User manual APPLE FINAL CUT PRO 5

Final Cut Pro 5 User Manual To view the user manual, click a topic in the drawer on the side. Otherwise, click a link below. m Late-Breaking News m New Features m Getting Started m Quick Reference m HD and Broadcast Formats m List of Qualified Devices m Final Cut Pro Support m Final Cut Pro on the Web m Apple Training Centers m Feedback Volume I Interface, Setup, and Input Apple Computer, Inc. © 2005 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the "keyboard" Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws. Apple, the Apple logo, AppleWorks, DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro, FireWire, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS, PowerBook, Power Mac, QuickTime, and Shake are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Cinema Tools, Exposé, Finder, iPhoto, LiveType, and Xsan are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. .Mac is a service mark of Apple Computer, Inc. FileMaker is a trademark of FileMaker, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Production stills from the films "Koffee House Mayhem" and "A Sus Ordenes" provided courtesy of Refuge Films. "Koffee House Mayhem" © 2004 Jean-Paul Bonjour; "A Sus Ordenes" © 2004 Eric Escobar. http://www.refugefilms.com 1 Contents Preface 9 9 9 10 11 Final Cut Pro 5 Documentation and Resources Getting Started User Manual Onscreen Help Apple Websites Part I Chapter 1 15 15 16 21 21 22 23 23 25 27 27 32 35 37 An Introduction to Final Cut Pro About the Postproduction Workflow The Industry Workflow The Postproduction Workflow Video Formats and Timecode About Nonlinear and Nondestructive Editing Video Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro Audio Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro Video Format Basics About Timecode Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences The Building Blocks of Projects Working With Projects About the Connection Between Clips and Media Files Filenaming Considerations Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Part II Chapter 4 43 43 45 48 51 Learning About the Final Cut Pro Interface Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface Basics of Working in the Final Cut Pro Interface Using Keyboard Shortcuts, Buttons, and Shortcut Menus Customizing the Interface Undoing and Redoing Changes 3 52 Chapter 5 53 53 54 55 59 60 71 71 72 73 75 77 78 80 81 84 85 87 87 88 89 90 92 93 95 96 96 97 97 104 109 109 111 112 122 131 133 Entering Timecode for Navigation Purposes Browser Basics How You Use the Browser Learning About the Browser Working in the Browser Using Columns in the Browser Customizing the Browser Display Viewer Basics How You Can Use the Viewer Opening a Clip in the Viewer Learning About the Viewer Tabs in the Viewer Transport (or Playback) Controls Playhead Controls Marking Controls Zoom and View Pop-Up Menus Playhead Sync Pop-Up Menu Recent Clips and Generator Pop-Up Menus Canvas Basics How You Use the Canvas Opening, Selecting, and Closing Sequences in the Canvas Learning About the Canvas Editing Controls in the Canvas Transport (or Playback) Controls Playhead Controls Marking Controls Zoom and View Pop-Up Menus Playhead Sync Pop-Up Menu Navigating and Using Timecode in the Viewer and Canvas Navigating in the Viewer and Canvas Working With Timecode in the Viewer and Canvas Timeline Basics How You Use the Timeline Opening and Closing Sequences in the Timeline Learning About the Timeline Changing Timeline Display Options Navigating in the Timeline Zooming and Scrolling in the Timeline Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 4 Contents Chapter 10 139 139 139 141 144 153 Customizing the Interface Changing Browser and Timeline Text Size Moving and Resizing Final Cut Pro Windows Using Screen Layouts Ways to Customize Keyboard Shortcuts Working With Shortcut Buttons and Button Bars Part III Chapter 11 159 159 160 160 161 161 163 163 164 165 166 168 168 169 169 170 175 176 179 179 180 181 183 184 191 191 192 194 201 204 Setting Up Your Editing System Overview of Setting Up The Setup Process Connecting Video and Audio Input and Output to Your Computer Connecting an External Video Monitor and Audio Speakers Choosing an Easy Setup to Configure Final Cut Pro Choosing a Scratch Disk Location for Captured and Render Files Designing Your Editing System Components of a Final Cut Pro DV Editing System Video and Audio Input and Output Devices Video Interfaces Audio Interfaces Device Control Interfaces Scratch Disks Connecting DV Video Equipment and Specifying Initial Settings Connecting Your Camcorder Opening Final Cut Pro and Choosing Your Initial Settings What Is FireWire? What Is Device Control? Determining Your Hard Disk Storage Options Working With Scratch Disks and Hard Disk Drives Data Rates and Storage Devices Determining How Much Space You Need Choosing a Hard Disk Types of Hard Disk Drives Connecting Professional and Non-DV Equipment Why Use Third-Party Interfaces? Choosing a Video Interface Connecting Professional Video Devices Choosing an Audio Interface Connecting Audio Devices Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Contents 5 206 206 Chapter 16 209 209 211 211 212 213 216 220 221 221 222 Establishing Device Control Synchronizing Equipment With a Blackburst Generator External Video Monitoring Using an External Video Monitor While You Edit Connecting DV/FireWire Devices to an External Monitor Previewing Standard Definition Video on an External Monitor Previewing High Definition Video on an External Monitor Choosing Playback and Edit to Tape Output Settings Using Digital Cinema Desktop Preview Compensating for Video Latency by Specifying a Frame Offset About the Display Quality of External Video Troubleshooting External Video Monitoring Problems Controlling When External Video Output Is Updated Part IV Chapter 17 225 225 226 229 235 237 237 238 239 242 243 257 259 261 261 262 262 263 264 266 268 269 270 271 Logging, Capturing, and Importing Overview of Logging and Capturing What Are Logging and Capturing? Ways to Log and Capture Footage in Final Cut Pro Learning About the Log and Capture Window Are You Ready to Log and Capture? Logging Clips The Importance of Logging Benefits of Logging Preparing to Log Monitoring Video and Audio While Logging Entering Logging Information and Logging Clips Avoiding Duplicate Timecode Numbers on a Single Tape Additional Sources for Logging Information Capturing Your Footage to Disk Before You Capture Different Ways to Capture Footage Batch Capturing Clips Before You Batch Capture Learning About the Batch Capture Dialog Batch Capturing Selected Clips Stopping and Restarting the Batch Capture Process About the Additional Items Found Dialog Capturing Clips as You Log (Capture Clip) Capturing Entire Tapes (Capture Now) Chapter 18 Chapter 19 6 Contents 272 273 276 276 277 278 278 278 279 279 280 283 Chapter 20 285 285 287 287 292 294 296 296 299 299 300 303 305 305 306 310 313 316 316 321 321 322 323 325 325 330 330 331 Capturing an Entire Tape Using Capture Now Automatically Creating Subclips Using DV Start/Stop Detection Capturing Footage Without Device Control Capturing Footage That Doesn't Have Timecode Using a Non-Controllable Device for Capture Recapturing Clips Recapturing Subclips Recapturing Merged Clips Capturing Footage With Timecode Breaks The Importance of Avoiding Timecode Breaks How to Avoid Capturing Clips With Timecode Breaks Using the Media Manager After Capturing Capturing Audio About Capturing Audio Capturing Audio-Only Media Files Capturing Multiple Audio Channels Adjusting Analog Audio Levels for Capture Capturing Audio From an Audio Deck Using Device Control Capturing From an Audio Device Without Device Control Capturing Synchronized Audio Independently From Video Working With Batch Lists What Is a Batch List? Creating a Batch List Importing a Batch List Importing Media Files Into Your Project What File Formats Can Be Imported? Importing Media Files About Importing Video Files About Importing Audio Files Importing Still Images and Graphics Importing Numbered Image Sequences Using Color Bars for Video Calibration Using Color Bars Calibrating Brightness and Color on Analog Equipment How Digital Video Levels Are Measured in Final Cut Pro Measuring Analog Video During Output Using the Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope Outputting Accurate DV Black Levels Using FireWire Using an External Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope to Calibrate Analog Video Levels Calibrating Video Monitors With Color Bars Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Contents 7 Final Cut Pro 5 Documentation and Resources You can use Final Cut Pro to create movies of any budget, style, and format. Final Cut Pro comes with both printed and onscreen documentation to help you learn how. This preface provides information on the documentation available for Final Cut Pro, as well as information about Final Cut Pro resources on the web. Final Cut Pro comes with several types of documentation to help you learn more about movie editing and how to use the application:  Final Cut Pro 5 Getting Started  Final Cut Pro 5 User Manual  Final Cut Pro onscreen help Getting Started The Final Cut Pro 5 Getting Started book provides an overview of the application and explains the basics of editing in Final Cut Pro. If you are new to Final Cut Pro and want to start using the application right away, read this book first. User Manual The Final Cut Pro 5 User Manual provides comprehensive information about the application and is organized into several volumes:  Volume 1--Interface, Setup, and Input: Explains the basics of the Final Cut Pro interface and the elements of a project, and provides instructions for setting up your editing system, capturing footage to your computer, and importing files.  Volume 2--Editing: Discusses each part of the video editing process, including organizing your footage, creating a rough edit, and fine-tuning your edit using advanced trimming techniques. Also includes instructions for multicamera editing using powerful new multicamera editing tools. Preface 9  Volume 3--Audio Mixing and Effects: Provides instructions for mixing audio and enhancing your video using the elaborate effects capabilities of Final Cut Pro. Topics include adding transitions and filters, creating motion effects, compositing and layering, creating titles, and color correcting your footage. Also covers real-time playback and rendering.  Volume 4--Media Management and Output: Provides information about managing projects and media files, exchanging projects between editing systems, and outputting completed projects. Also contains detailed explanations of settings and preferences and information on video formats, frame rate, and timecode. Note: The four-volume user manual is also available onscreen; see the next section, "Onscreen Help." Onscreen Help Onscreen help (available in the Help menu) provides easy access to information while you're working in Final Cut Pro. An onscreen version of the Final Cut Pro 5 User Manual is available here, along with other documents in PDF format and links to websites. To access onscreen help: m In Final Cut Pro, choose an option from the Help menu. Onscreen User Manual The onscreen version of the user manual is helpful if you do not have immediate access to the printed volumes. To access the onscreen user manual: m In Final Cut Pro, choose Help > Final Cut Pro User Manual. Working With High Definition and Broadcast Formats The Working With High Definition and Broadcast Formats document covers how to use high definition formats (such as DVCPRO HD and HDV) and broadcast video formats (such as Sony Video Disk Units and Panasonic P2 cards) with Final Cut Pro. To access the Working With High Definition and Broadcast Formats document: m In Final Cut Pro, choose Help > HD and Broadcast Formats. Information About Known Issues and Third-Party Hardware and Software For information about issues with third-party hardware and software and other known issues, you can read the Late-Breaking News section of the onscreen help. To access Late-Breaking News: m In Final Cut Pro, choose Help > Late-Breaking News. 10 Preface Final Cut Pro 5 Documentation and Resources Information About New Features For information about features that have been added or enhanced since the last version of Final Cut Pro, you can read the New Features section of the onscreen help. To access the New Features document: m In Final Cut Pro, choose Help > New Features. Apple Websites There are a variety of discussion boards, forums, and educational resources related to Final Cut Pro on the web. Final Cut Pro Websites The following websites provide general information, updates, and support information about Final Cut Pro, as well as the latest news, resources, and training materials. For information about Final Cut Pro, go to:  http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro To get more information on third-party resources, such as third-party tools, resources, and user groups, go to:  http://www.apple.com/software/pro/resources/fcpresources.html For information on the Apple Pro Training Program, go to:  http://www.apple.com/software/pro/training To provide comments and feedback to Apple about Final Cut Pro, go to:  http://www.apple.com/feedback/finalcutpro.html Apple Service and Support Website The Apple Service and Support website provides software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all Apple products, including Final Cut Pro. You'll also have access to product specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and third-party product technical articles:  http://www.apple.com/support Preface Final Cut Pro 5 Documentation and Resources 11 Part I: An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Find out how Final Cut Pro fits into the moviemaking process and learn about fundamental concepts of digital video editing and the basic elements of a Final Cut Pro project. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 About the Postproduction Workflow Video Formats and Timecode Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 1 About the Postproduction Workflow 1 No matter what your project, Final Cut Pro is the cornerstone of your postproduction workflow. This chapter covers the following:  The Industry Workflow (p. 15)  The Postproduction Workflow (p. 16) The Industry Workflow Before you start editing, it's helpful to consider how postproduction fits into the overall moviemaking workflow. Even though no two movie projects follow exactly the same steps, there is a common workflow that almost every project adheres to. From conception to completion, the basic steps to complete a film or video project are described below. Step 1: Scripting Scripting is where the movie is conceived and written. Step 2: Preproduction This is where budgeting, casting, location scouting, equipment and format selection, and storyboarding take place. Step 3: Production Production is where you create your footage, capturing performances using video or film cameras, as well as audio recorders. Lighting, cinematography, acting, and directing all come together to create the elements used to tell your story or deliver your message. For practical reasons, scenes are usually shot out of order, which means they have to be properly arranged during editing. 15 Step 4: Postproduction Postproduction is where you organize and assemble your production footage, putting scenes in proper order, selecting the best takes, and eliminating unnecessary elements. Production sound is synchronized (with the picture), edited, sometimes rerecorded, and mixed. Music is composed and added. Footage is color-corrected and special effects are created. The final movie is output to tape, film, or some other high-quality media format. Step 5: Distribution Distribution is when you release a movie for viewing. This may involve theater screenings, video and DVD releases, festival submissions, or web delivery. The Postproduction Workflow The postproduction phase begins with the raw source footage and ends with a completed movie, ready for making distribution copies. As technology evolves, postproduction continues to proliferate into an increasing variety of jobs and tasks. Where there was once a single editor who was responsible for the majority of the postproduction process, there may now be a whole special effects team, an audio department, a colorist (responsible for color correction), and a number of assistant editors keeping track of all the footage. Final Cut Pro is at the heart of the postproduction pipeline, allowing you to organize and assemble media from multiple sources into a finished product. 16 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Here is an overview of the basic Final Cut Pro postproduction workflow. As you begin your project, remember that there are no hard and fast rules for editing. Different editors have different working styles and, given the same source material, no two editors will cut the same finished program. The workflow described here offers just one example of how you might approach a typical project. Final Cut Pro Postproduction Workflow Industry Workflow Scripting Planning Preproduction Setting Up Production Logging and Capturing Postproduction Editing Distribution Mixing Audio Adding Effects Outputting Chapter 1 About the Postproduction Workflow 17 Step 1: Planning Planning is where you choose your basic workflow, such as offline and online editing (for projects with a lot of media) or editing the uncompressed footage (for shorter projects with quick turnaround times), choose input and output formats, and plan for equipment requirements (such as hard disk space), timecode and sync requirements, special effects shots and color correction, audio mixing requirements, and so on. Planning for postproduction primarily means preparing for each of the upcoming postproduction phases: choosing input and output formats; acquiring your original footage, music, and graphics; deciding on a logging and capturing method; choosing an editing strategy; and planning the scope of effects you will be adding so you can determine how much time and support you will need to dedicate to them. Step 2: Setting up In this phase, you set up your editing system by installing and connecting the hardware you need, as well as configuring your software. For example, before logging and capturing, you need to connect the video and audio from your camcorder or VTR (video tape recorder) to your computer. You also need to make sure that the correct presets are chosen within Final Cut Pro, so that Final Cut Pro knows what video and audio formats you are capturing and what kind of device control you're using. (Device control allows Final Cut Pro to remotely control video and audio devices.) Depending on the format and device you are using, setup can be fairly simple (as it is with DV formats) or more complex. For example, if you are working with an uncompressed video format, you need to install a third-party video interface in your computer, as well as a serial port adapter to communicate with the deck. See Chapter 12, "Designing Your Editing System," on page 163 for more information. 18 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Step 3: Logging and capturing Logging is the process of identifying which shots on tape you want to capture to your hard disk for editing. While you log, you can add scene and shot descriptions, logging notes, and markers. Logging also helps you become familiar with your footage before you begin editing. Capturing means transferring source media from your video camcorder or deck to your computer's hard disk, which creates media files. You can capture media files at any time, although most footage should be captured before you start editing. The order in which you log and capture your footage is up to you. There are several possible workflows, depending upon your work style, the needs of your project, and the availability of footage. You can log all or most clips before batch capturing them (in an automated way), or log and then capture each clip individually. You can also log clips after capturing your footage to a hard disk. Final Cut Pro allows you to capture video and audio from a wide variety of sources, if you have the appropriate hardware. See Chapter 17, "Overview of Logging and Capturing," on page 225 for more information. Step 4: Editing The editing process involves taking the video and audio you've captured, along with any music or graphics you've imported, and arranging these raw materials into a final edited sequence of clips. Most editors start with a rough cut, where they quickly arrange all of the clips for a movie in sequence. Once that's finished, they work on finetuning, subtly adjusting the edit points between clips and refining the pacing of each cut. Basic audio editing and synchronizing are also part of this process, as well as adding transitions, such as fades and dissolves. Often, the type of project you're working on determines your method of editing. For example, documentary editing, in which the script often evolves in parallel with the editing, is quite different from commercial television and film editing, in which there is already a finished script to provide an order for clips. Chapter 1 About the Postproduction Workflow 19 Step 5: Mixing audio Once your movie is edited and the picture is "locked," meaning the duration of the movie is fixed and you no longer intend to change any of the edits, you can begin working more extensively on your audio. This involves:  Cleaning up the dialogue with more detailed audio editing, balance audio levels, and equalization  Adding sound effects, music, and voiceover on additional audio tracks in the sequence  Mixing the levels of all the different clips together to create a balanced sound mix You can use Final Cut Pro for each of these processes. For more information, see Volume III, Chapter 1, "Overview of Audio Mixing." Note: You can also sweeten your audio with another audio application, perhaps even at another facility. To export your movie audio, see Volume IV, Chapter 11, "Exporting Audio for Mixing in Other Applications." Step 6: Adding effects Creating effects tends to be more time-consuming than cuts-only editing, so it's good to focus on basic edits first and work on effects when the timing of your project is finalized. Effects are any enhancements you want to make to your footage, such as color correction, special transitions, animation, still or motion graphics, multilayered images (compositing), and titles. Final Cut Pro has a wide variety of video and audio filters, each with parameters that you can keyframe to adjust over time in your sequence, as described below. Step 7: Outputting Once editing is finished, effects are added, and the final audio mix is complete, you can output your movie to videotape or film. You can also export to a QuickTime format for web delivery or use in a DVD-authoring application, such as DVD Studio Pro. If you need to finish your project on a different editing workstation, you can export your project to an interchange file format such as EDL or Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format. You may need to output on another system if you work with uncompressed video, do lots of real-time effects processing, or require specialized video monitoring. For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 12, "Importing and Exporting Final Cut Pro XML." You can also refer to Volume IV, Chapter 5, "Offline and Online Editing." 20 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro 2 Video Formats and Timecode 2 Before you begin editing, you need to decide what video format you will capture, edit, and output. The format you choose determines your postproduction workflow. This chapter covers the following:  About Nonlinear and Nondestructive Editing (p. 21)  Video Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro (p. 22)  Audio Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro (p. 23)  Video Format Basics (p. 23)  About Timecode (p. 25) About Nonlinear and Nondestructive Editing In the past, video editing was a time-consuming process. With linear editing, video editors had to edit everything onto a tape sequentially, one shot after another, from the beginning to the end. If you wanted to insert a series of shots in the middle of your edit, you had to reedit everything forward from that point. Final Cut Pro lets you do nonlinear, nondestructive editing. Unlike traditional tape-totape editing, Final Cut Pro stores all of your footage on a hard disk, allowing you to access any frame of your footage instantaneously. Without the constraints of linear editing, you are free to combine shots in different orders and change their durations until you arrive at the exact sequence you want. Video and audio effects, such as scaling, position, rotation, speed changes, and multiple layers can also be applied and played back in real time. No matter how you process your footage, the underlying media is never touched. This is known as nondestructive editing, because all of the changes and effects you apply to your footage never affect the media itself. 21 Video Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro Long before editing begins, the most basic decision you need to make is which format to shoot with. The format you choose affects the equipment needed for editorial work, as well as how the finished product will look. Final Cut Pro uses QuickTime technology, allowing you to use almost any digital video format available. This flexibility ensures that your Final Cut Pro editing system always works with the latest video formats.  DV editing: Final Cut Pro supports DV video natively, using your computer's built-in FireWire port for capture and output. DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO 50, and DVCPRO HD are also natively supported. Therefore, your system requires no additional hardware to edit DV material on your computer. You can capture, edit, and output the exact same data that is recorded on tape, resulting in no quality loss.  Broadcast and high definition video formats: Final Cut Pro supports the latest broadcast and high definition video formats With appropriate equipment, you can capture, edit, and output uncompressed SD and HD formats such as Digital Betacam, D5-HD and HDCAM.  Project interchange: Support for project interchange formats allows Final Cut Pro to integrate into existing broadcast and postproduction systems. Final Cut Pro is compatible with formats such as EDL, OMF, and the Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format. For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 10, "Importing and Exporting EDLs." You can also refer to Volume IV, Chapter 11, "Exporting Audio for Mixing in Other Applications." For information on the Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format, see Volume IV, Chapter 12, "Importing and Exporting Final Cut Pro XML."  QuickTime-compatible files: Because Final Cut Pro uses QuickTime technology, almost any QuickTime-compatible file format can be imported and exported. This allows you to import files created in video editing, motion graphics, and photo editing applications. For a list of all formats that you can import, see Volume IV, Chapter 17, "Learning About QuickTime." Using Multiple Video Formats You may find it necessary to use source material from a variety of formats in your project (for example, Betacam SP and DV-format video clips). If so, be aware that in Final Cut Pro, clips with settings that don't match your sequence settings (such as image dimensions or frame rate) need to be rendered before they can be played back. To avoid time-consuming rendering, try to use the same video format throughout your project, or convert footage that doesn't match by exporting media in the proper format, or transferring to the proper tape format prior to capture. 22 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Offline and Online Editing Final Cut Pro allows you to edit low-resolution copies of your media until you are ready to finish at high quality. For example, you can edit your movie on a PowerBook using low-resolution footage and then reconnect your project clips to high-resolution media for finishing and output. For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 5, "Offline and Online Editing." Audio Formats Compatible With Final Cut Pro You can use a variety of audio with Final Cut Pro including audio files captured from tape, imported from audio CDs, or provided by musicians and sound designers. Final Cut Pro is compatible with audio files with sample rates as high as 96 kHz and a bit depth of 24 bits. You can work with most audio devices, such as audio CD players, DAT machines, digital multitrack recorders, or audio from videotape. For more information, see Chapter 20, "Capturing Audio," on page 285 and "About Importing Audio Files" on page 313. Video Format Basics Most video formats are described by the following characteristics:  Standard  Image dimensions and aspect ratio  Frame rate  Scanning method For a more thorough explanation of video formats, see Volume IV, Appendix A, "Video Formats." Chapter 2 Video Formats and Timecode 23 Video Standards A number of video standards have emerged over the years. Standard definition (SD) video formats have been used for broadcast television from the 1950s to the present. These include NTSC, PAL, and SECAM, regional video standards, with each used in certain countries and regions of the world.  NTSC (National Television Systems Committee): The television and video standard used in most of the Americas, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.  PAL (Phase Alternating Line): The television and video standard used in most of Europe, Brazil, Algeria, and China.  SECAM: A video standard that is based on PAL and used in countries such as France, Poland, Haiti, and Vietnam. SECAM is not supported by Final Cut Pro. However, editing work is usually done in PAL and converted to SECAM for broadcasting. Important: When you are specifying your initial settings, make sure you choose an Easy Setup that corresponds to your country's video standard. (An Easy Setup is a collection of settings that determines how Final Cut Pro works with your editing system.) For more information, see "Opening Final Cut Pro and Choosing Your Initial Settings" on page 170. Originally, all these formats were analog. Analog video uses a signal that consists of a constantly varying voltage level, called a waveform, that represents video and audio information. Analog signals must be digitized, or captured, for use by Final Cut Pro. VHS and Betacam SP are both analog tape formats. More recently, digital standard definition video formats were introduced, as well as digital high definition (HD) video formats. Most consumer camcorders today record standard definition digital video (such as DV), and professional cameras may record SD or HD digital video. Image Dimensions and Aspect Ratio The horizontal and vertical pixel dimensions of your format determine the frame size and aspect ratio. For example, standard definition (SD) NTSC video is 720 pixels wide and 480 pixels tall. High definition video is either 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080, and is usually referred to by the vertical dimension and the frame rate (for example 720p60 or 1080i30). The aspect ratio of a video frame is the width with respect to the height. Standard definition video has an aspect ratio of 4:3, while high definition uses 16:9. Note: You may notice that 1280/720 or 1920/1080 is equivalent to 16:9, while 720/480 is not equivalent to 4:3. This is because standard definition digital video uses pixels that are rectangular, not square. For more information, see Volume IV, Appendix A, "Video Formats." 24 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Frame Rate The frame rate of your video determines how quickly frames are recorded and played back. The higher the number of frames per second (fps), the less noticeably the image flickers on screen. There are several common frame rates in use:  24 fps: Film, certain high definition formats, and certain standard definition formats use this frame rate. This may also be 23.98 fps for compatibility with NTSC video.  25 fps: Standard definition PAL  29.97 fps: Standard definition NTSC  59.94 fps: 720p high definition video frame rate. This can also be 60 fps. For more information, see Volume IV, Appendix B, "Frame Rate and Timecode." Scanning Method Video frames are composed of individual lines, scanned from the top of the screen to the bottom. Lines may be scanned progressively (one line at a time), or interlaced (every other line during one scan, and then the alternate lines on a subsequent scan). Standard definition video uses interlaced scanning, while high definition formats may use either interlaced or progressive scanning. For more information, see Volume IV, Appendix A, "Video Formats." About Timecode Timecode is a signal recorded with your video that uniquely identifies each frame on tape. When you capture video or audio in Final Cut Pro, you also capture the timecode signal, which is displayed in Final Cut Pro when you play back your clips. Timecode allows you to recapture your footage from tape and always get the same frames. Final Cut Pro uses SMPTE timecode (developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) which is represented in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, using the following format: SMPTE timecode 01:32:15:28 Hours Minutes Seconds Frames In Final Cut Pro, timecode is used for synchronization between video and audio clip items, project interchange (such as Edit Decision Lists), and recapturing clips from tape. When you play clips, Final Cut Pro displays the media file timecode. Timecode also allows you to navigate through your sequences, and see how long your edit is. For more information about timecode, see Volume II, Chapter 25, "Working With Timecode." Chapter 2 Video Formats and Timecode 25 About Drop Frame and Non-Drop Frame Timecode With the exception of timecode used with NTSC video, all video formats use non-drop frame timecode, which simply counts at the frame rate of the video itself. For example, PAL video runs at 25 fps, and it uses 25 fps timecode. When working with NTSC video, you have the option to use drop frame timecode to compensate for the fact that NTSC video has a frame rate of 29.97 fps, while the timecode runs at 30 fps. Timecode can only be represented by whole numbers, so drop frame timecode periodically skips numbers so that the timecode count and the amount of actual time passed stays in sync. This way, the timecode count matches the the number of hours, minutes, and seconds that it takes for your video footage to play. NTSC video can use either drop frame or non-drop frame timecode. Important: No video frames are dropped when you use drop frame timecode. Only the associated timecode numbers are skipped. To determine the type of timecode used in Final Cut Pro:  Non-drop frame timecode has a colon (:) between the seconds and frames fields, and no numbers are dropped from the counter. 01:16:59:29, 01:17:00:00  Drop frame timecode has a semicolon (;) between the seconds and frames fields, and two timecode numbers are skipped from the frames counter each minute (except every tenth minute). 01:16:59;29, 01:17:00;02 A clip's timecode comes directly from its media files. To set sequence timecode, you can use the Drop Frame checkbox in the Timeline Options pane of Sequence Settings. For more information, see "Changing Timeline Display Options" on page 122 How Drop Frame Timecode Works When you use drop frame timecode, numbers :00 and :01 are skipped at the beginning of each minute, unless the minute number is exactly divisible by 10. The dropped numbers do not appear in the timecode fields in Final Cut Pro because they've been dropped and are not on your tape. If you're entering timecode to navigate and inadvertently type a timecode number that doesn't exist in drop frame timecode, Final Cut Pro automatically moves forward to the next available timecode number. 26 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 3 The basic elements in Final Cut Pro are projects, clips, and sequences. Once you learn what these are and how you can use them, you can begin working in Final Cut Pro. This chapter covers the following:  The Building Blocks of Projects (p. 27)  Working With Projects (p. 32)  About the Connection Between Clips and Media Files (p. 35)  Filenaming Considerations (p. 37) The Building Blocks of Projects Media files, clips, and sequences are the elements that provide the main foundation for your work in Final Cut Pro. You use projects and bins to organize these elements in your program. What Are Media Files? Media files are the raw materials you use to create your movie. A media file is a video, audio, or graphics file on your hard disk that contains footage captured from videotape or originally created on your computer. Since media files--especially video files--tend to be quite large, projects that use a lot of footage require one or more high-capacity hard disks. Many media files contain multiple tracks. For example, a typical DV media file has a video track, audio track, and timecode track. In a Final Cut Pro sequence, you can work with each of these media tracks as separate items, either in sync or separately. Before you can edit in Final Cut Pro, you need to capture media files from a video deck or camcorder to your hard disk. For more information about capturing media files, see Chapter 17, "Overview of Logging and Capturing," on page 225. 27 What Are Clips? Once you have media files on your hard disk, you need a way of working with them in Final Cut Pro. A clip is the most fundamental object in Final Cut Pro. Clips represent your media, but they are not the media files themselves. A clip points to, or connects to, a video, audio, or graphics media file on your hard disk. (For more information on the relationship between media files and clips, see "About the Connection Between Clips and Media Files" on page 35.) Project Clip Clip Clip Media files on your hard disk Clips allow you to easily cut, trim, rearrange, and sort your media without manipulating it directly. You manage and organize your clips in the Browser. The three kinds of clips you'll see most often are video, audio, and graphics clips, but there are other kinds of clips that can be stored within a project, such as a generator clip (a clip whose media is generated within Final Cut Pro). You can also subdivide a clip into separate pieces, called subclips, to further organize your footage. 28 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I What Are Sequences? A sequence is a container for editing clips together in chronological order. The editing process involves deciding which video and audio clip items to put in your sequence, what order the clips should go in, and how long each clip should be. Sequences are created in the Browser. To edit clips into a sequence, you open a sequence from the Browser in to the Timeline. Project Sequence Clip Clip Clip A sequence contains one or more video and audio tracks, which are empty when first created. When you edit a clip into a sequence, you copy the clip's individual clip items to the sequence. For example, if you drag a clip that contains one video and two audio tracks to the Timeline, a video clip item is placed in a video track in the Timeline, and two audio clip items are placed in two audio tracks. In a sequence, you can move any clip item to any track, allowing you to arrange the contents of your media files however you want. Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 29 What Are Projects? A project contains all of the clips and sequences you use while editing your movie. Once you create or open a project, it appears as a tab in the Browser. There's no limit to the number of items, including clips and sequences, that can be stored in your project in the Browser. A project file acts as a sort of database for tracking the aspects of your edited movie.:  video, audio, and still image clips  comments, descriptions, and log notes for all your clips  sequences of edited clips  motion and filter parameters  audio mixing levels  bins, or folders within a project in the Browser, for organizing elements, such as clips and sequences. Project Video clip Audio clip ABC Still image Sequence To start working in Final Cut Pro, you must have a project open in the Browser. For more information, see Chapter 5, "Browser Basics," on page 53. You can have multiple projects open at the same time, each represented by its own tab in the Browser. Note: A project does not contain any media at all, which keeps it small and portable. Even though project files refer to your media files, the media is not actually stored in the project. By separating the structure of your project from the associated media, your project can easily be archived or transferred to another computer, and it can be opened even if none of the media files can be located. Compared to media files, project files are relatively small and portable. You can make regular backup copies of your project without filling your hard disk. 30 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I What Are Bins? A bin is a folder within a project that can contain clips and sequences, as well as other items used in your project, such as transitions and effects. You use bins to organize these elements, sort them, add comments, rename items, and so on. Bins help you to design a logical structure for your projects, making your clips easier to manage. Project Bin 1 Sequence 1 Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Bin 2 You can create separate bins for organizing clips by movie scene, source tape, or any other category. You can organize bins hierarchically and open them in their own windows. You can even put bins inside other bins. There is no limit to the number of bins you can have in your project, or the number of items you can store in each bin. Bins exist only in project files. Changes you make to the contents of a bin, such as deleting, moving, and renaming clips or renaming the bin itself, have no effect on the original media files stored on your computer's hard disk. If you delete a clip from a bin, the clip's media file is not deleted from the hard disk. Likewise, creating a new bin does not create a new folder on your hard disk. Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 31 Working With Projects How you use and organize your projects depends on the scope of your movie as well as your particular organizational style. These factors also affect your decision to use one or more sequences in your project. Organizing Your Projects Typically, you create a new project file for each movie you work on, regardless of its duration. For example, if you're working on a documentary about a bicycle manufacturing company, you would create a project for it. If you're also working on an industrial training video about how to fix bicycles, that would be a second, separate project. Both projects could conceivably refer to some of the same media, but they are completely independent structures, each with their own clips, bins, and sequences. Very large movie projects, such as feature films and documentaries with high shooting ratios (meaning most of the footage shot during production will not be used in the final movie), may contain thousands of clips. Although the number of clips and sequences you can store in a project is theoretically unlimited, Final Cut Pro may take longer to search, sort, and update if there are too many clips. If you find that managing your project is becoming difficult, you can always break one project into several for the early editing stages. Using More Than One Sequence in a Project For some projects, it makes sense to use several different sequences within the project. You can use sequences in several ways including:  Sequences as scenes: Break a movie into a series of separate sequences for each scene.  Sequences as versions: Edit different versions of the same movie, with each as its own sequence. Examples are a television commercial with several alternative sound mixes, or a documentary cut to feature film length as well as broadcast television length.  Sequences for special effects: This allows you to separate elaborate effects shots in separate sequences so you can render them separately. Creating and Saving Projects When you create a new project in Final Cut Pro, a new blank sequence is automatically created and named Sequence 1. You can change the sequence name to better reflect its content or the type of program you'll be working on. The settings for the new sequence are determined by your current Easy Setup. (To check your current Easy Setup, choose Final Cut Pro > Easy Setup.) For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 23, "Audio/Video Settings and Easy Setups." Note: When you open Final Cut Pro for the first time, there are some initial settings you must specify before you can create and save projects. For more information, see Chapter 13, "Connecting DV Video Equipment and Specifying Initial Settings," on page 169. 32 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I To create a new project: m Choose File > New Project. A new, untitled project appears in the Browser with an empty sequence. You can name the project when you save it. This is your new project. A new sequence is automatically created when you create a new project. To save a project: 1 Click the project's tab in the Browser 2 Choose File > Save Project (or press Command-S). 3 If you haven't named the project yet, a dialog appears. Enter a name and choose a location for the project, then click Save. To save all open projects: m Choose File > Save All (or press Option-S). If you haven't named a project yet, a dialog appears where you can enter a name and choose a location for the project. Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 33 Opening and Closing Projects You can open and work on more than one project at a time. When you finish working and quit Final Cut Pro, a message appears for each open project, asking if you want to save your changes. The next time you open Final Cut Pro, all projects that were open at the end of your last session open automatically. You can have multiple projects open at the same time, each represented by its own tab in the Browser. To open a project: 1 Choose File > Open. 2 Locate and select the project file, then click Open. If you created the project in a previous version of Final Cut Pro, you'll be asked if you want to update your project. For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 2, "Backing Up and Restoring Projects." To close a project: 1 Click the project's tab to bring it to the front. 2 Do one of the following:  Choose File > Close Project.  Control-click the project's tab, then choose Close Tab from the shortcut menu that appears.  Press Control-W. Control-click the tab and choose Close Tab. 3 If you've modified the project and haven't saved it, a message asks if you want to save changes to the project. Click Yes to save the project. 34 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I To switch between several open projects: m In the Browser, click a project's tab. To switch between projects, click a project's tab. To close all open projects: m Close the Browser. Any project that has its own window (because you dragged the project's tab out of the Browser) remains open. About the Connection Between Clips and Media Files Clips are not to be confused with the media files you captured to your computer's hard disk. A clip refers to a media file on your computer's hard disk, but the clip is not the media file itself. Clips usually reference all of the content within a media file, but you can also create subclips that reference only part of a media file, or merged clips that refer to several media files at once. A Final Cut Pro clip refers to its media file via the clip property called Source, which describes the location of the media file in the form of a directory path. For example, the directory path for a clip's media file might look like this: /MyScratchDisk/Capture Scratch/MyProject/MyMediaFile Note: Every file on your hard disk can be located by its directory path. A directory path describes where a file is located within the file and folder hierarchy of the operating system. Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 35 To see a clip's Source property: 1 Select a clip in the Browser by clicking it. 2 Choose Edit > Item Properties > Format (or press Command-9). The Item Properties window appears. 3 Look at the directory path in the clip's Source field. 4 If you can't see the complete directory path, you can do one of the following:  Drag the right edge of the column heading to the right to increase the column width.  Move the pointer over the directory path in the Source field, then wait until a tooltip appears showing the complete directory path. Relationship Between Source Tapes, Media Files, and Clips The relationship between source tapes, media files, and clips is described below.  Source tape: An original videotape from your production.  Media file: A QuickTime movie file created by capturing video, audio, and timecode from the source tape to a computer hard disk. This is a copy of the original footage.  Clip: An object in a Final Cut Pro project that represents a media file on the scratch disk. A clip connects to a media file, but it isn't the media file itself. If you delete a clip, the media file remains intact on the scratch disk. If you delete the media file, the clip remains in the project, but it is no longer connected to its media. You can create clips by importing or dragging media files to the Final Cut Pro Browser. Reconnecting Clips to Media Files If you modify, move, or delete your media files on disk, the clips in your project lose the connection to the media files and they become offline clips. In this case, the word offline refers to the fact that a clip's media file has become unavailable. To create an offline clip (without a corresponding media file), do one of the following: m Choose File > New > Offline Clip. m Create a clip by clicking the Log button in the Log and Capture window. For more information, see Chapter 18, "Logging Clips," on page 237. 36 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I An offline clip has a red slash through its icon in the Browser. In the Timeline, an offline clip appears white (when you play back your sequence in the Canvas, offline clips display a "Media Offline" message). To view these clips properly in your project, you need to reconnect the clips to their corresponding media files at their new locations on disk. This reestablishes the connection between the clips and their media files. Offline clips in the Timeline Offline clips in the Browser Final Cut Pro allows you to reconnect clips to media files in whatever way suits your project. For example, you can work on one project on two different editing systems that both contain the same media files. When you transfer the project from one system to another, you can easily reconnect the project clips to the local media files. For more information on reconnecting offline clips, see Volume IV, Chapter 6, "Reconnecting Clips and Offline Media." Filenaming Considerations Proper filenaming is one of the most critical aspects of media and project management. When you capture your media files, consider how and where your files may be used in the future. Naming your files simply and consistently makes it easier to share media among multiple editors, transfer projects to other editing systems, move files across a network, and properly restore archived projects. The following sections present several issues to consider when naming project files and media files. Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 37 Avoiding Special Characters The most conservative filenaming conventions provide the most cross-platform compatibility. This means that your filenames will work in different operating systems, such as Windows, Mac OS X and other Unix operating systems, and Mac OS 9. You also need to consider filenaming when you transfer files via the Internet, where you can never be certain what computer platform your files may be stored on, even if temporarily. Most special characters should be avoided. Here are some suggested conservative filenaming guidelines for maximum cross-platform compatibility: Avoid File separators Example characters : (colon) / (forward-slash) \ (backward-slash) Reasons You cannot use colons (:) in the names of files and folders because Mac OS 9 (Classic) uses this character to separate directories in pathnames. In addition, some applications may not allow you to use slashes (/) in the names of items. These characters are directory separators for Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, and DOS (Windows) respectively. These characters may not be supported or difficult to work with when exported to certain file formats, such as EDL, OMF, or XML. These characters are often used in scripting and programming languages. White space is handled differently in different programming languages and operating systems, so certain processing scripts and applications may treat your files differently than expected. The most conservative filenames avoid all use of whitespace characters, and use the (underscore) _ character instead. Special characters not included in your native alphabet ¢TM Punctuation marks, parentheses, . , [ ] { } ( ) ! ; " ` * ? < > | quotation marks, brackets, and operators. White space characters such as spaces, tabs, new lines, and carriage returns (the last two are uncommon). 38 Part I An Introduction to Final Cut Pro I Restricting Length of Filenames Although current file systems such as HFS+ (used by Mac OS X) allow you to create filenames with a 255-character limit, you may want to limit your filename length if you intend to transfer your files to other operating systems. Earlier versions of the Mac OS only allow 31-character filenames, and if you want to include a file extension (such as .fcp, .mov, or .aif), you need to shorten your Mac OS 9-compatible filenames to 27 characters. For EDL files, which may be stored on DOS-compatible disks, you should limit your filenames to 8-characters plus a 3-character file extension (.EDL). Using Filename Extensions Mac OS X and other operating systems can use file extensions when determining which application to open a file with, or what method of transfer to use for a network transfer. If you intend to transfer your media or project files to non-Macintosh computer platforms, you should use standard file extensions for your files. Some common file extensions include: .mov (QuickTime movie file), .xml (XML file), .zip (ZIP compressed archive file), .aif (AIFF audio file), .wav (WAVE audio file), .psd (Photoshop graphics file), .jpg (JPEG graphics file), and .tif (TIFF graphics file). Adding Times and Dates to Final Cut Pro Project Names When you make a backup copy of your project file, adding the date to the project name helps identify the file among the other saved versions. If you add dates to a filename, avoid using special characters like the slash (/), since that may be interpreted by Mac OS X as a file separator. The Final Cut Pro autosave feature appends the date and time in the following format: ProjectName_03-21-04_1744. The filename above is a backup of a project called ProjectName. The date is March 21, 2004, and it was saved at 5:44 PM. Note that the name includes no white space. This filenaming convention is simple, consistent, and easily identifies the order in which the project files were created. (For more information about this feature, see Volume IV, Chapter 2, "Backing Up and Restoring Projects." Using Multiple Hard Disks If you have multiple hard disks and partitions, or volumes, that have similar names, they may cause problems during the capture process. Each hard disk should have a name that doesn't contain the entire name of another disk or partition.  Avoid filenames such as: "Media" and "Media 1"  Create filenames such as: "Zeus" and "Apollo" Chapter 3 Understanding Projects, Clips, and Sequences 39 Part II: Learning About the Final Cut Pro Interface II Get familiar with the Browser, Viewer, Canvas, and Timeline, and learn how to customize the Final Cut Pro interface to meet your specific needs. Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface Browser Basics Viewer Basics Canvas Basics Navigating and Using Timecode in the Viewer and Canvas Timeline Basics Customizing the Interface 4 Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface 4 The Final Cut Pro interface has four main windows and a Tool palette. This chapter includes:  Basics of Working in the Final Cut Pro Interface (p. 43)  Using Keyboard Shortcuts, Buttons, and Shortcut Menus (p. 45)  Customizing the Interface (p. 48)  Undoing and Redoing Changes (p. 51)  Entering Timecode for Navigation Purposes (p. 52) Basics of Working in the Final Cut Pro Interface There are four main windows in Final Cut Pro that you use while you are making your movie. You may want to open Final Cut Pro so you can view these windows and familiarize yourself with them. Note: If you're opening Final Cut Pro for the first time, you're prompted to choose an Easy Setup (a collection of settings that determines how Final Cut Pro works with your editing system) and a scratch disk (the hard disk where you'll store your captured media files). For more information about these settings, see "Opening Final Cut Pro and Choosing Your Initial Settings" on page 170. To open Final Cut Pro: m In the Finder, double-click the Final Cut Pro icon in the Applications folder. You may also choose to add the Final Cut Pro icon to the Dock for easier access. For more information, see Mac Help. 43 You'll see these windows when you open a sequence with clips already in it. These windows are covered in more detail in the chapters that follow. Viewer: Used to preview and prepare source clips for editing, as well as adjust filter and motion parameters to clips. Browser: This is where you organize the media in your project. Canvas: Allows you to view your edited sequence, as well as perform a variety of editing functions. Works in parallel with the Timeline. Audio meters: These floating meters let you monitor audio levels. Timeline: This displays sequences. Tool palette: This contains tools for selecting, navigating, performing edits, and manipulating items. Before working in a window in Final Cut Pro, you must make sure it's the currently selected (or "active") window. Otherwise, your actions and commands might trigger actions in another window. Important: Menu commands and keyboard shortcuts apply to the active window. To determine the active window: m Look for the highlighted title bar. To make a window active, do one of the following: m Click anywhere in the window. m Press one of the following keyboard shortcuts:      Browser: Command-4 Viewer: Command-1 Timeline: Command-3 Canvas: Command-2 Audio meters: Option-4 Note: There is no keyboard shortcut to open the Tool palette. m Choose Window, then in the submenu, choose the window you want to display. 44 Part II Learning About the Final Cut Pro Interface II Using Keyboard Shortcuts, Buttons, and Shortcut Menus Final Cut Pro offers several methods for performing commands. You can choose commands from the menu bar at the top of the screen or from contextual shortcut menus, or you can use keyboard shortcuts to perform many commands. Most people work fastest using keyboard shortcuts; others prefer to use shortcut menus or the mouse to access commands in the menu bar. Experiment to find out which method best suits your editing style. You can also create shortcut buttons that appear at the top of each window in the window's button bar. Learning about these basic interface elements will enable you to work faster and more efficiently. Using Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts let you perform commands in Final Cut Pro using the keyboard instead of by pointing and clicking. These shortcuts can help you work more efficiently. For example, to create a new sequence, you'd press Command-N; to zoom in, you'd press Command-= (equal sign). Note: The default keyboard shortcuts for tasks are presented throughout this volume, as well as in menu commands and tooltips (tooltips appear when you move the pointer over a control in Final Cut Pro and show the name of the control, as well as the current shortcut key(s) assigned to that control). Final Cut Pro allows you to change the default keyboard shortcuts to better suit your needs. For example, if your style of editing requires a particular set of commands that isn't readily available by default, you can modify the default keyboard layout with your own set of commands. You can also create different keyboard layouts for different tasks. For example, you may find it useful to create different keyboard layouts for editing, color correction, multicamera editing, and audio mixing. For more information on how to customize keyboard layouts in Final Cut Pro, see Chapter 10, "Customizing the Interface," on page 139. Chapter 4 Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface 45 Using Button Bars You can create shortcut buttons and place them in the button bar along the top of the main windows in Final Cut Pro--the Browser, Viewer, Canvas, Timeline, and any Tool Bench windows. (The Tool Bench is a specialized window containing tabs for specific tasks, such as the Audio Mixer.) You can then click any of the shortcut buttons in the button bar to perform commands, instead of entering keyboard shortcuts or using menus. Button bar in the Browser with several shortcut buttons For more information on using and customizing button bars, see Chapter 10, "Customizing the Interface," on page 139. Using Shortcut Menus Shortcut menus (also called contextual menus) are available in nearly every section of every window and offer a quick way to perform various tasks. The commands available in a shortcut menu depend on the location of the pointer. For example, a shortcut menu in the Browser shows options different from those available in a shortcut menu in the Timeline. 46 Part II Learning About the Final Cut Pro Interface II To view and use a shortcut menu: 1 Press the Control key and click an item (this is called Control-clicking), or Control-click an area in a window in Final Cut Pro. 2 In the shortcut menu that appears, choose the command you want, then release the mouse button. Note: If you have a multibutton mouse, clicking the right mouse button is the same as Control-clicking by default. Learning Commands by Using Tooltips When you move the pointer over a control in Final Cut Pro, a small box called a tooltip appears with a description of the control. Next to the description is the keyboard shortcut for using the control. You can turn tooltips off and on in the General tab of the User Preferences window. This tooltip appears when the pointer is over the Play button in the Viewer. To enable tooltips in Final Cut Pro: 1 Choose Final Cut Pro > User Preferences. 2 In the General tab, select Show Tooltips. Chapter 4 Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface 47 Customizing the Interface Final Cut Pro allows you to customize the interface in several ways. You can rearrange windows and move them to suit your needs and work style. You can also use various screen layouts provided by Final Cut Pro. You can also position the Dock in the Mac OS X interface so that it takes up less room or is hidden. Moving and Resizing Windows All open windows in Final Cut Pro--the Browser, Viewer, Canvas, Timeline, and Tool Bench--can be individually moved and resized to suit both your working style and the task at hand, even across multiple monitors. When all windows are arranged together on a single monitor, you can drag the border between any aligned group of adjacent windows to quickly resize all the windows at the same time. Pointer between three or more windows Pointer between two windows To resize windows in Final Cut Pro: m Drag the border in the desired direction to resize the appropriate windows. The windows on either side of the border are resized accordingly. Any border between two windows in Final Cut Pro can be dragged. When borders line up, such as the tops of the Browser and Timeline, they act as a single border--resizing one window resizes the other as well. See "Moving and Resizing Final Cut Pro Windows" on page 139 for more information. 48 Part II Learning About the Final Cut Pro Interface II Working With Tabs and Tabbed Windows The Viewer and Browser contain tabs that let you access different functions. The Browser also contains tabs for open projects. Tabs in the Timeline and Canvas represent open sequences. The Viewer contains tabs that specify functions within clips. The Browser contains tabs for open projects and effects. The Canvas contains a tab for each open sequence. Like the Canvas, the Timeline contains a tab for each open sequence. To make a tab active: m Click the tab. To close a tab, do one of the following: m Control-click the tab, then choose Close Tab from the shortcut menu m Click a tab to make it the frontmost tab, then press Control-W. You can drag tabs out of their main, or parent, windows so they appear in a separate window. This is useful when you are working on more than one sequence or project at a time. Chapter 4 Overview of the Final Cut Pro Interface 49