Cyberlink ActionDirector - 1.0 Instruction Manual
CyberLink
ActionDirector
User's Guide
Copyright and Disclaimer
All rights reserved.
To the extent allowed by law, ActionDirector IS PROVIDED “AS IS”,
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY FOR
INFORMATION, SERVICES, OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED THROUGH OR IN
CONNECTION WITH ActionDirector AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,
EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
BY USING THIS SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE THAT CYBERLINK WILL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS
ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE OR MATERIALS
CONTAINED EITHER IN THIS PACKAGE.
The terms and conditions here under shall be governed and
construed in accordance with the laws of Taiwan.
ActionDirector is a registered trademark along with other company
and product names mentioned in this publication, used for
identification purposes and remain the exclusive property of their
respective owners.
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby and the
double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 1995-2005 Dolby
Laboratories. All rights reserved.
For DTS patents, see http://patents.dts.com. Manufactured under
license from DTS Licensing Limited. DTS, the Symbol, & DTS and the
Symbol together are registered trademarks, and DTS 5.1 Producer is a
trademark of DTS, Inc. © DTS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
International Headquarters
Mailing Address CyberLink Corporation
15F., No. 100, Minquan Rd., Xindian Dist.
New Taipei City 231, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Web Site http://www.cyberlink.com
Telephone 886-2-8667-1298
Fax 886-2-8667-1385
Copyright © 2016 CyberLink Corporation. All rights reserved.
Contents
Introduction
................................................................................................1Welcome
.................................................................................................1DirectorZone
.................................................................................................2ActionDirector Versions
................................................................................................3System Requirements
ActionDirector Projects
................................................................................................4Setting Project Aspect Ratio
................................................................................................5Opening Saved Projects
................................................................................................5Exporting Projects
Storyboard Window
................................................................................................6Rooms
................................................................................................7Library Window
.................................................................................................8Searching the Library
.................................................................................................9Filtering Media in the Library
.................................................................................................10Library Menu
................................................................................................11Preview Window
.................................................................................................11Preview Player Controls
.................................................................................................12Taking a Scree n Snapshot
.................................................................................................12Preview /Display Options
.................................................................................................13Zoom In/Out
................................................................................................13Expanding the Library/Preview Window
................................................................................................13Function Buttons
Importing Media
..................................................1
..................................................4
..................................................6
..................................................15
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................................................................................................15Importing Media Files
.................................................................................................16Importing ActionDirector Projects
Downloading Effects and Templates from
................................................................................................16
DirectorZone
Adding Video Clips and Images to
the Storyboard
Editing Media on the Storyboard
................................................................................................23Splitting a Clip
................................................................................................24Trimming Video Clips
................................................................................................26Cropping Images
................................................................................................27Rotating Media Clips
................................................................................................27Making Color Adjustments
................................................................................................28Fixing Video Clips
................................................................................................30Setting a Media Clip's Duration
................................................................................................30Changing the Shape of Media
Adding Action Effects in the Action
Camera Center
................................................................................................34Creating Action Effects on Video Clips
................................................................................................37Action Camera Center Settings
................................................................................................37Changing the Action Camera Center Content
Adding Video Effects
..................................................17
..................................................23
..................................................33
..................................................39
Adding Title Effects
.................................................................................................41Adding Text and Backgrounds
.................................................................................................42Modifying Title Effe ct Position
.................................................................................................43Modifying Title Text Properties
.................................................................................................44Applying Animation Effects to Title Text
Using Transitions
ii
..................................................40
................................................................................................40Modifying Titles in the Title Designer
..................................................45
................................................................................................45Adding Transitions to a Single Clip
................................................................................................46Adding Transitions Between Two Clips
Adding Background Music
..................................................47
Producing Your Project
Using the Theme Designer
.................................................................................................58What are Theme Templates?
.................................................................................................59Importing Media Files into the Theme Designer
.................................................................................................66Taking Snapshots from Videos
ActionDirector Preferences
..................................................49
................................................................................................49Utilizing Intelligent SVRT
................................................................................................50Producing and Saving to a Video File
................................................................................................51Uploading Video to Online Media Sites
..................................................57
................................................................................................58Overview
................................................................................................61Adding Theme Templates/Sequences
................................................................................................63Adding Media Clips
................................................................................................66Importing More Media Files
................................................................................................67Editing Media Clips
................................................................................................68Editing Background Music
................................................................................................70Editing Title Text
................................................................................................70Replacing Background Images
................................................................................................71Adding Transitions Between Sequences
................................................................................................71Previewing and Saving
..................................................73
................................................................................................73General Preferences
................................................................................................73DirectorZone Preferences
................................................................................................74Editing Preferences
................................................................................................74File Preferences
................................................................................................75Hardware Acceleration Preferences
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................................................................................................75Project Preferences
................................................................................................76Produce Preferences
................................................................................................76Improvement Program Preferences
ActionDirector Hotkeys
..................................................78
Appendix
.................................................................................................83License s and Copyrights
Technical Support
..................................................81
................................................................................................81Intelligent SVRT: When Is Used?
................................................................................................82Licensing and Copyright Information
..................................................95
................................................................................................95Before Contacting Technical Support
................................................................................................96Web Support
................................................................................................96Help Resources
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Introduction
Note: this document is for reference and informational use only. Its content
and the corresponding program are subject to change without notice.
Note: you can also quickly access your saved ActionDirector projects in
the Welcome window. See Opening Saved Projects for more information.
Chapter 1:
Introduction
This chapter introduces CyberLink ActionDirector, outlines its key features, and
reviews the minimum system requirements for the program.
Welcome
Welcome to the CyberLink family of digital media tools. CyberLink ActionDirector is
a digital video editing program designed specifically for action camera
enthus iasts li ke you, as it helps you quickly create high-impact, pro-looking
videos that showcase the action.
When you launch the program from the start menu, or the CyberLink
ActionDirector shortcut on the desktop, you are prompted to choose one of the
following editing modes:
· Storyboard: select this option to edit your video on the storyboard.
Storyboard editing is a flexible and very intuitive way to quickly create your
video. See Storyboard Window for an overview of the storyboard and the
editing features it includes.
· Theme Designer: in the Theme Designer you can use theme templates to
create impressive, professional looking videos with style, almost instantly. See
Using the Theme Designer for more information and detailed steps on using
this feature.
DirectorZone
DirectorZone is a free web service that lets you search for and download theme
templates, title templates, and transitions created by CyberLink and other users of
CyberLink software.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: you can prevent CyberLink ActionDirector from auto checking for
updates/upgrades in General Preferences.
To access the benefits of DirectorZone, you can sign in by:
· clic king the S ign in to DirectorZone link in the top right corner of the
CyberLink ActionDirector window.
· clic king the button at the top of the window to open the ActionDirector
preferences, and then on the DirectorZone tab. See DirectorZone Preferences
for more information.
Also, be sure to periodically click the button to check out the latest
DirectorZone B ulletin and view the Popular templates on DirectorZone. Just click
in either of these sections in the Notifications window to view the bulletin or
download these templates. Or go to http://directorzone.cyberlink.com to find out
more information on the features and benefits of the DirectorZone web service.
ActionDirector Versions
The features that are available to you within CyberLink ActionDirector are
completely dependent on the version you have installed on your computer.
To determine your version of CyberLink ActionDirector, click on the CyberLink
ActionDirector logo in the top left corner or select ? > About CyberLink
ActionDirector.
Updating ActionDirector
Software upgrades and updates (patches) are periodically available from CyberLink.
CyberLink ActionDirector automatically prompts you when either is available.
To update your software, do this:
1. Click the button to open the Notifications window.
2. Check the New Updates and U pgrade Info sections.
3. Select an item in these sections to open your web browser, where you can
purchase product upgrades or download the latest patch update.
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Introduction
Note: you must connect to the Internet to use this feature.
System R equirements
Operating S ystem
· Microsoft Windows 10, 8.1/8, 7, Vista (SP2).
Scr een R esolution
· 1024 x 768, 16-bit color.
CPU Pr ocessor
· Intel Core i3 or AMD A6.
Graphics Card
· ATI/AMD: Radeon HD 7000 series.
· NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 600 series.
· Intel HD Graphics.
Memory
· 2 GB.
Hard D isk Space (I nstallation)
· 2 GB for installation.
Internet Connection
· Required for program activation, online
services and activation of some import/
export formats.
Other
· Windows Media Player 9 or above.
Note: please consult the CyberLink web site (http://www.cyberlink.com) for
the most recent system requirements information.
System Requirements
The system requirements listed below are recommended as minimums for general
digital video production work.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: a CyberLink ActionDirector project (.acs) file essentially contains a
list of the media clips and effects used in your project, and a log of all the
edits you want to make to your media. Project files do not include the media
clips in them. If you want to save all your video production files in one place,
use the Pack Project Materials function. To do this select, File > Pa ck
Proj ect M aterials from the menu.
Chapter 2:
ActionDirector Projects
When working on a new video production, click the button to save it as a .acs
file, a project file format that is used exclusively by CyberLink ActionDirector. These
project files can be imported directly into the storyboard, if required. See Importing
ActionDirector Projects for more information.
Use the options in the File menu to save, create new, or open existing projects in
CyberLink ActionDirector. When you create a new project, CyberLink ActionDirector
resets your media library. If you want to create a new video production using the
same media that's currently in your library, select File > N ew Workspace.
The changes you make to your media in CyberLink ActionDirector do not affect the
original media you imported into the program. Since your edits are all saved in the
project file, you can trim, edit, or remove clips, but still keep your original files on
your hard drive, untouched. So let yourself get creative. If you end up changing
things too drastically, you can always start over.
Setting Project Aspect Ratio
To set the aspect ratio for your project, and your outputted video, select 4:3, 9:16,
or 16:9 from the aspect ratio drop-down at the top of the window.
The preview window changes according to the aspect ratio you select.
4
ActionDirecto r Projects
Opening Saved Projects
You can open previously saved projects at any time when in the storyboard window
by selecting Open Project from the File menu. You can also open projects directly
on the ActionDirector launch window.
The most recent projects you were working on display at the bottom of launch
window. Just click the project thumbnail to open it, or click See m or e to find
another saved project.
Exporting Projects
You can export your CyberLink ActionDirector projects by packing all the materials
in a folder on your computer's hard drive. Exported projects can then be imported
into another computer running CyberLink ActionDirector.
To export your project to a folder select File > Pack Proj ect Materials.
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Chapter 3:
Storyboard Window
In the storyboard window is where you edit together your video production. The
storyboard is a large graphical display of all the video clips and images in your
video production. When you select Storyboard on the CyberLink ActionDirector
launch window, the program displays as follows.
A - I mport Medi a, B - Medi a Ro om, C - L ibrary Wind ow, D - Title Effects Ro om, E - Transitio ns Roo ms, F
- ActionDi rector P references, G - Preview Window , H - Z oom I n/Out, I - Add B ackground Musi c, J Produc e Vid eo, K - Preview Quality/Di splay Options, L - Take Sna pshot, M - P review P layer Con trols,
N - Storyboa rd Workspac e, O - Func tion Bu ttons
Rooms
There are three rooms in the storyboard window of CyberLink ActionDirector:
· Media r oom: this room contains all the video files and images that you import
into CyberLink ActionDirector. See Importing Media for information on
importing media into this window, or Adding Video Clips and Images to the
Storyboard to learn how to add media files to the storyboard workspace.
· Title room : this room contains a library of title effects that when applied to
6
Storyb oard Windo w
your project, add credits or comments to your production. For more
inform ation, see Adding Title Effects.
· Transition room: this room contains transitions that you can use on or
between clips in your project. Transitions let you control how media appears
and disappears in your project, and changes from one clip to the next. For
more inform ation, see Using Transitions.
Library Window
The library window contains all of the media you in CyberLink ActionDirector,
including your video files and images. When you are in other rooms (Title Room,
Transition Room, etc.) it contains the effects, titles, and transitions you apply to
your media.
The media content and available buttons that display in the library window depend
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: if you cannot see all of the media or content in a specific room, you
can resize the library window to display it. See Expanding the Library/
Preview Window for more information.
Note: click on to clear the search results.
on the room you are currently in.
Searching the Library
If you are looking for specific media files, effects, or templates in a library window,
use the search function to find them.
To search in the library, do this:
1. Enter in a keyword in the search field located on top of the library window.
2. CyberLink ActionDirector filters the content in the library window based on
the keywords entered.
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Storyb oard Windo w
Filtering Media in the Library
You can filter the media files that are in the library by file type, using the two
buttons above the library window. Click these buttons to hide media so you can
more easily find what you are looking for.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Library Menu
Click on to access the library menu. In the library menu you can sort the
content in a room by name, date created, file size, and more. You can also select all
the content in the room or change the media/effect thumbnail display size. Other
options that are available in the library menu, but are dependent on the specific
10
Storyb oard Windo w
Note: you can resize the preview window to fit your personal preference.
See Expanding the Library/Preview Window for more information.
room you are in.
Preview Window
While creating your video production, you can preview it in the preview window
using the available player controls.
Preview Player Controls
With the player controls you can preview your production as you edit, including
playing your project from the current storyboard position, or pausing and stopping
playback.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: Full HD and HD preview resolution are only available when
CyberLink ActionDirector is installed on a 64-bit operating system.
Use the button to select a seek by method (frame, second, minute, segment)
and then use the buttons on either side of it for a more precise step through of your
current video production. You can also click and drag the playback slider, or enter
in a specific timecode in the time field, and then press the enter key on your
keyboard to quickly find a specific scene.
Taking a Screen Snapshot
While previewing your project, you can take a still screen snapshot and save it as a
JPG image file. To do this click the button on the player controls.
Preview/Display Options
CyberLink ActionDirector includes some preview and display options that help
make your editing experience easier. Click on to set the preview quality or
display grid lines on the preview window.
Preview Quality
Click , select Preview Quality, and then a preview quality from the list (Full HD*,
HD*, high, normal, low) to set the resolution/quality of the video used when
previewing your video in the preview window. The higher the quality you select, the
more resources that are required to preview your video project.
Grid Lines
When you place media on the storyboard, use the grid lines to help with the precise
placement on your video project's image. Click the button, select Grid Lines,
and then select the number of lines you want to display in a grid over the video
image. Use this grid to more precisely place the title text or PiP media on the video
image.
Once enabled, media and title effects will snap to the grid lines on the preview
12
Storyb oard Windo w
window.
Zoom In/Out
When you place media on the storyboard, use the Fit drop-down underneath the
preview window to zoom in or out on the video. Zooming in is useful for precise
placement of media on the preview window.
Expanding the Library/Preview Window
You can expand the size of the library and the preview window to fit your personal
preference.
Simply drag the border between the library window and the preview window to
resize them to your liking. This allows you to get the most out of your display
device space by customizing the size of the preview window, or increasing the
amount of content you can view in the media, title, or transition room.
Function Buttons
When you select media that is on the storyboard, whether it's a video clip, image,
effect, title effect, etc., several function buttons display above the storyboard. These
buttons let you perform a variety of tasks or gain access to some important features
of CyberLink ActionDirector.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
The function buttons that are available depend on the type of media content you
select. However, whenever you select media, the is always displayed. Click
to remove the selected media content from the storyboard.
14
Impo rting Me dia
Note: media you import is saved in the current CyberLink ActionDirector
project you are working on. You can also select Fi le > New Wor kspace to
create a new project, while maintaining the current media in the library.
Note: if you import media files that are on a removable device into the
media library, they will be removed if the removable device is disconnected.
For best results, it is recommended that you copy the media to your
computer's hard drive before importing.
Note: ** to enable, you must download the DivX codec online. Available on
Windows 32bit only.
Chapter 4:
Importing Media
The first step when using CyberLink ActionDirector is to import your video clips and
photos into the media room library. You can import videos and images one by one,
or import the entire contents of a folder into the program.
Importing Media Files
If you already have video and image files that you want to use in your production
on your computer's hard drive, you can import the files directly into CyberLink
Action Director's media library in the Media Room. You can also import media files
that are on a removable device.
CyberLink ActionDirector supports the following file formats:
Image: Animated-GIF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF
CyberLink ActionDirector also supports the import of the following camera RAW
image formats, which are then converted to JPEG once imported: ARW (SONY), CR2
(Canon), DNG (Ricoh), ERF (Epson), KDC (Kodak), MRW (Konica Minolta), NEF (Nikon),
NRW (Nikon), ORF (OLYMPUS), PEF (Pentax), RAF (Fujifilm), RW2 (Panasonic), SR2
(SONY), SRF (SONY)
Video: 3GPP2, AVCHD (M2T, MTS), AVI, DAT, DivX**, DV-AVI, DVR-MS, DSLR video
clip in H.264 format with LPCM/AAC, FLV (H.264), MKV, MP4 (XAVC S), MOD, MOV ,
MOV (H.264), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264), MVC (MTS), TOD, VOB, VRO,
WMV, WMV-HD, WTV in H.264/MPEG2 (multiple video and audio streams).
PowerPoint files: CyberLink ActionDirector supports the import of PowerPoint files
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: you can also drag and drop media onto the CyberLink ActionDirector
window to import it into the program.
in the PPT and PPTX formats. During import, each of the PowerPoint slides are
converted to PNG image files, which are then added to the media library.
To import media into CyberLink ActionDirector, click and then select one of the
following options:
· Im port Media F iles: import media files individually.
· Im port a Media F older: import the entire contents of a folder that contains the
media files you want to use in your current project.
Importing ActionDirector Projects
CyberLink ActionDirector projects (.acs files) you worked on and saved previously
can be imported and then directly inserted into your video production's storyboard.
To do this, select F ile > Insert Project from the menu. All of the media in the
original project will be imported into the current project's media library, and also
inserted at the current position of the storyboard slider.
Downloading Effects and Templates from DirectorZone
If you are looking for additional title effects or transitions for your library, you can
click D ownload Templates to download them directly from the DirectorZone web
site in to the Title Room or Transition Room.
Visit the DirectorZone web site for more information: www.directorzone.com.
16
Addin g Vide o Clips and Image s to the Sto rybo ard
Chapter 5:
Adding Video Clips and
Images to the Storyboard
To start creating your video production, begin adding video clips and images to the
storyboard. To add a media clip to the storyboard, just select it in the media room
and then drag and drop it on the storyboard.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
18
Addin g Vide o Clips and Image s to the Sto rybo ard
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Cyb erLink Action Director
20
Addin g Vide o Clips and Image s to the Sto rybo ard
Repeat this process to continue adding your media clips to the storyboard. You add
the media clips in the order that tells the story you want to tell.
You do not have to add the media clips after the last clip on the storyboard. They
can also be dragged and dropped between two existing clips.
If the media clips are not in the correct sequence on the storyboard, you can click
and drag them to different positions.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
22
Editin g Med ia on the Story board
Chapter 6:
Editing Media on the
Storyboard
Once you have your video clips and images on the storyboard you can start editing
them. Editing is a broad term that encompasses a number of different functions,
including splitting, trimming, applying fixes, and much more.
This section describes all of the editing processes you can perform on your media
clips.
Splitting a Clip
You can quickly split a media clip that is on the storyboard into two separate clips.
To do this, move the playback slider (or use the player controls) to the position in
the clip where you want to split it. Next, click the button above the
storyboard to separate it into two clips.
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Cyb erLink Action Director
Note: when you trim video clips, the program does not delete any of the
original source media's content. It just marks the requested edits on the
clips and then applies the edits when it renders the final video during
production.
You can also use it to quickly remove unwanted portions of a media clip, or if you
want to insert other media between the two portions.
Trimming Video Clips
Use the trim functions to remove unwanted portions from the beginning and/or
ends of a video clip.
To trim a video clip, select it on the storyboard and then click the button
above the storyboard.
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