User manual ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO 8.0

User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc. September 2005 P/N: C22-180-110-0A0001 First edition for Ulead® MediaStudio Pro® 8, September 2005. © 1992-2005 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. Software license The software described in this document is furnished under a License Agreement which is included with the product. This Agreement specifies the permitted and prohibited uses of the product. Licenses and trademarks All rights reserved. Ulead, the Ulead Systems logo, and MediaStudio are registered trademarks of Ulead Systems, Inc. Intel, Pentium and MMX are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, DirectX and/or other Microsoft products referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license. QuickTime is registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned in this manual are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. Sample files Files provided as samples on the program CD can be used for personal demonstrations, productions and presentations. No rights are granted for commercial reproduction or redistribution of any sample files. North & South America Ulead Systems Inc. http://www.ulead.com Support: http://www.ulead.com/tech International Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.com http://www.asiapac.ulead.com http://www.ulead.com.tw Support: http://www.ulead.com/tech http://www.asiapac.ulead.com/tech http://www.ulead.com.tw/tech Japan Ulead Systems Inc. http://www.ulead.co.jp Support: http://www.ulead.co.jp/tech Germany Ulead Systems GmbH http://www.ulead.de Support: http://www.ulead.de/tech China Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.com.cn Support: http://www.ulead.com.cn/tech United Kingdom http://www.ulead.co.uk Support: http://www.ulead.co.uk/tech France http://www.ulead.fr Support: http://www.ulead.fr/tech Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Welcome to MediaStudio Pro ........................................... 13 Getting started ................................................................... 14 Installation ......................................................................... 15 Running the programs ........................................................ 16 Readme .............................................................................. 16 PA R T I : V I D E O E D I T O R Chapter 1: Getting Started ............................................... 18 Understanding the workspace ............................................ 19 Standard Toolbar .............................................................20 Panel Manager ................................................................20 Timeline Toolbar ..............................................................21 Personalizing the workspace ..............................................21 Saving the layout ............................................................22 Setting up a video project .................................................. 22 Creating a new video project .............................................22 Opening an existing project ..............................................24 Customizing a video project ..............................................25 Project Options dialog box ................................................. 25 Saving project settings as a template .................................. 27 Enabling Smart Proxy .......................................................27 Saving a video project ......................................................27 Capturing video .................................................................. 28 Video Capture .................................................................28 Batch Capture .................................................................30 Scan DV Tape ..................................................................30 Creating project segments in Smart Compositor ................ 31 Using the Production Library .............................................. 36 Placing clips into the Production Library ..............................36 4 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Using the Storyboard ....................................................... 37 Nested timelines ............................................................. 38 Working with folders ........................................................ 38 Drag and drop ................................................................ 39 Viewing Production Library thumbnails ............................... 39 Adding effects to the Production Library ............................. 39 Preferences ........................................................................ 40 Chapter 2: Working with the Timeline ..............................45 Inserting clips .................................................................... 46 Inserting video, audio and image clips ................................ 46 Extracting extra audio tracks ..............................................47 Inserting voiceover .......................................................... 47 Inserting title, color, and silence clips ................................. 49 Inserting Ulead video file types .........................................49 Inserting UIS files ........................................................... 50 Inserting soundtracks from third-party music ...................... 50 Inserting Video Editor projects .......................................... 51 Push Away insertion ........................................................ 51 Working with tracks ........................................................... 52 Single-track editing ......................................................... 52 Adding or deleting tracks .................................................. 52 The Track buttons ........................................................... 52 Determining the visibility of clips ....................................... 53 Displaying clips on the Timeline ......................................... 53 Zooming in/out of the Timeline ......................................... 54 General Timeline and Summary Timeline ............................ 54 Creating nested timelines ................................................... 56 Inserting nested timelines ................................................ 56 Editing a timeline ............................................................ 57 Working with virtual clips .................................................. 57 Viewing virtual clips in the Source Window .......................... 58 Adding virtual clips to the Production Library .......................58 Chapter 3: Editing .............................................................59 Making selections in the Timeline ....................................... 60 Using the Clip Selection Tool ............................................ 60 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 Using the Time Selection Tool ...........................................61 Using the Track Selection Tool ..........................................61 Using the Track buttons ....................................................62 Grouping clips .................................................................62 Working with clips .............................................................. 63 Pasting attributes ............................................................63 Aligning clips ...................................................................64 Splitting the audio from video clips ....................................64 Changing the volume of clips .............................................65 Changing the speed of clips ..............................................65 Reversing the frames of a clip ...........................................67 Relinking clips .................................................................67 Calibrating video clips ......................................................68 Freezing a frame .............................................................68 Setting field options for video clips .....................................69 Working with cues .............................................................. 71 Placing project cues .........................................................71 Placing clip cues ..............................................................72 Placing chapter cues .......................................................73 Locating clips ..................................................................... 73 Locating an empty time slot ..............................................74 Trimming clips .................................................................... 74 Trimming in the Source Window ........................................75 Trimming in the Preview Window ........................................ 76 Using the Trim Window ....................................................76 Using the Scissors Tool to trim clips ..................................77 Defining trim options ........................................................78 Smart Trim .....................................................................79 Multi-trim Video ................................................................. 79 Split by Scene ..................................................................... 81 Ripple Editing ..................................................................... 82 Ripple Editing examples ....................................................83 Inserting clips into the middle of an existing clip ..................84 Using the Source Window ................................................... 85 Previewing your work ........................................................ 88 Previewing ......................................................................89 6 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Instant Play ................................................................... 90 Using DV SmartPlay ......................................................... 92 Performing scrub previews ................................................ 92 Previewing on an external device ....................................... 93 Managing preview files ..................................................... 93 Chapter 4: Adding Effects and Titles .................................95 Using transition effects ...................................................... 96 Transition effects basics .................................................... 96 Customizing a transition ................................................... 97 Commonly used transitions ............................................... 99 The Flashback transition ................................................. 100 The Mask transitions ...................................................... 101 Mask transition options ....................................................102 Audio transitions ........................................................... 102 Using key frame controls in dialog boxes ......................... 103 Effects Manager ............................................................... 105 Previewing the applied effects ......................................... 106 Editing in the Preview Window ......................................... 107 Organizing effects ......................................................... 108 Overlay ............................................................................. 109 Overlay Options dialog box ............................................. 110 Overlay key types .......................................................... 111 Understanding Alpha Channels ........................................ 112 Using Gamma correction ................................................ 113 Working with mattes ...................................................... 114 Creating image and video mattes ......................................114 Using Grayscale mattes ...................................................115 Applying video filters ....................................................... 115 Applying a regional matte to a video filter ......................... 118 Video enhancement filters ................................................120 Enhance Lighting Tool ................................................... 120 Color Correction Tool .................................................... 121 Color correcting selected regions ................................... 122 Color correcting with the HSL wheel ............................... 122 Color correcting with Curves .......................................... 123 Global filters ................................................................. 124 TABLE OF CONTENTS 7 Creating a moving path .................................................... 124 Moving Path dialog box ................................................... 125 Creating 3D moving paths .............................................. 129 Managing key frames on a moving path ............................ 130 Inserting an image with moving path attributes ................. 131 Applying audio filters ....................................................... 131 Filling the left or right audio channel ................................ 132 Removing vocals ........................................................... 133 Creating titles ................................................................... 133 Insert Title Clip dialog box .............................................. 135 Chapter 5: Audio Mixing ................................................. 139 Audio Mixing Panel ........................................................... 140 Grouping audio tracks .................................................... 142 Modifying volume in real-time ......................................... 143 Chapter 6: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound ................. 145 Working with Dolby Digital 5.1 in Video Editor .................................................................. 146 Surround sound hardware requirements ........................... 146 Setting up surround sound projects .................................. 146 Mixing Dolby Surround ................................................... 147 Creating a surround sound audio file ................................ 150 Chapter 7: Creating and Exporting Final Video ............... 151 Creating a video file ......................................................... 152 Creating MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 files ..................................... 153 Creating HDV or HD video files ......................................... 153 Creating WMV HD files ................................................... 154 Creating WMV/ QuickTime streaming file .......................... 155 Determining your video save options ................................ 156 Performing a batch video creation .................................... 159 Creating a VCD ................................................................. 160 Creating an SVCD ............................................................. 160 Creating a DVD ................................................................. 161 Creating an audio file ....................................................... 162 8 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Creating an image sequence ............................................ 163 Analyzing a video file's data rate ...................................... 164 Recording to a digital video camcorder ............................ 165 External preview ........................................................... 166 Creating an Edit Decision List (EDL) file ........................... 167 Posting timecode ........................................................... 168 Outputting to analog video tape ....................................... 169 Exporting to Ulead DVD MovieFactory and Ulead DVD DiskRecorder .................................................................... 171 Chapter 8: Managing Video Projects ...............................173 Smart Package ................................................................. 174 Smart Relink .................................................................... 175 Converting files ................................................................ 175 Smart Check & Convert .................................................. 176 Batch Convert ............................................................... 176 Using the Quick Command Panel ...................................... 177 Chapter 9: Integration with Ulead Products ...................179 VideoStudio project files .................................................. 180 PhotoImpact UFO files ..................................................... 180 Importing masks from PhotoImpact ................................ 180 COOL 3D Production Studio files ...................................... 181 Chapter 10: Shortcuts .....................................................183 PA R T I I : V I D E O C A P T U R E Chapter 1: Getting started ............................................. 194 Understanding the basics ................................................. 195 Standard Toolbar .......................................................... 196 Navigation Bar .............................................................. 196 Preparation ...................................................................... 197 Connecting a DV or Digital 8 camcorder ............................ 197 Connecting an HDV camcorder ........................................ 198 TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 Sony HDV camcorder ...................................................... 199 JVC HD camcorder .......................................................... 199 Connecting an analog video source .................................. 202 Connecting a USB camera ............................................... 203 Previewing video from your video source .......................... 203 Setting preview options .................................................. 203 Resizing the program window .......................................... 204 Defining audio input when capturing analog video .............. 204 Improving video signal when capturing analog video ....... 205 Calibrating your display .................................................. 205 Typical calibration settings ............................................... 207 Adjusting color with your video capture board ................... 207 Preferences ...................................................................... 208 Chapter 2: Capturing Video ............................................. 209 Tips for capturing video .................................................... 210 Before capturing ............................................................... 211 Enabling device control ................................................... 211 Choosing a capture plug-in ............................................. 212 Capturing video ................................................................ 213 Capture options ............................................................. 215 Capturing video from a DV camcorder .............................. 216 Capturing video from an HDV/HD camcorder ..................... 217 Direct MPEG capturing from a DV camcorder ..................... 218 Seamless DV and MPEG capture ...................................... 219 Direct WMV capturing ..................................................... 220 Selecting a profile .......................................................... 220 Editing and customizing a video profile .............................. 221 About dropped frames .................................................... 221 Capturing single frames .................................................. 222 Capturing a sequence of still frames ................................. 223 Capture history ............................................................. 223 Scanning a DV tape .......................................................... 224 Batch capturing ................................................................ 226 Importing and editing a batch list .................................... 228 Changing a file's properties .............................................. 229 Chapter 3: Shortcuts ...................................................... 231 10 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO PA R T I I I : A U D I O E D I T O R Chapter 1: Getting Started ............................................. 236 Understanding the basics ................................................. 237 Playing audio files ......................................................... 239 Creating a new audio file ................................................ 239 Saving files ................................................................... 239 Saving files to a video ..................................................... 240 Changing audio properties .............................................. 240 Zooming ...................................................................... 240 Changing the view of a waveform ......................................241 Controlling the display and time unit of waveforms ..............242 Recording sound .............................................................. 243 Tips for determining audio quality .................................... 244 Preferences ...................................................................... 245 Chapter 2: Editing Audio Files .........................................247 Working with selections ................................................... 248 Making selections .......................................................... 248 Creating precise selections ............................................. 249 Clearing audio data ....................................................... 249 Inserting audio data ...................................................... 250 Working with cues ........................................................... 251 Managing cues .............................................................. 252 Using cues with Video Editor ........................................... 252 Enhancing sound .............................................................. 253 Changing the audio level ................................................ 253 Changing pitch .............................................................. 254 Quantizing a waveform .................................................. 254 Working with silence ...................................................... 255 Removing background noise ........................................... 255 Muting a waveform .........................................................256 Calibrating files recorded from different sources ................ 256 Mixing tracks .................................................................... 257 Removing a mixed track ................................................. 257 TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 Applying special effects .................................................... 258 Performing a fade .......................................................... 258 Changing speed ............................................................. 259 Performing a stereo pan ................................................. 259 Reversing a file ............................................................. 260 Performing an echo ........................................................ 260 Performing a cross fade .................................................. 261 Using DirectX Audio plug-ins ........................................... 262 Chapter 3: Shortcuts ...................................................... 263 PA R T I V : M O R E P R O G R A M S Ulead DVD MovieFactory ................................................ 269 Launching DVD MovieFactory ........................................... 269 Start Project ..................................................................... 269 Add Media ........................................................................ 270 Adding/Editing chapters .................................................. 271 Export selected clips ...................................................... 272 Setup Preferences, Project Settings and other options ..... 273 Settings and options ..................................................... 273 Preferences ................................................................... 273 Project settings ............................................................ 275 16:9 DVD ...................................................................... 276 Play and edit media .......................................................... 276 The right-click menu ...................................................... 277 Trimming a video .......................................................... 278 Setup menus .................................................................... 278 Manipulating objects ...................................................... 281 Displayed thumbnail and text style .................................. 281 Layout settings ............................................................. 282 Preview ............................................................................ 282 Burn ................................................................................. 283 Burning options ............................................................. 284 The Burning Options dialog box ....................................... 285 12 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Ulead DVD DiskRecorder ................................................ 287 System requirements ....................................................... 287 Hardware checkup and configuration ............................... 287 Running DVD DiskRecorder .............................................. 287 Important terms to know ................................................. 288 Preferences ...................................................................... 288 Create Disc ....................................................................... 289 Introduction to the workspace ......................................... 289 Adding video files .......................................................... 290 Editing programs ........................................................... 290 Protecting programs ...................................................... 290 Playlist ......................................................................... 291 Setting the name for a program, playlist, or entry point ...... 291 Exporting video or image files ......................................... 292 Burning your disc .......................................................... 293 Edit Disc ........................................................................... 294 Formatting a disc .......................................................... 294 Protecting a disc ............................................................ 294 Certifying a disc ............................................................ 295 INDEX Index ............................................................................... 298 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 Real-time MPEG capture, Real-time preview and Realtime output. With intuitive controls and seamless integration, creating video has never been easier or more accessible. 14 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Getting started If you ever worked with digital video before, you can start working in MediaStudio Pro right away. The program is equally intuitive for both - the novice users and professionals. The fastest way to learn the program is direct interaction with its tools. The more advanced features, however, are not on the surface and you might well refer to the manual for particular answers on specific questions. There are several sources of information that will help you explore the broad range of MediaStudio Pro features: the manual, online help, and the MediaStudio Pro Web site that contains tutorials and a host of other useful informative content. All the information required to master MediaStudio Pro is in the manual and online help. These are the primary sources of information. The MediaStudio Pro Web site (www.ulead.com/msp/runme.htm) also has a number of resources you will find useful. The Web-based learning center has excellent tutorials that will guide you through the program in a brief and intense way. Spending a few hours on the tutorial page (http://www.ulead.com/learning/msp.htm) will empower you with an intimate knowledge of MediaStudio Pro tools. There are also a few private Web sites that have great tutorials and sample projects. One of the best is the MediaStudio User's Group, or MUG, at www.mugcentral.com. This is the home base for the MUG mailing list, which you can subscribe to at this site. Everyday, dozens of users, including quite a few video professionals, ask and answer questions in an amazingly useful forum. WELCOME TO MEDIASTUDIO PRO 15 Installation The MediaStudio Pro installation program runs from within Windows and contains complete instructions to take you through the installation process. To install MediaStudio Pro: 1. Read the license agreement that comes with the MediaStudio Pro package. The license agreement contains important legal requirements that you need to be aware of. If you agree to abide by it, continue with the installation. Please take a moment to fill out the registration card during installation. Becoming a registered user entitles you to product updates and upgrade information, as well as technical support. You can also instantly register online (electronically) after installing the program. 2. Insert the MediaStudio Pro CD into your CD-ROM drive. Windows should detect the CD and then automatically run the installation program. If the automatic detection feature is turned off, use Windows Explorer to run the SETUP.EXE program directly from your CD-ROM drive. Follow the installation program instructions. While the program is installing files, a window will appear, displaying information about MediaStudio Pro and the installation status. If you want to browse the contents of the MediaStudio Pro CD, run AUTOEXEC.EXE found in the Setup folder from your CD-ROM drive. 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 \Driver 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 MediaStudio Pro 8 User Guide.PDF that is in the \Document folder of the CD. You can then view the user guide. 16 ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO Running the programs To run the MediaStudio Pro programs, click on the desired program in the Start: Programs - Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8 submenu. This submenu may differ depending on the choices you made during installation. If you are already working in any of these programs, the easiest method to run another MediaStudio Pro program is by using the Switch menu, located on the right of the Menu Bar. Readme In the fast paced world of software, changes occur almost daily. While we have tried to keep this manual as up-to-date as possible, there will inevitably be some things that did not make it into the book by press time. Please browse through the Readme file installed in the Ulead MediaStudio Pro program folder to find out about the latest notes, drivers, and troubleshooting tips. PART I: VIDEO EDITOR 1 GETTING STARTED This chapter introduces the Video Editor user interface, beginning with a walkthrough of the workspace and its various components, followed by ways on customizing and saving the workspace. You will also learn how to capture video directly in Video Editor, manage your media using the Production Library, and use some of the basic program functions. This chapter includes the following sections: Understanding the workspace Setting up a video project Capturing video Creating project segments in Smart Compositor Using the Production Library Preferences CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 19 Understanding the workspace The Timeline Window is where you assemble and edit your video project. It is laid out horizontally and composed of several independent layers or 'tracks.' These tracks hold the clips that make up a video project. The other windows in the Video Editor workspace, such as the Preview Window and Effects Manager, are there to help you in the editing process. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 Timeline Window Track buttons; Lock, Hide and Solo buttons 9 Video clip in the video track 10 Transition effect clip 11 Audio clip in the audio track 7 8 Standard Toolbar Panel Manager Effects Manager Production Library and Project Tray Source Window and Preview Window Timeline Toolbar 20 VIDEO EDITOR Standard Toolbar Create a new project Open a project file Save a Video Editor project Create a video file Show and edit Project Settings Cut a clip from a project Copy a clip from a project Paste a clip into the Timeline Help Open Ulead Home page Find the next clip in a project Find a clip in a project Redo an undone function Undo a previous action Panel Manager The Panel Manager allows you to show or hide the different windows in the workspace. You may dock it beside or below the Standard Toolbar, or float it anywhere in the workspace as a separate toolbar panel. Quick Command Panel Source Window Preview Window Audio Mixing Panel Production Library Effect Manager Dock/Float Timeline Window Layout Template CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 21 Timeline Toolbar Insert Video File Insert Audio File Insert Voice File Insert Image File Insert Title Clip Insert Color Clip Insert Silence Clip Insert Project File Auto Music Insert from Smart Compositor Clip Selection Scissors Zoom Time Selection Track Selection Time Stretch No Ripple Single-track Ripple Editing Multi-track Ripple Editing Normal Trim Overwrite Trim Stitch Trim General Timeline Summary Timeline Add/Delete Tracks Enable/Disable Video Proxy Timeline Display Mode Save Project Template Personalizing the workspace The different windows in Video Editor can be floated or docked in the workspace. To dock a window, click on its title bar then drag it to the edge of another window or to the edge of the workspace. You can also double-click on a window to make it floating or docked. 22 VIDEO EDITOR Saving the layout Use the Layout Manager in the Window menu to save time arranging the windows in the workspace. To save your custom layout, type a Layout Template Name, then click Save To. Giving your layouts intelligible names like "Audio Video Editing" or "Timeline Only" will help you work faster and more enjoyable. You can assign hotkeys for quickly switching between different layouts. Just select a layout, then choose any [Alt + Number] combination from the Hot-Key Mapping menu in the upper right of the dialog box. To use a layout on the Video Editor workspace, select it from the Existing Layout Templates list, then click OK. You can also click in the Panel Manager to choose a workspace layout. Setting up a video project In Video Editor, the Timeline and its associated clips are referred to as a video project, which is saved as a DVP (Digital Video Project) file. 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. The advantage to this is that the DVP file has a relatively small file size and that any editing done is nondestructive ­ that is, the editing doesn't affect the original source files. The next time you open a DVP file, Video Editor links the clips in the project to the source files accordingly. Creating a new video project To get started in Video Editor, you first need to create a video project. The video project not only holds the clips that you place into the Timeline, but also defines the properties for the resulting video, such as the television standard and the size of the frames used. Any clips that you place into the project subsequently adopt those properties, regardless of their original attributes. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 23 To create a new video project: 1. Click the New button on the Standard Toolbar or File: New [Ctrl+N]. The New dialog box opens displaying a list of project templates. 2. Select a video format (AVI or MPEG) to use for clips in your project from the Edit file format drop-down list. 3. Click on the template you want to use. (Its properties, as well as an annotated description, are displayed on the right side of the dialog box). You can choose one of the following templates: · · · · · · DV - for editing and producing standard DV. DV 16:9 - for editing or producing widescreen 16:9 DV. DV 24P - for editing footage from a Panasonic AG-DVX100 camcorder that was recorded in 24P or 24PA (24P Advanced) modes. DVD-Dolby Digital 5.1 channel - for editing and producing DVDs encoded with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound. HDV templates - for editing and producing HDV- or HD-encoded video. And more... 4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and a new project is created. 24 VIDEO EDITOR When you start a new project, you may find that none of the existing templates in the New dialog box contains 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. For a more detailed explanation of setting up a template, see "Project Options dialog box" on page 25. Also, it is a good idea to consult the manual of your particular video capture board to see the recommended specifications. 3. Click OK. The Save New Template dialog box opens up. 4. Select Save the current settings, and then type in a name and description for your new template. 5. Click OK. Your video project will now have the specified settings, and the next time you open a new project, your customized template will be listed in the New dialog box. When you run Video Editor for the first time, the New dialog box opens automatically. If you regularly use the same properties for a video project, you can hide the New dialog box each time you click New by clearing the Always show this dialog box option. (Another way is to clear the Display New dialog box option in the File: Preferences: General tab). Any subsequent projects take their properties from the current project. Opening an existing project To open an existing project on your hard drive or from a network, select File Open or click on the Standard Toolbar. Locate your project folder, choose the project file to load, and click Open. To locate your project files fast, click Browse and navigate to your project directory. Click Scan to perform a quick search for files with default extensions *.dvp (Video Editor projects) or *.vsp (VideoStudio projects). CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 25 Customizing a video project When you create a new project, its properties are determined by the New dialog box settings. These settings are integral to your project and determine not only how previews are created, but also the format of the final movie. You can change these properties and customize your project through the Project Settings dialog box. To view and/or alter your project settings while in the project: 1. Click the Project Settings button or select Project: Project Settings [ALT+ENTER]. This opens the Project Settings dialog box where you can view the properties of your project. 2. To change any of the settings, click the Edit button to open the Project Options dialog box. Click through the various tabs and then specify the television standard you are using, such as NTSC or PAL, the frame rate, and the frame size. Project settings directly determine the default settings in the Video Save Options dialog box which in turn determines your final video format. (See "Determining your video save options" on page 156 for details). Project Options dialog box As mentioned earlier, the Project Options dialog box gives you direct control over an existing project. There are three tabs in this dialog box: Video Editor tab · Select the desired TV standard. · Choose whether or not to preview applied video filters when you view your project in Video Editor. · Specify the type of audio channel, Stereo or Multi-Channel Surround Sound, that you will use for your project. General tab · Set the project Frame rate and Frame size. The Frame rate option determines the number of frames for any resulting video file. The appearance of the clip on the Timeline will not change. 26 VIDEO EDITOR · The Frame type option determines interlacing properties. If your final output video is meant for interlaced playback, set frame type to either Lower Field First or Upper Field First. If your output video allows for progressive frames (LCD monitors, plasma TVs, TFT monitors, etc.), use the Frame-based option. This setting is more film-like and less complicated to handle when editing or retiming your video. · You can set the size for the target 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. · Be aware of the aspect ratio of the video files you are using and the display aspect ratio of the intended playback screen for your videos. This will help you determine which display aspect ratio to use in your projects. · The aspect ratio is also important when dealing with moving paths in a project. The moving path's aspect ratio should be similar to the aspect ratio being used by the project. AVI / Compression tab This tab has all the video and audio compression controls. One thing to remember in dealing with compression and data rate is output file size. To minimize the size of your rendered projects, compress your files with the best and the most recent compression algorithm possible. Bit size is another way of saving your hard drive space. The bigger it is, the more space you will need. You will need to balance between compression, bit depth and quality of your video. Experiment to preserve as much fidelity as possible using less memory space on your storage. Changing a project's properties clears the undo/redo history. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 27 Saving project settings as a template After you have customized your video project, you can save your project settings as a template by clicking the File: Save Project Template command. In the dialog box that opens, give the template a name as well as a description. Presets and previously created templates are also displayed in the Existing templates list box. If you wish to replace one of these templates with the properties of the current video project, select it and then click OK. Enabling Smart Proxy Proxy files are lower resolution working copies of video files. They are reduced in resolution or compression bit rate for only one reason - to speed up editing of HDV and other large video source files. Proxy files are source-dependent rather than project-dependent. In other words, proxy files can be shared among different projects. When you edit and preview your project in Instant Play mode, proxy files will be used as substitutes for their large video source counterparts. Whereas when you preview your project in high-quality playback mode or when you render a video file, the original video source files will be used. (See "Previewing your work" on page 88 to know more on playback modes). To enable the creation of proxy files, click in the Timeline Toolbar, or go to File: Preferences - Smart Proxy, then select the Enable video proxy option. In the Smart Proxy tab of the Preferences dialog box, you can set the condition when proxy files need to be generated and choose a proxy file format. For more details on the settings, see "Preferences" on page 40. Once video proxy is enabled, proxy files will automatically be created and used in your project whenever you insert video files into the Timeline. Saving a video project When you save a video project, it is saved as a DVP (Digital Video Project) file. 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 Video Editor. To save your current project, select File: Save. You can customize Video Editor to save backups of your project automatically by selecting the Automatically save every option in the General tab of the Preferences dialog box. Set a desired time interval between saves and the maximum number of backups to keep. 28 VIDEO EDITOR Capturing video From within Video Editor, you can directly capture footage from your video camera for editing. Alternatively, you can also use the separate Video Capture program that is included with MediaStudio Pro. In both the Video Editor and Video Capture programs, you will find three tools for capturing footage in the Capture menu: Video Capture, Batch Capture, and Scan DV Tape. Before you start capturing with these tools, make sure you have your capture card installed in your computer and your video camera is connected and switched on. Video Capture Video Capture allows you to capture a video clip at a time. The Video Capture dialog box in Video Editor looks slightly different from the one in the Video Capture program, but the capture settings are mostly the same. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 29 To capture a video sequence: 1. Select Capture: Video Capture. 2. If you have several video devices connected to your computer, select your desired source device from the Capture device list. 3. Click Capture Options, then select Change Capture Plug-in from the popmenu. The Change Capture Plug-in dialog box provides special plug-ins that enable capturing footage from HDV, Sony MICROMV, and miniDV camcorders as well as DVD and DVD-VR discs. You need to choose the proper plug-in to be able to capture footage from such devices. If you are capturing video as MPEG or WMV files, you also need to choose the proper plug-in in this dialog box. After you have selected a capture plug-in, click OK. 4. Check if the Capture format is set to the target file format that you want to use for saving captured video files. If not, choose your desired file format from the Capture format list. If you are capturing TV footage via a TV capture card, choose your desired TV channel as well. 5. In the Capture Settings tab, set your preferences for performing the capture: · Capture method - Choose to auto capture with specified duration, auto capture with no time limit, or manual capture. Select Auto naming to save each captured segment as a separate file. Capture options - Specify the prefix file name and folder to use for saving captured videos. · Click the Advanced tab to see more settings and customize them according to your needs. For details on all the capture settings in the Advanced tab, see "Capture Video dialog box: Advanced tab" on page 215. 6. After customizing all capture settings, play your videotape and stop at the part of the footage that you want to capture. If you have a DV or HDV source, you can directly use the Navigation controls in the dialog box for playback. 7. Click Capture Video to start capturing. 8. If you specified a capture duration, wait for the capture to complete. Otherwise, click Stop Capture or press [Esc] to stop capturing. 30 VIDEO EDITOR Batch Capture Batch Capture allows you to choose multiple video segments from your footage and capture them all at once. You can use Batch Capture when capturing video from DV and HDV sources. Select Capture: Batch Capture to open a dialog box where you can play back your footage, and at the same time, mark your desired video segments. The markin and mark-out times of the video segments will be logged into a task list. After you have finished marking, click the Capture Video button. To save the task list for future use, click Save . The Batch Capture dialog box in Video Editor is just the same as the one in the Video Capture program. For more details on this dialog box, see "Batch capturing" on page 226 under "Part II: Video Capture". Scan DV Tape Scan DV Tape quickly scans an entire DV tape and automatically detects scenes based on the recording date and time (that is, based on stops and starts of video recordings). To use this function, select Capture: Scan DV Tape. In the Scan DV Tape dialog box, first choose how to perform the scan from the Scan/Capture method list, then click Start to begin scanning the DV tape. As each scene is detected, a thumbnail frame will be created and added to the list at the left side of the dialog box. After the entire tape has been scanned, click Capture Video to capture the detected scenes. To save the scenes list and information for future use, click Save . The Scan DV Tape dialog box in Video Editor is just the same as the one in the Video Capture program. For more details on this dialog box, see "Scanning a DV tape" on page 224 under "Part II: Video Capture". CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 31 Creating project segments in Smart Compositor The Smart Compositor in the Insert menu allows you to quickly compose themed segments and use them in your project. This tool provides ready-made theme templates that you can easily customize with your own video clips, titles, audio clips, and effects. Basically, you will only need to complete two stages in Smart Compositor before inserting a movie segment into your project: · First, select a template in the Theme Template tab. 1. Select a theme category from this drop-down menu. 2. Click a thumbnail to choose a template. 3. Use the Navigation buttons to preview the selected template. 32 VIDEO EDITOR · Click Next to go to the Options tab. Here, choose which template elements you want to replace or customize. These elements can be video clips, titles, filters, audio, and more. 2. Use the Settings panel to customize the elements in a template. You can replace clips, adjust overlay settings, and tweak filters and moving path effects. Trim Bar 1. Expand the Tree View, then select clips to be replaced or effects to be customized. 3. Click Save if you want to save your changes as a new template. 4. Click Insert to insert the customized template as a project segment into the Timeline. The succeeding procedures explain how to customize the elements in a template in greater detail. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 33 To replace the media clips: 1. First, make sure that your own clips have already been added to the Media Library in the Production Library before opening Smart Compositor. If you have not done so, you can still add them in Smart Compositor. In the Options tab, click in the Media Library window then import your video . files. To import images, click 2. Click on the small triangle icon next to the Media Clip item to expand its tree view and to see the current clips in the template. The clips here may be video, image or color clips. These icons indicate that there are effects applied to a clip. From left to right: Filter, Overlay, Moving Path. Refer to the succeeding procedures to know more on customizing these effects. 3. Select a preset clip, for instance, Media Clip 1. 4. To replace the preset with your own clip, drag your video or image file from the Media Library and drop it onto the first thumbnail in the Storyboard. 5. To append another clip, drag your video or image file from the Media Library and drop it onto the placeholder (that is, the black thumbnail) in the Storyboard. Repeat this step to append more video or image clips. 6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 to replace the other preset media clips with your own video or image clips. The clips that you add to the Storyboard will be fit into the length of the original preset clip. If the length of your clips is longer than the preset, your last appended clip will be trimmed to fit the original length. The process for replacing audio clips is just the same as that of media clips. 34 VIDEO EDITOR To trim a clip segment in the Storyboard: 1. Double-click the clip that you want to trim in the Storyboard. 2. Click to play back. to set the mark-in 3. Click Pause when you reach the desired part, then click point. and click 5. Click to set the mark-out point. to trim the clip. 4. Resume playback, then click Pause again when you reach the desired end point To replace and customize the titles: 1. Click on the small triangle icon next to the Title item to expand its tree view and to see the title clips in the template. 2. Select a default clip, for instance, Title Clip 1. 3. Type your text in the Title edit box, then change the font and text settings. 4. Use the Trim bar to adjust the title duration. 5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to replace the other default title clips with your own text. To enable or disable filters: 1. Click on the small triangle icon next to the Filter item to expand its tree view and to see the media clips that are applied with filters. 2. Select a clip, for instance, Filter Clip 1. 3. Select Remove Filter to disable the filter. Clear this checkbox to enable the filter. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to enable or disable filters in the other clips. To customize overlay clips: 1. Click on the small triangle icon next to the Overlay item to expand its tree view and to see the overlay clips that are in the template. 2. Select a clip, for instance, Overlay Clip 1. 3. From the Type drop-down list, select Blue Key if the overlay clip has a bluescreen. On the Preview Window in Smart Compositor, click on the bluescreen to make it transparent. Otherwise, choose from the other overlay key types in the drop-down list. See "Overlay key types" on page 111 for details. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 35 4. If the background of the overlay clip is not removed completely, increase the Similarity value until the background is totally transparent. 5. For a smoother overlay effect, apply a soft edge. 6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 to customize the other overlay clips in the template. To customize moving path effects: 1. Click on the small triangle icon next to the Moving Path item to expand its tree view and to see the media clips that have moving path effects. 2. Select a clip, for instance, Moving Path Clip 1. 3. To resize the clip dimensions, change the width and height settings. 4. Specify the initial clip position before the moving path effect starts by setting the X and Y coordinates. 5. Specify the degree of Rotation for the clip. 6. You can also apply a soft edge and add a surrounding border to the clip. 7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 to customize moving path effects for the other clips in the template. After creating the project segment in Smart Compositor: When you have completed your work and clicked OK in Smart Compositor, insert the piece you created into your project. It will be inserted as a virtual clip on the Timeline. For details on how to edit virtual clips, see "Working with virtual clips" on page 57. 36 VIDEO EDITOR Using the Production Library Video Editor's Production Library stores everything you need to create your movie. It has two parts - the Production Library and Project Tray tabs. When you start a project, the Production Library tab already contains all of the transitions, filters, and other special effects that come with Video Editor. Whereas the Project Tray tab is your organizer - it is ready to be filled with the various clips that you will use in your current project. In both tabs, clips are categorized by subject and represented by small thumbnail pictures. If the Production Library is not yet open in the program, select Window: Production Library or click open it. on the Panel Manager to Production Library (Transition Effects Gallery). Effect and filter thumbnails with are the ones that can be played back in real-time. Placing clips into the Production Library To share clips among different projects, import them to the Media Library folder of the Production Library tab. To use clips only in a particular project, import them to the Media Pool folder of the Project Tray tab. To import media files into the Production Library: 1. Click either the Import Video File, Import Audio File, Import Image File, or Import Project File button from the toolbar. 2. Browse for and select your file. Click Open to import the file. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 37 You can also add files to the Production Library when you click File: Create to generate video or audio files. You can add effects or filters to the Production Library while creating them. To add title, color and silence clips from the Timeline to the Production Library, drag them to the Production Library's Media Library folder or to the Project Tray's Media Pool folder. If you want to create new folders, right-click on the Media Library or Media Pool folder and select Create. Using the Storyboard The Project Tray's Storyboard folder allows you to arrange your images or video clips before inserting them into the Timeline. To use the Storyboard function: 1. Click the Project Tray tab, then open the Storyboard folder. 2. Import or copy images or video files (from other folders inside the Production Library) you want to use into the Storyboard folder. 3. Arrange the sequence of the images or video clips by dragging them to the desired positions. 4. Select all the images or video files, then right-click and select Add to Timeline. 5. In the Add to Timeline dialog box, determine the layout option for your clips. To be able to apply transitions between clips, select Overlap. 6. If you have images, set their duration. Storyboard folder 38 VIDEO EDITOR 7. Choose a transition effect to apply. Either select Random, or select Customize then click Select to choose your desired transition effect. Also specify the Transition effect duration. 8. Select Use default pan and zoom filter, then either select Random or select Customize then click Select to choose your desired effect. · Select Apply auto audio cross fade to automatically apply a fade in/ fade out audio effect between overlapping video clips. · Select Clear clips from the Storyboard folder to remove the files from the Storyboard folder after inserting them into the Timeline. 9. Click OK. 10.Place the hand cursor over the Video track position on the Timeline where you want to place the images or video clips then click the mouse button. Hand cursor over the Video track position Nested timelines When you create nested timelines in your project, they are automatically added to the Timeline folder in the Project Tray tab. You can drag the timelines in this folder to other parts of your project. For details on nested timelines, see "Creating nested timelines" on page 56. Working with folders When you view the Production Library, the contents of the currently selected gallery appear on the right side of the Production Library window. To the left are folders which organize the various thumbnails of the particular gallery. You can manage these folders by right-clicking on them and choosing a command from the pop-up menu that appears. This menu offers commands for creating, renaming, CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 39 deleting and copying folders. You can also save the contents of a folder as a gallery file as well as load the contents from a previously saved gallery file. To see all the contents of the folders (including subfolders) in a particular library, click All in the selected library's folder tree. Drag and drop The mouse is a powerful tool in Video Editor. You will find that it is effortless to drag and drop clips among many parts of the program. Try dragging a clip from Windows Explorer to the Production Library to organize your project. Then drag the clip's thumbnail from the Production Library to the Source Window to do a little trimming. Finally, drag the clip from the Source Window directly to the Timeline for insertion into your movie. Viewing Production Library thumbnails Click in the Production Library Toolbar to open a pop-up menu where you can choose whether to display clips in Thumbnail, Description, or List View. The Menu button opens a pop-up menu that provides additional commands for viewing the properties of a selected thumbnail, as well as editing, deleting, and customizing the Production Library preferences (this menu can also be accessed by right-clicking on a thumbnail). When customizing the preferences, you can choose to control the size of the thumbnails as well as to display or hide the name below each of the thumbnails. If you want to maximize the space available for displaying thumbnails, clear the Show border option. The Search command allows you to search for particular thumbnails, while the Sort command allows you to arrange them based on their name, description, annotation, or date and time. 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. 40 VIDEO EDITOR To modify and add an effect: 1. Select the thumbnail. 2. Right-click the thumbnail and click the Edit command on the pop-up menu. 3. Specify the attributes in the dialog box for that thumbnail. 4. Click the Add button. Enter a name below the thumbnail and click OK. Preferences The Preferences dialog box (double­click 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 as well as help optimize Video Editor for each project. Preferences dialog box: General tab · 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. · Number of recently opened files specifies how many file names are stored in the Recent History list found on the File menu. · Return to the first frame after playing returns any sequence in the Source and Preview windows to the first frame after it has been played (like a CD player). When left cleared, the sequence stops on the last frame in the sequence after playing (like coming to the end of a tape in a VCR). · Use temporary file when creating 8-bit optimized palettes uses a temporary file whenever you create an optimized palette for Indexed-Color video. This option speeds up the creation process significantly and should be selected whenever you plan on creating Indexed-Color video files. · Display Options dialog box opens the Options dialog box for any video filter, transition effect, audio filter, or moving path dropped directly into the Timeline from the Production Library. · Display data rate warning message halts the creation process of any video file once it exceeds the specified data rate. Leave this cleared if the data rate is not important or you are creating video files unattended and do not want the creation process to be stopped. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 41 · Display New dialog box opens the New dialog box whenever the New button or File: New command is clicked. If left cleared, any new video project is automatically created based on the attributes of the current project. If you often create video projects using the same attributes then leave this option clear. · Automatically save every automatically saves the video project at the time interval specified. In the event of the program crash, you will be presented with an option to restore the latest backup when you restart the program. You can specify an auto-save time interval and the number of backups to keep. · Default background color sets the color for any color clips. · 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 a computer monitor, and edges which are viewable on screen may disappear. As a guideline, for NTSC devices choose 12%, for PAL 10%. · Default inserted clip duration determines the duration of Image File, Title Clip, Color Clip and Silence Clip being placed in the Timeline. Specify a number from 1 to 9999 frames. · 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. · Temporary folder defines the folder that Video Editor uses as a temporary workspace for compiling, compressing, or decompressing files. By assigning a temporary folder for these types of operations you prevent Video Editor from using the default hard drive folder. This will minimize the chances of Video Editor interfering with other processes your computer may be running in the background. · Display DV timecode on Source Window allows the DV timecode to be shown in Video Editor's Source Window. (You need a VMR-compatible display card to use this option). · Default number of tracks specifies the number of video/audio tracks populating the Timeline upon a new project creation. The maximum supported number of tracks is 99. Preferences dialog box: Edit tab · Apply color filter allows you to control how colors are displayed in Video Editor, based on the NTSC or PAL color models. Select the appropriate option if you plan on having your video played back over an NTSC or PAL device such as a television. If you are designing for monitor display only, leave this option clear. · 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 double-click on an empty portion of a video track. 42 VIDEO EDITOR · 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. If you are preparing for final output and are using the original source files, select Best. · Apply auto audio cross-fade automatically applies a fade in/fade out audio effect between overlapping clips. · Auto cross-fade resampling lets you choose the audio fading algorithm to be used for audio cross-fade. Logarithmic requires longer processing time but produces smoother audio fading than Linear. · Default field order option sets the default field options for the selected video clips whose field options are unknown. Field-based video stores video data as two distinct fields of information for each frame. If your video is only for computer playback, select Frame-based. · Default display aspect ratio sets the default display aspect ratio for the selected video clips whose display aspect ratio is unknown. · Default stretch mode sets how you want your video to be displayed in the Preview Window. Select Stretch to extend your video to fill out the entire frame without keeping the aspect ratio. Keep aspect ratio (with letterbox) fits the entire video into the Preview Window while Keep aspect ratio (no letterbox) keeps the video proportioned and crops the areas that exceeds the Preview Window. · Default transition effect sets a default transition effect for video clips. When two clips in the same track overlap, a default transition clip will be automatically added to the overlapped region. · Save image deinterlace allows you to save image files and at the same time eliminates the blinking effect from images derived from interlaced video output. · Append project as lets you choose how to insert an existing Video Editor project file into the Timeline. Select Virtual clip if you want to insert it as a single clip just like any normal media clip. Select Part of current project if you want to insert the complete content of the project file into the Timeline. Preferences dialog box: Associate tab · File type specifies the type of file (such as AVI or WAV) you want to associate with a program. · Associated program indicates the program to open whenever the Edit: Open in Associated Program command is selected. · Include trim information allows a video clip opened in the associated program to display any marked portions that you have created in Video Editor. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED 43 Preferences dialog box: Preview tab · Specify additional folders for preview files indicates which folder Video Editor can use to save preview files. Specify other folders if you have additional drives or a partitioned drive. If you only have one drive, leave the other boxes empty. · Hard disk displays how much free space you have left on your hard drive. · Limit hard disk usage to specifies how much memory you want to allocate just for Video Editor's purposes. If you are only using Video Editor 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. If left clear, Video Editor uses your system's memory management to control the use and distribution of memory. Preferences dialog box: Smart Proxy tab · Enable video proxy automatically creates proxy files whenever a video source file is inserted into the Timeline. · Create proxy when video size is (or above) allows you to set the condition as to when proxy files will be generated. If the frame size of a video source file is the same as or is higher than the chosen frame size here, a proxy file will be created for the video file. · Proxy folder sets the folder location to store proxy files. · Video proxy options indicate the settings to be used in generating proxy files. To change the proxy file format or other settings, click Template to choose a template that already contains predefined settings, or click Options to tweak detailed settings. 44 VIDEO EDITOR 2 WORKING WITH THE TIMELINE While organizing your media clips in the Production Library is a necessary first step, the real work occurs on the Timeline. As the name implies, the Timeline is a chronological workspace that allows you to visually lay out your clips, transitions, and overlays. This chapter includes the following sections: Inserting clips Working with tracks Creating nested timelines Working with virtual clips 46 VIDEO EDITOR Inserting clips Clips are the objects that make up your movie. A clip can be an image, a video, a transition, a title, a background color, or an audio file. Following insertion into the Timeline, clips can be trimmed and special effects can be applied without modifying the original source files. This is designed to give you greater confidence in editing your video. To start work on a video project, you need to first insert clips into the Timeline. Once inserted, you can begin to edit and arrange them into your final video production. 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 Video Editor supports. Supported formats include MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DV type 1 & 2 AVI, as well as QuickTime and Flash files. Double-clicking an empty time portion of a video track opens either the Insert Video or Insert Image File dialog box depending on the settings in the Edit tab of the File: Preferences dialog box. If you choose a video file that contains both video and audio data, the clips are placed in both the video and audio tracks: these clips remain connected to maintain synchronicity. (You can separate them by clicking the Clip: Split command.) Clips already in the Production Library can simply be dragged onto the Timeline. You can also drag-and-drop clips directly from Windows Explorer. The files you insert should match the properties of your video project to ensure the best possible output results. When you insert clips, they are placed at the position of your pointer. How inserted clips affect any neighboring clips is determined by the Ripple Editing mode. If you are in Ripple Editing mode, you can insert the clip anywhere you like on a compatible track (even over existing clips) and the clip pushes along any other clips which appear in the same track. If you are not in Ripple Editing mode, you can only insert the clip into an empty clip slot. An empty clip slot starts from the CHAPTER 2: WORKING WITH THE TIMELINE 47 end of one clip and continues to the beginning of the next. (See "Ripple Editing" on page 82 for details). Extracting extra audio tracks In the Insert Video File dialog box, the Tracks button allows you to extract audio files from a video that contains multiple audio clips. With this feature, you can extract any or all the audio clips and insert them on the various audio tracks on the Timeline. To extract an audio track: 1. Select Insert: Video File. 2. Select the file containing the audio clip for extraction. 3. Click Tracks. The Extract Extra Audio Tracks dialog box will appear. 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. 5. Determine the file name, audio file type, and other options. 6. Click OK. If the selected file has only one audio track, the Tracks button is disabled. Click the Play button to listen to the track you have selected. Inserting voiceover In the case of documentaries and presentation videos, narration often helps viewers understand and appreciate the movie's content. Video Editor's voiceover function allows you to incorporate narration and voiceovers into your videos using the following procedure. To insert a voice over: 1. Use the Preview bar to determine the section of the video where you want to add your narration. 48 VIDEO EDITOR Make sure the Project cursor is not over an existing audio clip on the selected Audio track. 2. Select Insert: Voice File. 3. In the Insert Voice File dialog box, test the sensitivity of the microphone by looking at the level meter. You can adjust the recording level of the microphone by going into the Windows Volume Control. 4. Under Audio track selection, choose the audio track where to insert the voiceover. 5. Under Select audio file folder, click the ellipsis button to choose a folder where to save the voiceover file. Click Run Mixer to adjust the recording volume and other recording options. 6. Click Start to begin recording your voice. Press [ESC] to stop recording. CHAPTER 2: WORKING WITH THE TIMELINE 49 Inserting title, color, and silence clips Apart from video, audio, voice over, 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 Chapter 4). Silence and color clips can be used as placeholder clips which can `stand in' for other clips you want to insert later. For example, you may want to start working on a video project, but you have yet to acquire all your source files or some may still be in the editing stage. You can use a color clip to substitute for an image or video clip and a silence clip for an audio clip that will serve as default clips. When it is time to utilize your finished source files, use the Clip: Replace With command to insert these files into the positions that the default clips occupy. Any existing filters, special effects, and/or moving paths are retained by the new clip. 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. Click the Insert Color Clip button in the Timeline Toolbar (You can also click Insert: Color Clip or right-click on a video track and select Color Clip from the pop-up menu.) 2. In the Insert Color Clip dialog box, specify the duration of the clip in the Duration spin box. 3. Choose the color of the clip by clicking the color square or entering RGB values. Click the Pure Color button to quickly insert a solid color clip. 4. Click OK. Drop the clip into position on a video track. If you choose different colors for the start and end key frames, you can create a gradient effect, such as a fade from black to white. The more key frames you add, the greater the variety of colors you can have. For more on adding key frames, see "Using key frame controls in dialog boxes" on page 103. Inserting Ulead video file types MediaStudio Pro supports a number of proprietary file formats for use with the MediaStudio Pro suite of programs. These are Ulead Image Sequence (*.UIS), Ulead CG Infinity (*.UCG) and Ulead Video Paint (*.UVP). You can insert these files into the Timeline whenever you open the Insert Video File dialog box and 50 VIDEO EDITOR choose their respective file types from the Files of type list. It is always best to insert the actual project files for any projects you have created in one of these other programs as they have not been rendered or compressed in any way and thus maintain the highest quality. Ulead CG Infinity and Video Paint files are not supported in the MediaStudio Pro Standard Edition. Inserting UIS files The UIS file type is a special format that allows you to select a sequence of images to be loaded into a video project with the Insert Video File command. These images can be from any source, such as animation Targa files or even a hand drawn series of images created in a drawing program. The only restriction is that these files must have consecutively numbered file names, such as vid0001.tga, vid0002.tga, vid0003.tga and so on. Any image sequence can easily be converted to a UIS by using the File: Convert command. Inserting soundtracks from third-party music Video Editor's Auto Music feature lets you easily create composer-quality soundtracks from royalty-free music and use them as background music in your project. You can have different tempos or musical instrument variations per music. Auto Music Maker utilizes the patented SmartSound Quicktracks technology in soundtrack creation and features a variety of SmartSound royalty-free music. To create soundtracks using Auto Music: 1. Select Insert: Auto Music. 2. To choose from the royalty-free music library that's supplied with Video Editor, select Owned from the Scope menu, then choose the music that you want from the Music list. To view the complete selection of SmartSound libraries, select All from the Scope menu. When you choose a music that is not supplied with Video Editor, it will be downloaded for preview only. You need to purchase the music if you want to use it.