User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc.
First English edition for MediaStudio Pro version 7, January 2003 © 1992–2003, Ulead Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems, Inc.
Table of Contents Introduction Welcome to MediaStudio Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Help! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Applying transition effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Previewing your work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Artistic and creative techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a corporate logo (advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Controlling the timing of multiple objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Capturing single frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Capturing a sequence of still frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Capture history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Capturing a color palette when capturing analog video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Push Away insertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserting title, color, and silence clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining the visibility of clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Trim window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Scissors tool to trim clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining trim options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smart Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing key frames on a moving path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Inserting an image with moving path attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Applying audio filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the audio level of an audio clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Video Paint Chapter 1: Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Understanding the basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Filmstrip panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with edit windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving a selection area marquee (mask) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Color palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting colors from the Color Picker pop-up menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 2: Working with objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Defining an object’s style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting your default object style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating text and shape objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 2: Editing audio files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Creating selection areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating precise selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with cues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add/Edit chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preview your movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Output your movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INTRODUCTION 15 Introduction Welcome to MediaStudio Pro Congratulations on purchasing Ulead MediaStudio Pro, the ultimate video editing solution for desktop professionals and digital video enthusiasts. Built around a powerful suite of versatile and high performance programs, MediaStudio Pro is the first choice for anyone wanting to work with video. MediaStudio Pro offers Realtime MPEG Capture, Realtime Preview and Realtime Output.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 16 Getting started MediaStudio Pro is a high caliber, professional level video editing software suite. More than just a simple video editor, it is truly a complete digital studio, encompassing computer graphics effects, rotoscope animation, and other amazing filters and effects. Acclaimed by industry experts as being the most intuitive and easy to use video editing software around, it is a powerful program that needs ample time to master.
INTRODUCTION 17 More info Once you’ve played with the program a little and can already edit clips, apply transitions, and add a title or two, you might want to return to the manual for tips, tricks, and ideas. The companion CD has hundreds of samples and additional tutorials. The MediaStudio Pro Web site (www.ulead.com/msp/runme.htm) also has a number of additional resources. There are also a few private Web sites that have great tutorials and sample projects.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 18 Installing Acrobat Reader An electronic copy of this user guide is also available in the Adobe Acrobat format (PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT - PDF). To view this, first run the AR500ENU.EXE file (in the DRIVERS folder of the first MediaStudio Pro CD) and follow the installation instructions. After successfully installing the Reader program, run the program and click File: Open to open the file MSPMANUAL.PDF. You can then view the user guide online.
INTRODUCTION 19 What's new? Capture, edit and create videos like a professional by using the all-improved MediaStudio Pro 7. A comprehensive tool designed to help you create your videos with ease and flexibility. Through its enhanced and added features, you can make movies like those done by professionals. Real-time software preview capability in Video Editor Play back a project in real-time, without waiting to render preview files.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 20 Realtime output Output directly from the timeline, either to DV Camcorder, or to TV/VCR with appropriate TV out display card. You don't need to wait for projects to render! Rich title feature The title dialogue box has been made clearer, and special title effects and animations have been added. Together with new coding to improve the image quality of titles, users now have more professional, as well as more eye catching title options at their disposal.
INTRODUCTION 21 Support Dolby AC-3 encoding and decoding Encode and decode Dolby AC-3 audio. Allows users to create sound tracks, especially useful in the creation of DVDs. Improved integration Enhanced titling options include support for Flash animations, integration with Ulead PhotoImpact 8 and Ulead’s improved vector based COOL 3D Studio, for the widest range of texture, 3D and movement options in titles and graphic objects.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 22 Enhanced navigation Summary Timeline tool lets user see entire production at a glance, making it much easier for the user to locate a particular clip or position in the project. This is especially useful for long-form projects. DVD/VCD authoring Ulead DVD MovieFactory LE is included and integrated. This is a complete VCD/DVD authoring package, with templates for backgrounds, menus, etc., including a Runtime player that the user can burn on to disc.
Tutorial 1 Video Capture Video Capture is where you'll begin. Hook up your camcorder and you're ready to capture video to your computer for professional editing. MediaStudio Pro supports direct Digital Video (DV), native MPEG capturing, and DV device control, giving you more creative freedom. In this tutorial you will learn about: • Setting up the device control ..................................................................... p.26 • Capturing digital video (DV) .......................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Setting up the DV device control Control your DV device using the program’s Control bar. To set up the DV device control: 1. Connect your DV device using an IEEE-1394 FireWire interface card then turn it ON. Set it to Play or VCR mode. Refer to your camcorder’s manual for specific instructions. 2. Run Video Capture. Video Editor will detect your device automatically. 3. To check if Video Editor detected your device correctly, click Setup: Device Control. 4.
Tutorial 2 Video Editor Video Editor is where you combine all the elements from the other MediaStudio Pro programs to create a final video production. Here you can insert your files and then arrange them into their playing sequence, adding impressive transition effects, overlays and moving paths as you go. In this tutorial you will learn about: • Creating video projects .............................................................................. p.28 • Working with clips ................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 28 The basics Video Editor is a rich, professional editing tool. As such, it can take some time to truly master. We're going to try, however, to walk you through the complete process of creating a finished movie as quickly and professionally as possible. Creating your first video project The critical first step to making movies is to create a project. A project is simply a small file that collects and controls the details of your movie.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 29 Adding clips to your project The Timeline is the heart of Video Editor. This is where you put video, audio, and other media files that will make up your movie. Daunting at first glance, it is amazingly easy to use. You can also see how long each video/ audio segment is and how it relates to other parts of your project. To insert files into the Timeline: 1. Click the Insert Video button on the Timeline toolbar to open the Insert Video File dialog box. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 30 Working with clips Any media file in a project is referred to as a clip. Clips can be images, videos, sound files, titles or colors. Changing the order of clips or positioning clips on the Timeline is a natural and intuitive process: just dragand-drop. The power of editing video on your computer comes in part from the ability to edit with frame accuracy. Although there are a number of techniques you can use, the following is one of the easiest. To trim a video clip: 1.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 31 Applying transition effects Transition effects between scenes in a movie are a ubiquitous part of any video production. Whether you stick with a simple cross-fade or go for any one of the hundred or so fancier special effects, this is sure to be one of the more fun parts of editing. To create a transition effect: 1. Insert one clip into Va and another into Vb. Make sure the clip in Vb overlaps the one in Va by about a second. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 32 like the transition effect you just added on the previous page. MediaStudio Pro allows you to view your work without rendering with Instant Playback. When enabled, you can preview the contents of your Timeline in real-time through an external monitor or a DV camcorder, the same time it is playing on your computer monitor. To perform a partial preview: 1. Click Window: Preview Window if the Preview window is not already open. 2. Click on the Trim bar.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 33 Artistic and creative techniques Beyond the everyday work discussed in the previous section, Video Editor also contains a host of remarkable tools you can use either to clean up your video or to create special creative touches. Applying a video filter Video filters are effects which you can apply to clips in order to change their appearance or style. You can improve the color balance of a clip (or remove the color all together) or make the video look like a painting.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 34 Creating a moving path During your video editing work, you will often make use of moving paths to enable video clips to move over another in the background clip. These clips can move in any number of different directions, changing shape and size, and even rotating in three dimensions. To create a moving path: 1. Insert a clip into one of the overlay tracks (V1-V99). 2. From the Production Library, select the Moving Path: 2D Basic gallery. 3.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 35 Changing the audio level of an audio track In Video Editor, you can change an audio track’s audio level directly from the Timeline by adjusting its baseline. By changing the audio level of an audio clip from the Timeline, you can quickly perform fade in and out effects as well as temporarily adjust audio levels as you work. To change the audio level of an audio clip: 1. Select the audio clip whose audio level you want to change. 2. Click on the baseline of the clip.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Advanced techniques Many effects in MediaStudio Pro can be precisely controlled and animated using key frames. You can set the degree of the effect from the start to the end frame of your clips. MediaStudio Pro then interpolates the effect between the key frames. Customizing a transition effect You can control the transition from one clip to another by adjusting the key frame settings. This allows you to create effects such as wipe, peel, or split screen.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 37 Using Moving Paths Moving Paths are invisible lines that an overlay clip can follow during an animation. In the simplest case, a clip can move from a starting key frame position to an ending one. More complex Moving paths can rotate and zoom clips in three dimensions. To create a Picture-in-Picture: 1. Place a clip for the background on the Va track, and the clip to appear as the foreground directly over it in an overlay track (V1). 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 38 Synchronizing audio to video One essential aspect of audio editing is synchronizing actions and events with sound, such as matching subtitles to dialogue or the crackle of burning wood with a fire. To synchronize audio to video: 1. Click the Display Mode button to open the Timeline Display Mode dialog box. Select the Show cue bar options in both the Video and Audio group boxes and click OK. 2. Insert both the audio and video clips you want to synchronize into the Timeline.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 39 Auto Slideshow MediaStudio Pro allows you to use your images in creating a slideshow. You can easily create a mini-presentation using your favorite pictures to appear in sync with your chosen background music. To automatically create a slideshow: 1. Click Import Image File to import images into the Production Library. 2. Load your preferred audio track in the Production Library then dragand-drop it into the timeline. 3. Click Play in the Preview window to listen to the music.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Pixel aspect ratio management A pixel (picture element) is one point in an image, composed of three dots: red, blue, and green. Monitors display an image by dividing it into thousands/ millions of pixels arranged in rows or columns. They are so close together, they seem to form a single shape. The image’s display quality is then dependent on its resolution and the maximum number of pixels it can display.
TUTORIAL TWO: VIDEO EDITOR 41 The left image represents a video with the Stretch mode set to Stretch while the image on the right represents a video with the Stretch mode set to Keep aspect ratio. The video on the left was stretched to fit the screen causing the video to be distorted. The video on the right is using the correct aspect ratio and therefore it is not distorted. Recording back to a DV device from the Timeline MediaStudio Pro allows you to record back to a DV device from the Timeline.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 6. Set the options according to your preferences (e.g., set the audio format to DV Audio-NTSC/PAL in the Audio Format dropdown list in the AVI tab, etc.) then click OK. 7. Click OK to close the Project Settings dialog box. 8. Connect your DV camcorder to your computer then turn it on. 9. Click File: Select Device Control to make sure that the proper device is connected. Select the appropriate DV device then click OK. 10.
Tutorial 3 Video Paint Video Paint is the program where you add all the effects of your animation and rotoscope individual frames of a video project. With it, you can create such effects as laser blasts, background mattes, and cloned actors and props. In this tutorial you will learn about: • Getting to know Video Paint ...................................................................... p.44 • Common techniques ................................................................................. p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 44 Getting to know Video Paint Video Paint is a special effects animation program that allows you to paint (rotoscope) over the frames in a video. These animations can range from the simple, such as signing your name across an opening title sequence, to the complex, such as painting background sets and removing video noise.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 45 Working with images in an edit window The edit window displays the image of the currently selected frame in a Video Paint project. Once displayed, you can begin working on the image by selecting or painting over parts of it. At any given time, you will be working in one of two modes: Composite or Paint Layer. Which mode you choose depends on the type of work you are doing as well as the type of effect you want to create. To work on an image in an edit window: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Customizing your brushes Most of your work in Video Paint will be done with the paint, clone, and retouch tools. Each of these tools has various attributes which determine the way they work as well as how they apply paint. These attributes are specified in the Brush panel and a number of presets can also be selected from various galleries in the Production Library. To create a felt-tip pen brush: 1.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 47 Working over multiple frames One of Video Paint's strengths is its ability to allow you to copy edits over multiple frames. For example, you can paint a line and then have that line appear in the same position and at the same size over all frames in the project, or have it progressively appear over each successive frame. The two operations you will use most often to perform these tasks are power duplication and macro recording. To perform a power duplication: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 48 To perform and apply a macro: 1. Click the Paint tool on the Tool panel. Select the brush to paint with from the Attribute toolbar and then specify the brush's attributes in the Brush panel. Note: You can only perform macro recording using the Paint and Retouch tools. 2. Click the Recording button on the Attribute toolbar. The edit window is centered in the workspace and a message box appears preparing for recording. 3. Click OK and start painting over an image.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 49 Common techniques Now that you have the essentials of Video Paint out of the way, let's take a look at some of the more common techniques used to add special effects to a video production. These techniques are the stepping stones to creating Hollywood-style illusions and effects. Applying a video filter The video filters you can apply in Video Paint are the same as those in Video Editor.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 50 Cloning an image Cloning is a great way to quickly duplicate an object or feature in one frame and replicate it over other frames in the sequence. For example, you could remove an annoying object by cloning over it with parts of the background, or create the impression of more stars in a night scene by cloning additional stars into the background. To clone an image: 1. Click the Clone tool on the Tool panel and select a brush from the Attribute toolbar.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 51 Creating a video matte Mattes are a useful part of video editing and are used primarily with the overlay and video filter effects of Video Editor. In Video Paint, you can create single image mattes or video mattes. Image mattes require you to simply paint over one frame in an edit window and then save it as an image file or as a single frame in a Video Paint file.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Advanced techniques Advanced techniques build on the methods and procedures you learned earlier in the lesson. With them, you can create such effects as translucent ghosts, wild virtual background sets, and disappearing people. Performing an erase effect In Video Paint, you can use the painting tools to erase as well as apply paint.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 53 Performing an advanced power duplication Power duplication is not just useful for copying the paint layer or an image across hundreds of frames. You can also create special effects. With the Transparency feature of Power Duplication, you can paste an image over an entire video and give it the appearance of fading in or fading out. This is useful for creating “ghosts” and other similar effects. To perform an advanced duplication: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Creating background sets While Video Paint allows you to paint over and enhance the frames of a video, you can also use it to create background sets. These background sets are then placed into Video Editor as the underlying clip for any blue screen clips you may have. You can create background sets by painting over an original video or by using some of the animation filters available in Video Paint. To create an animated background set [1]: 1.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 55 To create a background set [2]: 1. Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar and select the file FISH.TIF from the SAMPLES\TUTORIAL folder of the MediaStudio Pro CD. Once it is displayed in the workspace, open the SKY.TIF file from the same location. 2. Click the Magic Wand tool and in the Similarity spin box on the Attribute toolbar, enter in a value of 25. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 56 Retouching images The Retouch tool is a powerful tool that allows you to ‘touch-up’ areas of an image to improve its appearance or to create a particular effect. For example, you could enhance the color of someone's eye, blur jagged edges an object may have, or adjust the highlights and midtones of an image to improve its color. To retouch an image: 1. Click the Open button on the Standard toolbar and select the BACKGRD.
TUTORIAL THREE: VIDEO PAINT 57 Advanced macros: Creating a laser beam effect One of the coolest effects you can create in Video Paint is the laser beam effect. Using the built-in macro recording capabilities, you can paint the laser beam, record it, and then apply it progressively across an entire range of frames. Once you've recorded a macro, you can save it to the Production Library for later use. To create a laser beam effect: 1. Open the video you want to apply the laser beam effect to.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Advanced cloning: Disappearing act You can combine the Cloning (see page 50), Power Duplicating (see page 53), and the Macro Recording (see page 57) capabilities of Video Paint to create the effect of a person disappearing. Before you try this though, you have to know information about blue screens (see page 192). You also need a suitable background for the video to play against. For best results, you should probably use a still image for the background.
Tutorial 4 CG Infinity CG Infinity is where you create dazzling title sequences and exciting graphics animation. With CG Infinity's tools, you can send text and objects flying into the third dimension. This tutorial is designed to give you everything you need to get started at creating your own CG sequences. In this tutorial you will learn about: • Common techniques ................................................................................. p.60 • Advanced techniques ................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 60 Common techniques This section includes some of the more common techniques you will perform using CG Infinity. Many of these lessons assume you are starting with a new edit window in CG Infinity. Drawing regular shapes The quickest way to get started in CG Infinity is to begin creating simple shapes. While simple in design, you can easily create impressive results by combining shapes and changing their styles to produce different colors and effects.
TUTORIAL FOUR: CG INFINITY 61 Creating and distorting text objects One of the more powerful aspects of CG Infinity is its ability to create impressive titles for use as images or in video projects. Once a title is created, you can distort it in a variety of ways and apply various colors and gradients to give it a more polished look and feel. To create and distort a text object: 1. Select the Text tool and click anywhere in the edit window. 2. Enter the text of your title.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Applying gradients to your objects In CG Infinity, you can apply gradients to any fill or line color, producing a variety of lighting and shading effects. These gradients are created in the Magic Gradient dialog box, which is found in many of the MediaStudio Pro programs, and are extremely versatile. To apply a gradient to an object: 1. Select the object or objects you wish to apply the gradient to and click the Gradient button in the Color tab of the Object Style panel. 2.
TUTORIAL FOUR: CG INFINITY 63 Manipulating objects CG Infinity allows you to alter an object's intrinsic shape to make it more dynamic. It also gives you more flexibility to make your titles and graphic objects really stand out. Both text objects and graphic objects can be warped and changed, but if you change a text object too much, you may not be able to edit the text later. To manipulate objects: 1. Open the file LOGO1.UCG file from SAMPLES/TUTORIAL folder on the MediaStudio Pro CD. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Creating a corporate logo CG Infinity is ideal for creating corporate logos, which you can use in your video projects or for other purposes, such as presentations, CDROMs, and Web pages. In this lesson, we will create a ‘head’ logo for a fictional company called “Interface Designs.” To create a corporate logo: 1. Select the Shape tool and create a rectangular shape with a red fill color and no line color or shadow. 2.
TUTORIAL FOUR: CG INFINITY 65 Animating objects A central component to working with objects is being able to animate them. You do this with the Moving Path tool and you can animate objects linearly or have them follow any path you set. To animate objects: 1. Select the object you want to animate and then position it where you want to start its movement. 2. Select the Moving Path tool. Start and End control points appear at the center of the object. Then, drag on the center of the object.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 66 Advanced techniques After you have mastered the basics of CG Infinity, you are ready to move on to the more advanced methods and techniques. Using the procedures in this section will give you a deeper understanding of how CG Infinity works and allow you to expand and enhance your work even more. Creating mattes In CG Infinity, you can create two types of mattes: solid color and gradient.
TUTORIAL FOUR: CG INFINITY 67 Creating a corporate logo (advanced) This is an advanced technique for creating a complex corporate logo. It is slightly more complicated than the technique presented on page 64. If you have not looked at the previous tutorial on making a corporate logo, then do that first, and then return to this lesson. To create a more complex corporate logo: 1. Select the Shape tool and create a circular path in the center of the edit window (fill with red and no line color or shadow).
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE outline of the larger circle. (For this, it is best to use the Width and Height spin boxes on the Attribute toolbar with the Keep Aspect Ratio button pressed.) 9. Change the Line color to a Gradient and select the palette ramp thumbnail you previously added. 10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 for the inner circle. 11. To finish, add text and place it in the center circle.
TUTORIAL FOUR: CG INFINITY 69 2. Select the Moving Path tool and click the object on the left side, then drag the End control point to the center of the screen. (Show your Rulers and Guides to use guidelines to help you align the object.) Note: All moving path actions must be done with the Moving Path tool selected. Do not switch tools during this procedure. 3. Move the Time control slider to the last frame and click the Add Key frame control point button. 4.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 70 2. Select the main logo and click the Moving Path tool. (It is best to do these procedures in Wireframe mode to speed up the editing process.) Note: All moving path actions must be done with the Moving Path tool selected. Do not switch tools during this procedure. 3. Select the Start key frame in the Time Control panel and, clicking the Resize button on the Attribute toolbar, enter 580 in the Width spin box.
Chapter 1 Getting started Video Capture is the program where many of your video creations begin. Here you can view and capture ‘live’ video from a variety of different sources such as VCRs, TVs, DVDs or DV camcorders. Once captured, you can then play back those files or take them into Video Editor to start constructing your own video project. In this chapter you will learn about: • Understanding the basics ......................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Understanding the basics Video Capture is designed to work in conjunction with an installed video source. This can be an external video device connected to your PC using an analog capture board, digital video interface card (e.g. IEEE-1394) or USB port. If you do not have a video source installed, you can still use Video Capture to play back existing video files.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER ONE 75 Standard toolbar Video source Playback mode MPEG settings Capture mode Save video Open video Capture a frame to the clipboard Capture a frame to a file Video display a file a file Select capture template Scan DV tape Capture a video color palette Audio format Video format Capture property setting Control bar Rewind through a video Go forward through a video Go to the previous frame Record a video Play back a video Stop playing a video Mark in the start of a selectio
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Preparing video for display The first step on your way to displaying video is getting your video source to communicate with your PC. This involves connecting the source to the PC via analog capture board, digital video interface card, or USB port, and adjusting Video Capture so that it is ‘tuned in’ using the correct settings. The following sections describe how to do this, along with ways to improve video display and audio characteristics.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER ONE 77 Previewing video from your video source Preview your video in your videos device before capturing them into your PC. To preview the video in your camcorder, switch to Capture mode. You can do this by clicking the Capture icon on the Standard toolbar or selecting View: Capture.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 78 Resizing the program window Whenever you change the frame size in Video Capture, the video window resizes itself accordingly. To resize the program window for optimum viewing, drag its borders to widen or lengthen it, or maximize to take full advantage of your monitor’s screen size. You can also click View: Center to resize the program window to fit snugly around the video window or center it on your screen.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER ONE 79 If you define new attributes and wish to save them for later use, click the Save As button. The Save As dialog box opens allowing you to assign a name to the attributes. Clicking OK saves the attributes and the specified name appears in the Name combo box. 3. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the audio attributes are now set for your next capture. Note: Any sound you hear over your speakers is not affected by the selections made with this command.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE To calibrate your display: 1. Make sure that the test pattern recorded on the video source appears in the video window of Video Capture and click Setup: Color Calibration. This opens the Color Calibration dialog box displaying two color meters: a Vectorscope and a Waveform monitor. A preview window displaying the current frame of the video source appears in the upper right hand corner. (It is a good idea to pause your video playback at this stage.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER ONE 81 3. Click the Get Image button. The vectorscope and waveform monitor redraw indicating the various color values at the point indicated by the scan line. In a well calibrated display, the green lines on the vectorscope should touch the white squares and the graph in the waveform monitor should display a staircase pattern (see page 80 for a typical example). If they do not, then you need to adjust the settings using the software supplied with your video capture board. 4.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 82 Note: If you cannot satisfactorily calibrate your hardware, you can still artificially readjust the video clip (after it’s been successfully captured) using the Color Calibration command in Video Editor (see page 156).
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER ONE 83 Customizing Video Capture You can customize the way you work in Video Capture using the Preferences dialog box, opened by double-clicking the Status bar or by clicking File: Preferences [F6]. Control various aspects of Video Capture’s behavior, such as playing files whenever opened, specifying the shuttle speed, or defining the background color of the workspace. PREFERENCES DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Preview your video directly from its video source by clicking Capture on the Standard toolbar (see page 77). • When viewing in Preview mode, set the frame size and frame rate of the video in the Preview Options dialog box (see page 77). • Calibrate Video Capture to your video source before capturing (see page 79).
Chapter 2 Capturing video The first step in creating your own video production is capturing the source material. This can be made up of several minutes of video or simply individual frames that you want to incorporate into the other projects you are working on. In this chapter you will learn about: • Tips for capturing good video and audio ................................................. p.86 • Capturing video and images ..................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Tips for capturing good video and audio Capturing video utilizes a huge chunk of the computer’s memory and it puts your system resources to the test. The better your system is, the better the results will be. Below are some guidelines for the type of system setup that works best for video capturing. Reading this will help you optimize your machine’s potential and create the best captured videos possible.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 87 Using compression As previously mentioned, a second of video requires a lot of disk space (30MB of disk space). No conventional hard drive can transfer that much data with sufficient speed, and it is only through compression that desktop systems can manage to work with video. All in all, there are two types of compression one can use in capturing video: hardware-based and software-based. Hardware-based compression (e.g.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE • Dedicate a separate hard drive for your video captures, or a separate partition on an existing hard drive. • Capture at the best quality possible and then resample down if necessary. Resampling up creates (interpolates) new data which results in lower quality than the original. Apart from controlling how your system performs, you can also set up Video Capture to optimize your captures using the Advanced tab of the Capture Video dialog box.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 89 shut down all other programs running in the background or defragment your hard drive to achieve optimum results. To capture a video sequence or an image from an analog source: 1. With Video Capture open, start playing the video from your video source. (The video should appear in the video window of Video Capture. If it does not, check the connection to your video source and your video capture board setup.) 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE guideline, 15 frames per second for NTSC devices is a good place to start and 12 frames per second for PAL devices. If your video has a lot of movement and panning, then you may need a higher frame rate to avoid any jerkiness.‘Talking head’ shots and video with little movement can often get away with a much lower frame rate. 4.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 91 6. Select the Capture audio option to capture audio along with your video. (This is disabled if you do not have a sound card, your video capture board does not have sound capabilities, or you are performing a manual capture.) Note: If you want to change the current audio and video characteristics, click the respective Audio and Video buttons. 7. Select the Auto-naming option to save each capture as consecutively numbered files.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 92 Customizing your capture options In the Capture Video dialog box, the Advanced tab contains options that allow you to customize the way that each capture is performed. By carefully selecting these options to match your system’s performance, you can significantly improve overall capture results. CAPTURE VIDEO DIALOG BOX: ADVANCED TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Display message box before capturing displays a confirmation message dialog box after you have clicked OK.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 93 5. Preallocate the capture file creates a temporary file to place your captured video sequences in. This improves performance as the hard drive does not have to search for free space to store video data. (This size should match or exceed your estimated capture size.) 6. Chunk granularity matches the size of each data chunk to be captured with your target hard drive’s cluster size. Matching sizes ensures more efficient data transfer and thus improves capture performance.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 5. Select the method to use in capturing: • Select Device Control to automatically control the entire capturing process from Video Capture. • Click Batch to mark the clips you want to capture and specify a file name for each clip. Refer to the “Capturing video by batch” procedure for details. • Select Auto or Auto with no time limit to capture a clip starting from the current frame.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 95 To enable Seamless Capture: 1. Make sure the DirectShow capture plug-in is selected and a DV driver is used. 2. Select Seamless capture in the Advanced page of the Capture video dialog box then click the Options button. 3. In the Seamless Capture Options dialog box, specify the desired maximum video file size in the Cut file when file size reaches box. 4. Select the Cut when scene is detected option and select the desired method.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 96 To control your DV camcorder using the Control bar: 1. Make sure your DV camcorder is connected to your system and that the proper Device control and Capture plug-in have been set. 2. Click the appropriate button on the Control bar to control your DV camcorder within MediaStudio Pro: • Fast Rewind video. to quickly go to the frame(s) near the beginning of the • Fast Forward video.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 97 3. Run Video Capture and click Setup: Switch Capture Plug-in. 4. Select Ulead DSW MPEG Capture Plug-in. 5. To begin capturing, click Record on the Control Bar, or click Capture: Video when working in Capture mode. 6. Specify the Capture method and click Properties to define the video and audio capture settings of the MPEG file. Click OK to return to the Capture Video dialog box. 7. Enter a file name for the video. Click Browse to locate the target directory. 8.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 3. Run Video Capture and click Setup: Switch Capture Plug-in. 4. In Current capture plug-in, select Windows Media Format Capture Plug-in. 5. To begin capturing, click Record on the Control Bar, or click Capture: Video when working in Capture mode. 6. Specify the Capture method to use and click Properties to define the video and audio capture settings of the WMV file. After that, click OK to return to the Capture Video dialog box. 7. Enter a file name for the video.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 99 To capture video based on a profile: 1. Connect your DV camcorder to your IEEE-1394 interface card. Note: When acquiring video from an analog source, be sure that the analog capture card you are using supports RGB or YUV capture. 2. Turn your camcorder on and set it to Play mode. 3. Run Video Capture and click Setup: Switch Capture Plug-in. 4. In Current capture plug-in, select Windows Media Format Capture Plug-in. 5. Click Setup: Video Capture Property Settings.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Editing and customizing a video profile Profile Selection lists all the profiles available in your system. You can use the Manage Profile to edit, create, remove, and duplicate a profile. System-defined profiles cannot be edited. However, You can create a customized one base from it. A Custom profile can be edited by clicking Edit and changing specific profile attributes. You can also create a new profile by clicking New.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 101 10. Under Output, you may choose to allow the profile to compress the video file or not. Enter a brief description of the profile under Description. Click Next. Scanning a DV tape Scanning the DV tape identifies individual clips and provides a thumbnail list of the entire tape contents. Save the scan as a DV Album (PSF file) which provides a log of the entire tape for future reference.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 4. Select your preferred Scan/Capture method from the selection in the dialog box . You may choose one of the following: • Scan from beginning Rewinds the tape to the beginning of the tape and start to scan. This method can be used to scan a new tape. • Scan from current position Scans the tape from the current position. This method can be used to scan a tape that has scanned before and now will just want scan the newly recorded scenes.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 103 Dropped frames If your PC and video capture board have difficulty supporting a specified frame rate, a message box may appear after capturing detailing how many frames were captured and, of those, how many were ‘dropped’ frames. (This message box is controlled in the Advanced tab of the Video Capture dialog box, see above.) Dropped frames are ‘phantom’ frames which are created to ensure that the frame rate is maintained.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 4. Select the frame you wish to capture. 5. Click Freeze on the Control bar (Pause, if playing an existing file) or Control: Freeze [SPACE] to stop the video on the current frame. 6. Click Capture: Single Frame or press [F8]. The frame is sent to the chosen destination. (If you are capturing to a file, the standard Save dialog box opens.) Note: You can capture a single frame without freezing the video source or pausing a video file.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 105 last. Click OK to accept the settings and close the dialog box so you can start the capture process. Note: If the Capture duration option is not selected, you have to press [ESC] to stop the capturing process. Capture history MediaStudio Pro provides a capture history dialog box in Video Capture to track the latest captured files. Select File: Capture History to invoke the Capture History dialog box. The video files can be sorted by file name, file size, or captured date.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Capturing a color palette when capturing analog video The data type of a video sequence plays an important role in determining the resulting size and display of your captured file. For example, 24-bit True Color video contains the most colors and generally occupies the most disk space (this is suitable for videos featuring a variety of colors such as outdoor shots).
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 107 4. Click OK. If you selected Auto as your capture option, Video Capture begins capturing frames at the specified rate. If you selected the Manual option, the Manual Capture dialog box opens with two buttons, Next and Cancel. Click Next to capture one frame: Cancel to end the capturing. When the capturing process is completed, a palette is generated from the optimum combination of colors based on the captured frames.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 108 To capture from a controllable device, you first need to specify the frames you want to capture by marking those frames and creating a batch list. You also need to indicate a file to save the marked sequences to as well as provide a name for your reel or video source. This is especially useful if your batch list contains marked sequences from a number of different tapes or sources.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 109 Marking video sequences for capturing If you have a DV device installed (e.g. DV camcorder via IEEE-1394 FireWire interface card), you can control this device directly from Video Capture. For example, clicking Rewind on the Control bar rewinds your video tape. The main advantage of a controllable device is that you can accurately specify which frames in a video to capture. To mark video sequences using a DV device: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 110 9. Click the Mark-in button on the Control bar or Control: Mark-in [F3] whenever you see the video you want to select for capture. (The current frame is indicated in the Mark-In box on the Status bar.) 10. Click the Mark-out button on the Control bar or Control: Mark-out [F4] when you want to end a selection. (The current frame is indicated in the Mark-out box on the Status bar.
VIDEO CAPTURE: CHAPTER TWO 111 4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the batch list is updated accordingly. Note: In the Batch Settings dialog box, you can also change the reel name and file name for any of the marked sequences in the batch list. (This does not affect the defaults in the Reel Properties dialog box.) Capturing marked video sequences After you’ve marked the various sequences in a video, you are ready to capture them.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Defragment your hard drive before capturing large sequences (see page 87). • Preallocate a capture file before capturing (see page 93). • Capture from a DV camcorder with an IEEE-1394 card (see page 93). • Control your DV camcorder using the Control bar (see page 96).
Chapter 1 Getting started Video Editor is where you begin to bring together all the different components of a video project – sound, animation, titles, and, of course, the video. Once you have arranged these components and performed any effects and transitions, you are ready to create a video production which can be saved as a file, placed on the Internet, distributed on a CD or DVD, or sent back to video tape. In this chapter you will learn about: • Understanding the workplace ...........................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 116 Understanding the workplace Video Editor has several different windows which float in the workplace. The Timeline window is the key to working with and managing video on the desktop. As with the timelines found in history books or encyclopedias, it is laid out horizontally and composed of several independent layers or 'tracks.' These tracks hold the many different events that occur over time.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 117 The main buttons in Video Editor are located on the Standard toolbar, which is at the top of the workplace, and the Timeline toolbar, which is in the Timeline window.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Working with video projects In Video Editor, the Timeline and its associated clips are referred to as a video project, which is saved as a DVP file (digital video project). When you save a video project, Video Editor only saves the positions and attributes of the clips in the Timeline, not the actual source files themselves.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 119 Customizing a video project When you start a new project (File: New) you may find that none of the existing templates in the New dialog box contain the exact attributes you want to use. You therefore have the option of creating a custom template to suit your particular needs. To create a template: 1. In the New dialog box, click the Create button. The Template Options dialog box opens up. 2. Select and set the attributes for your new template.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 120 Project settings When you create a new project, its properties are determined by the New dialog box settings at the time you create it. These settings are integral to your project and determine not only how your previews are created, but also the format of your final movie. When you want to change these properties and customize a project while you are already inside the project, you can change the Project Settings.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 121 4:3 and 16:9 display management In the Project Options dialog box, you can set the size for the display and output screen to 4:3 (for traditional letterbox TVs, computer monitors, or some DV camcorders) or 16:9 (widescreen used in HDTV, theaters, or some DV camcorders). To use the 16:9 display, select Perform non-square pixel rendering on the Video Editor tab first and choose 16:9 as the display aspect ratio on the General tab.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 122 Saving a video project When you save a video project, it is saved as a DVP file (Digital Video Project). This is a small file that contains all of the information about your project, like which clips to include, their position on the Timeline, and any transitions that you have used. This file is not a movie and can only be opened in MediaStudio Pro.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 123 Using the Production Library MediaStudio Pro's Production Library stores everything you need to create your movie. When you start a project, the Production Library already contains all of the transitions, filters, and other special effects that come with MediaStudio Pro. The rest of the Library is ready to be filled with the various clips that you will use in your movie.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Using the Storyboard The Production Library stores everything needed to create a movie. This includes transitions, filters, and other special effects that come with the program. Captured video clips are also placed here. They are categorized by subject and represented by small thumbnail pictures. Video Editor’s Storyboard folder allows you to view, arrange, and overlap video clips from different tracks before inserting them into the Timeline.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 125 6. Click OK 7. Place the hand cursor over the Video track position on the Timeline where you want to place the video clips then click the mouse button. Hand cursor over the Video track position Note: Select File: Preferences - Edit Tab - Apply auto cross fade to automatically apply a fade in/fade out audio effect between overlapping video clips when using A/B Roll.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Viewing Production Library thumbnails The Production Library toolbar has two buttons which allow you to control and organize your clips. Click the Thumbnail Display Mode button and select Description to view an annotated description or select Thumbnail to only see a graphic representation.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 127 Adding effects to the Production Library In the Production Library, you can edit any clip or effect without having to first insert it into the Timeline. This is a great way to define and save unique attributes for clips and effects and allows you to expand and customize the Production Library indefinitely. To modify and add an effect: 1. Select the thumbnail. 2. Right-click the thumbnail and click the Edit command found on the popup menu. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Inserting video, audio and image clips The easiest way to insert a video, audio or image clip into the Timeline is to click the appropriate Insert button on the Timeline toolbar. You can also choose its corresponding command from the Insert menu or the right-click pop-up menu. A dialog box opens allowing you to select a file that MediaStudio Pro supports. Supported formats include MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DV type 1 & 2 AVI, as well as QuickTime and Flash files.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 129 Note: You can also insert other DVP files into an existing project by clicking Insert: Project File. This places the entire contents of the video project into the Timeline and is particularly helpful if you have broken up larger projects into more manageable portions and are now preparing the final video sequence. Voice Over In the case of documentaries and presentation videos, narration often helps viewers understand and appreciate the movie’s content.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Level meter 4. Determine the Audio track selection option. Also, click the ellipsis button to locate a file in your computer for use as voice over. Tip: Click Run Mixer to adjust the recording volume and other recording options. 5. Press Start to begin recording your voice. Press [ESC] to stop recording. Ellipsis button Extracting extra audio tracks MediaStudio Pro provides users with a way to extract extra audio clips from video files to standalone audio files.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 4. A list of all available tracks will appear in the Audio Tracks window. Select the file you want to extract by clicking on it. 131 Audio Tracks window 5. Determine the file name, audio file type, and other options. 6. Click OK. Tip: Click the Play button to listen to the track you have selected. Play button Push Away insertion Push Away insertion is related to Ripple Editing and controls how inserted clips affect other clips on the Timeline.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE This is the original Timeline Flower.mpg was inserted in No Ripple mode and was trimmed to fit Holding down [SHIFT] while inserting Flower.mpg pushes Business.mpg out of the way Inserting title, color, and silence clips Apart from video, audio, and image clips, you can also insert title, color, and silence clips into the Timeline. Title clips are often used in conjunction with moving path effects (they are described in detail in the special effects section: see page 181).
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 133 You can also use color clips as a background for other clips in the project, such as when performing fades or to create certain types of effects. You can set key frames to create impressive gradient effects with each frame of the clip gradually shifting from one color to the next. To insert a color clip: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Note: When you have more tracks available than can fit on the screen at one time, you can use the scroll bars to move up and down through the tracks. To lock both the video and audio tracks when scrolling, click the Scroll Lock button at the top of the vertical scroll bar or the View: Scroll Lock command. The next time you scroll, both tracks move in unison.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 135 the graphic modes may be easier to work with, it takes time for your computer to redraw clips every time they have been modified. To help improve performance, but still retain some visual cues as to the contents of a clip, select the Thumbnail mode (video only). This shows the first and last frames of a video clip separated by the file name of the clip. The last mode, File name, represents clips by their file names only with no graphical information.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE • Click the Ruler Unit button to open the pop-up menu and choose the preferred time unit to do your editing. You can also select Zoom In/Out, single Frame, Fit In Window, or Previous Zoom to toggle between the previous zoom ratio and the current one. • Click the Zoom tool and then click on the Timeline. Each mouse click zooms in one ruler unit (toward displaying each frame). Holding down the [SHIFT] key as you click zooms out one ruler unit (toward Fit in Window).
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 137 General Timeline provides the traditional linear style for all timecodes and tracks. This means that your clips are displayed in their real time showing their actual length. This may cause some clips in your project not to be visible in the Timeline window all at the same time. You may need to use the scroll bar to view desired clips. You may also adjust the Ruler Unit while editing in the General Timeline mode to select short clips and to see all the clips in your project.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 138 Using the Quick Command Panel Open the Quick Command Panel by clicking View: Toolbars & Panels and selecting the Quick Command Panel option. (You can also open it by right-clicking over any toolbar or panel.) The Quick Command Panel’s advantage over the Menu bar is that you can select and put frequently used commands on the panel for more convenient access, as well as move and resize the panel so that it is always close at hand.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 139 Note: You can give a menu command an alias by selecting it and then typing in a new name in the Alias entry box. For example, ‘Video Editor File Preferences’ can be written as ‘VE Pref’. This is useful if you resize the Quick Command Panel and find that menu command names are hidden. Modify Custom Commands dialog box Inserting Ulead video file types MediaStudio Pro supports a number of proprietary file formats for use with the MediaStudio Pro suite of programs.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 140 Converting files There are many cases where you might want to convert video files to a different format. You can use Video Editor as a quick conversion tool without even opening a video file into a specific project. To convert a video file to another format: 1. Click File: Convert: Video File. Note: You can convert AVI, MOV, MPG and animation files such as FLI, FLC and FLX as well as Ulead’s own UCG, UIS, and UVP files. 2. Select the file to convert and click Open.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 141 3. Select the files you want to convert. Use the [SHIFT] and [CTRL] keys to select multiple files. Click Convert. Note: Select Save in current folder to automatically overwrite the old files with the newly converted ones. The process of converting these files could take some time, but it is a onetime render and will save you time in the long run. Batch Convert Batch Convert allows you to simultaneously convert a large number of files to another format.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 142 Customizing Video Editor The Preferences dialog box (double–click the Status bar or click File: Preferences [F6]) provides options for customizing certain aspects of Video Editor’s behavior. Understanding these options will improve the way you work with Video Editor as well as help optimize Video Editor for each project. The following pages offer explanations for the many options you have in Preferences to customize Video Editor.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 143 1. Enable undo specifies the maximum levels of undo/redo allowed by Video Editor (up to 99). As Video Editor allocates more memory for each level of undo/redo, you may find that too high a level adversely affects performance. In such cases, restrict the level to 3-4 only. You can, of course, choose not to have undo/redo to maximize performance, but any editing done will be final. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 144 12. Check Ulead's Web site at start of every _ day(s) automatically checks Ulead Web site at a specified number of days interval for product news and updates. 13. Customize background color for Timeline and Production Library makes the background color of the Timeline and Production Library similar to the background color of the Source and Preview windows. 14.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 145 2. Double-click on video track to insert determines whether to open the Insert Video File dialog box or the Insert Image File dialog box whenever you doubleclick on an empty portion of a video track. 3. Resample quality allows you to set the quality of any video data resampling. Best quality results in better video reproduction, but takes longer to render. Good quality will give you faster previews.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 146 PREFERENCES DIALOG BOX: ASSOCIATE TAB 1 3 2 1. File type specifies the type of file (such as AVI or WAV) you want to associate with a program. 2. Associated program indicates the program to open whenever the Edit: Open in Associated Program command is selected. 3. Include trim information allows a video clip opened in the associated program to display any marked portions that you have created in Video Editor.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 147 PREFERENCES DIALOG BOX: PREVIEW TAB 1. File type specifies the type of file (such as AVI or WAV) you want to associate with a program. 2. Associated program indicates the program to open whenever the Edit: Open in Associated Program command is selected. 1 3. Include trim information allows a video clip opened in the associated program to display any marked portions that you have created in Video Editor. 2 3 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Customize video projects with self-created templates (see page 119). • Understanding display aspect ratio (see page 121). • Use the Production Library to store regularly used clips as well as access effects and filters (see page 123). • Place clips into the Storyboard folder of the Production Library for storyboarding before inserting into the Timeline (see page 124).
Chapter 2 Editing clips Frame accurate editing and drag-and-drop simplicity is what digital video is all about. This is the heart of MediaStudio Pro, and this chapter is the most important section in this book. In this chapter you will learn: • Making selections in the Timeline ......................................................... p. 150 • Working with clips ................................................................................... p. 153 • Working with cues ..................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Making selections in the Timeline In order to edit clips, you must first select them. This can be as easy as clicking on a clip, but more advanced techniques can be very useful. There are two types of selections that you can make: clip-based and timebased. Clip-based selections are horizontal, moving left, and right across tracks, whereas time-based selections are vertical, encompassing all clips in all tracks within the selected duration.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 151 This is the original Timeline. The selection area is shaded above. It was created while holding the [CTRL+SHIFT] keys and extends across Fx, Vb, and V1-V2. Note that the audio clip in Aa is not selected. The shaded selection area in this example includes Va and therefore includes the audio in Aa. Also note that if part of the clip is included in the selection area, the entire clip is selected.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE dialog box where you can specify the duration. The Mark-in time corresponds to the start of the selection area and the Mark-out time the end of the selection area. Click OK to automatically create a selection marquee over the specified area of the Timeline. Selecting a period of time Note: If a time selection includes part of a set of grouped clips, the selection is adjusted to include all the clips in the group.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 153 Grouping clips As your project becomes more and more complex, it may be useful to group some clips together so that they may be moved around as a unit. Grouping clips To group clips: 1. Select the clips by pressing [SHIFT] while dragging over clips to be included (see page 158). 2. Click Edit: Group (to ungroup click Edit: Ungroup). Additional clips can be added to the group by selecting the group and then the new clip.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 154 To paste a clip (from the Clipboard): • Click the Paste button. • From the Edit menu, select Paste [CTRL+V]. • Right-click and select Paste. After performing one of the above actions you will have to click on the location where you want to paste the clip. Pasting attributes Sometimes you may want to paste only the attributes (Video Filters, Audio Filters, Overlay Options, and Moving Paths) of one clip to another.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 155 Notes: • This does not affect the source files in any way. • If clearing a period of time, any clips that are included in the time selection are removed. (Clips partially selected are trimmed to the selection boundary.) • If you do not want to create an empty clip or time slot, make sure that the SingleTrack or Multi-Track Ripple Editing button on the Timeline toolbar is selected (see page 167).
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 156 Reversing the frames of a clip Click Clip: Reverse (the Reverse command can also be accessed by rightclicking the clip) to reverse the position of the frames in a clip and create a backwards effect. Any audio accompanying the clip wll also be reversed. Relinking clips Whenever you open a project, Video Editor performs a cross-check between the clips in the project and their associated source files.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 157 Editor as a post production tool to adjust the color. To properly use the Color calibration command, your video file needs to have a color bar test pattern which was created by the video source, and included with the file at the time of capture, otherwise this command has no benefit. Note: For more on color calibration, see the Video Capture section, "Calibrating your display", page 79. Freezing a frame A common technique in video editing is freezing a frame during playback.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 158 Notes: • • Freeze before frame. When the clip is played back, it will "freeze" on the designated frame from the beginning of the clip, up to and including the frame itself, and then resume normal playback. Freeze after frame. When the clip is played back, it will playback normally until it comes to the designated frame and then "freeze" to the end of the clip. If both boxes are checked, the clip will freeze both before a particular frame and after a particular frame.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 159 If you are working on frame-based video, select the Frame-based option in the Frame type list. For field-based video, select either the Field Order A or Field Order B options. Exactly which one depends on the type of video capture board used to digitize the original video. (For more information, see the documentation accompanying your video capture board.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Working with cues Cues are simply bookmarks for your video project. As your projects get larger and more complex, you can use cues to quickly jump from one place to another, or mark the location of a particular event. You can name the cues and add descriptions. Cues can be added to the Timeline as a whole (project cues) or to individual clips (clip cues).
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 161 To place a project cue using the Preview window: 1. Click Play [ENTER] to preview the project in the Preview window or use the Navigation bar to move to the place where you want to add a cue. 2. Press [F5] on your keyboard when you want to add a cue (or click the Menu button and choose Add/Delete Cue). 3. Cues (blue triangles) appear on the Timeline Cue bar. Note: See Placing clip cues below for how to place clip cues from the Source window.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 162 Locating clips You can use cues to jump to a specific location in your project instantly. To locate a specific clip: 1. Click the Find Clip button or Search: Find Clip [CTRL+F]. This displays the start time, duration, track and name of all the cues contained within the current video project. Find Clip dialog box 2. To go directly to a clip, select it under Start Time in the list box. 3. Click OK.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 163 Locating an empty time slot In the course of creating a large project, you may have left blank spaces in the Timeline to fill at a later time. Click Search: Find Empty Time Slots to find these. Note: When you view the Find Empty Time Slot dialog box there will always be one time slot listed. This is the time slot at the end of the video project and cannot be deleted. Trimming clips Trimming and editing clips is the basis of making movies.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Trimming in the Source window One way which you can use to trim your videos is to use the Source window. To trim a video in the Source window: 1. Double-click a video clip in the Timeline. 2. In the Source window, drag the Jog bar to the position you want as the mark-in point and then press [F3]. 3. Drag the Jog bar to the position you want as the mark-out point and then press [F4]. 4. Click Apply in the Source window.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 165 Using the Trim window The Trim window is the most precise method of trimming your clips, frame by frame. To use the Trim window: 1. Click View: Toolbar & Panels and select Trim window. 2. Grab the edge of the clip you want to trim. The Trim window displays two frames. The clip will be trimmed between these two frames when you release the mouse button. Trim Window Notes: • Hold down the mouse button and use the arrow keys to move frame by frame.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 166 Defining trim options While trimming is a basic operation, it does have more advanced features. The effect of trimming on neighboring clips is determined by the Trim Options. Select Edit: Trim Options to choose the following: • Normal allows you to trim a clip only within the available free clip slot.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 167 Ripple Editing Ripple editing is a mode in Video Editor that allows you to insert clips and automatically push other clips out of the way so the new clip will fit on the Timeline. To select a Ripple Editing mode click one of three Ripple Editing buttons on the Timeline toolbar or choose from the Edit: Ripple Editing menu list. See the next two pages for specific examples. No Ripple mode means that newly inserted clips are trimmed to fit the available empty time slot.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 168 Ripple Editing examples The following illustrations will help you understand the sometimes complex, but extremely important and useful aspects of Ripple Editing. Note: All of the following examples involve the initial insertion of a clip from outside of the Timeline. When moving already inserted clips around within the Timeline, results will differ.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 169 As green.avi is about to be inserted, the part that overlaps the yellow clip turns bluish. When the clip is actually inserted, the yellow clip and the one second space are moved to the right three seconds. In other words, the entire track is shifted, spaces and all. (If you don't want the spaces preserved, use Push Away Insertion. See page 131.) Note that the transitions and the blue clip are unaffected.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 4. Click the Open button. 5. Press and hold the [SHIFT] key while clicking in the middle of the clip on the Timeline that you want to insert the new clip into. Here green.avi is inserted into red.avi. Multi-Track Ripple is on. In the first image, you can see where the inserted clip overlaps the existing clips. Notice how the red clip is split into two parts and the green clip is dropped into the middle.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 171 SOURCE WINDOW 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Jog bar slides back and forth to scrub the clip. Shuttle control rotates to speed forward or backward through a video clip. Trim bar shows the trimmed portion of the clip (between the Trim Handles). Trim handles determine the Mark-in and Mark-out points of the trim area. Clip menu displays, and allows you to choose, any of the clips loaded into the Source window.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 172 SOURCE WINDOW NAVIGATION BAR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1. Play (Pause) plays the entire clip from beginning to end. 2. Play Mark Area (Pause) plays only the trim area from Mark-in to Mark-out point. 3. Play from the current position to Mark-out (Pause) plays the clip from the current position of the Jog bar to the Mark-out point. 4. Previous Edit Point moves the Jog bar to the previous cue or the beginning of the clip. 5.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 173 To trim an audio clip: 1. Place the red vertical line where you want to begin the trim selection area. 2. Select the Mark-in button. The unselected area changes to a blue waveform on a gray background. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the Mark-out button. 4. Click the Apply button. The clip on the Timeline is adjusted.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 174 Previewing your work Video Editor allows you to see a portion of your project without performing a full save. It lets you render a small section of your project before you create your final video at the end. This way you can view a few seconds of a transition between two clips without having to take the time to render the whole thirty minute project. If your capture board supports an external monitor, you can also preview the output there.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 175 Previewing Video Editor offers real-time previewing for your projects. With this feature, you can instantly see how filters and effects you apply look on your video. You can then make the necessary adjustments when needed. When you want to preview your work, press [ENTER] or click Play on the Preview Window. If your project is long, this could take some time.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 176 Since the complexity of a project may vary (e.g. a lot of special effects) in different segments*, you can set the Performance Level (by right-clicking the Toggle button) to determine whether Video Editor renders a preview file or not when previewing your video clip. Video Editor renders only when a segment's complexity level is above the performance level you set. The performance level you set should be relative to your CPU speed.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 177 Depending on the project settings, the display card, and the external monitor type you have, you can preview your work in the target display devices you choose. This feature is useful when you want to preview your work in the device where you will playback your project. Toggle button to High Quality Playback to render the whole project before previewing. This produces better image quality and smoother transition of clips.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Performing scrub previews You can instantly preview your video "on-the-fly" at any time. This is known as scrubbing and is the quickest way to get an idea of how your project is going. When you scrub, you can preview your transitions and the timing of your video, but filters and effects will not be visible unless your hardware supports them. Unlike performing a regular preview however, scrubbing an area with too many effects may not be smooth.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 179 Previewing on an external device Preview your video and transition effects on an external device. You can use your TV (if you have a dual-head display card) and even your DV camcorder's LCD screen to preview your project. You can set the external preview viewing device for your project by selecting File: Playback Options. To set an external preview viewing device for your transition effects, click in the transition effect's dialog box.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Use the Clip Selection tool for selecting clips (see page 150), Time Selection tool for selecting a period of time in the Timeline (see page 151), and Track Selection tool for selecting tracks (see page 152). • Group clips once they are in their final positions (see page 153). • Copy and paste an entire clip or its attributes only (see page 153).
Chapter 3 Using effects From transition effects between scenes to stunning video filters and amazing animated moving paths, MediaStudio Pro has it all. Let your creativity run wild as you learn about the most fun and exciting features of Video Editor. In this chapter you will learn about: • Using transition effects ........................................................................... p. 182 • Using key frame controls ....................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Using transition effects An integral part of any video or film presentation is the transition effects used to enhance the way clips merge, fade, and cut from one scene to another. An appropriate and well placed transition effect can make your video sequence flow better and add impact to your work. Transition effects basics Transition effects can only be placed into the Fx track of the Timeline between two overlapping clips in the Va and Vb tracks.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 183 The Transition Options dialog box is where you can customize your transitions. You can alter the speed, the direction, the border, and apply any number of little nuances to your transition with the Key frame Controller. Each effect has slightly different controls: click the Help button for details. TRANSITION OPTIONS DIALOG BOX (FOR THE BOX-WIPE TRANSITION EFFECT) 1 7 2 4 3 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 6 14 15 16 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Customizing a transition There are a number of options available in the Transition Options dialog box that let you customize your transition. The variety of these available options depends on the type of transition you are applying. The following is just one example among hundreds. To customize a transition effect: 1. Insert a Box-Wipe transition effect between two clips.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 185 You now have a customized transition. When you have done this, it is an excellent idea to save this customized effect to the Production Library for future use. To save a transition effect: 1. Modify a preset transition as detailed above. 2. In the Transition Options dialog box, click Add to send the effect to the Production Library. 3. Enter a name and a description. Click OK.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 186 It is of course trivial to reverse this effect to fade from black at the start of your movie. Just make sure that the color clip precedes the video clip in the Timeline and then make sure that you change the direction of the transition to go from the black color clip to the video clip. Another common effect is called the Turn Page effect, located in the Film folder of the Production Library. Simply drag the effect onto the Fx track between two overlapping clips.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 187 Audio transitions Transition effects are primarily for video. The audio from the two tracks, by default, is simply mixed together. In many cases, you may also want the volume of the audio from one track to smoothly drop while the audio from the track you are transitioning to gradually increase. To perform an audio cross-fade between clips: 1. Click the Audio Cross-Fade button. 2. Click the audio portion of one of two overlapping clips. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Using key frame controls Key frames are commonly used in computer animation to specify an animation sequence. Instead of drawing every frame of animation, the user can specify the starting and ending positions of a sequence, and the computer then generates all of the intervening frames automatically. All of the effects in Video Editor (as well as those in Video Paint and CG Infinity) can be controlled with frame-by-frame precision using key frames.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 189 Using key frames to animate a transition To add a key frame: 1. Drag the Key frame Controller slider to the desired position. 2. Click the Add Key frame button. To remove a key frame: 1. Click on the unwanted key frame (it will turn red). 2. Click on the Remove Key frame button. To move a key frame: To move any key frame, just drag it to a new location.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Video overlay effects Placing titles on a video is the simplest example of an overlay effect. An overlay could also be a picture-in-picture effect over the anchor's shoulder on the nightly news, or a shot of Superman flying over Metropolis. Overlays are commonly superimposed over a background video with portions of the overlay being transparent or keyed-out.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 191 OVERLAY OPTIONS DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1. Overlay clip shows the selected clip before applying the overlay settings. 2. Overlay preview shows the selected clip with the overlay applied. 3. Key frame controller allows you to precisely control how all effects are applied to the clip. 4. Preview as selects the type of display to show in the Overlay preview window. 5. Type specifies the method used for choosing which part of the image is transparent.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 192 Notes: • If you select Color Key from the Type list, you have two options in choosing a key color. You can click on the color box to choose the color to be transparent using the Ulead Color Picker (you can also right-click the box to choose from the Windows Color Picker) or you can click on a color in the Overlay clip with the Eyedropper tool. The latter method is probably the easier. • In the Preview as list, you have three options.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 193 To use a blue screen effect in an overlay: 1. Insert the video clip that you want to be in the background into the Va or the Vb track. 2. Insert a video clip shot with a blue screen in the background into an overlay track, V1 for example. 3. Right-click on the overlay clip (the blue screen clip) and select Overlay Options. The Overlay Options dialog box opens up. 4. Click on the Type list and select Blue Screen. 5.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE To use an Alpha Channel in an overlay: 1. Place a video clip into the Va track. 2. Place a video clip which was created with an alpha Channel (for example, a CG Infinity file) into the V1 overlay track. Background clip 3. Right-click on the clip in V1 and select Overlay Options to open up the Overlay Options dialog box. 4. In the Type drop-down box, select Alpha Channel. Overlay clip At this point, the areas specified in the channel are immediately keyed out.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 195 Working with mattes Another feature of the Overlay Options dialog box is that it allows you to make use of mattes (or masks). In the film world, mattes work like color keying in that they show and hide various areas of the overlay clip. You can make any image or video file into a matte or you can create these yourself in a paint program such as Video Paint or in CG Infinity.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 196 Video mattes are simply multiple image mattes spread out over multiple frames. These can be commonly created in many animation programs. To create a video matte: 1. Create a sequence of images, such as a Targa animation (TGA). 2. Insert them into Video Editor as a Ulead Image Sequence, or use Video Paint and insert a Video Paint project file. See page 139. 3. Load it into the Overlay Options dialog box and specify which color to key out.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 197 Applying video filters Video Editor has a wide range of special effects and filters that allow you to enhance and improve existing video clips as well as create exciting attention grabbing effects. You can apply a Video Filter by dragging its thumbnail from the Video Filter gallery of the Production Library onto a clip. To apply a video filter: 1. Select the video clip you want to apply the filter to. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 198 Video filter samples Cloud - Special Colored Pen - Nature Painting Emboss - Darkroom Diffuse - Darkroom Global filters The Global filters feature allows you to select a number of video filters to apply to your whole project. To use global filters: 1. Select File: Project Settings. 2. In the Project Settings dialog box, click the Global Filters button. 3. In the Video Filters dialog box, select the video filters you want to apply to your whole project. 4. Click OK.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 199 To fine-tune a video filter: 1. Right-click a selected clip with a previously added video filter and select Video Filters (or add a new filter). 2. Click the Options button to view the filter and change its attributes. When you click Options, a dialog box opens displaying two windows: Original, with the selected video clip, and Preview, which shows the result after application of the filter. 3. Change the various filter attributes until you get the result you want.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 200 To animate a video filter: 1. Select a clip and open the Video Filters dialog box as previously described. 2. Select the Colored Pen filter from the Available filters box and click the Add button. The Colored Pen filter will now appear in the Applied filters box. 3. Click the Options button to open the Colored Pen dialog box. 4. Click on the first key frame diamond and then drag the Level slider to 80. 5. Click on the last key frame diamond and drag the Level slider to 0. 6.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 201 To apply a regional matte: 1. Open the Video Filters dialog box and place the filter you want to work with in the Applied filters list box. 2. Click the Region button to open the Region dialog box (not available for all filters). 3. Select an option from the Mask drop-down list to determine what kind of matte you want to use. 4. Move the Threshold slider to control the degree of the effect.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Creating a moving path One of the more advanced effects of Video Editor is its ability to generate a moving path. A moving path is much like a road, dictating the route one clip takes as it passes over another. Just as a road can have many twists and turns, so too can a moving path. For example, you can have one clip zigzag its way across another and spin away into the distance.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 203 MOVING PATH DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 9 10 11 13 12 14 15 16 17 Motion Control Window allows you to determine the path a clip takes. Key frame Controller determines where key frames are placed. Zoom opens the zoom window magnifying the Motion Control window. Restore changes the clip's dimensions back to its original size.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 204 Notes: • • • The Motion Control window allows you to determine the path of a clip by adjusting various control points. When you first open a Moving Path dialog box, the Start control point (S) is active and appears at the center of a sample of the clip. By dragging the start control point, you can reposition the clip. To reposition the End control point (E), click it to make it active and then drag it to a new location.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 205 To create a still moving path: 1. Drag a clip into the Va track: this is the background (the anchor). 2. Drag a clip into the V1 track: this is the overlay. 3. Drag a 2D Basic moving path onto the clip in the V1 track. The 2D Basic Moving Path dialog box opens up. 4. Click the Keep aspect ratio box in the lower left corner. 5. Change the Width value to 100 (the Height value automatically changes to keep the ratio). 6.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 206 Creating 3D moving paths Creating a 3D moving path, whether it is a simple 3D path, a sphere, or a cylinder, is much the same procedure as creating a 2D moving path. The third dimension simply consists of additional rotation angles. Sphere and Cylinder help you control a 3D path by providing an object around which the clip can rotate.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 207 Managing key frames on a moving path Animation is performed by smoothly calculating the position of an object between key frames. The more key frames that are added, the more flexibility and control you have over the animation. This is true for moving paths in Video Editor. You can also control the speed of a moving path by adjusting the distance between key frames. To change the direction of a moving path: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Inserting an image with moving path attributes When you insert an image file into a video track in Video Editor, the image will be stretched to fit the frame dimensions of your project. This will cause a distortion in the image. To avoid this problem, select Keep original size with moving path automatically in the Insert Image File dialog box.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 209 Applying audio filters Video Editor also allows you to apply audio filters to audio clips. These are the same as the ones found in the Audio Editor program (see page 341). They allow you to do everything from increasing a clip’s amplification, to removing noise, to applying special effects such as fades and echoes. In addition, MediaStudio Pro now supports any third party DirectX Audio plug-ins.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Changing the audio level of an audio clip To change the audio level of an audio clip, you can use the Amplify filter or, for quicker results, edit the audio clip directly from the Timeline. By changing the audio level of a clip, you can effectively control how one audio clip fades into or out of another. To change the audio level of an audio clip from the Timeline: 1. Select the audio clip whose audio level you want to change. 2.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 211 number of audio formats, with *.WAV files being the most popular. Once you've inserted your soundtrack, you'll probably want to fade the music in and out smoothly to allow the audio from your video to be heard, or to hear a separate voiceover track. To fade the music in and out: 1. Select the audio clip you want to fade. 2. Click on the volume baseline that appears in the middle of the clip. A control point is placed at the position of your pointer. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 212 Creating titles Video Editor uses a title plug-in to manage title creation, animation and type effect plug-ins when you are doing your projects. The default title plug-in that comes with the program is the Ulead title plug-in. You can add more animation and type effects plug-ins into Video Editor by following these steps: To install new plug-ins: 1. Select the animation or type effect plug-in files that you want to use in Video Editor 2.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 213 INSERT TITLE CLIP DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 5 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. New clears the Title text box. Open loads a previously created text file (*.TXT file extension) for the Title text. Save As saves the title as a text file for future use. Title text window provides a display of the text for the clip. Preview window displays a preview of the title text and provides button controls for playing the title clip.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 214 With the Font & Color tab, you can specify the format for the title clip text. The changes you make here affect all the text in the Preview window. If you want to change the format for certain text, you need to insert it as a separate Title clip or use CG Infinity. Choosing center alignment only aligns the text within the clip. If you want to center the clip over a background clip, use a 2D Basic moving path.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER THREE 215 ANIMATION TAB OF THE INSERT TITLE CLIP DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 4 1. Type choose from a list of available preset animation types effects that you can apply to your text. Click Customize to change the settings of the selected effect. 2. Animation Gallery displays a thumbnail preview of the selected animation type. 3. Customize click to display a dialog box where you can adjust the settings of the selected animation effect thumbnail. 4.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Use the Transition Options dialog box to customize a transition (see page 183). • Use a Crossfade transition effect to create a fade to black (see page 185). • Perform an Audio Crossfade across two tracks after you've finished editing your project (see page 187). • Place key frames to control the appearance of effects at different stages (see page 188).
Chapter 4 Creating and outputting your files Once you are done editing your masterpiece it is time to share it with the world. This means that it is time to create an actual movie file for playback on your computer or record the movie back to your camcorder. In this chapter you will learn about: • Creating a movie ..................................................................................... p. 218 • Analyzing a video file’s data rate ........................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 218 Creating a movie When you're finished editing and the previews look good, it is time to do a final render of your project. The appropriate format of your final movie depends on the destination of the file, but the procedure is the same in every case. To create a video file: 1. Click File: Create - Video File to open the Create Video File dialog box. 2.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 219 Determining your video save options The properties that you specified in saving a video file determine your output quality. MediaStudio Pro offers different settings that you can apply to achieve a high-quality video. The set of available options depends on the output file format that you want, since each file format may contain attributes that are different or not present in another. There are, however, options that are applicable in all file formats.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 220 5. Key frame control allows you to control the placement of key frames for compression schemes that support interframe compression (such as Cinepak). This can help the compression algorithm emphasize important segments. 6. Cropping displays a dialog box where you can modify the frame dimensions of the video. (See page 222 for more details.) Note: For more on understanding key frames and compression, see the Appendix, page 393. VIDEO SAVE OPTIONS: GENERAL TAB 1 2 3 4 5 1.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 221 4. Frame size determines the size of each video frame. You can choose from a range of predefined sizes or define your own. 5. Display aspect ratio maintains the vertical and horizontal proportions of your video. When cleared, you can independently resize the video to create nonstandard effects such as widescreen TV. Note: The frame rate and frame size you choose should match the frame rate and size of your captured video clips if you intend to output your video back to tape.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 222 Cropping video files Cropping is a useful method for controlling the frame size of a video without having to resize the actual frames. This is important as resizing frames resamples the original video, resulting in distortion and loss of quality. The downside though is that you need to remove data which may or may not be important. Cropping is also good for removing unwanted noise that may occur around the edges of a video due to bad capturing or copying.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 223 MediaStudio Pro features enhanced quality of MPEG videos with the option of choosing the variable bit rate (VBR) encoding method. This method produces better picture quality with a smaller file size. To set this property, select MPEG in file save format. Click Options in Save as Video File dialog box and choose Variable in Video Data Rate in the Compression tab of Video Save Options dialog box.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 224 Performing a batch video creation Video Editor allows you to create a number of video files from different projects automatically. This is ideal if you want to render your videos with your machine unattended, such as overnight. To perform a batch video file creation: 1. Click File: Create - Multiple Files to open the Create Multiple Files dialog box. 2. Click the Add button. In the Open dialog box select the project file (*.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 225 Analyzing a video file’s data rate In Video Editor, you can analyze a video file and view a graphical representation of the data flow for the entire sequence. This provides detailed information about the file and its data rate. This information can be used to target high data rate areas for more compression using key frames. To perform a data rate analysis: 1. Click File: Data Rate Analysis to open the Data Rate Analysis dialog box. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE By looking at the analysis graph, you can pinpoint peaks in the graph which would benefit most from being key frames. For more on understanding key frames and compression, see the Appendix, page 393. To edit the key frames on the data rate analysis graph: 1. Select the frame you want to make or remove using the Key frame Controller beneath the Preview window. 2. To make a key frame, click the Add Key frame button.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 227 Creating an audio file You can create audio files from a clip or group of clips in the audio tracks using the File: Create - Audio File command. These files can then be opened in Audio Editor for more precise editing, or you can use them in another project. To create an audio file: 1. Click File: Create - Audio File to open the Create Audio File dialog box. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 228 Audio Mixing Panel MediaStudio Pro features a professional way of audio processing through the Audio Mixing Panel. This panel allows you to do audio mixing by adjusting Volume Fader and Pan/Balance controls. Because this is a floating panel, you can adjust audio settings while listening to them or viewing the videos.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 229 Each track (or group if in Group Layout) has a separate control in the Audio Mixing Panel: Play/Pause plays all the audio clips in the Timeline instantly. Once pressed, the button changes to Pause. If you click Pause, the video clip stops at the current frame and the button returns to Play. Play the preview range plays only the clips covered in the preview area. Play the last playback plays the range of the previous playback.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Decibel (dB) Indicator displays the volume level in decibel unit (dB). The dB indicator ranges from +12 to -60. 0 represents the original, unadjusted volume of the audio stream. +12 indicates the topmost level while -60 is almost silent. VU Meter control displayed on the right side of the Decibel indicator. It displays how loud or silent an audio clip is.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 231 Master VU Meter control displays two VU meters representing sound mixing for left and right channels. Master Volume Fader drag to control the overall volume level of the mixed audio output. Apply applies new adjustments made in Volume Fader and Pan/Balance controls to the Timeline audio tracks. Clear Automation clears the auto write process stored in the memory.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 232 Grouping audio tracks When working with the Audio Mixing Panel, you can make multiple tracks share one audio setting by grouping them together. We call this the "Mixing down" process. Instead of adjusting the audio settings of a track and then playing again to modify other tracks, here you can simply group the preferred tracks to share one audio setting. The Audio Mixing Panel has two working layouts, Track and Group Layout.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 233 Modifying volume controls in real time In MediaStudio Pro, tinkering with your audio track's volume settings is easier. The Audio Mixing Panel is a simple yet powerful tool that helps you adjust the controls of your audio file. With the Audio Mixing Panel, you can manipulate audio track levels and Pan/Balance tracks in real time while listening to the audio track. To modify volume control: 1. Select the point where you want to begin the recording process. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 234 dragging the Volume Fader to make adjustments for the audio clips. You only have to drag the Volume Fader to your desired position and release the mouse button. The controls shall remain in their modified positions. 6. Click Play in the Audio Mixing Panel to begin recording. Click Repeat to play the program continuously or click Play the Preview Range to hear your selected part of the track. 7.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 235 2. Click the Next Frame and Previous Frame buttons to go to a specific frame of the Audio clip. You can also use the arrow keys to preview each frame of the clip. Press the left arrow key to display the frame immediately preceeding the current frame and the right arrow key to display the next frame in the clip. 3. After previewing each frame, you may then add audio cues and set mark-in and mark-out times on your clip.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 236 6. Click OK. The Options dialog box closes returning you to the Create Video File dialog box. 7. Click Save. Animation programs frequently have the option of outputting animations as an image series. These can, of course, be imported into MediaStudio Pro (see page 139 for details).
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 237 Posting timecode If you plan to create an EDL, you need to make sure that you have posted a timecode onto each of the clips in your video project. This is because the post-production house needs to know where your original source clips are located on tape. If a clip does not have the correct timecode, the postproduction house will use 00:00:00:00 as the starting point for playing a clip during recording.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Outputting to analog video tape To output to an analog video tape, you should ensure that all the video sequences you used were created from field-based video and that you saved the video file as field-based. Using non-field-based video results in a slight flicker in the final analog video. Your video should also be equivalent to the resolution of analog video, such as 640x480, 30fps (field-based), and 24-bit color (for NTSC devices).
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 239 4. Select Device control if you want MediaStudio Pro to control your video camera while recording your project. 5. Click OK to close the dialog box and then Open to begin playing back the sequence. Once you click Open, your entire screen blacks out and after the specified duration the video begins to play back. (Hit a key on the keyboard or click your mouse to start playing if you chose the Manually with keyboard or mouse option.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 240 It is not necessary to use MediaStudio Pro to send your video back to tape. There are many dozens of different kinds of capture boards and each comes with its own software for capturing and recording to tape. Some people prefer to edit their video in MediaStudio Pro and then output to tape using the capture board's proprietary software. Under a FAT 16 file system (Win95), there is a 2GB file size limitation.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 241 Creating an SVCD SVCD (Super Video CD) is an enhancement to VCD. It can hold up to 3560 minutes of high quality full motion video in MPEG-2 format with up to 2 stereo audio tracks. Much like DVDs, SVCDs also supports HTML style hyperlinks, still images, playlists or slideshows, and multi-level hierarchical menus and chapters. To create an SVCD file: 1. Open your project and click File: Create - Video File. 2. Select MPEG files (*.mpg) from the Save as type list. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 242 Creating MPEG-2 files MPEG-2 is used on DVDs and digital satellite television. MPEG-2 yields highly compressed files of extremely high quality. There are a couple of things you should consider about this format. First of all, MPEG-2 files can only be played back on your PC and only with the proper software player. The software player must have the proper codec for it to play the MPEG-2 video.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 243 Creating WMV/ QuickTime streaming file Streaming video is also a good way to display video on the Internet. This allows your video to begin playing while still downloading. MediaStudio Pro supports RealNetwork’s RealVideo (*.RM), Microsoft’s Advanced Streaming format (*.WMV, *.ASF, or *.ASX), and Apple’s QuickTime (*.QT or *.MOV). These are the formats popularly used on the Internet.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 244 • Hinted Streaming Uses RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) or RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) as transmission protocols for streaming the video file over the Internet. Hinted Streaming creates hint tracks for every streamable media file types. It does not save the downloaded files locally and is used for viewing only. 7. Click OK. 8. Enter a File name for your QuickTime movie and click OK. To create a WMV streaming file: 1.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 245 Exporting to Ulead DVD MovieFactory In MediaStudio Pro, you can export your video files to Ulead DVD MovieFactory LE to create DVDs, VCDs and SVCDs. With DVD MovieFactory's DVD authoring capabilities, you can create selection menus like the ones you see on Hollywood DVDs. To export your videos to DVD MovieFactory: 1. Select File: Export - Disc Authoring. 2. In the Select Video File dialog box, select the file you want to open in DVD MovieFactory then click OK. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Working with a Digital Video camcorder All movies on a computer are composed of ones and zeros and are therefore digital. Digital Video (DV) with a capital “D” and a capital “V” however, stands for a very specific format of video, just like VHS, High-8, or Beta. This format can be understood (played back, recorded) by your DV camcorder. When you have the proper hardware (capture board) and software (DV codec), it can also be understood by your computer.
VIDEO EDITOR: CHAPTER FOUR 247 External preview plug-in architecture MediaStudio Pro supports third party plug-ins where you can preview transition effects and video filters using the Preview Window, or directly to the DV camcorder. If your display card supports two output devices aside from DV camcorder, use it to preview the filter/effect by selecting Dual Head Device on the External playback device option of the dialog box. To preview using an external playback device: 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • You can create a video file after you complete your project (see page 218). • Select the Perform SmartRender option for faster file creation time (see page 219). • Crop a video to reduce frame size and remove noise from the edges (see page 222). • Save the settings you have provided for your video as template (see page 223).
Chapter 1 Getting started Video Paint is a powerful rotoscoping program that allows you to paint directly over any frame in a video sequence. With Video Paint, you can quickly and easily create special effects such as lightning bolts, lasers beams, virtual sets and mattes. You can also use the wide range of natural and particle-based painting tools to work on single images for use in other projects, such as Web pages and presentations. In this chapter you will learn about: • Understanding the basics .....
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Understanding the basics Video Paint allows you to select, draw, paint, and enhance each image that makes up the frames of a video sequence. Each of the frames appears as a clip in the Filmstrip panel. You can scroll through this panel to view the clip or select a specific frame to work on. When you select a frame, it opens automatically as an image in an edit window.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 253 Standard toolbar View in Normal mode View in Onionskin mode View in Ruby Mask mode View in No Source Video mode Cut an image Copy an image Paste an image View in Composite mode View in Paint Layer mode Redo an undone action Undo a previous action Save a Video Paint project Open an image file Open a video file Open a Video Paint project Create a new Video Paint project Production Library Preview options Tool panel Eyedropper tool Shape Selection tool Lasso tool Zoom tool
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Working with the Filmstrip panel The Filmstrip panel displays each frame of a clip in the Video Paint workspace. At the bottom of the Filmstrip panel is a green view box which indicates the current frames in view. By dragging on this view box, you can scroll through these frames to see the entire contents of the clip. When you have found a frame you are interested in, click on it to display it in an edit window.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 255 Working with edit windows When you work on an image in an edit window, you can choose to operate in one of two modes: Composite or Paint Layer. Composite mode allows you to select portions of an image (the source video) and then move or manipulate them. Once moved or manipulated, the selection becomes a floating selection area and moves up to the paint layer.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 256 Opening files into Video Paint To get started in Video Paint, you need to open a file into the workspace. You can open existing Video Paint, video or image files. When you open a file, Video Paint allows you to select which frames in the file to open. This ability to "partially edit" your work speeds up processing time, particularly for larger files, as you don’t have to load the many hundreds of frames that make up a video sequence.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 257 3. If you know the timecode for the frames you want to open, enter them in the Mark-in and Mark-out spin boxes. If you do not know them, use the Preview window’s control bar to play back the video; you can then click the Mark-in and Mark-out buttons respectively to select the beginning and ending frames for the sequence you want to open. 4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and you return to the Open Video File dialog box. 5.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE as its frame rate in the Frame rate combo box. You can choose from the list in the drop-down menu or enter your own. If the project is intended to be placed into Video Editor, make sure your frame rate is equal to the frame rate of your Video Editor project. Otherwise, you may get dropped or duplicated frames. 3. Select the frame size for the project using the options in the Frame size group box.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 259 Performing Cut and Copy operations When working on your project, you will often want to copy changes you have made in one frame to others in the video sequence. To do this, you use the Cut and Copy buttons on the Standard toolbar or the Edit: Cut and Copy commands. Copy duplicates a selected area or floating selection while Cut removes it from the image. Once cut or copied, you can paste it into the current frame or into another.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE selection marquee which now selects a portion of the active image. This is useful if you wish to copy a selection area over multiple frames so that it selects the same area each time. Pasting an image as a selection (left) and as a mask (right) Duplicating changes over frames The Cut and Copy are useful for duplicating changes from one frame to another. Often, however, you will want to duplicate changes over several frames, even over several seconds.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 261 Power Duplicate dialog box 3. Select the source you want to duplicate from the Source group box. The Selection option duplicates the currently active floating selection or, if the selection is not floating, its mask, while Paint layer duplicates the entire contents of the paint layer. (If you do not have a floating selection active, then only Paint layer is enabled.) 4. Specify where you want the duplication to take place in the Apply group box.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 262 7. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the active floating selection or paint layer is duplicated over the specified number of frames. If you power duplicate over a number of frames, a message box may appear indicating that the operation has exceeded the number of frames specified in the Clear undo history for multiple frame actions option in the General tab of the Preferences dialog box (see page 269).
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 263 Managing project cues To change the name of a cue, click View: Cue Manager. This opens the Cue Manager dialog box which allows you to delete cues, rename them or select specific ones to jump to. For renaming a cue, the Rename Cue dialog box appears for you to type a name and description. To select a cue in the Cue Manager dialog box, click the timecode displayed under the Frame position button. Note: To quickly rename a cue, double-click it to open the Rename Cue dialog box.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 264 Using the Zoom tool Use the Zoom tool when you want to zoom in on an image while at the same time controlling which part of the image is displayed in the edit window. To use the Zoom tool, select it and then click the area of the image you want to see better. The image zooms in beneath your pointer’s position. To zoom out, hold the SHIFT key as you click. (You can also use the Zoom slider on the Attribute toolbar to quickly zoom in and out on the center of the image.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 265 Using the Global Viewer to change views Fitting an image in the edit window When you use the Zoom commands, the image window does not change to fit the new image size. Therefore, after zooming, the entire image may not be displayed in the edit window and scroll bars appear along the window’s edge. If you wish to display the complete image within the edit window, choose one of the available Zoom commands from the View: Fit in Window By submenu.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 266 Inserting frames There may be times when you need to extend the length of a video or insert a new sequence into the middle of existing frames. Video Paint allows you to do this by inserting frames. When you insert frames, you increase the duration of the project by the number of frames you add. If the project becomes too large, you may find that it slows down processing time.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 267 slider in the Preview group box; as you move, the timecode changes accordingly.) 5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the new frames are inserted at the specified location. Duplicating frames The Frame: Duplicate command is similar to the Insert command in that it adds new frames to the clip in the Filmstrip panel. The difference is that it fills the new frames with the same content of the frame currently displayed in the edit window.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 268 To replace frames: 1. Select the frame in the Filmstrip panel where you want to begin your replacement. 2. Click Frame: Replace Source Video to open the Replace Source Video dialog box. Replace Source Video dialog box 3. Specify the number of frames to replace in the Duration spin box and then specify what to replace the frames with in the Link with group box.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 269 Customizing Video Paint The Preferences dialog box (opened by double-clicking the Status bar or File: Preferences [F6]) provides options for customizing certain aspects of the program’s behavior. This is always a good place to start before you do any editing as it helps optimize Video Paint for each project and adapts the program to more closely match your work habits. PREFERENCES DIALOG BOX: VIDEO PAINT TAB 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 270 4. Number of recently opened files specifies how many file names are stored in the Recent History list found in the File menu. 5. Title safe area margin specifies the margin percentage for displaying any titles in a video project. This is useful if you intend on sending your video out to video tape or for broadcasting, as television has a different resolution than a computer monitor and edges which are viewable on screen may disappear.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 271 2. Hard disk displays how much free space you have on your hard drive. 3. Limit hard disk usage to specifies how much memory you want to allocate just for Video Paint’s purposes. If you are only using Video Paint and want to optimize performance, select the maximum amount possible. If you are using other programs in the background you may want to limit this to about half.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 272 3. Limit hard disk usage to allows you to specify how much memory you want to allocate to the MediaStudio Pro programs for use as virtual memory. If you want to run other programs in the background, then choose about ½ the maximum amount. To use Video Paint defaults, leave this option unchecked. 4. Limit RAM usage to allows you to specify how much memory you want to allocate to the MediaStudio Pro programs for use in RAM.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER ONE 273 To calibrate your display: 1. Click File: Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click on the Display tab. At the bottom of the tab are two Grayscale squares. The top square is a checkered pattern of black and white pixels, which when viewed from a distance, looks 50% gray. The bottom square is 50% gray as your monitor currently shows it. In a well calibrated monitor, both of these squares should look approximately the same. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Video files are displayed as clips in the Filmstrip panel with the first frame appearing as an image in an edit window (see page 252). • Control the size of frames in the Filmstrip panel by using the rightmouse pop-up menu (see page 254). • Open only a few seconds of a video file for speedier editing (see page 256). • Use Power Duplicate to copy edits over multiple frames (see page 260).
Chapter 2 Painting Video Paint’s painting tools enable you to easily touch-up and enhance any frame in your video project. The painting tools themselves present a variety of functions, from the advanced Retouch and Clone tools to the more common Paintbrush and Transform tools. In this chapter you will learn about: • Working in different display modes ........................................................ p.276 • Making selections ..........................................................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 276 Working in different display modes In Video Paint, you can choose to view edit windows in a number of different display modes. These modes make identifying your edits easier. They also provide a means for creating mattes and animations.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 277 To create a video matte in Ruby Mask mode: 1. Select the first frame of the video you want to apply the matte over. The frame appears as an image in the edit window. 2. Click the Ruby Mask mode button on the Standard toolbar or View: Display Mode - Ruby Mask. A ruby film appears over the image. 3. Select a paint tool and define its attributes in the Brush panel (see page 290). 4. Start painting over the mask.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 278 Onionskin mode Onionskin mode is extremely useful when you are creating animations and want to be able to see how your edits are progressing from frame to frame. It works by placing transparent layers of each successive frame you edit over its predecessors, allowing you to easily see your changes from the previous frame as you work in the current frame. To work in Onionskin mode: 1. Select the first frame of the video you want to paint over.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 279 7. Define a transparency for each skin layer in the Skin transparency spin box. This value indicates the transparency of the skin layer, and not the edits you are performing. For example, a skin transparency of 30% produces a light result as it only allows 30% of the edit to show through. The higher the value the more of the edit you can see. (Click the Preview button to test how your changes affect any existing onionskin layers.) 8.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Making selections In Video Paint, whenever you apply a command or use one of the painting tools, it is applied over the entire image in the edit window. To restrict the command or painting tool to a certain area of an image, you first need to create a selection. To do this, Video Paint has three selection tools that offer a wide range of options for creating both simple and more complex selection areas. Once created, a selection marquee appears outlining the selected area.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 281 Selecting in the Composite and Paint Layer modes If you are in Composite mode, any selection area you create selects elements of the actual image. Moving this selection or manipulating it in any way makes it a floating selection and moves it to the paint layer. Every time you create a new floating selection, any pre-existing floating selections are merged with the paint layer.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE When you create a selection, it starts from where you first click your mouse. This is fine in most cases, but sometimes you may want it to start from the center, particularly if you are creating circular or square shapes. To do this, first click the Draw From Center button on the Attribute toolbar and then drag your mouse over the image starting from where you want the center of the selection to be.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 283 object against a dull background. (If you find the selection "pulls" to include unwanted areas, deselect the AutoSnap option or decrease the sensitivity.) Note: If you make a mistake while drawing a selection area or wish to start again, press the [ESC] key. Creating an irregular selection area Selecting an area containing similar colors The Magic Wand tool is useful when you want to select specific colors in an image.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Creating a selection containing similar colors Determining color similarity When using the Similarity entry box, enter a value that you feel closely reflects the range of colors you wish to select. To help determine the color similarity range, move the Magic Wand over target pixels in the image and notice the RGB color values displayed on the Status bar.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 285 Adding additional areas to a selection Moving a selection area marquee (mask) Sometimes you will want to use a selection area without moving the image data it contains. For example, you may want to move a selection area to expose certain portions of an image, or to protect other portions from any effects or changes you may apply to the image. To do this, click the Move Selection Marquee button on the Attribute toolbar or use the Grabber tool on the Tool panel.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Using the Color palette The Color palette contains colors that you can apply to any image in the edit window. The way colors are displayed in the palette varies according to your selection in the View: Color palette submenu. You can display palette colors in one of four methods: Map, Wash, Swatch, and Custom. Which method you choose depends on the type of color you want as well as which color picker you are more familiar with. To select a color, click it with your mouse.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 287 Selecting colors from the Color Picker pop-up menu The Color Picker pop-up menu allows you to select a new color to replace the selected color square, or to choose from a range of Color Pickers. Each Color Picker provides a different method for selecting colors, and each is suitable for particular situations. (You can open the Color Picker menu by right-clicking over any color square in Video Paint.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Using the Windows Color Picker When you select the Windows Color Picker command, the standard Windows Color dialog box appears from which you can select a basic or custom color. Selecting colors with the Eyedropper tool The Eyedropper tool enables you to select a foreground color from colors already in an image.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 289 Using the Painting tools The Painting tools in Video Paint offer an extensive variety which allow you to paint over an image using anything from a felt-tip pen to an oil brush. When you use a paint tool, the paint is applied directly to the paint layer and not the actual image itself. As such, you can work without fear of damaging the original image as well as easily copy your work over several frames. To view the painting tools, click the Paint tool button on the Tool panel.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 290 Specifying Brush panel attributes When you choose a painting tool, the Brush panel displays the attributes for that tool in four folders: Shape, Options, Color, and Advanced. The current settings of these attributes are the same as they were when last selected. If you change them, you can save the new settings to the Production Library by clicking the Save button on the Attribute toolbar.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 291 Weight defines how heavy the paint color is. The heavier the weight, the stronger the impression it leaves. Distribution defines the placement of the brush bristles. The higher the value, the narrower the placement, while a lower value means a wider placement. Random creates a random (although proportional) size variation among the bristles of a brush. The value entered here defines the percentage of variance.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 292 • Addition applies the color that is produced from adding the color values of the original colors with that of the painted color. For example, if the overlying frame is R:10 G:210 B:125 and the underlaying clip is R:30 G:100 B:100 then the resulting color will be R:40 G:255 B:225 – (R=10+30 G=210+100 B=125+100). (Values greater than 255 are rounded down to 255.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 293 BRUSH PANEL: COLOR TAB 1 2 1. Single Color applies a single color as the brush paint. 2. Multiple Colors applies multiple colors as the brush paint. You choose which colors from the neighboring Hue, Saturation, and Brightness options. By controlling the value of these options, you determine how much color is applied. For example, more hue introduces more color while an increase in the saturation makes the colors appear stronger.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 294 Filling an area with color Apart from painting over an image with a paint tool, you can also fill a selection or the entire image with a solid color. To do this, click Edit: Fill [CTRL+F]. This opens the Fill dialog box from which you can select the color to use as the fill, the degree of transparency and the way the color is applied, such as the hue only or just the difference. (For more on these, see the description of the Options tab in the Brush panel, page 298).
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 295 Using the Clone tool The Clone tool is similar to the Paint tools except that it uses the image for its color palette. For example, you can paint onto an image with another part of the same image, or even from a second image in another edit window.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE ship with the clone crosshair regardless of where you place your mouse. (The clone crosshair does not return to the original location when you release the mouse.) This is useful if you are cloning large areas and often release your mouse and do not want to start from the beginning point. Frame is for cloning between different frames on the same clip. (To do this, first insert the file again so you now have two copies in the workspace.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 297 To view the retouching tools, click the Retouch tool button on the Tool panel. The Brush panel opens and all the retouch tools are displayed along the Attribute toolbar. The attributes for these tools are identical to the Paint tools (see page 289) except the Options tab, which changes to display controls for refining the degree of retouching. (To learn about cloning over several frames, see the "Duplicating changes over frames" section, page 260.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE BRUSH PANEL: OPTIONS TAB (RETOUCH TOOL) Dodge increases the amount of luminosity in an image, making areas lighter. Burn reduces the amount of luminosity in an image, making areas darker. Blur blurs the edges of an image making them less distinct. Sharpen sharpens the edges of an image thereby making them more distinct. Tonal adjustment controls the amount of highlight, midtone, and shadow in an image.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 299 To record a macro: 1. Click the Macro button on the Attribute toolbar (for Paint and Retouch tools only). A message box appears preparing for recording. Note: When you record a macro, Video Paint clears the previous Undo history to help free up system resources. If you want to retain any previous edits, first save the file before recording. 2. Click OK. Video Paint centers the edit window and you can start painting on the image.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 300 To play back a macro: 1. Select the frame from where you want the macro to begin its playback. 2. Click the Production Library button on the Standard toolbar and locate the macro in the Macro gallery that you want to play back. 3. Double-click on the thumbnail of the macro you want to play back or drag-and-drop it into the edit window to open the Macro Playing Options dialog box. Macro Playing Options dialog box 4.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 301 Applying filters The video filters in Video Paint are the same as those found in Video Editor and can be used from the Menu bar or from the Video Filter gallery in the Production Library. While they are the same in design, they do, however, differ in application.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 302 Previewing your work When working in Video Paint, it is a good idea to regularly preview your work to see how your project is developing. You can do this in one of two ways – by creating a preview file or by flicking through a series of frames. Previewing works in much the same way as in Video Editor while flicking works by displaying a series of frames quickly, much like flipping through the pages of an animation.
VIDEO PAINT: CHAPTER TWO 303 4. Specify the area on the frame you want to flick through using the Flick area spin boxes or by dragging the control points in the bounding box in the preview image. (To move the bounding box on the Preview image, place your pointer in the center and drag.) When flicking through a specific area on the frame, it is a good idea to select the Show border option because it places a thin red border over the area being flicked making it easier to identify.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Work in Ruby Mask mode to create video mattes (see page 276). • Work in Onionskin mode when creating animations (see page 278). • In Composite mode, you select areas of an image; in Paint Layer mode, you select areas of your edits (see page 280). • Use the Eyedropper tool to select colors from an image in an edit window (see page 288).
Programs
Chapter 1 Getting started CG Infinity is a specialized drawing program that allows you to create impressive titles and motion graphics that you can use in Video Editor projects or as standalone video and image files. With CG Infinity, you can easily produce television and film quality opening and ending credits as well as an extensive range of both regular and freehand graphical objects. In this chapter you will learn about: • Understanding the basics ......................................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 308 Understanding the basics CG Infinity is a vector-based drawing program dedicated to creating impressive titles and motion graphics. Once you have created a title or graphic, it becomes an object which can be resized, reshaped and redesigned without any loss in quality. A comprehensive range of drawing tools also gives you complete flexibility over your work and makes editing objects as easy as moving your mouse.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE 309 Standard toolbar Bring an object to the front Bring an object forward Send an object backward Send an object to the back Cut an object Copy an object Paste an object Save a CG project Open a CG project Create a new CG project View in wireframe mode Redo an undone action Undo a previous action Tool panel Object tool Adjust tool Shape tool Path tool Freehand tool Moving Path tool Envelope tool Text tool Eyedropper tool Zoom control Default object style Edit window
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Understanding objects Objects form the basis of your work in CG Infinity. They can be anything from text to regular squares and circles as well as freehand drawn shapes. Each object is a vector-based graphic which is created from a series of lines that form an outlined path to represent the object’s shape. When you work on an object, you can add, move, and remove points anywhere along a line in the path.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE 311 Changing the background of an edit window Once created, an edit window displays a solid white background. When you create a video or image file, this is the color of the background that will appear behind any objects. You can change this background by choosing a new color or by replacing it with the contents of a video or image file. To change an edit window’s background: 1. Click View: Background to open the Background dialog box. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 312 Changing the view of an edit window CG Infinity offers the same controls for viewing edit windows as Video Paint: these are the View commands and the Zoom tool (for more on these, see page 264). CG Infinity, however, adds two extra commands to help you work at full screen: the View: Full Screen [CTRL+U] and View: Remove Menu Bar commands.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE 313 Saving your work In CG Infinity, the edit window you are working on is referred to as a project. You save this project as a special Ulead CG Infinity file (UCG) by clicking the Save button on the Standard toolbar or File: Save [CTRL+S]. UCG files contain all the attributes of the objects in the edit window as well as the video properties of the project.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Another method to cut and copy is the Edit: Duplicate command which copies the currently selected object and makes a duplicate at the same time. The advantage of the Duplicate command is that you do not have to paste the object, therefore allowing you to quickly create copies of objects as you work. (This is ideal if you are creating temporary objects to experiment on and do not want to affect the original.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE 315 Controlling the alignment of objects When you move objects around in CG Infinity, you often want to place them in particular areas within the frame of the edit window. This is especially the case when trying to match an object with a background video or image file, such as a car or a corporate logo. To do this, CG Infinity provides guides and rulers that help you accurately place and move objects.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 316 Guides are reference lines that you pull out from either the horizontal or vertical rulers. When you pull out a guide, it appears as a dotted line which you can use to mark certain areas within the edit window. You can have any number of guides which can be easily repositioned by dragging on them. To remove a guide, drag it off the edge of the edit window using the Object tool.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER ONE 317 Customizing CG Infinity To better work with CG Infinity, it is important to customize the program’s behavior with the Preferences dialog box (opened by doubleclicking the Status bar or clicking File: Preferences [F6]). This dialog box has three tabs: CG Infinity, Memory, and Display. Except for the first, CG Infinity, the others are identical to Video Paint and are fully explained in the "Customizing Video Paint" section, page 269.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 4. Title safe area margin specifies the margin percentage for displaying any titles in a video project. This is useful if you intend on sending your video back out to video tape or for broadcasting as television has a different resolution than computer monitors, and edges which are viewable on screen may disappear. As a guideline, for NTSC devices choose 12%, PAL 10%. To view the title safe area marquee, click View: Title Safe Area. 5.
Chapter 2 Working with objects The power of CG Infinity lies in its ability to create and manipulate objects. Using a wide range of drawing tools, you can easily create these objects by tracing over existing images, drawing your own shapes or using the Text tool to create impressive titles and text effects. In this chapter you will learn about: • Defining an object’s style ........................................................................ p.320 • Creating text and shape objects .....................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 320 Defining an object’s style When you create an object, it takes its form from the path or shape you draw and its appearance from a number of attributes which make up its style. These attributes are defined in the Object Style Panel which you can view by clicking the Object Style Panel button on the Attribute toolbar or by right-clicking over a toolbar and selecting the Object Style Panel command. The panel has three tabs: General, Color, and Shadow.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 321 4. Soft Edge blends the edges of an object with the background. This option is useful if anti-aliasing does not create a smooth enough edge for some objects. 5. Line Caps defines how the ends of lines are drawn; you can choose between Round, Square or Flat. (Depending on the size of your object, you may not be able to see any obvious change.) 6. Line Joints defines how lines meet; you can choose Round, Bevel, or Miter joining.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 322 3. Line color determines how the line of an object is filled. The first option, None, applies no fill to an object’s line making it clear. (If you do not select a color or style, then the line width specified in the General tab has no affect.) The second option, Color, selects a solid color to fill the line with. To choose the color, rightclick the color square or select the color using the Eyedropper tool or the Color palette, keeping the [CTRL] key held down as you click.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 323 Setting your default object style Whenever you create an object, it takes its initial style from the current default as indicated by the graphic at the bottom of the Tool panel. You can change this default at any time by right-clicking it and choosing the Properties command. In the Properties dialog box that opens, you can specify the new defaults.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 324 Using the Text tool The Text tool in CG Infinity allows you to use any font currently installed on your system to create a text object. Once created, you can control the spacing between letters in a word as well as the spacing between lines of text. You can also edit the text at a later time, even after changing its shape and style. Note: If you want to edit a text object on another machine, that machine must have the same font installed.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 325 Using the Shape tool In CG Infinity, you can create both regular symmetrical shapes, such as squares and circles, as well as more complex polygons and stars. You can use these shapes to block out sections of a background image or video, as a background for text, or to create a variety of special effects. To create a shape object: 1. Select the Shape tool from the Tool panel.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 326 3. Click on the area of the image where you want the shape to appear and drag. As you drag, the shape takes its form based on the specified attributes. (If you choose a fixed size, the shape is drawn immediately.) Once you release your mouse, the shape is created as an object. Note: If you draw an object and then hold down the [SHIFT] key, you can adjust the object equilaterally. If you hold down the [CTRL] key, you can adjust the object in one direction only.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 327 As you draw, a line appears in the edit window which follows your movements. To draw continuously, keep your mouse button down as you drag. If you release the mouse button, you end a segment. You can then choose to end the path or create a new segment by clicking in another area of the edit window. When you create a new segment, it automatically connects to the end of the previous segment. Note: If you make a mistake while drawing, press the [ESC] key to start again. 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 3. Move to the edit window and begin drawing the shape you want to create. Each time you click your mouse, a node is placed in the edit window and a line segment is automatically drawn connecting the two nodes. If you selected the Add Curve option, two handles appear on either side of the node allowing you to stretch, pull and turn the curve. (You can come back later to edit these nodes and handles using the Adjust tool, see page 332.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 329 Selecting multiple objects You can select multiple objects by holding down the [SHIFT] key as you click each object. The bounding box changes each time to encase all the selected objects. Once selected, you can move them as one or resize them equally. If you change an object style, the new style is adopted by all the objects, regardless of their original settings. (You can also select multiple objects by dragging a selection marquee over each one.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 330 Moving objects Once an object is selected, you can move it by dragging it with the Object tool. Apart from moving an object with your mouse, you can also move it using the Position spin boxes on the Attribute toolbar. When you view the Position spin boxes, they show the current horizontal and vertical position of the selected object respectively (All measurements are in pixels). You can enter in new values to move the object accordingly.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 331 Note: To resize an object, you can click a button or enter the new dimensions for the object in the Width and Height spin boxes on the Attribute toolbar. (These spin boxes are useful when you need to make accurate adjustments to an object’s size such as to 1/10th of a pixel.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 332 3. Drag one of the nodes of the bounding box to change the shape of the envelope. Control handles appear which allow you to further control the curve of the envelope. 4. Keep dragging the nodes and control handles until you have a shape you are happy with. Changing the envelope of a text object Adjusting shapes Whenever you create an object (other than a text object), its shape is defined by the path you draw.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 333 3. Change the shape of the path by dragging the node or one of the control handles. Dragging the node repositions it while dragging a control handle changes the curvature of the path around the active node and between the preceding and following nodes. You can control the behavior of these nodes as well as their directions by choosing one of the node options on the Attribute toolbar.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 334 Creating a moving path An integral part of your work in CG Infinity is adding motion to your objects. This is done using the Moving Path tool which allows you to specify a path for an object to follow within the edit window. You can then position objects so that they move across the screen, either in unison or at different intervals.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 335 Creating a moving path Changing the shape of a moving path In CG Infinity, there are two ways in which you can change the shape of a moving path: with the Moving Path tool or by assigning the path of an object as a moving path. To change the shape using the Moving Path tool, you need to select it with the Moving Path tool and then drag the moving path as you would if adjusting an object’s path. The Attribute toolbar has the same options as the Adjust tool (see page 332).
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Changing the size and style of an object over time Using the Time Control Panel, you can make an object change its size over time as well as perform other effects such as fades and color transitions. This is done through the use of key frames that you place at strategic positions throughout the moving path. By changing the attributes of an object at each key frame, you cause it to change over time. To change an objects size and style over time: 1.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 337 6. Move the Preview slider to the start or click on the Start Key frame button to return the object back to its beginning position. 7. Click the Play button to see how the object moves and changes over time. (To see changes in an object’s style, you need to play the moving path in Preview mode, not Wireframe.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Timing the movement of objects An important part of any CG Infinity project is the synchronization of objects with each other. For example, you will often want text to appear either before or after another object has been displayed. To do this, you again need to use the Time Control Panel and place key frames to act as timers before an action occurs. (Often with multiple objects, you end up needing more time than currently specified in the project.
CG INFINITY: CHAPTER TWO 339 To change the end time of a moving object: 1. Select the object you want to change with the Moving Path tool. The moving path of the object appears. 2. Move the Preview slider to the last frame in the Time Control Panel, the object moves to that position on the moving path. Then click the Add Key frame button. A key frame is added to the Key frame slider. 3. Drag on the key frame and move it to the position where you want the movement of the object to end. 4.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • To see a line color, you need to specify a line width (see page 320). • Apply gradients to add color and depth to an object (see page 322). • Right-mouse click on an object to set that object’s attributes as the default (see page 323). • Use the Freehand and Path tools to trace objects in the background (see page 326).
Chapter 1 Getting started Audio Editor is the MediaStudio Pro program that gives you command over your soundtrack. With it, you can play, record and edit the audio components of your video project with drag-anddrop ease and a click of the mouse. In this chapter you will learn about: • Understanding the basics ....................................................................... p.344 • Recording sound ..................................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 344 Understanding the basics To get started with Audio Editor you can either open an existing audio file or record sound from an external device such as an audio CD, microphone or VCR. When you view sound, it appears in an edit window as a waveform. This waveform represents the various positive and negative peaks that a natural sound wave makes.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 345 Toolbar Go to previous cue Play selection Add a cue Record sound Go to next cue Play a waveform Stop/Pause a waveform Zoom slider Mark the start and end of a selection Drag-and-drop file to another program Fit a selection in the window Alternate between the last two views Run a mixer program Overview strip View box Selection area Edit window Active waveform
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 346 Playing audio files To play an audio file, click the Play button on the Toolbar or click Control: Play [SPACE BAR]. The file starts playing from the current cursor position. To stop the file click the Stop button or click Control: Stop [ESC]. The cursor pauses at the current position. Clicking Stop again returns the cursor to the start of the file. (Clicking Stop or pressing ESC when the file is not playing returns the cursor to the start of the file.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 347 samples a file contains the better the audio reproduction; the down side is increased file size. 3. Select the number of channels to use from the Channels group box. The number of channels in an audio file refers to whether the file is mono or stereo. Stereo provides for better sound but is twice the file size of mono. 4. Select the sample size you want to use from the Sample size group box. The sample size specifies how much memory is allocated to store the audio data.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 348 Converting files After saving a file you may find that you need to change its attributes, particularly if you are planning on mixing it with other files that have different properties. When you convert a file, you can choose to convert down, reducing quality and file size, or convert up. Converting up, such as adding an extra channel or increasing the sample size, does not result in an improvement in the sound of the file.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 349 A waveform at Actual view Changing the view of a waveform Whenever you open an audio file, the waveform is displayed entirely within the edit window. If you change the magnification of the window, the view of the waveform changes, and parts of the waveform may be hidden by the window frame. To change your current view, drag on the Global View panel in the Overview strip. This reveals those portions of the waveform previously hidden.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 350 An example of the time unit (M:S:ms) An example of the SMPTE unit (M:S:f) An example of the samples unit (thousands) Dragging-and-dropping to Video Editor Audio Editor allows you to take an audio file and then drag-and-drop that file into Video Editor for further editing or to make it a part of a video project. To do this, first open or record the file in Audio Editor and then click the Drag-and-Drop button on the Toolbar.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 351 To record sound: 1. Connect the audio source into your PC audio card’s line-in jack. Test whether or not the connection works by playing from the source. If you hear sound from your computer’s speakers, then it is a good connection. 2. Run your audio mixing program by clicking the Run Mixer Program button on the Toolbar or click Control: Run Mixer [CTRL+M]. (To use the Windows default mixer, click Start: Programs - Accessories: Entertainment - Volume Control.) 3.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 352 3. Determine the capture sound quality, using Format and Attributes, for the audio file that you will be capturing. Click Save As to save your settings as a sound template. By saving it, you will be able to use the same attributes to capture from an audio CD in the future. Click OK to open the Select Song Track dialog box. 4. Select the desired track(s) then click Start. Audio Editor will begin copying the selected track(s). 5. The captured file will appear on the workspace.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER ONE 353 Customizing Audio Editor You can customize the way you work in Audio Editor using the Preferences dialog box, opened by clicking File: Preferences [F6] or by double-clicking on the Status bar. Here, you can control the display of the waveform, the time format used, and assign a mixer program for recording audio files. PREFERENCES DIALOG BOX 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. X-Axis unit [Time Format] specifies the unit of time for each edit window. Selecting the Time (M:S.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 4. Snap to cues makes selection areas snap to any nearby cues. 5. Number of recently opened files specifies how many file names are stored in the Recent History list found in the File menu. 6. Mixer program defines the path and name of the mixer program to use when recording. (This program will open whenever you click the Run Mixer Program button on the Toolbar or click Control: Run Mixer [CTRL+M].
Chapter 2 Editing audio files With your computer and Audio Editor, trimming and enhancing audio tracks for your audio and video projects becomes greatly simplified and significantly easier. With a number of advanced audio effects and enhancements, Audio Editor will soon have you creating audio files that add impact to your work and multimedia presentations. In this chapter you will learn about: • Creating selection areas ......................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Creating selection areas After opening an audio file you can edit the entire waveform or selected parts of it. Unless a selection area has been created, any editing you do affects the entire waveform. In Audio Editor you can create a selection in the following ways: • Drag your mouse over the area you wish to select. • Double-click on the waveform or click Edit: Select All [CTRL+L] to select the entire waveform.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 357 Creating precise selections During your editing there will be times when you want to make a very specific selection, starting and ending at exact times, particularly if you are working in conjunction with a video project in Video Editor. To make detailed selections you need to view the Sample Information Window, opened by right-clicking on a toolbar and selecting the Sample Information Window command. (You can also click View: Toolbars & Panels.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 358 3. Enter a description in the Cue name entry box (maximum 128 characters). The default cue name, "&p" uses the time value of the cue’s location for a name. For example, a cue at the 1 minute 30 second mark would be named "01:30:00." 4. Click OK. The Add Cue dialog box closes and a blue cue line appears at the cursor position. Note: You can also place a cue while a file is playing by clicking Add Cue or Control: Add Cue.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 359 If a waveform has a large number of cues, you can navigate between them easily by clicking the Previous Cue/Next Cue buttons on the Toolbar or click Control: Previous Cue and Next Cue [SHIFT+TAB & TAB]. If you want to go to a specific cue, click Control: Go To Cue [SHIFT+G]. This opens the Go To Cue dialog box which lists all the existing cues in the waveform. To go to a cue, select it and click the Go To button. The cursor then jumps to that cue.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Waveform before clearing Waveform after clearing Inserting audio data After cutting or copying audio data, you can paste it from the clipboard into an edit window by clicking one of the Edit: Paste commands. Although similar, each differs in its implementation as well as benefits. • Insert adds data from the clipboard to an existing waveform at the cursor position. This increases the duration of the audio file by the duration of the pasted segment.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 361 • Fill replaces a selection area with the clipboard data. If the selection area is longer in duration than the clipboard data, the data repeats itself until the selection area is filled. If the selection area is shorter, Audio Editor truncates the data accordingly. This command is disabled if there is no selection area. • As a New Document creates a new edit window, filling it with the data from the clipboard.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 362 If, after changing the audio level, you find that the waveform peaks or touches the top and bottom edges of the edit window (± 100% on the amplitude scale), then you may find some distortion or noise has been created. In such cases, undo the audio level and click Effect: Normalize. This adjusts the waveform’s amplitude so that it does not peak above or below the amplitude scale.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 363 Quantizing a waveform When you record audio data, you need to indicate the sample size, or the number of bits used to store the resulting file. This can be either 8-bit or 16-bit. The more bits the better the quality of the recording, but the greater the size of the audio file. If you need to reduce file size, but still want to maintain a good level of quality, you can quantize the file by clicking Effect: Quantize.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 364 Removing background noise Unless you record in a rigidly controlled environment, such as a soundproofed booth, every audio track you record will have some measure of background noise. For the most part, it will fall within acceptable levels, easily drowned out by the primary body of sound. If not, background noise can be very distracting and significantly decrease the quality of the sound.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 365 Calibrating files recorded from different sources Not all recording devices have the same calibration or setup. It varies sometimes in frequency modulation and amplitude. In such cases, you may find that files recorded from these different sources end up with different baselines (point 0 on the amplitude scale). Most of the time, this doesn’t adversely affect the overall quality of your tracks as the differences are minute.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 366 To mix two tracks: 1. Click Edit: Mix. The Mix dialog box opens displaying all files open in the workspace which share the same properties. Mix dialog box 2. Select the file you want to mix by clicking on it in the Mix with list box. 3. Set the desired amplification levels for each waveform (between 1- 100%). 100% keeps the original amplification and anything below reduces it. 4. Click OK. A new edit window is created merging the two files.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 367 mixing levels at 100%) pastes the inverted waveform into the file. As it is now the opposite of the original file, it negates the manager’s voice and, as a result, removes it from the file. Note: You cannot remove a file from a mix using the Invert method if you have already applied other effects to the mixed file.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 368 The first control point in the graph defines the start-fade amplitude, the second and third points for the middle of the fade and the fourth point for the end-fade amplitude (where 100% is normal amplitude). To help smooth out the fade, select a Transformation curve option. A Linear fade produces a constant fade, while an Exponential fade begins slowly and ends quickly. The Logarithmic fade starts quickly and fades more slowly.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 369 Performing a stereo pan If you have a stereo file, you can pan the audio so that it sounds as if the audio moves from one speaker to the other, creating a "surround sound" effect. To do this, click Edit: Pan and in the Pan dialog box that opens, alter the fade for each channel accordingly. For example, a start and end level of 0% results in complete silence while 100% leaves the output unchanged.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Performing an echo Echoes are useful effects which are often difficult to record naturally. Using Audio Editor, however, you can overcome such recording limitations and produce echoes that sound as if you are in a canyon or at a baseball game. To create an echo quickly, click either one of the Echo commands available in the Effect menu. Or, to customize one of those commands, click Effect: Echo.
AUDIO EDITOR: CHAPTER TWO 371 Waveform after applying an echo effect Performing a cross fade A cross fade is where one audio track blends smoothly into another, head to tail. To cross fade two files, click Edit: Cross Fade. This opens the Cross Fade dialog box, which allows you to select the file you want to blend with. (You can only cross fade between files with the same properties.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The chapter in review Here are some key points and tips to remember from this chapter: • Click the Mark-in/out button to start and end a selection when playing a file (see page 356). • Use the Sample Information Window for creating precise selections (see page 357). • Use Cues to mark events in a waveform (see page 357). • Click the Edit: Mute command to remove areas without affecting the duration of a waveform (see page 359).
Programs
More programs Ulead DVD MovieFactory LE and Ulead DVD-VR Wizard are separate programs that you can access inside MediaStudio Pro. DVD MovieFactory allows you to author DVD, VCD and SVCD to discs while the DVD-VR Wizard enables you to add or record videos to a device that supports DVD-RAM or DVD-R. Learn how to use these programs in this chapter. In this chapter you will learn about: • Ulead DVD MovieFactory ......................................................................... p.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 376 Ulead DVD MovieFactory Ulead DVD MovieFactory provides you with the answer to your video disc authoring needs. No matter if the disc is a DVD, VCD or SVCD, DVD MovieFactory takes you there instantly with a user-friendly wizard-type process and specific task-oriented features.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 377 Which task should you choose? Now you have an overall picture of how Ulead MovieFactory looks like. The next thing to do is choose the right task that fits your need: • Start Project - New project: Choose this task if you are creating a new DVD MovieFactory project. Please select an output disc format, and then click Next to add media clips. (See page 378 for details.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 378 Working on a project Ulead DVD MovieFactory is a project-based program. Each project (*.dwz) file saves the latest information on your video and menu editing as well as the settings you have made for that project. So, you can always stop or resume your task at your convenience. Note: You can only work on one project at a time in Ulead DVD MovieFactory. Add videos or slideshows Now, you have opened a project. The next thing is to insert media clips into it.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 379 Capturing videos: 1. Click Capture. The Capture Video dialog box opens. 2. Use the navigation controls to locate the starting point of the video you want to capture. 3. Click Capture Video. 4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 as needed to capture more videos. 5. Click OK. Capture video Notes: • All captured videos are stored in the default capture folder. To change the folder, click the browse button. • The Capture Video dialog box is strictly for video capturing.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE In the MPEG Settings dialog box, you can choose from a number of presets or define your preferred settings from Special Settings. Also, click Video Bit Rate if you want to set a particular variable bit rate. (See online Help for details.) Tip: If you experienced dropped frames in your captured video, adjust the Quality level in the MPEG Settings dialog box to a lower value or turn on the DMA setting of your hard drive.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 381 Adding videos: 1. Click Add Video. 2. Locate the folder where the videos are, and then select one or more video clips you want to add. 3. Click Open. Note: You can add video formats such as AVI, QuickTime, and MPEG files. You can also add VCD video (DAT) files. Open video file Tip: After a video clip is added to the Media clip list, sometimes you may see a black thumbnail. This is because the first scene (frame) of this video clip is a black screen.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 382 Importing DVD videos: 1. Click Import DVD Video. 2. Locate the folder where the videos are. (For example, locate the VIDEO_TS folder for the DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW format; the DVD_RTAV folder for the DVD-RAM format.) 3. Click to select the video clip you want to import, and then click Finish. (Use [CTRL] or [SHIFT] to select multiple videos) Depending on the video time length, wait a while until the capture process completes.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 383 Trimming a video: 1. Double-click a video thumbnail to select it for trimming. 2. Use the navigation controls or drag the Jog Bar to move to the starting point of your desired trimmed video. When you’re there, click Set mark-in. Alternatively, simply drag mark-in to the starting point. 3. Similarly, determine the ending point by using Jog Bar and Set mark-in/ mark-out. 4. Now, the trimmed video is ready.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 384 Extract video Trim your video by drawing out specific portions of your clip. This feature allows you to select and extract multiple portions from your clip and then modify your clip according to the portions you have extracted. Extracting videos: 1. Click the video in the Media clip list to select it then click The Extract Video dialog box opens. . 2.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 385 Note: The availability of Extract Video will depend on the DVD MovieFactory version you have. Replace audio Insert or replace the background music of your video by using this feature. Click to open the Replace Audio dialog box where you can specify an audio track you want to use with your video.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 386 Creating or editing chapters linked to a video clip: 1. Select a video in the Media clip list. 2. Click Add/Edit Chapter. 3. Click Auto to let Ulead MovieFactory help you select chapters (such as at fixed intervals), or drag the Jog Bar to move to a scene as the first frame of a chapter, and then click Add. 4. Repeat Step 3 as needed. You can also use Remove or Remove All to delete unwanted chapters. 5. Click OK.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 387 Setup menus At this step, you can create the main menu and submenus. They provide a list of interactive thumbnail-styled options displayed on a screen for your movie viewer to choose from. Ulead DVD MovieFactory offers a set of menu templates to best fit the purpose of each menu. Custom-made menus are also available at your fingertips. To help you better understand the DVD/SVCD/VCD menu structure, see the illustration below.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 388 Note: If you skip Step 2, “My Title” and the thumbnail name will be used as the menu heading and the text description respectively. If you don’t want to show the menu heading or the text description, simply delete it. 3. To change the image shown on each video thumbnail, click it then drag the Jog Bar to change. 4. To change a menu layout, use the Menu template list and select another preset. 5.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 389 Output your movie This is the final step before your video disc or output file is ready. Here, you can choose the disc burner, as well as select the folder where you want to output video files or a disc image file. Tip: Before actual disc burning starts, make sure the disc in the correct format has already inserted into the disc burner. Outputting your movie: 1. Enter a volume name (up to 32 characters) for the output disc. 2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Notes on how to choose an appropriate recording format: • DVD MovieFactory provides an option, DVD-Video (fast editable), that allows you to still use the industrial standard DVD-Video format, however, it will only burn the necessary files you need so you can edit your video content (e.g. menus) in the future.
MORE PROGRAMS: CHAPTER ONE 391 Step 2: Add Program The Ulead DVD-VR Wizard dialog box appears. Choose an option below, and then click Next: • To record video files onto a new blank formatted DVD-RAM disc, click New Disc Image. • To add video files onto an existing disc (with some data previously recorded), click Open Disc Image and then select the “DVD_RTAV” folder on the DVD-RAM disc in the Browse Folder dialog box.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 392 Step 4: Edit Playlist (All) In Step 3, if you select All you can select multiple neighboring clips for combination, or divide a clip. You can also select any clip to preview its content. Once you’re done, click Next. Note: Select Program shows different sets of programs recorded in the chronological order. Step 5: Edit Playlist In Step 3, if you select a play list, the list is displayed in the lower pane while the upper pane shows all available video clips.
Appendix Background information To get the most out of MediaStudio Pro, it is important to understand the fundamentals behind digital video editing, and video in general. This means an appreciation of both the analog and digital video worlds, and how the sound and moving pictures that make up video move between those worlds. In this chapter you will learn about: • The world of analog video ....................................................................... p.396 • The world of digital video ..........
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE The world of analog video Video, in general, starts out as a series of electrical signals (analog waves) which have been recorded by a camera and then broadcast over airwaves or played back from a video tape. To be able to see and hear the video information contained within this signal, it has to follow certain standards and be decoded by a specific device.
APPENDIX 397 How analog video is displayed Analog video is displayed on an NTSC or PAL compatible device, such as a television set. The tube of a television set is made up of a series of lines which display the pictures that we see. The number of lines determines the resolution and quality of the video. (NTSC devices have 525 lines and PAL have 625.) When the video signal is received, it moves across and down these lines, with each pass referred to as a scan, and one complete pass as a field.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 398 Inside digital video There are three components that go into the makeup of digital video: frame rate, frame size, and data type. The frame rate refers to the number of frames that appear each second, while the frame size is the actual physical size of each frame. The data type determines the number of colors allowed to appear at one time.
APPENDIX 399 Understanding the frame rate The frame rate determines how many images get displayed during every second of a video. The higher the frame rate, the smoother your playback can be because motion can be shown in smaller increments and at a faster rate. But higher frame rates require more memory as a greater number of images must be stored and shown each second.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 400 just a few. The main reason for choosing 8-bit over 24-bit is that you can control the range of colors that appear in an 8-bit file by using a color palette. This ensures that your video will display equally well on machines running in 256 color display modes (often the requirement for those seeking to distribute video on CD-ROM or over the Internet).
APPENDIX 401 low compression ratios, such as 2:1 (every one original frame can be resized down by half). Once you get up to higher ratios such as 10:1 or even 100:1, noticeable degradation occurs and you would be better off using another scheme such as MPEG. MPEG MPEG has grown out of JPEG but added more sophisticated interframe techniques to save only the differences between key frames – called I frames. Currently there are two standards: MPEG-1 and MPEG-2.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 402 Frame type A frame is a single image in a video sequence. The type of frame you choose will determine how your videos are produced. There are three frame types: Field Order A, Field Order B, and Frame-based. The first two types are best used for capturing video that is intended for output to a VCR tape (or TV). The latter, on the other hand, is best used for video that will be viewed on your personal computer.
APPENDIX 403 replace the current standard AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) format sometime in the near future. On USB and IEEE-1394 (Firewire) capture cards To connect your DV device to your system, your computer must first have a capture card. You can use an IEEE-1394 or USB port to connect the device to your system. The difference between USB and IEEE-1394 capture cards: USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an external bus standard that allows up to 12 mbps data transfer.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Manager. Select IDE Controller - Primary/ Secondary - Advanced, and make sure DMA is selected on each of your drives. · Disable Write-Behind Caching on the hard drive used for video capture. Go to Control Panel: System, right-click on your hard drive then click Properties. · Change the values of your Paging File (Swap File) size in Control Panel: System - Advanced -Virtual Memory. Set the minimum and maximum values to twice your amount of RAM.
Shortcuts Video Capture shortcuts Video Capture has many shortcuts that allow you to access commands and open dialog boxes without having to go through the menus.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 408 Ctrl + V Displays the video directly from the capture board Capture Menu F5 Displays the Video Capture dialog box Ctrl + C Captures a single frame to the clipboard F8 Captures a single frame to a file Help Menu F1 Displays the contents for Video Capture Help Miscellaneous Double-click Status bar Opens the Preferences dialog box Double-click any toolbar Floats or docks the toolbar Shift + F10 Invokes the About Windows Help dialog box Double-click title bar Ma
SHORTCUTS Ctrl + Q Exits Video Editor Edit Menu Ctrl + Z Undoes the last command Ctrl + Y Reapplies the last undone command Ctrl + X Cuts the selection area onto the clipboard Ctrl + C Copies the selection area onto the clipboard Ctrl + V Pastes the clipboard contents Del Deletes the selected area Ctrl + L Selects all clips in the Timeline Ctrl + B Deselects any selection area F7 Invokes the selected clip's associated program View Menu + Zooms in - Zooms out F9 Toggles between the
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 410 Using the Shift key Shift while inserting a clip in the middle of another clip Splits existing clip to make room (only when Single-Track Ripple or Multi-Track Ripple is selected) Shift while selecting clips Allows you to select multiple clips Shift + Ctrl Allows you to select audio clips while selecting video clips and vice versa Shift while dragging the title clip edge Trims a title clip using the Trim Window Shift + F1 Invokes context sensitive help Using the Ctrl
SHORTCUTS 411 Space Plays from the current pointer position up to the mark out frame or pauses the playback Esc Stops the playback for the Source and Preview Window Page Up Displays the frame of the previous edit point Left & Right arrows Goes back or forward in the project or a selected clip by one frame Page Down Displays the frame of the next edit point F3 Create Mark-in F4 Create Mark Out Shift + F3 Clears a mark-in or mark-out point at the current frame, if any F5 Adds or deletes a c
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 412 audio clips Applies the cross-fade effect to the audio clips Shift + F while clicking two audio tracks Applies the cross-fade effect to all overlapping audio clips in the audio tracks Z while clicking on the Timeline Zooms in Shift + Z while clicking on the Timeline Zooms out Ctrl + I Separates the audio track from a video clip Ctrl + 1 Activates the Timeline Window Shift + Up & Down arrows Displays all the video tracks in the Timeline Alt + Up & Down arrows Dis
SHORTCUTS Shift + Ctrl + Left & Right arrows Allows you to select multiple clips in the Production Library Ctrl + 5 Activate Quick Command Panel Ctrl + 6 Activate Trim Window Ctrl + L Select All Shift + Arrow (left & right) Scroll Timeline View Ctrl + Arrow (left & right) Preview video ( without scrub) Timeline Space Play project ESC Stop Page up or down Previous or Next edit point F3 / F4 Set preview range F5 Add project cue Arrow (up/down) Select or move clip Arrow (left/right) J
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 414 F3/F4 Set mark-in / mark-out F5 Add clip cue Arrow (up/down) Change active clip Arrow (left/right) Jog Shift + Arrow (left/right) Shuttle (control speed) F11 / Shift F11 Add active clip into Timeline Ctrl + F11 Apply change back to Production Library F10 Invoke menu L Doubles the current play speed range J Increases by one half the current play speed range Production Library Tab Switch from Thumbnail View to LIst View or vice versa Shift or Ctrl + arrow
SHORTCUTS Ctrl + C Copies a waveform or selection area onto the clipboard Ctrl + V Pastes the clipboard contents Del Deletes a selection area Ctrl + L Selects the entire waveform Ctrl + K Deselects any selection area Control Menu Space Plays/Pauses the waveform Esc Stops playing the waveform Ctrl + R Records to an audio file Ctrl + D Records an audio file from a CD Ctrl + M Runs the Mixer program F2 Plays only the selection area F3 Starts selecting during playback F4 Ends a selecti
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 416 Help Menu F1 Displays the contents for Audio Editor Help Miscellaneous Double-click Title Bar Maximizes or restores the active window Double-click Toolbar Hides the Toolbar Double-click Overview Strip/waveform Selects the whole waveform Double-click Sample Information title bar Hides the Sample Information box Double-click Sample Information box Displays the Wave Information dialog box Double-click Status Bar Displays the Preferences dialog box Esc Closes dial
SHORTCUTS Alt + Enter Displays properties of the current file F6 Displays the Preferences dialog box Ctrl + Q Exits Video Paint Edit Menu Ctrl + Z Undo the last command Ctrl + Y Redo the last command Ctrl + X Cuts the current selection Ctrl + C Copies the current selection to the clipboard Ctrl + V Pastes the contents of the clipboard as a selection Del Deletes the current selection Ctrl + K Duplicates the last floating selection Ctrl + L Duplicates the last Paint Layer Ctrl + F Open
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 418 Window Menu Shift + F5 Cascade Shift + F4 Tile vertically Help Menu F1 Displays the contents for Video Paint Help Miscellaneous F11 Displays the current active frame on the filmstrip Shift + F1 Activates help button on menu bar Shift + F10/Right mouse click on workspace Displays the Edit menu as a floating menu Double click on file Title Bar Maximizes or restores current window Double click on Toolbar or Tool Panel title bar Closes window Double click on Stat
SHORTCUTS 419 CG Infinity shortcuts CG Infinity has many shortcuts that allow you to access commands and open dialog boxes without having to go through the menus.
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Help Menu F1 Opens the CG Infinity Help Contents dialog box Miscellaneous Double-click title bar Maximizes or restores the active window Double-click toolbar or panel title bar Hides the toolbar or panel Double-click any toolbar Makes toolbar floating if docked or docks toolbar when floating Double-click Status Bar Opens the Preferences dialog box Esc Closes dialog boxes without making changes
INDEX 423 Index Symbols 3D Moving Paths ................................. 206 4:3 & 16:9 aspect ratio ........................ 121 A Adding shadows to an object .............. 322 Adjust tool ............................................ 332 Adjusting an object's path ................... 332 Advanced Moving Paths ...................... 205 Aligning CG objects ............................. 316 Alpha Channels ................................... 193 Amplification ........................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 424 Audio Editor shortcuts ......................... 414 Audio fading ......................................... 211 Audio filters .......................................... 209 Audio Mixing Panel .............................. 228 grouping audio tracks ..................... 232 modifying volume controls .............. 233 Auto capturing ........................................ 90 Autosnap ............................................. 282 B Background noise, removing .....
INDEX moving paths ................................... 334 adjusting ...................................... 335 Object Style Panel ........................... 320 color tab ....................................... 321 general tab .................................. 320 shadow tab .................................. 322 object tool ........................................ 330 objects ............................................. 310 aligning ........................................ 316 changing across time ...
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE Cloning .................................................. 50 Color clips ........................................... 132 Color fill ................................................ 294 Color filter ............................................ 144 Color keying ......................................... 133 Color palettes ...................................... 286 copying ............................................ 107 pasting .............................................
INDEX DVD ...................................................... 241 DVD MovieFactory ................................ 245 DVD-VR Wizard .................................... 245 E Echo ..................................................... 370 bound ............................................... 370 decay ............................................... 370 delay ................................................ 370 Edit windows ....................................... 265 Editing duplicating ...............
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 428 I Insert Title Clip dialog box ................... 213 Font tab ............................................ 214 Inserting ............................................... 360 clips ............................... 127, 129, 133 frames ............................................. 266 Inserting clips ...................................... 169 Inserting files into the Timeline ............. 29 Instant Play ..........................................
INDEX moving paths ................................... 334 resizing .............................................. 69 shape ............................................... 325 text .................................................... 324 timing ............................... 68, 337, 338 transforming .................................... 330 working with ..................................... 319 Onionskin mode .................................. 278 Outputting to tape ................................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 430 new ......................................... 118, 257 packaging ............................... 122, 255 rendering ......................................... 258 saving .............................................. 122 settings ............................................ 120 Smart Relink .................................... 122 templates ................................. 118, 119 saving .......................................... 121 Q Quantizing sound ....................
INDEX muting .............................................. 359 normalizing ...................................... 362 pitch ................................................. 362 quantizing ........................................ 363 replacing .......................................... 360 retaining ........................................... 359 sweetening ...................................... 361 Sounds bound ............................................... 370 cross fading .............................
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 432 creating a split screen ....................... 36 creating a transition effect ................. 31 creating a video paint project ............ 44 creating and distorting text objects ... 61 creating background sets ................. 54 creating mattes ........................... 51, 66 creating slideshows .......................... 39 cross-fading audio ............................ 35 customizing paint brushes ................ 46 drawing regular shapes ....................
INDEX vectorscope ....................................... 80 video source setup ............................ 76 waveform monitor .............................. 82 Workspace ........................................ 74 Video Capture shortcuts ..................... 407 Video Capture Workspace .................... 74 Video Editor shortcuts .......................................... 408 Video Editor program .......................... 115 A/B Roll editing mode ...................... 159 adding effects ..........
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE new .............................................. 118 packaging .................................... 122 settings ........................................ 120 Quick Command panel ................... 138 relinking clips .................................. 156 reversing frames of clips ................. 156 ripple editing .................. 167, 168, 169 Scissors tool ................................... 165 scrolling titles ..................................
INDEX frames ......................................... 267 edit window ...................................... 255 modes ......................................... 255 viewing ......................................... 263 eyedropper tool ................................ 288 filmstrip panel .................................. 254 adjusting ...................................... 254 global viewer ................................... 264 inserting frames .............................. 266 lasso tool .............
MEDIASTUDIO PRO USER GUIDE 436 Volume ................................................. 210 W Waveform display ................................ 349 Waveform monitor ................................. 82 Windows color picker .......................... 288 WMV capture profile ............................... 98 editing and customizing .................. 100 Working with CG Infinity objects .......... 319 Working with color ............................... 285 Z Zoom tool .....................................
