-in can adequately handle amplitude peaks in the selection. Dragging the slider to the right increases gain, and dragging the slider to the left decreases gain. Coarse and Fine Adjust the pitch by dragging either of the two faders, or by typing values in the Coarse and Fine text boxes.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Reference Pitch The Reference Pitch feature generates a sine wave tone that you can adjust to match a selected portion of audio material, and then use as an audible reference when pitch-shifting other audio material in your session. To use the Reference Pitch feature: 1. Select the audio material you want to use as a pitch reference. Click the Preview button to begin playback of the selected audio. 2.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Rectification • Positive Rectification — This rectifies the waveform so that its phase is 100% positive. The audible effect is a doubling of the audio signal’s frequency. • Negative Rectification — This rectifies the waveform so that its phase is 100% negative. The audible effect is a doubling of the audio signal’s frequency.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins The following table lists the Sci-Fi plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Input Level Input Level attenuates signal input level to the Sci-Fi processor. Since some Sci-Fi controls (such as Resonator) can cause extreme changes in signal level, adjusting the Input Level is particularly useful for achieving unity gain with the original signal level. The range of this control is from –12 dB to 0 dB.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Envelope Follower Causes the selected effect to dynamically track the input signal by varying with the amplitude envelope of the audio signal. As the signal gets louder, more modulation occurs. This can be used to produce a very good automatic wah-wah-type effect. When you select the Envelope Follower, the Mod Amount slider changes to a Mod Slewing control.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Option Description Signal Lets you select the waveform: • Sine • Square • Sawtooth • Triangle • White Noise • Pink Noise Use the rms and peak buttons to switch the calibration of the generated signal between RMS and Peak modes. Peak generates the signal at the maximum possible level without clipping. RMS generates the signal at levels consistent with the root-mean-square value, or the effective average level of the signal.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Source and Destination The Source text boxes display the length of the current selection before processing in each of the listed formats. All the text boxes in both columns update dynamically, so a change made to one value is immediately reflected in the values displayed in the other text boxes. The text boxes in the Destination column display and control the length of the selection after processing using the current settings.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Min Pitch The Min Pitch slider lets you select the minimum (lowest) pitch that is used in the plug-in’s calculations during the time compression and expansion process. The slider has a range of 40 Hz to 1000 Hz. By controlling the minimum pitch, you can focus the time compression and expansion process for maximum efficiency depending on the audio’s spectral shape.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Audio You use the Audio parameter controls to select the most appropriate time compression and expansion mode for the type of material you want to process, and to attenuate the gain of the processed audio to avoid clipping.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Time You use the Time parameter controls to specify the amount of time compression or expansion you want to apply. The Original column displays the Start and End times, and Length of the edit selection. Times are displayed in units of the timebase selected in the Units menu. The Processed column displays the target End time and Length of the processed signal. Times are displayed in units of the timebase selected in the Units menu.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins Parameter Description Formant/Transient You use the Formant or Transient parameter controls to adjust either the amount of formant shift or the transient detection parameters, depending upon which mode you select in the Audio section. n The Formant parameter is available only when you select Monophonic as the Audio mode. The Transient section is available with slightly different controls, depending on whether you select Polyphonic or Rhythmic as the Audio mode.
Core Avid Audio Plug-Ins The following table lists the Trim plug-in parameters: Parameter Description Phase Invert Inverts the phase (polarity) of the input signal to change the frequency response characteristics between multi-miked sources or to correct for miswired microphone cables. Gain Provides -[Infinity] dB to +6 dB or +12 dB of gain adjustment, depending whether the Gain toggle is set to +6 or +12.
22 Exporting Frames, Clips, or Sequences This chapter describes how to export files for use with another system, application, or platform.
Understanding Export Understanding Export You can export material directly from your Avid editing application to many supported file types. You can export an individual frame, a selected region of footage, or an entire clip or sequence. c If a power failure or application error occurs during the export process, the entire file is unusable. You need to repeat the export process. The only exception is a sequential file sequence, where all frames up to the point of failure are usable.
Preparing to Export a Sequence Depending on how you choose to export, you can: • Use the Export setting or Send To template you select without modification. • Modify the options in the setting or template for use in the current export only. • Modify the Export setting and save the modifications to that setting. • Modify the setting or template and save the modifications as a new Export setting or a new custom Send To template.
Exporting With the Send To Templates Preparation Task Description Make sure all audio clips have the same sample rate. For more information, see “Changing the Audio Sample Rate for Sequences and Audio Clips” on page 814. You can also use OMFI or AAF to change the sample rate. For more information, see Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files. Check and adjust all pan and audio levels. All current Pan and Level settings in the sequence are carried to the exported media.
Exporting With the Send To Templates 3. (Option) If you are sending to Avid Pro Tools, select one of the template options in the following table. The last three options are only available when you send to Pro Tools over an Avid shared storage using Send To > Pro Tools on Avid Unity. Option Description Avid Video Consolidate Audio Select this option to send to a Avid Pro Tools system that supports playback of Avid standard definition (SD) video using a video peripheral.
Exporting With the Send To Templates 4. (Option) Type a new file name in the Filename text box. 5. (Option) If you are sending to Sorenson Squeeze, click the Options button to select Sorenson Squeeze settings. For more information, see the Sorenson Squeeze documentation. 6. Click Set to browse to the drive and folder where you want to store the exported file. Whenever you return to a Send To dialog box, the destination folder that you set last appears in the destination field. 7.
Exporting With the Send To Templates 8. Review the current Export settings to ensure that they meet your needs. The Export Setting Summary area at the bottom of the dialog box lists all the settings that affect the current export. 9. (Option) If you need to make any Export settings changes, click the appropriate Options button, make the changes, and click Save. Avid recommends that you use the default options in the Send To templates wherever possible.
Send To Templates Reference Send To Templates Reference The following table describes the Send To templates that Avid supplies. If you create custom Send To templates, they also appear as Send To menu commands. n If you are running an Avid Studio package, an Avid Studio products Send To submenu might appear in your Avid editing application.
Creating a Custom Send To Template for Exporting to Third-Party Applications Creating a Custom Send To Template for Exporting to Third-Party Applications To create a custom Send To template: 1. Select a clip or a sequence in a bin. 2. Do one of the following: t Select File > Send To > Make New. t Right-click the clip or sequence in the bin, and select Send To > Make New. The Send To dialog box opens with a default export template.
Creating a Custom Send To Template for Exporting to Third-Party Applications 3. (Option) Type a new file name in the Filename text box. 4. Click Set to browse to the drive and folder that you want to be the default location for storing the exported file. Whenever you return to a Send To dialog box, the destination folder you set last appears in the destination field. 5. (Option) Do the following if you want the third-party application to automatically launch after you export. a.
Exporting With the Export Command or the Drag-and-Drop Method Exporting With the Export Command or the Drag-and-Drop Method You can export frames, clips, or sequences using the Export menu command. This method lets you modify the Export settings as part of the export process. You can also export most types of files by dragging and dropping. This method is a quick and simple way to perform the actual export, but it requires you to set up the Export setting you want to use in advance.
Exporting With the Export Command or the Drag-and-Drop Method To identify and select the material you want to export: 1. Identify the portion of the clip or sequence you want to export. Option Description To export specific tracks in a clip or sequence: Enable the tracks in the Track Selector panel, and disable all others. Ensure that Use Enabled Tracks is selected in the Export Settings dialog box.
Exporting With the Export Command or the Drag-and-Drop Method 3. Click the Export Setting menu, and select a setting.
Exporting With the Export Command or the Drag-and-Drop Method This setting determines the format of the exported file. The default setting is labeled Untitled. Any settings that appear in the Settings list in the Project window appear in the menu. For information on the standard settings, see “Common Export Settings” on page 1320. For information on creating custom settings, see “Customizing Export Settings” on page 999. 4.
Customizing Export Settings Customizing Export Settings You can create and customize your own Export settings, either from the Project window or while performing an export by using the Export menu command. To create a new Export setting from the Project window: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click Export. 3. Select Edit > Duplicate. 4. Name the setting by doing the following: n a. Click the custom name column. b. Type a name. c.
Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files Type a name in the Setting Name text box, and click OK. The new setting appears in the Settings list in the Project window. Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files OMFI and AAF are industry-standard file formats that let you exchange compositions and media between applications. OMF Interchange and AAF, as implemented in Avid editing applications, provide two basic methods for exporting files. When you export to OMFI or AAF, select OMF 1.0, OMF 2.
Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files There are two general types of data in an AAF file: n • Media such as audio and video • Composition information, or metadata, that describes how to combine and modify the media portions of the AAF file to produce a complete multimedia program When you export sequences with effects through AAF, certain effect types are not exported to the AAF file. When you check compositions into an asset manager through AAF, all effects are exported.
Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files Setting Guidelines Media Destinations (Video Details and Audio Details tabs) • Using the Folder option with “Use Same Folder as AAF File” is very convenient for moving files back and forth between your Avid editing application and Pro Tools.
Exporting Projects and Bins Using AFE Files (Windows Only) Setting Guidelines Remove Track Effects Selecting this option removes all audio track effects — for example, Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS) effects — during export. This option is selected by default. Split Tracks to Mono Selecting this option splits all multichannel audio tracks to separate mono tracks. For more information, see “Splitting Multichannel Tracks to Mono Tracks” on page 817. This option is selected by default.
Exporting QuickTime Movies Exporting the AFE File to Avid DS Once the edits are completed in the Avid Media Composer, export the sequence as an AFE to Avid DS for finishing. To export an AFE from Avid Media Composer to Avid DS: 1. Select the sequence in the bin, right-click on it and select Send To > Avid DS. The Send To: Avid DS dialog box opens with the default export template. 2. (Optional) Change the file name. 3.
Exporting QuickTime Movies Option Description Same as Source This option is available when you select QuickTime Movie from the Export Settings dialog box. When you select this option, your Avid editing application copies the media files directly with no resolution change. This method is fast and creates output that uses the same quality as your source files. Same as Source is the best method to use if you plan to process the video on another system, using a third-party application.
Installing or Copying the Avid Codecs for QuickTime on Other Systems A set of Avid codecs for QuickTime are installed automatically when you install your Avid editing application. You can use these codecs to export QuickTime files from your Avid system, or to export QuickTime files from third-party applications for fast import into an Avid system.
Installing or Copying the Avid Codecs for QuickTime on Other Systems To copy the Avid QuickTime Codecs from one system to another system: 1. On your Avid system, open one of the following folders: (Windows) drive:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTComponents (Windows) drive:\Windows\System32 (Macintosh) MacintoshHD/Library/QuickTime 2. Copy the codecs you need to a removable device or network server. The following table describes the codecs: Codec (Windows) Codec (Macintosh) Description AvidAV1xCodec.
Exporting from a Third-Party QuickTime or AVI Application Exporting from a Third-Party QuickTime or AVI Application To export files from a QuickTime compatible application or from an AVI compatible application on a Windows system for import (or reimport) into your Avid system: 1. Ensure the applicable codec is installed on the system. See “Installing or Copying the Avid Codecs for QuickTime on Other Systems” on page 1006. 2.
Creating a Custom Profile for Windows Media Export (Windows Only) Creating a Custom Profile for Windows Media Export (Windows Only) To create a custom profile for Windows Media: 1. Select the sequence or clips you want to export. 2. Select File > Export. The Export As dialog box opens. 3. Click Options. The Export Settings dialog box opens. 4. In the Export As menu, select Windows Media. 5. (Option) Select Use Marks.
Exporting Media to XDCAM Devices When Use Enabled Tracks is selected, your Avid editing application uses tracks that are enabled in the Timeline. To export all the tracks in the sequence, deselect this option. 7. Click the Add button and select either Video or Audio. 8. Choose your custom profile settings. For more information, see “Export Settings: Windows Media (Windows Only)” on page 1335. 9. Click Save As Custom Profile. 10. Browse to the location where you want to save the .prx file. 11.
Exporting to XDCAM See “XDCAM and XDCAM EX Formats and Resolutions” on page 370 for the formats and resolutions you can export to the XDCAM device. Exporting to XDCAM You can export NTSC and PAL projects. Depending on the format (SD or HD), you need to use the appropriate XDCAM device (if you export SD media, use an XDCAM SD device; if you export HD media, you must use an XDCAM HD device).
Exporting to XDCAM 5. (Option) Select Use Marks. The current IN and OUT points in the selected clip or sequence determine starting and ending frames for the export. 6. (Option) Select Use Enabled Tracks. The system uses tracks that are enabled in the timeline. To export all the tracks in the sequence, deselect this option. 7. Select an XDCAM disk from the Target XDCAM Disk list.
Exporting XDCAM OP1a Media Exporting XDCAM OP1a Media You can export frames, clips, or sequences as XDCAM OP1a files. When you open the Export Settings dialog box and select XCDAM MXF OP1a from the Export As menu, you can set export options available for your project. XDCAM MXF OP1a export is available in any project type that supports XDCAM and XDCAM HD. The number of audio tracks you can export depends on the bit rate supported by your device.
Exporting Your Clip or Sequence to a P2 Card Option Description Display Aspect Ratio Defines an image size for the video you want to export. The available aspect ratios depend on what your project type and device support. This lets you control the display format without modifying the source file. Exporting Your Clip or Sequence to a P2 Card If you have a P2 card writer, you can export a clip or sequence to your P2 card. The writer can be a P2 device or a camera enabled for P2 writing.
Exporting as Windows Media Using a VC1 Resolution A progress window opens, and the orange light on the P2 card flashes indicating that the card is being written to. If you have more than one card in the device, your Avid editing application writes to the first one in the list. If your sequence is larger than the space available on that card, your Avid editing application fills the first card and then writes to the next card. Exporting as Windows Media Using a VC1 Resolution To export media as VC1: 1.
Using Avid Interplay Media Services 14. Ensure the bin where you want to import the file is active. 15. Select File > Import, and select the .wmv file(s) you exported. 16. Click Open. Your Avid editing application imports the file as VC1 and it appears in the bin. Using Avid Interplay Media Services The Media Services Settings dialog box lets you connect to an Avid Interplay Media Services Broker.
23 Generating Output Your Avid editing application provides tools that let you generate output for individual tracks or entire sequences to various videotape or audiotape formats.
Selecting the Device for Output • Set audio output levels and other output options, as described in “Preparing for Audio Output” on page 1032. • Mix down multiple audio tracks, if necessary, as described in “Mixing Down Audio Tracks” on page 815. • Prepare the record tapes, as described in “Preparing Record Tapes” on page 1038. • (Option) Record reference bars and tone to tape, as described in “Recording Bars and Tone” on page 1039.
Selecting the Sync Source for Output hardware and on the external equipment. For more information, see “Synchronizing Audio and Video Equipment” for your input/output hardware in the Help. Sync is not required for DV output. To select the sync source: 1. Select Tools > Video Output Tool. 2. Select the sync source from the Sync Lock menu: Reference, Tri-Level, or Internal. The Tri-Level option appears only if you are working in an HD project.
Selecting the Sync Source for Output Using LTC Timecode for Output You can use LTC (longitudinal or linear timecode) for output from your Avid editing application through some Avid input/output hardware devices. The LTC OUT connector on the hardware provides SMPTE or EBU timecode you can use as a sync source for decks with built-in synchronizers or to stripe a destination tape. You can also use LTC to record non-drop-frame timecode for downstream encoding.
Selecting the Sync Source for Output To add LTC Out During Preroll 1. Load your sequence in the Record monitor. 2. Select Output >Digital Cut. 3. Select the LTC out during preroll option. 4. Press the Play Digital Cut button. LTC Output During Digital Scrub (When Using Nitris DX only) LTC timecode will be output when the blue bar in the record monitor is moved, that is, during “digital scrub.
Selecting a Video Output Signal Selecting a Video Output Signal Use the Video Output tool to select an analog video output signal. The options that are displayed depend on your hardware configuration. • If you are using an Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX input/output hardware, all outputs on the hardware are active. Select an analog signal from the Output menu to calibrate for output. See “Calibrating for Video Output” on page 1022.
Calibrating for Video Output Method (Continued) Description (Continued) Set Vertical Blanking Interval If this option is available for your input/output configuration, you can instruct the system to preserve 5 lines above each field in NTSC and 8 lines above each field for PAL. These lines can be used to store additional encoded information such as closed captioning, edgecodes or keycodes for film projects, or various interactive or enhanced TV codes.
Calibrating for Video Output Basic Video Output Calibration You can perform basic output calibration when working with a standalone editing workstation or in a production environment that does not require advanced calibration of horizontal phase or use of test patterns according to specific house standards. n c Calibrating video output requires external Waveform and Vectorscope monitors. If you do not have external Waveform or Vectorscope monitors, keep the Video Output tool preset values.
Calibrating for Video Output 2. Click the Options tab. 3. Click the Sync Lock menu and select Internal, Reference, or TriLevel (if available) to lock your output connection to the appropriate signal. Some input/output hardware configurations automatically detect TriLevel sync and do not display it as an option. n Sync for output comes from the reference input (REF) or HD TriLevel Sync input on the Avid input/output hardware or from internal timing.
Calibrating for Video Output 4. If you are using an HDMI-compliant Avid input/output device, click the HDMI Color Space menu and select a color space (YCbCr or RGB), and then select either an SD or an HD format from the HDMI Format menu. Some monitors only support one SD HDMI format. See your monitor documentation for more information. 5. (Option) Click the VBI menu (if available) and select Preserve to preserve 5 lines above each field in NTSC or 8 lines above each field for PAL. 6.
Calibrating for Video Output - Pr Gain and Pb Gain sliders (HD component YPbPr output — with supported input/output hardware) 11. If you want to save this setting, click the Settings menu and select Save As, then type a name, and click OK. n Output settings are Project settings, available to all users and all projects on the system. For information on connections on the Avid input/output hardware, see “Using the Avid Input/Output Hardware” in the Help.
Calibrating for Video Output 7. Select Tools > Capture. With the Capture tool active, the input signal passes through to the output channels. 8. Select an output format in the Video Output tool. You can precisely match only one output format at a time in phase with the reference signal. In most cases, you should select either Composite or Serial Digital. 9. Calibrate any of the available controls in the Video Output tool while checking the external Waveform and Vectorscope monitors.
Preparing for Converting HD Formats Video Standard Level PAL 0.3 V (not applicable for SMPTE bars) For White level (gain), adjust the Y Gain slider to place the white level at the following settings: Video Standard Level NTSC 100 IRE NTSC-EIAJ 100 IRE PAL 1.0 V (not applicable for SMPTE bars) Adjusting Phase Controls The Video Output tool provides controls for adjusting horizontal phase globally for output.
Preparing for Converting HD Formats To set options for crossconverting a sequence: 1. Select Tools > Video Output Tool. 2. Click the Options tab. 3. Click the Downconvert menu, and select OFF. 4. Click the Crossconvert menu, and select the format that you want to output. To set options for downconverting a sequence: 1. Select Tools > Video Output Tool. 2. Click the Options tab. 3. Click the Crossconvert menu, and select OFF. 4. Click the Downconvert menu, and select the format that you want to output.
Preparing for Converting HD Formats Crossconversion and Downconversion Formats The following table lists the available crossconversion and downconversion formats for each HD format. Not all formats are available for all Avid editing configurations. n Raster Type selection does not affect the conversion options for HD projects, with the exceptions noted in the table. HD Sequence Format Crossconverted HD Format Downconverted SD Format 720p/59.94 1080i/59.94 30i NTSC 720p/23.976 1080i/59.
Preparing for Audio Output Considerations for Crossconversion and Downconversion You should be aware of the following when crossconverting or downconverting HD formats: • You can select an HD crossconvert format for output or an SD downconvert format for output, but you cannot output both at the same time. • Avid recommends using crossconverted sequences for preview or reference only. When using digital cut to output the HD master sequence to tape, use the native frame rate of the sequence.
Preparing for Audio Output 2. Click the PH (Peak Hold) menu, and select Set Calibration Tone. The Set Calibration Tone dialog box opens. 3. Type new values for the tone level and frequency text boxes, and click OK. To play back the tone: t Click the PH (Peak Hold) menu, and select Play Calibration Tone. To check the adjusted tone level in the meters: t Switch the In/Out toggle buttons to O for Output.
Preparing for Audio Output Output Gain slider (master attenuator) in the Output tab of the Audio Project Settings dialog box 3. Select Tools > Audio Tool. The Audio tool opens. Left to right: Reset Peak button, In/Out toggle buttons, and Peak Hold Menu button in the Audio tool 4. Click the In/Out toggle buttons above the meters to display O for Output.
Preparing for Audio Output 5. Play back one of the following sources of reference audio by doing one of the following: t Click the Peak Hold (PH) Menu button, and select Play Calibration Tone. t Play back a representative sequence or clip containing audio. 6. Watch the levels in the meters, and adjust the master attenuator to the level that you want. n To adjust levels for individual tracks, use the Audio Mixer tool. See “Using the Audio Mixer Tool” on page 773. 7. Close the Audio tool. 8.
Preparing for Audio Output 3. Click the Mix Mode Selection Menu button, and select a type of output. - Select Stereo to mix the monitored audio tracks into a stereo pair (two paired mono channels) with applied pan effects. - Select Mono to map all the monitored tracks to a pair of mono channels, with all channels panned to center and pan effects bypassed.
Preparing for Audio Output 5. Select the output format and assign the output channels in the tabbed interface at the bottom of the dialog box. Options vary depending on the type of input/output hardware you have attached to your system. For more information, see “Audio Project Settings: Output Tab” on page 1294. 6.
Preparing Record Tapes For example, if you have 8 channels of HD SDI output enabled and attempt to change the sample rate to 96 kHz, the system displays the message. In this example you can switch the project to 96 kHz, but if the SDI outputs are enabled, the system will convert all audio output to 48 kHz. c This affects all audio outputs, not just the SDI outputs. That means AES/EBU output will be converted and any Analog output will also be converted.
Preparing Record Tapes Striping Record Tapes (Recording Black with Timecode) Before you can record a frame-accurate digital cut, you must prepare the record tapes in advance by using one of the following options: • To perform insert-edit recording, stripe the record tapes (record black with timecode for the entire duration of the tape) in advance (prestriped tape).
Enabling Assemble-Edit Recording For information on creating your own tone media, see “Creating Tone Media” on page 200. Enabling Assemble-Edit Recording Insert editing is the default setting for the Digital Cut tool. You can also use Assemble-Edit settings in your Avid editing application, along with the assemble-editing capabilities of your record deck, to quickly record frame-accurate digital cuts without striping entire tapes in advance.
Using ExpertRender to Prepare Effects for a Digital Cut Using ExpertRender to Prepare Effects for a Digital Cut Real-time effects might exceed the capabilities of your system and cause dropped frames during a digital cut. You can choose to have your Avid editing application select and render effects that might cause dropped frames. To prepare effects for a digital cut: 1. Load the sequence you want to output. 2. Select the entire sequence or mark IN and OUT points for the area you want to output. 3.
Using the Digital Cut Tool Using the Digital Cut Tool The Digital Cut tool provides controls when you record a sequence to tape. The Digital Cut tool has the following operating modes: • Remote mode lets you control the record deck by using the deck controller in the Digital Cut tool. This mode provides frame-accurate control when you record a sequence to tape. See “Recording a Digital Cut to Tape (Remote Mode)” on page 1045.
Using the Digital Cut Tool In Remote mode, the Digital Cut tool includes its own deck controls for: • Cueing a record deck from the Digital Cut tool. • Cueing the tape and adding an IN point. This capability applies when you click the menu in the deck control area, and select Mark In Time. The Mark OUT button does not appear in the deck controller section of the Digital Cut tool because it has no effect on digital cuts. Also, the Mark OUT and Duration text fields are read-only. You cannot alter them.
Using the Digital Cut Tool 3 Play Digital Cut button 8 Deck Selection menu 4 Halt Digital Cut button 9 Deck control area 5 Preview Digital Cut button 10 Timecode text boxes Selecting a Deck in the Digital Cut Tool The Deck Selection menu in the Digital Cut tool contains a list of all decks that were connected to the system, turned on, and initialized when you opened the Digital Cut tool.
Using the Digital Cut Tool To preview a digital cut: 1. Select Output > Digital Cut. The Digital Cut tool opens. 2. Select Remote or Local in the Deck Control options area. 3. Select the options you want for the digital cut. 4. Select the audio tracks, data track, and topmost video track you want represented in the digital cut preview by using the Sequence Track buttons. The track display in the Digital Cut tool varies according to the tracks existing in the sequence. 5.
Using the Digital Cut Tool t Deselect the Entire Sequence option if you have established an IN point, an OUT point, or both for recording a portion of the sequence. 6. Click the Digital Cut Safe Mode button (selected by default) to allow your Avid editing application to notify you of conditions that might cause dropped frames. During a digital cut, real-time effects or HD clips in an SD sequence can drop frames.
Using the Digital Cut Tool 12. Click the menu in the Deck Control options area, and select an option to indicate where to start recording on the tape. Option Description Sequence Time Starts the recording at a timecode existing on tape that matches the start timecode of the sequence. If you intend to record several sequences to tape one after another, this option requires resetting the start timecode on each sequence to match appropriate IN points on the tape.
Using the Digital Cut Tool t n Click the Halt Digital Cut button. After assemble-edit recording, a freeze frame is usually added after the OUT point for 1 second or more, depending upon the record deck model. This provides several frames of overlap for the next IN point before the control track and timecode break up.
Using the Digital Cut Tool To record a digital cut to tape: 1. Make sure you selected the appropriate device for the material you are recording. See “Using the Digital Cut Tool” on page 1042. 2. Load a sequence into the Record monitor. (You cannot access digital cut options without a sequence loaded.) 3. Select Output > Digital Cut. The Digital Cut tool opens. 4. Select the Output Mode and Bit Depth, as described in “Output Mode Resolution Options” on page 1050.
Output Mode Resolution Options 10. Click the Sequence Track buttons to select the audio, video and data tracks you want represented in the digital cut. The display of tracks in the Digital Cut tool varies according to the tracks existing in the sequence. 11. For 23.976p, 24p, and 25p projects, select an output format as described in “Selecting Output and Timecode Formats for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects” on page 1053.
Output Mode Resolution Options Output Device display (top), Output Mode menu (bottom left), and Bit Depth menu (bottom right) in the Digital Cut tool The following table provides information on the output resolutions. Output Mode Description Real-Time Provides 1:1 uncompressed SD or HD output through an Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX. DVCPRO HD Provides DVCPRO HD output through a Host 1394 connection. All media must be DVCPro HD. Does not support real-time effects playback.
Outputting DV 50 and DVCPRO HD Media Directly to a DV Device Output Mode Description DV25 Provides DV25 output through a Host 1394 connection. All media must be DV 25. Does not support real-time effects playback. Outputting DV 50 and DVCPRO HD Media Directly to a DV Device You can output DV 50 or DVCPRO HD sequences directly to a DV device. This lets you output without any loss due to compression and decompression.
Selecting Output and Timecode Formats for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects Selecting Output and Timecode Formats for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects When you are working in a 23.976p, 24p, or 25p project, you can output multiple formats from the same progressive media.When you are working in a 23.976p, 24p, or 25p project, you can output multiple formats — NTSC video, PAL video, and audio — all from the same progressive media.
Output Format Reference for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects Audio play rates differ depending on your project type. For full reference information on the output formats and on audio play rates, see “Output Format Reference for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects” on page 1054. Output Format Reference for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects The following table provides reference information for the Output formats (play rates) available in the Digital Cut tool for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p projects.
Output Format Reference for 23.976p, 24p, and 25p Projects Digital Cut Tool Output Format (Play Rate) Target Project or System, and Recording Media Description Plays back the sequence at 29.97 fps. This play rate tells your Avid editing application to speed up the playback speed without adding pulldown fields. As a result, the sequence plays faster (25 percent faster for 24p, 20 percent faster for 25p).
Selecting the Timecode Format for Output If you are working in a 23.976 project, all output play rates are available, but only 23.976 NTSC maintains the original audio quality. For 23.976 NTSC, the audio rate is not slowed down for output and remains at 48 kHz. For 29.97 NTSC, the audio rate is sped up 25 percent and is not usable. Use this output rate for animations and other special applications. 24 fps NTSC requires a sample-rate conversion, so high-quality audio is not guaranteed.
Outputting Drop-Frame and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode Simultaneously for Downstream Encoding t Click the LTC Output menu, and select Drop or Non-Drop. Outputting Drop-Frame and Non-Drop-Frame Timecode Simultaneously for Downstream Encoding You can output drop-frame and non-drop-frame NTSC timecode simultaneously from a 23.976, 24p, or 25p project.
Selecting the Video Pulldown Cadence The value you select also sets the rate for LTC output, if any, without changing the play rate of the media being output (24 NTSC). n Your Avid editing application can generate LTC at 29.97 fps only. No LTC will be output if you select 30.00. To indicate the destination timecode rate: 1. Select Output> Digital Cut. 2. Click the Dest. TC Rate menu, and select 29.97 fps or 30.00 fps.
Digital Cuts and Audio To perform an insert edit with pulldown: 1. Use IN and OUT points to mark the segment you want to insert. 2. Select Output > Digital Cut. The Digital Cut tool opens. 3. Deselect the Entire Sequence option. 4. Select Remote in the Deck Control options area. 5. Select Sequence Time to start the recording at a timecode existing on tape that matches the start timecode of the sequence. 6. Click the menu, and select Insert Edit.
Changing the Default Pulldown Phase for Sequences Your output choice in the Digital Cut tool automatically sets the pulldown switch. If you perform an audio-only digital cut, your Avid editing application plays the video tracks in the Client monitor to ensure the most accurate audio sync. A message appears at the bottom of the Digital Cut tool. Information on connecting decks and cabling varies depending on the Avid input/output hardware you use.
Understanding DV Digital Cut Delay - Pullin A: The first frame of the sequence plays back as two fields, the second frame as three fields, the third frame as two fields, and so on. - Pullin B: The first frame of the sequence plays back as three fields, the second frame as two fields, the third frame as three fields, and so on. Now you can perform a digital cut to append the new sequence.
Delaying the Sequence for a Digital Cut To correct this, the DV digital cut delay should be increased to have the Avid system delay sending the sequence to the device. If the DV digital cut delay is set to three frames, this should cause recording on the tape to begin with the correct sequence frame. Delaying the Sequence for a Digital Cut You can delay the sequence stream being sent to a DV device during a digital cut.
Using FilmScribe Using FilmScribe The FilmScribe application, available with some Avid editing applications, provides tools for creating frame-accurate cut lists and change lists from 23.976p, 24p, 25p, and matchback projects. You can use these lists to conform a work print, a film negative, audio tracks, or videotape transfers. For information on how to use FilmScribe, see the FilmScribe Help. To start FilmScribe: t Select Output > FilmScribe.
Vertical Blanking Information For example, with a ratio of 24 film frames to 30 video frames, a 7-frame video edit corresponds to approximately 5.6 film frames. However, film cuts cannot include partial frames, so the edit must be rounded to 5 or 6 frames. To make these adjustments, the following occurs during matchback: • If the total video-sequence duration at the end of each cut is a frame longer than the film, the system subtracts a frame from the last video edit.
Vertical Blanking Information c You can preserve VBI information for JFIF, uncompressed, and MPEG IMX resolutions. You cannot preserve VBI information for DV resolutions. n In the majority of cases, you should not preserve these extra lines when you perform a digital cut. Only do so if you have a special need for the information. Vertical Blanking Interval Line Ranges Your Avid editing application can capture 248 lines per field in NTSC or 296 lines per field in PAL.
Vertical Blanking Information n Your Avid editing application does not interpret the vertical blanking information (the encoded data). It treats the coded values simply as pixels in the video frame. If you want to read the vertical blanking information during editing, you must connect an external vertical blanking information reader to the Avid system. To display vertical blanking information and preserve it for a digital cut: 1. Select Tools > Video Output Tool. The Video Output tool opens.
Vertical Blanking Information Editing a Sequence with Vertical Blanking Information After a sequence is created and output from an Avid editing system, some facilities apply VBI information to the tape to add information such as closed captioning. Often, the tape is recaptured so that the sequence can be repurposed for another market. The VBI option in the Video Output tool lets you display the VBI information and maintain the information when you output the repurposed sequence.
Vertical Blanking Information The following problems may occur: • If the frame contains vertical blanking information, the picture quality of the entire frame might be slightly degraded due to the added entropy or complexity from the vertical blanking lines. The higher the compression ratio, the greater the number of artifacts that might be visible. For a compression ratio of 2:1, the number of artifacts might not be noticeable at all.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Feature Meridien Current Can VBI information affect compression quality? Yes Yes Can compression affect VBI quality? Yes Yes For details on how Meridien systems support VBI, see the Preserving Information in the Vertical Blanking Interval white paper on the Avid Knowledge Base.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Data Track Method The Data Track method stores ancillary data as a separate MXF file. A D (Data) track is added to your sequence, along with the video and audio track. You can edit clips on the D track, just as you would any other clip.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data of a data track in the Avid EDL Manager’s Track Selector panel with the D track button. Events which contain a Data track appear in an EDL with a “D” where the “V” appears for video tracks. Adding a Data Track You can add one Data track directly to the Timeline or you can extract the ancillary data from a video clip to create the Data track.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Ancillary Data and AMA Avid Media Access (AMA) is a plug-in architecture that lets you link directly to clips from a third-party volume or to a file based media clip into a bin without storing the media directly on your system. You can AMA link to an XDCAM or an MXF (SMPTE 436M compliant) clip with ancillary data, the ancillary data appears in your bin and it creates a Data track in your Avid sequence.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Moving from Legacy Method to Data Track Method The following explains what you need to know when you capture ancillary data with the Legacy method and move to the Data Track method. You might need to perform additional steps when you move sequences or clips from the legacy method to the data track method. • You should not mix SMPTE 436M (data track) ancillary data media with legacy method media.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data How Ancillary Data Embedded in DNxHD Media Is Handled in the Data Track Method and the Legacy Method Data Track Method Legacy Method Create a D track Not Applicable Not Applicable Play Not Applicable Yes (with Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX only) Edit Not Applicable Not Applicable Capture Not Applicable Yes (with Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX only) Transcode Not Applicable Not Applicable Yes (with Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX and source
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Legacy Method When you use the legacy method, ancillary data preservation is subject to the following requirements and limitations: • n You must capture and output the HD media using Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX input/output hardware. Software only systems do not support capture and output of HD ancillary data.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data The system enables all four slots. 4. Select a Data Type for each slot you want to display ancillary data for. The default DID and SDID number displays for that slot. 5. Select Enabled next to the appropriate slot. 6. Deselect Enabled for those slots you do not want to capture ancillary data for. 7. Click OK. n For more information about ancillary data options, see “Media Creation Settings” on page 1361.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data To set the default for ancillary data preservation for all four slots: 1. Select Tools > Console. 2. Type the following command: Embeddnxccdefault The default for all four slots is set to the values listed in the table below.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data - To set data slot 4 to hold a custom data type, type Embeddnxccoptions 4 1 0xaa 0xbb where aa and bb are the DID and SDID of the custom data type To view the current status of each slot: 1. Select Tools > Console. 2.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data With data mixdown, your end result is a new master clip made up of all the data clips on the data track. That track becomes one clip. To perform a data mixdown: 1. Select the Record Track Monitor button in the Track Selector panel for the data track. 2. Mark an In point and an Out point around the area to mix down, or clear the In and Out points to mixdown the entire sequence. 3. Select Special > Data Mixdown. The Data Mixdown dialog box opens. 4.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data 5. (Option) Select Use Marks. When Use Marks is selected, the current IN and OUT points in the selected clip or sequence determine starting and ending frames for the export. 6. (Option) Select Use Enabled Tracks. When Use Enabled Tracks is selected, the system uses tracks that are enabled in the Timeline. To export all the tracks in the sequence, deselect this option. 7. Select an XDCAM HD disk from the Target XDCAM Disk list.
Preserving HD Closed Captioning and Ancillary Data Sony applies its own file-naming convention. All exported clips are given a new sequential name of Cxxxx.mxf, for example, C0019.mxf. A progress bar appears displaying the new Sony XDCAM HD sequential clip name. The sequence is exported.
24 Conforming and Transferring Projects This chapter contains information about conforming and transferring projects. • Understanding Conforming • Preparations for Conforming • Conforming Workflow • Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Understanding Conforming You can move projects and media from one Avid editing system to another and preserve your edits and effects.
Preparations for Conforming Transferring to Avid DS You can find specific information for transferring projects to Avid DS in the Avid DS Conform Guide (available from the Avid DS Support Center or the Avid Customer Support Knowledge Base.) To access the Knowledge Base, go to www.avid.com/onlinesupport. c Do not include mixed rate clips in sequences that you intend to finish on an Avid DS system.
Preparations for Conforming HD Online SD Offline Notes 720p/50 25p PAL or 25i PAL You cannot change between these project formats because the edit rates are different. 720p/59.94 30i NTSC You cannot change between these project formats because the edit rates are different, see “Editing at 60 fps” on page 1463. Use an NTSC 30i project for offline editing, then open a new 720p/59.94 project for online editing.
Preparations for Conforming File Naming To make it easier to move files between products and across platforms, use the following guidelines when naming files: • Do not use the following characters in project, bin, or other file names: /\:*?”<>| The Windows system does not recognize these characters in file names and substitutes other characters, possibly making the file name unrecognizable.
Preparations for Conforming Preparing Graphics for the Online Session The most critical step when preparing graphics for online is to make sure that the elements you are going to import are created correctly. The following table summarizes various requirements. Aspect Requirement Notes Frame size (4:3) Square pixels: These are the preferred sizes for NTSC and PAL. You can also use 648 x 486 (NTSC) 720 x 540, in some situations, for both NTSC and PAL.
Conforming Workflow Preparing Effects for the Online Session In general, effects from older systems are automatically conformed by newer systems. In some cases, effects are automatically promoted to new versions. However, be aware of the following issues: • If you work in an offline SD project with complex effects and you plan to conform as HD, you should downconvert the media anamorphically.
Conforming Workflow Before you start the process described in the following topics, review the information provided in “Preparations for Conforming” on page 1083 to ensure that your offline materials are ready for transferring and conforming. For specific information about HD and film-based workflows, see “Working in High-Resolution Projects” on page 1431.
Conforming Workflow Transfer Option Description Move the project folder along with a This option lets you transfer complete project information, but you need removable media drive from one to use the desktop operating system to copy and transfer files. See system to another. “Transferring Project Files and Media Files Using Nonshared Storage” on page 1101. Create an OMFI or an AAF file that This option lets you work within your Avid editing application, but is references a removable media drive.
Conforming Workflow Open a Transferred or Shared Project If you transferred project files, the original project appears in your list of projects. (Depending on the location into which you copied the files, you might need to use the Browse button in the Select Project dialog box to locate the project.) When you open the project, all project settings and bins appear. If you transferred both project files and media, and your media is compatible, the original project appears in your list of projects.
Conforming Workflow Recapture Option Description Decompose the sequence and recapture the new clips This option captures only enough media to re-create the sequence. You can specify the length of handles, which you can use for minor revisions. This method is more flexible than capturing from the sequence because it creates new clips that you can sort and selectively capture. This method uses minimal storage and can be one of the fastest methods for recapturing.
Conforming Workflow Then use the Audio tool to monitor the audio levels (see “Understanding the Audio Tool” on page 198). You can quickly check the peak values of the sequence (see “Using the Console Window to Check Audio Levels” on page 207). Step 6: Batch Import Graphics If you are working with master clips or sequences that contain imported material, you can use the Batch Import command to reimport the source files.
Conforming Workflow see “Redefining a Font Replacement” on page 1093. If more than one font in the title needs replacement, the dialog box remains open after you click OK, and a new message identifies the next font that needs replacement. You should be aware of the following when re-creating title media: • For best results, use OpenType fonts, which reduce problems when transferring projects from one platform to another.
Conforming Workflow n If you replace the font for a title and return that title to an Avid editing application on a Macintosh system, the new font information is associated with the title. You must reapply the Macintosh font to restore the title to its original Macintosh style. To redefine a font replacement: 1. Open a title in the Title tool. 2. Select Object > Font Replacement. The Font Replacement dialog box opens. 3. Click the Unknown Fonts menu on the left, and select the original font. 4.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Step 9: Render Effects as Needed Although many effects play in real time, you might need to render some complex effects or plug-in effects. For more information, see “Real-Time Playback of Video Effects” and “Basics of Effects Rendering” in the Help. The ExpertRender feature includes a special setting called Prepare for Digital Cut. For more information, see “ExpertRender” in the Help.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems There are two basic methods for transferring projects: • Moving project folders, settings, and media files between the systems. • Moving project folders and settings between the systems, and then recapturing the media. For information on recapturing, see “Recapturing and Decomposing” on page 238. The devices and technologies you use for transfer depend on which method of transfer you choose.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Method Requirements Restrictions External 1394 (FireWire) drive or USB2 drive HFS+ format Size of the disk. Floppy disk Macintosh-formatted disk Holds 1.4 MB. CD-ROM None HFS+ format is recommended. Do not use ISO 9660 format, which truncates file names. Do not use hybrid CD-ROMs, unless you create them with the Joliet extension, which supports long file names. DVD None None, if you use the native DVD format.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Method Requirements Restrictions Server-based network None None. External 1394 (FireWire) drive or USB2 drive None Size of the disk. Floppy disk PC-formatted disk Holds 1.4 MB. CD-ROM None Do not use ISO 9660 format, which truncates the file names. Files copied from a CD-ROM to a Windows system retain the read-only attribute.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Method Requirements Restrictions Project Files, OMF Files, and AAF Files (including embedded media) Server-based network Macintosh and Windows integration Rename files to avoid problems with illegal characters. See “System Compatibility for the Online Session” on page 1084. External 1394 (FireWire) drive or USB2 drive HFS+ format Size of the disk. Floppy disk PC-formatted disk Holds 1.4 MB.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems When you move your sequence to an audio application, you need to export the sequence as an OMFI or an AAF file (see “Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files” on page 1000). If you are working with a Pro Tools system, you can streamline your workflow by using the Send To feature, see “Exporting With the Send To Templates” on page 988. The Send To Pro Tools templates export an AAF file.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems To transfer Sound Designer II media to a Windows system, export an OMFI or AAF composition that includes the media and convert the media to AIFF-C or WAVE. Use the Export command or the Send To command. Sound Designer II audio media has limited support on Media Composer Macintosh systems. The following features are supported: • You can play Sound Designer II audio that you create on another system and transfer.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems When you transfer a project between Avid editing systems, ensure that: n • Both systems have the same release or a compatible release of an Avid editing application. • The resolutions are compatible if you are transferring media files. • The fonts used in the project are installed on both systems.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems Folder or File Project folder Location Private projects: • (Windows) drive:\Documents and Settings\Windows login name\My Documents\Avid Projects • (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Users/Mac login name/Documents/Avid Projects Shared projects: n • (Windows) drive:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\Shared Avid Projects • (Macintosh) Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/Avid editing application/Shared Avid Projects For information abou
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems 9. Select a user, open the project, and resume work. n Your Avid editing application reconstructs the MediaFiles database the first time you start to incorporate the new media into the system’s internal directory. Do not rename the project folder. The project settings do not link to the project if you rename the project folder.
Transferring Project and Media Files Between Avid Editing Systems For more information about working with Media Composer v7.2, Avid Xpress v2.1, and other versions of Avid editing products released before July, 2001, see the Avid Products Collaboration Guide, which is available on the Avid Customer Support Knowledge Base. To transfer video media from v7.2 or Avid Xpress v2.1 to a later release: t In the Export Format dialog box, select OMFI Composition Standard -AIFC, Video Only, OMFI 1.0, With Media.
25 Working with Avid Interplay from an Avid Editing System Avid Interplay is an asset management system that provides a central database of assets (such as master clips, subclips, sequences, and graphics) that you use during your production process. If you are working on an Avid editing system, you can think of these assets as remote assets.
Dos and Don’ts for Editors Working with Avid Interplay Why Do I Need to Do Things Differently? When Interplay is part of your workgroup environment, you need to work in a slightly different way. When you are editing with an Avid editing application (such as Media Composer, NewsCutter or Symphony) within an Interplay environment, it is important to work with the asset management tools provided by Interplay.
Dos and Don’ts for Editors Working with Avid Interplay DOs n • Log in to Interplay when prompted, with your individual username and password. This will ensure that you have the correct access rights to the Interplay folders that you need. • Create a new project for your work, or use one that you are confident is not being used by any other users at the same time. • Create a new bin, or use one that you are confident is not being used by any other users at the same time.
Checklist for Editors Working with Interplay • Don’t purposely avoid checking in an unfinished sequence thinking that another editor will finish it and check it in when done. If there are unchecked-in Avid assets in your sequence, another editor will not be able to check in a finished version, because the other editor will not have access to your Unchecked-in Avid Assets (UIAA) folder.
Checklist for Editors Working with Interplay Step Refer to Create a new bin, or use one that you are confident is not being used by any other users at the same time. Learn some basic rules about what you should and should not “Dos and Don’ts for do in an Interplay environment. Editors Working with Avid Interplay” on page 1106. Use the Interplay Window in your editing application or Interplay Access to check out and work with shared media. NEVER open bin files (*.
Working with Interplay and Remote Assets Support for HD RGB Media Avid Interplay supports two HD RGB resolutions: • 1:1 10-bit HD RGB. This resolution is supported for check in, check out, and deletion. It is not supported for Media Services operations. • DNxHD 444. This resolution is supported for all Interplay operations.
Working with Interplay and Remote Assets Top: the Project window and opened bin from an Avid editing application. Bottom: the corresponding folder in the Interplay Window. The project folder and its subfolders also contain project settings that primarily govern media acquisition — for example, frame rates, formats, and target workspaces. For more information about creating and managing projects in an Interplay environment, see “Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment” on page 1121.
Administrator Settings for Avid Editing Clients You can work directly with assets in the Interplay Window, or you can copy (check out) assets to a bin in an Avid editing project. The bin then contains local copies of the remote assets. You can modify the local copy of an asset, but the changes remain local until you save the changes (check in) to the database.
Using the Interplay Window - Can modify markers: If yes, allows the selected user or group to modify or delete markers. If no, a user of an Avid editing application can still modify markers on an asset, but can check in only the asset, not the marker metadata (an error message is displayed). In most cases, if an administrator wants a user to create markers, select “yes” for both “Can create markers” and “Can modify markers.” Both settings are needed because adding text is one aspect of modifying a marker.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database For more information about using and customizing the Interplay Window, see “Editing with Avid Assets in the Interplay Window” on page 1140 and “Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window” on page 1144. Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database Before you can connect to the Avid Interplay database and access remote assets, you need to configure the Interplay settings in your Avid editing application.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database 4. In the Interplay Server Name text box, type the computer name or IP address of your Interplay server, and then click OK. It is important to type the correct computer name or IP address. This is the location where the editing system looks to access the database and to check in and check out Avid assets. 5. In the Settings list, double-click Interplay User. 6. In the User Name text box, type a user name. This name must be a known user on your workgroup system. 7.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database 10. In the Project Settings, double-click Interplay Folder. The Interplay Folder Settings dialog box opens. 11. Click the Set button, and a directory tree is displayed for the Interplay database that you logged in to. 12. Select a folder to use as the default Interplay Root Folder for your project and click OK.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database Logging in to Interplay and Opening the Interplay Window If you configured the Interplay User settings to log in to the database when you select your project, the Interplay Login dialog box opens when you start your Avid editing application. If you did not select this option, then you must open the Interplay User settings before logging in to the database. After you log in, you have the option of opening the Interplay Window.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database n You can override the Host Name and User Name settings in the Interplay Login dialog box. 3. If an Interplay Folder path is not set, the Interplay Folder Settings dialog box is displayed. Set the path and other options and click OK. See “Configuring Interplay Settings on the Editing Workstation” on page 1115. (Option) You can set an option to display a message box that asks you to confirm the Interplay Folder path, if it is already set.
Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database 4. Select options to verify the directory path. - On login: If this setting is selected, a message box asks you to confirm the directory path after you log in to Interplay. Select “for new projects only” if you want this message box displayed only after you create a new project. When the message is displayed after login, click OK to accept the directory path, or click Change Setting to open the Interplay Folder Settings dialog box.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment One of the biggest decisions you will make regarding your workflow is the location of the projects and bins created by the editing applications.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment Private A Private Project is stored locally. It can be accessed only by the user currently logged on to the editing machine. On a Windows system, a Private Project is always stored under the user’s Documents directory. An administrator may be able to access this project if they have read/write permission to the user’s directory. Shared A Shared Project is stored locally. It can be accessed by any user that can log on the editing machine.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment External An External Project can be saved to any directory, either local or remote. Depending on the file-system permissions set on the selected folder, other users or an administrator may or may not be able to access the project. The external option is particularly useful when you want to save the project on shared network drive to make project maintenance easier. n Avid does not support sharing bins in an Interplay environment.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment Interplay Settings in the Editing Application The Interplay Folder setting defines where the Avid editing application checks files into the Interplay database. After you open a project you can specify several Interplay settings, including the Interplay Folder. To access the settings, open the Settings scroll list in the in the Project window. The following table lists the Interplay-related settings.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment Option Description Interplay Folder (Project Setting) Interplay organizes assets and media by folders. The default checkin folder must be set on each Avid editing application. By default, the folder path is empty. The Interplay database Projects folder is a good location to use. This will check the assets into a folder with the name of the bin inside the folder for the project. Click the Set button to navigate to the directory you want to use.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment The Project folder selected. Click the Append project checkbox. The following illustration shows a folder for a project named “The Big Swell” created in the Projects folder. The folder was created automatically when the editor checked the first bin into Interplay using the Check in Bin to Interplay command. The system automatically created both folders and checked in the assets into the folder. Folders created by checking in the bin.
Creating Avid Editing Projects in an Interplay Environment To instruct the system to automatically check in bins when the editor closes the application, select the Bins option in the Editor Database Settings window in the Avid Interplay Administration tool. The default is to ask the editor before checking in the bin. Defining the Media Creation Settings Use the Media Creation dialog box to define where you want the Avid editing application to store newly created media.
Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces If you need to manually connect to your Avid shared-storage system and mount workspaces, use one of the procedures in this section. For complete information, see your Avid shared-storage documentation.
Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces Workspaces that are already mounted appear selected in the workspace list. 5. In the workspace list, select the workspace or workspaces you want to mount. To select all workspaces, click the Select All button. To deselect all workspaces, click the Clear All button. 6.
Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces t (Macintosh) Double-click the Client Manager alias icon on the desktop, or double-click the Client Manager alias icon in the dock. t (Macintosh) If the Client Manager alias icon is not available, select Go > Applications, and then double-click the AvidISIS folder. In this folder, double-click the ClientManager file. The ISIS Client Manager opens. The Avid ISIS Client Manager.
Connecting to Avid Shared Storage and Mounting Workspaces - Workspaces you have been given access to are listed in the workspace list. - The Connect button changes to Disconnect when the connection is complete. - The Change Password and Launch Management Console buttons become active. 5. (Option — Windows only) If you used the OS Login option, and you want to connect to the network automatically every time you start your system, select the Auto-Connect box.
Editing with Remote Assets t Select all workspaces by right-clicking in the Workspaces list and selecting “Select all”. t Select all workspaces by pressing Ctrl+A. 3. Right-click, and select Mount. The Client Manager mounts the selected workspaces on your client and the Online icons for the mounted workspaces change to green. The Workspaces list displays the drives the workspaces are mounted to. If you use letterless drive mappings, the Workspaces list displays “UNC path” next to the Online icons. 4.
Editing with Remote Assets 3. Select Tools > Interplay Window. 4. Navigate to the project containing the master clips and sequences (assets) you want to use, and click the folder that contains the assets. The Interplay Window displays the Avid assets in the selected folder. 5. Click the assets you want to check out, and drag them to your bin. The bin displays the clips and sequences.
Editing with Remote Assets This message could also appear if another user has checked in a modified version of the asset after you checked it out. Click “Update anyway” to overwrite the local version with the version on the database, or click “Keep local modifications” to preserve the local version.
Editing with Remote Assets If you attempt to check out a sequence that already exists in a different open bin, a message informs you that a duplicate sequence will be created and renamed (with the extension Copy.n). You can respond to the message in one of the following ways: n • Click OK to check out the sequence and create a duplicate. • Click Cancel to end the operation without checkout.
Editing with Remote Assets When you use a menu command or automatic checkin to check in assets, the Interplay Engine checks them into a subfolder named after the bin, in a folder that you selected in the Interplay Folder settings (see “Configuring Interplay Settings on the Editing Workstation” on page 1115). When you use the drag-and-drop method for checking in assets, you can select any appropriate Interplay folder to store your assets.
Editing with Remote Assets n By default, a 24-hour reservation is automatically placed on a folder whenever a new or modified Avid asset is checked in to the Interplay database from a bin. An Interplay administrator sets the default duration of the reservation in the Application Database Settings in the Avid Interplay Administrator. For more information on reservations, see “Understanding Reservations” on page 1145. To add Avid assets from your bin to the Interplay database by using menu commands: 1.
Editing with Remote Assets To add Avid assets from your bin to the Interplay database using drag and drop: 1. Open the bin that contains your clips or sequences. 2. Log in to the Interplay database if you have not already done so. For more information, see “Connecting to the Avid Interplay Database” on page 1115. 3. Select Tools > Interplay Window. 4. (Option) Right-click the Projects folder in the Interplay Window, select Create a New Folder, and then type a name for the folder. 5.
Editing with Remote Assets Automatically Checking In Avid Assets You can automatically check in media assets by setting the appropriate option in the Avid Interplay Administrator.
Editing with Remote Assets To update remote assets: 1. Open the bin that contains the local copies of your remote assets. 2. To update all items in a bin, select the bin and do one of the following: t Select Bin > Update Bin from Interplay. t Click the Bin fast menu, and select Update Bin from Interplay. 3. To update selected items in a bin, select the items, right-click, and select Update from Interplay. The latest versions of the items are checked out to the bin.
Editing with Remote Assets 5. Select the clip or sequence you want to view 6. Do one of the following: t Drag the clip or sequence from the Interplay Window into the Source monitor. t Double-click the clip or sequence in the Interplay Window. The Source monitor displays the remote asset. Understanding In-Progress Clips If your Avid editing application is part of a workgroup environment managed by Avid Interplay, you can edit using in-progress clips.
Editing with Remote Assets Editing with In-Progress Clips The following procedure outlines the basic steps for editing using an in-progress clip when you use the Interplay Window to access the Interplay database. To edit using an in-progress clip: 1. Open your Avid editing application, open a project, and open the Interplay Window. 2. In the Interplay Window, navigate to the folder that holds the clip that you want to use for editing.
Editing with Remote Assets Limitations When Working With In-Progress Clips During the Frame Chase capture process the final length of the clip is unknown until the capture is complete and the clip information is updated. Because of this, there are some limitations when you work with in-progress clips.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Function Description Non-Check-in export You cannot export an in-progress clip or a sequence that contains in-progress clips because the final clip length might be different than the clip length at the time of the export. Variable-bit-rate media The only variable-bit-rate (variable-frame-size) media supported for Frame Chase editing is low-res long-GOP MPEG-2 media captured by the Avid Interplay low-res encoder.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window You can load clips and sequences from the Interplay Window, which keeps track of your assets in tabbed windows. You also use the tool to search projects and folders. When you start a search, a Media Search tab displays in the Research panel. The Media Search tab lets you search the database for all media files that fit the search parameters you specify. For more information on searching, see “Finding Remote Assets” on page 1163.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Reservation icons on folders in the Media Directory panel Only the owner of a reservation or the Administrator can remove the reservation or delete or move the contents of a reserved folder. Since folders can have reservations set by multiple users with multiple end dates, you might not be able to move or delete the asset even if you placed a reservation on it.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window You can use extended search capabilities to search for restrictions in Avid Interplay Access. Use the DRM property. For general information about searching in Interplay Access, see the Avid Interplay Access User's Guide. Understanding Access Control for Avid Assets Access control protects assets in a workgroup environment.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window If you have delete access control within your workgroup, you can delete Avid assets in the Interplay Window and in bins. You can also delete copies of the assets (links). Users without delete access cannot delete assets or perform any tasks that require delete privileges. For more information, see “Understanding Access Control for Avid Assets” on page 1147. You cannot delete assets that carry reservations.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window To delete clips or sequences from a folder or bin: 1. Select the clips and sequences that you want to delete. 2. Press the Delete key or right-click and select Delete. The Delete dialog box opens, showing information about the selected items. 3. Select the items for deletion. 4. (Option) Delete the associated media files for master clips and effect clips.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window A shortcut above an Interplay database name in the Media Directory panel To remove a shortcut to an Interplay folder or a catalog: t Right-click the folder in the Media Directory panel, and select Delete Shortcut. The shortcut is removed.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Location of the Layout button in the Interplay Window To modify the display properties of the Interplay Window, do one of the following: t Click the Layout button until the layout you want displays in the Interplay Window. t Press Ctrl+L (Windows) or Command+L (Macintosh) until the layout you want displays in the Interplay Window.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Added columns appear only for the selected folder and for the current work session. If you want to use the same columns the next time you log in to your Avid editing application, you must save a custom layout. See “Using Custom Layouts for the Interplay Window” on page 1159. • Create new column headings in the Research panel. New column headings (custom properties) are added to the database. Be careful when creating custom properties.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Modifying Column Display in the Interplay Window To sort information in columns: t Click the column heading. To reverse the sort order, click the column heading again. To move a column in the Interplay Window: t Click the heading of the column in the Research panel that you want to move, then drag the column to the position you want and release the mouse button. The column appears in the new position, and the other columns shift to make room.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window 2. Select the columns you want to display. For MultiRez clips, you can select a column for each resolution (1:1, DV 25, and so on). See “Single Clip, Multiple Resolutions” on page 1191. 3. Click OK. The new columns appear to the right of the existing columns in the Research panel. To create a new column: 1. Right-click a column heading and select New Column. 2. Type a name for the new column.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Selecting Values for a Custom Property You can select a property value from a list for a custom property rather than typing it in. You can select this value from a column in the Research Panel.Your system administrator needs to first create a custom property in Interplay Administrator and then import an XML file containing the values into Interplay Administrator.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window 3. Navigate to the new custom column heading, select it, and click OK. 4. Locate the custom column in the Research panel and click it in the cell for the asset you want to label. The list of values for the property appears. 5. Select a value. The value appears in the cell. 6. Select values for additional assets.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Selecting Asset Types To select asset types and reference clips to display: 1. Right-click the Type column heading in the Research panel and select Set Type Filter. n You need to right-click the column heading. If you right-click elsewhere in the column, the option does not appear in the context menu. The Set Type Filter dialog box opens. 2. Select the asset types you want to display. 3.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window Renaming Clips in the Interplay Window You can rename a clip in a folder directly by modifying the information displayed in the Research panel. n This action also renames copies of these clips. It does not rename duplicated clips. To change the name of a clip: 1. Click the cell in the Name column that you want to modify. The clip row is highlighted. 2. Click the cell again to enter text. The pointer changes to an I-beam. 3.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window The Refresh button on a tab in the Research panel To update a search result tab: t Execute the search again. Navigating to a Folder that Contains a Selected Asset You can use a command to navigate (go to) to a folder that contains a selected asset. To navigate to a folder that contains a selected asset: 1. Right-click an asset in the Research panel (any tab) and select Open Enclosing Folder.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window For example, someone else who accessed a clip in Interplay Access after you loaded the same clip in the Research panel might have changed the name of the clip on the server; when you then try to rename that clip, the Property Merge dialog box opens. The change could have been made in any Interplay application, including Assist, Instinct, Interplay Access, or the Interplay Window.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window To save a layout: 1. Open a folder. 2. Modify the display or the columns according to preference. 3. Click the Layout menu, and select Save Layout As. The initial layout name is “Default.” Once you save a layout, the Layout menu displays the saved layout name. If you want to save changes to an existing layout, click Save Layout. Location of the Layout menu in the Interplay Window The Enter Column Layout Name dialog box opens. 4.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window 3. Click Yes. Opening Multiple Tabs in the Interplay Window When you open a new Interplay folder, its contents replace the current contents displayed in the Interplay Window. If you want to keep the contents of more than one folder open at a time, you can save the Research panel display as a tab in the Interplay Window and then open the contents of the new folder as a separate tab. This way, you can keep multiple folders open at once.
Managing Remote Assets with the Interplay Window To change the font from the Research Panel context menu: 1. Right-click and select Set Research Panel font. The Select Research Panel Font dialog box opens. n On Windows XP, the dialog box lets you select and preview options other than Font and Size, but those options do not affect the font in your Avid editing application. You can change only Font and Size. 2. Select a font and a size, and then click OK. The font in the panel changes.
Finding Remote Assets To change the font from the Directory panel context menu: 1. Right-click in the Directory panel and select Set Directory Panel font. The Select Directory Panel Font dialog box opens. 2. Select a font and a size, and then click OK. The font in the panel changes. Finding Remote Assets You find Avid assets stored in the Interplay database by searching Interplay folders. The most common method of finding remote assets is to perform a search based on attributes.
Finding Remote Assets To perform a search: 1. Click the Media Search tab. To open an additional search tab, do one of the following: - Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Command+F (Macintosh). - Right-click an Interplay folder and select Search. The folder you select is displayed in the Search In field. 2. In the Text field, type a search term. You can specify words or characters for your search. Search terms are not case-sensitive and apply to all searchable text attributes of the Avid assets in your search.
Finding Remote Assets 8. Click Search. The Interplay Window performs the specified search and returns all matching records in the Research panel. The name of the search tab changes to the text that you searched for. 9. (Option) To start a new search, click Reset or open a new search tab. Then repeat steps 2 through 8. If necessary, click the show/hide arrow in the upper left of the tab to show the Reset button and the search fields.
Capturing Media to Interplay Folders Attribute Options Description Category Examples: Weather Sports Local News Lets you specify which category to search. The specific categories listed for this attribute are defined by the system administrator.
Performing a Send-to-Playback as a Background Process from an Avid Editing Application The Interplay Folders selection button (top) and the Bin menu (bottom) in the Capture tool 4. Set up the Capture tool as described in “Capturing Media” on page 218. 5. Click the Interplay Folders selection button. 6. Click the Bin menu, and select an open Interplay folder. 7. Start capturing as usual.
Performing a Send-to-Playback as a Background Process from an Avid Editing Application To send assets and media files for playback using an Avid editing application: 1. Make sure the Media Services Engine and Avid Interplay STP Encode service are running. 2. In the Avid editing application bin, select the asset or assets whose media files you want to send to the playback server. 3. Select Transfer > Send To Playback, and select the profile for the server to which you want to send the sequence.
26 Using Interplay Transfer to Export Media Avid Interplay Transfer lets you transfer Avid assets to and from another workgroup, send finished sequences to a configured playback device, and capture media from a configured ingest device. You can also use Interplay Transfer in a standalone environment (an environment other than Avid shared storage) to move Avid assets between workstations. When you use Interplay Transfer in a workgroup environment, you can use several types of transfers.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application For more information on Interplay Transfer, see the Avid Interplay Transfer Setup and User’s Guide. To install the Interplay Transfer client software on an Avid editing system: 1. Insert the Avid Interplay Installer DVD and double-click autorun.exe. 2. Click Clients on the Main Menu page. The Client Support page opens. 3. Click Avid Editor Support. The Install Avid Editor Support page opens. 4. Click Avid Interplay Transfer Client. 5.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application 4. In the Standalone/Incoming Requests area, do one of the following: t Select “Refuse All Requests,” if you do not want to receive files from another workgroup. t Select “User Dialog To Accept/Refuse,” and one of the following methods for accepting transfers: - Wait for User Action (No Timeout) — You receive a message request for a transfer. You must click OK for the transfer to occur.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application - In the Timeout (seconds) text box, type the amount of time you want to set for the timeout. 5. In the Status Window area, do the following: a. In the text box, type the number of seconds you want the status window to update. b. (Option) Select “Bring up window if error occurs” if you want errors to display. 6.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application 10. In the Other Workgroups area, click Add. The Add Workgroup To List dialog box opens. If you want to edit the names of any of the Interplay Transfer servers or workstations listed in the Other Workgroups area, select the name, click Edit, and make the changes. 11.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application Send to Playback with Multichannel Audio Tracks This section describes a best practice for sending a sequence containing multichannel audio tracks to playback when using Direct Out mode. For information on sending multichannel audio to playback using Multiple Mixes, see “Mapping Audio Tracks to Output Channels” on page 1174. When using Direct Out mode, keep the multichannel audio tracks at the bottom of your audio tracks.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application 3. Click the Settings tab. 4. In the Output Audio Mix area, select Multiple Mixes, and then click Edit. The Multiple Mix Editor dialog box opens.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application 5. Click the Format buttons to cycle through the available options until you find the appropriate format: Option Description Mono tracks Maps audio tracks to mono channels, with any assigned stereo tracks mixed down to a mono channel. Stereo tracks Maps audio tracks to a single stereo channel, using the pan information on the input tracks to generate stereo output. 6.
Setting Transfer Settings in the Avid Editing Application 8. Repeat steps 5 through 8 to map additional audio tracks to output channels. 9. When you finish assigning tracks to output channels, click OK to save your mixdown sequence. The Multiple Mix Editor closes. 10. In the Transfer Settings dialog box, click OK. To save a custom map of output audio channels as a settings template: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click Transfer. 3. Select Edit > Duplicate.
Transferring Avid Assets from an Avid Editing Application You can select this new setting whenever you send a sequence to playback using Interplay Transfer. Transferring Avid Assets from an Avid Editing Application If Interplay Transfer is properly installed and enabled on your Avid editing system, it starts automatically whenever you start the Avid editing application.
Transferring Avid Assets to a Playback Device To send a finished sequence to a playback device: 1. (Option) If you want to use a Transfer setting template, select the custom Transfer setting in the Settings tab in the Project window. For more information on creating a custom map for sending sequences to Interplay Transfer, see “Mapping Audio Tracks to Output Channels” on page 1174. 2. Open the bin that contains the clips or sequences you want to send. 3. Select a clip or sequence in a bin.
Monitoring Transfers from Within the Avid Editing Application Transcoding of Mixed Resolution Clips During a Send to Playback When you perform a Send to Playback operation, the application automatically renders effects and relinks your sequence to the target resolution. You can use the Send to Playback command with sequences that contain clips of different resolutions.
Monitoring Transfers from Within the Avid Editing Application 2. Right-click the status of a particular transfer to display the status options. See “Transfer Status Window Options” on page 1181. A plus sign in the PWT column indicates the clip or sequence has been set to a high priority. Transfer Status Window Options The following table lists the status options available when you right-click a transfer displayed in the Transfer Status window during a transfer.
Monitoring Transfers from Within the Avid Editing Application To sort a transfer status column: 1. From the Transfer Status window or Interplay Transfer tab, right-click the column to display the Sort options. 2. Select either Sort, Sort Reversed, or No Sort. Sort lists the information in alphabetical order.
27 Using MultiRez and Dynamic Relink This chapter provides information about using MultiRez and dynamic relinking. MultiRez is available only on Avid editing systems that have the Avid Interplay Media Indexer installed.
Understanding MultiRez and Proxy Editing Proxy editing is a workflow where you edit with a low-resolution version of media and then conform the edits into a composition that refers to an equivalent high-resolution version of the same content. This workflow is similar to the offline/online model that is common in a post-production workflow.
Acquiring Media at Multiple Resolutions Acquiring Media at Multiple Resolutions In an Avid Interplay environment, you can create and store multiple resolutions of the same media. These can be acquired in several ways. You can configure a workgroup to ingest both high and low-res media simultaneously. You can also first create master clips with high-res media, and if your hardware permits it, you can re-capture these clips as low-res proxies.
Acquiring Media at Multiple Resolutions n You can only create one new resolution at a time using batch capture. To capture multiple resolutions at the same time (ie: high-res and a proxy simultaneously), use the Interplay Low-Res Encoder. See the Interplay documentation for more information. To batch capture a different resolution: 1. Prepare your system for batch capturing, as described in the Help for your Avid editing application.
Acquiring Media at Multiple Resolutions n For information about displaying bin columns for MultiRez, see “MultiRez Bin Headings” on page 1218. Batch Importing File-Based Media at Different Resolutions Using Batch Import, you can import file-based media at different resolutions. To perform a batch import, you must have a master clip that has the media imported in another resolution. To batch import a different resolution: 1.
Acquiring Media at Multiple Resolutions 5. In the Import Target area, select the desired resolution and storage location. 6. In the Import Options area, select “Keep existing local media” and any other options. 7. Click Import. Your Avid editing application imports the files and creates media in the resolution you specified. The original media file is preserved, and the master clip is now associated with an additional resolution.
Understanding How Clips are Associated with Multiple Resolutions To transcode a clip using your Avid editing application: t Right click the clip in the bin and select Consolidate/Transcode. To transcode a clip using the Interplay Transcode service, do one of the following: t In Avid Interplay Access, right-click the clip and select Transcode. Select the profile that has been created for this transcode and click Set.
Understanding How Clips are Associated with Multiple Resolutions You create a new tape by clicking the New button in the Select Tape dialog box, entering a name for the tape, and clicking OK. DV Your Avid editing application then associates the new source ID with each clip that you capture from that tape.
Options for Clip and Media Association Guidelines for MultiRez Tape Management When working in a MultiRez workflow, it is important to name tapes properly. In particular, you should keep the following in mind: • Whenever you create a new tape, your Avid editing application generates a new source ID, even if the name you type for the new tape exactly matches that of an existing tape. You cannot dynamically relink media that does not share a source ID.
Options for Clip and Media Association For information about displaying bin columns for MultiRez, see “MultiRez Bin Headings” on page 1218. n You can batch capture the clip in additional resolutions; there is no limitation to the number of media files associated with a clip. Multiple Clips, Multiple Resolutions, and the Affinity Model You can transcode the media associated with a clip to create media in a different resolution, usually to create a low-resolution version of the clip.
Options for Clip and Media Association 01:00:10:00 01:00:00:00 01:00:10:00 DV 01:00:00:00 Example of associations between multiple clips and multiple resolutions. The original capture (top) creates high-resolution media. A transcode operation (bottom) creates a new master clip and a new media file at a lower resolution. The timecode span and length of both clips is the same.
Understanding Dynamic Relink 01:00:10:00 DV 01:00:00:00 02:09 06:22 Example of associations between clips sharing only part of a timecode span. The original capture (top) creates low-resolution media. A recapture operation (bottom) creates a new master clip and a new media file at a higher resolution. The new master clip is shorter than the original but shares the same timecode span.
Understanding Dynamic Relink n Dynamic relink is currently not supported for HD media that requires pulldown. Therefore, you can only use it with projects where media has been acquired at the native frame rate (without pulldown)—see “Interplay Support for Native HD 23.976p and 24p Formats” in the Interplay help.
Understanding Dynamic Relink The following illustration shows a bin and a sequence. The first version of the sequence shows the clip in the working resolution (15:1s) and the second version shows the same clip in the target resolution (1:1). The clip name is the same in both cases, but the resolution of the clip (as shown in the text on the clip) is different.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez Left: clip associated with working and target resolutions. Top right: sequence with clip in working resolution (15:1s). Bottom right: sequence with clip in target resolution (1:1). n To display the clip resolution for each clip in the Timeline, click the Timeline Fast Menu button and select Clip Text > Clip Resolutions.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez To create a Film or HD Project: 1. When you create the project, make sure it supports the resolution you want to use. For example, for 25p Film projects, select 1080p/25. The following illustration shows the Project selection for a 25p Film project used in this example. 2. (Film only) If your source media is film-based, check the Film box and select the Film Type.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez High-res and low-res media both online (filled circles) for the clip in the bin 3. Open the Dynamic Relink dialog box and set the working resolution to the low-res proxy. The following illustration shows the Dynamic Relink values used in this example to link to the low-res media.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez 4. Edit the media into a sequence. By default, whenever you load clips into a monitor or the Timeline, they are linked to media that matches the working settings. The following illustration shows the bin after the sequence is created. In this example, the administrator has already archived and deleted the high-res material. The MultiRez bin columns show that the high-res media is completely offline.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez The high-res media is now offline (empty circle in the bin) 5. (Skip this step if the administrator did not archive the high-res media) When you are finished editing the sequence, restore the portions of high-res material used in the sequence from the archive. The following illustration shows the bin after the partial restore operation is completed.
Workflow: Editing a Film or HD Project using MultiRez 9. Render effects in the target resolution if necessary. n You can use the MultiRez button and MultiRez clip coloring to give you the necessary indications that you may not have media that matches the target settings. 10. Output your final master by doing one of the following: t Create a digital cut. t Use the Send to Playback command.
Considerations When Working with Dynamic Relink Considerations When Working with Dynamic Relink Consider the following when you are working with dynamic relink: • If you connect to an Avid ISIS media network with a 100Base-T connection in a Zone 3 configuration, you can access MPEG-2 low-resolution video and MPEG-1 Layer II (or MP2) compressed audio. This is useful for browsing media stored on the media network as the low-resolution media files require less bandwidth to view.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Enabling Dynamic Relink To enable dynamic relink: 1. Do one of the following: t In the Settings list in the Project window, double-click Dynamic Relink. t Right-click the MultiRez button at the bottom of the Timeline and select Dynamic Relink Settings. 2. Select Enable Dynamic Relink.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box For information on available settings, see “Dynamic Relink Settings” on page 1314. 4. Click the Target Settings tab, and then select your target settings. For information on available settings, see “Dynamic Relink Settings” on page 1314. 5. To apply the settings, do one of the following: t Click Apply. The dialog box remains open. t Click OK. The dialog box closes.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Top to bottom: Relink to offline media if no match is found, specific video resolution to match, specific audio sample rate and bit depth to match The working settings in the following illustration instruct your Avid editing application to link to the specific video resolution of DV 25. If your Avid editing application cannot find this resolution for a particular clip, it should relink to media that most closely matches DV 25, based on the specified parameters.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Top to bottom: Use closest media if no match is found, highest quality video resolution to match and instruction to accept lower qualities, highest audio sample rate and bit depth to match and instruction to accept lower sample rates Target Settings The target settings in the following illustration instruct your Avid editing application to use 30i NTSC as the project format and 1:1 MXF (uncompressed) as the specific video resolution.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Top to bottom: Relink to offline media if no match is found, specific format and video resolution to match, specific audio sample rate and bit depth to match Dynamically Relinking to the Target Settings You need to dynamically relink to the target settings when: • You need to do color correction or apply another effect that requires viewing media in the target resolution.
Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box For information on establishing target settings, see “Applying Working and Target Settings for Dynamic Relink” on page 1204. c Render effects only when you have linked to the target settings. This should be done as the last step before output. If you return to the working settings, any media files created by rendering effects (precomputes) will not dynamically relink in the target resolution.
Relinking in Frame Chase Editing Dynamic relink performs the following actions when working with mixed frame rate clips: • Clips with the same frame rate as the project relink to source media based on the settings in the Dynamic Relink settings dialog box. • Clips with a frame rate that differs from the project frame rate, but which have source media available in the target resolution, relink to the appropriate source clips.
Using the Relink Dialog Box in an Avid Interplay Environment Using the Relink Dialog Box in an Avid Interplay Environment Relinking through the Relink dialog box is different from dynamic relink. In an Avid Interplay environment, relinking through the Relink dialog box is limited to non-master clips (subclips and sequences). You can relink these only through source timecode and tape. Other options are unavailable. Relinking through the Relink dialog box is clip-based.
Displaying Whether Media Is Available for Dynamic Relinking Clicking the MultiRez button changes only the display — it does not perform a dynamic relink, and it does not update the status of the media. To update the status, use the Update Media Status command. For more information, see “MultiRez Button Menu” on page 1216. It is especially important to know whether media is available in the target settings if you are going to use the Send to Playback command.
Displaying Whether Media Is Available for Dynamic Relinking The following procedure refers to the default colors available for resolution tracking. You can change the display colors that your Avid editing application uses by selecting custom colors in the Clip Color dialog box. For more information, see “Displaying Clip Colors in the Timeline” on page 660. To enable clip coloring for MultiRez in the Timeline, do one of the following: t Right-click the MultiRez button and select Enable Clip Coloring.
Displaying Whether Media Is Available for Dynamic Relinking n Clip coloring for the Show Mismatches display is not used when you select Highest Quality or Most Compressed as the relink method. This is because you do not select a specific quality, and your Avid editing application supplies the best quality or the most compressed media that is available. Examples of MultiRez Clip Coloring In the following examples, the working resolution is set to 15:1s, and the target resolution is set to DV 25.
Displaying Whether Media Is Available for Dynamic Relinking If you select Relink to Offline, clips that do not match the working resolution are colored red by default, and the Media Offline slide is displayed in the monitors. In the following example, your Avid editing application is warning you that the DV 25 clips are not in the working resolution and the media is offline. n The “Relink to Offline” option does not delete the existing media.
MultiRez Button Menu The next example shows the Timeline after you click the MultiRez button to view the target resolution availability. The MultiRez button is yellow, indicating that there are clips that are not available in the target resolution, and the clip that is not available in DV 25 (the target resolution) is also colored yellow by default.
MultiRez Button Menu Option Description (Continued) Show Mismatched Render Ranges Identifies effects that are rendered in a resolution that does not match the specified resolution for the resolutions to which the clips are linked (working or target). A blue line appears along the top of the effect to indicate the portion that is rendered using a different resolution. n You might find it useful to turn off Enable Clip Coloring when you use this option, to make it easier to see the render range lines.
MultiRez Bin Headings MultiRez Bin Headings Some bin columns are specifically associated with MultiRez. These bin headings are available in Avid editing applications when they are part of an Avid Interplay environment.
Understanding Options for Deleting MultiRez Clips and Media There might be more resolutions available on an Avid Interplay workspace than appear in your bin headings. For example, there might be an uncompressed version of the clips you are working with, but if your Avid editing application doesn’t support uncompressed video, the resolution does not appear in your bin settings. Some resolutions might show up as partially online. For more information, see “Working with Partially Online Files” on page 1221.
Deleting MultiRez Clips and Media from a Bin For example, if you transcode a clip from DV 25 to 15:1s, and create a new master clip, both resolutions are associated with the original clip in the bin. However, if you select the original clip (DV 25) for deletion, you see only DV 25 listed in the Delete dialog box. For clips that were batch captured, captured in a dual-ingest configuration, or transcoded without a new clip, you see both resolutions listed in the Delete dialog box.
Working with Partially Online Files n If you try to delete media for a clip that you have checked out from Avid Interplay, and do not have sufficient permissions to delete, a message informs you that you cannot delete media associated with checked-in assets from a bin. For more information about deleting in an Avid Interplay environment, see the Avid Interplay Access User’s Guide.
Working with Partially Online Files Top to bottom: original DV25 clip, portion of DV25 clip edited into a sequence, and new clip created in 15:1s by consolidating and transcoding the sequence. Only part of the original clip is available in 15:1s. After consolidating and transcoding, the new master clip is shown in the bin as having media in both DV 25 and 15:1s, while the original master clip is shown as having full media in DV 25 and partial media for 15:1s.
Working with Partially Online Files In the following example, the MultiRez button is blue, indicating that your Avid editing application is in the Show Mismatches display. The original master clip is displayed in the Timeline, with a working resolution set to 15:1s. Two portions of the clip are colored red, which is the default color indicating that these portions of the clip are offline and thus are not available in the working resolution.
Quality Matching To perform a partial restore from an archive: 1. Assume you have a 10-minute master clip and you have both 15:1s and DV 25 versions of the media. 2. Archive the DV 25 version of the media. 3. Delete the online DV 25 media and keep the low-resolution, 15:1 media online. 4. Edit one minute of the low-resolution version of the clip into a sequence. 5. Select the sequence in the bin and use Avid Interplay Archive to restore the DV 25 version of the clip from the archive.
Quality Matching n For complete information about options in the Dynamic Relink Settings dialog box, see “Using the Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box” on page 1203. If you select one of the above options, your Avid editing application uses the following queries to perform a dynamic relink: 1. Is there media with the same tape name (source ID) and timespan? 2. Is there media of the same size (NTSC, PAL, 1080HD, 720 HD)? 3. Is there media with the same field order (topness)? 4.
Quality Matching 6. Is there media of the same bit depth? 7. Is there media in the same color space? At each step, media is examined. Your Avid editing application continues looking for media until a single match remains. Quality Matching Reference Video Format for Quality Matching The following table lists factors involved in determining the closest match for video format (queries 2 and 3 from the list in “Quality Matching” on page 1224).
Quality Matching Resolution Family Resolution Name DNxHD 220 DNxHD 185 DNxHD 175 DNxHD 90 DNxHD 145 DNxHD 120 DNxHD 115 DNxHD 60 DNxHD 45 DNxHD 36 DNxHD 145-TR DNxHD 120-TR DVCPro n DNxHD resolutions are based on the frame rate of the project. For example, DNxHD 220 has a compressed data rate of 220 Mb/sec at 29.97 fps. DNxHD 185, which is an equivalent resolution, has a compressed data rate of 185Mb/sec at 25 fps.
Quality Matching Example of Quality Matching This example is typical of a newsroom offline session. In this workflow, clips are usually captured simultaneously in MPEG-2 and DV 25, but sometimes the MPEG-2 clips are not available. You want to get media immediately, and you want the lowest (most compressed) resolution available to use less network bandwidth, but you’ll take DV 25 if that’s all that’s available.
28 MultiCamera Editing The Avid MultiCamera editing features let you incorporate multiple camera angle sources into the nonlinear editing process.
Creating Group Clips • The MultiGroup function is designed primarily for situation comedies and similar productions that record multiple takes sequentially on the same source tapes. Multigrouping does not provide any benefit when you edit with clips that do not share common timecode or were not recorded sequentially, and might even cause the wrong clips to be grouped together.
Creating Multigroup Clips 4. Select an option, based on the following: Option Description Film TC/Sound TC Use this option if you are syncing clips with matching film and sound timecode recorded in the field. This option appears dimmed if you are not working in a 24p or 25p project. Inpoints Use this option if you are syncing according to IN points set in each clip. Outpoints Use this option if you are syncing according to OUT points set in each clip.
MultiCamera Displays 4. Select an option, based on the following: Option Description Film TC/Sound TC Use this option if you are syncing clips with matching film and sound timecode recorded in the field. This option appears dimmed if you are not working in a 24p or 25p project. Inpoints Use this option if you are syncing according to IN points set in each clip. Outpoints Use this option if you are syncing according to OUT points set in each clip.
MultiCamera Displays The basic features of Full-Monitor display: • Provides source-oriented control of multicamera material. You can switch camera angles, cue, and mark material without affecting the sequence. • Provides the same Source monitor controls that are available when you edit other clips in Source/Record mode. • Provides the same MultiCamera editing features that are available in Quad Split Source view, Nine Split Source view, and MultiCamera mode.
MultiCamera Displays Quad Split Source view, with the four camera angle views in the Source monitor and the sequence or linecut in the Record monitor. The location of the Group Menu icon is highlighted. The basic features of Quad Split Source view: • Provides source-oriented control of multicamera material. You can switch camera angles, play back (one camera angle at a time), cue, and mark material without affecting the sequence.
MultiCamera Displays Nine Split Source view, with the nine camera angle views in the Source monitor and the sequence or linecut in the Record monitor. The location of the Group Menu icon is highlighted. The basic features of Nine Split Source view: • Provides source-oriented control of multicamera material. You can switch camera angles, play back (one camera angle at a time), cue, and mark material without affecting the sequence.
MultiCamera Displays MultiCamera Mode After loading a group clip into the Source monitor and editing it to create a new sequence, select MultiCamera Mode from the Special menu to activate the features. The MultiCamera Quad Split Edit or MultiCamera Nine Split Edit is displayed, depending on whether you were in Quad Split Source view or Nine Split Source view before entering MultiCamera mode.
MultiCamera Displays The basic features of MultiCamera mode: • Provides sequence-oriented control of multicamera material, in contrast to Full-Monitor display, Nine Split Source view, and Quad Split Source view. Whenever you play back, cue, switch camera angles, or mark material, your changes occur in the sequence. • Synchronizes all camera angles displayed in the Source monitor and continuously updates during playback and editing.
MultiCamera Editing Techniques Limitations on Playback of MultiCamera Media To play back a group clip or a multigroup clip, you must be in MultiCamera mode. In addition, the following limitations apply to playback performance for standard-definition projects and high-definition projects: • In an SD project, you must have Avid input/output hardware attached to your system in order to view multicamera display in a client monitor during a digital cut.
MultiCamera Editing Techniques If the group contains more camera angles than the multi-split display, the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys cycle through all the clips. Only the first four clips are shown in the Quad Split display and only the first nine clips are shown in the Nine Split display. When the Record monitor is active, you can place the position indicator within any segment and use the arrow keys to switch the group clip selected for that segment.
MultiCamera Editing Techniques n The client monitor displays only SD multicamera sequences. You can view playback of HD multicamera sequences in the Source monitor only. If you notice frames are dropping during playback, decrease the size of the Composer window until playback becomes smooth. To play a linecut on the client monitor in MultiCamera mode: 1. Double-click Composer in the Settings list of the Project window. The Composer Settings dialog box opens. 2. Click the MultiCam tab. 3.
MultiCamera Editing Techniques Using the Group Menu for Multicamera Editing The Group menu lets you select video or audio channels from any of the clips in the group and patch to the tracks available in the sequence. You can have nine camera angles and nine or more audio tracks synchronized and available for patching at any time. Group menu and Group Menu icon n Select the Second Row of Info option in the Composer Settings dialog box for the Group Menu icon to be displayed above the Source monitor.
MultiCamera Editing Techniques 3. (Option) Select the Audio Follow Video option to switch both audio and video for each camera angle when you cut. Using the Multi-angle View Menus During Multicamera Editing You can use the Multi-angle View menus to group up to 18 clips at a time, and select additional clips to be shown in any of the multi-split displays in the Source monitor. You can also select Sequence from the Multi-angle View menus to display the entire sequence.
Selective Camera Cutting Using Match Frame in MultiCamera Editing You can use the Match Frame button to display the matching clip within the group when match framing from the sequence, or you can display the original clip when match framing from the source group. For more information on using the Match Frame feature, see “Using Match Frame” on page 534.
Selective Camera Cutting To perform selective camera cutting with grouped clips: 1. Load the group or multigroup clip into the Source monitor. 2. Using timecode notes and the numeric keypad, type the timecode for the first take to begin the sequence, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to cue the clip in the Source monitor to the take. 3. Mark IN and OUT points for the entire scene. 4. Select a camera angle for the first clip, and then splice the entire scene into a sequence. 5.
29 The Avid Marketplace The Avid Marketplace feature allows you to purchase video (stock footage), sound effects, music and plug-ins from within your Avid editing application. This chapter describes the process of downloading stock footage clips and Avid supported plug-ins from within your Avid editing application. You must be connected to the Internet to access features offered in the Avid Marketplace.
Avid Marketplace Media Libraries Quick Start Avid Marketplace Media Libraries Quick Start The following section contains high-level steps you can perform to search, preview and select stock footage clips to purchase and include in your Avid editing sequence. See other topics in this chapter for detailed steps and more information. To purchase stock footage: 1. From your Avid editing application, select Marketplace > Media Libraries. The Avid Media Libraries window opens. 2.
Avid Marketplace Media Libraries Quick Start 13. You can now add the clips to your sequence. 14. If you want, you can create a Stock Footage Report (.txt file) to see which clips you have used in your sequence, right-click the sequence in the bin or right-click the sequence in the Record monitor and select Stock Footage Report. For more information, see “Creating a Stock Footage Report” on page 1263. 15.
Creating a User Sign In and Password 19. Open the sequence that contains the comp (low resolution) clips, and right-click then select Relink Stock Footage to Sequence. The system creates a copy of the sequence which links to the high resolution clips. The copy is named with the original sequence name followed by .Relinked.n, where n is the number of the duplicates created from the original sequence. The clips relink to your sequence.
Licensing Options 3. In the Thought Equity Motion page, click Register. The Register Information window opens. 4. Enter required information including e-mail and password. 5. Click Submit Registration. Your account information is saved and you are logged into Thought Equity Motion. The next time you visit the Thought Equity Motion, click Sign In and enter your email and password. Licensing Options Thought Equity Motion displays the legal rights and clearance under each clip.
About the Stock Footage Clips About the Stock Footage Clips There are two types of stock footage clips that you can download to your Avid editing system: • A low resolution “comp” clip which allows you to try out the clip in your sequence first, before you purchase. This comp clip also displays a watermark. • A high resolution clip that you purchase. You have several formats to choose from.
Searching through Stock Footage If you have not registered yet, click Register. See “Creating a User Sign In and Password” on page 1248. 4. Click Log On. The system signs you in to Thought Equity Motion. 5. Enter your search terms in the Search for footage bar. 6. Click the Search button or press Enter. The system returns your results in the Display window.
Searching through Stock Footage 7. Place your cursor over the thumbnail to preview a clip. 8. Use the navigation buttons to move Backward, Forward, and Refresh your last action. To change the display options: 1. Enter your search terms in the Search for footage bar. 2. Click the Search button or press Enter. The system returns your results in the Display window. 3. Click Display Options. The Change your display options dialog box opens. 4.
Searching through Stock Footage • OR: Use when you want to search for clips containing either keyword. For example, a search for butterfly OR moth, returns clips featuring both butterflies and moths. • Combine modifiers: Use a combination of keywords and operators to narrow your search. For example, butterfly AND yellow NOT swimming NOT fish, returns clips containing “butterfly” and “yellow” but eliminates clips of swimmers doing the butterfly stroke and butterfly fish.
Searching through Stock Footage Filter search results options Description Releases Allows you to choose from Fully Cleared/Ready Now or Talent Released/Not Required. Select one of these option to search for only specific releases. Available Previews Allows you to choose from Preview Available Now or Preview Available on Request. Select one of these option to search for only specific previews. Audio Search Allows you to search for clips that contain audio.
Searching through Stock Footage 5. Click Submit. The system creates your new bin and adds it to the My Bins menu. To add a clip to a Thought Equity Motion bin folder: 1. Once you have identified a clip to add to a bin, click the Add (+) button. The clip is added to your default bin. 2. To add a clip to a different bin, click the check box to select the clip. 3. From the Clip tools menu, select Add selected to bin folder name. The clip is added to your selected bin.
Searching through Stock Footage Icon Description Information (i) Allows you to view additional information about the clip. View (Magnifying Glass) Opens a window that displays detailed information about the clip including: licensing options and pricing. Comments Allows you to enter comments about your clip. Remove (X) Allows you to remove the clip from your bin. View shot reel Displays multiple shots from the selected clip.
Searching through Stock Footage A list of your bins display. 3. Use the Bin tools menu to Select all, Select none or Remove selected bins. 4. Use the Sort by menu to sort and search across multiple bins. 5. To the right of each bin, the system displays icons which allow you to perform different functions. They include: Icon Description Edit Allows you to edit the name of your bin and add or change any notes you want to include about the bin.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin Once you select clips from the Avid Thought Equity Motion site, you can download low resolution comp clips into your Avid bin to try them out in your sequence. Although it is recommended to download directly through your Avid editing system, if needed, you can download clips outside of the Avid editing system from an external browser. Store the clips on your system and link them to your bin at a later time.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin Column Name Description Vendor Invoice ID The vendor’s order/invoice ID for a purchased clip. To add vendor columns to your Avid bin: 1. With a bin in Text view, select Bin > Choose Columns. The Bin Column Selection dialog box opens. 2. Select the Vendor column names you want to display in your bin. 3. Click OK. The Vendor columns appear in your Avid bin.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin If you select the Download Comp Arrow icon, a Download window opens allowing you to select a Customize Comp clip. See the steps in the following procedures to customize your comp clip. If you select the Download Comp button or the menu item, the Select a bin window opens. If you only have one Avid bin opened, the clip downloads to that bin. If you have several Avid bins opened, the Select a bin window opens. 4.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin X represents the number of clips in the bin. For example, if there are twelve clips to download, the button will display as Download 12 Comps. If you only have one Avid bin opened, the clip downloads to that bin. If you have several Avid bins opened, the Select a bin window opens. 4. Select the bin you want to download the clips to or click New Bin, and then click OK. If the clip that you selected has already been downloaded to your system.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin 4. Click Customize Your Comp. 5. If you want to include burn-in timecode or an asset name, select Time code or Asset name. These options display in your clip. 6. Click Make a custom comp request. The request is sent to Thought Equity Motion. You will receive an e-mail once your custom comp is available to download. If you choose to download the comp by clicking the URL in your e-mail, you will need to download and link the clip outside of the Avid editor.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin n AMA must be enabled to link the stock footage file. The menu item will be unavailable if AMA is not enabled. n An internet connection is required when you link clips in order to properly recognize files and access the data needed for any new clip metadata. The Browse dialog box opens. 3. Locate the comp file you downloaded, and then click OK. The stock footage clip appears in your Avid bin. An AMA link icon appears next to the clip.
Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin If you select more than 10 sequences, a dialog box asks if you want to generate sequence reports for all selected items. The application writes the report to a text file and opens a text editor. n By default, the Stock Footage Report is saved in text format. To save the report as either .csv (comma-separated-value) or .xml, change the extension of the report before you save it. The file saves with .csv or .xml formatting.
Purchasing Your Stock Footage In cases in which a clip is used more than once in a sequence, additional occurrences display indented below the first occurrence. See the example below: n Depending on your operating system and the text file application, you might have to turn off “word wrapping” or enlarge the size of you text window to see all the displayed columns correctly. Purchasing Your Stock Footage You can purchase your stock footage as an individual clip or as all the clips in your sequence.
Downloading your High Resolution Stock Footage Selected clip and the Add to cart icon. 3. Click Add to Cart. The clip displays in your shopping cart. 4. (Option) If you still need to adjust the In or Out points, you can drag the handles to adjust the length of your clip, then click Update the clips In/Out markers. n If the clip contains clipping information, Avid adds five frames to both the start and end points of your purchased clip. 5.
Downloading your High Resolution Stock Footage Although it is recommended to download directly through your Avid editing system, if needed, you can download clips outside of the Avid editing system from an external browser. For steps on downloading outside of the Avid editing application, see “To download comp clips outside of the Avid editing application to an Avid bin:” on page 1262. For more detailed information about downloading, see “Downloading Stock Footage Clips to Your Avid Bin” on page 1258.
Downloading your High Resolution Stock Footage 3. Click Download Masters. n You need to click Download Masters for each clip. The clips download to your selected Avid bin. If there is no bin open or multiple bins are opened, the Select a Bin dialog box opens asking you to select a bin or create a new bin. A download progress bar appears, in the lower-left corner of the Avid Marketplace window, with the number of clips to download.
Relinking High Resolution Media to Your Sequence To download your stock footage outside of the Avid editor: 1. Open a web browser and login to the Thought Equity Motion website. 2. If the clips you want to download are stored in the Thought Equity Motion bin, download the entire bin or individual clips. A zip file is created for an entire bin. The zip file name is the bin name and the date. There may be a delay in receiving the zipped file. Individual clips download immediately. 3.
Avid Marketplace Plug-ins n Make sure that the drive you specify in the Media Creation > Import tab dialog box supports the bandwidth and has enough space to support the downloaded stock footage media. 2. Select the downloaded high resolution clips that corresponds to the comp (low resolution) clips. 3. Open the bin that contains the sequence with the comp (low resolution) clips. 4. Select and then right-click the sequence, and select Relink Stock Footage to Sequence.
Purchasing and Downloading a Plug-in from the Avid Marketplace Purchasing and Downloading a Plug-in from the Avid Marketplace To purchase and download from the Avid Marketplace Plug-ins window: 1. Open your Avid editing project. 2. Select from the Marketplace menu, for example: Video Plug-ins or Audio Plug-ins. The selected Marketplace appears. 3. Click the plug-in you want to download. The purchase window with the selected product displays. 4.
Purchasing and Downloading a Plug-in from the Avid Marketplace The Account, Billing & Shipping Info window displays. 10. Fill in the appropriate data, then click Continue. The Review Order and Payment window displays. 11. Enter your payment method and information. 12. Click Pay Now. Your purchase is processed and a confirmation message appears. 13. Click Submit Order. 14. Click Download Products. A window opens which displays your product and a download link. 15. Click Download or Download Now.
30 Settings This chapter provides information on how to use settings. • Understanding Settings • Working with Settings • Options for Moving User Settings Files This chapter also provides reference information for all settings categories.
Understanding Settings • Import Settings • Interface Settings • Interplay Folder, Interplay Server, and Interplay User Settings • Keyboard Settings • Marquee Title Settings • Media Creation Settings • Media Services Settings (Windows Only) • Mouse Settings • Passthrough Mix Tool • PortServer Settings • Remote Play and Capture Settings • Render Settings • S3D Settings • Safe Colors Settings • Script Settings • Sound Card Configuration Settings (Windows Only) • Timeline Setti
Understanding Settings For more information, see “Working with Settings” on page 1277. You can also switch between users and work with user profiles. For more information, see “Switching to Another Set of User Settings” on page 1279 and “Understanding User Profiles” on page 84. The following illustration shows the Settings tab in the Project window.
Understanding Settings Project settings are stored in each project folder. n For information about the location of the user and project folders, see “Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders” on page 46. • Site settings establish default parameters for all new users and projects on a particular system. They can apply to particular configurations of equipment installed at the site. They can also include other User or Project settings that you copy into the Site Settings window.
Working with Settings If you establish your settings once, and then select the appropriate setting or bin view for your current needs, you can save time and effort that you might spend searching for information or adjusting bin headings on-the-fly. Working with Settings You can open a dialog box for most settings that lets you view the current settings and to change them if necessary. You can also duplicate, rename, copy, and move settings among files or systems.
Working with Settings To change the Settings list display in the Project window: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click the Fast Menu button, and select a settings group. The selected settings group has a check mark in the Settings menu, and the Settings list displays only the settings in that group. The following table describes the different Settings display groups. Option Description Active Settings Displays currently active settings.
Working with Settings Option Description Import Settings Displays all Import settings. Timeline Views Displays all Timeline View settings you have created. Title Styles Displays all templates you have created for the Title tool. Video Tools Settings Displays only the Video Input Tool and Video Output Tool settings. Workspace Linked Displays only linked workspaces. Workspaces Displays all Workspace settings you have created.
Working with Settings User Selection menu in the Project window Your Avid editing application saves the previous user’s settings, loads the new user’s settings, and displays them in the Project window. Duplicating Settings To create a new version of a setting: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click the setting you want to copy. Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) any additional settings you want to copy. 3. Select Edit > Duplicate.
Working with Settings Naming Settings You can give settings custom names to differentiate among copies or to indicate a specific use. To enter a custom setting name: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click the Custom setting name column to the right of the setting name. Custom setting name column in the Project window 3. Type a name, and press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh). The new name appears in the list and is saved in the settings file.
Working with Settings To change the active setting: 1. Click the Settings tab in the Project window. The Settings list appears. 2. Click in the space to the left of the setting that you want to select as the active setting. Deleting Settings You can delete settings from the Settings list in the Project window at any time. For example, you might choose to delete one or more versions of a particular setting, or you might want to delete all but a few settings for transfer into another Settings window.
Working with Settings The system restores the default values for the selected settings. Copying Settings Between Settings Files You can copy selected settings: • Between existing settings files. • Into a new settings file for use in other projects. • Into the Settings folder to establish standard system settings for all new projects and users. For more information, see “Using Site Settings” on page 1284. • To change one type of setting to another type.
Working with Settings Settings list in the Project window (left) and a destination settings window (right) The copied settings are saved when you close or save the file or project. You can also drag settings from the settings window into the Settings list in the Project window. To copy a setting from a settings file into the Settings list with the setting active: 1. Drag the setting into the Settings list. A message box opens. 2.
Options for Moving User Settings Files To load settings into the Site_Settings file: 1. Open a project with the settings you want to establish as Site settings. If a project does not already exist with the settings you want, create a project and make adjustments to the default settings as needed. 2. Select Special > Site Settings. 3. Click a Project or User setting in the Settings list in the Project window, or Ctrl+click (Windows) or Command+click (Macintosh) multiple settings. 4.
Summary of Settings Setting Name Description Reference Topic Audio Sets the default audio pan and options for audio “Audio Settings” on page 1290 scrub. For more information, see “Using Clip Volume and Pan Mode” on page 782 and “Adjusting Digital Scrub Parameters” on page 756. Audio Project Defines the audio settings for the project and the audio input and output methods. “Audio Project Settings” on page 1291 Bin Sets options for bins and for the SuperBin.
Summary of Settings Setting Name Description Reference Topic Film and 24p Sets options for edit play rate, ink number format, and “Film and 24P Settings” on page 1344 transfer rate. Full-Screen Playback Sets options for viewing your video on a full-screen monitor. General Defines default values such as the default starting “General Settings” on page 1348 timecode and temporary file location for your project. Grid Defines the grid to use when you create effects.
Summary of Settings Setting Name Description Reference Topic Remote Play and Capture Lets you use your Avid editing application like a videotape recorder. “Remote Play and Capture Settings” on page 1365 Render Sets options for managing render operations and defining the methods your Avid editing application uses when rendering. “Render Settings” on page 1366 Safe Colors Sets the safe color parameters for the Color Correction tool.
AMA Settings AMA Settings AMA Settings: Bins Tab Option Description Use active bin When this option is selected, your Avid editing application uses the currently active bin to store clips linked using AMA. Create a new bin When this option is selected, your Avid editing application creates a new bin to store clips linked using AMA and controls the bin name. This is the default option. • Default bin naming convention: uses the project name for the bin (bin name followed by a consecutive number).
Audio Settings AMA Settings: Volume Mounting Tab Option Description Enable AMA Volume Management Enables AMA linking of file-based media from supported third-party devices and drives. You must quit and restart your Avid editing application for the changes to take effect. When mounting previously mounted volumes, do not check for modifications to the volume.
Audio Project Settings Option Description Play Buffer Size in Defines the size of the host audio play buffer during playback and digital cut. Use this Samples (Software-only option if you experience performance problems with playback to the host audio Models) device. n Avid recommends the default value for this option. Changing this parameter might cause audio or video underruns, dropped frames, or increased noise in the audio output.
Audio Project Settings Audio Projects Settings: Main Tab Option Description Sample Rate Defines the audio sample rate for the entire system for playing and recording. The broadcast standard for most high-end video postproduction houses is 48 kHz. Select the rate based on the requirements of your facility. For information on changing the sample rate for individual sequences and audio clips, see “Changing the Audio Sample Rate for Sequences and Audio Clips” on page 814.
Audio Project Settings Option Description Convert Sample Rates Controls whether or not your Avid editing application performs on-the-fly sample rate When Playing conversion of segments that do not match the rate defined in Sample Rate. • Never: Your Avid editing application does not perform sample rate conversion (segments play as silence). • Always: Your Avid editing application attempts to perform a sample rate conversion.
Audio Project Settings Option Description Sample Rate Conversion Controls sample rate conversion: • When needed: Your Avid editing application automatically converts incoming audio sample rates to match the project sample rate. • Never: Your Avid editing application does not perform sample rate conversion. For more information, see “Selecting the Audio Sample Rate and Controlling Audio Sample Rate Conversion” on page 194.
Audio Project Settings Option Description Mix Mode Selection button Controls how your system interprets audio values during playback: Stereo Mix Tracks • Stereo: Mixes the currently monitored audio tracks into a stereo pair. Depending on your Avid input/output hardware, you can customize the mix using the Stereo Mix Tracks option. • Mono: Pans all the currently monitored tracks to center and ignores pan effects.
Audio Project Settings Option Description Output type option tab: Analog Turns analog output on or off. Output type option tab: SD SDI This option is available depending on your Avid input/output hardware. Use the On or Off option to control whether to embed the audio with the video in SDI output.
Audio Project Settings Option Description HW Calibration Depending on your Avid input/output hardware, matches the software audio calibration to your Avid hardware. The default value for the software and hardware is -20dBFS. Other available values are -14dBFS and -18dBFS. If you don’t change your hardware settings, keep this value at -20dBFS. For information on changing the hardware setting, see “Calibrating Audio Hardware for Avid Nitris DX and Avid Mojo DX” on page 203.
Bin Settings Bin Settings Option Description Auto-Save interval n minutes Defines the interval between attempts to auto-save project files. The default is 15 minutes. Inactivity period n seconds Defines how long your Avid editing application waits when your system is inactive before automatically saving the project files. The default is 15 seconds. Force Auto-Save at n minutes Defines the maximum interval between auto-saves.
Capture Settings Capture Settings: General Tab Option Description Stop deck after capture When this option is selected, the deck stops when the capture operation is complete. Pause deck after capture When this option is selected, the deck pauses when the capture operation is complete. Preroll Method Defines the preroll method. For more information, see “Selecting Settings for Preroll Method and for Capturing Across Timecode Breaks” on page 168.
Capture Settings Option Description Ask before discarding When this option is selected, your Avid editing application lets you choose whether to a canceled clip discard the canceled clip, keep it, or try again. Ask for name when a When this option is selected, your Avid editing application asks you for a name when it new tape is seen detects a new tape.
Capture Settings Option Description Eject tape when finished When this option is selected, the tape ejects as soon as the last shot from that tape is captured. You can do other tasks while the tape is in use and be alerted as soon as the tape is no longer needed. Log errors to the console When this option is selected, your Avid editing application continues capturing if an and continue capturing error occurs during the capture process.
Capture Settings Option Description Maximum (default) capture time n minutes Determines how much space your Avid editing application preallocates on the target drive or drives before a capture begins. The default capture time is 30 minutes. This option applies only to capture-on-the-fly and capture from an IN point without an OUT point. Capture from an IN point to an OUT point overrides this option. Change this option only if you intend to capture on-the-fly for longer than 30 minutes.
Communication (Serial) Ports Tool Settings Option Description Switch to emptiest drive when n minutes left When this option is selected, your Avid editing application switches to another storage drive when the specified amount of time remains. Capture Settings: DV & HDV Options Tab Option Description DV&HDV Scene Extraction When this option is selected, you can automatically generate subclips and markers based on time-of-day (TOD) information contained in the DV video format.
Composer Settings Option Description Remote Play and Capture Sets a port for an edit controller that uses the Sony serial control protocol. For more information, see “Remote Play, Capture, and Punch-In” on page 263. Composer Settings Composer Settings Composer Settings: Window Tab Option Description Data Display at • Top Off — When this option is selected, your Avid editing application turns off the information display above the monitors.
Composer Settings Option Description Center Duration When this option is selected, your Avid editing application displays duration data (Mark In/Out) for the material in the Source or Record monitor, depending on which monitor is active. Tick Marks in Position Bars When this option is selected, your Avid editing application switches the display of tick marks (duration indicators) that appear incrementally along the position bars located directly beneath the Source and Record monitors.
Composer Settings Option Description Phantom Marks When this option is selected, your Avid editing application provides visual guidance when you set fewer than four IN or OUT points while editing. Phantom marks (shaded IN or OUT mark icons) indicate the remaining edit points calculated by your Avid editing application to complete the edit. For more information, see “Working with Phantom Marks” on page 608.
Composer Settings Option Description Stop at Markers When this option is selected, the position indicator moves to the next consecutive frame containing a marker. For more information on using markers, see “Using Markers” on page 513. Ignore Track Selectors When this option is selected, your Avid editing application ignores the selected tracks and cues directly to the start (head) frame of the next edit, regardless of the track on which it occurs.
Controller Settings Controller Settings Option Description Controller Defines the controller to use. Select one of the following: • No Controller • JL Cooper MCS3 Controller • 002 Controller • Command|8 Port Defines the port you use to connect your controller. Edit Settings If you have selected a port and controller, select this option to map the controller functions. Gain Controller Defines a port for a fader or a mixer to record audio gain information.
Correction Settings Correction Settings For more information, see “Customizing Color Correction Mode Settings” in the Help. Correction Settings: Features Tab Option Description Saved Color Labels Controls how custom colors are named in bins: • None: When this option is selected, your Avid editing application does not supply a name. • RGB: When this option is selected, your Avid editing application uses the 8-bit values for the red, green, and blue components as the name.
Correction Settings Correction Settings: AutoCorrect Tab Option Description When applying Color Defines the first, second, and third automatic color correction that your Avid editing correction from the application makes when you apply the Color Correction effect from the Effect Effect Palette, perform Palette: the following operations: • Nothing: Makes no adjustment.
Deck Configuration Settings Deck Configuration Settings Option Description Configuration name Type a name for the configuration. Add channel Click to add a new channel box. Opens the Channel dialog box. Add deck Click to add a deck or DV device. Opens the Deck Settings dialog box. For information on the Deck Settings options, see “Deck Settings” on page 1311. Delete Click to delete a deck or DV device.
Deck Settings Option Description Device Defines the device manufacturer and model. If your device does not appear in the list, click the Manufacturer menu and select Generic, and then click the Model menu and select the type of device. If you continually see a message box that reads “Fail to find preroll” while you are capturing, click the Model menu, and select GenericDVBasicDevice-NTSC or GenericDVBasicDevice-PAL Address For VLXi use only. See your VLXi documentation.
Deck Preferences Settings Deck Preferences Settings Option Description When the deck contains no tape or drop frame cannot be detected set timecode to Sets the timecode format (Drop Frame or Non-drop Frame) for logging clips when no tape is in the deck or when your Avid editing application cannot detect drop frame or non-drop frame. When a tape is in the deck, your Avid editing application automatically uses the existing timecode format on the tape.
Desktop Play Delay Option Description Host-1394 DV Capture Offset & Digital Cut Offset (when Host 1394 capture is available) This group of options varies depending on your DV input/output configuration. Digital Cut Offset (when Host 1394 capture is not available) • Capture Offset (frames): Defines the number of frames by which you want to offset while you capture. For more information, see “Understanding DV Capture Offset” on page 230. This option only appears when Host 1394 capture is available.
Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Area Working settings tab and Target settings tab Option Description (Continued) Override Working Settings with Target Settings Lets you perform a dynamic relink to the target settings. When this option is selected, the working settings are not available but the target settings remain active and modifiable. In the Timeline and monitors, you see media that matches the target settings.
Dynamic Relink Settings Dialog Box Area Option Description (Continued) Relink if quality Available when Specific Resolution is the Relink method. Defines a relational operator and a resolution to compare against.
Effect Editor Settings Dialog Box Area Option Description (Continued) Relink if sample rate and bit depth The relational operators on the left for sample rate and bit depth are similar to the relational operators for the Video parameter “Relink if quality” menu. However, the two menus have an additional entry, “Any,” which lets you use one criteria and ignore the other. For example, you could select sample rate equal to 44.1 kHz and bit depth to “Any”.
Effect Editor Settings Option Description Real Time Update When this option is selected, your Avid editing application updates the rendered effect image in real time. Because the update can be slow for complex effects, you have the option to deselect real-time updating. Set Position To Keyframe When this option is selected, your Avid editing application moves the position indicator to the keyframe when you click a keyframe indicator.
E-mail Settings E-mail Settings The Email Settings dialog box lets you configure your Avid editing application so that it can notify you by e-mail when any of the following operations completes: n • Render • Export • Consolidate or Transcode Some mobile telephone services can deliver e-mail as a text message or notify you by text message when an e-mail has been received. If your service includes this feature, consider using it as a convenient way to receive your notifications.
Export Settings Option Description From Name Defines the name that appears in the From header field of an e-mail your Avid editing application sends. From Address Defines the e-mail address for the account that your Avid editing application uses to send the e-mail. To Address Defines the e-mail address to which your Avid editing application sends the e-mail.
Export Settings Option Description OMFI 1.0 OMFI 2.0 When this option is selected, your Avid editing application exports a standard OMFI composition for transfer to a third-party workstation that supports OMFI. You can choose to export composition only, or embed the video and audio, or both. For more information, see “Guidelines for Exporting OMFI and AAF Files” on page 1000. AAF When this option is selected, your application creates an Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) file.
Export Settings Option QuickTime Movie Description When this option is selected, your Avid editing application creates a self-contained QuickTime movie. For more information, see “Exporting QuickTime Movies” on page 1004. n If you install additional QuickTime Export formats, they appear in the menu with tildes (~) before their names. This indicates they are not qualified or supported by Avid.
Export Settings Option Description Use Marks When this option is selected, your Avid editing application uses current IN and OUT points in the selected clip or sequence to determine starting and ending frames for the export. To export the entire clip or sequence, deselect this option or mark the entire clip or sequence. Use Enabled Tracks When this option is selected, your Avid editing application exports the tracks that are enabled in the Timeline.
Export Settings Option Description The following options appear in the Video Details tab, the Audio Details tab, or both, depending on the export method: Export Method: Defines an export method. Other options change depending on which method you choose. This option appears in both the Video Details tab and the Audio Details tab. • Link to (Don’t Export) Media: Select this option when you want to export an AAF or an OMFI composition with links to the media in its current location.
Export Settings Option Description Add Audio Mixdown When you select this option, your Avid editing application adds an audio mixdown track. Track(s) Select the type of track you want, either Mono or Stereo. For more information about audio mixing, see “Using Live Mix Mode” on page 805. Convert Audio Sample Rate to: Defines the audio sample rate for the export. Select this option if your sequence has a mix of sample rates and you need to create a single sample rate.
Export Settings Option Description Folder Defines the destination folder for newly created or copied media. If you deselect Use Same Folder as AAF File, a path name appears. Click Select Folder to navigate to a different folder. Embedded in AAF/OMF When this option is selected, your Avid editing application embeds media files in the exported AAF or OMFI file specified in the Export dialog box.
Export Settings Option Description Display Aspect Ratio Defines an image size for the video you want to export: Native, 4:3, or 16:9. This lets you control the display format without modifying the source file. This option creates metadata that is stored with the QuickTime movie. Some applications, such as the QuickTime Player, can interpret this metadata and scale the image at display time.
Export Settings Option Description Add Shares for Media Drives When this option is selected, your Avid editing application creates a new drive share for referenced media files stored on unshared network drives. The drive share is hidden, so other users do not see the shared drive when browsing your computer. You do not need to select this option when media is stored on the same drive as the QuickTime reference movie.
Export Settings Option Description Video and Audio, Video Only, Audio Only Defines whether your Avid editing application exports video only, audio only, or both. Video Format The following options might be available, depending on your other settings: Use Video Only, for example, if you want to add effects in a third-party application or to use only the video in a multimedia project.
Export Settings Option Description Create Preview When this options is selected, your Avid editing application creates a preview of the QuickTime movie. Display Aspect Ratio Defines an image size for the video you want to export: Native, 4:3, or 16:9. This lets you control the display format without modifying the source file. This option creates metadata data that is stored with the QuickTime movie.
Export Settings Option Description Prepare for Internet Streaming • Fast Start: The movie can begin playing over the Internet without having to download completely first. This method of playing movies over the Internet is referred to as progressive download or HTTP streaming. It does not require a streaming video server. • Fast Start - Compressed Header: This option is a better choice for progressive downloading. It works the same as Fast Start, but compresses the header information.
Export Settings Codec Description Avid 1:1x For high quality, 8-bit, lossless resolution (in which no picture information is lost). Available for use with MXF media files. Meridien-based systems cannot use this format. Current Avid editing systems, including Avid DS, can use this format. It uses 4:2:2 sampling. Avid DNxHD™ Codec For DNxHD encoding with 8-bit and 10-bit resolutions. Available for use with MXF media files. Meridien-based systems cannot use this format.
Export Settings Option Description Stream Type Defines the transport stream type: • Transport Stream: Use this option for both video and audio, for example, when exporting to other devices. • Elementary Streams: Use this option for either video only or audio only. Export Settings: DV Stream Option Description Use Marks, Use Enabled Tracks See “Use Marks and Use Enabled Tracks Options” on page 1322.
Export Settings Export Settings: AVI Through QuickTime Option Description Use Marks, Use Enabled Tracks See “Use Marks and Use Enabled Tracks Options” on page 1322. Video and Audio, Video Only, Audio Only Defines whether your Avid editing application exports video only, audio only, or both. Use Video Only, for example, if you want to add effects in a third-party application or to use only the video in a multimedia project.
Export Settings Option Description Key Frame Every n frames When this option is selected, your Avid editing application uses keyframes as a reference for subsequent frames. Enter a numeric value to specify the frequency of the keyframes. Limit Data Rate n KB/sec Defines a limit to the data rate for the compressed file, in kilobytes per second.
Export Settings Option Description Use Marks, Use Enabled Tracks See “Use Marks and Use Enabled Tracks Options” on page 1322. Width, Height, FPS Set the width, height, and frame-per-second (fps) rate of the clips for export. Video Type Defines the video type, either Progressive or Interlaced. Pixel Aspect Ratio When this option is selected, your Avid editing application scales the video. This lets you control the display format without modifying the source file.
Export Settings Option Description Passes (not available when you select Uncompressed) Defines the number of encoding passes, either 1 or 2. With 1 Pass encoding, the content passes through the encoder once, and compression is applied as the content is encountered. With 2 Pass encoding, the content is analyzed during the first pass, and then encoded in the second pass based on the data gathered in the first pass. 2 Pass encoding might result in better quality but takes longer.
Export Settings Option Description Codec (not available Select one of the following codecs: when you select • Windows Media Audio 9.1: This codec provides improvement in compression over Uncompressed.) the Windows Media 8 Audio codec and supports VBR audio encoding. • ACELP.net: In some instances, the Sipro Labs ACELP codec appears in the list of codecs, for example, if you import a profile that was created by using Windows Media Encoder version 7.1.
Export Settings Export Settings: Audio Option Description Use Marks, Use Enabled Tracks See “Use Marks and Use Enabled Tracks Options” on page 1322. Mono Stereo Use this option to export audio tracks in either mono or stereo. Sample Rate Defines an audio sample rate, either Project rate, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 96 kHz. You can use this option if your sequence has a mix of sample rates and you need to create a single sample rate.
Export Settings Option Description Graphic Format Defines a graphic format for export. The Format Options button lets you set export parameters. For more information on available graphic formats, see “Export Settings: Graphic Format” on page 1340. Width x Height Defines the size of the clip. Click the Fast Menu button, and select from a list of standard dimensions. The Size to Fit suboption sizes to fit the specified width and height.
Export Settings Format Options and Other Notes (if applicable) Cineon™ Blackpoint (Windows) or Black Point (Macintosh): Lets you adjust a film exposure value that corresponds to filming a 2% black card. Values can be between 0 and 1022. The default value of 0 is adequate for most uses. Whitepoint (Windows) or White Point (Macintosh): Lets you adjust a film exposure value that corresponds to filming a 90% white card. Values can be between 1 and 1023.
Export Settings Format Options and Other Notes (if applicable) PICT Create MacBinary header: This option, available on Windows only, creates a file with a MacBinary header. MacBinary is a file format for representing all the information in a Macintosh file in one binary file. It is a compact file format, useful for storing a Macintosh file on a non-Macintosh system for later retrieval. Use a file expander utility to decode a MacBinary file once it is back on a Macintosh system.
Export Settings Format Options and Other Notes (if applicable) Wavefront® Format Type: Defines one of two output file formats supported by Wavefront (either RLA or RLB). Color Depth: The 8 bits suboption saves 8-bit files. The 16 bits suboption saves 16-bit files. The Automatic suboption saves the image in the same depth as the original loaded image. Gamma: Defines an adjustment to correct for gamma differences between Macintosh and Windows output display.
Film and 24P Settings Option Description Target XDCAM Disk Defines the connected XDCAM disk to which you want to export. Video Format Defines a video format. You can upconvert or downconvert. Bit Depth Defines the audio bit depth, either 16 bit or 24 bit. Film and 24P Settings Option Description Edit Play Rate Defines the edit play rate for your project. Options differ for PAL and NTSC projects. Master Default Film Type Defines the film type.
Full Screen Playback Settings Option Description Audio Transfer Rate (PAL only) Defines the transfer rate for audio in 24p PAL film projects. The choices are: • Film Rate (100%): For 24-fps film footage transferred MOS to 25 fps by speeding up film with the audio coming in separately at 100% of the actual speed. • Video Rate (100%+): For 24-fps film footage transferred to 25 fps by speeding up the film with the audio synchronized to the video picture.
Full Screen Playback Settings Option Description S3D View Mix: Displays a 50/50 blend of both the left and right eye images. Difference: Displays a blend of both left and right eyes, and highlights the difference between the two. Embossed areas show the differences, while gray pixels represent no differences. Frame Compatible: Displays both the left and right eye images as dictated by the project settings (side/side or over/under). Mono: Displays only one of the stereoscopic images.
Full Screen Playback Settings Option Description S3D Overlay Displays the disparity guides on the viewer so that you can see the depth budget limits when adjusting the separation between your stereo 3D images. The guides for Parallax are based on the project’s S3D settings (set from the Project window, Settings tab). Parallax Near: Displays green guides that show the limits for objects that will appear in front of the screen plane.
General Settings General Settings Option Description Project Format Displays the format currently selected for the project. Temporary File Directory When you use drag and drop Export or an export that creates an intermediate movie file, your Avid editing application must store the intermediate file, which can be as large as the final export. By default, the Temporary File Directory is located in the same directory as your Avid editing application.
Grid Settings Grid Settings Grid Settings: Coordinates Tab Option Description Scale Mode Lets you work with a grid that indicates boundaries for a format other than the one in which you are working. This is useful when you are creating graphics (like titles) that must remain safe in other formats. Select one of the following options depending on the current and target formats you need. When you do not specifically need a grid that represents another format, use the Normal option, which is the default.
Grid Settings Grid Settings: Display Tab Option Description Type Selects a different grid for each standard film type. For video projects, use the Square grid type. The grid for the Academy option includes a safety margin on the left that is used for adding the optical sound track. The following options are available: Square, Standard Film, Academy, Super 35, Anamorphic. Color Defines a color for the grid axes and the grid points. Show Safe Title Displays the safe title area.
Import Settings Import Settings Import Settings: Image Tab Option Description Image Size Adjustment Controls the dimensions of imported images. The following options are available: • 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.
Import Settings Option Description Field Ordering in File Controls the field ordering (sometimes referred to as field dominance) of the media you are importing. For 23.976p, 24p, or 25p projects, these options do not appear, and all fields are automatically imported as progressive (still) frames. When the field ordering (or spatial field position) of the imported media matches the field ordering of the project format, no special processing is required.
Import Settings Option Description 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.
Import Settings Import Settings: OMFI/AAF Tab Option Description Resolution Use the source file’s resolution. When this option is selected, your Avid editing application maintains the source file’s resolution. Your Avid editing application disregards the resolution setting in the Select Files to Import dialog box as well as the resolution set in the Import tab of the Media Creation dialog box. Use the current import resolution.
Import Settings Import Settings: Audio Tab Option Description Multichannel Audio Allows you to map source audio channels to multichannel or mono tracks in your imported clips. Click Edit to open the Set Multichannel Audio dialog box and specify mono or audio tracks for a maximum of 16 audio channels. For more information, see “Importing with Multichannel Audio” on page 285. Convert source sample Controls sample rate conversion during audio import.
Import Settings Option Description Autodetect Broadcast Wave Monophonic Groups When this option is selected, your Avid editing application imports multichannel, monophonic BWF files as a single master clip. This lets you import an eight-track recording, for example, as an eight-track master clip with sequential file names based on the track order (filename_1.wav is associated with track A1, filename_2.wav is associated with track A2).
Interface Settings Interface Settings Option Description Interface Brightness Controls the brightness of the user interface. Preview Displays a preview of the foreground color as you move the Interface Brightness slider. Highlight Color Lets you select the color of button highlighting from available presets. Default Timeline V Tracks Selecting this option sets the color of all Timeline video tracks to the default. If you change the track color for a video track, this option changes to deselected.
Interplay Folder, Interplay Server, and Interplay User Settings Option Description Windows Standard Alt Key Switches between standard Windows and Avid application Alt key behavior. Behavior (Windows only) When this option is selected, pressing and holding the Alt key together with another key works as a keyboard shortcut for certain Windows actions (for example, opening menus).
Keyboard Settings Option Description Set Lets you navigate to a directory on the Interplay Server and set a new default Interplay Root Folder. Append project to directory path Automatically adds the name of your project to the directory path specified in the Interplay Root Folder text box. Verify directory path On login: A message box asks you to confirm the directory path after you log in to Interplay.
Marquee Title Settings To view the name of a button in the Keyboard settings window, move the mouse pointer over the button. To get help for the button, right-click and select What’s This? For information on mapping buttons, see “Mapping User-Selectable Buttons” on page 109. When you open the Keyboard palette from the Settings list and select Map Foreign Keyboard, you can map user-selectable buttons to the keyboard.
Media Creation Settings Option Description Promote Title Tool Controls whether your Avid editing application promotes classic Title Tool titles to titles to Marquee Marquee when you open the title for editing from a bin or from within a sequence: Backup Title on Promote • Yes: Your Avid editing application always promotes a Title Tool title to a Marquee title. For more information, see “Promoting Title Tool Titles to Marquee” in the Marquee Help.
Media Creation Settings Option Description On indexing failure Determines how your Avid editing application reports indexing failure messages. For information on using the Console, see “Using The Console Window” on page 112. Media Creation Settings: Common Options in Capture, Titles, Import, Mixdown & Transcode, Motion Effects, and Render Tabs Option Description Video Resolution Select a resolution.
Media Creation Settings Media Creation Settings: Additional Options for Render Tab Option Description Same as Source When this option is selected, your Avid editing application renders the effect using the resolution of the clip or clips used to create the effect. If an effect is created from clips that use different resolutions, your Avid editing application uses the highest quality resolution. Effects Processing Controls the resolution (bit depth) used for effects processing.
Media Services Settings (Windows Only) Media Services Settings (Windows Only) The Media Services Settings dialog box lets you connect to a Media Services Broker. You use the services provided by Avid Interplay Media Services Broker in an Avid Interplay environment where dedicated computers automate time-consuming operations. For more information, see the Avid Interplay Media Services Setup and User’s Guide.
Passthrough Mix Tool Passthrough Mix Tool Option Description Passthrough Mix Tool See “Using the Passthrough Mix Tool” on page 201. PortServer Settings Option Description Auto-connect to LANshare at Launch Your Avid editing application recognizes LANshare workspaces when it starts. Connect/Disconnect Starts or terminates the connection.
Render Settings Option Description Device Code Defines the device code that identifies the VTR to emulate. The edit controller adjusts to this choice. The default value is a Sony PVW-2800, which performs all the common play and capture functions. You do not need to change this option unless your edit controller does not recognize the VTR or you want to emulate a specific VTR. Runup (frames) This option is only available with Remote Play.
Render Settings Option Description Motion Effects Render Using Determines the processing method when your Avid editing application renders existing motion effects. The following options are available: • Original Preference: Effects render as whatever type they were when originally created. • Duplicated Field: Displays a single field in the effect. For two-field media, this drops one field of the image, resulting in a lower quality image.
S3D Settings Option Description Timewarps Render Determines the processing method when your Avid editing application render or rerenders Using Timewarp effects. The Original Preference, Duplicated Field, Both Fields, Interpolated Field, and VTR-Style options are the same as those for Motion Effects Render Using (see the preceding descriptions). The Blended Interpolated and Blended VTR options are also available. These options add pixel blending to the Interpolated Field or VTR-Style techniques.
Safe Colors Settings Option Description Raster Resolution Enter the resolution at which the final output will be projected. Eye Separation Set the average intra-ocular distance between human eyes (the default is 6.35 cm). Depth Limit Near Enter the depth budget available in front of the screen. This is always a negative value. Depth Limit Far Enter the depth budget available behind the screen. This is always a positive value. Parallax Near This distance is automatically calculated.
Script Settings Option Description Actions buttons Define how your Avid editing application implements the safe color settings. The top menu controls both the Composite and the Luminance limit types. The bottom menu controls the RGB Gamut limit type. The following options are available: • Ignore: Your Avid editing application does not limit based on these settings. This is the default setting. • Warn: Your Avid editing application provides warnings when an image exceeds these limits.
Sound Card Configuration Settings (Windows Only) Sound Card Configuration Settings (Windows Only) Sound Card Configuration Settings are only available in software-only configurations. Options Description Record/Input list Lists the input sources available with the audio hardware installed on your system. Playback/Output list Maps input sources to the output sources available with the audio hardware installed on your system.
Timeline Settings Option Description Highlight Suggested Render Areas After Playback When this option is selected, thin colored indicator lines display in the Timecode track of the Timeline. These lines provide information about the real-time effects in your sequence. For more information, see “Real-Time Playback of Video Effects” in the Help. Show Position Bar When this option is selected, the Timeline shows the blue position bar.
Timeline Settings Option Description Auto-Patching When this option is selected, your Avid editing application automatically patches the enabled source tracks to the tracks enabled in the Timeline sequence. Auto-Monitoring When this option is selected, your Avid editing application monitors the track you patch. This option is selected by default.
Transfer Settings Transfer Settings The Transfer Settings dialog box appears only if your system is part of an Avid Interplay environment and you have configured Avid Interplay Transfer. For more information, see the Avid Interplay Transfer Setup and User’s Guide. Settings Tab Option Description Standalone/Incoming • Requests • Refuse all Requests — Select this option if you do not want to receive files from another workgroup.
Transfer Settings Option Description Send to Playback • Highlight mixed-resolution items — This option allows you to identify any mixed-resolution sequences before you try to send them to playback. Output Audio Mix • Direct channel output — Select this option if you do not want to perform a mixdown on audio tracks before sending them to playback. • Stereo Output — Select this option to mix all the tracks to a stereo pair, using pan controls to split the tracks.
Trim Settings Option Description Other Workgroups Click Add to open the Add Workgroup to List dialog box. • In a workgroup environment, type the name of the other Interplay Transfer server in the Server text box, and type the name of the your workgroup in the Workgroup text box. • In a standalone environment, in the Server text box, type the computer name of other workstation, and in the Workgroup text box, type the name you want to see in the Transfer menu.
Video Display Settings Option Description Arrows at selected transitions When this option is selected, your Avid editing application replaces the standard trim rollers with arrows at selected transitions in the Timeline. Render On-the-Fly When this option is selected, your Avid editing application displays the results of effects as soon as you create them. This might slow down the editing of the sequence.
Video Input Tool Settings Option Description High-Quality Scaling for Real-Time Decode When this option is selected, image quality is improved during playback of mixed-format sequences where material requires resizing. This option is selected by default, and only affects playback with the Full Quality or the Full Quality 10-bit video quality setting. For more information, see “Setting the Video Quality for Playback” on page 508.
Video Output Tool Settings Option Description Preset buttons These buttons are highlighted when the factory preset levels are displayed. SignalLock Lets you switch between the following: • Professional: preset sync using a wider bandwidth for non-TBC sources. • Consumer: automatic sync using time-base correctors (TBC) internal to the video source Settings menu Lets you save the settings for an individual tape each time you calibrate bars.
Video Output Tool Settings Option (Continued) Description HDMI Format • SDInterlaced • SDProgressive • HD Crossconvert Defines a format to output an HD format from an HD sequence with a compatible frame rate. The options are specific formats (choices depend on the format of the sequence) or OFF. Downconvert Defines how downconverted SD video is resized. The options are Anamorphic, Letterbox, Center Cut, or OFF.
Video Output Tool Settings Option (Continued) Description Difference Outputs a blend of both left and right eyes, and highlights the difference between the two. Embossed areas show the differences, while gray pixels represent no differences. Frame Compatible Outputs both the left and right eye images as dictated by the project settings (side/side or over/under). Full Frame Outputs both the left and right eye at full resolution. Mono Outputs only one of the stereoscopic images.
Video Output Tool Settings Option (Continued) Description The following options display disparity guides on the viewer so that you can see the depth budget limits when adjusting the separation between your stereo 3D images. The guides for Parallax are based on the project’s S3D settings (set from the Project window, Settings tab). Parallax Near Displays green guides that show the limits for objects that will appear in front of the screen plane.
Video Output Tool Settings Option (Continued) Description Y Gain, RY Gain, BY Gain, Available for Component output only in some Avid input/output hardware Pr Gain, Pb Gain configurations. • Y Gain: Lets you adjust Y Gain, a measurement of luma (Y) in the video signal that is the whitest point in the visible picture. Use color bars to set the white level. • RY Gain: Lets you adjust the red (R) minus luminance (Y) color-difference signal of an analog component system in the SMPTE NTSC video standard.
Video Satellite Settings Option (Continued) Description B Gain In some Avid input/output hardware configurations, lets you adjust the blue (B) minus luminance (Y) color-difference signal of an analog component system in the SMPTE NTSC video standard. Available for HD Component RGB (on some systems) or HD Component YPbPr output. Pb Gain In some Avid input/output hardware configurations, lets you adjust the gain of the Pb color difference output, scaled from BY using the BT.
Workspace Linking Settings Workspace Linking Settings Option Description Link Timeline Mode Buttons to a Workspace: Lets you link the mode buttons in the Timeline palette to a workspace. Clicking a linked mode button (Source/Record mode, Effects mode, Color Correction mode) opens the linked workspace.
31 File Format Specifications This chapter contains specifications and notes that are useful when you are importing or exporting specific file formats.
Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files Format and Default File Name Extension Bit Depth Support Alpha Channel Support Notes Alias (.als) 24-bit color, 8-bit grayscale No BMP (.bmp) 1-, 4-, 8-, and 24-bit No Four-bit BMP files saved with RLE compression are not supported. Photoshop does not support four-channel BMP files. Chyron (.chr) 32-bit Yes Cineon (.cin) 10-bit (logarithmic) Not applicable Framestore (.fs) 24-bit No Pixel aspect information saves with image data.
Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files Format and Default File Name Extension Bit Depth Support Photoshop (.psd) Alpha Channel Support Notes RGB 8-bits/channel, RGB16 Yes bits/channel, grayscale, indexed color, and duotone variations Your Avid editing application can import multilayered graphics. For more information, see “Photoshop Graphics Import” on page 290. Duotone files are loaded as grayscale. Multichannel (greater than four channels) files and CMYK files are not supported. PICT (.
Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files Format and Default File Name Extension Bit Depth Support Alpha Channel Support Notes TIFF (.tif) 8-bit color-mapped; 8-bit or 16-bit grayscale; 24- and 48-bit color; 24-bit color plus 8-bit alpha; 36-bit color plus 12-bit alpha; 42-bit color plus 14-bit alpha; 48-bit color plus 16-bit alpha Yes Wavefront (.rla) 32-bit and 64-bit Yes XWindows (.xwd) 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-bit No YUV (.
Specifications for Graphics (Image) Files Aspect Requirement Notes Color mode RGB ITU-R 601 ITU-R 709 Other formats, including CMYK, can cause import errors. ITU-R 601 is used for SD and ITU-R 709 is used for HD. In HD projects, your Avid editing application automatically converts the media. File format Various Your Avid editing application accepts many file formats for input. TIFF (.tif), PICT (.pct), and PNG (.png) are commonly used formats.
Specifications for Animation Files Frame Size for Imported Graphics The table in this topic shows the frame sizes to use when creating and importing graphics and sequences. The table includes sizes for both square and non-square pixels. Computer displays, most graphic and animation programs, and most HD video formats use square pixels. Standard-definition (SD) digital video does not use square pixels. The ITU-R 601 standard specifies a 720-pixel width for both NTSC and PAL.
Specifications for Animation Files In addition to the specific formats described in the table below, your Avid editing application also supports sequences of image files. You must name image file sequences appropriately for your Avid editing application to handle them correctly on import. Name each file in the sequence NameN.ext, with Name identifying the animation, N indicating the file order, and .ext indicating the file type (for example, Image1.jpg, Image2.jpg, Image3.jpg).
Specifications for Importing OMFI Files Specifications for Importing OMFI Files OMFI was developed by Avid Technology, Inc. and many industry and standards partners for the interchange of digital media data between platforms and applications. For information about creating an OMFI file on a non-Avid application, see the documentation for the application. The information in the following table applies to importing OMFI files.
Working with BWF Files Working with BWF Files Avid editing applications support any BWF files that adhere to the BWF specification. The following information from BWF information always appears in bin columns. Bin Column BWF Source Clip name Imported file name. If scene and take information is provided, the clip name is created as scene/take. Tape ID Imported file name. Start The start timecode specified in the file. Shoot date The origination date specified in the file.
Working with BWF Files Syntax Definition u Letter code of the manufacturer. Use the letter u unless otherwise instructed by Avid. KEYWORD Designation of the bin column. = Terminates the keyword. data Information to include in the bin column. [CR/LF] (carriage return/line feed) Terminates the data. For example, the keyword/value pair uSCENE=1A[CR/LF] displays “1A” in the Scene column of the bin into which you import it.
Working with BWF Files In these examples, nn is the frame rate (25, 29.97, or 30), DF is drop-frame, and ND is non-drop-frame. Importing, Syncing, and Reimporting BWF Files You can import BWF files into an Avid editing application approximately 10 to 12 times faster than capturing in real time. The files maintain pure digital quality for all audio post processing. For basic information on importing audio files, see “Importing Media Files” on page 279.
Working with BWF Files Use the Aux TC24 column to generate a 24-frame EDL for audio only. Use the Film TC column to generate a 24-frame EDL for video only. This timecode field represents the video timecode of a HD downconvert to standard definition video. 5. Ensure all entries in the Shoot Date column use the same syntax. Currently, some BWF files use the format 2009/10/03 as the Shoot Date while some ALE files use 2009-10-03.
Working with BWF Files 7. Click Open. The file imports and a new master clip appears in the bin with all audio tracks associated with the new master clip. n Your Avid editing application might skip some audio track labels (A1, A2, A3) because there is no file for that track. For more information about importing, see “Importing Files” on page 276.
Field Ordering in Graphic Imports and Exports Field Ordering in Graphic Imports and Exports Graphic images consist of one or more image files, each of which contains a full frame. These frames contain fields (formed from the odd-numbered and even-numbered lines of the image frame) that have three basic arrangements: • Progressive or still frame: The upper and lower fields in the frame originated at the same instant of time, or are coherent with each other, as shown in the following illustration.
Field Ordering in Graphic Imports and Exports Preventing a Spatial Field Mismatch on Import The following table shows the proper spatial field position for each of the common interlaced video formats in Avid editing applications. n In the following table, Odd Field or Even Field specifies whether the temporally first field in the frame has the odd or even numbered lines, starting from 1.
Field Ordering in Graphic Imports and Exports 24p and 25p Import and Export The spatial field selection options do not apply for 24p and 25p projects because the frames in these projects are already in progressive or still-image form. Field Dominance Editing in Avid applications is frame based. All timecode is expressed in frame numbers, and all cuts are at frame boundaries. A raw video stream has no concept of frames (ignoring color framing) until the frame unit is defined.
32 Resolutions and Storage Requirements This chapter describes the different resolutions available in your Avid editing application and lists their specifications.
Monitor Display Resolutions You can use lower resolutions when your work does not require very high image quality (for example, in offline work, or in CD-ROM or Web authoring projects), and higher resolutions when you need excellent image quality. You can also mix different resolutions within the same project as long as those resolutions are compatible with one another. (see “Mixing Resolutions” on page 1417).
Resolution Specifications Resolution Specifications Avid editing applications provide you with a range of resolutions, both compressed and uncompressed, that you can use at various stages of your project. You can also mix certain resolutions within a sequence. The tables in the following topics list specifications for the various resolutions. For information on resolutions to use when importing graphics or sequences from a third-party application, see “Frame Size for Imported Graphics” on page 1391.
Resolution Specifications Project Format Frame Size Megabits per Frames/sec second (Mb/sec) 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 720p/23.976 1280 x 720 23.
Resolution Specifications Project Format Frame Size Megabits per Frames/sec second (Mb/sec) 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 720p/59.94 1280 x 720 59.94 1105 884 220 220 145 100 50 100 147 220 101 45 330 50 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 175 X DNxHD 175 DNxHD 115 DNxHD 36 DNxHD444 350 X AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1080p/23.
Resolution Specifications Project Format Frame Size Megabits per Frames/sec second (Mb/sec) 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1080p/25 1920 x 1080 25.00 1659 1037 829 185 185 125 36 365 100 122 184 85 38 275 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1080i/50 1920 x 1080 25.
Resolution Specifications Resolution Bits 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 220 X DNxHD 220 DNxHD 145 DNxHD TR-145 DVCPRO HD XDCAM HD 50 AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Project Format Frame Size Megabits per Frames/sec second (Mb/sec) 1080i/59.94 1920 x 1080 29.
Resolution Specifications This module allows for real-time baseband capture with the Nitris DX and allows real-time performance for most rendering and mixdown operations. When you start your Avid editing application, it detects the presence of the AVC-I codec module. It will use the module for capture, render and mixdown. If the module is not present, the editing application uses the software codec to perform these operations.
Resolution Specifications The following table provides information about the Avid resolutions for interlaced media (30i NTSC and 25i PAL projects). Field size does not include blanking or VITC lines. Resolution Field Size (Visible Pixels) Fields Per Frame Quality 15:1s 352 x 243 (NTSC) 352 x 288 (PAL) 1 Offline — provides maximum storage with enough image detail to make basic editing decisions (you can check lip sync on a medium shot).
Resolution Specifications Frame Size (Pixels) Quality 28:1 720 x 486 (NTSC) 720 x 576 (PAL) Offline — offers low storage requirements combined with a good offline image quality. 14:1 720 x 486 (NTSC) 720 x 576 (PAL) Offline — provides the best offline image quality. 3:1 720 x 486 (NTSC) 720 x 576 (PAL) Online — a medium-quality online resolution that can sustain two-stream playback on 2-way striped drives.
Resolution Specifications Resolution Frame Size (Pixels) Quality 3:1m progressive 720 x 486 (NTSC) 720 x 576 (PAL) Online Resolution Specifications: Digital Video (DV) Digital video (DV) is an international standard created by a consortium of 10 companies to serve as a consumer digital video format. Avid editing applications support three DV resolutions: DV 25, DV 50, and DVCPRO HD. DV, originally known as DVC (Digital Video Cassette), uses a 1/4-inch tape to record very high quality digital video.
Resolution Specifications Resolution Specifications: MPEG MPEG resolutions are specifically intended to support the SMPTE Type D-10 bit stream produced and recorded by devices such as Sony MPEG IMX VTRs. They use 4:2:2 sampling. The following table provides MPEG resolution specifications. Frame size does not include blanking or VITC lines.
Resolution Specifications • AAF or OMF embedded exports of VC1 are not supported. Linked media is supported. • There is no real-time playback of HD media using VC1 resolutions.
Resolution Specifications Stored Resolution Max Bit Raster Size Name Rate (WxHxFields) Playback Fast Copy Transcode Import Render VC1-APL3 6Mbit 1920x1080x1 No No No No 23.
Support for Uncompressed HD Media Resolution Bits Project Format Frame Size Megabits per Frames/sec second (Mb/sec) Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 10 24pNTSC 720 x 486 24 24 50 23 10 75 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 10 25iPAL 720 x 576 25 41 61 28 12 92 Support for Uncompressed HD Media Depending on your Avid input/output har
Mixing Resolutions Mixing Resolutions Mixing resolutions in a sequence saves time and effort in a variety of circumstances: n • You can do most of your work at a resolution that can play back real-time effects, capturing only the most complex shots and graphics at a high-quality, single-stream resolution. • For storage and playback efficiency, you can capture complex footage at the draft-quality online resolution and edit it along with other online resolutions.
Storage Requirements To estimate media drive space requirements: 1. Use the appropriate resolution specifications table. See “Resolution Specifications” on page 1404 and the information in your media drive documentation to select a resolution that is compatible with the drive and striping capacity on your system. 2. Open the Capture tool, select a resolution and target drive or drives, and note the time remaining on the selected drives. For more information, see “Selecting the Target Drives” on page 190.
Storage Requirements Estimated Storage Requirements: HD This table does not include estimated storage requirements for audio. Drive Space Needed for 1 Hour of Media (GB) Resolution Bits Project Format 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 90 X DNxHD 90 DNxHD 60 DVCPRO HD XDCAM HD 50 AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 720p/23.
Storage Requirements Drive Space Needed for 1 Hour of Media (GB) Resolution Bits Project Format 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 110 X DNxHD 110 DNxHD 70 DVCPRO HD XDCAM HD 50 AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 720p/29.
Storage Requirements Drive Space Needed for 1 Hour of Media (GB) Resolution Bits Project Format 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 220 X DNxHD 220 DNxHD 145 DVCPRO HD XDCAM HD 50 AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 720p/59.
Storage Requirements Drive Space Needed for 1 Hour of Media (GB) Resolution Bits Project Format 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 175 X DNxHD 175 DNxHD 115 DNxHD 36 DNxHD444 440 X AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1080p/24 717 417 334 74 74 49 15 148 48 53 79 37 16 119 24 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 185 X DNxHD 185 DNxHD 120
Storage Requirements Drive Space Needed for 1 Hour of Media (GB) Resolution Bits Project Format 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 185 X DNxHD 185 DNxHD 120 DVCPRO HD XDCAM HD 50 AVC-Intra 100 Apple ProRes 422 MXF Apple ProRes 422 HQ MXF Apple ProRes 422 LT MXF Apple ProRes 422 Proxy MXF Apple ProRes 4444 AVC-Intra 50 10 10 8 10 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 1080i/50 746 435 348 77 77 51 48 22 48 110 165 77 34 248 24 1:1 10-bit RGB HD 1:1 10-bit HD 1:1 HD DNxHD 220 X DNxHD 220 DNxHD 145 DV
Storage Requirements Resolution 4:1s 2:1s 20:1 10:1 Audio Tracks Drive Space Needed for Minutes Per 1 Minute of Gigabyte Media Drive Space Needed for 10 Minutes of Media Drive Space Needed for 30 Minutes of Media 1 38.6 25.9 MB 259 MB 777 MB 2 32.1 31.2 MB 312 MB 936 MB 3 28.2 35.5 MB 355 MB 1.07 GB 4 24.5 40.8 MB 408 MB 1.22 GB 8 16.1 62.0 MB 620 MB 1.86 GB 0 11.6 85.8 MB 858 MB 2.57 GB 1 11.0 91.1 MB 911 MB 2.73 GB 2 10.5 95.4 MB 954 MB 2.86 GB 3 9.
Storage Requirements Resolution 3:1 2:1 1:1 SD (Uncompressed) 1:1 10b SD (10-bit Uncompressed) Audio Tracks Drive Space Needed for Minutes Per 1 Minute of Gigabyte Media Drive Space Needed for 10 Minutes of Media Drive Space Needed for 30 Minutes of Media 2 7.6 131 MB 1.31 GB 3.93 GB 3 7.3 136 MB 1.36 GB 4.08 GB 4 7.2 140 MB 1.40 GB 4.20 GB 8 6.2 161 MB 1.61 GB 4.83 GB 0 2.9 344 MB 3.44 GB 10.32 GB 1 2.9 349 MB 3.49 GB 10.47 GB 2 2.8 354 MB 3.54 GB 10.62 GB 3 2.
Storage Requirements Resolution Audio Tracks Drive Space Needed for Minutes Per 1 Minute of Gigabyte Media Drive Space Needed for 10 Minutes of Media Drive Space Needed for 30 Minutes of Media 1 0.6 1.54 GB 15.4 GB 46.2 GB 2 0.6 1.54 GB 15.4 GB 46.2 GB 3 0.6 1.55 GB 15.5 GB 46.5 GB 4 0.6 1.55 GB 15.5 GB 46.5 GB 8 0.6 1.58 GB 15.8 GB 47.
Storage Requirements Resolution 14:1 3:1 Audio Tracks Minutes Per Gigabyte Drive Space Needed for 1 Minute of Media 2 22.2 (NTSC) 19.3 (PAL) 45.0 MB 51.8 MB 450 MB 518 MB 1.35 GB 1.55 GB 3 19.9 (NTSC) 17.5 (PAL) 50.3 MB 57.1 MB 503 MB 571 MB 1.51 GB 1.71 GB 4 18.0 (NTSC) 16.0 (PAL) 55.6 MB 62.4 MB 557 MB 624 MB 1.67 GB 1.87 GB 8 13.0 (NTSC) 12.0 (PAL) 76.8 MB 83.6 MB 768 MB 836 MB 2.30 GB 2.51 GB 0 14.6 (NTSC) 12.1 (PAL) 68.5 MB 82.6 MB 685 MB 826 MB 2.05 GB 2.48 GB 1 13.
Storage Requirements Resolution 2:1 1:1 SD (Uncompressed) Audio Tracks Minutes Per Gigabyte Drive Space Needed for 1 Minute of Media 8 3.1 (NTSC) 2.7 (PAL) 320 MB 376 MB 3.20 GB 3.76 GB 9.61 GB 11.3 GB 0 2.4 (NTSC) 2.0 (PAL) 417 MB 500 MB 4.17 GB 5.00 GB 12.5 GB 15.0 GB 1 2.4 (NTSC) 2.0 (PAL) 422 MB 505 MB 4.22 GB 5.05 GB 12.7 GB 15.2 GB 2 2.3 (NTSC) 2.0 (PAL) 427 MB 510 MB 4.27 GB 5.11 GB 12.8 GB 15.3 GB 3 2.3 (NTSC) 1.9 (PAL) 433 MB 516 MB 4.33 GB 5.16 GB 13.0 GB 15.
Storage Requirements Resolution 1:1 10b SD (10-bit Uncompressed) Audio Tracks Minutes Per Gigabyte Drive Space Needed for 1 Minute of Media 0 0.8 (NTSC) 0.7 (PAL) 1.25 GB 1.44 GB 12.5 GB 14.4 GB 37.5 GB 43.2 GB 1 0.8 (NTSC) 0.7 (PAL) 1.26 GB 1.44 GB 1.26 GB 14.4 GB 37.9 GB 43.2 GB 2 0.8 (NTSC) 0.7 (PAL) 1.26 GB 1.45 GB 12.6 GB 14.5 GB 37.8 GB 43.5 GB 3 0.8 (NTSC) 0.7 (PAL) 1.28 GB 1.46 GB 12.8 GB 14.6 GB 38.4 GB 43.8 GB 4 0.8 (NTSC) 0.7 (PAL) 1.28 GB 1.46 GB 12.8 GB 14.6 GB 38.
Considerations for Managing Storage Drive Space Needed for Resolution Minutes Per 1 Minute of (NTSC and PAL) Gigabyte Media Drive Space Needed for 10 Minutes of Media Drive Space Needed for 30 Minutes of Media MPEG 30 4.7 210 MB 2.1 GB 6.3 GB MPEG 40 3.6 280 MB 2.8 GB 8.4 GB MPEG 50 2.9 350 MB 3.5 GB 10.
33 Working in High-Resolution Projects Avid editing applications include support for high-resolution media (HD, 2K and above). A full list of the video formats supported for capture, linking, editing, rendering and output is available on the Avid web site. n Depending on the model of your Avid editing application and on your Avid input/output hardware, some of these resolutions might not be available for capture in their uncompressed form.
Workflow: Film Reel Editing Based on delivery format requirements, you need to determine the best format for acquisition of the media. It’s best to begin with the highest resolution and quality source, and then “down-rez” to the required output format. Theatrical release (Film projector) Feature film or documentary release to theaters demands high-resolution, high-quality source material and output to film.
Workflow: Film Reel Editing BWF Avid Pro Tools HD 4:2:2 1 HD RGB 4:4:4 2 OMFI/AAF AFE Avid Media Composer SCANNER Avid DS 33 DPX Link to high-res source files Step 1: Transfer of film to video The telecine process is the most common practice used for transferring the film dailies to videotape. The next phase of the process is to import the film transfer files (FLEx, Evertz, Aaton, ALE) into Media Composer project bins and batch capture the footage from the dailies.
Checklist: Editing Film Reel Footage in Media Composer If you are linking to DPX files, necessary information such as KeyKode (key number) and timecode is inserted as metadata into each DPX file during the scanning process. If the DPX files do not contain the timecode information, an ALE is required in order to make the necessary correspondence to the associated DPX files. The ALE is usually supplied by the film-scanning facility or output by Media Composer.
Checklist: Editing Film Reel Footage in Media Composer Step Refer to this section The telecine process syncs picture and sound to create “Transferring Film to Tape” on the videotape. The process also creates a shot log that page 1436. will be used during the capture process. Transfer the 24-fps film to NTSC or PAL. Convert the shot log file with Avid Log Exchange (ALE), then import the shot log file into Media Composer to create a bin or bins. Open a project with the appropriate settings.
Transferring Film to Tape Step Refer to this section If you will be finishing on an Avid DS system, then export an AFE of your final project or sequence from Media Composer. (You should first make a copy of the sequence, decompose it, and then export the bin.) “Exporting the AFE File to Avid DS” on page 1004. For complete details on finishing in Avid DS, refer to the Avid High-Resolution Workflow and Color Management Guide.
Transferring Film to Tape system that includes audiotape recorders, a controller, and other equipment. The steps in the process will differ, depending on whether you include audio and whether the transfer produces NTSC or PAL videotapes. This section provides some guidelines to ensure that the film shoot and transfer process is well-planned for the Avid editing session. Film Shoot Specifications Use the guidelines in the following table to help you plan for film shoots that will be edited on an Avid.
Transferring Film to Tape Element Supported Formats Notes Sound-roll cues Sound-roll ID, date, start and end time-of-day timecode Include verbal time-of-day cues as a backup. Film-to-Tape Transfer Guidelines Observe the following general guidelines when transferring film to tape: n • Instruct the telecine facility to record timecode on the address track. • Instruct the facility to use only a telecine transfer process when transferring to NTSC videotape.
Transferring Film to Tape Project Format HD Source footage During the telecine process 23.976 fps The telecine process syncs audio and transfers film footage at 1:1 (no pulldown). 24 fps The telecine process transfers 24-fps film footage at 1:1 (no pulldown). It can also transfer the footage at HD 1080p/23.976 video at 1:1. This lets you create the project at 24p and later change it to 1080p without having to create a new project and sequence.
Transferring Film to Tape n For more information on the film-tape-film-tape option, see “Relinking Clips by Key Number” on page 268. After you perform the final telecine operation, you can capture at a finishing resolution, such as 1:1 (uncompressed).
Transferring Film to Tape n If you transfer sound along with picture, your Avid editing application captures audio at the slowed-down speed. Then during editing and playback, your Avid editing application speeds up the play rate by 0.1 percent to play in sync with the 24-fps video. Audio plays at 44100 Hz (44.1 kHz) or 48000 Hz (48 kHz). Transferring Film to Video Film runs at 24 fps, and NTSC video runs at 30 fps.
Transferring Film to Tape Maintaining Synchronized Sound In most cases, the sound for your production has been recorded on a digital audio system, such as a BWF file-based recorder. You need to synchronize the sound with the picture and make sure they are in sync in your Avid editing application. You can take one of three basic paths: • Transfer only the picture through the telecine process to HD videotape, capture picture from tape and sound from BWF, and sync them in your Avid editing application.
Transferring Film to Tape In either case, the telecine process speeds up sound at the same rate as picture: 4.1 percent. After you receive the PAL transfer tapes, the next step is capturing the footage in a 24p PAL project. During the capturing process, your Avid editing application captures the material at the PAL rate of 25 fps, capturing every picture frame. It stores the two video fields as a single progressive frame, which you edit at 24 fps.
Transferring Film to Tape n When you created the project, you set the Audio Transfer rate as Film Rate (100%) in the New Project dialog box. For more information, see “Audio Transfer Options for 24p PAL Projects” on page 1444. In most cases, you will choose to edit at 24 fps. The sound maintains source quality (44.1 kHz and 48 kHz) and plays in sync with 24-fps video.
Transferring Film to Tape The advantage of working with video dailies and film negative is that you can avoid the cost of work print until the finishing stages, or altogether. The disadvantage is you are limited to the aspect ratio, resolution, and contrast range of video previews. For this reason, video dailies are preferred for television projects, but you can also use this method to economize on a feature film production.
Workflow: File-based Editing with MetaFuze Workflow: File-based Editing with MetaFuze High-resolution media files can originate from digital film cameras, film-scanning facilities, or CGI applications. The following workflow shows you how to edit and finish projects with footage that is in a digital file format, such as DPX or ARI. Use MetaFuze to transcode the high-resolution media to lower-resolution MXF media for the offline edit in Avid Media Composer.
Checklist: Film to File Editing in Media Composer (via MetaFuze) Step 3: Conform AFE for high-res finishing in Avid DS On Avid DS, you can conform the AFE and connect to the original DPX or ARRI files. In the case of DPX files, necessary information such as KeyKode™ (key number) and timecode is inserted as metadata into the DPX file during the scanning process. If the DPX files do not contain the timecode information, an ALE is required to make the necessary correspondence to the associated DPX files.
Workflow: File-based Editing with AMA Step n Refer to this section If you are working with ARRI media, you must Refer to the Avid website for more install the ARRI plug-in on the same system information. where MetaFuze is installed. Open Avid MetaFuze, scan your folders, and set the necessary options for transcoding the files. “Scanning your Folders” in the Supporting Applications Guide. Transcode your files to MXF. “Transcoding your Files” in the Supporting Applications Guide.
Workflow: File-based Editing with AMA You can either capture and edit material directly from file, or perform the offline editing using a film-to-tape workflow. Using the original high-res media, you can then finish as file-based for the mastering and delivery requirements to film (2K or higher), HD or SD formats. Avid provides an easy and cost-effective way to manipulate high-resolution images during the finishing and mastering stages of post production.
Checklist: File-based Editing in Media Composer via AMA Step 2: Conform AFE for high-res finishing in Avid DS When you conform your sequence from Media Composer to Avid DS, you will still be able to link to the original RED footage for the finishing and output. Depending on your system configuration, high-resolution formats are playable in real time—for a specific list of these formats, see the Avid DS support web at www.avid.com.
Checklist: File-based Editing in Media Composer via AMA Step Refer to this section Connect your RED drive to your system. (Optional) Place your RED media on a shared “Copying RED Files to a FireWire or Network Drive” on page 390. storage device such as Avid ISIS. n To get realtime playback of this media from your shared storage, you will require a 10GB ethernet connection. For a list of performance expectations refer to the ReadMe document for your Avid editing application.
HD Workflow: Video-Based Television Step Refer to this section If you are not using AMA-linked clips, you should first make a copy of the sequence, move it to its own bin, decompose it (with handles as desired), select ALL master clips, and export as ALE with appropriate columns visible in the bin. n If you are working with high-res files, do not use the option to extend handles beyond the master clip edges.
HD Workflow: Video-Based Television 1080i/59.94 HD 1 HD VTR 7 30i NTSC SD Avid Media Composer 2 33 5 6 4 9 OMFI/AAF 10 8 Avid Pro Tools 1080i/59.94 HD To create a video-based HDTV program: 1. Use an HD VTR to downconvert the source tape to 30i NTSC, 25i PAL, or 25p PAL. 2. Open a project that is suitable for HD finishing. When you start the online session, you can create a new project in the final format, or use the original project and change the project format.
Producing Graphics for Broadcast 6. Duplicate the final sequence, and then modify the format of the sequence to create a new sequence in the corresponding HD format — see “Changing the Sequence Format” on page 1461. 7. Decompose the new HD sequence and batch capture from the source tape. 8. (Option) Import the final audio mix. 9. Finish the sequence by batch capturing graphics, recreating title media and reviewing the program for effects that need fine-tuning.
Creating a Film-Based Project 4. Type the name of your new project in the text box. 5. Click the Format menu and select the most appropriate project type. The format you choose must take into consideration both the frame rate at which the film was shot, as well as the final delivery format for the production. Format Source Output 24p NTSC Film-based or other 24-fps footage transferred to Standard Definition NTSC videotape. Film, HD Broadcast, Video 23.976 NTSC Film transferred at 23.
Creating a Film-Based Project Further options might change depending on the format that you chose. 6. Select Film if your source material originated on film reel. This will give you access to film options such as Perf Slip and Film and 24p settings. 7. Set the following additional option(s), where applicable: Option SD (NTSC/PAL) Aspect Ratio Select either 4:3 or 16:9 HD and Film Only uses the 16:9 aspect ratio.
Creating a Film-Based Project Before you capture or output film reel footage, refer to the following topics—“Selecting a Project Format during Capture” on page 1457 and “Selecting a Project Format during Output” on page 1457. Selecting a Project Format during Capture Before you capture film reel footage into your editing system, make sure you select the correct project format. The following table explains how the Avid system creates the digitized media from your source footage.
Editing with High-Resolution Media Project Format HD Source footage During the output process 23.976 fps For NTSC video, the Symphony system reinserts pulldown. 24 fps Creates a 24p EDL for use in an online suite. 25 fps Creates a 25p EDL for use in an online suite. 23.976 fps Creates a 24p EDL for use in an online suite. Use the Digital Cut tool to output a 1080p/23.976 master tape. Then convert the master tape to 720p/59.94 or 1080i/59.94 for broadcast.
Editing with High-Resolution Media If you are in an Avid Interplay environment, you can edit with compressed media and recapture the clips at high resolution for final finishing and output. This can be accomplished using the Dynamic Relinking feature. For more information, refer to the Avid Editing on Interplay Workflow Guide. Displaying 24p and 25p Media This section applies to you only if you are working with Standard Definition (SD) formats.
Editing with High-Resolution Media For 25p projects, 25 fps is the only playback rate. The playback rate is 1:1 with no speed change. Displaying Media During a Digital Cut The Digital Cut tool lets you output multiple formats at various play rates, all from 24p and 25p media. When you click the Play Digital Cut button, the system displays the sequence as described in “Displaying Media While Editing” above, depending on your selection in the Digital Cut tool.
Editing with High-Resolution Media When you change the project format, the following changes take place: • The hardware changes to support input and output for the new project. • The available resolutions and, for some configurations, raster dimensions change to those of the new project. • Any new sequences you create use the format of the new project. If necessary, you can then modify the format of an existing sequence, see “Changing the Sequence Format” on page 1461.
Editing with High-Resolution Media You can check the format of the sequence in the Format column of the bin. This column displays the format of a clip or sequence as determined by the project type, such as 30i NTSC or 1080i/59.94. This is especially useful if you have both SD and HD clips in the same bin. Format column in the bin Converting a 23.976p NTSC Sequence to 720p/23.976 Because the source edit rates are different for these formats, you cannot simply change the project and sequence format.
Working with RED Media Editing at 60 fps The project type 720p/59.94 uses a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. Editing at 60 fps is similar to editing at 24 fps because both resolutions are progressive — they use full frames instead of interlaced fields. Note the following: n • Single-frame step commands move at 1/60th of a second. Single-field step commands are deactivated; if you click a button, your Avid editing application beeps.
Editing with Low-Res RED Media Finally, all rendering or transcoding can be done at full HD-RGB quality. Note that linking to RED files via AMA is both processor and storage intensive. Refer to “Feature Performance” in the Avid Media Composer Readme for technical requirements on RED editing via AMA. Editing with Low-Res RED Media AMA offers the advantage of allowing you to transcode material to a lower resolution at any stage of the process.
Color Management with RED Media To relink to the original media: 1. After the editing process is complete and you are ready to relink to the original media, make sure that your original RED media is online. If you un-mounted your RED volume, remount it. 2. In the bin, select the completed offline sequence, and all the original RED master clips. The master clips need to be selected so that the original linked path can be restablished.
Outputting a Sequence Outputting a Sequence You can output your sequence at HD by first transcoding it to an HD resolution. You can then output it by performing a Digital Cut or an export to file. Avid editing systems support output to tape, write-back to the original device, or export to common industry-standard formats. n Some media formats cannot be output to their native format. Refer to the Avid Editing Systems—Supported Formats compatibility guide in the Avid Knowledge Base.
Understanding HDV Understanding HDV HDV is a low-cost prosumer format that lets you record HD video onto standard DV videocassettes. This is achieved through the use of interframe compression, where a given frame in the video stream can be composed of information from adjacent frames. Frames are grouped into a sequence called a “Group of Pictures,” or GOP. Long-GOP (also known as IPB encoding) refers to the structure of HDV media.
HDV Workflow HDV Workflow A basic workflow for an HDV project is as follows: 1. Select one of the following Avid project types depending on the format in which your HDV camera records and the project types available for your input/output hardware: - 720p/23.976 - 720p/25 - 720p/29.97 - 720p/50 - 720p/59.94 - 1080i/50 - 1080i/59.94 2. Click the Raster Dimension menu, and select the appropriate raster size. 3. Do one of the following: - Capture HDV material. - Import an HDV file.
Playing Back HDV Media Sony 1080i HDV cameras mark accurate timecode so you can use them for batch capturing. The JVC 720p/29.97 HDV camera restarts timecode every time your system starts to capture, so you cannot batch capture HDV material with a JVC 720p/29.97 HDV camera. For more information, see “Capturing Directly from a DV Device” on page 229. To import HDV media, you must import an HDV transport stream. You cannot import transport stream types other than HDV. n The file name extension .
Outputting HDV If you have a system with Avid Nitris DX or Avid Mojo DX input/output hardware, you do not need to transcode your HDV media or change your project type for playback. To play back HDV media: t In the Project window, click the Format tab. From the Project Type menu, select a project type as follows. For 1080i/50 projects Select 25i PAL For 1080i/59.94 projects, Select 30i NTSC The media is downconverted and plays in SD with an anamorphic squeeze.
Outputting HDV Long-GOP Splicing for HDV Encoding Your Avid editing application uses a technique called long-GOP splicing when encoding an HDV MPEG-2 sequence for export. When you export to an HDV device, your Avid editing application uses splicing to reconstruct only the edited sections of the media, such as cut points, transitions, and segments that contain effects. Other areas of the sequence are copied intact. The result is faster encoding at higher quality.
Outputting HDV Option/Suboption Description Create New Transport Stream/ Not available if you use an existing transport stream. Select to Delete Transport Stream after create a transport stream and then save it. writing to HDV Device Create New Transport Stream/ Not available if you use an existing transport stream. When Use Marks you select this option, the system uses current IN and OUT points in the selected clip or sequence to determine starting and ending frames for the export.
Outputting HDV 4. Select Use Marks and Use Enabled Tracks as desired. See “Export Settings: HDV” on page 1332. 5. Click OK. You can also export to other formats, such as QuickTime movie, or use the Send To function to send the sequence to an application such as Sorenson Squeeze. You can also export to Windows Media 9 for finishing to HD-DVD. To export to other formats: t Export the sequence or use the Send To function as usual.
Outputting HDV Setting Value Audio Settings Leave set at defaults 6. Click Save to export the sequence. 7. In the Export As dialog box, select the destination folder for the file. 8. Click Save. The sequence is exported using the selected settings. To export HDV as Windows Media for use in DVD authoring: 1. Select the sequence or clips you want to export. 2. Select File > Export. The Export As dialog box opens. 3. Click the Options button. The Export Settings dialog box opens. 4.
Raster Dimensions Finishing HDV on Avid DS The following procedure outlines the steps to take if you want to finish an HDV sequence on an Avid DS system. To finish an HDV sequence on an Avid DS system: 1. When in a 1080i/59.94 HDV project, transcode your sequence to DNxHD 145. 2. Export as an AFE. 3. Import the AFE file to Avid DS v7.6 QFE 3 or later.
Raster Sizes The format you select to work in also determines which HD compression is used by your Avid editing application. For example, if your HD project format is 1080i 59.94 and you select a raster dimension of 1440 x 1080, the Video Resolution menu in the Media Creation settings dialog box displays the following options: • DNxHD-TR 145 MXF • XDCAM HD 17.
Raster Sizes Availability of Raster Dimensions for Full Quality Playback Project type 1280 x 720 960 x 720 1920 x 1080 1440 x 1080 1280 x 1080 720p 23.976 Yes (standard) Yes No No No 720p 25 Yes (standard) Yes No No No 720p 29.97 Yes (standard) No No No No 720p 50 Yes (standard) Yes No No No 720p 59.94 Yes (standard) Yes No No No 1080p 23.976 No No Yes (standard) Yes No 1080p 24 No No Yes (standard) No No 1080p 25 No No Yes (standard) No No 1080p 29.
34 Dual Link HD RGB Support The Avid Media Composer and Avid Symphony editing applications with Nitris DX support RGB HD dual link. If you have a Nitris DX-based system, you can capture, monitor, and output projects in HD-RGB using the two HD SDI connections to handle the high-bandwidth resolutions.
HD RGB Playback to High Resolution Monitor 3. Select the RGB resolution. 4. See “Capturing Media” on page 218 for details on performing a capture. HD RGB Playback to High Resolution Monitor To setup: 1. Connect the Nitris DX to a dual link high resolution monitor. Use the HD-SDI B IN and OUT connectors for dual ingest HD-RGB capture and output on Avid Media Composer or Avid Symphony connected to a Nitris DX. 2. Click the Format tab in the Project window. 3. Click the Color Space menu and select RGB. 4.
35 International Character Support (ICS) in Avid Editing Applications This chapter provides information on international character support (ICS) in your Avid editing application.
Using a Local Language Operating System (Windows Only) Using a Local Language Operating System (Windows Only) On Windows systems only, you can display and input characters in languages other than English by installing the local language version of the operating system and working within that operating system. n Interplay applications are not qualified on systems running local language operating systems.
Non-English Character Support (Macintosh) 2. In the Languages list, click the language you want, and drag it to the top of the list. If you do not see the language you want in the list, click Edit List, select the language, and click OK. 3. (Option) Click the Text tab and select other options. 4. Click the Formats tab, and then click the Region menu and select your region.
Non-English Character Support (Macintosh) If you do not see your region, select “Show all regions” and then click the Region menu again. 5. Click the Close button. n For more information about the Language & Text window, see Mac Help by clicking the question mark icon in the window. To add your language’s keyboard layout, input method, and character set palette to the operating system’s Input menu (Flag icon): 1. Select Apple menu > System Preferences > Language & Text.
Non-English Character Support (Windows) 3. Select the language or languages in which you want to type. 4. Select “Show input menu in menu bar.” 5. Click the Close button. 6. In the Finder title bar, click the Flag icon and select the input language. You can also select a character set palette. The Flag icon changes depending on which input language you select. 7. Restart your system.
Non-English Character Support (Windows) To specify a language in which to type (Windows 7): 1. (Option) Attach a regional keyboard to your system. 2. Click the Start button, and select Control Panel. 3. Do one of the following: t If the View by menu is set to Category, in the Clock, Language, and Region area, click “Change display language.” t If the View by menu is set to Large icons or to Small icons, click Region and Languages. The Region and Language dialog box opens. 4.
Non-English Character Support (Windows) 7. If necessary, click “Install/uninstall languages” and follow the prompts to install supplemental languages. 8. Click “Change keyboards.” The Text Services and Input Languages dialog box opens.
Non-English Character Support (Windows) 9. In the “Installed services” area in the General tab, select a language and a keyboard layout for that language. 10. If the language you want is not in the list, click Add, select an input language and a keyboard layout for the language, and then click OK. 11. In the “Default input language” area, select an input language. You must select a language in the Installed Services area (step 9) before it appears in the Default input Language list. 12.
Using Foreign Keyboard Mapping (Windows) Using Foreign Keyboard Mapping (Windows) On Windows systems, when you start your Avid editing application under a new locale, your Avid editing application automatically creates a Keyboard setting for your language. You can view the keyboard layout by clicking the appropriate Keyboard setting in the Settings list. The default Avid keyboard layouts for English, French, or German map correctly to the characters on the physical keyboard.
Considerations for International Character Support Considerations for International Character Support This topic provides recommendations, tips, and information on limitations for using international character support in your Avid editing application. Use One Locale When Sharing Files Make sure that your projects do not contain characters from more than one locale. File sharing might not work correctly.
Considerations for International Character Support Character Limitations for EDL Manager You can display diacritical marks and Chinese characters in EDL Manager but those characters are not preserved when you save and reopen an EDL. If you plan to create and save an EDL from your sequences, you must use ASCII names for tape names. The RT-11 format that is sometimes used for disks that store EDLs has a very limited character set: A-Z (capital letters only), 0-9, space, and $.
Considerations for International Character Support 3. In the Transform pane, rotate the box by setting rotate Z to -90. 4. Enter Text mode, and type in your text. The text appears moving down vertically. Additional Tips and Limitations for Working with International Characters • You must install your Avid editing application after you set up your system for international character support.
36 Open I/O Support With the Media Composer family of products, Avid has implemented a Hardware SDK allowing 3rd party vendors to develop plug-ins for their hardware I/O devices. The plug-ins will enable 3rd party I/O hardware to interact with the Avid editing applications (Media Composer, Symphony, and NewsCutter). Currently, the 3rd party vendors who have access to develop plug-ins for their hardware in order to work with Avid editing software are AJA, Matrox, Blackmagic Design, Motu and Bluefish444.
• Utilize any Hardware Codec Modules • Universal Mastering (Frame & Signal Convert to a Different Format) 1493
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Index Numerics 1 Pass encoding 1335 1:1 video defined 1402 1394 capturing HDV through 1468 capturing through 229, 229 connecting devices 179 1394 button playback to DV device with 505 selecting DV device with 229 selecting output device with 1018 setting video quality with 508 15-day trial PhraseFind 545 ScriptSync 642 16:9 display format (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 16:9 format 160, 1436 16-channel audio enabling 1037 2 Pass encoding 1335 2:3 pulldown transferring film to vid
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ activating 548, 645 Activating ScriptSync 641 Active Palette option (Command palette) 111 Adaptive deinterlacing 578 Add Alt Key button (Command palette, Other tab) 107 Add Channel button (Deck Configuration dialog box) 174 Add Comments command (Clip Name menu) 593 Add Control Key button (Command palette, Other tab) 107 Add Deck button (Deck Configuration dialog box) 174 Add Dissolve button See Quick Transition button Add Edit button 797 for maintaining sync 601 for MultiC
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ AIR Ensemble RTAS plug-in 924 AIR Filter Gate RTAS plug-in 925 AIR Flanger RTAS plug-in 926 AIR Frequency Shifter RTAS plug-in 928 AIR Fuzz-Wah RTAS plug-in 929 AIR Kill EQ RTAS plug-in 930 AIR Lo Fi RTAS plug-in 930 AIR Multi-Chorus RTAS plug-in 933 AIR Multi-Delay RTAS plug-in 934 AIR Non-Linear Reverb RTAS plug-in 935 AIR Phaser RTAS plug-in 936 AIR Reverb RTAS plug-in 938 AIR Spring Reverb RTAS plug-in 940 AIR Stereo Width RTAS plug-in 941 AIR Talkbox RTAS plug-in 942 AIR Vint
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ automatically checking in assets 1139 Avid Unity media network 1115 capturing media 1166 checking in to 1135 checking out from 1132 connecting to 1115 logging in 1115 remote assets 1106 settings for 436 using 436 using drag-and-drop method to check in assets 1135 using menu command to check in assets 1135 Asset types, selecting 1156 Attic folder described 71 See Avid Attic folder Attributes searching remote assets for 1165 Audio 16-channel output 1037 5.1 765 7.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Sound Designer II, support for 1100 Sound Designer II, transferring files 1100 splitting stereo tracks to mono 705, 817 subframe sync adjustment 607 surround sound 765 sync, on output 1018 time compression 908 timecode for shoots 1436 tools, accessing 746 tracks, adjusting in Audio Mixer tool 782 tracks, soloing 752 transfer options 1442 transferring to Digidesign Pro Tools 1099 using leader to maintain sync 599 voice-over 830, 830 volume, adjusting in Audio Mixer tool 782 volume,
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ described 831 removing extra filler 1291 scenarios for using 833 using a GPI device with 862 Audio Punch-in tool using 833 audio sample clock 1291 Audio sample rate options 1291 Audio settings described 1290 Audio Settings dialog box adjusting digital scrub parameters 756 Audio Source Tape TC Rate (Film and 24p Settings dialog box) 171 Audio timecode 747 Audio tone media creating 200 Audio tool Calibrate mode 203, 203, 203 checking input levels 200 described 198 digital sc
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Auto-create New Tracks option (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 Auto-enable Source Tracks option (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 Auto-indexing by Media Indexer 1361 Automatic opening of projects 54 Automounting workspaces ISIS v2.
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Avid Interplay Archive Services 1016 Avid Interplay Engine 436 Avid Interplay ProEncode Services 1016 Avid Interplay Transcode Services 1016 Avid Interplay Transfer using 436 Avid Interplay Window See Interplay Window Avid License Control tool 548, 645 Avid logs See also Shot log files See Shot log files clip data in 128 creating 123 custom Titles in 125 data entries in 128 formatting guidelines 123 global Titles in 124 importing ASCII file format 132 sample created with t
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Batch Import dialog box 315, 1187 Batch importing multiple resolutions 1187 procedure 313 XDCAM media 308 Best Performance command (Video Quality menu) 506 Best-light transfers defined 1436 BF Essential Clip Remover AudioSuite plug-in 945 Big Trim mode described 719 switching with Small Trim mode 721 Bin columns copying information 344 Field Motion 580 Bin display 359 Bin editing in Segment mode 693 using the keyboard 693 Bin Fast menu described 329 Loop Selected Clips command 494
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ using system backup to save 59 Bins tab (Project window) 67 Bit depth defined 1386 Black burst sync for output 1018 HD formats 1019 Black holes 716 Black level adjusting for input 209 adjusting for output 1024 Black segment See Filler Blank button (Command palette, Other tab) 107 Blue bar See Position indicator Blue-only feature 1024 BMP file format additional export options 1340 import specifications for 1387 Bomb Factory BF76 AudioSuite plug-in 946 Browse button (Select
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ video input 209 video output using test patterns 1027 video output, basic procedures 1024 video output, methods described 1022 calibrating audio 203 calibrating audio output 203 Calibration tone audio output 1032 creating media for 200 CamCutter files importing 297 Camera roll keypunch 1436 Camera setups in the lined script 612 Camroll data 146 Canon AMA plug-in 381, 383 Canon media 381, 383 Capture command (Tools menu, Toolset menus) 180, 1166 Capture command (Tools menu) 136 Cap
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ source track selection 184 storage guidelines 1418 sync requirements 160 tape selection 183 targeting bins 189 targeting drives for 190 to multiple media files 170 to the Timeline 261 using time-of-day timecode 228 video transferred without pulldown 263 while logging 219 with external timecode 260 CCIR See ITU-R 601 CCIR video levels, Import settings 1351 Center Duration option (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 Center Pan command (Clip menu) 796 Change lists using FilmScribe
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ displaying in the Info window 486 displaying, in a Script window 618 summary 472, 538 clip information effect summary 472, 538 Clip Name menu clearing clips with 496 switching between clips with 495 Clip parameters QuickTime 401 RED 391 Clip Text command (Timeline Fast menu) 658 Clipboard copying to 590 described 591 preserving contents 591 recovering material from 591 Clipboard Contents command (Clip Name menu) 591 Clipboard Monitor command (Tools menu) 591 Clips See also Master
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ changing in interface 87 frame shifts 715 Color bars adjusting video levels for tapes without 216 in Dupe Detection 711 recording bars and tone 1039 types of 209 Color column adding to bins 335 Color correction settings 1309 Color frame shifts 715 Color Framing options (Composer settings) defined 1304, 1304 Color indicators (script integration) adding to takes 634 described 614 Color Match control 3 x 3 averaging of pixels, setting 1309 Color Match eyedropper 1309 Color su
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Undo Only Record Events 571, 1304, 1304 Window tab 1304, 1304 Composer window customizing 479 resizing 480 Compression defined 1402 in relation to drive space 1402 in relation to image quality 1402 Compression ratios See also Video resolutions mixing 1417 Compression ratios (JFIF) defined 1409 Configuring Command|8 845 decks 174, 174 Digi 002 845 Conforming workflow 1087 Connecting DV devices 179 XDCAM device 372 Connection Manager 1128 Console command (Tools menu) 112 displaying
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ described 1309 Crash recording 1048 Create Subclip icon (Composer window) 511 Create Subsequence icon (Composer window) 512 Creating a folder in a project 70 Avid log files 123 bins 68 folders in projects 70 group clips 1230 multigroup clips 1231 overlap edits 735 projects 50, 1454 rough cuts 570 subclips 511 subclips during capturing 252 subsequences 512 tone media 200 user profiles 85 Criterion menu (Custom Sift dialog box) 360 Crossconverted sequences outputting 1029 Cr
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Fast Cue option 1311 options 1311 Preroll option 1311 Deck Settings options (Deck Configuration settings) 1311 Deck templates 1311 Decks capturing from consumer-grade 209 capturing from non-Avid-controlled 227 configuring 174 for digital cut 1044 limitations on consumer-grade 213 logging with Avid-controlled 136 logging with non-Avid-controlled 141 selecting 182 templates for 174 using the keyboard to control decks 255 Decompose command (Clip menu) 242 Decomposing described 240 Ex
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Export Settings 1320 Film and 24p Settings (transfer settings) 171 General settings (for capturing) 171 Group Clips 1230 Left Margin 618 Modify Pulldown Phase 151 Restore from Videotape 471 Script Settings 618 Select Tape 136 Send To 988, 993 Set Bin Display 359 Set Font 89, 621 Sync Selection 604 Tape Lengths 468 View Name (bin) 322 Digi 002 801 configuring 845 Digi 002 controller 114 DigiDelivery, exporting to 988 Digidesign exporting to 988 Digidesign AudioSuite plug-in
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ described 1404 specifications 1404 storage requirements 1419 DNxHD-TR rendering HDV media to 1470 Dock Macintosh, using 37 Dolby E 256, 257, 258 Dominance described 1401 Dominance, Import settings options 1351 Double-byte systems, ASCII characters in 1489 Downconverted sequences outputting 1029 Downconverting HD for output 1029 downloading plugins 1271 downloading stock footage 1266 Draft Quality command (Video Quality menu) 506 Drag-and-drop method exporting files with 995 for co
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ storage requirements 1429 DV Scene Extraction described 273 setting up 273 DV Stream files exporting 1320 options 1320 DVCPro HD resolution raster type 1475 DVD exporting to 988, 988 DVD authoring, exporting to 988 DVD One Step exporting to 988 D-Verb AudioSuite plug-in 952 Dynamic relink applying target settings 1204 applying working settings 1204 described 1194 displaying available media 1211 limitations 1203 quality matching 1224 to target settings 1208 Dynamic Relink S
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Enlarge Frame command (Edit menu) 324, 628 Enlarge Track command (Edit menu) 660 Enlarging frames in the bin 324 tracks in the Timeline 660 Entering additional film data 146 frames-per-second rates for PAL transfers 152 ink numbers 154 key numbers 152 optional timecodes 153 pulldown of the sync point 148 Segment mode 683 Source/Record mode 564 Trim mode 730 EQ AudioSuite plug-ins 957 EQ effects adjusting while playing 830 applying 819 removing 825 templates for 827 ERIMovie file f
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ shot log files 154 TARGA files 1340 to Avid DS 988 to Avid DVD by Sonic 988, 988 to DigiDelivery 988 to Digidesign Pro Tools 988 to DVD 988, 988 to HDV device 1471 to HDV settings 1332 to Sorenson Squeeze 988 to third-party applications 993 user profiles 85 using drag-and-drop method 995 VC1 media 1015 Wavefront files 1340 Windows Media 1008 with Avid Codecs for QuickTime, described 1004 with Avid Codecs for QuickTime, procedure for 1004 XDCAM 1010, 1011 YUV files 1340 Exp
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ File management 435 File names for Avid Projects folder 46 for Avid Users folder 46 Files batch import 315 exporting using drag-and-drop method 995 exporting, procedure for 995 exporting, reasons for 986 guidelines for moving 1084 importing 279 importing, guidelines 277 importing, using drag-and-drop method 312 reimporting 313 specifications for importing graphics 1386, 1386 specifications for importing OMFI 1393 transferring, reference of devices and methods 1096 Fill Sorted comm
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ from the Script window 651 Finding markers 518 FireWire capturing through 229, 229 connecting devices 179 drives, for transfer between systems 1096 selecting channel type 174 First (lower) Row of Info option (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 First Row of Buttons option (Composer settings) 1304, 1304 Flanger AudioSuite plug-in 964 Flash frames 716 Flat View command (Bin display Fast menu) 70 Focus button (Timeline) 679, 732 Focusing Timeline 679 Folders Avid Projects 46 Avid U
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Full Quality command (Video Quality menu) 506 Full Screen Playback enabling 492 settings 1345 Full Screen Playback command (Special menu) 492 Full Size Video command (Composer window context menu) 480 Full-Monitor Display 1232, 1232 Full-screen image size defined 1386 Full-screen Timeline 667 Function key commands (Capture Settings) 250 Funk Logic Mastererizer AudioSuite plug-in 948, 965 G Gain viewing gain values 760 Gain AudioSuite plug-in 965 Gang button 601 Ganging footage in
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Hardware check list for capturing 160 turning off 57 turning on 35 Hardware command (Tools menu) 113 Hardware tool displaying information 82 using 113 HD Component signal, adjusting output 1029 crossconverting and downconverting 1029 offline SD project formats for 1083 Raster Type selection for projects 49 sync options 1019 HD media offline formats for 1460 HD SDI embedded audio and sample rate conversion 1037 HDCAM SR Lite formats 371 HDCAM SR Lite media 369 HDCAM SR Lite
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Import Options section (Batch Import dialog box) 315 Import Settings XDCAM tab 1356 Import settings alpha channel options 1351 aspect ratio options 1351 Audio tab 1355 CCIR video levels 1351 described 1351 dominance options 1351 Image tab 1351 modifying 277 OMFI tab 1354 overview 277 RGB graphics levels 1351 Shot Log tab 1354 XDCAM tab 298 Import Settings dialog box 277 Import Target section (Batch Import dialog box) 315 Importing a script 618 animation files 1391 converting sampl
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ specifications for 1410 storage requirements for 1423 Internal command (Sync Lock menu in Video Output tool) 1018 International character support (ICS) taking advantage of 1480 International operating system 1481 Interplay Media tool with 441 Interplay Asset Manager 1095 Interplay Assist restrictions through 1146 Interplay environment relinking in 1211 Interplay Folder Settings 1358 Interplay Folder settings described 1358 Interplay Folder Settings dialog box 1115 Interpla
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ relinking clips by 268 Keyboard controlling decks from 255 mapping buttons to 109 mapping foreign 1488 mappings for playback control 502 Keyboard shortcuts audio keyframing 804 Volume Automation and Pan 804 Keyframes adjusting pan for individual 843 adjusting volume for individual 843 audio, keyboard shortcuts 804 Keykode format 152 Keypunch camera roll 1436 L Labroll data 146 Language non-English keyboard mapping 1488 non-English, typing in 1484 specifying in Get Info dialog box
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ importing from film-to-tape transfer systems 322 See Shot log files Logging 115, 156 additional timecodes 153 automatic, during film transfer 1436 automatically with DV 273 bypassing by autocapturing 226 directly into a bin, with a non-Avid-controlled deck 141 directly into a bin, with an Avid-controlled deck 136 errors during capturing 251 errors to the Console window 112 film information 146 guidelines for 135 pausing deck while 140 preroll 135 timecode 135 while capturi
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Marking audio clips 513 clips 510 footage 508 IN and OUT points 508 segments 510 segments in Segment mode 691, 692, 693 with markers 513, 519 Marking tape location using Mark Memory button 141 Marks clearing 508 IN and OUT points 508 phantom 608 Marquee Title Settings described 1360 Master clips See also Clips See also Subclips consolidating 445 copying 330, 331 creating new, with AudioSuite 908 deleting 332 duplicating 330 importing from P2 card 311, 311 locating from subclips 53
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ deleting in bins 332 deleting unreferenced clips 456 deleting using Media tool 443 finding related 457 managing in a workgroup environment 436 managing, overview 435 manipulating with the Media tool 440 restoring from videotape 471 unlinking 466 Media Files Capture settings 170 Media Indexer auto-indexing local drives 1361 described 1183 Media Search tab Interplay Window 1144 searching in Interplay Window 1163 Media Services Broker 1364 Media Services Settings 1016 Media S
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ MetaSync information in Markers window 521 MII component video standard unsupported 1378, 1378 Millivolts (mVolts) 1369 Mix Mode Selection 1291 Mixed rate clips defined 575 field-stepping in draft qualities 582 identifying in Timeline 578 limitations with XDCAM AMA media 582 summary of user interface 576 transcoding 582 using dynamic relink with 1209 using effect templates with 582 Mixed resolutions highlighting in bins 359 Mixed-rate clips limitations with markers 582 Mixed-rate
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ slates in the Script window 628 through clips 499 tracks in the Timeline 660 Moving settings between settings files 1283 MPEG resolutions described 1413 specifications storage requirements for 1429 Multi-angle View menus 1242 MultiCamera editing 1229 Full-Monitor Display 1232 Nine Split Source view 1232 Quad Split Source view 1232 MultiCamera mode committing edits 1243 described 1232 Group menu 1241 grouping 1230 linecut option 1239 Multi-angle menus 1242 MultiCamera Nine
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ New Audio Track command (Clip menu) 567, 703 New Bin button (Project window) 68 New Bin command (File menu) 68 New Deck Controller command (Tools menu) 105 New Folder command (Bin display Fast menu) 70 New Meta Track command (Clip menu) 703 New Project button (Select Project dialog box) 50, 1454 New Script command (File menu) 618 New sequence setting up 564 New Sequence command (Clip menu) 564 New Video Track command (Clip menu) 567, 703 Next In Group button 1238 Nine Split button
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ settings 73 shared projects 98 startup project 54 the Script window 618 Optical connection project settings 1291 Optimizing playback 506 Orphans See Offline items Other Bins folder (Project window) 69 OUT points See IN and OUT points Output assemble-edit recording 1040 audio 771, 1059, 1291 audio settings options 1035 audio, preparing for 1032 change list 1063 crash recording 1048 crossconverted sequences 1029 crossconverting and downconverting HD 1029 cut list 1063 Digita
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Pan and gain automation display (Timeline) 757 Pan automation 797 Panasonic P2 changing cards 379 exporting sequences to 1014 files and folders 375 formats 374 importing master clips 311, 311 loading drivers 376 mounting cards 376 transferring files 373, 378 updating drive list 376 workflow 426, 428 Panasonic P2 media 374 Parametric midrange in Audio EQtool 819 Partially online clips consolidating and deleting original media 1223 restoring from an archive 1197, 1223 viewing source
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ with DV devices 505 Playback control using keyboard 502 Playback devices transferring files to 1178 Playing clips and sequences using buttons 499 clips in a loop 494 takes from the Script window 631 Plug-in Canon 381, 383 GFCAM 385 MXF 405 P2 374 QuickTime 400 RED 388 XDCAM 369 XDCAM EX 369 Plug-in effects dialog box 906 Digidesign AudioSuite described Fast menu 907 Plugin store 1271 plugin store 1270 Plug-ins See AudioSuite plug-ins plugins downloading 1271 PNG file forma
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ deleting 85 described 84 exporting 85 updating 85 Progressive clips mixing with interlaced 575 Progressive media described 1432 Progressive resolutions storage requirements for 1426 Project command (Tools menu) 66 Project settings audio transfer 1442 described 1274 displaying 1277 Project window Bins tab 67 closing 66 displaying bins 67 displaying settings 1274 Format display, using 1460 Format tab 74 Info display 82 Info tab, using 1442 opening 66 Other Bins folder 69 overview of
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Q QRT file format import specifications for 1388 Quad Split button 1232 Quad Split display 1232 Quad Split Source view 1232 Quality matching audio 1226 example 1228 for dynamic relink 1224 video format 1226 video resolutions 1226 Quality of film-to-tape transfer 1436 Quick Transition button fading audio with 811 Quick Trim mode 719 QuickTime AMA 400 AMA plug-in 400 Avid codecs for 1004 clip parameters 401 Histogram 404, 404 source settings 401 supported AMA codecs 401 work
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ transcoding clip 399 transferring files 390 RED media 388 Redo command (Edit menu) 571 Redoing edits 571 Reduce Frame command (Edit menu) 324, 628 Reduce Track command (Edit menu) 660 Reducing frames in the bin 324 tracks in the Timeline 660 Reference command (Sync Lock menu in Video Output tool) 1018 Reformat attribute 584, 586, 587 Reformatting clips and sequences 584 Reformat options 587 setting Reformat value 586 Refresh All button, refreshing application with 1157 Refresh but
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ audio EQ effects 825 audio IN and OUT points 513 color indicators (Script window) 634 deck configuration elements 178 off-screen indicators (Script window) 633 text from the Script window 621 Renaming bins 68 clips in Interplay Window 1157 settings 1281 Render On-the-Fly option (Trim settings) 1376 Render order for audio effects 779 Render settings described 1366 Rendering AudioSuite plug-in effects 908 motion effects 1366 Rendition file format import specifications for 13
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ reference black and white 1369 Right Arrow key moving through footage with 502 Right-click menus 37 Rollers See Trim mode Rough cut assembling, in the Script window 653 Rough cuts creating 570 RS422 output 1056 RTAS copying plug-ins 902 editing plug-ins 900 inserting plug-ins 898 moving plug-ins 902 ordering plug-ins on a track 902 removing inserts 903 using RTAS effect templates 903 RTAS plug-ins AIR Chorus 920 AIR Distortion 920 AIR Dynamic Delay 922 AIR Enhancer 924 AIR Ensembl
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ adding 623 changing 623 deleting 623 searching for 623 Scene data 146 Sci-Fi AudioSuite plug-in 975 Screen resolutions NTSC, PAL, HD 1403 Screenings interactive, in Script window 652 Script box in Script view 326 Script integration described 614 elements of 614 for video projects 614 holding slates on screen 628 importing a script for 618 in Script window 633 in slates 614 in takes 633 interpolating position for 627 lining conventions in 612 using color indicators 634 usin
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ purchasing 641 Scroll bar in Timeline 677 Scroll bar/position bar in Timeline 677 Scroll wheel mouse, using 38 setting up 38 Scrubbing audio 754 displaying markers during 1371 SDI embedded audio and sample rate conversion 1037 Search results filtering 559 Search tab (Interplay Window) 1144 Searches Category attribute 1165 Interplay Window 1163 keeping open 1166 performing 1163 remote assets attributes 1165 saving 1166 Text attribute 1165 Time attribute 1165 Types attribute 1165 Se
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ trim sides 723, 733 unreferenced clips in the bin 339 video resolutions 163 Selecting a language PhraseFind 555 Send To DigiDelivery 988 Digidesign Pro Tools 988 DVD 988, 988 DVD authoring 988 DVD One Step 988 Sorenson Squeeze 988 using predefined templates 988 Send To dialog box 988, 993 Send to Playback from an Avid editing system 1167 Send to Playback command with MultiRez 1211 Sequence Info dialog box 565 Sequence information displaying, in a Script window 618 summary
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Set Type Filter dialog box 1156 Setting a language (Macintosh) 1481 Setting the bin display 359 Settings AMA 1289 asset manager 436 Audio 1290 Audio export 1339 audio pan defaults 795 Audio Project 193, 1291 Audio Project, DV audio pattern 1291 audio transfer 1442 Bin 1298 Capture 1298 Communication (Serial) Ports Tool 1303 Controller 807, 1308 copying between files 1283 Correction 1309 Deck 1311 Deck Configuration 1311 deck configuration 174 Deck Preferences 1313 default 1282 del
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Shortcut menus 37 Shortcuts creating in Media Directory panel 1149 removing from Media Directory panel 1149 Shot log files Avid log file specifications 123 converting with Avid Log Exchange (Macintosh) 119 converting with Avid Log Exchange (Windows) 116 exporting 154 importing 156 importing file from Final Cut Pro 116 preparing text editors for 132 preparing with MediaLog 133 Shot logs See Shot log files Shot marks GFCAM 388 Show Add Keyframe Mode Menu command 1317 Show Al
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Snapping to transitions in Timeline 680 Soft Keys (Avid Artist Series controllers) 881 Softimage file format import specifications for 1388 Software DV25 codec 1298 Solo track monitoring in Timeline 699 in Trim mode 727 Soloing audio tracks 752 tracks 699 tracks, advantages of 697 Sonic authoring DVDs in 988 burning DVD in one step 988 Sony XDCAM loading drivers 372 workflow 300 Sony XDCAM and XDCAM EX workflow 423 Sony XDCAM low-resolution workflow 424 Sorenson Squeeze exporting
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Startup project opening 54 Statistics displaying drive space 81 printing 78 viewing 78 Statistics file described 78 Statistics files importing 80 Step Backward buttons 499 Step Backward One Field button 499 Step Forward buttons 499 Step Forward One Field button 499 Stepping J-K-L key method 503 single-field 499 with buttons 499 Stereo option (audio) 815 stock footage 1245 downloading 1266 purchasing 1265 stock footage clips about 1250 stock footage report 1264 Stop at Head
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ autosyncing 603 breaks, avoiding when editing 595 breaks, defined 595 breaks, displaying 595 breaks, fixing 598 detecting locked signal when capturing 187 establishing for audio-only input 161 establishing for output 1018 for capturing video 160 issues with Client monitor 488 maintaining during segment move 688 maintaining during trim 737 maintaining with Add Edit 601 maintaining with leader 599 maintaining with markers 600 methods for shoots 1436 options for HD formats 1019 perfo
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Telecine importing log file from 322 transfer quality 1436 Test patterns for calibrating video output 1027 Test patterns, importing 295 Text adding in bin Script view 326 Text editors creating Avid logs with 123 for Avid logs 132 Text in the Script window changing font of 621 cutting, copying, and pasting 621 linking clips to 625 linking clips to with 638 removing 621 searching through 623, 623 selecting 621 Text view (bin display) described 320 in the Media tool 440 Three
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ saving 674 scale bar 679 scroll bar in 677 scroll bar/position bar in 677 scrolling option 666 Segment mode 668, 681 selecting segments 683 selecting tracks 696 setting the scroll bar 677 settings, Start Filler Duration option 568 soloing audio tracks 752 soloing tracks 699 source material, displaying 673 top toolbar 673 Track Control panel 671, 751 track selection behavior 778 Track Selector panel 695 viewing footage 478 views, replacing 674 views, restoring default 674 views, sa
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ user preferences for 567 using 695 Track Solo and Track Mute buttons (Volume Automation and Pan) 778 Tracking color-frame shifts 715 Tracking frames with frame numbers 342, 342 Tracking information clip duration 483 displaying 481 options 483 Tracking Information menu displaying 481 Tracks adding 703 audio, adjusting in Audio Mixer tool 782 audio, mixing down 815 cycling through 696 deleting in Segment mode 703 deleting with Media tool 443 enlarging and reducing 660 groupi
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Trim AudioSuite plug-in 983 Trim B-side button 723 Trim mode basic trimming procedure 731 Big, described 719 Big, switching with Small Trim mode 721 customizing 719 described 719 Dual-image playback 734 entering 730 exiting 730 options (Trim settings) 1376 playing transition loop parameters 732 Quick, described 719 reviewing edits 732 selecting several transitions 726 selecting single transitions 726 selecting trim sides 723 selecting video tracks 725 Small, described 719 Small, s
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ user profiles 85 writable properties (Interplay window) 1158 Usage information viewing 78 USB-to-MIDI converter configuring software 854 testing installation 855 troubleshooting connections 856 User changing folder name 58 selecting another 1279 User bits in LTC reading 747 User files restoring from backup 59 User interface customizing appearance 87 User profiles changing 85 creating 85 deleting 85 described 84 exporting 85 items created by system 46 updating 85 User setti
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ adjusting without color bars 216 Video Mixdown AAF export to Pro Tools 1000 Video Output tool options display 1024 Sync Lock menu 1018 using preset buttons in 1023 Video Output Tool command (Tools menu) 1018, 1022, 1024, 1029, 1039 Video Output Tool settings described 1379 HD tab 1383 SD tab 1379, 1382 Video projects using script integration in 614 Video quality settings with multicamera and group clips 1237 Video Quality Menu button 506 Video resolutions availability for Frame Ch
Index ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ W WAVE file format 195 option in Audio Project settings 1291 Waveform monitor calibrating input 209 Waveform plots options in the Timeline Fast menu 758 Wavefront file format additional Export options 1340 import specifications for 1389 Wide-screen format (16:9) 160 Windows changing fonts 89 Composer 479 Interplay 1118 Marker edit entry 519 Project 65 Windows Media exporting as 1008 exporting as VC1 1015 VC1 resolution 1413 Windows Media Legacy Template 1335, 1335 Windows
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Index markers 306 proxy media 307, 1010 resolutions 1010 workflow 1010 XDCAM HD 1475 XDCAM raster type 1475 XDCAM AMA media limitations with mixed rate clips 582 XDCAM EX AMA plug-in 369 XDCAM EX media 369 XDCAM media 369 XLR adaptor for consumer level audio 1038 XWindows file format import specifications for 1389 Y YUV file format additional Export options for 1340 import specifications for 1389 Z Zoom Back command (Timeline Fast menu) 679 Zoom In command (Timeliine Fast menu
Index 1553 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
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