Cyberlink PowerDirector - 2.1 Operation Manual

Page 1

Page 2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of CyberLink Corporation.

To the extent allowed by the laws, POWERDIRECTOR 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 POWERDIRECTOR 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, Republic of China.

PowerDirector 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.

International Headquarters: CyberLink Corporation, 15F, No.100, Min-Chiuan Road, Hsin-Tian City, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Web site: support.gocyberlink.com

Telephone #: 886-2-8667-1298

Fax #: 886-2-8667-1467

Page 3

9291

9292

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................... 1

The Digital Video Universe ..............................................................3

The DV Format: A Brief History .................................................3

FireWire ..........................................................................................4

System Requirements ........................................................................5

Hardware Requirements ..............................................................5

A Visual Overview ......................................................... 7

1. Library ..............................................................................................9

2. Storyboard ..................................................................................... 10

3. Preview Window ..........................................................................11

4. Modes Wheel ................................................................................13

Capture Mode ...................................................................................14

DV VCR Capture Mode .............................................................. 15

DV Batch Capture Mode ............................................................17

Trim Mode .........................................................................................19

Speed Mode .......................................................................................21

Titles Mode ........................................................................................22

Effects Mode ......................................................................................23

Picture-in-Picture Mode ..................................................................24

Audio Mode ...................................................................................... 25

Transitions Mode .............................................................................. 26

9293

The Basics .................................................................... 27

Importing into the Library ..............................................................27

Previewing your Library Files ........................................................29

Detecting Scenes ...............................................................................31

Storyboard Functions ......................................................................34

Menu Selections ................................................................................36

File Menu ......................................................................................36

Page 4

9294

9295

9296

Edit Menu ..................................................................................... 37

Modes Menu ................................................................................37

Storyboard Menu ........................................................................ 38

Help Menu ...................................................................................38

Preferences ........................................................................................39

General Preferences ....................................................................39

Display Preferences ..................................................................... 40

Capture Preferences ....................................................................41

Preview Preferences ....................................................................43

Capturing Content ....................................................... 45

Capturing Video and Audio ........................................................... 46

Capturing from DV Camcorders ...................................................50

Capturing from DV Camera Mode ...........................................50

Capturing from DV VCR Mode ................................................ 53

Batch Capturing from DV Camcorders ........................................ 56

Trimming Video ........................................................... 61

Trim Mode .........................................................................................61

Splitting the Video File ...............................................................63

Trim Mode for Image Files ............................................................. 64

Altering Speed and Supplying Video Effects ............ 67

Altering Speeds ................................................................................ 67

Supplying Video Effects .................................................................. 69

9297

Adding Titles and Transitions .................................... 73

Titles Mode ........................................................................................73

Transitions Mode .............................................................................. 77

Adding Audio and Pictures ........................................ 79

9298

Audio Mode ...................................................................................... 79

Master Audio .................................................................................... 82

Picture-in-Picture Mode ..................................................................84

Applying Image Color Filters .................................................... 85

Master Watermark ...........................................................................86

Page 5

9299

Producing Your Movie ................................................ 87

Producing General MPEG-1 Files ..................................................88

Producing General MPEG-2 Files ..................................................91

Creating Custom MPEG Profiles ................................................... 94

Producing Windows Media Files ...................................................96

Producing AVI Files ......................................................................... 99

Setting AVI Profiles ...................................................................102

Producing Movies on a Disc .........................................................104

Technical Support ..................................................... 107

Web Support ...................................................................................107

Fax Support .....................................................................................107

Telephone Support ......................................................................... 108

Appendix .................................................................... 109

What Is MPEG? ............................................................................... 109

NTSC and PAL ...............................................................................110

Glossary ..................................................................... 111

Index ........................................................................... 117

iii

Page 6

Page 7

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Ever thought about directing your own movie? How about having all the creative controls and being in charge of the entire editing and post-production process? Well, today’s computing technology has made all this possible for anyone who has recording devices, capture devices, a computer, and of course, the sensational new software application, PowerDirector Standard.

Admittingly, video editing software is not without its drawbacks. Since the advent of computers and its incredible growth in usage and processing speed power, video editing software applications have taken off to astronomical heights. Yet, a great inherent limitation, such as requiring a huge amount of disk space because of the raw video data it captures, still remains. This is why many still choose to edit with analog devices.

What makes PowerDirector the megastar of its industry in one quick flash is its ability to save precious producing time because of its Smart Video Rendering Technology (SVRT). Say goodbye to raw video data, which is usually captured in .AVI format, and say hello to plenty of hard drive space with the MPEG and DV AVI formats. No additional compression nor decompression is required when producing scenes with MPEG or DV AVI formats that do not contain effects, which saves you huge amounts of time compared to our competitors that compress and decompress the entire movie regardless!

And adding SVRT wonderful features that simply enthrall, amaze and stupefy including:

 altering video speeds

 detecting scenes

 capturing directly from DV camcorders in real-time or non real-time

 adding titles to clips

 adding audio streams to clips

 picture-in-pictures (adding video or images to an existing video clip)

Page 8

Chapter 1

 a huge collection of transitions, video and titles effects

 master audio files

 watermarks

...and there is nothing left to be desired!

Page 9

Introduction

The Digital Video Universe

Profit outlooks and shrinking demand in the technology industry not-withstanding, the digital video revolution is well underway. There are still home videos to be edited, videos to be distributed, and full length movies to be produced. In previous generations, video editing and recording was accomplished through analog means by video professionals who had access to high-priced machinery and video equipment. Thus, many of those who wished to edit home footage or videos, if they were lucky enough to have it recorded in the first place, never had the chance to display their creative prowess when it came to video editing unless it involved enrolling in film schools and obtaining access to production studios.

When the computer descended upon our lives and immersed itself in our world, it was only a matter of time until processing speeds were incredibly fast and disk space was vast enough to begin editing video at home with software applications that didn’t require expensive video specialists, equipment or any other gadgets.

And coinciding with the computer industry’s major influence was the birth of the DV (digital video) format, an international standard intended for consumer use, back in 1995.

The DV Format: A Brief History

Like a seamless emergence and natural coalescence with desktop video editing, the advent and proliferation of DV camcorders were sure to spark continued interest in the infinite possibilities of digital video. What began back in 1995 and a DV format agreement reached by a consortium of companies that included Hitachi, Ltd., Sony Corp, Sharp Corporation, Thompson Multimedia, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Victor Corporation of Japan (JVC), Matsushita Electric Industrial Corp. (Panasonic), Philips Electronics, Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., and Toshiba Corporation, is still being ironed out until this day in terms of a consensual format.

The frontrunners at the time and still are until this day, are Sony and Matsushita (Panasonic), which beat out the competition with their consumer releases hitting the market first. Soon after though, the format wars began with professional DV variants such as DVCAM (Sony) and DVCPRO (JVC) despite the DV format agreement. Luckily, the basic DV format is still intact, but other factors were altered (i.e. tape type, track pitch and width) so we are still left with backward-compatible formats or incompatible formats between models from differing companies. Hopefully, this won’t impact or trickle down to the consumer segment anytime soon.

What exactly is the DV format then? To start with, it has a 5:1 compression ratio and its compression technology is quite similar to MPEG (e.g. DVD Video format).

Tips : For more information on MPEG, refer to "What Is MPEG?" on page 109.

Page 10

Chapter 1

The difference is that it relies more on intraframe compression where each compressed frame will depend entirely on itself and not on data from preceding or following frames like MPEG. However, the DV format does incorporate the use of adaptive interfield compression where two extremely similar interlaced fields of a frame will be compressed together to save space.

The analog generation is slowly witnessing its demise. There is still room left for analog technology, but as the DV format perfects its compression technology and enhances their non-linear editing (NLE) friendliness, the analog generation will soon be outdated, fainting memories from a bygone era. Add to this the continued popularity of video editing software and the uncompromising blazing speed of computer processing power, and the perfect union between DV recording and editing couldn’t be any more natural or fitting.

FireWire

In the early courting stages of video editing software and DV format recording, there had to be an intermediary between the two technologies to make it a success, because as you know from analog transference, there is always data lost from the original source. FireWire, or IEEE-1394, is this unerring technology when it comes to data loss, as in “lossless” transfer. A serial data transfer protocol and interconnection (bi-directional) system, FireWire transmits digital video (DV) offering a higher transfer rate and incorporating the use of hot-plugging technology (i.e. connecting and disconnecting without shutting down the host computer).

Page 11

Introduction

System Requirements

 Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP

Hardware Requirements

 Pentium II 450 or above

Note: For hardware requirements when capturing from your DV camcorder or analog devices, please refer to the most up-to-date Readme.

 200MB of free hard drive disk (HDD) space

 Video capture devices (optional)

 capture cards (PCI, USB, FireWire or other FireWire formats)

 DV camcorder or DV VCR

 analog camcorders or VCRs in 8mm, Hi8, VHS, VHS-C or Beta formats

 digital camera

 PC camera

 Playback

 Internet Streaming: Pentium II 266 with MMX Technology, Microsoft

Windows Media Player 7.0, IE 5.0

 Desktop Slide Show: Pentium II 266 with MMX Technology

Page 12

Chapter 1

Page 13

CHAPTER 2: A VISUAL OVERVIEW

Note: Images of the Modes Wheel contained in this chapter will be based on the PowerDirector Pro version.

1 3 A B C42

Button/Icon Description

A i-Power Activates i-Power on the Web for resources

B Minimize Minimizes PowerDirector

Page 14

Chapter 2

Button/Icon Description

C Exit Exits PowerDirector

D Volume Adjusts volume

1 Library Refer to "1. Library" on page 9

2 Storyboard Refer to "2. Storyboard" on page 10

3Preview

Refer to "3. Preview Window" on page 11

Windo w

4 Modes Wheel Refer to "4. Modes Wheel" on page 13

Page 15

1. Library

ACDB EHIF GA

Button/Icon Description

A Show All Media Shows all media files in Library

B Show Video Shows all video files in Library

A Visual Overview

C Show Audio Shows all audio files in Library

D Show Images Shows all image files in Library

E Detect Scenes Detects scenes for a selected file in the Library

F Import Media Imports media files

G Import Directory Imports all media files in a directory

H Large Icons Displays Library media files as large icons

I Details Displays Library media files with file details

Page 16

Chapter 2

2. Storyboard

B C

D E

Button/Icon Description

A Play Movie Plays your movie (preview before producing)

B Master Watermark Activates Master Watermark mode

C Master Audio Activates Master Audio mode

D Scroll Left Scrolls Storyboard left

E Scroll Right Scrolls Storyboard right

Page 17

3. Preview Window

A Visual Overview

ADBFCGHIE

Button/Icon Description

A Pause Pauses file

B Stop Stops playing file

C Play Plays file

D Start To start of file

E Apply Applies clip to Storyboard (if applicable)

F End To end of file

G Previous Frame Moves to previous frame

H Next Frame Moves to next frame

Page 18

Chapter 2

Button/Icon Description

I Record Records file (if applicable depending on mode)

Page 19

4. Modes Wheel

A B

F G

Button/Icon Description

A Preview Mode Switches to the default Preview Mode

B Trim Mode Switches to Trim Mode

C Speed Mode Switches to Speed Mode

D Titles Mode Switches to Titles Mode

E Effects Mode Switches to Effects Mode

A Visual Overview

F PiP Mode Switches to Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode

G Audio Mode Switches to Audio Mode

H Transitions

Mode

I Capture Mode Switches to Capture Mode

J Produce Movie Switches to Produce Movie

Switches to Transitions Mode

Page 20

Chapter 2

Capture Mode

A B DC

Button/Icon Description

A Audio Capture Captures audio source only

B Video Capture Captures video and audio source (if applicable)

CDV Capture Captures DV source

D Setup Setups for audio/video sources and profiles

Page 21

DV VCR Capture Mode

H NJ LGA D IC FEB K M O

A Visual Overview

Button/Icon Description

A Total Time Denotes total time captured from DV tape

B Pause Pauses DV tape playback

Current Tape

Timec ode

D Stop Stops recording file (may also stop DV tape

E Play Plays DV tape

F Seek Seeks tape’s timecode

G Rewind Rewinds DV tape

H Fast Forward Fast forwards DV tape

I Previous Frame Goes to DV tape’s previous frame

Denotes current time position of your DV tape

playback)

Page 22

Chapter 2

Button/Icon Description

J Shuttle Shuttles DV tape

K Next Frame Goes to DV tape’s next frame

L Record Records/captures DV tape content

MNon Real-time/

Real-time

Captures in non real-time (default) or real-time

Capture

N Instant/Batch

Capture Modes

Switches from Instant Capturing to Batch Capturing and vice-versa

O Snapshot Takes an instant snapshot

Page 23

DV Batch Capture Mode

F J K LMHEA C GB D I

A Visual Overview

Button/Icon Description

A Mark In Marks in for beginning of batch task

Current Tape

Timec ode

C Stop Stops batch capturing

D Seek Seeks tape’s timecode

E Rewind Rewinds DV tape

F Fast Forward Fast forwards DV tape

G Mark Out Marks out for beginning of batch task

H Shuttle Shuttles DV tape

INon Real-time/

Real-time Capture

Denotes current time position of your DV tape

Captures in non real-time (default) or real-time

Page 24

Chapter 2

Button/Icon Description

J Instant/Batch

Capture Modes

Switches from Instant Capturing to Batch Capturing (not pictured) and vice-versa

K Add Task Adds new batch capturing task

L Remove Task Removes batch capturing task

MStart Selected

Starts selected batch capturing task(s)

Ta sk (s )

Page 25

Trim Mode

A Visual Overview

CB DA G JE IF H

Button/Icon Description

A Mark In Marks in for beginning of trimmed clip

Time Slider

Position

C Mark Out Marks out for end of trimmed clip

D Total Time Total time of trimmed clip

E Split Video Splits current clip into two at the time slider

F Reset Mark In Resets mark in position

G Revert Reverts to clip’s original trim effects

H Reset Mark Out Resets mark out position

I Snapshot Takes snapshot

Denotes current time slider position

position

Page 26

Chapter 2

Button/Icon Description

J Clear Clears all trim effects

Page 27

Speed Mode

A Visual Overview

BA DC

Button/Icon Description

A Decrease Speed Decreases speed of video

B Revert Reverts to clip’s original speed effects

C Clear Clears all speed effects

D Increase Speed Increases speed of video

Page 28

Chapter 2

Titles Mode

BA D GFC E

Button/Icon Description

A Mark In Marks in for beginning of title effect

B Mark Out Marks out for end of title effect

C Add Title Adds new title to clip

D Revert Reverts to clip’s original title effects

E Remove Title Removes title from clip

F Set Font Sets font options

G Clear Clears all title effects

Page 29

Effects Mode

Button/Icon Description

A Visual Overview

A B

A Revert Reverts to clip’s original video effects

B Clear Clears all video effects

Page 30

Chapter 2

Picture-in-Picture Mode

A CB

Button/Icon Description

A Revert Reverts to clip’s original picture effects

Eyedropper

C Clear Clears all picture effects

Selects image color to be filtered

Page 31

Audio Mode

A Visual Overview

A FEB DC

Button/Icon Description

Volume Mixing Drag slider for mixing volume for user-defined

B Add Audio Adds new audio file to clip

C Revert Reverts to clip’s original audio effects

D Remove Audio Removes audio file from clip

E Trim Audio Trims audio file

F Clear Clears all audio effects

audio files

Page 32

Chapter 2

Transitions Mode

Button/Icon Description

DA BC

Decrease

Transiti o n Length

B Revert Reverts to clip’s original transition effects

Increase

Transiti o n Length

D Clear Clears all transition effects

Decreases time for the selected transition

Increases time for the selected transition

Page 33

CHAPTER 3: THE BASICS

It’s time to get started with the basics before your mesmeric and uninhibited effects are added. The ensuing sections will outline how to begin by importing your media files into the PowerDirector Library and previewing these files. Later, you will get accustomed to the Storyboard, your menus and then wrap things up with choosing your specific Preferences.

Importing into the Library

The first step in almost all video editing software applications is to import media files into the software application itself. This area of the software application where the imported files reside is the Library.

1 After you have started the PowerDirector application, click Import Media

or choose File > Import > Media Files.

 Click Import Directory to import all media files in a given directory.

Select the folder and click OK.

2 Select the files to be imported by clicking. To select multiple files, press

<SHIFT> while clicking to select continuous files or press <CTRL> while clicking to select discontinuous files.

3 Click Open. The file(s) will now be imported to PowerDirector’s Library.

Page 34

Chapter 3

 To Show Vid eo, Audio, Images or All, click the appropriate

icon in the top left corner.

 The files will appear in the Library. Click Large Icons or click

Details to change the view to a text view along with some of its

associated file properties.

 You may also right-click on a specific file for a menu. Select

one of the options to Preview, Apply to Storyboard, Import New File(s) to Library, Remove from Library, View Scenes

or Detect Scenes. Please refer to the appropriate sections for more information.

 Right-click anywhere in the Library area when no files

are selected for another menu. Here, you may change your view, import files, sort, and also choose Up One Level if you are in a scenes subfolder. Refer to "Detecting Scenes" on page 31 for more information.

Page 35

The Basics

Previewing your Library Files

Previewing Library files simply plays your original files like any other Media Player.

1 After you have imported your files into the Library, begin previewing by

dragging the files into the Preview Window or double-click on them. The mode will instantly switch to Preview.

2 Click Play to begin playing your file if it’s a video or audio clip.

 You may also skip directly to the Start of the file or to the End .

 Other common commands are Pause, Stop, Next Frame and Previous Frame.

The best way to utilize the Next Frame and Previous Frame commands are during the Pause and Stop modes. However, you may click them during playback, which will then switch into Pause mode.

 Drag and release the Time Slider to navigate quicker when previewing your

file.

 You may also right-click on the Preview Window for a

shortcut menu. Select one of the preview options or Apply to Storyboard.

3 If you are satisfied with your file and don’t require any

further manipulation, click Apply and the file will be applied to your Storyboard. Be sure to set your

Page 36

Chapter 3

preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 37

The Basics

Detecting Scenes

Scene detection automatically creates individual files based on the original file’s scenes allowing users to utilize existing video files to its maximum. Even after you are finished detecting scenes for a certain file, you can further divide its scenes an infinite number of times.

1 After you have imported your files into the Library, select a file and click Detect

Scenes and the Detect Scenes window will appear.

2 Drag the Sensitivity slider or click Increase/Decrease Sensitivity. The more

sensitive the setting, the more scenes it will detect which will generate more video files.

 For previewing functionality, refer to "Previewing your Library Files" on page 29

and #2 for more information.

 Click Advanced Settings for modification before detecting scenes.

Page 38

Chapter 3

 The Detection Method section is

for captured video content that has been imported into the Library. Refer to "Capturing Content" on page 45 for information on capturing content from a DV camcorder. Use the default unless you have a DV AVI format file that contains multiple timecodes (i.e. resetting of timecodes are automatically set when you start and stop recording) and you wish to split up your files in this manner, select Detect by changing of timecodes.

Note: If you have selected Detect by changing of timecodes, in essence, PowerDirector will not be performing the scene detection feature, for scenes that are detected will rely solely on the DV tape’s changing of timecodes, which is ultimately dependent on the DV tape itself.

 To detect more precisely for video content which contain fades (used to

delicately move from scene-to-scene), be sure that Ignore fade ins/outs are checked. Otherwise, erroneous scenes may be detected that will include fades.

 To detect more precisely, be sure that Ignore flashing lights (e.g. camera

flash) are checked. Otherwise, erroneous scenes may be detected that will include flashing lights.

 Click OK.

 To split your own scenes, drag the slider to the desired position and click Split

. The new scene will be compromised of the video content after the split position. Repeat this procedure to create more scenes. To split from the original video file again, click outside of the scenes and the Preview Window will display the original video file.

3 Click Detect .

 After the original scene detection, you may detect again for an infinite

number of times! Simply select a scene, repeat all the steps including selecting a sensitivity setting, and then click Detect again!

 To remove scenes after detection, select the scene and click Remove or

Remove All .

Note: When removing scenes, content from the removed scene will be merged into the previous scene automatically.

Page 39

The Basics

 You may also select a scene and right-click for a menu.

Choose Remove Scene to remove or Detect Again from this Scene to detect additional scenes from this specific

scene and generate even more files/scenes!

4 After the scenes are created, click OK to return to PowerDirector or click

Cancel .

 The new scene files will now be displayed in the Library in a

subfolder. To return to the Library, click Up One Level.

 A small folder icon will be displayed for all Library files that have

undergone scene detection and which possess additional scene files. Simply click on the icon to access the scenes subfolder for a specific Library file.

Page 40

Chapter 3

Storyboard Functions

When you produce, you are producing all the clips on your Storyboard. If you don’t have any files applied onto the Storyboard, you can’t produce your movie! Thus, the Storyboard is the most important facet and area of your entire pre-production.

Keep in mind that not all files have to be manipulated, for files may be directly applied or dragged onto the Storyboard immediately after it is imported into your Library. Go to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information.

1 Now that your files have been imported into the Library and have previewed it,

you can directly drag the media files into the Storyboard without further manipulation and produce your own movie. A red line will appear so as to convey where the dragged file will be placed.

Note: Audio files may not be applied individually onto the Storyboard unless it is for the Master Audio or as an audio supplement to an existing clip.

2 To move multiple clips on the Storyboard, simple hold down the <SHIFT> key

while clicking the clips you want to move together. The clips will be highlighted. Now, drag and release onto the new position.

3 To remove clips from the Storyboard, simply click it and drag it out of the

Storyboard or press <DELETE> on your keyboard when highlighted. A dialog box will appear for you to confirm your removal. Click Ye s.

Page 41

The Basics

4 To preview or to manipulate a clip from the Storyboard, select it by double-

clicking and it will appear in the Preview window. Go to "Previewing your Library Files" on page 29 for more information.

 You may also right-click on a specific clip in the Storyboard for a menu. Select

one of the options that will include cutting, copying or pasting clips on the Storyboard.

 Click anywhere other than a clip on the Storyboard and a more diverse menu

will be displayed that will include Storyboard display and also Go to options. Select one.

5 Click Play Movie to view clips on your Storyboard before producing. You

may select your options under Edit > Preferences > Preview. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information. Or, you may right-click on the Play Movie icon to call up a shortcut menu that will allow you to set the window size during your movie playback.

Note: Playing the movie is not the final step in your movie-making process and is only a preview of you production. Remember to produce your movie!

 During the movie playback, press <ESC> on your keyboard to quit or

double-click.

 Two other icons are located on the Storyboard. For more information on Master

Wat erma rk or Master Audio, go to "Master Watermark" on page 86 and "Master

Audio" on page 82 for more information.

6 If you are satisfied with all your clips and your movie, click Produce Movie

on the Modes Wheel. Refer to "Producing Your Movie" on page 87.

Page 42

Chapter 3

Menu Selections

Below are brief descriptions of various functions. For more information, please follow their links.

File Menu

 If you want to create a new project, choose New. Choose

Open to open an existing project.

 Save your project here or choose Save As... to rename the

project. Type in the project’s name and click OK.

 The Capture commands are the same as the Modes

Wheel but goes directly into one of the three capture modes: Audio, Vid eo or DV. Go to "Capturing Content" on page 45 for more information.

 The Import command serves the same function as

Import Media in importing media files to your project’s

Library. You may also import Media Files From Folder or Files from Another Project. For the latter, select another project and click Open to import another project’s media files. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more details.

Exporting

 Choose File > Export > Produce Movie to

produce your movie. Go to "Producing Your Movie" on page 87 for more information.

Page 43

The Basics

 For the Write to DV Tape function, a quick and

easy way is to select a DV AVI file directly from the Library and then choose File > Export > Write to DV Tape for instant writing. A dialog box appears. Click Show Preview to preview when writing and then click Start. Click Close when complete.

 To write multiple files to a DV tape, drag the

DV AVI files from the Library to the Storyboard. It is imperative that you do not add any effects and that all Storyboard clips are in DV AVI format.

 Now, with a DV AVI file selected on the

Storyboard, choose File > Export > Write to DV Tape. The Storyboard order will

be the sequence in which they will be written to DV tape.

 Click Show Preview to preview when writing and then click Start. Click

Close when complete. For more information on writing to DV tape when

producing, please refer to "Producing AVI Files" on page 99 for more information.

 Project Properties is for adding more information for your movie. You might

want to fill out Keyword, which is suitable for database searches, or any other fields.

 Choose Recent Files... to select a project you had recently been modifying.

 Choose Exit to close PowerDirector.

Edit Menu

 The first four commands are if a clip is selected from

the Storyboard: Cut, Copy, Paste or Delete.

 Select a file from the Library and choose Remove from

Library. This file will only be removed from this

project’s Library.

 For Preferences, go to "Preferences" on page 39.

Modes Menu

 Select a clip and then any one of the Modes. Go to the individual

sections for more details on specific Modes.

Page 44

Chapter 3

Storyboard Menu

 Before playing your movie, you may set the size you want to

play it in. After you set it, and before your final production, you might want to play your movie first.

 Select the Go to functions to navigate faster to the first and

last clips on your Storyboard.

 Select Master Watermark to add a watermark or Master

Audio to add an audio file for your movie. Go to "Master

Watermark" on page 86 and "Master Audio" on page 82 for more information.

Help Menu

 Here you will find any help you might need that will

include Content, Search..., and Index...

 You may also Register, Upgrade, and go to i-Power

for resources or CyberLink’s home web site.

Page 45

The Basics

Preferences

When using PowerDirector, we give you the luxury of deciding the processes and routines of how files are applied to the Storyboard, how captured files are stored, the display of file information, previewing options and a host of others. Preferences are accessed through Edit > Preferences.

General Preferences

 The first option here is for users to select a default media Directory for all their

files. Type in the directory path or click Browse and search for the directory. Click OK after you select the proper directory.

 For the Applying Clip Preferences section, select one of the options. The first

option is the fastest method and saves time from clicking Apply. The second option forces users to always click Apply after they make changes if they want to

Page 46

Chapter 3

apply. The last option is if you would like PowerDirector to remind you if you would like to apply the changes that you have just made.

 You may decide the number of recent files to be displayed under File > Recent

Files... in the Recent Files section. Click on the drop-down menu and select the number of recent files to be displayed. Click Clear List to clear all the recent files. Select Automatically load the most recent project to save time whenever you start PowerDirector.

Click OK or another tab to set more preferences.

Display Preferences

 The Library Tool Tips Display determines how all your media files’ tool tips are

displayed in the Library. Check and uncheck the selections to show or hide the desired information.

 The Storyboard Display is the next section. Check and uncheck to Show

accumulated time up to current position if you would like to see a running total for your entire movie. The last selection is to choose either Show file name or Show time length of clip. You may not choose both.

Click OK or another tab to set more preferences.

Page 47

The Basics

Capture Preferences

 The first selection is Autosave. Choose a directory by clicking Browse and

selecting a proper directory to save all your captured files under. If you want PowerDirector to Automatically generate file names under this directory, click it and captured files will automatically be saved. Otherwise, after each capture, a dialog box will appear for you to name the new captured file.

 The next selection is for snapshots that you have captured from your video

content in the Capture or Trim Modes.

 Snap to Clipboard captures the image onto your Windows' clipboard.

 Snap to Wallpaper (Center) will capture the image, place the image

centered on your desktop in its original size, and save it automatically in your default Windows' System folder.

 Snap to Wallpaper (Tile) will capture the image, place the image on your

desktop in its original size following a tile format, and save it automatically in your default Windows' System folder.

 Snap to File will capture the image directly into a folder you have

selected. For this selection, you may input the file name by clicking on Browse and choosing a directory first. After you have found the directory and inputted a name, click Save. Change the file format by clicking on the drop-down menu and selecting.

 The next section is the Capture Destination. Check the selections if you would

like to automatically add the recently captured files to the Library, Storyboard, or both.

Page 48

Chapter 3

 For Capture Performance, if you want your VGA card to regulate the video

overlay so less CPU resources are consumed, speed is faster, but less stable than non-overlay mode in some cases (depending on your VGA card), click Use video overlay.

 In the DV Parameter Setup section, click Setup... to set up the buffer parameters

for your DV camcorder.

 All DV camcorders’ mechanisms and the time it takes for the tape to start

rolling differ in seconds. Thus, if there is no buffer time, batch capturing will begin too early. Enter the time you would like to buffer your DV tape so that batch capturing will coincide with it. The tape will begin playing during this buffer time and after it has elapsed, capturing takes place.

 When writing to tape, all DV camcorders’ mechanisms and the time it

takes for the tape to start rolling differ in seconds. Setting an adequate buffer time for sending video stream to your tape eliminates these differences so that when the tape begins writing, it coincides with the beginning of the video stream feed. Click OK.

Page 49

The Basics

Preview Preferences

 To set t h e Window Size for your Preview Window, click on the drop-down menu

and select.

 When you are editing clips from the Storyboard, you may decide to reserve

system resources by ignoring video effects or audio tracks during previewing or in when modifying in any of the Modes. In the Clip Previewing area, simply click to select which option you want to ignore. Be sure to check out "System Requirements" on page 5.

 Whenever you click Play Movie on the Storyboard, you may wish to Play from

selected clip or Play from first clip. Select one.

 During the actual Production Process, you may choose which type of display is

utilized. The Don’t display preview selection saves the most system resources. For the Display a quick video preview, not every frame will be displayed. Check Display the full video preview in real-time if you want to watch the entire movie’s preview.

Note: There is no audio during the Production Process.

Click OK to exit Preferences.

Page 50

Chapter 3

Page 51

CHAPTER 4: CAPTURING CONTENT

PowerDirector allows you to capture almost anything under the sun provided that you have a capture card or other assortment of adapter cards in transferring data into your hard drive. Listed below are video capture devices that may assist you in making the best possible movie out there:

 capture card (PCI, USB, FireWire or other FireWire formats)

 DV camcorder or DV VCR

 analog camcorder or VCR in 8mm, Hi8, VHS, VHS-C, Beta format

 digital camera

 PC camera

Just make sure you have all the proper hardware and drivers installed before you begin.

Page 52

Chapter 4

Capturing Video and Audio

Now you are ready to capture video or audio footage from practically anything digital or analog stored in your library and transforming it into digital footage with special effects directly authored from PowerDirector.

This section will cover video capture devices that are input through your adapter cards via video ports such as Composite video, S-Video or Tuner and also audio capture devices through ports such as Audio In or from your audio CD. However, this section won’t include capturing from a DV camcorder. Please refer to "Capturing from DV Camcorders" on page 50 for more information.

Make sure your devices are installed properly with the proper drivers. Refer to their respective user's guide for more information.

1 Start PowerDirector. Click the Capture Mode located on the Modes Wheel.

2 Depending on the content you would like to capture (audio or video), click the

appropriate Capture icon, either Video Capture or Audio Capture .

 If you clicked Video Capture , click Video Se tup to modify. A dialog box

will appear.

Page 53

Capturing Content

 Click on the Capture Device drop-down menu to select the appropriate

video capture device installed on your system.

 Select the correct Capture Source. Usually, all the sources will have ports

located on the capture card. Make sure the connections are secure.

 If you selected Video Tuner, you may then select either CATV (if you have

a cable connected) or Antenna installed. Select a channel and click OK.

 While in the Video Capture mode, select a Profile Setup by clicking on it.

When the dialog box appears, select which purpose this video is for. If it’s for Video for General Purposes, click it and then select a MPEG or AVI video format from the drop-down menu. Then, select a profile group depending on the format you chose. Finally, select the profile located in the drop-down menu located on its right. For the MPEG profiles, select High Speed, High Quality, Custom or All. For the AVI formats, refer to #4 in "Producing AVI Files".

 If you selected a MPEG profile, you may create a custom MPEG profile by

clicking New... Refer to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94 for more information. If you selected a AVI profile and want to change its settings, click Settings... and then refer to "Setting AVI Profiles" on page 102 for more information.

 If you selected Video for Movie Disc Production, select the Type of Disc, High

Speed or High Quality, and then the video format of the disc.

Page 54

Chapter 4

 After selecting a profile, you may click Comments... or Details... to find

out more information about the profile and CPU recommendation.

 Click OK when you are finished with the Video Setup.

Note: If the video display is blank after you have selected to capture video, be sure your video device is functioning properly. Other possibilities may be that the connections aren't set up properly or you selected the wrong input settings.

 Now, modify the Audio Setup if you are capturing audio by clicking on it

either in Video or Audio Capture mode. A dialog box will appear.

 Click on the Audio Device drop-down menu to select the appropriate

audio capture device installed on your system.

 For the Audio Input, select the right input source (selections here will

depend on your sound card manufacturer). Click OK.

 If you have an audio CD, select the Audio CD selection for the Audio

Input and an additional drop-down menu will appear to select the audio track that you would like to capture/rip.

 You may select Rip selected CD track at highest speed in order to rip the

selected track into your HDD into WAV format. Click OK.

 To alter the audio capture profile, switch to the Audio Capture mode and

then click Profile Setup . A dialog box will appear.

Page 55

Capturing Content

 Click a Name (i.e. profile) or change your Attributes by clicking on the

drop-down menu and choosing another one.

 Click Save As to save the new profile. Name the new profile and click OK.

To Remove, select a profile and click Remove. After you are done, click OK.

 Click the Time Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording time in

minutes and seconds.

 Click the Size Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording size in

MB.

 If you are in the Video Capture mode, you may click Snapshot to capture

still images from your video content. To set your preferences, go to "Capture Preferences" on page 41 for more information.

3 Depending on your device, turn it on, press Play or activate any other function

so that your external capture device will begin capturing or playing content that PowerDirector is able to record. When ready, click PowerDirector’s Record

Note: For example, a PC camera would not have to be activated after its power is turned on, for it will begin capturing content automatically.

Note: An audio CD, on the other hand, does not need to be played. Just click Record and PowerDirector will begin playing and recording it.

4 Click PowerDirector’s Stop function after finishing your capture. The file

will now be saved automatically, or appear in your Library or Storyboard. Go to "Capture Preferences" on page 41 for more information.

Page 56

Chapter 4

Capturing from DV Camcorders

Whether your DV is playing video or filming special moments, PowerDirector captures it all in non real-time or in real-time.

Info: Unlike real-time capture, non real-time capture will utilize a buffer and is recommended for users who desire high quality but do not possess adequate computing power. Thus, non real-time capture will take longer to process the encoding of captured content when utilizing a buffer. A display of the time remaining for capturing will be located at the bottom right corner below the Preview Window.

With real-time capture, the actual content being encoded will coincide with the content that is being played in the Preview Window and consume more CPU resources. This will not hold true for non real-time capture.

And, with the astounding FireWire transfer protocol, you will capture crystal clear digital video and audio from your DV camcorder and transfer data without any quality loss whatsoever.

Capturing from a DV camcorder differs in two respects. As you might well be aware of, DV camcorders come with two main modes. The first mode is to record live content and is referred to as the Camera mode for most brands. The alternative mode is the VCR mode (for most brands) where you may play back your previously recorded content and navigate through the DV tape. The degree of controlling your DV camcorder with PowerDirector differ in these two DV modes.

Note: Before starting PowerDirector, make sure all devices are installed properly with the proper drivers, your DV camcorder is turned on, is in the correct mode, and the FireWire cables are hooked up properly. Refer to the respective user's guide for more information.

Capturing from DV Camera Mode

When your DV camcorder is in the Camera mode, PowerDirector may only Record into your hard drive, for it will simply capture what your DV camcorder is aimed at or what it is recording. For other commands in the Camera mode, you will have to rely on your DV camcorder’s controls.

1 Start PowerDirector. Click the Capture Mode located on the Modes Wheel.

2 Click the DV icon. If you’re DV camcorder is hooked up properly along

with the FireWire cables, turned on, and in the Camera mode (this will depend

Page 57

Capturing Content

on your DV camcorder’s designation), a live shot from your DV camcorder should be displayed in PowerDirector’s Preview Window.

Tips : The bottom left corner will display the amount of free drive space along with the size of the captured content. This drive may be set in Edit > Preferences... > Capture under the Autosave section.

3 Now, decide if you would like to capture in Non Real-time (default) or

Real-time (switch on).

4 Select a Profile Setup by clicking on it. When the dialog box appears, select

which purpose this video is for. If it’s for Video for General Purposes, click it and then select a MPEG or AVI video format from the drop-down menu. Then, select a profile group depending on the format you chose. Finally, select the profile located in the drop-down menu located on its right. For the MPEG profiles, select High Speed, High Quality, Custom or All. For the AVI formats

Page 58

Chapter 4

and the differences between the Windows and DV groups, refer to #4 in "Producing AVI Files".

 If you selected a MPEG profile, you may create a custom MPEG profile by

clicking New... Refer to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94 for more information. The DV AVI profiles may not be modified.

 If you selected Video for Movie Disc Production, select the Type of Disc, High

Speed or High Quality, and then the video format of the disc.

 After selecting a profile, you may click Comments... or Details... to find

out more information about the profile and CPU recommendation.

5 Click OK.

Caution: If have selected the DV AVI profile, you will be unable to capture in non real-time.

 Click the Time Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording time in

minutes and seconds.

 Click the Size Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording size in

MB.

6 To begin capturing, click PowerDirector’s Record button.

7 Click Stop after finishing your capture. The file will now be automatically

added to the Library or Storyboard according to your preferences. To set your preferences, go to "Capture Preferences" on page 41.

Note: If you have chosen to capture in non real-time, after you have clicked Stop, a message will be displayed in the Preview Window notifying you that the encoding of the content in the buffer is still ongoing and that it will be completed shortly in the time remaining.

Page 59

Capturing Content

Capturing from DV VCR Mode

When your DV camcorder is in VCR mode, PowerDirector has a high degree of control. All navigational functionality may be controlled by PowerDirector including playing, seeking, pausing, stopping and of course, recording content directly from the DV tape. After capturing content from your DV tape with PowerDirector, you may apply all the special effects you wish, which have made PowerDirector a powerhouse in the arena of video editing. Finally, when it is time to produce, PowerDirector provides the luxury of writing your new movie directly onto your DV tape! Please refer to "Producing Your Movie" on page 87 for more information on producing.

1 Start PowerDirector. Click the Capture Mode located on the Modes Wheel.

2 Click the DV icon. Make sure you’re DV camcorder is hooked up

properly along with the FireWire cables, is turned on, and in the VCR mode (this will depend on your DV camcorder’s designation). The display you are viewing in PowerDirector’s Preview Window should be exactly as your DV camcorder screen.

3 Now, decide if you would like to capture in Non Real-time (default) or

Real-time (switch on).

Page 60

Chapter 4

4 Select a Profile Setup by clicking on it. When the dialog box appears, select

 If you selected a MPEG profile, you may create a custom MPEG profile by

clicking New... Refer to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94 for more information. The DV AVI profiles may not be modified.

 If you selected Video for Movie Disc Production, select the Type of Disc, High

Speed or High Quality, and then the video format of the disc.

 After selecting a profile, you may click Comments... or Details... to find

out more information about the profile and CPU recommendation.

5 Click OK.

Caution: If have selected the DV AVI profile, you will be unable to capture in non real-time.

Page 61

Capturing Content

6 To seek to the proper time, drag and release the Shuttle icon. Located to

its immediate left is the timecode area for the DV tape.

Note: If the DV tape’s timecode is incorrect, then click Seek Tape to verify the timecode.

 You may also navigate with the Play, Next and Previous Frame, Start, End,

Pause, and Stop buttons. Refer to #2 in "Previewing your Library Files" on page

29 for more information on the aforementioned commands.

Caution: If have selected the DV AVI profile, you will be unable to capture in non real-time.

 Click the Time Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording time in

minutes and seconds.

 Click the Size Limit box to set it and then input the maximum recording size in

MB.

7 To begin real-time capture, click Play on your camcorder and

then click PowerDirector’s Record button when you’re ready. The total recording time will be displayed above the DV tape’s timecode area.

Note: When capturing in non real-time, if your HDD is almost out of space (if less than 150 MB of free space, all capturing will be disabled), a warning message will appear in the Preview Window notifying that a portion of the transcoding process will be paused and resume later only after all the content in the buffer has been encoded by your HDD.

8 Click Stop after finishing your capture. The captured file may appear

directly in your Library or Storyboard depending on preferences. Go to "Capture Preferences" on page 41 for more information.

Page 62

Chapter 4

Batch Capturing from DV Camcorders

When you are in the DV VCR mode, you may select precise scenes you want to convert. After selecting a few scenes, you may convert them with one click as part of a whole batch of files. Batch capturing is efficient and saves huge amounts of time when capturing numerous scenes.

Tips : Be sure that your DV tape’s timecodes are linear. If not, you might have to capture a scene at a time in the DV VCR mode.

1 Start PowerDirector. Click the Capture Mode located on the Modes Wheel.

2 Click the DV icon. Make sure you’re DV camcorder is hooked up

3 Click Batch Capturing .

Page 63

Capturing Content

4 Now, decide if you would like to capture in Non Real-time (default) or

Real-time (switch on).

5 Select a Profile Setup by clicking on it. When the dialog box appears, select

 If you selected a MPEG profile, you may create a custom MPEG profile by

clicking New... Refer to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94 for more information. The DV AVI profiles may not be modified.

 If you selected Video for Movie Disc Production, select the Type of Disc, High

Speed or High Quality, and then the video format of the disc.

 After selecting a profile, you may click Comments... or Details... to find

out more information about the profile and CPU recommendation.

6 Click OK.

Page 64

Chapter 4

Caution: If have selected the DV AVI profile, you will be unable to capture in non real-time.

 To shuttle (fast forward/rewind) to the proper time, drag and release the Shuttle

icon .

 Click Seek Tape to locate the exact timecode position of the DV tape.

Note: Depending on the specific DV tape, there may be identical timecodes for many different scenes on a DV tape (e.g. 00:01:20). This is attributed to the resetting of timecodes performed by the author. When seeking tape with PowerDirector, it will only seek to the first timecode. If your DV tape has been reset numerous times, it is advised for you to capture in DV VCR mode, for capturing in batch mode highly relies on linear timecodes.

 You may also navigate with the Play, Next and Previous Frame, Rewind, Fast

Forward, Pause, and Stop functions of PowerDirector. Refer to "Previewing your

Library Files" on page 29 or use your DV camcorder’s navigational buttons.

7 To begin adding tasks, go to the correct time position

where you would like to begin batch capturing and click the Add New Task icon. A new batch task will appear in the batch box.

Note: The Mark Out position (“Stop Time”) will automatically be set 5 seconds ahead of the Mark In position (“Start Time”). Be sure to set the correct Mark Out position.

8 Navigate to the end of the segment you would like to convert and click Mark

Out .

 To reset the Start Time, navigate to the beginning of the segment and click

Mark In .

9 To begin conversion, be sure the specific task(s) is checked first. Click Start

Selected Task(s) to begin capturing your batch.

10 Click Stop to abort batch capturing.

Page 65

Capturing Content

 Repeat the above steps to add more tasks.

 To remove tasks, select one and click Remove Task .

After it is completed, the batch captured files may appear directly in your Library or Storyboard depending on preferences. Go to "Capture Preferences" on page 41 for more information.

Page 66

Chapter 4

Page 67

CHAPTER 5: TRIMMING VIDEO

Trim Mode

Generally, after your media files are imported into your library, the next step is to trim your video clips or set the time limit for image files. Before production, this step is very important in eliminating unwanted portions of your video clip and to place more focus on the essential plot of your movie.

Note: After you have modified your file in this mode, a red line will be displayed in the Modes Wheel to indicate this.

Note: Your original media files will not be manipulated in any way when trimming files that have been imported into the Library or after it is applied to the Storyboard.

1 Select a media file from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or

dragging it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To trim files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply select the

particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Win dow.

3 Click the Tri m Mo d e located on the Modes Wheel.

Note: Whenever the mode switches from Preview to another mode for the first time, a dialog box may appear to notify you that the file will be added to the Storyboard automatically depending on your Preferences. Refer to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

4 Before setting your trim positions, you may play your file. Go to "Previewing

your Library Files" on page 29 for more information on navigation during playback.

Page 68

Chapter 5

 Drag and release the Time Slider to find the exact time positions and quicken

your search. You may also Play, Rewind, Fast Forward, Pause, jump to the Start or End of the file, and go to the Next or Previous Frame.

 To capture the frame as a new image file, click Snapshot . Go to "Capture

Preferences" on page 41 for more information.

5 Click on the Mark In and Mark Out icons to set your trimming

positions at the Time Slider position or set them during playback. Or, you may also utilize the Time Slider and directly drag the Mark In and Mark Out sliders to the position where you would like to begin your trim.

 After your Mark In and Mark Out positions have been set, their times will

be displayed to the right of each respective icon along with the time length for this new clip in the bottom right area. The other time slot on the bottom left indicates the current position of the Time Slider.

 To reset, c l i c k Reset Mark In or Reset Mark Out .

 To Resize your view, select one of the options from the drop-down menu.

 Stretch: This option will stretch your media file to fill out the screen but

will not keep the aspect ratio.

 Crop: This keeps the aspect ratio of your media file and if larger than the

Preview Window, it will crop off the sides.

 1:1 Fit: This will fit your media file into the Preview Window but unlike

Stretch, it will keep the aspect ratio of the media file and won’t crop the image.

 1:1 Fill: This will fill out the Preview Window with the original size but

will crop the image.

Note: The resize function will not alter your original file but will affect your Storyboard clip.

 Click Revert to return to the original trim (if the clip had already been

trimmed) or click Clear to start from scratch.

6 When you are satisfied with your trim, click Apply and your trim will be

applied to your Storyboard. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 69

Trimming Video

Splitting the Video File

To save precious editing time, the Split Video function automatically splits an original video file into two separate clips with one swift click and eliminates the need to drag the same file onto the Storyboard twice and trimming both separately. Just keep in mind this function is only intended for Library files that do not have effects applied from other modes. Apply effects only after you split the video.

1 Select a media file from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or

dragging it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To split video files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply

select the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Window.

Note: If the Storyboard clip has been previously modified or contain effects, this clip may not be split.

3 Click the Tri m Mo d e located on the Modes Wheel.

4 Drag the Time Slider to the scene where you would like to split this video or

through any other navigational method.

5 Click Split Video . The file will be split into two clips on the Storyboard.

 If you would like to further trim either clip, refer to "Trim Mode" on page 61.

Page 70

Chapter 5

Trim Mode for Image Files

Naturally, image files don’t need to be trimmed. The time duration of the appearance of the image file may be set along with the image’s resize if desired.

1 Once your image files have been imported into the Library, double-click on an

image file or drag it in order to display it in the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To modify files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply select

the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Win dow.

3 Click on the Tri m M od e from the Modes Wheel.

 To Resize, select one of the options from the drop-down menu.

 Stretch: This option will stretch your media file to fill out the screen but

will not keep the aspect ratio.

 Crop: This keeps the aspect ratio of your media file and if larger than the

Preview Window, it will crop off the sides.

 1:1 Fit: This will fit your media file into the Preview Window but unlike

Stretch, it will keep the aspect ratio of the media file and won’t crop the image.

Page 71

Trimming Video

 1:1 Fill: This will fill out the Preview Window with the original size but

will crop the image.

4 Enter the time for the image to appear in the Duration box by using the arrows

or inputting a numeral.

 Click Revert to revert to the original trim.

 Or click Clear to start over.

5 Click Apply when complete. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the

Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 72

Chapter 5

Page 73

CHAPTER 6: ALTERING SPEED

AND SUPPLYING

VIDEO EFFECTS

Altering Speeds

To invigorate your audience and enliven your movies with a different pace or tempo, or to emphasize certain elements of meaningful clips, PowerDirector allows you to go slo-mo or accelerate clips to previously unforeseen speeds! Any clip could be slowed down to a crawl or sped up to the speed of light. As a director, utilize both these mind-altering speed effects to throw your audience for a loop, because as any sane person or scientist will protest to, time is relative to the observer except in the warped parallel universe of PowerDirector.

1 Select a video clip from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or

dragging it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To add effects to files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply

select the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Window.

3 Click Speed Mode on the Modes Wheel.

4 Drag the slider in order to slow or quicken up the video

speed. You may also click Increase Speed or Decrease Speed with the range being 1/4X - 8X.

Page 74

Chapter 6

5 Now, you must decide how your video file’s audio will be

played. Click on the Audio Setting drop-down menu and select one.

 The Synchronize with video selection will

synchronize the video speed with the audio speed.

Note: If the video speed is faster or slower than 1X, the synchronized audio may be unrecognizable.

 Select Preserve original speed if you prefer the audio speed to be at its

original recognizable speed independent of the video speed.

 Select Mute to mute this video file’s audio. This is great for dubbing over

original audio content with another audio file or background music.

 Click Revert to return to the previous state or click Clear to start from

scratch.

6 After you are satisfied with your alteration, click Apply to apply it to the

Storyboard. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 75

Altering Speed and Supplying Video Effects

Supplying Video Effects

Supplying video effects is for the music video director in you! For normal movies, transition effects are sufficient, but for those who wish to cast a spell and enrapture the audience with a video effect that takes hold throughout the length of one clip, this is your epiphanous calling.

Let’s first enjoy a graphical display of all the effects:

Below is a table that summarizes the settings available for each video effect.

Video Effects Settings Available

Color Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, Sharpness

Blur Degree

Color Focus Depth of Gradient Border, Width of Color Area, Height of

Color Area

Delay Regularity

Edge Degree, Background Color, Foreground Color

Emboss Direction

Focus Depth of Gradient Border, Width of Original Image,

Height of Original Image, Background Color

Page 76

Chapter 6

Video Effects Settings Available

Grid Depth of Grid Line, Width, Height, Background Color

Mosaic Width of Blocks, Height of Blocks, Effect Length

Noise Intensity, Size, Background Color

Ripple Wave Length, Speed, Effect Length

Skip Frequency

Spotlight Brightness, Depth of Gradient Border, Width, Height,

Background Color

Swing Left Angle, Background Color, Effect Length

Swing Down Angle, Background Color, Effect Length

Swing Right Angle, Background Color, Effect Length

Swing Up Angle, Background Color, Effect Length

TV Wall Horizontal Number, Vertical Number, Effect Length

X-Ray Degree

Zoom In Size, Effect Length

Zoom Out Width, Height, Background Color, Effect Length

1 Select a video clip from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or

dragging it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To add effects to files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply

select the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Window.

3 Click Effects Mode on the Modes Wheel.

Page 77

Altering Speed and Supplying Video Effects

4 Drag an effect from the Library over to the Preview Window or double-click the

effect. Depending on the effect, settings will vary.

 For most effects settings, simply drag the slider and then preview it in the

Preview Window before applying. Refer to "Previewing your Library Files" on page 29 and #2 for more information.

 For some effects settings, you may drag the Effect Length’s slider to

determine the length of time for the effect. By decreasing the effect’s length (represented by the two orange bars), the Hold Time (i.e. the applied video effect represented by the blue bar), will be increased and vice-versa.

 For some effects settings, you will notice a Link Settings function that

links two given settings and constrains the proportion of a video effect such as for the Grid and TV Wall effects. To unlink these settings, click on it.

 For some effects settings, you may choose a Foreground or Background

Color . Click on either and then select the color. Click OK.

 Click Revert to return to the previous state or click Clear to start from

scratch.

5 After you are satisfied with your effects, click Apply to apply it to the

Storyboard. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 78

Chapter 6

Page 79

CHAPTER 7: ADDING TITLES AND TRANSITIONS

Titles Mode

Generally, at the beginning of every movie or show, text is involved to convey the title, starring and supporting actors, and other information for all those involved and whom made the movie possible. When a movie or show wraps up, the full spate of credits will be rolled out too.

For smaller movie productions, you may want to inform viewers with textual effects instead of just visual effects. So, get ready to begin communicating literally like you never have before.

Note: After you have modified your file in this mode, a red line will be displayed in the Modes Wheel to indicate this.

1 Select a video clip from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or

dragging it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To add titles to files that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply

select the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Window.

3 Click Titles Mode on the Modes Wheel.

Page 80

Chapter 7

 Click the Fonts icon to set your font format. There are a host of options here

including Spacing, Color, Font Style, and Alignment. After you are finished, click OK.

4 Click on the Add Title icon. A cursor on the first line of the Titles box will

appear for you to begin typing. Press <Enter> to skip to the next line if you wish.

5 After inputting your text, click outside of the box. The title will be displayed in

the Titles box along with the Preview Window.

Page 81

Adding Titles and Transitions

6 To select a suitable Title Effect, select a title first and then click on the drop-

down menu to select. An instant preview will be shown in the Preview Win dow.

 Drag the Effect Length’s slider to determine the length of

time for the effect. By decreasing the effect’s length (represented by the two orange bars), the Hold Time (i.e. only the text without effects represented by the blue bar), will be increased and vice-versa.

Note: Each chosen title effect vary in terms of duration length.

 To minimize the duration of an entire title effect (i.e. you don’t want the

title effect to last the entire duration of the clip), click and drag the Effect sliders , located on the periphery and above the orange bars, towards the center. Or, position the Time Slider at a designated point and then click Mark In or Mark Out below the Preview Window.

Tips : In order to increase the Hold Time (blue bar) and decrease the Effect Length (orange bars), position the Time Slider and set the Mark In and Mark Out positions extremely close. Then, increase the Effect Length by clicking and dragging the Effect sliders.

7 To place a title at a certain area of the screen, simply click on it in the Preview

Win dow an d dra g.

 Click Revert to return to the original titles and their associated effects or

click Clear to start from scratch.

 Repeat the above steps to add more titles.

Page 82

Chapter 7

 To edit or removing titles, click on a title in the Titles

box. To edit, click twice and a cursor will appear in the box. Begin editing.

 To remove, select an existing title and then click

Remove Title .

 You may hide titles by unchecking Show All Titles or

checking to show all.

8 After you are satisfied with all your titles, click Apply to apply it to the

Storyboard. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 83

Adding Titles and Transitions

Transitions Mode

Usually appearing naked to the human eye, transitions are a great mood enhancer in movies or full-length feature shows and videos. Generally, scene-from-scene, simple fades or a direct cut to the next scene is used. To further enhance your video, you may want to try one of the many transitional effects PowerDirector has provided.

Before you begin, be sure that there are at least two video clips or images that have been applied in the Storyboard.

Note: After you have modified your file in this mode, a red line will be displayed in the Modes Wheel to indicate this.

1 Click a transition icon located anywhere between two clips from the

Storyboard.

2 Or, you may select a clip from the Storyboard and then click Transitions Mode

on the Modes Wheel.

Note: Transitions may not be applied to the last clip on the Storyboard.

 To preview a transitional effect before you apply, place your cursor above a given

transition in the Library.

3 Select a transition by clicking on it twice or dragging to the appropriate point

between the selected clip and the clip immediately proceeding it on the Storyboard. You may also drag the transition from the Library to the Modes Panel. The chosen transition will now appear in the Modes Panel.

Page 84

Chapter 7

4 Input the Trans i tio n Le n g th located in the Modes Panel

numerically or drag the slider to increase and decrease. The length will vary depending on your clips’ duration.

Note: Keep in mind that the length you set will be equally divided amongst the two slides. If you set ten seconds, five seconds of the transitional effect will be allotted to the end of the first media file while five seconds will be allotted to the beginning of the succeeding media file.

Tips : Don’t forget that many of the transitional effects are so radical, that they will literally “swallow” up some of your clip’s content. Consequently, be sure that your clips have ample time in the beginning and in the end so as not to interfere with your clip’s content and that the transition length is not set too long.

 Click Revert to revert to the original transition effect or click Clear to

clear all transitions.

5 When you are finished with your selection, click Apply to apply it to the

Storyboard. Be sure to set your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 85

CHAPTER 8: ADDING AUDIO AND PICTURES

Audio Mode

As all amateur or seasoned video professionals know, the soundtrack of your movie is incredibly important to set the mood and atmosphere of your movie. For exciting scenes, a musical score with a fast beat will serve to outline the hastiness and recklessness of the occasion. For tender moments, a beautifully scored song touching on romance and playing with your emotions like a concert violinist will go a long way in making your post-production a worthy undertaking.

Note: After you have modified your file in this mode, a red line will be displayed in the Modes Wheel to indicate this.

1 Select a file from the Library by double-clicking on the selected file or dragging

it into the Preview Window. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 To add audio to clips that have already been applied to the Storyboard, simply

select the particular clip by double-clicking and it will be displayed in the Preview Window.

3 Click Audio Mode on the Modes Wheel.

4 If your original file or clip contains audio, it will be displayed in the uppermost

line.

Page 86

Chapter 8

Note: You are not allowed to trim the audio portion of the original video file.

5 To add more audio files to a certain clip, drag them from the Library into the

User-Defined box or you may click the Add Audio icon. A flashing message will appear in the User-Defined box to show you where you should drag the audio file to. Four user-defined audio files are allowed, which will be displayed below the original file.

6 To trim the audio, select a particular file and click Tri m Au d io .

7 Trimming controls are very similar to trimming other media files. Please refer

to #5 in "Trim Mode" on page 61 for more information. Click Apply and then OK when you are finished trimming your audio clip.

 If you want the audio clip to Fade In or Fade Out, click the corresponding

option.

 Adjust the volume by dragging on the Volu m e M i x in g to increase or decrease

after you have selected the audio file. Drag to the farthest left to mute it. Keep in mind that this volume will be combined with the original clip’s audio volume (if applicable).

 Select an audio clip (not including the original) and click Repeat Selected Audio

File so that the audio file will repeat to the end of the video clip or the end of the

image file’s duration.

Page 87

Adding Audio and Pictures

 If you want to remove a file, click an audio file and then click Remove

Audio .

 Click Revert to return to the original clip’s audio effects (if the clip had

employed audio clips previously) or click Clear to start from scratch.

8 Click Apply when you are finished to apply it to the Storyboard. Be sure to set

your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 88

Chapter 8

Master Audio

To further accentuate the audio aspect of your movie production, you may wish to apply a musical score that will act as the background audio for your entire movie. The controls and options for the master audio file is very similar to the normal Audio Mode where you add files to various clips.

Caution: If you utilize Master Audio in your movie, SVRT will be disabled when producing.

1 Click Master Audio located on the Storyboard’s farthest left. The entire

Storyboard will be highlighted.

2 The Master Audio controls will be displayed below the Modes Wheel in the

Modes Panel. Drag an audio file from the Library into the designated box.

3 Click Trim Audio to begin trimming your Master Audio file. Trimming

controls are very similar to trimming other media files. Please refer to #5 in Trim Mode for more information. Click Apply and then OK when you are finished trimming your audio clip.

 If you want the audio clip to Fade In or Fade Out, click the corresponding

option.

Page 89

Adding Audio and Pictures

 Adjust the volume by dragging on the Volu m e M i x in g to increase or decrease

after you have selected the audio file.

 To Repeat Master Audio, click to check the box so that it will repeat until the end

of the entire movie.

 Click Revert to return to the original Master Audio file or click Clear

to start from scratch.

4 You do not need to click Apply in this mode. Just switch out of the mode and

your Master Audio will be set and save your project.

Page 90

Chapter 8

Picture-in-Picture Mode

For any of your existing video clips or image clips on the Storyboard, you may add a still image or video to the background. Set the transparency level depending on your preferences.

Note: After you have modified your file in this mode, a red line will be displayed in the Modes Wheel to indicate this.

1 First, select the default picture or video clip from the Library by double-clicking

on the selected file or dragging it into the Preview Window. The file will be displayed. Refer to "Importing into the Library" on page 27 for more information on importing.

2 Or, you may select a clip that has already been applied to the Storyboard by

simply selecting the particular clip and it will be displayed in the Preview Win dow.

3 Click the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Mode located on the Modes Wheel.

4 A message will flash in the Preview Window. Select the second “picture” from

the Library in the form of an image or video file by dragging it there.

Note: If you already have a PiP file applied to the original clip, a dialog box will appear to ask you in replacing your original file after you have dragged the new file to the Preview Window. Click OK.

Page 91

Adding Audio and Pictures

 Click and drag the points located on the edge of the file to enlarge or decrease its

size. Keep in mind that the Keep Aspect Ratio is checked as the default. If you do not want to retain its width-to-length size ratio intact, uncheck it.

 Drag the Transparency slider to make the picture more or less transparent.

 Click Revert to return to the original clip’s PiP file and its associated

modifications or click Clear or press <DEL> on your keyboard to start from scratch.

5 Click Apply when you are finished to apply it to the Storyboard. Be sure to set

your preferences for applying to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Applying Image Color Filters

Only for image files in the PiP Mode, you may want to apply a color filter so that a specific color of the image file will blend the background of the image with the foreground of the original file. This is not applicable for video files.

1 With the image file selected in the PiP Mode, click Eyedropper to apply the

color filter.

2 A dialog box will appear. Now, position the Eyedropper tool over the color you

want to filter out and then click once to select it. The color box on the left displays the current color the Eyedropper is positioned over. The right box displays the color that was last filtered. Click OK.

3 Now, check Apply Color Filter by clicking in the box. To disable this function,

uncheck by clicking it again.

4 Click Apply when you are finished. Be sure to set your preferences for applying

to the Storyboard. Go to "Preferences" on page 39 for more information.

Page 92

Chapter 8

Master Watermark

There are times when you wish to add an image that will serve as a visual background throughout the movie, which will usually represent the party that has created the movie or owns the rights to it. This is a watermark. It may also be a TV station logo or the movie title.

Caution: If you utilize Master Watermark in your movie, SVRT will be disabled when producing.

1 Click Master Watermark located on the Storyboard’s left side. The entire

Storyboard will be highlighted.

2 The steps here are extremely similar to the PiP Mode except that only an image

file may be used. Go to #4 in "Picture-in-Picture Mode" on page 84 for the rest of the steps.

3 You do not need to click Apply in this mode. Just switch out of the mode and

your Master Watermark will be set and save your project.

 To Apply Color Filter, go to "Applying Image Color Filters" on page 85 for more

information.

Page 93

CHAPTER 9: PRODUCING YOUR MOVIE

The time has finally arrived for you to produce your own movie. After all your hard work of importing media files into your Library, previewing them, manipulating them, and applying them to the Storyboard, the production of your grand masterpiece is imminent. This chapter will cover MPEG-1, MPEG-2, Windows Media and AVI formatted video types.

Editing and producing MPEG and DV AVI files and clips is what makes PowerDirector a powerhouse in video editing software applications.

Info: MPEG is an acronym short for the Moving Picture Experts Group which belongs to the family of ISO/IEC standards (International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission). It is a compression technology for digital video and audio signals intended for consumer distribution. Please refer to "What Is MPEG?" on page 109 for more information.

Many video editing software applications waste valuable time when decompressing MPEG and DV AVI files into uncompressed AVI format before the editing process. During editing, this process places unnecessary burden on your hard disk by requiring a huge amount of disk space when working with uncompressed AVI format. After it’s all said and done, when you are ready to produce into MPEG or DV AVI format, valuable time is wasted again in compressing your movie!

Not so with PowerDirector’s proprietary technology, SVRT (Smart Video Rendering Technology). If your files are originally in MPEG or DV AVI format, editing will be in the same format and when producing, invaluable time and hard disk space is preciously saved when only the edited video portions need to be rendered. This is “smart video rendering”.

Page 94

Chapter 9

Producing General MPEG-1 Files

As mentioned in the previous section, MPEG is the standard format this generation for compressed multimedia files with high quality. After you are satisfied with your all special effects, trims, audio, etc., and wish to produce a file in compressed MPEG format, you are ready for the final stage of your post-production process. Refer to "What Is MPEG?" on page 109 for more information.

1 Clips should be applied to the Storyboard.

2 Click Produce Movie located on the Modes Wheel.

3 Select MPEG-1 from the Video for General Purposes drop-down menu. Click

Next.

Page 95

Producing Your Movie

4 We recommend that you select the default Smart Video Rendering Technology

(SVRT) selection to save time. Refer to "Glossary" on page 111 for more

information on this selection’s properties.

Note: If the SVRT is grayed out, it might be that your movie is utilizing Master Audio or Master Watermark or does not possess any MPEG files. SVRT is used optimally with MPEG formatted files.

5 If you are an advanced user, you may click the second selection MPEG-1 Video

(Constant Bitrate).

 If you picked the second selection, click on the left drop-down menu and

choose the group of profiles you want to display, which will include Default, Custom, or All.

6 After selecting a group, select the specific profile. Profile properties will be

displayed immediately below the chosen profile including the recommended processing speeds of your system. If you want better resolution or quality but at the expense of hard disk consumed, choose the higher quality or higher bitrate profiles.

Tips : If you will be making your own VCDs (burning at a later time), choose a VCD profile. For more information on television standards such as NTSC and PAL, refer to "NTSC and PAL" on page 110.

Page 96

Chapter 9

 Click Details for more specific information concerning a profile.

 To create your own profile, go to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94.

7 Click Next.

8 For the last step, choose a file name or click Browse to look for the correct

directory. After finding the directory and typing in the new file name, click Save.

9 Check your File Details. Click Finish.

 During the production, there are viewing options you may set. Go to "Preview

Preferences" on page 43 for more information. You may also click Abort during production.

 Save you project if you haven’t already by choosing File > Save. Enter the file

name and click Save.

Page 97

Producing Your Movie

Producing General MPEG-2 Files

1 Clips should be applied to the Storyboard.

2 Click Produce Movie located on the Modes Wheel.

3 Select MPEG-2 from the Video for General Purposes drop-down menu. Click

Next.

4 We recommend that you select the default SVRT selection to save time. Refer to

"Glossary" on page 111 for more information on this selection’s properties.

Note: If the SVRT is grayed out, it might be that your movie is utilizing Master Audio or Master Watermark or does not possess any MPEG files. SVRT is used optimally with MPEG formatted files.

Page 98

Chapter 9

5 If you are an advanced user, you may click the second selection MPEG-2 Video

(Constant Bitrate).

 If you picked the second selection, click on the left drop-down menu and

choose the group of profiles you want to display, which will include Default, Custom, or All.

6 After selecting a group, select the specific profile. Profile properties will be

Note: If you will be making your own DVDs (burning at a later time), choose a DVD profile.

 Click Details for more specific information concerning a profile.

 To create your own profile, go to "Creating Custom MPEG Profiles" on page 94.

Page 99

Producing Your Movie

7 Click Next.

8 For the last step, choose a file name or click Browse to look for the correct

directory. After finding the directory and typing in the new file name, click Save.

9 Check your File Details. Click Finish.

 During the production, there are viewing options you may set. Go to "Preview

Preferences" on page 43 for more information. You may also click Abort during production.

 Save you project if you haven’t already by choosing File > Save. Enter the file

name and click Save.

Page 100

Chapter 9

Creating Custom MPEG Profiles

1 Either if you were in the Producing Movie

process after you have chosen MPEG as your video type and selected MPEG-1/2 Video (Constant Bitrate), or in the Capture Mode and in the process of selecting a profile, to create a custom profile you must first select an existing MPEG profile that is closely associated with your new profile.

2 Then, click New... in order to create a new

MPEG profile. A dialog box appears.

3 Type in a profile name and edit the

description. For information on the Profile Properties, go to "Glossary" on page 111 for more information.

4 Click on the Video tab.

 Select a Video Size by clicking on the drop-

down menu.

5 Drag the slider to set your Vide o

Compression Rate. The higher the kbps, the

less the compression with better quality, but more disk space will be consumed.

6 Some Advanced Settings may be checked as

default depending on the profile you are copying from:

 Smoothing: Check for a smoother

image if you find video content is too fine and on the grainy side.

 Noise Removal: This removes video

artifacts such as white noise from video signals.

 Deinterlacing: Combines two

interlaced fields into a single frame and render them at 30 frames per second (fps). Deinterlacing is done to remove artifacts and improve the quality of encoded video.

7 Drag the Speed Quality Indicator to the left for higher speed but which will

sacrifice quality or to the right for better quality but at a slower speed.

Cyberlink PowerDirector - 2.1 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

The Digital Video Universe

The DV Format: A Brief History

FireWire

System Requirements

Hardware Requirements

1. Library

2. Storyboard

3. Preview Window

4. Modes Wheel

Capture Mode

DV VCR Capture Mode

DV Batch Capture Mode

Trim Mode

Speed Mode

Titles Mode

Effects Mode

Picture-in-Picture Mode

Audio Mode

Transitions Mode

Importing into the Library

Previewing your Library Files

Detecting Scenes

Storyboard Functions

Menu Selections

File Menu

Edit Menu

Modes Menu

Storyboard Menu

Help Menu

Preferences

General Preferences

Display Preferences

Capture Preferences

Preview Preferences

Capturing Video and Audio

Capturing from DV Camcorders

Capturing from DV Camera Mode

Capturing from DV VCR Mode

Batch Capturing from DV Camcorders

Trim Mode

Splitting the Video File

Trim Mode for Image Files

Altering Speeds

Supplying Video Effects

Titles Mode

Transitions Mode

Audio Mode

Master Audio

Picture-in-Picture Mode

Applying Image Color Filters

Master Watermark

Producing General MPEG-1 Files

Producing General MPEG-2 Files

Creating Custom MPEG Profiles