CyberLink PowerDirector 4 User’s Guide
Copyright and Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of CyberLink Corporation.
Contents Introduction ................................................... 1 Welcome! .....................................................................2 Where to Begin Reading ............................................2 The Movie-Making Process .............................................3 Pre-Production ..........................................................3 Putting Your Story Together ........................................3 Editing ..............................................................
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Capturing Media.......................................... 11 Capture Mode .............................................................12 Capture Preferences .....................................................13 Capture Options ..........................................................14 Capture Limit Options .............................................14 Profile Options ........................................................15 Analog Video Capture Options ....................
Contents Chapter Setting Room ..............................................45 Managing Media in the Library ......................................46 Load Clips into the Library ........................................46 Sort Clips in the Library ............................................47 Remove a Clip from the Library .................................48 Rename a Clip in the Library ....................................49 Restore a Clip’s Original File Name ..........................
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Editing Clips ................................................ 67 Editing Media Clips ......................................................68 Split a Clip ..............................................................68 Trim a Video or Audio Clip .......................................69 Mute an Entire Media Clip .......................................73 Mute an Entire Track ................................................73 Take a Still Snapshot of a Video Clip .................
Contents Producing Your Movie ................................ 113 Production Mode .......................................................114 The Production Wizard ...............................................115 Produce a Disc ..........................................................117 Create a File .............................................................119 Create an AVI File .................................................119 Create a DivX File .................................................
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Index .............................................................
Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter introduces CyberLink PowerDirector and the digital video editing process. It provides a discussion of the different kinds of technology you will use in the digital movie-making process, as well as system requirements for working smoothly with CyberLink PowerDirector. This chapter contains the following sections: • Welcome! on p.2 • The Movie-Making Process on p.3 • Register Your Software on p.5 • Uninstall Your Software on p.6 • The PowerDirector Program on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Welcome! Welcome to the CyberLink family of digital video tools! PowerDirector is a digital video editing program that can help you create professional-looking video movies, complete with music, voice-over, special effects, and transition effects. If you don’t have experience making movies, don’t worry. CyberLink PowerDirector provides home users with a simple tool to help them do something a little more creative with their home videos.
Introduction The Movie-Making Process The digital movie production process involves a combination of artistry and technology, beginning with raw video footage and ending with a movie production. CyberLink PowerDirector provides the easiest way to produce your finished movie and publish it to the medium of your choice. Pre-Production Before you edit your movie using CyberLink PowerDirector, you must first create (or gather) its component parts: video clips, photos, music, and narrative voice-overs.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Editing CyberLink PowerDirector’s Edit mode offers loads of options for editing audio, video, and image files in addition to video transitions, video effects, titles, and PiP effects. You might expect to use the functions in PowerDirector’s Edit mode to perform the following tasks: 1. Condense a long video clip to a desired duration using Magic Cut. 2. Clean up audio, video, and image files using Magic Clean. 3. Add a special effect to a video clip. 4.
Introduction Register Your Software After you install the program, a registration window opens, prompting you to register your product. It is important to register your software in order to receive technical support or other information from CyberLink. To register your software, do this: 1. Enter your personal information in the First Name, Last Name, and Email entry boxes. • Check one or both of the options to receive information from 2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Uninstall Your Software If you need to uninstall your CyberLink software for any reason, you can do so either from the Windows Start menu or from the Windows Control Panel. Uninstall from the Start Menu To uninstall your CyberLink software from the Start menu, do this: 1. Click Start > Programs > [name of CyberLink software package] > Uninstall [product name]. The uninstall wizard opens. 2. Follow the uninstall wizard to remove the program.
Introduction The PowerDirector Program When you first open PowerDirector, the program appears as follows: Edit function buttons Open editing rooms dedicated to a specific task Mode buttons Click to switch working modes Magic Tools Provide easy ways to work with media clips Library Contains media clips as well as the various effect and media ‘rooms’ Preview window Provides playback controls to preview clips and movies Media tracks Insert media clips here Function buttons Provide shortcuts to common fun
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 PowerDirector Modes PowerDirector has separate modes that enable you to perform different tasks: Capture, Edit, and Produce. Mode Description Click to switch to the capture interface. See Capturing Media on p.11. Click to switch to the editing interface. See Editing Clips on p.67. Click to switch to the production interface, which opens the Disc Wizard. See Producing Your Movie on p.113. By default, the program opens in Edit mode.
Introduction System Requirements The system requirements listed below are recommended as minimums for general digital video production work. Screen Resolution: • 1024 x 768, 16-bit color or higher OS: • Windows XP/2000 Memory: • 128 MB required (256+ MB DDR recommended) CPU: • Capture/produce AVI: Pentium 2-450 MHz or AMD Athlon • • • • 500 MHz Capture/produce VCD Quality (MPEG-1): Pentium 3-600 MHz or AMD Athlon 700 MHz Capture/produce DVD Quality (MPEG-2): Pentium 4-2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Hard Disk Space: • 800MB minimum (400MB for Magic Music) • 2 GB (4 GB recommended) required for VCD/SVCD production • 10 GB (15 GB recommended) required for DVD production CD/DVD Burning Device: • CD/DVD burner (CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW or DVD-VR/RW) is required to burn VCD/DVD/SVCD titles Microphone: • A microphone is required for recording voice-overs. PowerDirector Versions PowerDirector is available in many different OEM versions and the full retail version.
Chapter 2: Capturing Media This chapter explains how to acquire media for use in CyberLink PowerDirector. You can acquire video and audio from a wide variety of sources, including a webcam, camcorder, TV, VCR, microphone, and audio CD. This chapter contains the following sections: • Capture Preferences on p.13 • Capture Options on p.14 • Capture from DV Camcorder on p.21 • Capture from TV on p.30 • Capture from Webcam on p.32 • Capture from Microphone on p.33 • Rip Audio Tracks from CD on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Capture Mode When you click the button, PowerDirector enters Capture mode, in which you can capture media from a variety of capture devices. In Capture mode, the program appears as follows: Capture preview window Displays media clips during capture. Capture device selection area Allows you to switch capture devices and set capture limits 12 Captured Clips area Displays media clips after capture.
Capturing Media Capture Preferences Before you begin to capture, make sure your capture environment is set according to your preferred working methods. To set your capture preferences, click Edit > Preferences. The Preferences dialog box opens. Available options are as follows: • Add captured files to Library: Check this option to import captured files into the Library after capture. • Add captured files to workspace: Check this option to import captured files into the workspace after capture.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Capture Options Many of the options for capturing are shared by different capture modes. These options are described below. Not all of the options described in this section are available in all capture modes. Descriptions of options specific to a single capture mode are found in the section that describes that mode. Note: PowerDirector’s capture functions vary, depending on version.
Capturing Media Profile Options Click Profile. The Profile Setup dialog box opens. Note: For information on selecting a profile, see Create/Modify a Profile on p.128. • Click the Comments and Details buttons for more information about the profile.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Analog Video Capture Options Click Video. The Analog Video Settings dialog box opens, displaying the Video Setup tab. You may select your capture source here. Click the Video Adjustment tab and set the video options, if necessary. Click the TV Setup tab and set the TV options, if necessary.
Capturing Media Audio Capture Options Before you capture from microphone, there are several options you can set. Drag the volume level slider to set the input volume level. Check Begin with fade-in to start an audio capture in with a fade-in from silence. Check End with fade-out to end an audio capture with a fade-out to silence. Click Audio. The Audio Setup dialog box opens. You may select your audio input device, audio input source, and input volume here.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Webcam Video Capture Options When capturing from a webcam, click Video to set up your webcam capture profile. Under the Video Setup tab, you can select your capture source. Click Advanced Settings for more options. Click the Video Adjustment tab and drag the sliders to increase or decrease the intensity of the video attributes here. • Click Revert to clear the changes you have just made. • Click Default to reset the attributes to their original levels.
Capturing Media CD/Microphone Capture Profile Setup When recording from CD or microphone, click Profile to set up your CD or microphone recording profile. You may select an audio quality here. • You can save a profile using a unique name by clicking the Save As... button. Click Remove to remove the new profiles you create. Captured Clip Options After you capture clips, a number of options are available for managing them.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Captured Clips Area Options Captured clips appear in the Captured Clips area. Right-clicking clips in this area displays a menu that provides several options: • Delete from Disk: Select this option to remove the clip from the Detected Scenes area and delete the source file from your hard disk. • Remove Item: Select this option to remove the clip from the Detected Scenes area. • Play in Media Viewer: Select this option to view the clip in the Media Viewer.
Capturing Media Capture from DV Camcorder DV camcorders are popular among video hobbyists, as they record in a digital format that does not require conversion before being used on a computer, and often provide a number of advanced recording options. You can capture a single scene or a number of scenes in a batch from your camcorder. Procedures for both methods are described below. Capture a Single Scene You can capture a single segment of video from your camcorder.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 3. Locate the position at which you would like to begin capturing. You may do this in one of the following ways: • Use the playback buttons. • Drag the time slider. • Enter a timecode, then click 4. to seek to that timecode. Set your capture options (if necessary). See Capture Options on p.14. • Check Non-realtime to continue processing captured video after the original video stops playing in order to ensure that no frames are dropped.
Capturing Media Batch Capture Batch capturing may seem intimidating, but in reality, it is an incredibly convenient method of capturing multiple video clips automatically. If you take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with batch capturing, you will save yourself loads more time when you capture video from your camcorder. PowerDirector scans your DV for intervals (or allows you to set them manually), then captures them in a batch using the intervals you created.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 3. Set your capture options (if necessary). See Capture Options on p.14. • Check Non-realtime to continue processing captured video after the original video stops playing in order to ensure that no frames are dropped. 4. Click . The DV QuickScan dialog box opens. • Click Note for important information on how to use the DV 5. QuickScan function. Locate the position at which you would like to begin scanning for intervals.
Capturing Media 7. Click Stop after all of the video segments you want to capture have been scanned. Scanned intervals appear as thumbnails in the window. • Click Back to return to the QuickScan function. 8. Check the thumbnails of the intervals you want to batch capture. • You can change the profile of the clips to be captured. To do this, click Profile and select a new profile. • To combine sequential intervals into a single interval, check the intervals, then click Merge.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 • Click Stop to if you want to stop the capture process. 10. Click Finished to return to Capture mode.
Capturing Media Manual Batch Capture Using manual batch capture gives you more control over the capturing process and ensures that the scenes you want to include are captured. Manual batch capturing is recommended when you are sure which scenes you want to capture and have a good idea where they are located on the tape. To perform a manual batch capture, do this: Note: Make sure your camcorder is in VRC mode before capturing. 1. Click to open Capture mode. 2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 4. Click opens. . The DV Manual Scan/Batch Capture dialog box 5. Navigate to the mark in time by doing one of the following: • Click inside the timecode box, enter a time using your keyboard, then press the Enter key. • Use the playback buttons. 28 6. Click to set the mark in point. 7. Navigate to the mark out time, then click to set the mark out point. The intervals you set appear in the pane to the right of the preview window.
Capturing Media Note: You can continue to set intervals of clips to capture. Each interval, however, must have a duration of at least two frames. 8. Click Start to begin batch capture. PowerDirector rewinds your tape to the position of first clip, then begins capturing all of the intervals you have checked. The video plays in the preview window as you capture. The clips you have captured appear in the Captured Clips area. • Click Stop if you want to stop the capture process. 9.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Capture from TV You may wish to add segments from your favorite TV programs to your movie production, or simply record other segments for different uses. To capture from TV, do this: 1. Click to open Capture mode. 2. Click to open the TV capture function. (You may have to wait a few moments as PowerDirector switches devices.) 3. Set your capture options (if necessary). • Click 4. if you have CATV, or click if your TV has an antenna. Locate the channel you want to capture.
Capturing Media 5. Click to begin capture. 6. Click to stop capture. 7. Enter a name in the dialog box that appears. The clips you have captured appear in the Captured Clips area.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Capture from Webcam Webcams (also known as PC cameras) are inexpensive, handy video cameras that you can use for simple video capturing. To capture from webcam, do this: 32 1. Click to open Capture mode. 2. Click to open the webcam capture function. (You may have to wait a few moments as PowerDirector switches devices.) 3. Set your capture options (if necessary). See Capture Options on p.14. 4. Click to begin capture. 5. Click to stop capture. 6.
Capturing Media Capture from Microphone Your movie may require a narrative voice-over, or you may elect to record dialog in a studio for better acoustics. No matter what kind of audio tracks you record, they can be captured with a microphone for use in your PowerDirector project. To capture from microphone, do this: 1. Click to open Capture mode. 2. Click to open the microphone capture function. (You may have to wait a few moments as PowerDirector switches devices.) 3.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Rip Audio Tracks from CD Using your favorite music can help you to create a really fun, personalized movie. If you have music stored on an audio CD, you can rip the songs you want and then add them as audio tracks in PowerDirector. To rip audio tracks from CD, do this: 1. Click 2. Click to open the CD capture function. (You may have to wait a few moments as PowerDirector switches devices.) 3. Select a drive. 4. Select the track you want to rip. 5.
Capturing Media Record a Voice-Over The Voice-Over Recording Room contains controls for recording a narration from a microphone while watching the video clip the voice-over is destined to accompany. When you capture your narration, the audio track is synched with the video portion. Recording options buttons Record button Recording volume controls To record a voice-over, do this: 1. Click 2. Set your voice-over options. See Capture Options on p.14. 3. to open the Voice-Over Recording Room.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 • Enter a timecode in the timecode box. 36 4. Drag the Recording volume level slider to set the input volume level. 5. Click to begin recording. Record your voice-over as you watch the video in the preview window. 6. Click to stop recording. 7. Click to close the Voice-Over Recording Room.
Chapter 3: Creating Your Story This chapter discusses how to work with project files, import media into the Library, and manage clips in both the Library and the workspace. It also describes how to view project information and to preview your movie during production. This chapter contains the following sections: • Working with Project Files on p.38 • General Preferences on p.40 • The Library on p.43 • Managing Media in the Library on p.46 • Managing Clips in the Workspace on p.53 • Set Chapters on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Working with Project Files This section describes working with PowerDirector project files. These are the basic commands for managing new and existing projects. Create a New Project To create a new project file, click File > New Project. If an unsaved project file is open in the workspace, you are prompted to save it. Save a Project To save the current project file, click File > Save Project.
Creating Your Story View Project Properties You can view such project properties as the creation date, the author’s name, associated keywords, etc. To view project properties, click File > Project Properties....
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 General Preferences CyberLink PowerDirector offers a range of choices to set your video production environment to better suit the way you work. File Preferences To set your file preferences, click Edit > Preferences... The Preferences dialog box opens, displaying the File tab. Available options are as follows: • Import directory: Set the folder where PowerDirector looks • • • • • 40 by default for media clips when you load media files.
Creating Your Story • Recently used file list: Enter a number (between 0 and 20) of recently used files that you would like to make available in the File menu when you open PowerDirector. • Automatically load the most recent project when PowerDirector opens: Check this option to load the project you have been working on most recently whenever you open PowerDirector. General Preferences To set your general preferences, click Edit > Preferences... The Preferences dialog box opens. Click the General tab.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 • Durations: Set default durations (in seconds) for image files and the different effects in the timeline. • Always prompt me when TV format conflicts: Check this option to enable a warning message when you add a video clip to the workspace whose TV format (NTSC/PAL) conflicts with that of the video clips already located in the workspace.
Creating Your Story The Library The Library is the storeroom in which all of the media clips used in your projects are kept. In addition, the Library displays all of the different types of effects that can be applied to media clips. The Library appears as follows: Load media button Filter drop-down list Library menu button Detect scenes button Library contents Which contents the Library displays depends on the edit function button you click.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Media Room The Media Room is the storage area for the media that you will use in your video editing project. Which type of media clips appear in the Media Room depends on the selection you make in the Filter drop-down list. For more information, see Load Clips into the Library on p.46 and Add a Clip to the Workspace on p.56. Effect Room The Effect Room contains all of the special effects that can be applied to video or image clips in the workspace.
Creating Your Story Voice-Over Recording Room The Voice-Over Recording Room contains controls for recording a narration from a microphone while watching the video clip the voice-over is destined to accompany. For more information, see Record a Voice-Over on p.35. Chapter Setting Room The Chapter Setting Room contains options for automatically or manually setting chapter markers.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Managing Media in the Library After you have obtained the media files you want to work with, the next step is to add them into the Library (where they become media “clips”) in order to make them available for your movie. Once your clips are loaded, you can change the display of your media clips in the Library and delete unnecessary clips.
Creating Your Story Load a Media Folder To load all of the media files in a particular folder, do this: 1. Click to open the Media Room. 2. Click 3. Locate the folder you want to open, then click OK. All of the media files in that folder are loaded into the Library. and select Load a Media Folder. A dialog box opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Remove a Clip from the Library To remove a media clip from the Library, do this: 1. Click to open the Media Room. 2. Select the clip(s) you want to remove, then do one of the following: • Press the Delete key. • Click and select Delete selected. • Right-click the clip(s), then select Remove from Library or Delete from disk. Note: The Remove from Library option makes the clip unavailable in the Library but does not affect the original media file on your hard disk.
Creating Your Story Rename a Clip in the Library Clips you import into the Library retain their original file names, which are often non descriptive and difficult to use in a video editing project. By using an alias, you can rename any clip in the Library to better suit your project. (For example, you may wish to use the alias “first video clip” instead of “video_005.mpg.) To rename a clip using an alias, do this: 1. Right-click the clip you want to rename and select Use alias. 2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 View Clip Properties If you need to view information about a media clip in the Library or the workspace (such as its format, file path, size, frame rate, etc.), you can view the clip’s properties. To view clip properties, right-click the clip and select Properties. The Properties dialog box opens.
Creating Your Story Detect Scenes in a Video Clip The scene detection function automatically creates individual clips based on the individual scenes contained within a video clip. Detected scenes are not split from the original clip, but can be added to the workspace like any other media clip. Likewise, they may also be merged together or removed entirely without changing the original video clip. To detect scenes in a video clip in the Library, do this: 1.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 5. changing of timecodes. Otherwise, use Detect by changing of video frames. Locate the position at which you would like to begin detecting scenes. You may do this in one of the following ways: • Use the playback buttons. • Drag the time slider. • Enter a timecode. 6. Click Detect. The video clip plays in the Preview Window from the point you have set. • To set scenes manually, click Split instead of Detect.
Creating Your Story Managing Clips in the Workspace The edit interface consists of a workspace to which you can add clips. You can set which view opens by default in the Preferences dialog box. You can also switch views by clicking the Timeline or Storyboard buttons.You can load media and effect clips into specific tracks in the workspace, move them to different locations in your story, and delete them from the workspace.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Media Tracks The Timeline contains the following tracks: Track Description Video Contains your movie’s main video and/or image clips. Effect Contains special effects that apply to the video or image clip in the Video track at the same location. PiP Contains video/image clips, which are overlaid on any clip in the Video track that appears during the PiP effect’s duration.
Creating Your Story Storyboard View You can switch to Storyboard view while editing your movie for a simpler view of the clips that your movie contains. To switch to storyboard view, click .
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Add a Clip to the Workspace The different types of clips may only be added to specific tracks. The sections below describe the procedures for adding each kind of media clip into the workspace. Note: You may prefer to add clips in Storyboard view, since this view is simpler than the Timeline view. However, clips can only be added to the Video track in this view. Therefore, this section uses the Timeline view in all of the procedures.
Creating Your Story Add Color Boards Using color boards allows you to insert solid frames of color into your movie. You might, for example, want to fade in to or out from a certain color, or add a solid background to a picture-in-picture effect. Color boards are not media files as such, but they can be applied to the workspace and managed in the Library just like video and image clips. You can add color boards to either the Video or the PiP track. To add a color board to the workspace, do this: 1.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Add Audio Clips Using audio clips allows you to add background music or a narrative voice-over to your movie. PowerDirector provides two tracks for audio media (the Music and Voice tracks), which you can use interchangeably. Note: Audio files can only be added to the workspace in Timeline view. If you drag an audio file to the workspace in Storyboard view, the workspace automatically switches to Timeline view. To add an audio clip to the workspace, do this: 1.
Creating Your Story Add a Title Effect The procedure below describes how to add a title effect to the Timeline. To add a title effect to the Timeline, do this: 1. Click to open the Title Room. 2. Drag an effect from the Title Room into the desired position in the Title track. • When a title effect is selected, you may click the button located below the Library to add the effect to the Title track at the current position of the Timeline slider.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Move a Clip in the Workspace Once a clip has been added to the workspace, you can drag it to a different location on the track it is currently located in. (Only audio clips can be dragged between tracks.) You may find moving media clips easier in Storyboard view, especially if the clip has an extremely short duration, or if you need to move it a relatively long distance over the workspace.
Creating Your Story Align Clips in the Timeline You can align PiP, effect, and title clips to the edge of the clip above them in the Video track to ensure that their starting and ending times coincide. To align a clip, right-click it in the timeline, then select Align to Edge. The Align to Edge dialog box opens. The Align Left tab displays options for stretching the clip’s left edge.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Remove a Clip from the Workspace To remove a clip from the workspace, select the clip(s) you want to remove, then do one of the following: • Press the Delete key. • Click the Delete button. • Right-click the clip, then select Delete. Replace an Effect in the Timeline You can replace any effect in the Timeline with a different effect that you select in the Effect Room without having to delete one effect and add another. To replace an effect in the Timeline, do this: 62 1.
Creating Your Story Set Chapters Chapters allow for ease of navigation on a disc. If you set chapters on your disc, viewers can jump from the menu page to the start of these chapters in order to skip previous content. However, you may choose not to include chapters. If you do not set chapters, your movie plays automatically when the disc is inserted into a player. To set chapters automatically, do this: 1. Click to open the Chapter Setting Room in the Library. 2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Viewing SVRT Information SVRT (Smart Video Rendering Technology) is a proprietary rendering technology from CyberLink that recognizes which portions of a movie clip have been modified (and therefore require rendering during production), and which portions of a movie clip have not been changed (and thus can be skipped over during rendering). By viewing SVRT information, you can simulate the production process. Note: For more information on SVRT, see SVRT2: When Can I Use it? on p.
Creating Your Story Preview Your Movie Before you commit your movie to disc, it’s a good idea to preview it to make sure all of your clips and effects are working to create the movie you want. It is highly recommended that you preview your movie at least once before production so you can solve problems without spending time unnecessarily in production.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Preview Your Movie in the Media Viewer To preview your movie in the Media Viewer, do this: 1. Click the Movie button in the preview window. 2. Click . The Media Viewer opens. • You may drag an edge or a corner to resize the Media Viewer 66 3. window. Press Play. The preview starts. 4. Use the playback buttons to control the preview.
Chapter 4: Editing Clips This chapter discusses how to load media into the Library for use in your projects, how to add your media clips to the workspace, then how to manipulate and edit media clips once they are loaded into the workspace. Adding and manipulating media clips allows you to construct the framework of your movie production - to lay out and organize the story you want to tell. This chapter contains the following sections: • Editing Media Clips on p.68 • Using Magic Tools on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Editing Media Clips ‘Editing’ is a broad term that encompasses a number of different functions: you can, for example, trim unwanted sections from video or audio clips, increase or decrease the speed of a video clip, or apply a special effect. This section describes all of the editing processes that you can perform on the different types of media clips. Note: The functions in this section can only be performed in Timeline view.
Editing Clips Trim a Video or Audio Clip Video clips captured from external capture devices often contain unwanted portions at the beginning, between scenes, or at the end. These unwanted portions can easily be removed in PowerDirector using the Trim function. Likewise, if you want to tailor your audio clip to fit the duration of a video clip, you can easily trim your audio clip to a desired length. Note: Trimming a video or audio clip does not delete any portion of the content.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Perform a Multiple Trim You can trim multiple portions from a video clip, resulting in individual clips, which are independent of the original clip. You can also detect scenes using the Multi Trim tool. Detected scenes, by contrast, are not split from the original clip, but are simply divisions contained within it. To perform a multiple trim on a video clip, do this: 1. Select the clip you want to modify. 2. Click Multi Trim. The Multi Trim dialog box opens. 3.
Editing Clips • To detect scenes automatically, click . For more information, see Detect Scenes in a Video Clip on p.51. • To remove a scene, click Remove. • To split a long scene into two shorter scenes, navigate to a position inside a chapter you have already set, then click to split the scene. Note: You can continue to cut multiple scenes from the video clip. Each scene, however, must have a duration of at least two frames. 6. Click OK.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Trim a Video Clip Using Precise Cut If you need to trim video extremely accurately (for example at the frame level), use the Precise Cut feature in the Media Editor window. The Media Editor is a large, resizable preview window that offers a magnified timeline that is particularly useful for accurate trimming of longer videos. To trim a video clip using Precise Cut in the Media Editor, do this: 1. 2. Select the clip you want to modify. Click Trim.
Editing Clips Mute an Entire Media Clip You may wish to mute the audio output of an entire media clip. To do this, right-click the clip and check Mute Clip. Any audio volume keys you have added are hidden. To unmute the track, right-click the track and uncheck Mute Clip. The audio volume keys you have added are restored. Mute an Entire Track You may wish to mute the audio output of an entire track. To do this, right-click the track and select Mute Track. Any audio volume keys you have added are hidden.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Change the Speed of a Video Clip Slow-motion or fast-motion effects can grab your audience’s attention as well as break up the rhythm of a movie. Note: Video clips can be located in either the Video or PiP track. To change the speed of a video clip, do this: 1. Select the clip you want to modify. 2. Click Speed. The speed option panel opens. 3. Set the new speed (between .5x and 2x). You may do this in one of two ways: • Drag the slider to increase or decrease the speed.
Editing Clips Stretch the Audio Portion of a Video Clip When you alter the speed of a video clip, you may wish to stretch the audio portion at the same proportion as the video portion. To change the speed of a video clip, do this: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the clip you want to modify. Click Speed. The speed option panel opens. Click Stretch Audio. This option stretches the video clip’s audio portion (between .5x and 2x). The pitch of the audio portion remains unchanged to avoid unexpected audio results.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Edit an Image Clip in PhotoNow! To edit an image in the CyberLink PhotoNow! program, select an image clip, then click the PhotoNow! button. PhotoNow! is the quickest way to touch-up your photos. You can resize, crop, rotate, remove red eye, adjust the color and brightness, and more. For more information on using the CyberLink PhotoNow! program, see that program’s online help.
Editing Clips Set a Video Clip’s Interlacing Format All video clips have an interlacing (TV) format, which specifies how frames are displayed. Using video clips with conflicting (or incorrect) TV formats can result in degraded video quality in your final production. Before you produce your movie, set all of the video clips to the same format.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Change Audio Clip Volume Levels Your movie may contain audio portions in the Music track, the Voice track, as well as in the video clips you have added. Since all of these tracks have probably been recorded at different levels, the result of so many audio sources can produce an overwhelming and confusing sound track. However, the audio levels of all of these different tracks can be mixed to produce a more harmonious sound track to your movie.
Editing Clips Mix Audio Levels in the Audio Mixing Room Using the Audio Mixer in the Audio Mixing Room gives you very precise control over the volume levels of the audio clips in the workspace. The Audio Mixer contains audio mixing controls for the different audio tracks in the workspace. The Audio Mixing Room appears as follows: Audio mixing controls To mix audio in the Audio Mixing Room, do this: 1. Click . The Audio Mixing Room opens. 2. Click Play. 3.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Add a Fade Effect to an Audio Clip To add a fade-in/fade-out effect to an audio clip, do this: 1. Click 2. Click the button corresponding to the type of fade effect you want: 3. . The Audio Mixing Room opens. • Click to add a fade-in effect. • Click to add a fade-out effect. Click to close the Audio Mixing Room.
Editing Clips Using Magic Tools PowerDirector’s Magic Tools make working with audio, video, and image clips easier than ever before. PowerDirector offers the following Magic Tools: • Magic Clean: Cleans audio, video, and image clips. • Magic Motion: Zooms and pans image clips. • Magic Cut: Automatically condenses long video segments into shorter clips that contain only the best moments. • Magic Music: Adds background music that automatically adjusts to suit different durations.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Magic Clean PowerDirector’s Magic Clean tool can be used to clean up image files, video files, as well as audio files. The Magic Clean tool can help revitalize your project by making your media clips cleaner, sharper, and brighter and your audio files crisper and clearer. Perform Magic Clean on an Image Clip When applied to image clips, PowerDirector’s Magic Clean tool enhances the image for a sharper, brighter picture.
Editing Clips Perform Magic Clean on a Video Clip When applied to video clips, PowerDirector’s Magic Clean tool automatically adjusts the video output for a sharper, brighter picture. This tool is ideal for use with video recorded when lighting is either insufficient or too intense. There are also noise reduction options that can be applied to the audio portion of a video clip. To perform Magic Clean on a video clip, select the clip in the timeline, then click . The Magic Clean dialog box opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Perform Magic Clean on an Audio Clip The Magic Clean tool is ideal for use with audio clips that were recorded outdoors, in a room with poor acoustics - even in a car or other noisy location. The Magic Clean tool uses CLNR (CyberLink Noise Reduction) technology to improve output audio. To perform Magic Clean on an audio clip, select the clip in the timeline, then click . The Magic Clean dialog box opens.
Editing Clips Magic Motion PowerDirector’s Magic Motion tool zooms or pans an image clip, creating a motion effect in your final movie. The Magic Motion tool is ideal for turning slide shows into engaging presentations - especially when combined with Magic Music. To perform Magic Motion on an image clip, select the clip in the timeline, then click . The Magic Motion dialog box opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Magic Cut You can fit a video clip to a specific time by automatically cutting out unnecessary portions and keeping only the best moments. The Magic Cut feature uses “magic” video technology to locate and keep the most interesting moments, while discarding sections of lesser importance. The Magic Cut tool is ideal for condensing long video segments into shorter clips - for example, cutting one hour of video down to ten minutes.
Editing Clips Magic Music Magic Music automatically adjusts the playback of the music clips it contains to fit any length from 5 seconds to 2 hours, and fine-tunes the audio for a smooth cut-off. The Magic Music tool is ideal for use with photo slide shows. Note: Click the SmartSound button to view SmartSound-related copyright and purchasing information. To add a Magic Music audio clip to the timeline, do this: 1. Click . The Magic Music pane opens. 2. Select a style from the drop-down menu. 3.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Modifying Effects Most effects boast a number of options that you can set individually to increase or decrease the intensity of the effect, or to achieve more creative results. In fact, this section describes some of the most creative functions found within the PowerDirector program.
Editing Clips Set an Effect’s Duration The procedure below describes how to set the duration of a video, title, or transition effect. The procedure for PiP effects has only a slight difference. Set an Effect’s Duration Using the Duration Setting Box To set an effect’s duration using the Duration Setting box, do this: 1. Select the effect you want to modify. 2. Display the timecode box. You may do this in one of the following ways: • Video/title/transition effects: Click Duration.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Set an Effect’s Duration Manually You can set an effect’s duration manually by dragging the edges of the effect in the Timeline. The procedure for dragging the edges of an effect is the same for video, title, PiP, and transition effects. Note: Video clips used in a PiP cannot be lengthened beyond their original duration. Transitions can be lengthened to half of the duration of the shortest clip they affect. To set an effect’s duration manually, do this: 1.
Editing Clips Modifying a Video Effect Video effects are applied to the Effect track at the time position of the video or image clip(s) that you want to affect. Video effects only affect the clips in the Video track that appear within the effect’s duration. To modify a video effect, do this: 1. Select the video effect in the Effect track and click Modify. The Effect Modifications Options panel opens. 2. Set the intensity level of the video effect. A preview of the effect appears in the preview window.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Modifying a PiP Effect A picture-in-picture effect allows you to insert an image or a video into an existing image or video clip in your movie, effectively overlaying the picture-in-picture clip on top of the existing clip. You can modify the degree of transparency of the overlapping clip, as well as its position, motion, and other properties. PiP effects have many options that you can modify independently.
Editing Clips Add a Border to a PiP Effect You can add a border around the clip in a PIP effect. Available options allow you to change the border’s color and size and to add a transparency or blur effect. To change the border of a PiP effect, do this: 1. Select the PiP effect video clip that you want to modify, then click Modify. The PiP Modification Options panel opens. 2. Click 3. Set the PiP border options that you want to apply: . The PiP Designer opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Option Description Uniform color Check to set the border in a single color. Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select a color. Gradient color Check to set the border in a color gradient. Begin Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select the color at the start of the gradient. End Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select the color at the end of the gradient.
Editing Clips Add a Shadow to a PiP Effect You can add a shadow around the clip in a PIP effect. Available options allow you to change the shadow’s color and size and to add a transparency or blur effect. To add a shadow to a PiP effect, do this: 1. Select the PiP effect video clip that you want to modify, then click Modify. The PiP Modification Options panel opens. 2. Click 3. Set the PiP shadow options that you want to apply: . The PiP Designer opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Option Description Transparency Drag the slider to increase or decrease the transparency of the shadow. Color picker Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select the color of the shadow. Shadow direction Click a dimple to indicate the direction of the shadow. Note: Whenever you set an option in the PiP Designer, a preview of the effect is instantly displayed. 4. 96 Click OK to close the PiP Designer.
Editing Clips Add Motion to a PiP Effect You can add a motion to the clip in a PIP effect. Available options allow you to set the start and end locations, add a fade-in or fade-out, and begin or end the effect off screen. To add motion to a PiP effect, do this: 1. Select the PiP effect video clip that you want to modify, then click Modify. The PiP Modification Options panel opens. 2. Click 3. Set the PiP motion options that you want to apply: . The PiP Designer opens.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Option Description Fade-in Check this option if you want the PiP clip to fade in at the beginning of the effect. PiP ending position Select the position at which you want the PiP clip to end its motion from the dropdown list. (Select Still if you do not want the PiP clip to move at the end of the effect.) End off screen Check this option if you want the PiP clip to end off screen. Fade-out Check this option if you want the PiP clip to fade out at the end of the effect.
Editing Clips Add a Color Filter to a PiP Effect When you add a color filter to a clip in a PiP effect, portions of the underlying clip show through the overlaid clip wherever the selected color occurs. To add a color filter to a PiP effect, do this: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click the media clip in the PiP track you want to modify, then click Modify. The PiP Modification Options panel opens. Check Apply color filter. This filters the selected color out of the image (i.e.: makes that color transparent).
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 from the drop-down list, then click the or the button to zoom out. 5. 6. 100 button to zoom in Set a Tolerance level to extend or restrict the range of colors affected by the filter. Do this in one of the following ways: • Drag the Tolerance level slider. • Click the button to increase the level or the button to decrease the level. Click to close the options panel and return to the normal Library view.
Editing Clips Modify a PiP Effect’s Size and Position You can change both the size and the position of the media clip in a PiP effect. Resizing options are unrestricted. You can reduce the clip to miniature size or enlarge it to completely obscure the underlying media file. To modify a PiP effect’s size and position, do this: 1. Click the media clip in the PiP track, then click Modify. The PiP Modification Options panel opens. 2.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Modify a Title Effect Using title effects allows you to add text to your movie - as a title at the beginning, an element during the main story, or as credits at the very end. Besides changing the look of the text itself, you can also send the text running on a path across the screen. Title effects only affect the clips in the Video track that appear within the effect’s duration. Title effects contain font face and shadow options, which you can modify to best suit your movie.
Editing Clips 2. Set the text font face options that you want to apply Option Description Click to select a title effect. Click to select a font type. Click to select a font size. Click to make text bold. Click to make text Italicized. Click to left-align text. Click to center-align text. Click to right-align text. Click to add/remove a title mask. Click to add/remove grid lines that can aid in the precise positioning of text on the screen.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Option Description Click to add/remove the TV Safe Zone outline, which represents the area in which video content from your movie is certain to appear on TV screens, which have a smaller display area than computer monitors. The TV Safe Zone outline does not appear when you preview or produce your movie. 104 Apply font face Check to apply the font face settings. Uncheck to remove the font face settings.
Editing Clips Option Description End Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select the color at the end of the gradient. Gradient direction Click a dimple to indicate the direction of the gradient. Note: Whenever you set an option in the Title Designer, a preview of the effect is instantly displayed. 3. Click OK to close the Title Designer.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Mask a Title Effect Masking a title effect hides the portion of the title effect that is located within the mask. To mask a title effect, do this: 106 1. Select a title effect in the Title track, then click Modify. The Title Designer opens. 2. Click 3. Drag the title mask bars to specify the area you want to mask. Any text that appears outside this area does not appear when the clip is played. 4. Click OK to close the Title Designer. .
Editing Clips Add a Shadow to a Title Effect You can add a shadow around the text in a title effect. Available options allow you to change the shadow’s color and size and to add a transparency or blur effect. 1. Click to open the Shadow settings. 2. Set the text shadow options that you want to apply: Option Description Apply shadow Check to apply the shadow settings. Uncheck to remove the shadow settings.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 3. 108 Option Description Fill shadow Check to fill in the gap between the shadow and the font face. Color picker Click the eyedropper to open the Color dialog box, in which you can select the color of the shadow. Shadow direction Click a dimple to indicate the direction of the shadow. Click OK to close the Title Designer.
Editing Clips Preview a Clip As you add media to your production, it is important to preview the effect your media clips have on the story you are telling. You may want to preview imported clips, for example, to verify their content, or to preview clips you have captured to see if they contain sections you need to trim. Preview Window The easiest way to preview a media clip is by playing it in the preview window to the right of the Library.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Preview a Clip in the Preview Window To preview a media clip in the preview window, do this: 1. Click the clip or effect you want to preview. The clip appears in the preview window. Note: When previewing clips in the workspace, ensure that the preview window is in Clip mode. If the preview is in Movie mode, click the Clip button before previewing a clip. 2. Locate the point at which you want to begin your preview.
Editing Clips Media Viewer The Media Editor is similar to the Media Viewer but offers additional functions for trimming video clips. Previewing clips in the Media Viewer gives you a larger preview picture than the preview window. The Media Viewer allows you to preview media clips as well as your entire movie production in a large, resizable window.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Preview a Clip in the Media Viewer To preview a clip in the Media Viewer, do this: 1. Right-click the clip in the Library. 2. Select Play in Media Viewer. The clip appears in the Media Viewer. 3. Locate the point at which you want to begin your preview. You may do this in one of the following ways: • Drag the Timeline slider. • Drag the preview window slider. • Enter a timecode in the timecode box. 4. Press Play. The preview starts from the point you have specified. 5.
Chapter 5: Producing Your Movie After your movie has been completely edited, you are ready to produce your movie. Producing a movie simply means compiling (or rendering) the separate elements it contains into one playable movie file. As your movie can be destined for different uses, PowerDirector has several options to produce movies suited to any need. This chapter contains the following sections: • Production Mode on p.114 • The Production Wizard on p.115 • Produce a Disc on p.117 • Create a File on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Production Mode When you click the button, PowerDirector enters Production mode, in which you can compile your movie into a file that is ready for a variety of destinations, including burning to disc. In Production mode, PowerDirector opens the Production Wizard.
Producing Your Movie The Production Wizard The Production Wizard is a simple interface that makes movie production easy. When you click , the Production Wizard opens. Note: Before producing your movie, make sure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 The opening window contains a preview window, a visual display of your hard disk space, and four buttons corresponding to the four production options available in The Production Wizard. These are described below: Button Description Produce a Disc: Allows you to create a movie production that you can then burn to disc. See Produce a Disc on p.117. Create a File: Allows you to create a movie production that you can then watch on your computer See Create a File on p.119.
Producing Your Movie Produce a Disc You may want to burn your movie to disc so that you and your friends and family can enjoy watching it on a computer or a disc player. This section describes how to produce a movie that you can burn to disc after the production process is finished. To produce a movie that you can burn to disc, do this: 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click page. 3. Select a disc format, then set your options: , then Next.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 4. Click Continue Authoring to continue the production process by burning a disc in CyberLink PowerProducer after your movie is compiled. • Production does not start automatically at this point. Instead, you are given the opportunity to further edit your disc, then start production when you are ready. Note: For help using CyberLink PowerProducer, see the help file inside that program.
Producing Your Movie Create a File You may want to produce your movie as a file that you can watch on your computer. PowerDirector allows you to create files in AVI, MPEG-1, or MPEG-2 format. The procedures for creating each of these file types are described in the section below. Create an AVI File There are two types of AVI files: DV-AVI or Windows AVI. DV-AVI To produce a DV-AVI movie that you can watch on your computer, do this: 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click , then Next.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 • Use SVRT to save rendering time: Keep this option checked (when it is enabled) to reduce production time. For more information on SVRT, see What is SVRT/SVRT II and when can I use it? on p.160 and SVRT, SVRT II on p.173. 6. Click . A dialog box opens. Set your options, if necessary: • Select Type I or Type II. For more information on these two types, see Type I and Type II on p.174. • Select High Quality or Medium Quality.
Producing Your Movie 7. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct. • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To 8. do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. • To ensure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format, click Scan source video clips and set field order. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Windows AVI To produce a Windows AVI movie that you can watch on your computer, do this: 1. Click 2. Click to open the Production Wizard. , then Next. File generation production options appear on the page. 122 3. Select the AVI file format. 4. Select the Windows AVI format from the drop-down list. 5. Select a video quality from the drop-down list.
Producing Your Movie 6. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct. • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To 7. do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. • To ensure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format, click Scan source video clips and set field order. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create a DivX File You can create a DivX file for a number of different uses: as an email attachment, for playback on a media player, for viewing on a TV, or for writing to VHS tape. To produce a DivX movie, do this: 124 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click , then Next. File generation production options appear on the page. 3. Select the DivX file format.
Producing Your Movie 4. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct. • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To 5. do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. • To ensure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format, click Scan source video clips and set field order. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create an MPEG-1/MPEG-2 File To produce an MPEG-1/MPEG-2 movie that you can watch on your computer, do this: 126 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click , then Next. File generation production options appear on the page. 3. Select the MPEG-1/MPEG-2 file format, then select a profile.
Producing Your Movie 4. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct. • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To 5. do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes. • To stop the production process before completion, click Abort. • To return to Edit mode after production is complete, click Home.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create/Modify a Profile You can create a new profile, or modify an existing profile’s settings, in order to better suit your production needs. Change AVI Profile Settings 1. Click . A dialog box opens. Set your options, if necessary: • Compression Codec: Select a codec from the drop-down list. • Key Frame: This field, when available, allows you to set the • • • • 128 number of key frames in your video, but this number cannot be set for most codecs.
Producing Your Movie 2. Click the Video/Audio Settings tab and set your options, if necessary: • Frame(s): Select a frame rate from the drop-down list. • Video Size: Select a video display size from the drop-down list. • Colors: Select a color scheme from the drop-down list. • Format: Select an audio format from the drop-down list. • Attributes: Select audio attributes from the drop-down list. • To verify the profile’s properties, click .
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Change DivX Profile Settings 1. Click . A dialog box opens. Set your options, if necessary: • Compression Codec: Select a codec from the drop-down list. • Key Frame: This field, when available, allows you to set the • • • • 130 number of key frames in your video, but this number cannot be set for most codecs. For more information on key frames, see key frame on p.171. Data rate: Select a data rate from the drop-down list.
Producing Your Movie 2. Click the Video/Audio Settings tab and set your options, if necessary: • Frame(s): Select a frame rate from the drop-down list. • Video Size: Select a video display size from the drop-down list. • Colors: Select a color scheme from the drop-down list. • Format: Select an audio format from the drop-down list. • Attributes: Select audio attributes from the drop-down list. • To verify the profile’s properties, click .
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create a New MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Profile MPEG production profiles can be used when you produce a movie for a disc or when you create an MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 file. You can create custom production profiles if none of the existing profiles suit your specific production requirements. To create a new custom production profile, do this: 1. Click . The Profile Setup dialog box appears. 2. 3. Enter a new profile name.
Producing Your Movie • Smoothing: Check to produce a softer video image. Only use 4. this option if it was not used during capture, as it can result in slightly blurred video quality. • Noise removal: Check to remove video artefacts. Only use this option if it was not used during capture, as it can result in slightly blurred video quality. • Deinterlacing: Check to create deinterlaced video.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create a Streaming File You may want to produce your movie as a video file that can be stored on a server for streaming over the Internet. PowerDirector allows you to create files in WMV, RealVideo, or QuickTime Movie format. The procedures for creating each of these file types are described in the section below. Create a WMV File for Streaming To produce a WMV movie that you can stream over the Internet, do this: 134 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2.
Producing Your Movie • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. • To ensure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format, click Scan source video clips and set field order. Note: This is an extremely important step to take before producing your final movie, as it can drastically affect final video quality! 6. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Create a RealVideo File for Streaming To produce a RealVideo movie that you can stream over the Internet, do this: 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click , then Next. Streaming file production options appear on the page. 3. Select the RealVideo movie file format. 4. Enter the file’s properties: • Title: Enter a title for your movie. • Copyright: Enter copyright information for your movie. • Author: Enter author information for your movie.
Producing Your Movie • To ensure that all of your video clips have the same interlacing format, click Scan source video clips and set field order. Note: This is an extremely important step to take before producing your final movie, as it can drastically affect final video quality! 6. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes. • To stop the production process before completion, click Abort. • To return to Edit mode after production is complete, click Home.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 3. Click the Settings tab and modify the Video, Audio, and Target Audience Settings, if necessary: 4. Click OK to close the dialog box. • To edit a custom production profile, click and edit the necessary information. • To delete a profile, click . A warning message appears, asking if you want to delete the profile. Click OK. The profile is deleted. • To view a profile’s production details, select the profile whose details you want to view, then click .
Producing Your Movie Create a QuickTime File for Streaming To produce a QuickTime movie that you can stream over the Internet, do this: 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click , then Next. Streaming file production options appear on the page. 3. Select the QuickTime movie file format. 4. Select a production profile. For more information on profiles, see Create a New QuickTime Profile on p.141. 5. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 6. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes. • To stop the production process before completion, click Abort. • To return to Edit mode after production is complete, click Home.
Producing Your Movie Create a New QuickTime Profile To create a new custom production profile, do this: 1. Click . The Profile Setup dialog box appears. 2. Enter a new profile name. 3. Click the Video Compressor tab and set your Video Setting options: • Compressor Component: Select a compression scheme display size from the drop-down list. • Video Size: Select a video display size from the drop-down list. • Video Type: Select a video codec type from the drop-down list.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 • Key Frame Rate: Use the arrows to set a key frame rate 4. (between 0 and 32). For information on key frames, see key frame on p.171. Click OK to close the dialog box. • To edit a custom production profile, click and edit the necessary information. • To delete a profile, click . A warning message appears, asking if you want to delete the profile. Click OK. The profile is deleted.
Producing Your Movie Write Back to DV Tape You may want to produce your movie in order to write it back to DV tape. This allows you to store your movie in a convenient, digital format that can easily be imported into another computer for further editing. To produce a movie that you can write back to DV tape, do this: 1. Click to open the Production Wizard. 2. Click page. 3. Click Next. , then Next.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 4. Click Next. Production details appear on the page. Verify that these details are correct. • You can change the video file name and destination folder. To 5. do this, click , then enter a new name or locate a new folder. Click Start. The production process begins. This process may take a few minutes. • To stop the production process before completion, click Abort. • To return to Edit mode after production is complete, click 6. 144 Home.
Producing Your Movie 7. Locate the position at which you would like to begin writing to tape. You may do this in one of the following ways: • Use the playback buttons. • Drag the time slider. • Enter a timecode in the timecode box. 8. Your produced movie file appears in a list in the window. • Click to add new files to the file list. Select a file and click to remove it from the file list. • Select a file then click to bring it closer to the beginning of your movie when writing to tape.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Burning When you are ready to burn your movie to disc, you should have several discs on hand that are compatible with your burning drive. Make sure not only that the media type is correct (i.e.: that you have DVDs for a DVD drive and CDs for a CD drive), but that your discs are all in the correct format (for example, CD-R or DVD+RW). Keep several discs on hand in case your drive encounters errors, or to make duplicate copies when you are satisfied with the results.
Appendix This chapter contains reference information to help answer questions you may have about the digital movie production process or about using CyberLink PowerDirector. This chapter contains the following sections: • Technical Support on p.148 • Hotkeys on p.150 • FAQ on p.158 • SVRT2: When Can I Use it? on p.162 • Disc Types & Formats on p.163 • Video Formats & Qualities on p.168 • Glossary on p.170 • Copyright Notices on p.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Technical Support Before seeking technical support, please read your user's guide or online help, and check out the Readme file for more information. You may also contact your local distributor/dealer. If your problem is still not resolved, the following sections provide ways to obtain technical support from CyberLink. Web Support Web support is available 24 hours a day: support.gocyberlink.
Appendix Telephone Support You are welcome to call CyberLink's Technical Support Hotline at: (886) 2-8667-1298 Note: Technical support is only offered to registered users, so please make sure your CD-key is ready when calling. Phone support hours are: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Taiwan local time (GMT +8:00) excluding holidays.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Hotkeys PowerDirector allows you to employ a number of hotkeys to make working with video quicker and easier. These hotkeys are organized by function and described below.
Appendix Workspace Hotkeys Hotkey Function Tab Switch between Timeline/Storyboard Home Go to the beginning of clip/project End Go to the end of clip/project Alt+1 Opens the Magic Clean function Alt+2 Opens the Magic Motion function Alt+3 Opens the Magic Cut function Alt+4 Opens the Magic Music function Ctrl + right arrow Go to next clip in the track (Clip mode) Ctrl + left arrow Go to previous clip in the track (Clip mode) Ctrl + C Copy Ctrl + X Cut Ctrl + V Paste + Zoom ruler I
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Menu Hotkeys Hotkey Function Alt + F Open File menu Alt + E Open Edit menu Alt + V Open View menu Alt + T Open Capture menu Alt + P Open Playback menu Alt + H Open Help menu Smart Guide Hotkeys Hotkey Function Ctrl + Alt + T Display Trim options Ctrl + Alt + S Display Speed options Ctrl + Alt + C Display Color options F2 Display PiP Modification Options/Title Designer Settings Panel Hotkey 152 Hotkey Function Ctrl + P Take a snapshot
Appendix Main Panel Hotkeys Hotkey Function F1 Help Ctrl + + (plus) Increase volume Ctrl + - (minus) Decrease volume Ctrl + Backspace Mute/unmute Delete Delete selected item(s) Ctrl + Z Undo Ctrl + Y Redo Shift + F12 Show Hotkey list help F9 Switch to Capture mode F10 Switch to Edit mode F11 Switch to Produce mode 153
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Library Hotkeys 154 Hotkey Function F5 Open Media Room F6 Open Effect Room F7 Open Title Room F8 Open Transition Room Shift + F9 Open Audio Mixing Room Shift + F10 Open Voice-Over Recording Room Shift + F11 Open Chapter-Setting Room Ctrl + Enter Display media in Media Viewer Ctrl + A Select all Ctrl + Tab Switch between filters Ctrl + D Detect scenes Ctrl + Q Load media file(s) Ctrl + W Load a media folder
Appendix Capture Hotkeys Hotkey Function Ctrl + R Record Ctrl + / Stop recording Space bar DV play/pause Ctrl + , (comma) DV rewind Ctrl + .
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Preview Window Hotkeys 156 Hotkey Function Space Play/pause Ctrl + / Stop , (comma) Previous frame .
Appendix Title Designer Hotkeys Hotkey Function Ctrl + B Set text in bold Ctrl + I Set text in italics Ctrl + L Left-align text Ctrl + R Right-align text Ctrl + E Center-align text Ctrl + T Show/hide TV Safe lines Ctrl + G Show/hide Gridlines Ctrl + M Show/hide Title mask PiP Designer Hotkeys Hotkey Function Ctrl + T Show/hide TV Safe lines Ctrl + G Show/hide Gridlines 157
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 FAQ Answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning CyberLink PowerDirector are listed below. If you require further information, see Technical Support on p.148. 1. What's new in PowerDirector? New Features: • RichVideo Speeds up the video editing process by storing • • • • • • • file-specific information created by the Magic Cut or Scene Detection functions to file or to cache.
Appendix 2. What is the difference between CyberLink PowerProducer and CyberLink PowerDirector? CyberLink PowerProducer is mainly for users who want to burn the home videos they have saved on their computer, camcorder, or digital camera to DVD/CD so they can share them with friends and family. PowerProducer users generally want a quick solution without learning how to edit video. CyberLink PowerDirector, on the other hand, allows users to explore their creativity in the field of digital video editing.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 6. What is SVRT/SVRT II and when can I use it? SVRT (Smart Video Rendering Technology) is a proprietary rendering technology from CyberLink that intelligently recognizes which portions of a movie clip have been modified, and only renders those portions - not the entire video clip during production. Rendering only the modified portions of a video clip saves time and preserves the original quality of the video.
Appendix 8. How do I know if my hardware is compatible with or supported by PowerDirector? Check out the hardware approval sheet in the readme file. An updated version can also be found on CyberLink's website. 9. Which languages does PowerDirector support? PowerDirector supports the languages listed below: • Chinese, Simplified • Chinese, Traditional • English • French • German • Italian • Japanese • Korean • Spanish 10. Commercial DVDs often contain up to 3 hours of video.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 SVRT2: When Can I Use it? SVRT2 can be applied to video clips in the MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and DV-AVI (Type I) formats. In the following conditions, clips (or portions of clips) do not require rendering during production, and SVRT2 can therefore be applied: • The frame rate, frame size, and file format are the same as those of the destination production profile. • The bitrate is similar to that of the destination production profile.
Appendix Disc Types & Formats This section describes the different disc types and disc formats that you can use in CyberLink PowerProducer. Disc Types In broad terms, discs are divided into CD (which, being the earlier technology, is more widely supported) and DVD (which holds many times the amount of content, but requires a different drive). Following is a brief description of the different disc types supported by CyberLink PowerProducer.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 DVD Types DVD is a high capacity disc that holds anywhere from 4.7-17 GB of data, or from roughly 2-8 hours of video (depending on the type of DVD and the video quality setting). Using the High Quality setting, you can expect to be able to record 1-2 hours of video. DVDs can be played on DVD players and computers equipped with DVD drives. For more detailed information on DVD-R/RW formats, see www.dvdrhelp.com/dvd or other web sources.
Appendix Disc Formats Below is a description of the formats that CyberLink PowerProducer supports for burning discs: Format Description DivX DivX is a video file format based on MPEG-4 technology. DivX creates a very small video that can be attached in an email, played back on a media player, viewed on a TV, or written to VHS tape. The DivX codec can be downloaded for free from the DivX website at www.divx.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 166 Format Description VCD VCD (video compact disc) is a CD video format that uses MPEG compression. VCD contains audio and video of a quality about the same as that of VHS, and also contains menus and chapters like a DVD. VCD can be played on a PC with VCD/MPEG playback software and on most stand-alone DVD players.
Appendix Disc Type/Format Compatibility Since some commercial CD players cannot play CD-RWs, it is recommended that you use CD-R/CD+R discs to burn music CDs. It is recommended that you use DVD-RW or DVD-RAM discs for video in DVD-VR format. DVD-VR discs can be played on a DVD player with the -VR Compatible logo. It is recommended that you use DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW discs for video in DVD+VR format. DVD+VR discs can be played on a DVD-Video player.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Video Formats & Qualities When you burn video to disc, you must take into consideration not only the quality you want to use, but also the TV format of the country or region in which you want to watch the movie disc you burn. The section below offers information on both of these topics, allowing you to burn video discs that suit your playback capabilities. TV Formats The two TV formats (NTSC and PAL) have been adopted as standards by television broadcasters around the world.
Appendix Video Qualities The different video quality settings (HQ, SP, and LP) available in CyberLink PowerDirector result in a final picture of higher or lower quality and a movie file of larger or smaller size. Better quality video also demands more from your computer and limits the video duration you can burn to disc.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 Glossary The glossary provides definitions of terms used in this user’s guide that you may find unfamiliar. 170 Term Description chapter A marker set in a video clip in order allow viewers to jump to that specific point for navigation purposes. clip A video, audio, or image file that has been loaded into PowerDirector’s Library for use in your movie.
Appendix Term Description GOP pattern (Group of Pictures pattern) A pattern in MPEG encoding made up of groups of pictures (consisting of I-, B-, and P-frames), which have certain dependent relationships during encoding. Changes to this pattern can cause playback errors in some players. hold time Used to describe the time a moving effect (PiP or title effect) remains stationary on the screen. HQ (High Quality) The highest video quality you may select in PowerDirector.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 172 Term Description MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) A family of international standards used for coding audio/ video information into digital format. Currently, MPEG-2 is the standard for digital video formats and MP3 for strictly digital audio formats. non-realtime capture Non-realtime capture continues processing video after the video capture playback stops in order to ensure that no frames are dropped.
Appendix Term Description slide show A presentation that can include both photos (called slides) and effects, such as transitions and background music. The photos and effects in a slide show are contained in units called albums, which can contain any number of photos, as well as transitions and music. SP (Standard Play) The median video quality in PowerDirector, inferior to HQ but superior to LP.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 174 Term Description Type II Method of storing DV data in AVI format that was defined by Microsoft. This format stores data (i.e. video and audio) as a single video stream and 1-4 audio streams to store DV data. It offers wider compatibility, but uses an older compression than Type I. This format requires slightly more processing time to split the video/audio stream while capturing.
Appendix Copyright Notices Following are copyright notices for references to copyrighted materials used in this document. Dolby Laboratories Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby”, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 1992-1999 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved. Intel License Agreement For Open Source Computer Vision Library Copyright © 2000, Intel Corporation, all rights reserved.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors “as is” and any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed.
Index B A C adding audio clips to workspace 58 clips to workspace 56 color boards to workspace 57 images to workspace 56 title effects to Timeline 59 transition effects to Timeline 59 video effects to Timeline 58 aliases 49 align clips in Timeline 61 analog video capture options 16 audio adding clips to the workspace 58 capture options 17 compression bitrate 133 Magic Music 87 Audio Mixer 79 adding fade effect in 80 mixing audio in 79 Audio Mixing Room 44 automatic batch capture 23 AVI producing files 1
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 TV 16 webcam 18 captured clip options 19 CD capture profile setup 19 capturing from 34 types 163 vs.
Index defaults for image files and effects 42 minimum for batch capture 29 of capture 14 of effects 89 of music clips in Magic Music 87 of video by quality 169 of video in Magic Cut 86 sort by in Library 47 DV camcorder, capturing from 21 definition 170 parameters 13 tape, writing to 143 DV-AVI detecting scenes in 51 interlaced video in 77 producing 119 DVD interlaced video in 77 types 164 vs.
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 adding to audio clips 80 in audio capture 17 FAQ 158 fax number for technical support 148 file formats supported 159 preferences 40 font in title effects, modifying 102 G general preferences 40, 41 generating AVI files 119 DivX files 124 MPEG files 126 RealVideo files 136 WMV files 134 glossary 170 GOP pattern 171 H High Quality 171 high quality 133 High Quality, video duration of 169 high speed 133 hold time definition 171 setting for effects 88 hotkeys 150 hours of technical s
Index LP 171 previewing in Media Viewer 66 previewing in preview window 65 M Magic Clean audio 84 images 82 video 83 Magic Cut 86 Magic Motion 85 Magic Music 87 manual batch capture 27 masking title effects 106 master audio level, setting 33 Media Editor 111 previewing effects in 112 trimming video in 72 Media Room 44 Media Viewer 111 previewing in 112 previewing movie in 66 microphone capture profile setup 19 capturing from 33 mixing in Audio Mixer 79 in-track 78 modes in PowerDirector 8 modifying effec
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 open project file 38 Original version window 81 Output version window 81 P PAL 172 countries that use 168 frame rate 168 pan an image 85 pasting clips in workspace 60 PC camera, capturing from 32 PhotoNow! 76 photos EagleVision 82 PiP effects adding color filter 99 modifying border 93 modifying motion 97 modifying position 101 modifying size 101 modifying speed 92 modifying transparency 101 shadows 95 PiP track adding color boards 57 adding images 56 adding video 56 description 5
Index open 38 properties 39 save 38 project file, description 8 properties of clips in Library 50 project file 39 Q quality vs speed of video 133 QuickScan 24 QuickTime file production 139 profiles 141 R realtime capture, definition 172 RealVideo file production 136 recording a voice-over 35 red-eye removal 82 registration 5 removing clips from Library 48 clips from workspace 62 renaming clips 49 replacing effects in Timeline 62 resizing the ruler 54 restoring volume levels in audio tracks 80 restricting
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 speed of PiP effects 92 of video clips 74 vs.
Index U UI, default 7 Undo levels, setting 41 uninstall your software 6 unlock a track in the Timeline 54 Update SVRT Info 64 V VCD description 166 versions of PowerDirector 10 video adding to workspace 56 EagleVision 83 overlay 13 size 141 video clips detecting scenes in 51 snapshot of 73 video compression rate 132 video effects adding to Timeline 58 modifying 91 replacing in Timeline 62 video qualities hint on selecting 169 video duration of 169 video size 132, 141 Video track adding color boards 57 add
CyberLink PowerDirector 4 write to DV tape 143 Z zoom an image 85 10
