Macromedia OnLocation - CS4 Instruction Manual

Using
Updated 5 February, 2009
ADOBE® ONLOCATION™ CS4
Updated 5 February, 2009
© 2008 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Using Adobe
If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end user agreement, this guide, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license, no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Please note that the content in this guide is protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end user license agreement.
The content of this guide is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe Systems Incorporated assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the informational content contained in this guide.
Please remember that existing artwork or images that you may want to include in your project may be protected under copyright law. The unauthorized incorporation of such material into your new work could be a violation of the rights of the copyright owner. Please be sure to obtain any permission required from the copyright owner.
Any references to company names in sample templates are for demonstration purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organization.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe OnLocation, Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Creative Suite, Photoshop, Soundbooth are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other coutries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This product contains either BSAFE and/or TIPEM software by RSA Security, Inc. This Program was written with MacApp®: ©1985-1988 Apple Computer, Inc.
Flash 9 video compression and decompression is powered by On2 TrueMotion video technology. © 1992-2005 On2 Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.on2.com.
This product includes software developed by the OpenSymphony Group (
Sorenson Spark
® OnLocation CS4 for Windows® and Mac OS.
http://www.opensymphony.com/).
video compression and decompression technology licensed from Sorenson Media, Inc.
Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110, USA.
Notice to U.S. Government End Users. The Software and Documentation are “Commercial Items,” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. §2.101, consisting of “Commercial Computer Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation,” as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 C.F.R. §12.212 or 48 C.F.R. §§227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, as applicable, the Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation are being licensed to U.S. Government end users (a) only as Commercial Items and (b) with only those rights as are granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions herein. Unpublished-rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States. Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110-2704, USA. For U.S. Government End Users, Adobe agrees to comply with all applicable equal opportunity laws including, if appropriate, the provisions of Executive Order 11246, as amended, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (38 USC 4212), and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the regulations at 41 CFR Parts 60-1 through 60-60, 60-250, and 60-741. The affirmative action clause and regulations contained in the preceding sentence shall be incorporated by reference.
Part Number: 90094197 (10/08)

Contents

Updated 5 February, 2009
Chapter 1: Resources
Installation and registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Help and support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Services, downloads, and extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New features in Adobe OnLocation CS4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2: Workspace
Customizing the workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Managing workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 3: Creating projects and setting up cameras
Creating, opening, and moving projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting up cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 4: Analyzing lighting, exposure, and color
Evaluating brightness with zebras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Evaluating brightness and color with waveform monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Evaluating brightness and color with histograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Analyzing color with the Vectorscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Maintaining consistent color for background keying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Video and audio alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Checking continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
iii
Chapter 5: Checking framing and focus
Aesthetic framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Frame with the grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Display and adjust the action-safe margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Preview different aspect ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Zooming, underscan, and overscan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Chapter 6: Organizing and logging shots
Organizing the Shot List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Viewing and editing XMP metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chapter 7: Recording, reviewing, and transferring clips
Recording clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Reviewing recorded clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Transferring clips to other applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter 8: Keyboard shortcuts
Finding and customizing shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Common shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Index ................................................................................................................ 53
Updated 5 February, 2009

Chapter 1: Resources

Updated 5 February, 2009
Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read an overview of installation and the many resources available to users. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates, user communities, seminars, tutorials, RSS feeds, and much more.

Installation and registration

Help with installation

For help with installation issues, see the Installation Support Center at www.adobe.com/go/cs4install.

Register

Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.
To register, follow the on-screen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install the
software.
1
If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.

Adobe Product Improvement Program

After you use your Adobe software a certain number of times, a dialog box may appear asking whether you want to participate in the Adobe Product Improvement Program.
If you choose to participate, data about your use of Adobe software is sent to Adobe. No personal information is recorded or sent. The Adobe Product Improvement Program only collects information about which features and tools you use and how often you use them.
You can opt in to or out of the program at any time:
To participate, choose Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click Yes, Participate.
To stop participating, choose Help > Adobe Product Improvement Program and click No, Thank You.

ReadMe

A ReadMe file for your software is available online and on the installation disc. Open the file to read important information about topics such as the following:
System requirements
Installation (including uninstalling the software)
Activation and registration
Font installation
Troubleshooting
Customer support
2 CHAPTER 1
Updated 5 February, 2009
Resources
Legal notices

Help and support

Community Help

Community Help is an integrated environment on Adobe.com that gives you access to community-generated content moderated by Adobe and industry experts. Comments from users help guide you to an answer.
Community Help draws on a number of resources, including:
Videos, tutorials, tips and techniques, blogs, articles, and examples for designers and developers.
Complete online product Help, which is updated regularly by the Adobe documentation team.
All other content on Adobe.com, including knowledgebase articles, downloads and updates, Developer
Connection, and more.
Choose Help > product name Help in the application to access the Help and Support page, the portal to all of the Community Help content for your product. You can also use the Help search field in some Creative Suite 4 applications, or press F1 (Windows), to access Community Help for your product.
The sites searched by the default Community Help search engine are hand-selected and reviewed for quality by Adobe and Adobe Community Experts. Adobe experts also work to ensure that the top search results include a mixture of different kinds of content, including results from online product Help.
For more information on using Community Help, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/CommunityHelp/.
For a video overview of Community Help, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4117_xp.

Product Help

Adobe provides a comprehensive user guide for each product in several formats, including online product Help, PDF, and printed book. Results from online product Help are included in your results whenever you search Community Help.
If you’re connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens the product Help and Support page by default. This page is a portal to all of the Community Help content for the product. If you want to consult or search online product Help only, you can access it by clicking the product Help link in the upper-right corner of the Help and Support page. Be sure to select the This Help System Only option before you do your search.
If you’re not connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens local Help, a subset of the content available in online product Help. Because local Help is not as complete or up-to-date as online product Help, Adobe recommends that you use the PDF version of product Help if you want to stay offline. A downloadable PDF of complete product Help is available from two places:
The product’s Help and Support page (upper-right corner of the page)
Local and web Help (top of the Help interface)
For more information on accessing product help, see http://help.adobe.com/en_US/CommunityHelp/.
If you are working in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, or Dreamweaver, and you want to turn off Community Help so that local Help opens by default, do the following:
1 Open the Connections panel (Window > Extensions > Connections).
2 From the Connections panel menu , select Offline Options.
USING ADOBE ONLOCATION CS4
Updated 5 February, 2009
3 Select Keep Me Offline and click OK.
Note: When you disable web services from the Connections panel, all other web services (such as Adobe Kuler and Adobe ConnectNow) are also disabled.

Printed resources

Printed versions of the complete online product Help are available for the cost of shipping and handling at www.adobe.com/go/store.

Support resources

Visit the Adobe Support website at www.adobe.com/support to learn about free and paid technical support options.

Services, downloads, and extras

You can enhance your product by integrating a variety of services, plug-ins, and extensions in your product. You can also download samples and other assets to help you get your work done.
3

Adobe creative online services

Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 includes new online features that bring the power of the web to your desktop. Use these features to connect with the community, collaborate, and get more from your Adobe tools. Powerful creative online services let you complete tasks ranging from color matching to data conferencing. The services seamlessly integrate with desktop applications so you can quickly enhance existing workflows. Some services offer full or partial functionality when you’re offline too.
Visit Adobe.com to learn more about available services. Some Creative Suite 4 applications include these initial offerings:
Kuler™ panel Quickly create, share, and explore color themes online.
Adobe® ConnectNow Collaborate with dispersed working teams over the web, sharing voice, data, and multimedia.
Resource Central Instantly access tutorials, sample files, and extensions for Adobe digital video applications.
For information on managing your services, see the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/learn_creativeservices_en.

Adobe Exchange

Visit the Adobe Exchange at www.adobe.com/go/exchange to download samples as well as thousands of plug-ins and extensions from Adobe and third-party developers. The plug-ins and extensions can help you automate tasks, customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.

Adobe downloads

Visit www.adobe.com/go/downloads to find free updates, tryouts, and other useful software.
4 CHAPTER 1
Updated 5 February, 2009
Resources

Adobe Labs

Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/labs gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and emerging technologies and products from Adobe. At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources such as these:
Prerelease software and technologies
Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning
Early versions of product and technical documentation
Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with like-minded users.
Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers quickly become productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early feedback. The Adobe development teams use this feedback to create software that meets the needs and expectations of the community.

Adobe TV

Visit Adobe TV at http://tv.adobe.com to view instructional and inspirational videos.

Extras

The installation disc contains a variety of extras to help you make the most of your Adobe software. Some extras are installed on your computer during the setup process; others are located on the disc.
To view the extras installed during the setup process, navigate to the application folder on your computer.
Windows®: [startup drive]\Program Files\Adobe\[Adobe application]
Mac OS®: [startup drive]/Applications/[Adobe application]
To view the extras on the disc, navigate to the Goodies folder in your language folder on the disc. Example:
/English/Goodies/

New features in Adobe OnLocation CS4

Adobe OnLocation™ CS4 is powerful cross-platform, direct-to-disk recording and monitoring software that helps you shoot better and faster. Designed to run on a laptop or workstation, Adobe OnLocation CS4 gives you an impressive array of production tools to quickly and easily manage shots, review content, and add metadata. Save time and money on-set, in postproduction, and through delivery with XMP metadata support and tight integration with Adobe® Premiere® Pro.
For a video overview of Adobe OnLocation features, see www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4080_ol
Cross-platform Work on the platform of your choice. Adobe OnLocation CS4 runs natively in Windows and Mac OS,
letting you take advantage of the full power of the application on either platform.
Familiar, customizable Adobe user interface Get working quickly and efficiently with a user interface that looks and
operates like the Adobe video and audio applications you already know. In Adobe OnLocation CS4, all functions are visible on a standard laptop screen, eliminating the need to scroll and search through menus. (See “Customizing the workspace” on page 7.)
USING ADOBE ONLOCATION CS4
Updated 5 February, 2009
Comprehensive XMP metadata Adobe OnLocation CS4 provides complete support for XMP metadata. Use the Shot
List and Metadata panels to view, find, and add metadata to assets. Because the data is stored in XMP format, it flows automatically to other Adobe audio and video applications. (See “Viewing and editing XMP metadata” on page 38.)
Workflow integration with Adobe Premiere Pro Move content from Adobe OnLocation to Adobe Premiere Pro
quickly and easily, while retaining metadata entered during shooting, speeding up the editing process. (See “Transferring clips to other applications” on page 48.)
Fast logging Log shots in the Shot List using a tabular interface that works like a spreadsheet. Navigate through the
most commonly used data fields using the keyboard. This fast, efficient method of data entry ensures that you gather more useful information at the time of the shoot, enabling greater efficiency later, in postproduction. (See “Organizing the Shot List” on page 33.)
Shot List with multiple takes Use Adobe OnLocation to manage your video shoot. Before shooting, create placeholder
shots in the Shot List, complete with metadata. Adobe OnLocation can automatically create new takes each time you record, with each take inheriting metadata from the master shot. (See “Select shot- or take-recording mode” on page 33.)
Search for content in the Shot List Find the content you need quickly in the Shot List using the inline search feature.
Type the first few letters of a keyword, and the list of files is filtered as you type so that only relevant items are shown. Search across all data fields or specify a particular field. (See “Edit, copy, or search shot properties” on page 36.)
Customizable keyboard shortcuts Adobe OnLocation CS4 can be driven almost completely with keyboard shortcuts.
This approach promotes fast, efficient operation while on-set. Customize keyboard shortcuts throughout the application so that it works the way you want. Save and recall shortcut sets to make it easy to move from system to system. (See “Finding and customizing shortcuts” on page 51.)
5
Comment markers Use comment markers to add notes during recording or playback. Comments are attached to exact
timecode, making it easy to review specific parts of clips while still at the shoot. (See “Comment markers” on page 47.)
Updated 5 February, 2009

Chapter 2: Workspace

Updated 5 February, 2009

Customizing the workspace

About workspaces

Adobe video and audio applications provide a consistent, customizable workspace. Although each application has its own set of panels (such as Project, Metadata, and Timeline), you move and group panels in the same way across products.
The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels as well as panels that stand alone.
You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. As you rearrange panels, the other panels resize automatically to fit the window. You can create and save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for previewing.
You can use floating windows to create a workspace more like those in previous versions of Adobe applications, or to place panels on multiple monitors.
7
BC
A
Example workspace A. Application window B. Grouped panels C. Individual panel

Dock, group, or float panels

You can dock panels together, move them into or out of groups, and undock them so they float above the application window. As you drag a panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—become highlighted. The drop zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or groups with other panels.
Docking zones
Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it adjacent to the existing group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.
8 CHAPTER 2
Updated 5 February, 2009
Workspace
A
B
C
Dragging panel (A) onto docking zone (B) to dock it (C)
Grouping zones
Grouping zones exist in the middle of a panel or group, and along the tab area of panels. Grouping a panel stacks it with other panels.
A
B
C
Dragging panel (A) onto grouping zone (B) to group it with existing panels (C)
Dock or group panels
1 If the panel you want to dock or group is not visible, choose it from the Window menu.
2 Do one of the following:
To move an individual panel, drag the gripper area in the upper-left corner of a panel’s tab onto the desired drop zone.
USING ADOBE ONLOCATION CS4
Updated 5 February, 2009
Drag panel gripper to move one panel
To move an entire group, drag the group gripper in the upper-right corner onto the desired drop zone.
9
Drag group gripper to move entire group
The application docks or groups the panel, according to the type of drop zone.
Undock a panel in a floating window
When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels to the window and modify it similarly to the application window. You can use floating windows to make use of a secondary monitor, or to create workspaces like those in earlier versions of Adobe applications.
Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the
following:
Choose Undock Panel or Undock Frame from the panel menu. Undock Frame undocks the panel group.
Hold down Ctrl (Windows®) or Command (Mac OS®), and drag the panel or group from its current location.
When you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.
Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the
panel to the Windows taskbar.)

Resize panel groups

When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons, all groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose your workspace contains three panel groups stacked vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t change.
10 CHAPTER 2
Updated 5 February, 2009
Workspace
To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer, press the tilde (~) key. (Do not press Shift.) Press the tilde key again to return the panel to its original size.
1 Do either of the following:
To resize either horizontally or vertically, position the pointer between two panel groups. The pointer becomes a
double-arrow .
To resize in both directions at once, position the pointer at the intersection between three or more panel groups.
The pointer becomes a four-way arrow .
2 Hold down the mouse button, and drag to resize the panel groups.
A
B
Dragging divider between panel groups to resize them horizontally A. Original group with resize icon B. Resized groups

Open, close, and scroll to panels

Even if a panel is open, it may be out of sight, beneath other panels. Choosing a panel from the Window menu brings it to the front. Likewise, if a panel group is very narrow, a scroll bar above the group reveals all the panel tabs.
When you close a panel group in the application window, the other groups resize to make use of the newly available space. When you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.
To open or close a panel, choose it from the Window menu.
To close a panel or window, click its Close button .
To see all the panel tabs in a narrow panel group, drag the horizontal scroll bar.
Drag horizontal scroll bar to see all panels in narrow group
USING ADOBE ONLOCATION CS4
Updated 5 February, 2009

Working with multiple monitors

To increase the available screen space, use multiple monitors. When you work with multiple monitors, the application window appears on one monitor, and you place floating windows on the second monitor. Monitor configurations are stored in the workspace.
For more information, see “Dock, group, or float panels” on page 7.

Brighten or darken the interface

If panels, windows, and dialog boxes are too light or dark for your work environment, adjust workspace brightness.
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or OnLocation > Preferences > Appearance (Mac OS).
2 Drag the Brightness slider. (To return to the original setting, click Reset to Default.)

Managing workspaces

Choose a workspace

Each Adobe video and audio application includes several predefined workspaces that optimize the layout of panels for specific tasks. When you choose one of these workspaces, or any custom workspaces you’ve saved, the current workspace is redrawn accordingly.
11
Open the project you want to work on, choose Window > Workspace, and select the desired workspace.

Predefined workspaces in Adobe OnLocation

In the Window > Workspace submenu, Adobe OnLocation provides the following predefined workspaces:
Calibration Prominently displays panels that help you calibrate cameras before recording.
Full Screen Expands panels to fill the screen, so you can more easily monitor them at a distance. To switch between
panels, click the tabs in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Pre-Production Expands the Shot List and Metadata panels, so you can easily enter descriptive properties for shot
placeholders.
Production Optimizes the workspace layout for recording, reviewing, and analyzing clips.
For more information, see “Organizing and logging shots” on page 33.

Save, reset, or delete workspaces

Save a custom workspace
As you customize a workspace, the application tracks your changes, storing the most recent layout. To store a specific layout more permanently, save a custom workspace. Saved custom workspaces appear in the Workspace menu, where you can return to and reset them.
Arrange the frames and panels as desired, and then choose Window > Workspace > New Workspace. Type a name
for the workspace, and click OK.
12 CHAPTER 2
Updated 5 February, 2009
Workspace
Note: If a project saved with a custom workspace is opened on another system, the application looks for a workspace with a matching name. If it can’t find a match (or the monitor configuration doesn’t match), it uses the current local workspace.
Reset a workspace
Reset the current workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
Choose Window > Workspace > Reset workspace name.
Delete a workspace
1 Choose Window > Workspace > Delete Workspace.
2 Choose the workspace you want to delete, and then click OK.
Note: You cannot delete the currently active workspace.
Chapter 3: Creating projects and setting up
Updated 5 February, 2009
cameras

Creating, opening, and moving projects

Adobe OnLocation stores related files in a project folder. Each project consists of a *.olproj file that references recorded video in the Clips folder. Any still images you grab from those clips appear in the Grabbed Stills folder.
You can store Adobe OnLocation projects on any local drive, internal or external. For external drives, both FireWire and USB 2.0 are sufficient for Adobe OnLocation. For DVCPro HD, Adobe strongly recommends that you use a 7200­rpm drive and defragment it regularly.

Create a project

1 From either the start screen or the File menu, select New Project.
2 Specify a name and location for the project.
13
Use a descriptive name that includes the name of the project or client, or a job number.
3 Click Save.

Open a project

1 From either the start screen or the File menu, select Open Project.
2 Navigate to the project folder, and select the [project name].olproj file.
3 Click Open. Adobe OnLocation opens the project, populating the Shot List with its clips.

Moving projects between computers

To access a project from a different computer, do either of the following:
Move an external drive, or copy the entire project folder. Because all paths are relative within the project folder, you
must move the project folder as a unit without moving or deleting any subfolders or files.
Connect over a network.
Note: Adobe recommends against recording video to a network location. Latency in the network might drop data.
For more information, see “Transferring clips to other applications” on page 48.
14 CHAPTER 3
Updated 5 February, 2009
Creating projects and setting up cameras

Setting up cameras

About IEEE 1394 ports and cables

Adobe OnLocation communicates with cameras and other OHCI-compliant devices using the IEEE 1394 standard, which is also known as FireWire and i.Link. If the computer has no IEEE 1394 ports or too few for your purposes, add one or more FireWire cards (PCI cards for a desktop computer, PCMCIA or ExpressCard for a laptop).
Before buying a cable, check whether you need a 4-pin to 4-pin or 4-pin to 6-pin type cable. Most 1394-compatible cameras have a 4-pin port. Computers have 4-pin or 6-pin ports.
With DV and HDV cameras, you can use cables up to 25 meters (80 feet) in length. The maximum cable length for DVCPro HD is 4.5 meters (15 feet) because the data rate is much higher. You can use repeaters to daisy-chain up to 16 cables.
Note: For the latest information on troubleshooting digital video capture in Adobe OnLocation, visit the Adobe knowledgebase at www.adobe.com/support/onlocation/

Step 1: Connect a camera

Adobe ® OnLocation™ works with NTSC or PAL DV cameras, as well as HDV and DVCPro cameras. The application automatically detects the camera’s video standard and format, so you don’t have to change any switches or project properties.
Note: Adobe OnLocation does not support camcorders that record onto DVDs, hard disks, or flash memory unless they output DV or HDV over a FireWire connection.
1 Plug one end of a 1394 cable into a FireWire port on the computer.
2 With the camera turned off, plug the other end of the cable into the camera’s FireWire port.
Important: Although some IEEE 1394 devices may be hot-swappable, FireWire ports might be damaged if you plug in a cable when the camera is turned on. Adobe recommends that you turn off the camera before connecting the cable.
3 Turn on the camera, and set it to the Record or Camera mode.
4 If the Field Monitor displays a previously recorded clip rather than video from the camera, click the panel menu
icon , and choose View Camera.
To switch to another camera, close Adobe OnLocation, disconnect the current camera, connect the next camera, and restart the application. If you want to ensure that video has a common appearance, see “Check continuity between
multiple cameras” on page 27.

Step 2: Set the monitor aspect ratio

The aspect ratio of a rectangular image describes frame dimensions in width relative to height. By default, the Field Monitor automatically reflects the aspect ratio of the video stream. You can also manually control the aspect ratio.
Aspect ratios are typically represented as ratios such as 16:9. However, you can also specify a decimal value, which equals the first value in the ratio divided by the second. For example, the value of 1.333 equals 4 divided by 3, or 4:3.
1 In the upper-right corner of the Field Monitor, click the panel menu icon , and choose Monitor Settings.
2 In the Monitor Aspect Ratio section, select one of the following:
Automatic Automatically matches the video’s aspect ratio.
4:3 Specifies the aspect ratio used by conventional television.
Loading...
+ 40 hidden pages