Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide Version 2.
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Manager, DS-StorageCalc, DV Toolkit, DVD Complete, D-Verb, Eleven, EM, Euphonix, EUCON, EveryPhase, Expander, ExpertRender, Fader Pack, Fairchild, FastBreak, Fast Track, Film Cutter, FilmScribe, Flexevent, FluidMotion, Frame Chase, FXDeko, HD Core, HD Process, HDpack, Home-to-Hollywood, HYBRID, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, iKnowledge, Image Independence, Impact, Improv, iNEWS, iNEWS Assign, iNEWS ControlAir, InGame, Instantwrite, Instinct, Intelligent Content Management, Intelligent Digital Actor Technolog
Using This Guide This guide is intended for all users of an Avid MediaCentral | UX system (formerly Interplay Central). This guide describes product features and basic user procedures, such as user settings and story or asset creation. For initial installation and configuration, see the Avid MediaCentral Platform Services Installation and Configuration Guide. For administrative information, see the Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide.
If You Need Help Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action 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. Ctrl+key or mouse action Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the mouse action. For example, Command+Option+C or Ctrl+drag. | (pipe character) The pipe character is used in some Avid product names, such as Interplay | Production.
Contents Using This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 If You Need Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Avid Training Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving or Copying Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Renaming Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Creating a New Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Displaying or Hiding Referenced Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Viewing and Editing Metadata . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5 Using the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Displaying the Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 The Sequence Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline .
Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Snapping in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Trimming Segments in the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Using L-Cuts in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Splitting a Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Match Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Opening an Enclosing Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Transcoding Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 9 Searching for Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Search and the Central Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Federated Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Media | Index and Indexed Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 The Search Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 12 iNEWS Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Sending Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Viewing and Replying to Received Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Chapter 13 Sending to Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Caching Queues and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Chapter 16 MediaCentral | UX Tablet Application for the iPad . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 17 MediaCentral | UX for Android Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Connection Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Android Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 Gestures for the Mobile Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 Getting Started The following main topics describe basic user tasks as well as various concepts and features you might encounter when working with MediaCentral | UX. • About MediaCentral | UX • Signing In to MediaCentral | UX • Understanding the Application Layouts • Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration • Support for iNEWS Communities • Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help About MediaCentral | UX MediaCentral UX delivers workflow tools for media professionals through both Web and mobile applications.
Signing In to MediaCentral | UX Interplay | Production The Avid Interplay Production system combines an asset database with workflow management software, both of which are integrated with Avid shared storage and Avid archive solutions. Interplay Production provides tools that let journalists and producers add rich media to stories and send the assembled video sequence to a playout server. Signing In to MediaCentral | UX Use a supported browser to connect to and sign in to your MediaCentral server.
Understanding the Application Layouts n When you sign in to MediaCentral UX, you are automatically signed in to your iNEWS newsroom computer system, your Interplay Production system, or both. If, however, the security settings for one of these integrated systems is inaccurate, you might see a warning message that states that the application is unable to authorize the sign-in name or password. If you receive this message, click the link provided and verify your security settings. 4.
Understanding the Application Layouts Icon Pane Description Refer to... Help A pane that displays the help system. “Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help” on page 33 Launch A pane from which you navigate to various “The Launch Pane” on page 29 locations. This pane displays remote file systems, local file systems, and other locations for assets. Markers A pane in which you can view and create markers. “The Markers Pane” on page 220 Media A pane in which you can view and edit media assets.
Understanding the Application Layouts Icon Pane Description Refer to... Search A pane from which you can conduct a search. “The Search Pane” on page 201 This pane functions similarly to the Search bar but includes criteria for advanced searches. Sequence A pane that includes the Sequence Timeline “The Sequence Pane” on and other controls that let you create and edit a page 75 sequence.
Understanding the Application Layouts 3 Bar Description Refer to... Search A section of the application from which you can conduct a search. The results of a search can be dragged from the bar and placed in an area as a pane for better viewing. “The Search Bar” on page 200 Working with Layouts The MediaCentral UX Web application is installed with predefined layouts. Not all available panes are included in each layout, but you can open additional panes when you need them.
Understanding the Application Layouts Layout Description Available To Rundown Journalists use this layout to edit and create stories. All users, based on role Story Journalists use this layout to edit and create stories that All users, based on include video and audio. By default the Sequence pane is role displayed vertically. This layout is displayed the first time a user signs in. You can switch to another layout at any time by selecting it from the Layout selector.
Understanding the Application Layouts Working with Areas and Panes You can customize MediaCentral UX by adjusting a layout’s areas and panes. A single area can contain one or more panes. When an area contains more than one pane, the panes are displayed in a tabular format, with one pane on top of the others. The following illustration shows a typical Story layout. This layout is composed of six different areas and seven different panes. The area in the lower right contains two panes.
Understanding the Application Layouts One way to customize this layout is to combine two or more panes into one area, thus reducing the number of areas and allowing more space for the remaining areas. In the following illustration, the layout is composed of four areas and seven panes. The area on the left contains the Queue/Story pane, the Launch pane, and an Assets pane.
Understanding the Application Layouts You can also move a pane to create a new area. In the following illustration, the Assets pane was moved to the left to create a new area. 4 1 1 2 3 5 If the number of tabbed panes within an area exceeds the area’s space within the browser window, Right and Left Arrow buttons appear next to the Pane Menu button, enabling you to navigate through all of the panes. You can move panes to save screen space and reconfigure panes in a way that best suits your needs.
Understanding the Application Layouts n Do not click the X in the pane’s tab unless you want to close the pane. The drop zone is highlighted in orange to help you identify where the pane will be positioned within the window when you release the mouse button. The following illustrations demonstrate the process of dragging the Media pane to each drop zone. In the illustrations, the Audio pane is already located in the area to which the Media pane is being moved.
Understanding the Application Layouts Drop Zone Position Result Bottom Left Right 28
Understanding the Application Layouts The Menu Bar The application’s menu bar includes the following menus: • • Home Option Description User Settings Opens the Settings dialog box with configuration options available for modification to non-administrative users. For more information, see “User Settings” on page 344. About Opens a screen with information about the product Panes This menu lists the panes that you can open in the selected layout.
Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration Icon Description Connected Interplay Production system Disconnected Interplay Production system Connected iNEWS system Disconnected iNEWS system Project in the iNEWS database iNEWS Project (not started) iNEWS Project (expired) Opening a system, such as an iNEWS newsroom computer system or Interplay Production system, lets you view the contents of that system’s database in the Assets pane.
Support for iNEWS Communities The MediaCentral installation program installs only the container needed for Active X controls. You need to install additional software for your browser as described in the Avid MediaCentral Platform Installation and Configuration Guide. Enabling MOS To use plug-ins, you need to enable MOS in MediaCentral UX. Select Home > User Settings > MOS and then select “MOS enabled.” Installing Plug-Ins For procedures on how to install plug-ins, see the documentation for the plug-in.
Support for iNEWS Communities Any projects listed are associated with your local system. You cannot show projects that are associated with remote systems. In MediaCentral UX, you can perform the following tasks on iNEWS remote systems: n • Browse stories in the Assets pane. • Load queues in the Queue/Story pane. • Display stories in the Queue/Story pane. • Create and edit stories. • Copy production cues from a story on one iNEWS system to a story on another. • Search a selected remote system.
Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help Viewing MediaCentral | UX Help The Help system for MediaCentral UX combines the contents of the following documents: • Avid MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide • Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide • Media | Distribute User’s Guide. You can view help related to a specific pane.
2 Working with Assets The following main topics describe the Assets pane and how you can work with various assets in MediaCentral UX. • The Assets Pane • Working with News Assets • Working with Media Assets See also “Working with Remote Assets” on page 148. The Assets Pane Assets are items that are stored in a database, such as stories, scripts, video clips, and audio clips. From the Assets pane, you can view assets for items that are contained in the Launch pane.
The Assets Pane To open an additional Assets pane, do one of the following: t Select Panes > Assets. t Right-click an item in the Launch pane and select Open in New Assets Tab. The new pane is displayed next to a previously opened Assets pane. If you closed the last open Assets pane, the new pane is displayed in an existing area. To close an Assets pane: t n Click the Close button on the Asset pane’s tab.
The Assets Pane Navigating in the Assets Pane As you browse through a database, the history of your navigation is retained in views, and you can go backward and forward to display those views. The name that appears in the Assets pane’s tab also changes to reflect your location within the database you are viewing. The following table lists the navigation buttons in the Assets pane. Button Description Back button toggles the current view to the previous view in the pane.
Working with News Assets Working with News Assets The following topics describe the iNEWS database as it is displayed in the Assets pane: • Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets • Navigating the iNEWS Database Identifying iNEWS Directories, Queues, Projects, and Facets The iNEWS database is a file structure that is organized by directories that contain subfolders or queues, which in turn contain stories.
Working with News Assets Icon Description Directory or subfolder in the iNEWS database Indexed directory or subfolder Queue Indexed Queue Locked Queue Indexed and Locked Queue Facet Facet (not started) Facet (expired) In addition to facets, each project also contains the following queues in the Assets pane: Icon Description ALL queue - shows all stories associated with the project and its facets. These stories do not actually reside in the ALL queue.
Working with Media Assets Navigating the iNEWS Database This topic provides procedures for viewing the database file structure by opening directories and queues. For information about projects and facets, see “Working with Projects” on page 49. The contents of directories are displayed in the Assets pane. The contents of queues are viewed in the Queue/Story pane. For more information, see “The Queue/Story Pane” on page 53. To open a directory: t Double-click the directory in the Assets pane.
Working with Media Assets • “Viewing Thumbnails” on page 47 • “Working with Remote Assets” on page 148 Identifying Interplay | Production Systems and Media Assets Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets and indicate status in the Assets pane. Icon Description Column Audio asset Name Video asset: master clip.
Working with Media Assets Navigating the Interplay | Production Database The contents of folders in an Interplay Production system are displayed in the Assets pane. You can double-click an asset to open it in the Media pane. To open an Interplay Production folder: t Double-click the folder in the Assets pane. This action opens the folder's contents in the same pane. To return to the previous view of the database file structure, click the Back button.
Working with Media Assets 2. Select the columns you want to add or deselect the columns you want to remove. You can use the search box to find a particular column. 3. Click the Close box or click anywhere outside the window to save your settings. Resizing Columns You can adjust the column width of any column displayed in the Assets pane. To resize a column: 1. Position your mouse pointer over the dividing line between two columns.
Working with Media Assets Moving or Copying Assets You can move or copy assets in the Interplay Production database by using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands. To move an asset to another folder: 1. Select one or more assets. 2. Right-click and select Cut. 3. Select the folder into which you want to move the asset, right-click, and select Paste. To copy an asset to another folder: 1. Select one or more assets. 2. Right-click and select Copy. 3.
Working with Media Assets To create a new folder in the Interplay Production database: 1. In the Assets tab, navigate into the folder in which you want to create the subfolder. n Selecting a folder does not create a subfolder in the folder. 2. Do one of the following to create the folder: t Click the Pane Menu button and select Create Folder. t Right-click an item and select Create Folder. A new folder is created with the name New.Folder. If there is already a folder named New.Folder, .
Working with Media Assets Viewing and Editing Metadata The Metadata pane displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in the Interplay Production database, such as Comments or Creation date. Some properties are created automatically and others you can create or edit manually. In the Metadata pane, if a property is editable, a text box or drop-down menu is displayed.
Working with Media Assets For information on system and custom properties, and assigning permissions, see the Interplay | Engine and Interplay | Archive Engine Administration Guide. Note the following: • You can cut, copy, and paste text between the Metadata pane and other applications. • You can use the Tab key to move to the next editable text box or use Shift+Tab to move to the previous text box. • Text is limited to 32,000 characters.
Working with Media Assets Viewing Thumbnails The Thumbnails pane lets you display a series of small images of an asset (thumbnails). Viewing and double-clicking thumbnails can help you navigate through source clips and markers more quickly. You can view thumbnails in the following arrangements: • Time-based: Shows the first frame, a frame every ten seconds, and the last frame. The exact frame displayed depends on the type of timecode (drop-frame, non-drop frame, 24 fps, and so on).
Working with Media Assets • n You can view thumbnails for a clip that is ingesting (edit-while-capture) after it is checked into the Interplay Production database (approximately every two minutes). Click the Refresh button to update the display. Support for edit-while-capture (EWC) is qualified only for Avid AirSpeed Multi Stream and AS5000 systems. • Click the Refresh button to update the display for changes to the asset, for example, if you add or delete a marker. To view thumbnails: 1.
3 Working with Projects The following main topics describe the Project/Story pane and how to use projects and facets in news production: • Opening Projects or Facets • The Project/Story Pane • Associating Stories with Projects or Facets • Opening a Project or Facet Associated with a Story Opening Projects or Facets Using projects is a feature of the iNEWS newsroom computer system that provides a way of categorizing stories by topic so that news teams working on a particular topic can find everything
The Project/Story Pane The Project/Story Pane The contents of a project include an ALL queue, a QUERY queue, a BUCKET queue, and any sub-topics, known as facets. For example, the following illustration shows the Hurricane Earl project has facets for topics like Damage and Evacuation. Every project has an ALL queue that displays in the Queue panel all stories associated with the project and its facets. Any indexed story can be associated with a project or facet.
The Project/Story Pane n The BUCKET queue was first introduced in version 4.0 of iNEWS. When an iNEWS database is upgraded to v4.0 from an earlier version, current projects get BUCKET queues; however, these queues are not yet indexed, which is required for all stories associated with projects and/or facets. For more information, see the “iNEWS Projects” chapter of the Avid iNEWS Setup and Configuration Guide. The Project/Story pane functions similarly to the Queue/Story pane.
Associating Stories with Projects or Facets n You cannot have both the Project and Story buttons toggled off simultaneously. When only one is on and the you click that button, the system automatically toggles it off and toggles the other button on. The name on the tab of a Project/Story pane changes based on the story you have selected in the pane. You can move the mouse pointer over the tab to view the entire path name.
4 Building a Script The following main topics describe the Queue/Story pane and basic techniques of script building.
The Queue/Story Pane q q w w 1 The Queue section 2 The Story section, also called the Script Editor The name on the tab of a Queue/Story pane changes based on the story you select in the pane. You can move the mouse pointer over the tab to view the entire path name. When only the queue is displayed in the pane, the display is called a grid view. When only the story is shown in the pane, the display is called a story view. When both are visible, the display is called a split view.
The Queue/Story Pane The ratio you set is retained when you sign out. n n You cannot enter data in the Queue section. If you change queue attributes in iNEWS while you are working in MediaCentral UX, you need to sign out of MediaCentral UX and sign in again to view your changes.” The Queue/Story Toolbar The Queue/Story pane includes a toolbar that has buttons that toggle the display within the pane and provide functions for editing your story.
The Queue/Story Pane Display or Control Description 11 Refresh Refreshes the queue. 12 Lock Locks the story. See “Locking and Unlocking a Story” on page 67 13 Annotation Dictate text. See “Using Annotation to Dictate a Story” on page 61. Although the toolbar always appears at the top of the pane, even when only the queue is shown in the grid view, most of the buttons are used for editing stories, not for modifying the queue.
The Queue/Story Pane You can use the horizontal dividing line between the Story Form and the rest of the sections to adjust the ratio of the Script Editor display within the pane. You can also choose to hide the Story Form while still viewing the other sections of the Script Editor. To hide the Story Form, do one of the following: t Click the Pane Menu button located at the top right corner of the Queue/Story pane and select Hide Story Form. t Right-click in the Story Form and select Hide Story Form.
Creating a Story Creating a Story You can create a story in MediaCentral UX or edit a story previously created in MediaCentral UX or iNEWS. For more information on how to edit existing stories, see “Editing a Story” on page 62. When connected to an iNEWS server version 4.0 or higher, you can create a new story in a queue or a facet. When you create a story in a facet, the story will be associated with that facet and will live in a special “project bucket.
Segmenting Stories Segmenting Stories You can write a story in a single segment or divide it into multiple segments. The following illustration shows a story in a single segment. You can use segments to time the text and integrate it with video, audio, and production cues. See “Adding Media to a Story” on page 70. Multiple timed segments are combined to form the overall story. The following illustration shows the same story as the one in the previous example, but written as a segmented story.
Writing Stories in Right-to-Left Languages You can add or delete segments, split a segment in two, and rearrange segments within a story. To add a segment to a story: t Click in the segment marked NEW located at the bottom of the story and begin typing. See the previous illustration for an example. To split a segment in two: 1. Position the cursor in the story where you want to split the text into two segments. 2. Do one of the following: t Right-click and select Split Segment.
Using Annotation to Dictate a Story - • Queue grid cells switch to right-to-left and right-aligned if the first character in the cell is a right-to-left character. If the cell is center-aligned by default, it will remain center-aligned regardless of cell content. Manual switching - If focus is in any segment, alignment of all segments will be switched. Reloading the story will return the segment alignment to the default.
Editing a Story 3. Speak clearly. If you want sentence punctuation in your text, you can type it in later, or you can say what punctuation is needed as you speak. For example, if you want the text to be Hello, I’m Jane Doe., then you would need to say, “Hello comma I’m Jane Doe period.” The system punctuates contractions for you. For best results, conduct your dictation in a location without much background noise.
Editing a Story To paste text: t n Select the text and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Macintosh). To immediately undo the previous editing change, press Ctrl+Z. On a Macintosh, press Command+Z. To undo the previous edit, do one of the following: t Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Macintosh). t Right-click and select Undo. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Undo. To redo the previous edit, do one of the following: t Press Ctrl+Y (Windows) or Command+Y (Macintosh).
Editing a Story Closed captioning is most often used for “sound-bite verbatims.” The text for closed captioning appears green in the script and is sent to a closed caption encoder if your station uses such a device to broadcast scripts for the hearing-impaired. Closed captioning text does not appear in the teleprompter, and it is not included in the calculations of a script’s read time. n The default normal text style is sent to both the teleprompter and to any closed caption encoder used at the station.
Editing a Story When selected, the production cue marker is colored orange, and the information in the production cue is visible in the Cue List. You can copy one or more production cues from one story to another. To insert a production cue in a script: 1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker. 2. Do one of the following: t Right-click and select Insert Production Cue. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Insert Production Cue.
Editing a Story To copy one or more production cues to another story: 1. Open two stories. 2. Click and hold the mouse and select the production cue or cues, or text that includes the production cues. 3. Press Ctrl+C. 4. Position the insert cursor where you want to insert the production cue or cues. 5. Press Ctrl+V. If necessary, the production cues are renumbered to fit sequentially into the target story. You can also drag and drop the production cues from one story to another.
Deleting or Recovering a Deleted Story Adding a Primary Machine Control Instruction The machine control event associated with the Story Form, by default, takes precedence over other machine control commands put into a script, when the event list is generated by the iNEWS monitor server. If you want the machine control event associated with the Story Form to appear in a position other than first in the event list, you can insert a placeholder in the Story.
Locking and Unlocking a Story Segmented edit locking allows for one user to change Story Form data while another user has a lock on the story’s text and cue list. This is beneficial for producers who might need to make modifications in the Story Form section of the Script Editor while a reporter is still working on the body of the story itself. Easy locks and key locks can only be applied to a story from an iNEWS workstation, but the security measures are honored within MediaCentral UX.
Inserting Script Templates Navigating between the Story Form section of the Script Editor to the Story or Cue List sections releases any segmented edit lock you have on the Story Form. The reverse does the same for any edit lock you might have on the story body. All changes you made while having either lock are saved by the system before the locks are released.
Inserting MOS Placeholders Inserting MOS Placeholders You can create a placeholder item for a third-party MOS device in an iNEWS story, in either the story form or as a story’s production cue. To add it to the story form, the story form must be capable of including MOS information. n The iNEWS server must be running iNEWS v4.0.3 or later. To insert a MOS object placeholder: 1. Position your cursor in one of the following places: - In a segment in the Story editor. - In any field in the Story form.
Copying and Sending iNEWS Links n Saving a story does not save a sequence associated with a story. You must save the sequence in the Sequence pane. See “Saving a Sequence” on page 88 Copying and Sending iNEWS Links You can copy and send links to stories, queues, iNEWS folders, iNEWS facets, and iNEWS projects. These links are in URL format and can be shared through e-mail, wikis, documents, or chat messages. The links are valid as long as the item exists in the iNEWS database.
Recovering Automatically Saved Stories To create a URL for an iNEWS link from the Queue/Story pane or the Project/Story pane, do one of the following: t Right-click an item and select Copy Link. t Select an item, click the Pane Menu button, and select Copy Link or Copy Container Link. To create a URL for an iNEWS project link from the Launch pane, do one of the following: t Right-click an item and select Copy Link. t Select an item, click the Pane Menu button, and select Copy Link.
Recovering Automatically Saved Stories Click the name of the asset to open the last saved version. If the asset is a story, the Queue/Story pane displays three additional buttons: - Recovered: Click this button to open the recovery file (from the local system). - Last Saved: Click this button to open the last saved file (from the Interplay Production database). - Keep This: Click this button to save the version that you display and delete the other version.
5 Using the Sequence Pane The following main topics describe the Sequence pane and how to use it: • Displaying the Sequence Pane • The Sequence Pane • Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences • Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline • Using the Sequence Zoom Bar • Viewing Sequence Information • Creating a Sequence • Saving a Sequence • Saving a Version of a Sequence • Recovering Automatically Saved Sequences • Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane • Open
The Sequence Pane The Sequence Pane The Sequence pane includes the Sequence Timeline and controls that let you edit a sequence. You can work with one of two Sequence Timelines: basic or advanced. See “Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 78. You can display the Sequence pane with a vertical timeline or a horizontal timeline. The following illustration shows the two timelines and two orientations and identifies the controls.
The Sequence Pane Control Description 4 Overwrite button Performs an overwrite edit. See “Performing an Overwrite Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on page 107 5 Replace button Performs a replace edit. See “Performing a Replace Edit” on page 111. 6 Delete Segment button Deletes the selected segment from the sequence. 7 Audio pane button Opens the Audio pane or brings it to the front. 8 Save button Saves the sequence in the Interplay Production database. See “Saving a Sequence” on page 88.
The Sequence Pane Control Description 15 Pane Menu button Provides options for working with sequences. 16 Position indicator Lets you scrub through a clip or sequence The following table describes the items in the Pane menu. Menu Item Description Undo Undoes the previous edit. See “Undoing and Redoing an Action in the Sequence Pane” on page 116. Redo Redoes the next previously undone edit. Save As Lets you rename and save a sequence in a different location.
Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences n Menu Item Description Help Opens a Help topic that describes the Sequence pane and its functions. The Sequence pane does not include commands to create a new sequence. You cannot add clips to the timeline until you have created or loaded a sequence. See “Creating a Sequence” on page 84. Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences When you create a sequence from the Assets pane, you can choose whether to create a basic sequence or an advanced sequence.
Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences Different colors for segments in the timeline indicate relationships between the segments: - Video without associated audio: dark blue - Video with associated NAT, or NAT only: green - Video with associated SOT, Video with associated NAT and SOT, or SOT only: light blue - VO: purple The following illustration shows, from left to right, Video with NAT and SOT, VO, Video with NAT, and Video only. An administrator can rename the audio track labels.
Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline You can display the Sequence pane with a vertical timeline or a horizontal timeline. You can change the orientation to your preference and the selection will be saved until you change it or reset your layout.
Using the Sequence Zoom Bar q q w w e e 1 Zoom bar 4 Zoom slider 2 Zoom region 5 Position indicator 3 Edit points r r t r The visible area of the timeline is referred to as the zoom region and is represented by the zoom slider. You can drag the zoom slider along the zoom bar to display a different zoom region anywhere in the sequence. The zoom region remains the same size as you drag the slider.
Using the Sequence Zoom Bar Position indicator in the zoom bar and in the zoom region. You can click anywhere in the zoom bar to move the zoom region left or right. In this way you can page through the sequence. With an advanced sequence loaded, the zoom bar displays a representation of the sequence as a set of colored bars. This representation is a “mini-map” that matches the content of the video and audio tracks of the sequence. These colored bars can help you navigate through the sequence.
Viewing Sequence Information t With the Sequence pane active, press the down arrow key to zoom in by 50 percent or press the up arrow key to zoom out by 50 percent. Viewing Sequence Information You can view the sequence name, format, and other details about the sequence loaded in the Sequence pane. To view sequence information: t Move the mouse pointer over the Sequence pane’s tab. The following table describes the information you can view.
Creating a Sequence Creating a Sequence You can create a sequence in MediaCentral UX and save it as an asset in the Interplay Production database. You can also create a sequence and associate it with an iNEWS story. In this case the sequence is referred to as a script sequence. Note the following: • You must create a sequence and load it into the Sequence pane before you can add clips to the Sequence Timeline. • You can open and edit some types of sequences created in another Avid application.
Creating a Sequence You can use this procedure to create a “placeholder” sequence for later editing. 3. Rename the sequence in the Assets pane by doing one of the following: t Select the sequence, click the name of the sequence, and type the new name, t Select the sequence and press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh). You can later edit the sequence by opening the Sequence pane and double-clicking the sequence. To create a sequence, edit it, and save it: 1.
Creating a Sequence 3. Click the Open Sequence button. The name of the sequence in the Sequence pane tab and in the Media pane displays the name of the opened story. Clicking the Open Sequence button automatically opens the Media pane if it is closed. If you later change the name of the story and you want to change the name of the sequence, you must rename the sequence in the Assets pane.
Creating a Sequence Rules for Creating a Script Sequence Keep in mind the following rules when creating a sequence that you want to associate with a story (referred to as a script sequence): • When creating a new sequence that you want to associate with a story, first open the Sequence pane, then click the Open Sequence button to associate the sequence with the story.
Saving a Sequence Audio-Only and Video-Only Sequences You can create and save a video-only advanced sequence (video track and no audio) or an audio-only advanced sequence (VO track and no video). However, send-to-playback and other workflows are not supported for video-only or audio-only sequences.
Saving a Version of a Sequence Saving a Version of a Sequence You can use the Save As feature to create and save a version of a sequence with a different name. You can also save the sequence in a different location. The new sequence is treated as a duplicate in the Interplay Production database, and can be edited independently from the original. n You can move or copy a sequence in the Assets pane by using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands. To save a version of a sequence: 1.
Recovering Automatically Saved Sequences Click the name of the asset to open the last saved version. If the asset is a sequence, the Sequence pane displays three additional buttons: - Recovered: Click this button to open the recovery file (from the local system). - Last Saved: Click this button to open the last saved file (from the Interplay Production database). - Keep This: Click this button to save the version that you display and delete the other version.
Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane Opening and Editing an Existing Sequence in the Sequence Pane MediaCentral UX lets you open and edit sequences that you created in MediaCentral UX, Avid editing applications, Interplay Assist, and Avid Instinct. You are limited in the types of sequences you can play and edit.
Opening a Sequence Associated with a Story To open an existing sequence in the Sequence pane: t Double-click a sequence in the Assets pane, the Search pane, or the Quick Search pane. The sequence is loaded into the Media pane and into the timeline in the Sequence pane.The Sequence pane automatically loads the sequence as basic or advanced.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story If you are a journalist working on a sequence associated with a story (a script sequence), you need to edit the clips in your sequence to match the script in your story. In MediaCentral UX, both the story segments and the Sequence pane include timing information to help you edit your script and your sequence. In the Story pane, a script is divided into story segments.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story n The previous illustration shows the Sequence pane in the horizontal orientation. You can change the orientation by clicking the Pane Menu button and selecting from the Orientation submenu. As you edit the text in your script and the media in your sequence, the story segments in the Story pane and the timing blocks in the Sequence pane remain synchronized to help you edit media to match your script.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story n • If you reorder story segments, the corresponding timing blocks are automatically reordered and media segments are moved with their timing blocks. • If you split a story segment, a new timing block is inserted after the selected timing block. Any media remains in the selected timing block. • Presenter instructions (red) and closed-captioning text (green) do not affect how iNEWS calculates the text duration.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story • If you insert a clip that is 10 seconds long, it fills 10 seconds of the timing block and the timing display changes to 0:10/0:16. Again, the media duration is red, because more media is needed. To fill this 6 second gap, you can lengthen the clip or add another clip. • If you insert a clip that is 20 seconds long, it extends the timing block 4 seconds. The timing display changes to 0:20/0:16.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story • If you insert a clip that is 16 seconds long, or you trim a clip to 16 seconds, the text duration and the media duration match. The timing display changes to 0:16/0:16. Adding text or removing text changes the text duration of a story segment, which automatically changes the duration of the timing block to match.You can manually adjust the duration of the timing block. See “Manually Adjusting Timing Blocks” on page 102.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story Editing Media into Timing Blocks Editing media into a timing block is similar to editing media into the sequence (see “Editing a Sequence” on page 104). You can perform insert edits or overwrite edits, trim segments, split segments, and so on. For example, you can insert a video clip into a timing block simply by dragging the clip from the Media viewer to a timing block.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story Extending a Segment into Another Timing Block By default, video and audio edits do not cross timing block boundaries. If you try to extend a media segment beyond the boundary of a timing block, the timing block enlarges to match the duration of the segment. If you want to extend a segment beyond the timing block, for example, to create an L-cut, you need to use the extend segment feature.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story You can return the extended segments to their original duration by clicking the Extract/Retract button to retract the segment. To extend a segment: 1. Move the position indicator to the location to which you want to extend the video segment. 2. Select the segment. You can select only a video segment and its associated audio segments (if available). Video, NAT, and SOT are selected, but only video and NAT will be extended.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story Showing and Hiding Empty Timing Blocks If a story segment does not contain any text, and its corresponding timing block does not contain media, the timing is displayed as 0:00/0:00. Because the timing block does not contain media, it is considered empty, and by default it is not shown in the sequence.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story Note the following: • If you extend a segment over a hidden timing block and into the next timing block, the hidden timing block is displayed and the segment is extended into it. • If you take any actions to change a timing block, such as manually adjusting its duration, the block will always be shown. To show timing blocks, do one of the following: t Click the Show/Hide Empty Timing Blocks button so that it is orange.
Editing a Sequence Associated with a Story To manually adjust a timing block: 1. Move the mouse pointer to the outside border of a timing block header so that a two-headed arrow appears. 2. Click the border of the header. The timing block header turns orange. n The timing block does not need to include media. Media does not need to be selected. 3. Drag the border to shorten or lengthen the duration of the timing block.
Editing a Sequence Editing a Sequence You can work with one of two sequences: a basic sequence or an advanced sequence (see “Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 78).
Editing a Sequence Performing an Insert Edit in a Basic Sequence The timeline for a basic sequence has two tracks: video (V) and audio (A). A basic sequence uses green for video and audio, as shown in the following illustration. For more information on basic sequences and advanced sequences, see “Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 78 and “Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline” on page 80. The video format is determined by the first clip that you add to the sequence.
Editing a Sequence Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence The default timeline for an advanced sequence has four tracks: Video, NAT (natural sound), SOT (sound on tape), and VO (voice-over). For information about colors in the timeline and other sequence information, see “Understanding Basic and Advanced Sequences” on page 78 and “Selecting a Horizontal or Vertical Timeline” on page 80.
Editing a Sequence n The examples in this topic use a horizontal timeline. If you are editing a sequence in a vertical timeline, the guideline is also vertical, and the edits are determined by dragging to the left or to the right of the guideline. The video format is determined by the first clip that you add to the sequence. Any additional clips must match the initial video format. To perform an insert edit using drag and drop: 1. Load a clip in the Media pane and mark In and Out points.
Editing a Sequence • Drag a clip from the Media viewer and drop it on the Sequence Timeline. This method is a quick way to build a sequence but has fewer options. - You can overwrite only from the beginning of a video segment. - You can drag only when the Media pane is in Asset mode. The following illustration shows how a video-only overwrite edit is displayed when you drag a clip to the timeline. A thin guideline is displayed through the video track.
Editing a Sequence n The examples in this topic use a horizontal timeline. If you are editing a sequence in a vertical timeline, the guideline is also vertical, and the edits are determined by dragging to the left or to the right of the guideline. If you have both NAT and SOT segments associated with the video, you can enable both tracks to overwrite the video segment and both audio segments. You can enable the VO track, but only VO audio will be overwritten.
Editing a Sequence 3. (Optional) Click a track selector to enable the audio track or tracks on which you want to overwrite the audio. If you do not enable an audio track, only video is overwritten. n The Video track is always enabled. You can overwrite video only, but you cannot overwrite audio only. 4. Click the Overwrite button or press the B key. The selected material overwrites the material in the timeline. To perform an overwrite edit using drag and drop: 1.
Editing a Sequence - If the selected material is the same length or longer than the segment that you are overwriting, and you are overwriting only video, the audio of the overwritten segment remains in the sequence. The audio is not associated with any video in the timeline. For more information, see “Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment” on page 119.
Editing a Sequence • A replace edit preserves any dissolves in the sequence. MediaCentral UX includes the necessary media handles when determining if the edit is possible. If not enough material is available, a replace edit shortens a dissolve at the beginning or end of a segment, while keeping the dissolve symmetrical. • A replace edit does not preserve any audio volume or panning that were applied to the selected segment before the replace edit. You need to make these adjustments again.
Editing a Sequence To replace video and audio in an advanced sequence: 1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point. 2. In the sequence, select the segment that you want to replace. 3. Select the NAT or SOT button, or both. 4. Click the Replace button. The selected video and audio is replaced. In the following illustration, the NAT track is selected, and after the edit the Video and NAT tracks are green, to indicate video plus NAT.
Editing a Sequence To replace voice-over audio in an advanced sequence: 1. Load a clip in Asset mode and mark an IN point. 2. In the sequence, select the voice-over audio segment you want to replace. 3. Click the VO button. 4. Click the Replace button. The selected audio is replaced.
Editing a Sequence Enabling an Audio Track When editing an advanced sequence, you can enable audio tracks in the following combinations: • Video and NAT track • Video and SOT track • Video and NAT and SOT tracks • VO track Enabling an audio track provides options for the following operations: • Splitting a segment. See “Splitting a Segment” on page 126. • Performing an insert edit. See “Performing an Insert Edit in an Advanced Sequence” on page 106. • Performing an overwrite edit.
Editing a Sequence Adding Media from a Saved Sequence to a Sequence You can load a sequence from the Interplay Production database into Asset mode in the Media pane, but you cannot mark In and Out points and edit the selected media into a sequence. However, you can use the Match Frame feature to open the source clip for a particular frame and then select media from the source clip. To add media from a saved sequence to a sequence: 1.
Editing a Sequence To redo an action, do one of the following: t Press Ctrl+Y (Windows) or Command+Y (Macintosh). t Select Redo from the Sequence pane menu. t Right-click in the Sequence pane and select Redo from the context menu Moving or Deleting Segments in the Timeline After you add assets to a sequence, you can rearrange them in the timeline. A portion of media that is contained on a track in a sequence is called a segment.
Editing a Sequence Adding and Removing Audio Segments If a video clip is associated with one or more audio tracks, and you add the video clip in the Sequence Timeline, you can add or remove its associated audio segments. For example, if a sequence contains a video segment and its associated NAT segment, you can add a SOT segment. If a sequence contains a video segment without audio, you can add a NAT segment, a SOT segment, or both. Similarly, you can remove a NAT segment, a SOT segment, or both.
Editing a Sequence The check mark is removed. Creating an Audio-Only NAT or SOT Segment When editing a sequence, you might need to replace an unneeded video segment, such as an on-camera stand up, while keeping the audio. If you want to replace the video but keep the audio, you can perform a video-only overwrite edit. The audio segment remains in the timeline, without associated video, and you can edit the audio segment independently.
Editing a Sequence To create an audio-only NAT or SOT segment: 1. Edit a clip with NAT or SOT audio into the sequence. 2. (Optional) Enable a second audio segment (NAT or SOT). 3. Load a clip into the Media pane and set In and Out points for video to replace the video segment in the timeline. The marked video must be the same length or longer than the video segment you want to replace. 4. Perform an overwrite edit.
Editing a Sequence As you drag a segment or endpoint, the dragging action pauses briefly or snaps to these points. If you then release the mouse button, the edit is made at the snap point. The following illustration shows snap points for a VO segment. Snap points are limited to advanced sequences. To override pausing and snapping: t Hold down the Shift key while you drag a segment or end point.
Editing a Sequence Trimming a Basic Sequence When trimming a basic sequence, video and audio are trimmed together. You cannot trim only video or only audio. To trim a segment using the mouse, do the following: t Click one end of the segment and drag the audio or video trim indicator. To trim a segment using keyboard shortcuts: 1. Click the end of the segment you want to trim. 2. Press one of the following keys: M Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier.
Editing a Sequence t To trim only audio, click one end of the audio segment and drag the trim indicator. t To trim only video if the sequence includes audio from the same source, hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh), click one end of the video segment, and drag the trim indicator. Use this technique to create an L-cut. See “Using L-Cuts in the Timeline” on page 125. To trim a segment using keyboard shortcuts: 1. Click the end of the segment you want to trim. 2.
Editing a Sequence n To deselect a segment, click in an unused part of the timeline. 2. Do one of the following: t Right-click and select Trim Top. t Press Shift+[. To trim from the end of a segment: 1. Position the position indicator on the frame to which you want to trim. You can trim a selected segment or all segments that overlap at the position indicator. To trim overlapping segments, do not select any segments.
Editing a Sequence You can use the following keystrokes to control the trim: Shift+M Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier. Shift+ comma (,) Trim the segment’s selected end one frame earlier. Shift+period (.) Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later. Shift+slash (/) Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later. Using L-Cuts in the Timeline An L-cut is a split edit between two segments in which the video transition does not occur simultaneously with the audio transition.
Editing a Sequence To remove an L-cut: t Click and drag the trim indicator for audio back into alignment with the video, or vice versa. You do not have to be exact; the application will automatically realign the video and audio transitions. n Moving a segment with an L-cut to a new location in the sequence will also remove the L-cut and realign the video and audio transitions. n When audio segments overlap, MediaCentral UX automatically adjusts the audio levels.
Editing a Sequence Also note the following: • Selecting a segment does not affect the split. The split occurs at the position indicator. • After you split a segment, the first frame of the second segment becomes the current frame. • For Multicamera group clips, the same camera angle is maintained for both segments. Each segment’s angle can then be changed independently. • The location where you want to split the segment can be up to one frame from either end of the segment.
Editing a Sequence Adding Markers to a Sequence There are two ways to add markers to a sequence: n • Add a clip or a portion of a clip that contains markers. • Add markers directly to the sequence. For complete information about working with markers, see “Logging and Creating Subclips” on page 213. Adding a clip that contains markers: Any markers that are contained within the In and Out marks are copied to the sequence when you edit the clip into the sequence.
Editing a Sequence n Dissolves cannot be placed at the start of the first segment or the end of the last segment in a sequence. For any dissolve, you must ensure the source material has sufficient media to allow for the dissolve before Mark In or after Mark Out points. Also, the trailing half of one dissolve cannot overlap the leading portion of the next dissolve. In all of these cases, the system will issue messages indicating that a dissolve is not possible.
Editing a Sequence If altered, any new dissolve added to the sequence afterwards will have the altered setting for its duration. n You can change the default duration by changing the Dissolve Duration in the Sequence User Settings. 4. You can view the dissolve by positioning the position indicator in the Sequence Timeline at any point in the leading segment and then playing the output in the viewer of the Media pane.
6 Working with Video Media The following main topics describe how to work with the Media pane to view and edit your video assets: • The Media Pane • Playing Assets • Working with Remote Assets • Marking In and Out Points • Working with Markers and Restrictions • Using the Timecode Displays • Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame • Working in the Media Timeline • Using the Media Zoom Bar • Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution • Playing Back at the Highest Resolution • Opening an Enclosing
The Media Pane The Media Pane The Media pane provides you with the controls you need to play, cue, and mark video clips as you build your story. You can set the Media pane to one of two modes: • Click the Asset button to work in Asset mode. Use Asset mode to view master clips, subclips, and sequences, and to edit media into your sequence. You can also send a sequence to a playback device.
The Media Pane Media Pane: Asset Mode The following illustration shows the Media pane in Asset mode. Displays and controls are described in the accompanying table. q w e i o r 1) t y u Display or Control Description 1 Title Displays the name of an asset loaded from the Interplay Production database. 2 Asset and Output buttons Lets you switch views between an asset loaded in Asset mode and a sequence loaded in Output mode.
The Media Pane 3 4 Display or Control Description Video format display Displays the tracks associated with the asset. If the display is red, the asset does not have online media that matches the target resolution of the selected Send to Playback profile. If you move the mouse pointer over the display, you see what video and audio formats are associated with the asset, in addition to the tracks.
The Media Pane 8 9 Display or Control Description Pane Menu button Provides options for controlling the display and sending to playback. For more information, see the appropriate topic: Timecode displays • Match Frame. See “Using Match Frame” on page 160. • Recently Viewed Assets. See “Playing Recently Viewed Assets” on page 143. • Open Enclosing Folder. See “Opening an Enclosing Folder” on page 160. • Update Media Status. See “Updating the Media Status” on page 144.
The Media Pane Display or Control 10 Marker overlay Description Displays the contents of a marker, if the position indicator is parked on the marker. For more information, see “Working with Markers and Restrictions” on page 151. Media Pane: Group Clip When a group clip is loaded in the Media pane, two additional buttons are displayed.
The Media Pane Media Pane: Output Mode The following illustration shows the Media pane in Output mode. Displays and controls are described in the accompanying table. i o q w e r t y u 1) 1! Display or Control Description 1 Title Displays the name of the story loaded in the script editor. 2 Asset and Output buttons Lets you switch views between an asset loaded in Asset mode and a sequence loaded in Output mode.
The Media Pane 4 Display or Control Description Media viewer Displays and plays media for the sequence loaded in the script editor. Error messages concerning media appear at the top of the Media viewer. The speed display for J-K-L play is shown in the upper right. For more information, see “Using the J-K-L Keys for Playback” on page 141. 5 Media Timeline and Media zoom bar • The Media Timeline is a graphical representation of the length and time span of an asset or sequence.
The Media Pane 8 9 Display or Control Description Pane Menu button Provides options for controlling the display and sending to playback. For more information, see the appropriate topic: Timecode displays • Match Frame. See “Using Match Frame” on page 160. • Recently Viewed Assets. See “Playing Recently Viewed Assets” on page 143. • Open Enclosing Folder. See “Opening an Enclosing Folder” on page 160. • Update Media Status. See “Updating the Media Status” on page 144.
Playing Assets Display or Control Description 1 0 Voice-over button Displays the controls for creating a voice-over. For more information, see “Recording a Voice-over” on page 177. 1 1 Review for Playback button Enables play of media in the send-to-playback target resolution. For more information, see “Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution” on page 157. Playing Assets You can play a video asset or audio asset in the Media pane. The following illustration shows the play buttons in the Media pane.
Playing Assets 2. To play video or audio, do one of the following: t In the Media pane, click the Play/Pause button. While video or audio is playing, the Pause icon is displayed. To pause play, click the Play/Pause button again. t On your keyboard, press the L key or the space bar. To pause play, press the K key or press the space bar again. To play from an In point to an Out point, do one of the following: t In the Media pane, click the Play In to Out button.
Playing Assets n An administrator can change the speed associated with the number of key presses. For more information, see the Media | Central Administration Guide. t Press the J key to move backward at the same shuttle speed increments. t Press the K key to stop playback. t Press the K and L keys together for slow forward at ¼ times normal speed. t Press the K and J keys together for slow backward at ¼ times normal speed.
Playing Assets You can also step through by In and Out points, markers, or timecode. See “Marking In and Out Points” on page 149, “Working with Markers and Restrictions” on page 151, and “Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame” on page 153. To step through an asset or sequence, do one of the following: t Click the 10 Seconds Back button. t Click the 1 Second Back button. t Click the 1 Frame Back button or press the left arrow key. t Click the 1 Frame Forward button or press the right arrow key.
Playing Assets Changing the Maximum Size of the Proxy Video An administrator can change the default pixel dimensions of the image displayed in the Media viewer. This is especially useful if you want to work with a large Media viewer. The default pixel width is 480. As you enlarge the Media viewer, the pixel size of the image enlarges up to the maximum size specified in the MediaCentral System Settings.For more information, see the Media | Central Administration Guide.
Playing Assets n The State column is not displayed by default. For information about how to display it, see “Adding or Removing Property Columns” on page 41. Simple Sequences and Complex Sequences MediaCentral UX can play simple sequences that are checked into the Interplay Production database. Simple sequences are defined as: • Shotlists created in Avid editing applications (NewsCutter, Media Composer, and Symphony) and Interplay Assist that consist of cuts only, with no effects.
Playing Assets Selecting the Playback Quality When you play media in MediaCentral UX, you are viewing media that is compressed for optimum viewing over a network. Instead of viewing source media in its native format, the media server compresses it on demand for network-based playback. You have the option of playing media using one of three quality options: good, better, best. Your choice is usually based on the network connection between you and the server.
Playing Assets Using the Speedtest Pane MediaCentral UX provides you with a quick way to check your network connection to the MediaCentral server. If you access MediaCentral UX from a remote location where bandwidth availability varies — for example, by using a virtual private network (VPN) connection — you can test your network connection to make sure performance meets your needs.
Working with Remote Assets A result for your network download speed that returns less than 4.00 Mbps might affect playback. For assistance on managing your network connection, see your MediaCentral UX administrator.
Marking In and Out Points Note the following: • If you do not have the appropriate access permissions on the asset in the Interplay Production database, you cannot play the asset. Access permissions are checked based on the shared user identity in the MediaCentral User Management system. A users needs to have credentials linked to an Interplay Production user for any Media Central UX systems the user accesses. • You can play a remote asset, but you cannot add it to a sequence or create subclips.
Marking In and Out Points The In point is moved to the frame you marked. If the clip is playing, marking an In point does not stop playback. You can change an In point’s location by dragging it along the Media Timeline. To mark an Out point: 1. Load a clip in the Media pane and navigate to the location where you want to set the Out point. 2. Do one of the following: t Click the Mark Out button. t Press O on the keyboard. The Out point is moved to the location you marked.
Working with Markers and Restrictions Working with Markers and Restrictions Markers are frame-specific indicators that a user can add when logging media with MediaCentral UX, Interplay Assist, or Interplay Access. A MediaCentral UX user can add markers in the Markers pane. For more information about adding markers, see “Logging and Creating Subclips” on page 213. n In Media Composer v6.0, Avid Symphony v6.0, and NewsCutter v10.
Using the Timecode Displays For more information, see “Understanding Markers and Restrictions” on page 215. Using the Timecode Displays There are four timecode displays in the top-right corner of the Media pane. The information displayed depends on whether you are in Asset mode or Output mode, and the options you select. q e w r Display t Description 1 Master, Absolute, or Remain Master: In Asset mode, displays timecode for the selected frame that corresponds to the original timecode for the asset.
Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame Display 5 Duration Description In Asset mode, shows timecode for the duration from In point to Out point. In Output mode, shows timecode for the duration of the sequence. Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame You can cue a loaded, playable clip or sequence to a specific frame by typing a timecode value, referred to as direct-entry mode.
Entering Timecode to Cue a Frame To cue to a frame based on a frame-offset value: 1. Using the standard number keys or the numeric keypad, type a plus sign (+) to move forward or a minus sign (-) to move backward. If you are using a numeric keypad, make sure the Num Lock key is on. You can use the period key (.) as a shortcut for entering 00. A plus sign or minus sign is displayed with an empty green field. 2. Type the number of hours, minutes, seconds, or frames you want the position indicator to move.
Working in the Media Timeline Working in the Media Timeline The Media Timeline is a graphical representation of the length and time spans of an asset or sequence. The Media Timeline includes timing marks, a position indicator, and other controls. The following illustration shows the Media Timeline and controls in Asset mode. q w e r t 1 Position indicator 4 Marker indicators 2 In mark 5 Zoom bar 3 Out mark In Output mode, the Media Timeline does not include In and Out markers or markers.
Using the Media Zoom Bar Using the Media Zoom Bar The Media zoom bar is located below the Media Timeline. You can use the zoom bar to enlarge a section of the Media Timeline so that you can work more easily with long clips. By default, the zoom bar is set to display the entire clip in the Media Timeline. n The Media zoom bar is similar to the Sequence zoom bar (in the Sequence pane), but the two zoom bars operate independently.
Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution The following illustration shows the timeline for a twenty minute clip, with the zoom bar set to display the entire clip. In and Out points mark a one-minute segment. The next illustration shows the timeline zoomed in to show the one-minute segment. Timing marks are displayed at one-second intervals.
Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution Reviewing in the STP target resolution is a temporary setting and applies only to the currently loaded sequence. To review a sequence in the STP target resolution (single-function button): 1. In Output mode, click the MultiRez button. The button turns orange. The top half of the icon is black. A tool tip shows the target resolution. 2. Play the sequence. To review an asset in the STP target resolution (multi-function button): 1.
Playing Back at the Highest Resolution Playing Back at the Highest Resolution When you play media in MediaCentral UX in a multi-resolution environment, the media server plays the most compressed available media. You can choose to play back video at the highest available resolution. If video is available only in one resolution, the video is displayed in that resolution. This option must be enabled by the MediaCentral administrator in the Player settings of the Systems Settings layout.
Using Match Frame Using Match Frame The Match Frame feature lets you load a master clip that contains a specific frame of a sequence. This clip is called the source clip. You can use Match Frame to quickly load a clip from a sequence or subclip for additional editing. Match Frame is available in both Asset and Output mode. To load a source clip for a specific frame of a subclip or sequence: 1. Navigate to the frame for which you want to load the master clip. 2.
Transcoding Assets To open the enclosing folder for an asset selected in a Search pane: t Click the Pane Menu button and select Open Enclosing Folder, or right-click and select Open Enclosing Folder. The folder for the selected asset, as shown in the Path column, directly opens in a new Assets pane, with the selected asset highlighted.
Transcoding Assets An Interplay Production administrator needs to create profiles for each of these modes. This topic describes using the Mixdown feature in MediaCentral. For information about other modes, see the Interplay | Production Services Setup and User’s Guide. A common use of the Transcode option is to mix down a sequence. For example: • n Creating a master clip that is playable in the Media viewer.
Transcoding Assets 2. Select a mode from the Mode menu. 3. Select a Transcode profile from the Name menu. Transcode profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator in the Production Services and Transfer Status tool. The Transcode dialog box displays the parameters of the profiles, but you cannot edit them in MediaCentral. 4. Click Transcode. The Transcode process uses the selected Transcode profile and begins the operation.
Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest Viewing and Editing a Clip During Ingest MediaCentral UX lets you view and edit a master clip while it is still being captured through an ingest device. These clips are called in-progress clips, and the process of working with them is called Frame Chase editing or edit while capture (EWC). You can add an in-progress clip to a sequence and send the sequence to playback before the capture is complete.
Saving a Frame as an Image Saving a Frame as an Image From the Media pane, you can select a frame of video and save it as an image in either the PNG or JPG format. If a clip is associated with multiple resolutions, the image is saved in the highest available resolution. To save a frame as an image: 1. Open a video asset in the Media pane. 2. Navigate to the frame of video you want to save. 3. Click the Pane Menu button and select Save As Image. 4.
7 Using Audio The following main topics describe how to add audio to the Sequence Timeline and adjust audio levels to produce your final story: • The Audio Pane • Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences • Setting the Audio Mix • Audio Monitoring for Assets and Basic Sequences • Overriding the Default Audio Track Mapping • Recording a Voice-over The Audio Pane The Audio pane provides you with the controls you need to monitor audio levels and adjust audio levels for an advanced sequence.
The Audio Pane Source clips and basic sequences can include up to 24 tracks of audio. Use the scroll bar to display additional tracks. n See the MediaCentral ReadMe for possible limitations on the number of tracks you can monitor. For information about custom monitoring, see “Audio Monitoring for Assets and Basic Sequences” on page 175.
The Audio Pane The following illustration shows the Audio pane for a basic sequence named New.Sequence.00 that is loaded in the Media pane, with Output mode selected. The sequence contains two audio tracks, and all tracks are enabled for monitoring. Advanced Sequences When an advanced sequence is open in Output mode, track controls and audio meters are active. The border color of each set of controls matches the color of the track in the sequence: green for NAT, blue for SOT, and purple for Voice.
The Audio Pane y q w u e r t 1 Control Description Balance knob Controls the balance for stereo tracks. Click the green tip of the indicator and drag it left or right so that the indicator points to the desired level of mixing. Dragging the indicator all the way to the L or the R selects only the content of the left or right channels. Double-click a balance knob to center it. The balance knobs are active only if there are two tracks for NAT or SOT audio.
Working with Audio Tracks in Basic Sequences 6 7 Control Description Pane Menu button Provides options for controlling audio editing: Audio meters • Mix Mode: Select Stereo or Mono to specify the audio output. See “Setting the Audio Mix” on page 175. • Help: Displays information about the audio pane. Use the Help control buttons to access other Help topics. Displays the audio level for the asset, the selected tracks of the sequence, or the overall mix of the sequence. There are two meters.
Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences For an advanced sequence, the timeline in the Sequence pane includes three different types of audio tracks: • NAT (natural sound): Audio recorded at the same time as the video clip by the microphone built-in to the video camera. MediaCentral UX supports single-channel or dual-channel NAT tracks. Media in the NAT track and its associated video segment is colored green.
Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences The Interplay Administrator Application Database view also includes settings for specifying the number of channels to use for NAT and SOT and how to patch source and output tracks. You can select a maximum of five audio tracks for source and output: • One or two NAT tracks • One or two SOT tracks • One Voice track For more information, see the Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide.
Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences Adjusting Audio Levels for an Advanced Sequence You can adjust audio levels for segments in each track in an advanced sequence. These adjustments are saved with the sequence and preserved when sending to playback. To adjust audio levels for a sequence: 1. If the Audio pane is not open, select Panes > Audio. The Audio pane opens and displays the audio controls. 2. Drag the audio slider for the track you want to adjust.
Working with Audio Tracks in Advanced Sequences You might need to change these mappings. For example, the NAT audio and the SOT audio might become reversed if a reporter’s microphone is recorded on the wrong track. When this happens, the NAT sound takes the place of the SOT track, and if you disable the NAT track the SOT is disabled instead. You can change (or swap) the NAT and SOT tracks to compensate for this problem.
Setting the Audio Mix Setting the Audio Mix You can set the audio mix for an asset or for a sequence. For an asset, up to 24 tracks are monitored. You can select which tracks to monitor. For more information, see “Audio Monitoring for Assets and Basic Sequences” on page 175. The audio mix is used for monitoring only. n See the MediaCentral ReadMe for possible limitations on the number of tracks you can monitor.
Audio Monitoring for Assets and Basic Sequences These displays are very similar. For the master clip, the two audio tracks are labeled with the name of the master clip, 10401_clips.04. For the sequence, the two audio tracks are labeled with the name of the sequence, New.Sequence00. The label beneath the audio meters shows which mode is selected in the Media pane. All tracks are enabled for monitoring, which is indicated by speaker icons that are colored orange.
Recording a Voice-over The following illustration shows only track A01 enabled for monitoring. To quickly configure this, press Alt and click an enabled icon to mute all, then click the icon for A01 to monitor only that track. Recording a Voice-over You can use special audio controls in the Media pane to record a voice-over for your story. You can record the voice-over while the video is playing.
Recording a Voice-over n If you open a sequence created in Avid Instinct, you cannot add a voice-over or markers until you save the sequence in Interplay Central. The Save button is enabled for this purpose, even if you did not make any changes to the file. To record a voice-over: 1. Click the Output button to load the sequence into the Media pane. With the Output button selected, the Voice-over button is displayed in the lower right of the Media pane. 2. Click the Voice-over button.
Recording a Voice-over When you record a voice-over, the new audio clip is named sequence_name.VO.nn. Voice-overs are checked into Interplay Production in the same folder as the sequence they are recorded into. 8. To exit the voice-over controls, click the Voice-over button.
8 Working with Group Clips The following topics describe working with group clips and multicamera workflows in MediaCentral UX: n • Group Clips and Multicamera Workflows • Working with Group Clips • Creating a Basic Sequence with Group Clips • Sending a Sequence with Group Clips to a Playback Device Subclips created from group clips, group clips composed of subclips, and multigroup clips are not currently supported by MediaCentral UX.
Group Clips and Multicamera Workflows Avid Editing Applications MediaCentral UX is qualified with group clips created by the following Avid editing applications: • Media Composer v5.0 and later • Avid Symphony v5.0 and later • NewsCutter v9.0 and later MediaCentral UX supports editing of sequences created in these applications that contain group clips, if the sequence consists of cuts only (for example, a shotlist).
Working with Group Clips n Subclips created from group clips, group clips composed of subclips, and multigroup clips are not currently supported by Interplay Transfer or Interplay Production Services. Working with Group Clips You open a group clip in the same way you open other assets: select the group clip in the Assets pane, load it in the Media Pane, and the clip opens in Asset mode.
Working with Group Clips Control Description 1 Active angle indicator An orange bounding box that indicates which master clip in a group clip is active. 2 Swap banks overlay arrows Switches the display from one group of multiple angles to another. If a group clip has more angles than fill a single grid (either 2x2 or 3x3), the angles are displayed in banks.
Working with Group Clips The following illustration shows the same group clip in a 2x2 grid and in a 3x3 grid. In both cases, angle 2 is selected as the active angle. In multi-angle view, if the last bank of a group clip contains fewer than the number of angles in the grid, the remaining angles are displayed as empty slots. Black filler is used as padding in master clips that have different start or end points from other master clips in the group clip.
Working with Group Clips The following illustration shows an empty slot in the lower right and above it padding for a clip that ends before the end of the master clip. The filler is slightly lighter than the empty slot. You can create an image from a group clip displayed in single-angle view or multi-angle view. In multi-angle view, all angles are combined as a single image. For more information, see “Saving a Frame as an Image” on page 165. n You cannot currently create a subclip from a group clip.
Working with Group Clips Loading a Group Clip and Changing the Angle View When you load a group clip, the Media viewer displays it in single-angle view. You can also display angles of the group clip in either a 2x2 grid or a 3x3 grid. You can use the 2x2 grid for a group clip with more than four angles; the additional angles are displayed in additional banks. You can use the same controls in either grid layout. To load a group clip: 1. In the Assets pane, navigate to the group clip you want to open.
Working with Group Clips Working with Banks If a group clip contains more than nine camera angles, MediaCentral UX divides the angles into two banks, each containing either four or nine angles. If the last bank of a group clip has fewer than nine angles, the remaining angles are displayed as empty slots. To change the bank displayed, do one of the following: t For the next bank, press the right Swap Banks overlay arrow. t For the previous bank, press the left Swap Banks overlay arrow.
Working with Group Clips To change the active angle displayed in Asset mode, do one of the following: t Click the Active Angle button and select an angle from the menu. The following illustration shows angle 1 selected from the 10 angles that make up the group clip. In this example, the group clip is displayed in a 2x2 grid, so lines divide the list into two banks of four angles and one bank of two angles. For a 3x3 grid, the list is divided into banks of nine angles.
Working with Group Clips Playing a Group Clip You can play a single angle of a group clip in single-angle view, or multiple angles in multi-angle view. In multi-angle view, all angles play simultaneously. You can change the active angle while the clip is playing and the clip continues to play. To play a single-angle of a group clip, do one of the following: t In single-angle view, click the Play button.
Working with Group Clips Selecting Audio Monitoring Preferences in Asset Mode The Audio pane includes special controls for audio monitoring of group clips. When you load a group clip in the Media pane and select Asset mode, the Audio pane displays audio tracks for the group clip and controls to set your monitoring preferences. The following controls are displayed only for group clips: • A track selector for each track in the group clip.
Working with Group Clips Audio Follows Video In the previous illustration, angle 1 is the active angle for the group clip. The master clip for this angle is named “0209U11 Kitchen RED Over2,” which matches the names of the audio tracks that are selected. This is an example of “audio follows video,” which is indicated by the link icon on the track selector drop-down menu. Enabling and Disabling Tracks By default, all tracks are enabled for monitoring, as shown by the orange speaker icons.
Working with Group Clips Mapping From Other Clips You can use the drop-down menu for each audio track to select audio from the corresponding audio track in any other clip in the group clip. The following illustration shows that Audio Follows Video is set for track A01, with a choice of audio from all angles in the group clip. n The order of the angles in the drop-down menu matches the order of the group clip as it was created in the Avid editing application. This list can include audio-only clips.
Working with Group Clips The monitoring selections that you set are retained when you switch angles in the master clip. Custom monitoring is a user setting that is retained from session to session. Markers and Restrictions for Group Clips Markers and restrictions are supported for each master clip in a group clip. When you load a group clip in Asset mode, the Markers pane displays any markers or restrictions for master clips in the group clip.
Working with Group Clips You can edit existing markers and restrictions or you can add new ones. You can add a new marker or restriction to a master clip by selecting it as the active angle, either in single-angle view or multi-angle view. Master clips and group clips are linked, so that restrictions added or changed in a master clip are added or changed in the group clip. You cannot add a restriction to a group clip itself.
Creating a Basic Sequence with Group Clips Creating a Basic Sequence with Group Clips Complete editing support for group clips is available only in basic sequences. You can create a basic sequence exclusively of group clips, or combine group clips with master clips. You can select the camera angle and audio mapping for group clips in the sequence.
Creating a Basic Sequence with Group Clips You can change the active angle while the sequence is playing. - If you use the mouse to select the angle, playback stops. - If you use keyboard shortcuts to select the angle, playback continues. To change the audio selected for a group clip in a sequence: t Right-click the group clip or segment of a group clip, select Audio Mapping, select the audio track you want to map, and select the angle for the audio.
Adding an Active Angle of a Group Clip to an Advanced Sequence Adding an Active Angle of a Group Clip to an Advanced Sequence Complete editing support for group clips is available only in basic sequences. However, you can now add the active angle of a group clip to an advanced sequence. The result is that the original master clip is used in the sequence, along with its original audio tracks.
9 Searching for Assets The following main topics describe how to use the Search feature with Interplay Production and iNEWS databases: • Search and the Central Index • The Search Bar • The Search Pane • Conducting a Search Search and the Central Index MediaCentral UX provides two methods of searching your asset database.
Search and the Central Index Federated Search You use federated search to query single or multiple databases in your local zone to find any media available to your local MediaCentral UX configuration. Federated search respects all user and role permissions, and search results only appear for media assets the user is qualified to view. This provides security for projects that include some confidential assets.
The Search Bar The Search Bar The Search bar in the top right corner of the application window has a menu that you use to select the type of asset, a text field in which you can enter search criteria, and a Search button you click to conduct the search. When you use the Search bar, the results appear as a list under the Search bar. By default, the search uses the indexed search as long as you have an Advance license and your databases are configured for indexed search.
The Search Pane To display search results in a pane, do one of the following: t Click the Detach Search icon and drag the bar into any area in the MediaCentral UX window. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Detach Search. The Search Pane The Search pane provides advanced search criteria for federated and indexed search that let you conduct a more precise and faster search. You can open a Search pane directly, or you can open a Search pane by dragging the Search bar into the MediaCentral UX window.
The Search Pane y u i o q w e r t 1 Assets menu 6 Pane Menu button 2 Advanced Criteria (Modified Date selected) 7 Search text field 3 Add Criteria button 8 Minus button to remove search criteria 4 Sort arrow 9 Search button 5 Search results To open a Search pane: t Select Panes > Search. This opens a blank Search pane in which you can conduct your search.
Conducting a Search Conducting a Search You can search for assets by using the Search bar or the Search pane, using either the indexed search or the federated search. The Search pane provides advanced search criteria that let you conduct a more precise and faster search. You can also add filter criteria to your search to narrow your search results. If you use the indexed search, you can use a simple search syntax that returns search results closely matching your search query.
Conducting a Search Media Index supports searches based on text analysis and normalization. Your search can return results for terms in a different forms such as conjugated verbs or plural words. Media Index also runs a language-dependent analysis of text to provide indexes. Media Index uses the language and region settings of your system as the default language for searches. You can run a search in a different language.
Conducting a Search To conduct a federated search: 1. Click the Pane Menu button and select Federated Search. 2. Click the Assets menu and select the type of asset: - All Assets: Select All Assets to search both iNEWS and Interplay Production databases for stories and media that match the search criteria. - Stories: Select Stories to search iNEWS databases for stories that match the search criteria.
Conducting a Search 4. (Search pane only) Click the Add Criteria button to add one or more additional search criteria. For information about the criteria, see “Advanced Search Criteria” on page 207 and “Advanced Search Example” on page 212. To remove the added criteria, click the Minus button at the right of the pane above the Search button. 5. Click the Search button. The system returns assets that match the criteria in the search results list.
Conducting a Search 2. Select the columns you want to display and deselect the columns you want to hide, and then click the Close button. n You can use the search field at the top of the Add Or Remove Columns dialog box to locate the name of the column you want to display. The Search pane displays the selected columns. Advanced Search Criteria In addition to the basic criteria described in “Conducting a Search” on page 203, you can select from the criteria listed in the following tables.
Conducting a Search Search Criterion Description System Searches a specific Interplay Production database. Asset type Searches for a specified asset type — for example, “video” or “master clip.” Creator Searches for the login name of the user who created this item. Modifier Searches for the login name of the user who last modified this item. Name Searches for a specified value in the name of the asset. Created Searches for assets that have been created in the time range you specify.
Conducting a Search You can use the following features with the advanced search criteria in an indexed search: • Selecting servers: You can choose which MediaCentral servers you want to search, and you can search for criteria specific to any system. If you select a system in the Add Criteria dialog box, all criteria for that system are selected and other systems become grayed out.
Conducting a Search Search Criterion Description Folder Searches only the selected folders and their subfolders. Click Browse to navigate to and select a folder. To select multiple locations for your search, hold the Control key (Windows) or Command key (Macintosh) down while clicking the locations in which you want to conduct your search. If your local iNEWS system is part of an iNEWS community, you can select a folder in any available iNEWS server.
Conducting a Search You can use the following features with the advanced search criteria: • Auto-completion: You can begin to type a value in a field, and as you type, the list of values is filtered to match the characters that you type. For example, type X to display resolutions that begin with X, such as XDCAM-EX and XDCAM-HD.
Conducting a Search Advanced Search Example The following illustration shows an example of an indexed search with the following criteria: • Media assets that include the text “Springfield fire” • Modified in approximately the last 24 hours • Description text that includes “fire” • Tag labeled “local” • Any MediaCentral system 212
10 Logging and Creating Subclips The following main topics describe features you use when logging your material.
Workflows for Logging Example Workflows Following are three typical logging workflows. • Logging a video feed: A media logger logs content at the same time that the media is being ingested.The media logger can add markers to specify particular video or audio frames and add comments to the markers as required. A journalist can then open a specific clip or clips in MediaCentral UX, view the markers and comments, and copy text if necessary, even while the recording is in progress.
Understanding Markers and Restrictions Each media logger can refresh the Markers pane to display all saved markers, including those created by other loggers. You can also use the My Markers button in the Markers pane to display only the markers you created or to display the markers created by all users. c As with master clips, there is no locking mechanism if two loggers are editing the same marker text.
Understanding Markers and Restrictions Markers and Avid Applications Users can add, view, and edit markers in several different Avid applications: • Avid Media Composer, including NewsCutter and Symphony options • Interplay Assist • Interplay Access • MediaCentral UX Markers added in any of these products can be viewed and edited by any of the other products in an Interplay Production environment.
Understanding Markers and Restrictions Markers and Uneditable Sequences You can add markers to uneditable sequences (sequences that are colored dark red), edit marker text, and save the markers with the sequence, if you have the proper permissions in Interplay Production. You need to have a read/write role for the folder that contains the sequence and permissions for markers as described below.
Understanding Markers and Restrictions Markers and Sequences In MediaCentral UX, you can add markers to clips, subclips, and sequences stored in the Interplay Production database. Markers that you add to a sequence are associated only with the sequence. They are not automatically associated with the corresponding master clips used in the sequence. Similarly, a marker added to a subclip is not added to the associated master clip.
The Log Layout The Log Layout The Log layout provides you with an arrangement of panes defined for use in logging, which you can customize. The following illustration shows the Media pane and the Markers pane. The Markers pane tab displays the name of the loaded clip or sequence. q q w w e e r r 1 Launch pane 3 Assets pane 2 Media pane 4 Markers pane You can adjust the location and size of the panes as you can do in other layouts.
The Markers Pane The Markers Pane You create and view markers and marker text in the Markers pane. You can also view restrictions, if the clip or sequence contains them. The following illustration shows a series of markers in the Markers pane. Displays and controls are described in the accompanying table. y r qw q we e r r r t r u i r r o a r6 1! r d r Display or Control Description 1 Insert Marker button and Marker Color menu Creates a new marker at the timecode selected in the Media pane.
The Markers Pane 3 Display or Control Description Refresh button Updates the display of markers saved for the selected clip or sequence. This control is especially useful when multiple loggers are adding markers to the same clip or sequence, or when a journalist wants to see the latest information added by the loggers. If the focus is in the Markers pane, you can also press F5 to update the display.
The Markers Pane 9 Display or Control Description Columns The Markers pane has five columns: • (no label): Displays orange for the selected marker or markers. • TC: Displays the timecode in the clip or sequence that corresponds to the location of the marker. • Marker icon: Displays the icon associated with the marker. • Notes: Displays the text associated with the marker. You can cut, copy, and paste this text. See “Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text” on page 230.
Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers n The My Markers button also filters the display of markers and restrictions in the Sequence and Media panes. You can adjust the location and size of the panes as you can do in other layouts. For more information, see “Working with Areas and Panes” on page 24. Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers How you add markers depends on your workflow. You can add a marker to a clip, subclip, or sequence.
Adding, Saving, and Deleting Markers t Press Ctrl plus a key on the numeric keypad that is associated with the color you want to use for the marker icon. For example, press Ctrl+3 to create a marker with a red icon. See “Markers Pane Shortcuts” on page 352. The cursor appears in the Notes field and you can begin typing. You can add another marker while in edit mode. After you create a new marker, the old marker is automatically saved and the cursor appears in the Notes field of the new marker.
Working with Restrictions Working with Restrictions A restriction is a set of two markers that indicates a clip, or a section of a clip, whose use is limited in some way, such as through intellectual property rights management or content compliance.
Working with Restrictions You can create a restriction within another restriction, or add a restriction that overlaps another restriction. In this case, the enclosed restriction or the overlapping area is indicated by a darker shade of red in the Media Timeline. Text for the restriction is shown on top of the Media viewer, preceded by a red triangle that indicates a restriction.
Working with Restrictions The following illustration shows the same master clip listed in the Assets pane. An orange triangle in the State column indicates that the clip contains a restriction. n The restriction icon in the State column is displayed only for master clips that include a restriction, not subclips or sequences. This icon is also displayed in the DRM column, if the column is selected for display.
Working with Restrictions Master Clips and Subclips You can add restrictions to master clips or subclips. Master clips and subclips are linked, so that restrictions added or changed in a master clip are added or changed in the corresponding subclip. Similarly, any restrictions added or changed in a subclip are added or changed in the master clip. Group Clips You can view and edit restrictions for a master clip that is included in a group clip.
Working with Restrictions If the Media pane is in Output mode, any restrictions in the sequence are shown in the Markers pane, along with any markers included in the sequence. The restriction remains displayed if you trim away part of the restricted area and remains until there is no part of the restriction remaining in the sequence. You cannot edit restrictions on sequence level.You cannot add a restriction directly to a sequence. The Add Restriction button is inactive.
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text t Press Ctrl+Enter to exit edit mode. t Use the mouse to select a different restriction or a marker. t Add a new restriction or marker. To delete a restriction, select the start or end of the restriction and do one of the following: t Press the Delete key (Windows), Backspace (Macintosh), or fn+Backspace (MacBook). t Right-click and select Delete. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Delete.
Navigating by Markers in the Log Layout Navigating by Markers in the Log Layout You can use the mouse or keyboard to navigate by marker through a clip or sequence. A marker selected in the timeline is also selected in the Markers pane. When you select a marker in the Markers pane, the same marker is selected in the timeline and the Media viewer displays the corresponding frame. To navigate to the previous marker, do one of the following: t With the focus in the Markers pane, press the Up Arrow key.
Exporting Markers 3. Select the type of file you want to export: Plain Text, Media Composer Text, CSV, or XML. 4. Type a file name. You do not need to add an extension. 5. Click Download. The file is saved to your default download folder. The dialog box remembers the format you selected. This format is automatically selected the next time you open the dialog box. To copy one or more markers as text to the clipboard: t Select one or more markers and press Ctrl+C.
Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages Entering Marker Text in Right-to-Left Languages You can enter, display, and edit marker text in right-to-left languages (for example, Arabic or Hebrew). MediaCentral UX recognizes right-to-left characters.
Creating Subclips Media Composer, Symphony, and NewsCutter display Unicode characters only if you set the operating system to the same locale in which the text was created. MediaCentral UX correctly displays any characters used for marker text created in other products. n In an Interplay Production workgroup, all clients and applications except MediaCentral UX must use the same locale, either English or one other locale.
Creating Subclips The subclip is added to the database, with the extension .Sub.01 added to the clip name. Any other subclips you create from the same master clip include an incremented extension, for example, .Sub.02. 4. (Option) Rename the clip by doing one of the following: t Select the subclip in the Assets folder, click the name of the clip, and type the new name, t Select the subclip in the Assets folder, press F2 (Windows) or Enter (Macintosh), and type the new name.
11 Sharing MediaCentral | UX Messages The following topics describe how to use the Messages pane to send messages to MediaCentral UX users and how to send messages to users logged in to MediaCentral UX and using an Avid editing application.
Using the Messages Pane Using the Messages Pane The Messages pane displays a message box for sending both text messages and media asset links. It also lists all received messages, with the most recent messages at the top of the list. Messages sent by you display in the message list with a blue background, while messages received by you display with a green background.
Using the Messages Pane Messages pane, with the notification bar indicating one new message Viewing Messages and Linked Media Assets When you receive messages sent by other MediaCentral UX users, the Messages pane displays a notification at the top of the message list indicating unread messages. Clicking the notification or scrolling up loads the messages, with the most recent ones at the top of the message list. To view messages: 1. Open the Messages pane. 2.
Using the Messages Pane 3. If the message includes a media asset, double-click the head frame in the asset area to view the media. The clip opens in the Media pane, and the Asset pane updates to the location of the clip in the Interplay Production database and selects the linked clip. Left to right: Asset pane with the linked clip highlighted, head frame of the linked clip in the asset area of the message, and the linked clip viewed in the Media pane.
Using the Messages Pane To write a new message: 1. Do one of the following: t Open the Messages pane. t Right-click an asset in the Asset pane and select Share. If you open the Messages pane, an address text box appears at the top of the pane. If you just want to share an asset, an address text box opens. 2. In the address text box, start typing the name of the recipient for your message. A list of MediaCentral UX users displays as you type.
Using the Messages Pane A character count below the message displays the number of characters allowed in your message. You can type a total of 256 characters. 6. Click Send. The message is sent to the MediaCentral UX users listed in the address test box and displays as a sent message at the top of your message list. Messages sent by you display with a blue background. To reply to a message: 1. Position the mouse pointer over the address line of the message to which you want to reply.
Configuring E-Mail Forwarding Configuring E-Mail Forwarding E-mail forwarding requires an administrator to enable e-mail forwarding and to assign a valid SMTP server. When your MediaCentral UX administrator enables e-mail forwarding in the System Settings, you can then use the User settings to enable e-mail forwarding for your account and specify an e-mail address to which you want your messages sent when you are not logged in to MediaCentral UX.
Using E-Mail Forwarding 3. Select Enabled. 4. In the Email Address text box, type the e-mail address from which you want your e-mails forwarded. 5. Click Apply. Using E-Mail Forwarding If e-mail forwarding has been enabled for your workgroup and you have enabled e-mail forwarding to your personal e-mail account, you can receive messages sent from MediaCentral UX users when you are not logged in to MediaCentral UX.
12 iNEWS Messaging The following main topics describe how to use the iNEWS messaging feature. • Sending Messages • Viewing and Replying to Received Messages Sending Messages MediaCentral UX provides you with two messaging features for communicating with other users working on iNEWS and MediaCentral UX. You can use the Messages pane to send messages and media assets to other MediaCentral UX users and to Avid editing applications connected to MediaCentral UX.
Viewing and Replying to Received Messages 3. Click Send. After the message is sent, the bar turns pale blue. Viewing and Replying to Received Messages When messages are received, the Message bar turns a pale green, and a numerical value appears near the right end of the bar to show you how many unread messages you have. The following illustration shows 10 unread messages.
13 Sending to Playback The following main topics provide information about sending a sequence to a playback device: • Specifying Send to Playback Settings • Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device • The Progress Pane Specifying Send to Playback Settings When you are finished editing a sequence, you can transfer it to a playback device or playout server for broadcast. This process is called send to playback, or STP.
Specifying Send to Playback Settings To specify send-to-playback settings: 1. Click the Pane Menu button and select Send to Playback Settings. 2. Supply the following information: Setting Description Name Automatically supplied when you select a sequence for send to playback. Video ID Required to send a sequence to playback. • Script sequences: Automatically supplied when you select a script sequence if the video ID is already assigned to the story.
Specifying Send to Playback Settings Setting Description Overwrite (Optional) Select Overwrite if you want to automatically overwrite any sequence with the same Tape ID already sent to the playback device. n High Priority n If you try to send a sequence with the same Tape ID as one already sent to the playback device, you receive an error message. Select the Overwrite option only if you are sure you want to overwrite any sequences with the same Tape ID.
Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device Sending a Sequence to a Playback Device You can send a sequence to a playback device if the sequence fulfills the following requirements: • The media format of the sequence must match the media format specified in the selected send-to-playback profile. The format for the currently selected STP profile is displayed in the Video Format display. If the format of the sequence matches the format of the STP profile, the display is black.
Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device You can preview a sequence before sending it to playback. For more information, see “Reviewing in the STP Target Resolution” on page 157. To send a sequence to a playback device: 1. Load a sequence into the Media pane. You can load a sequence into Output mode or Asset mode. To load a sequence into Asset mode from the Assets pane, right-click the sequence and select Open in Asset Mode. 2. Do one of the following: t Click the STP button.
Sending a Mixed-Resolution Long GOP Sequence to a Playback Device The DV25 clips do not need to be transcoded to XDCAM 1080i before the STP operation begins. For Long GOP sequences, any necessary transcoding takes place during the STP operation. n You can determine the frame rate of a clip in the MediaCentral UX Assets pane. Open the Interplay Production database and check the FPS column. If the column is not displayed, click the Assets Pane menu and select Add or Remove Columns.
The Progress Pane The Progress Pane The Progress pane is used to monitor sequence mixdowns and send to playback processes as they happen. If necessary, you can also cancel a process that is underway or restart a job directly from the pane. The following illustration shows several examples of what you might encounter when monitoring processes with the Progress pane.
The Progress Pane tool. For send to playback (STP) this is the error message that is passed by the MediaCentral Distribution Service. For more information, see “Monitoring and Troubleshooting” in the Avid MediaCentral | UX Administration Guide. To open the Progress pane: t Select Panes > Progress. To cancel a process underway: t Click the Cancel button located to the right of the active process. To retry a failed process: t Click the Resend button located to the right of the process.
14 Delivering Assets and Media The following main topics describe how to deliver assets and media from one Interplay Production workgroup to another: • Understanding MediaCentral Delivery • Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup • Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup Understanding MediaCentral Delivery MediaCentral UX has two options for delivering assets and media: • Deliver to a remote workgroup.
Understanding MediaCentral Delivery Interplay Delivery Service and Delivery Receiver Service MediaCentral UX uses the Interplay Delivery service to perform workgroup-to-workgroup transfers of master clips, subclips, cuts-only sequences, and their media files. The Interplay Delivery Receiver service must be running on a server in the workgroup to which you are delivering the assets and media. These services are installed and configured as Interplay Production Services in an Interplay Production workgroup.
Understanding MediaCentral Delivery The following illustration shows the Deliver To dialog box, with parameters taken from the Delivery profile and the Consolidate profile.
Understanding MediaCentral Delivery The following illustration shows two Deliver To dialog boxes: n • The dialog box on the left is using the Delivery profile “wg1 full highest” for its information. The highest resolution associated with the selected clip will be delivered. • The dialog box on the right is using the same Delivery profile but has the option “Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out” selected. The target resolution (DV25 420) is taken from the default Consolidate profile.
Understanding MediaCentral Delivery Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out Workflows If you select “Deliver from Mark In to Mark Out,” the Consolidate service creates new clips and new assets, using information in the Consolidate profile. The following table describes several different workflows. Delivery Profile Media Status Consolidate Output The Delivery profile includes a specific Target Video Quality. Media exists in the specified resolution.
Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup If your organization is configured to include multiple Interplay Production workgroups, you can use MediaCentral UX to transfer assets and media from your current workgroup to another workgroup. You can transfer assets and media from the Media pane, the Assets pane, or the Search pane. • In the Media pane, you can transfer from Asset mode or from Output mode.
Delivering Assets and Media to a Remote Workgroup 3. Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To. The Deliver To dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile. 4. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer. Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator. The video format that will be delivered is displayed as Target Video Quality at the bottom of the dialog box. 5.
Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup To deliver to a remote workgroup from the Assets pane or the Search pane: 1. Select one or more assets. 2. Do one of the following: t Right-click a selected asset and select Deliver To. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To. The Deliver To dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile. 3. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer.
Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup 4. Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To Me. The Deliver To Me dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile. 5. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer. Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator. The video format that will be delivered is displayed as Target Video Quality at the bottom of the dialog box. 6.
Delivering Assets and Media to a Local Workgroup 3. Do one of the following: t Right-click a selected asset and select Deliver To Me. t Click the Pane Menu button and select Deliver To Me. The Deliver To Me dialog box opens and displays the parameters of the selected profile. 4. From the Name list, select the Delivery profile that you want to use for the transfer. Profiles are created by an Interplay Production administrator.
15 MediaCentral | UX Mobile Application for the iPhone The MediaCentral UX mobile app provides a native user interface designed to run on your iPhone® and enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system and the Interplay Production database. The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and mobile app.
Connection Basics Connection Basics You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile application to perform many actions supported by MediaCentral UX: n • Create, edit and approve news stories. • Navigate the news directory. • Play video sequences associated with scripts. • Navigate the Interplay Production directory. • View and play media assets from the Interplay Production database.
Connection Basics Gestures for the Mobile Application Applications for touchscreen mobile devices let users accomplish certain tasks utilizing various gestures like fingertip swipes or taps. What these gestures do can differ from one application to another. The following table describes what certain gestures do depending on where you use the gesture within the MediaCentral UX mobile application. Location Gesture Description Sidebar Swipe Right Displays the sidebar.
Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone The following procedure assumes licensing, setup, and configuration of the MediaCentral and iNEWS servers have already been completed. To install MediaCentral UX on the iPhone: 1. Open iTunes (the Apple market). 2. Locate the MediaCentral UX application. 3. Tap Download.
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the iPhone You can also choose to work offline. This allows you to view queues and stories listed in the Favorites list that you have cached locally on your device. If you select ‘Work Offline” in the sign in screen, MediaCentral UX uses the credentials last used to sign in to MediaCentral UX. For more information, see “Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories” on page 289.
The Sidebar To view the help system: 1. Tap the Actions button. 2. Select Help. To sign out: 1. Tap the Actions button. 2. Select Sign Out. To exit the application: 1. Press the Home button. 2. Select Close. The Sidebar After you sign in to the MediaCentral UX mobile application on an iPhone, you can view the sidebar, located along the left side of the screen when displayed.
Buttons of the User Interface n The look of this button changes depending on the display status of the sidebar. Button Description Tap this button to display a list of available roles and to select a different role from the menu. Tap this button to display the sidebar. Tap this button to hide the sidebar. Tap the Refresh button to refresh the list of queues, stories, and media assets.
Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings Button Description The Open Sequence button opens the sequence for viewing in full-screen size. The button becomes enabled when a video sequence has been associated with a script. The Actions button opens a menu of options that include: Reload, Send Log, Help, and Sign Out. The Send Log option displays only if you enable logging in the MediaCentral UX settings. For more information, see “Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings” on page 271.
Changing Roles The following table provides information about the settings for editing. Editing Settings Description Autosave Stories If set to On, MediaCentral UX automatically saves a story if you navigate away from the modified story to other assets in the system. If set to Off, MediaCentral UX prompts you to save your modifications. The default setting is On. To send log files to Avid: 1. Connect your device to a Macintosh computer. 2. Open iTunes and navigate to Device > Apps. 3.
Accessing the iNEWS Database Accessing the iNEWS Database The iNEWS database is the backbone of your iNEWS system. You save the data created in your newsroom — stories, scripts, and rundowns — in the database on the iNEWS Server. Queues contain stories, and directories (also known as folders) store the queues. When viewed with the mobile application, available iNEWS systems appear in the sidebar, along with any of their directories and queues. For MediaCentral UX v1.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The application uses different icons to distinguish between directories, queues, and stories. Icon Description Directories hold queues or other subdirectories. Unlike queues, directories do not directly contain stories. For example, the Wires folder contains queues with incoming wire stories. Queues let you organize stories in detailed categories. A show’s rundown is one example of a queue.
Accessing the iNEWS Database You can open directories, queues, and stories from the MediaCentral UX mobile application. Directories and queues open within the sidebar. Stories open to the right of the sidebar in the Script Editor. n If you want to open an iNEWS story that has a key lock applied to it, you must type in the appropriate password for the story. To open a directory: 1. Navigate to the directory. 2. Tap a folder on screen to open it.
Accessing the iNEWS Database To open a queue: 1. Navigate to the queue inside a directory. 2. Tap the queue to open it. The following illustration shows an example of a rundown queue. To open an existing story: 1. Navigate to the story in a queue. n A story icon with a check mark indicates that the story has been “approved.” You can approve stories from an iNEWS workstation or from MediaCentral UX. 2. Tap the story to open it.
Accessing the iNEWS Database - The Story, which contains the text of the story, any presenter instructions, and production cue markers. - The Cue List, which contains any production cues or machine control instructions. The following illustration shows the Script Editor open with the Story section displayed containing a story with production cue markers identified numerically. Presenter instructions appear as red text in the body of the story. 3.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The numerical production cue markers within the story align with production cues and machine control instructions displayed in the Cue List to the right of the story. Black text indicates production cues. Blue text indicates machine control instructions (if any). n Because of limited screen size on the iPhone, the mobile application does not display the sidebar with the Script Editor.
Editing Stories Button Description The Open Sequence button opens the viewer to full screen. You can view video sequences created in the following way: n • You created and modified the sequence in MediaCentral UX. • You created the sequence in MediaCentral UX and modified it in NewsCutter or Media Composer. In this case, you might not see some effects in the media viewer. • You created the sequence in Instinct and modified it in MediaCentral UX.
Editing Stories You can use cut, copy, and paste to move text around within a single story or from one story to another. When cutting or copying text, the system stores the text in the clipboard. The clipboard stores only one block of text at a time, so whenever you cut or copy something new, the clipboard overwrites the previously stored text. To edit an existing story: 1. Navigate to the existing story in the queue and open it. 2. Tap the Edit Story button.
Editing Stories To add a new story: 1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar. 2. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar. n The Add Story button only appears in the sidebar after you tap the Edit button in the sidebar. A blank story is added to the current queue with edit mode already activated for the story. An edit lock prevents others from changing the story while you edit.The cursor moves to the blank title field.
Editing Stories Ways of Saving Stories You can save newly created stories or change existing stories by tapping the Edit Story button after modifying a story while in edit mode. A message appears asking you to confirm whether to save the changes. You can choose to save the story or exit edit mode without saving your changes. Your story also is saved when the following occurs: • You change to another app or send MediaCentral UX to the background by pressing the Home button.
Editing Stories In the mobile application, a menu provides buttons that let you modify the format of the text into bold text, italicized text, and underlined text, and lets you format text specialized for broadcast scripts. To format text, select the appropriate text and do one of the following: n t To bold text, tap and hold. and then select the B button. t To italicize test, tap and hold, and then select the I button. t To underline text, tap and hold, and then select the U button.
Editing Stories To insert a production cue into a script: 1. Position your cursor in the story where you want to insert the production cue marker. 2. Tap and hold, and then select the Plus button. MediaCentral UX adds a production cue marker with a number into the story at the cursor position. The marker corresponds to the production cue with the same number located in the Cue List 3. Swipe left to view the Cue List and edit the production cue. 4.
Editing Stories Adding Machine Control Instructions If your station integrates with a broadcast control system, such as iNEWS Command, the production cues might include machine control instructions. You should precede these instructions with an asterisk (*) and write them in a format that begins with a command for a device — for example, CG for a character generator.
Approving Stories To call a phone number from a story: 1. Tap and hold on a phone number in the story. A dialog box appears. 2. Tap the number to dial the number. You can also select Add to Contacts to add the number to your phone’s directory, and you can copy and paste the number into another document. To e-mail a contact from a story: 1. Tap the e-mail address in the story. The application opens an e-mail window, using your device’s default e-mail application. 2. Write your e-mail. 3. Tap Send.
Working with Favorites To remove approval for a story from the mobile application: 1. Open the story for which you want to remove approval. 2. Tap the Approve Story button and then tap Unapprove. Working with Favorites To make navigation easier, you can designate certain locations in the newsroom system or Interplay Production as Favorites, which appear in a list on the Launch pane.
Working with Favorites From the mobile application, you can use your Favorites list to navigate quickly to your most often used assets, directories, queues, or stories. You can edit your Favorites list by creating new ones, editing their names, or deleting existing ones from the list. To create a Favorite: 1. Tap the Edit button. 2. Tap the gray star next to the directory, asset, queue, or story you want to designate as a favorite destination.
Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories 3. Tap the Done button. Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile application to view queues and stories cached locally to your mobile device without being connected to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system. The Launch panel displays cached queues and stories in the Favorites list when you work in offline mode.
Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories Caching Queues and Stories To view queues and stories in offline mode, you must set them as Favorites before they can be cached locally and viewed when you do not have a connection to server (see “Working with Favorites” on page 287). You can delete a cache for a queue or story by deleting the item from the Favorites list. To cache a queue or story in the Favorites list: 1.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production The queue or story is removed from the Favorites list and the cache is deleted. Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode When you lose your connection to MediaCentral UX, you can choose to work offline. This allows you to view queues and stories that have been cached on your mobile device. To view cached queues and stories after your lose your connection to MediaCentral UX: 1. In the Connection Failure dialog box, tap Work Offline.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Different icons are used to identify Interplay Production assets: Icon Description Directories hold media assets or other subdirectories. An audio clip references audio media files formed from captured audio or imported files. Audio clips display in the Media viewer as an audio clip icon. A master clip references audio and video media files formed from captured footage or imported files. A subclip references a selected portion of a master clip.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Asset list and Media viewer — left screen: selected directory, Show/Hide button, selected asset; right screen: Action button, Media player, media controls To open a directory: 1. Navigate to the directory. 2. Tap a folder on screen to open it. n As you navigate the system’s directory structure, the application displays your path or location within the database at the top of the screen.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production The following illustration shows the Scuba Diver directory opened to view one subdirectory and multiple media assets. Scuba Diver directory on the Interplay Production server, with the back button at the top of the list indicating the parent directory To back out of a directory: t n Tap the Back button. The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button changes as a user navigates further into the directory.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Media controls: Play button, position indicator, Full Screen button 3. Tap the Play button to play the asset. 4. If you want to scrub through the media asset, or if you want to jump to a specific position in the clip, tap and hold the position indicator and drag it to a new location. 5. If you want to view a video clip in full screen mode, tap the Full Screen button. The Media viewer expands to fill the device screen and the video clip starts playing.
16 MediaCentral | UX Tablet Application for the iPad The MediaCentral UX tablet app provides a native user interface designed to run on your iPad® tablet and enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system and the Interplay Production database. The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and tablet app.
Connection Basics Connection Basics You can use the MediaCentral UX tablet app to perform many actions supported by the MediaCentral UX Web application: n • Create, edit and approve news stories. • Navigate the news directory. • Play video sequences associated with scripts. • View a show's scripts in presenter mode while signed in to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system. • Navigate the Interplay Production directory. • View and play media assets from the Interplay Production database.
Connection Basics Gestures for the Tablet App Apps for touchscreen tablets let users accomplish certain tasks utilizing various gestures like fingertip swipes or taps. What these gestures do can differ from one app to another. The following table describes what certain gestures do depending on where you use the gesture within the MediaCentral UX mobile app. Location Gesture Description Sidebar Two Finger Swipe to the Right Displays or hides the sidebar.
Installing MediaCentral | UX on the iPad Location Gesture Description Media Viewer Pinch in on full screen viewer Minimizes viewer back to original size and position within the Script Editor. Presenter Mode Swipe left or tap on right edge Navigates to next page. of screen Presenter Mode Swipe right or tap on left edge Navigates to previous page. of screen Presenter Mode Pinch in on full screen Exits full screen presenter mode.
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Tablet systems are considered your remote systems. In the MediaCentral UX Launch pane, your local iNEWS system is listed first, followed by the remote systems. To connect to a remote system, tap the system name. For more information on iNEWS Community, see “Support for iNEWS Communities” on page 31.
The Sidebar t Tap the Sign In button. After you sign in, MediaCentral UX connects to the selected Interplay Production server or iNEWS system. All servers display in the Sidebar. n If your MediaCentral UX credentials are incorrect or missing in your MediaCentral UX account, you receive a message: “Authentication Failed: The user name or password you entered is incorrect.” When you click OK, the sign-in screen appears and allows you to enter valid credentials. t Tap the Work Offline button.
The Sidebar From the Launch pane, you can navigate through the file structure and open assets. You can hide the sidebar at any time to increase the screen real estate for viewing assets on the tablet. You can also use the Show/Hide button to toggle the display of the sidebar. n The look of this button changes depending on the display status of the sidebar. Button Description Tap this button to display a list of available roles and to select a different role from the menu.
Buttons of the User Interface Buttons of the User Interface When you browse or edit stories in MediaCentral UX, a small toolbar of buttons displays in the top right corner area of the user interface. The following table describes these buttons and describes their uses. Button Description The Approve Story button lets a user approve stories within that queue. The user must have write access to the queue.
Customizing MediaCentral | UX Settings General Settings Description Version For display purposes only, this value shows the currently installed version of the tablet app. Logging If set to On, MediaCentral UX keeps logs on session activities, which you can use to troubleshoot issues. If you tap the Actions button, a Send Log option appears that lets you e-mail the logs directly to Avid. If the log file is more than 15 MB, you cannot send it directly.
Changing Roles To send log files to Avid: 1. Connect your device to a Macintosh computer. 2. Open iTunes and navigate to Device > Apps. 3. In the Apps list, select MediaCentral UX. 4. In the MediaCentral UX Documents list, select the Logs folder. 5. Click “Save to” or drag the folder to a location on your computer. 6. Zip the folder and send it to Avid as an e-mail attachment.
Accessing the iNEWS Database Accessing the iNEWS Database The iNEWS database is the backbone of your iNEWS system. You save the data created in your newsroom — stories, scripts, and rundowns — in the database on the iNEWS server. Queues contain stories, and directories (also known as folders) store the queues. When viewed with the tablet app, available iNEWS systems appear in the sidebar, along with any of their directories and queues. For MediaCentral UX v1.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The following illustration shows an example of an iNEWS system directory with two directories marked as favorite destinations. n While viewing the top level of an iNEWS system directory in the sidebar, the Back button displays the word Launch, which means you can tap it to return to the previous view of the Launch pane. However, the button’s name changes the further you navigate down the system directory. You can open directories, queues, and stories from MediaCentral UX.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The following illustration shows the Wires directory opened to view numerous queues containing incoming wire stories. Wires directory on the MUCINEWS iNEWS server, with the back button at the top of the list To back out of a directory or queue: t n Tap the Back button. The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button changes as a user navigates further into the directory. To open a queue: 1.
Accessing the iNEWS Database To open an existing story: 1. Navigate to the story in a queue. n A story icon with a check mark indicates that the story has been “approved.” You can approve stories from an iNEWS workstation or from MediaCentral UX. 2. Tap the story to open it. The story opens in the Script Editor, which has two sections: - The Cue List, located on the left side, which contains any production cues or machine control instructions.
Accessing the iNEWS Database You can hide the sidebar to expand the view and show only the Script Editor. The following illustration shows the Script Editor with a story containing production cue markers identified numerically. These markers align with production cues and machine control instructions displayed in the Cue List to the left of the story. Blue text indicates machine control instructions. Black text indicates production cues. Red text in the body of the story indicates presenter instructions.
Accessing the iNEWS Database To add a new story: 1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar. 2. Tap the story in the queue below which you want to insert the new story. 3. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar. 4. Modify the story title in the sidebar. For more information, see the procedure for editing the story title in “Editing Stories” on page 313. 5. Tap Done.
Accessing the iNEWS Database You can view video sequences created in the following way: n • You created and modified the sequence in MediaCentral UX. • You created the sequence in MediaCentral UX and modified it in Avid NewsCutter or Avid Media Composer. In this case, you might not see some effects in the media viewer. • You created the sequence in Instinct and modified it in MediaCentral UX.
Editing Stories To regenerate the sequence video proxy for playback: 1. Tap the Actions button. 2. Tap Reload. Editing Stories Using the tablet app, you can create a new story or edit an existing one. You can also change the title of story. The system obtains an edit lock when you edit a story, which prevents other users from altering a story while you work on it.
Editing Stories To edit text: 1. Tap and hold in the story, and then tap either Select or Select All. 2. Select one of the following: t Select Cut. t Select Copy. t Select Paste. To add a new story: 1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar. 2. Tap the Add Story button, located at the bottom of the sidebar. n The Add Story button only appears in the sidebar after you tap the Edit button in the sidebar. A blank story is added to the current queue with edit mode already activated for the story.
Editing Stories 4. (Optional) Enter any production cues or machine control instructions. 5. Save the story. For more information, see “Ways of Saving Stories” on page 315. To edit the title (slug) of a story: 1. Tap the Edit button in the sidebar. 2. From the queue in the sidebar, tap and hold the story title you want to edit. 3. When cursor appears, you can change the name of the story. And edit lock on the story form in iNEWS prevents others from changing the story title while you edit. 4. Tap Done.
Editing Stories • The app automatically saves a modified story when you change your role from Launch pane. • The app automatically saves a modified story when you sign out of the app. Formatting a Script When you write a story, text appears in the default text style. However, you can alter the look of the text, such as changing the default font to bold.
Editing Stories n t To mark text as a closed captioning text, tap and hold, and then select CC for closed captioned. t To mark text as a normal text, tap and hold, and then select N for normal. You can choose the format before typing your text as well. Any new text you type appears in the format you selected. To change the format of the text you type at any time, select another format.
Editing Stories 3. Enter the production cue information — for example, Take VO, On Camera, Take SOT, or Take Live. n The app automatically saves information in the newly inserted production cue when you navigate elsewhere within the app. If you attempt to sign out or close the app, a message appears prompting you to either save or discard your changes. To move a production cue in a script: t Select the production cue marker, and then cut it and paste it in another location within the script.
Editing Stories n Typing an asterisk (*) automatically switches the text you type from Normal to Machine Control format, which appears as blue font. 3. Type your machine control command — for example, *CG 2line — and then press Return. 4. Type the first line of text that should appear on the 2-line CG graphic — for example, John Smith — and then press Return. 5. Type the second line of text for the 2-line CG graphic — for example, Pleasantville, USA.
Approving Stories 3. Tap Send. Approving Stories Endorsing or approving stories allows news producers to identify which scripts in a show have been reviewed prior to broadcast. You can approve stories from an iNEWS workstation or from the MediaCentral UX app on an iPad or an iPhone. n The ability to approve stories requires write access to the queue for the selected story. To approve a story from the tablet app: 1. Open the story you want to approve. 2.
Entering Presenter Mode To enter presenter mode: 1. Open a show's rundown. 2. Tap the Presenter Mode button. Presenter mode opens on the story selected by the user in the sidebar. The app displays a progress dialog as it loads the rest of the stories in the rundown in order to cache them locally on your device. When the cache operation completes, the progress dialog closes. Stories load in the following order: - Load the previous story — the one before the selected story in the rundown.
Working with Favorites Working with Favorites To make navigation easier, you can designate certain locations in the newsroom system or Interplay Production as Favorites, which appear in a list on the Launch pane. From the tablet app, you can use your Favorites list to navigate quickly to your most often used assets, directories, queues, or stories. You can edit your Favorites list by creating new ones, editing their names, or deleting existing ones from the list. To create a Favorite: 1.
Working with Favorites For example, if you plan to have multiple rundown queues in your Favorites list, some might share the same queue name. You can edit each one in the list to distinguish which rundown applies to the morning show, midday show, and evening newscast. 4. Tap the Done button. The name of the Favorite changes. This does not affect the name of the asset, story, queue, or rundown in iNEWS or Interplay Production. To delete a Favorite: 1. Tap the Edit button. 2.
Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories You can use the MediaCentral UX mobile app to view queues and stories cached locally to your mobile device without being connected to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system. The Launch panel displays cached queues and stories in the Favorites list when you work in offline mode. The following notes apply to caching queues and stories: • You can work in presenter mode from a cached queue in offline mode.
Working Offline with Cached Queues and Stories 2. Tap the Cache button. A progress bar indicates the status of the cache operation. To stop the cache operation, tap the Cancel button. When the caching completes, a dialog box appears with the results of the operation. 3. Click OK. To remove a cache from your device: 1. In the Launch pane, tap the Edit button, and then select the queue or story in the Favorites list you want to delete. The queue or story displays a check mark next to the title. 2.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Viewing Queues and Stories in Offline Mode When you lose your connection to MediaCentral UX, you can choose to work offline. This allows you to view queues and stories that have been cached on your mobile device. To view cached queues and stories after your lose your connection to MediaCentral UX: 1. In the Connection Failure dialog box, tap Work Offline. MediaCentral UX displays the Launch pane, with all cached queues and stories in the Favorites list. 2.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Icon Description A subclip references a selected portion of a master clip. A sequence represents an edited program, partial or complete, that you create from other clips. An effect clip references an unrendered effect that you create. You cannot preview an effect clip in the Media viewer. A group clip contains two or more grouped clips, strung together sequentially according to common timecodes.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Viewing Media Assets with MediaCentral | UX You can open directories and media assets stored in the Interplay Production database using MediaCentral UX. Directories and a list of assets open within the sidebar. You can view and play assets in the Media viewer. Media viewer — top: selected directory, Show/Hide button, Action button; middle: selected asset, Media player; bottom: Media controls To open a directory: 1. Navigate to the directory. 2.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production The following illustration shows the Scuba Diver directory opened to view one subdirectory and multiple media assets. Scuba Diver directory on the Interplay Production server, with the back button at the top of the list indicating the parent directory To back out of a directory: t n Tap the Back button. The Back button does not display the word “Back” on it, but rather the name on the button changes as a user navigates further into the directory.
MediaCentral | UX and Interplay | Production Media controls: Play button, position indicator, Full Screen button 3. Tap the Play button to play the asset. 4. If you want to scrub through the media asset, or if you want to jump to a specific position in the clip, tap and hold the position indicator and drag it to a new location. 5. If you want to view a video clip in full screen mode, tap the Full Screen button. The Media viewer expands to fill the tablet screen and the video clip starts playing.
17 MediaCentral | UX for Android Devices MediaCentral UX provides a native user interface designed to run on your Android™ device and enable direct, secure access to your station’s iNEWS newsroom computer system. The following main topics describe basic user information about the device and mobile application.
Connection Basics n Remember, the more applications that you have running, the more memory and battery power your device uses. To optimize the performance of your device, try to close applications when you finish with them. Gestures for the Mobile Application Applications for touchscreen mobile devices let users accomplish certain tasks utilizing various gestures like fingertip swipes or taps. What these gestures do can differ from one application to another.
Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device Installing MediaCentral | UX on Your Android Device The following procedure assumes licensing, setup, and configuration of MediaCentral have already been completed. To install MediaCentral UX on the Android device: 1. Open the Android Play Store. 2. Locate the MediaCentral UX application in the Apps section. 3. Tap Install. When MediaCentral UX is installed on your Android device, an icon representing the application is also installed on the home screen.
Starting MediaCentral | UX on the Android Device To start MediaCentral UX: 1. Select the MediaCentral UX icon to start the mobile application. The sign-in screen appears. 2. Type the MediaCentral server name. 3. Type your MediaCentral user name and password. 4. Tap the Sign In button. n If your MediaCentral credentials are incorrect or missing in your MediaCentral account, you receive a message: “Authentication Failed: The user name or password you entered is incorrect.
The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel The Navigation Drawer and Directory Panel After you sign in to MediaCentral on your Android device, you can view the navigation drawer, located along the left side of the screen when displayed. From the navigation drawer, you can connect to various systems integrated with MediaCentral, such as iNEWS newsroom computer systems. The navigation drawer also includes any iNEWS servers that are part of an iNEWS community.
Buttons of the User Interface You can tap the Action overflow button and select Reload to update the queues and stories displayed in the iNEWS database. This allows you to view any changes made to stories or any new iNEWS assets. Buttons of the User Interface The MediaCentral mobile application provides buttons in the user interface that allow you to access the features of the app. The following table describes the buttons and their uses.
Accessing the iNEWS Database General Settings Description Keep me signed in Set to On if you want MediaCentral UX to keep you signed in once you first sign in to MediaCentral. Logging If selected, MediaCentral UX keeps logs on session activities, which you can use to troubleshoot issues. If you tap the Action overflow button, a Send Log option appears that lets you e-mail the logs directly to Avid. If the option is deselected (default), logging is disabled.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The application uses different icons to distinguish between directories, queues, and stories. Icon Description Directories hold queues or other subdirectories. Unlike queues, directories do not directly contain stories. For example, the Wires folder contains queues with incoming wire stories. Queues let you organize stories in detailed categories. A show’s rundown is one example of a queue.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The following illustration shows an example of the iNEWS Directory panel with queues and folders displayed. n While viewing an iNEWS system directory in the Directory panel, you can tap the Up button to return to the top level of the server directory that displays in the navigation drawer. You can open directories, queues, and stories from the MediaCentral mobile application. Directories and queues open within the Directory panel.
Accessing the iNEWS Database To open a directory: 1. Navigate to the directory. 2. Tap a folder on screen to open it. The following illustration shows the Wires directory opened to view numerous queues containing incoming wire stories. To back out of a directory or queue: t Tap the Back button on your Android device. To open a queue: 1. Navigate to the queue inside a directory. 2. Tap the queue to open it.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The following illustration shows an example of a rundown queue. To open an existing story: 1. Navigate to the story in a queue. n A story icon with a check mark indicates that the story has been “approved.” You can approve stories from an iNEWS workstation. 2. Tap the story to open it. The story opens in Story view in the Body tab.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The following illustration shows the Body tab containing a story with production cue markers identified numerically. Presenter instructions appear as red text in the body of the story. 3. While viewing the story, do one of the following to view the Production Cues tab. t Tap the Production Cues tab. t Swipe Left.
Accessing the iNEWS Database The numerical production cue markers within the story align with production cues and machine control instructions displayed in the Production Cues tab. Black text indicates production cues. Blue text indicates machine control instructions (if any). n Because of limited screen size on Android devices, the mobile application does not display the Directory panel with the story.
A User Settings You can access and modify user settings in the User Settings dialog box. To open the User Settings dialog box, select Home > User Settings.After you change a user setting, click Apply to save your changes. The following table describes these user settings. Settings Group Setting Description General Language Controls the language used for the Web application user interface. Select the language you want from the drop-down menu.
Settings Group Setting Description Sequence: Autoload Sequence Determines if a script sequence is automatically opened in the Sequence pane and Media pane if its associated iNEWS story is opened. Interplay | Production Interplay Production credentials Sets the user name and password for access to the Interplay Production server. The user name and password must match the user name and password of an Interplay Production account.
Settings Group Setting Description MOS MOS: MOS enabled Enables use of MOS plug-ins, such as the Avid Deko Select plug-in. For more information on plug-ins, see “Using Plug-ins and MOS Integration” on page 30 and the documentation for your plug-in. Sequence Effects: Dissolve Duration Sets the default duration for video dissolves that can be used to transition between segments in a sequence. By default, the duration is set to 20 frames.
B Keyboard Shortcuts The following main topics provide information about keyboard shortcuts: n n • Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts • Assets Pane Shortcuts • Media Pane Shortcuts • Markers Pane Shortcuts • Sequence Pane Shortcuts These keyboard shortcuts can be used on Windows systems or Macintosh systems, unless otherwise noted. The Macintosh generally uses the Command key in place of the CTRL key, however, you can still use the CTRL key shortcut.
Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts Queue/Story Pane Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts available when working in the Queue/Story pane are listed in the following table. Some keystroke combinations only work when the cursor is located in a certain section of the pane; the Focus column in the table specifies the section of the pane when that is the case. For more information on the pane and its sections, see “The Queue/Story Pane” on page 53.
Assets Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus Ctrl+Alt+C Turn on Closed Captioning mode or mark selected text Story as closed captioning text Ctrl+Alt+N Turn on Normal text mode or change selected text to normal font Story Tab Move to next form field Story Form Shift+Tab Move to previous form field Story Form Assets Pane Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts available when working with the Assets pane are listed in the following table.
Media Pane Shortcuts Media Pane Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts available when working with the Media pane are listed in the following tables. • Shortcuts with Focus in the Media Pane • Shortcuts with Focus Outside the Media Pane For more information on the pane and its sections, see “The Media Pane” on page 132. Shortcuts with Focus in the Media Pane The following table lists shortcuts you can use when the focus is in the Media pane. Shortcut Description Focus Space bar Play or pause play.
Media Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus Enter (Windows) Return (Macintosh) Select the timecode display to enable keyboard entries. Media pane Group clip shortcuts Alt+1 through Alt+9 Select the active angle of a group clip. These keystrokes apply only to camera angles 1 through 9. n Media pane In a multi-angle view, camera angles are numbered from upper left and left to right. Alt+Up Arrow Select the previous angle of a group clip in the current Media pane bank.
Markers Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus Ctrl+Left Arrow Move 1 frame back Global n n Ctrl+Right Arrow On Macintosh systems, to use Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow to move 1 frame, you need to deselect the Mission Control option in System Settings > Keyboard. By default, Ctrl+ arrow key will switch you one space in the direction of the arrow key selected. This shortcut does not work when you are typing text into a marker (edit mode).
Markers Pane Shortcuts Shortcuts for Working with Markers Some of the following keystroke combinations work when the cursor is anywhere in the application and others work only when the cursor is located in the Markers pane. The Focus column in the table describes the focus required for each keystroke combination.
Markers Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus Ctrl+S (Windows and Macintosh) Command+S (Macintosh) Save markers and text without exiting edit mode Markers pane F5 Reload the content of the Markers pane Markers pane Shortcuts for Working with Marker Text The following table lists keyboard shortcuts that you use while working with marker text in edit mode. n “Edit mode” refers to the mode in which the Notes column is selected and the insert bar is displayed.
Markers Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows) Alt+Shift+Left Arrow (Macintosh) Select text one word at a time moving backward Markers pane Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows) Alt+Shift+Right Arrow (Macintosh) Select text one word at a time moving forward Markers pane Shift+Up Arrow Select text one line at a time moving upward Markers pane Shift+Down Arrow Select text one line at a time moving downward Markers pane Ctrl+A (Windows) Command+A (Macintosh) Selec
Sequence Pane Shortcuts Sequence Pane Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts available when working with the Sequence pane are listed in the following table. For more information on the pane and its sections, see “Using the Sequence Pane” on page 74. Shortcut Description Focus Ctrl+S (Windows) Command+S (Macintosh) Save the sequence. Sequence pane Backspace (Windows) Delete (Macintosh) Delete the selected segment.
Sequence Pane Shortcuts Shortcut Description Focus period (.) Trim the segment’s selected end one frame later. Sequence pane slash (/) Trim the segment’s selected end 10 frames later. Sequence pane Shift+[ Trim from start of segment to the position indicator (trim top). Sequence pane Shift+] Trim from the position indicator to the end of a segment (trim tail). Sequence pane With double-sided trim indicators active Shift+M Trim the segment’s selected end by 10 frames earlier.
C Icons This topic provides a quick reference guide to icons or buttons you might encounter when using MediaCentral UX. They are grouped in the following topics: • Pane Type Icons • Launch Pane Icons • Assets Pane Icons • Media Pane Icons • Markers Pane Icons • Progress Pane Icons • Sequence Pane Icons • Media | Distribute Icons Pane Type Icons The follow icons are used to identify the various types of panes you might have open in the MediaCentral UX user interface.
Pane Type Icons Icon Description Markers pane Media pane Messages pane Metadata pane Progress pane Project/Story pane Queue/Story pane Search pane Sequence pane Social Messages pane (Media Distribute) Speedtest pane Thumbnails pane Web Story pane (Media Distribute) 359
Launch Pane Icons Launch Pane Icons The following icons are used in the Launch pane. Icon Description Connected Interplay Production system Disconnected Interplay Production system Connected iNEWS system Disconnected iNEWS system Project in the iNEWS database iNEWS Project (not started) iNEWS Project (expired) Assets Pane Icons Various icons are used distinguish between the different types of assets accessible via MediaCentral UX. Other icons are used to show the state of an asset.
Assets Pane Icons Icon Description Column Video asset: group clip Name Video asset: effect Name Remote asset: downward-pointing arrow for each asset type Name Supported State Reservation State Restriction State Assets Pane Icons related to an iNEWS newsroom computer system All iNEWS related icons in the Assets pane appear in the Name column.
Media Pane Icons Media Pane Icons The following icons are used in the Media pane. Buttons Description The Asset and Output buttons let you switch between a loaded asset and a loaded sequence. Plays the asset or the story sequence. The Play button changes to a Pause button while the asset or story sequence is being played. Plays from an In point to an Out point. Moves the position indicator to the In point. Marks an In point. Marks an Out point Moves the position indicator to the Out point.
Markers Pane Icons Buttons Description Displays the selected sequence to review for playback in the target resolution Loads a master clip that contains a selected frame of a sequence or subclip (Match Frame). Displays a group clip in single-angle view (1x1) Displays a group clip in a 2x2 grid. Displays a group clip in a 3x3 grid. Markers Pane Icons The following icons are used in the Markers pane.
Progress Pane Icons Progress Pane Icons The following icons are used in the Progress pane. Icon Description Open in Media pane Cancel Resend/Retry Sequence Pane Icons The following icons are used in the Sequence pane. Icon Description Adds a dissolve Divides a segment into two segments at the position indicator. Performs an Overwrite edit. Performs a Replace edit. Deletes the segment Shows Audio pane Saves the sequence Extends or retracts a segment.
Media | Distribute Icons Media | Distribute Icons The following icons are used in Media Distribute: Icon Description Shows the Social Messages pane. Shows the Web Story pane. Shows the Combined Messages pane. Indicates a system profile, which contains credentials for a target — for example, a corporate Twitter account — associated with a corporate or group house account and accessible by multiple users.
MediaCentral Glossary A Administrators group A default group used for MediaCentral UX user management that contains users with administrative privileges. active angle In a group clip, the camera angle selected for single-angle view and the angle displayed when you add the clip to a sequence. advanced sequence A sequence you create in MediaCentral UX that includes a timeline with one video track and user-specified audio tracks.
Assets pane A pane in the client application that displays assets. These assets can result from a search or from browsing. Assets are displayed in a folder hierarchy, if applicable to the assets displayed. audio follows video An audio setting that allows the audio mapping for a track in a group clip to automatically “follow” any active angle change and use the audio from the new active angle.
drop zone The part of an area into which you can move a pane. Each area has five drop zones: center, top, bottom, left, and right. E edit while capture (EWC) See Frame Chase editing. F facet A subtopic of an iNEWS project that provides additional granularity. Any stories associated to a facet are automatically associated to that facet’s parent project. See also project.
J J-K-L play The J-K-L keys on the keyboard allow you to play and shuttle through media at varying speeds. This feature is also referred to as three-button play or variable-speed play. L Launch pane A pane in the client application from which you navigate to various locations. This pane displays remote file systems, local files systems, and other locations for assets. Layout A collection of panes designed for a specific purpose, such as a layout for journalists or a layout for administrators.
M marker An indicator added to a selected frame to mark a particular location in a clip, subclip, or sequence. Markers can be different colors and can be associated with user-defined text. Markers are displayed in the Media Timeline and marker text is displayed as an overlay in the Media viewer. Formerly called locator. master clip A media object that contains pointers to media files in which the actual digital video and audio data is stored.
Media Distribute layout A layout that displays different options for publishing to multiple platforms. The layout includes the Social Message, Web Story, and Packages panes used for publishing media packages. Media controls In the Media pane, controls that let you play and move through an asset and edit an asset for use in creating a sequence. Which controls are displayed depends on the selected asset.
Messages pane A pane in the client application that displays a message box for sending both text messages and media asset links to other MediaCentral UX users. It also lists all received messages. metadata Data that describes an asset. Metadata includes properties, reservations, restrictions, and other information. Metadata pane A pane that displays properties that are associated with a selected asset in the Interplay Production database, such as Start Timecode or Comments.
Packages pane A pane in the client application that displays a history of packages ready for publication and already published. The pane also allows you to review and approve packages submitted for publication. pagination A system setting the specifies the maximum number of items listed in the Queue/Story pane or the Project/Story pane. pane A section of the MediaCentral UX Web application. An area contains one or more panes.
Project/Story pane A pane in the client application that displays the contents of a project, its facets, and any associated stories. project An iNEWS term for a group of stories categorized by topic so that news teams working on a particular topic can find everything related to it in a single place. See also facet. Q Queue/Story pane A pane in the client application that displays the contents of a queue with the contents of the story, including the story form.
Rundown layout A layout that a journalist uses to edit and create stories. S script The text that is read on air. Also the content for organizing a feature. Script Editor A section of the Queue/Story pane in which a journalist creates and organizes the elements of a story. There are four sub-sections of the Script Editor: Story Form, Cue List, Story, and Sequence Timeline. script sequence A series of video, audio, and images that you compose in the Sequence pane and play in the Media pane.
send to playback (STP) The process of transferring a sequence to a playback device or playout server for broadcast. sequence Video, images and audio clips, or any combination, arranged in a series. See also basic sequence and advanced sequence. Sequence pane A pane in which you can work with video and audio clips to create or edit a sequence. You can associate the sequence with a new story as a script sequence or store it as an independent asset in an Interplay Production database.
Social Message pane A pane in the client application that allows you to create packages for publication to social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter. SOT (sound on tape) Audio recorded at the same time as the video, often by a microphone separate from the one built in to a camera. Compare with the definition of NAT (natural sound). source clip A video clip or audio clip that is used as part of a sequence.
T Thumbnails pane A pane that displays small images of an asset that is loaded in the Asset mode of the Media pane. Images are displayed by timecode, marker, or both. Timecode displays In the Media pane, displays that provide timecode information for the loaded asset or sequence. timing block A section of a script sequence that corresponds in duration to the read rate of a story segment. A timing block serves as a container for editing actions.
User Tree pane A pane in the Users layout that displays groups and users in a hierarchical layout. Users layout A layout for MediaCentral UX user management that a MediaCentral UX administrator uses to import, create, and manage users and group. V Voice-over controls Controls that let you record a voice-over and adjust its volume. W Web Story pane A pane in the client application that allows you to create packages for publication to Web Content Management Systems.
Index A About menu option 29 Active-X plug-ins 30 Advanced sequence described 78 group clips 197 Annotation speech-to-text 61 Approve stories MediaCentral mobile app 320 MediaCentral UX mobile app 286 Areas 24 Aspect ratio 143 Asset mode described 132 displays and controls 133 Assets aspect ratio 143 described 34 moving and copying 43 playing 140 recently viewed 143 renaming 43 stepping through 142 working with media 39 working with news 37 Assets pane described 34 list of icons 360 navigating 36 Audio adv
Index B Edit while capture (EWC) in-progress clips 164 E-mail forwarding configuring for messages 242 using with messages 243 Exporting markers 231 Bandwidth checking with Speedtest 147 Banks for group clips 187 Basic sequence described 78 group clips 195 F C Facet associating story with 52 described 37 opening 49 opening a facet associated with a story 52 Favorites 287, 322 Folder creating Interplay | Production 43 opening for an asset 160 Clips moving and deleting 117 transcoding and mixing down 16
Index I MediaCentral mobile app 296 Icons Assets pane 360 Launch pane 360 Markers pane 363 Media | Distribute 365 Media pane 362 pane types 358 Progress pane 364 Sequence pane 364 Image creating from a video frame 165 In point marking 149 iNEWS database 37 described 17 MediaCentral mobile app on a tablet 306 MediaCentral UX mobile application for Android devices 337 MediaCentral UX on an iPhone 273 navigating database 39 project 49 script templates 69 support for communities 31 user settings 344 iNEWS li
Index M accessing media assets 326 adding machine control instructions 318 adding production cues 317 approving stories from iPad 320 buttons 303 caching queues and stories 324 connection basics 297 custom settings 303 favorites 322 formatting a script 316 installing on a iPad 299 presenter mode 320 saving stories 315 sidebar 301 starting 299 view video sequences 311 viewing queues and stories offline 324, 326 working offline 324 working with links 319 MediaCentral UX deep links 236 MediaCentral UX mobile
Index MediaCentral UX mobile application accessing iNEWS 337 buttons for Android devices 336 connection basics for Android devices 331 custom settings for Android devices 336 gestures for Android devices 332 installing on an Android device 333 starting on an Android device 333 the navigation drawer 335 MediaCentral UX mobile appn viewing queues and stories offline 289 Menu bar described 29 Messages e-mail forwarding 242 forwarding messages 243 Media Central | UX messages 236 Messages pane 236, 239 sending
Index Production cue adding 64 adding in the MediaCentral mobile app 317 adding in the MediaCentral UX mobile app 283 Progress pane described 252 list of icons 364 Project associating story with 52 described 37, 49 opening 49 opening a project associated with a story 52 Property columns adding and removing 41 moving 42 resizing 42 Proxy video maximum size 144 deleting 229 described 215 group clips 193 overview 225 saving 229 Reviewing for playback 157 Right-to-Left languages entering marker text 233 RTL (
Index list of icons 364 Sequence Timeline described 56 Sequences adding markers 128 adding media from saved sequence 116 adding media to advanced 106 adding media to basic 105 associated in Instinct and NewsCutter NRCS 87 audio-only 88 basic and advanced 78 creating 84 editing 104 enabling audio tracks 115 horizontal and vertical 80 inserting dissolves 128 opening existing sequence 91 opening sequence associated with story 92 playing 140 recovering 89 saving 88 saving a copy 89 script sequences 87 simple a
Index U Undoing in the Sequence pane 116 Unicode support for marker text 233 Unlocking story 67 Update Media Status command 144 User Settings 344 V V column 106 Vertical sequence selecting 80 Video dissolves 128 Video sequences view from mobile app 278 view from tablet app 311 Video-only sequences 88 Voice tracks described 171 Voice-over recording 177 Volume setting 171 Z Zoom bar, Media described 156 with in-process clips 164 Zoom bar, Sequence described 80 387
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