Columbus 3
for Bogart SE
Manual
Legal Information
We recommend that you carefully read the information in this manual, in order to avoid operator errors.
We have taken great care in developing and testing this program.
Since it is currently not possible to guarantee error-free operation under all circumstances and at all times, we can unfortunately
not entirely exclude that some errors may have crept in. Hence, MacroSystem Digital Video AG and its distributors do not guarantee a problem-free or completely error-free operation of the product.
As far as reasonably possible, we will rework the program in order to correct any errors and provide the new software free of
charge to the users concerned.
Our liability for defects in material and/or workmanship for newly manufactured products is limited to 24 months. This is not the
case when the law prescribes longer terms or in case of damage to life, body or health, in case of deliberate or gross negligence
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connection with searching for defects will only be accepted after prior agreement with the management of MacroSystem Digital
Video AG.
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Claims on the grounds of defects are excluded for minor deviations from the agreed quality, minor impairments in usability,
normal wear and tear, or damage arising after the transfer of risk from faulty or negligent handling, excessive strain, unsuitable
equipment, or from other particular external inuences not assumed under the agreement. Claims based on defects attributable
to improper modications or repair work carried out by the purchaser or third parties and the consequences thereof shall be
likewise excluded.
We cannot accept any liability for loss of data/time or any consequential damages that may occur as a result, particularly since
we have no inuence over correct software installation and operation by the customer. MacroSystem Digital Video AG and its
dealers therefore cannot be held liable for any defects or unintentional damage in connection with the installation or use of the
software.
Claims for damages and compensation by the purchaser, regardless of the legal basis, in particular due to breach of duties in
connection with obligation or tortuous acts are also excluded.
This shall not apply in the case of mandatory liability, e.g. under the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz), in the
case of intent, gross negligence, injury of life, body or health, or breach of essential contractual obligations. The damage compensation entitlement for breach of essential contractual obligations is, however, limited to the foreseeable damage typical of the
contract, unless there is willful intent or gross negligence or in case of injury to life, body or health. The provisions above do not
imply a change of the burden of proof to the detriment of the purchaser.
Neither MacroSystem Digital Video AG nor its dealers are responsible for any damages resulting either directly or indirectly
through the use of the software or the operating instructions, e.g. for prot loss and expenses.
Any implied guarantee is excluded, including guarantee of suitability of the software or operating instructions for a particular
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Table of contents
Seite
Chapter 1: General information ............................................5
1.1 General information ...............................................5
1.2 What is Columbus 3? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Installing and starting the program....................................5
1.4 Using the keyboard................................................6
1.5 Tips for including maps ............................................6
Chapter 2: Operation .....................................................7
2.1 The route........................................................7
2.2 Transition effects..................................................7
Chapter 3: The menus ....................................................9
3.1 Points menu .....................................................9
3.2 Look menu ......................................................9
3.3 Camera detail menu ...............................................9
3.4 Text menu ......................................................10
3.5 Editor detail menu................................................10
3.6 Global settings menu .............................................10
3.6.1 Line type path.............................................10
3.6.2 Line type route ............................................10
3.6.3 Text attributes .............................................10
3.6.4 Key object................................................11
3.6.5 Key object position.........................................11
3.6.6 Key object view ...........................................11
3.6.7 Head object ..............................................11
3.6.8 Head object position .......................................11
3.6.9 Head object view ..........................................11
3.6.10 Head object transition .....................................11
3.6.11 Light ...................................................11
3.6.12 Shadow.................................................11
3.6.13 Time ...................................................11
3.6.14 Camera .................................................12
3.6.15 Map....................................................12
3.7 Selecting a new object ............................................12
3.8 Conguring/modifying objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.9 Time control ....................................................12
3.10 Preview .......................................................12
3.11 Archive .......................................................12
3.12 Default........................................................13
3.13 Selecting objects ...............................................13
3.14 Supplied Columbus 3 maps .......................................13
3.15 FAQ..........................................................13
Chapter 4: Notes on the Power Key Option .................................15
Chapter 5: Application examples 17........................................17
5.1 Creating a route on a map .........................................17
5.2 Changing the look of the key points..................................17
Columbus 3 manual
5
Chapter 1: General information
1.1: General information
Thank you for buying Columbus 3 for Bogart SE. We are grate-
ful for your condence and we hope that this product will live
up to your expectations.
With Columbus 3, you will be able to get even more out of
Bogart SE.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further
questions or suggestions for improving the product. You will
nd our contact phone numbers and addresses in the Bogart
SE manual. Please do not forget to mention the serial number
of your device or your customer number each time you
contact us.
1.2: What is Columbus 3?
Columbus 3 is a program that is mainly intended to help you to
clearly display your travel routes on maps or street plans. Numerous options allow you to change the look of your projects.
You can import maps or use the numerous maps included in
the Imagepool. You can position objects on the maps (such
as town locations) and you can use any of the fonts installed
on your system to create labels with town names. Way points
can be used to draw straight and curved stretches of your
travel route. Objects (e.g. car, plane, ship, arrow) can move
along these stretches, pausing at key points and video footage
recorded at those points can be inserted to show the viewer
what you saw at these locations.
It is also possible to highlight selected parts of the image, such
as people or objects. There is no limit but that of your imagination. Columbus 3 also allows you to check your settings at
any time in full-screen mode thanks to its real-time preview
function (see Chapter 3.8).
Columbus 3 as a demo version, you should do everything as
described before, except that you should click on the Demo
button in the numerical code window. You will notice that the
word Demo has appeared after the program name. If you want
to activate this demo software later on, just click on License
again and enter the activation code.
When the installation is complete, you will see Columbus 3 in
the alphabetical list under the Special option in the Edit menu.
After you have selected the program, you will see the following
options in the area on the right (effect options):
Start program: This is where you start Columbus 3 for creating path animations.
Mode: You can choose from the following options: Video Ext.
means that the active video scene will be used. This mode is
excellent for maps you have lmed or photographed yourself
and for maps from other available programs, such as XpressMaps. The Image Pool Ext. mode will enable the software to
use a map or an extra large map from the Image Pool.
Split video: Use this setting to split the path animation that is
to be created at your key points, resulting in several scenes. If
No is selected, a single continuous scene will be generated.
Quality: Use this button to select the image quality of the
scene that is to be rendered. Low should only be used for fast
and preliminary rendering. The nal rendering should be in
higher quality, which will also lengthen the rendering time.
1.3: Installing and starting the program
In order to install the Columbus 3 program, your system must
be running the Bogart SE editing software. Leave your system
switched on and click on the Install Product button in the
Bogart System Settings menu. This will open the relevant
window. Now, open the DVD-drive, insert the setup CD/DVD
in the drawer and close it. Some time later (you may have to
wait a few minutes during which you will probably hear noises from the DVD unit while the CD/DVD is being read by the
system), you will see that Columbus 3 is listed in the Install
Product window. Select it from the list and click on License.
After a short time, a numerical keypad will appear that you can
use to enter the license code you purchased from your dealer.
A message will signal that the installation is completed, after
which you can remove the CD/DVD. Should you want to install
To start Columbus 3, you must rst select the mode in which
you want to use the program. Next, click on Start Program.
If you have chosen the Video Ext. mode, only the rst complete frame will be used from the active scene. It will be repeated
as many times as necessary in order to obtain the required
length when the new scene is rendered. You can stop and
quit Columbus 3 by clicking on the Edit button on the bottom
right of the Columbus 3 menu. It is not possible to abort using
the right trackball button. Columbus 3 automatically saves al
changes. This way, you can simply continue working where
you left off when you took a break. However, if you work on
another scene in the meantime, you will see the previously
created route against this new background. You can continue
to work on that one or return to a simple line default by clicking
on the Default button. You rst save your route, in case you
want to use it again at some later point in time.
6
Chapter 1
1.4 Using the keyboard
Columbus 3 supports the Power Key Option. Click on the F2
key for an overview of the available key combinations. Additional functions that cannot, in part, be accessed using the
trackball are described in Chapter 4: Notes on the Power
Key Option.
1.5 Tips for including maps
Columbus 3 is supplied with a series of maps of different
countries and continents. Since it is, of course, not possible for
us to anticipate all your needs, you will doubtless also want to
use your own maps or town maps. This means that you must
make a video recording of these maps. The following hints will
help you achieve the best possible results:
• Use a tripod to prevent camera shake
• Use weights (heavy objects) to atten the corners of the atlas
page and to smooth out creases in the map
• Use a sheet of glass to atten out the atlas page, but watch
out for reections caused by the glass
• Ensure that lighting is suitable. Once you have imported the
map to your device, you can edit it before using it. You can
use effects such as Image Correction, Color Correction and
other image processing effects.
Columbus 3 manual
7
Chapter 2: Operation
2.1 The route
A route, i.e. the path to be followed, is dened by positioning
various waypoints. Next, a line – together with an object – can
then be drawn over a congurable time period. Starting point,
end point and key points can be individually highlighted and
inuence the creation of the line.
A route consists of several elements, displayed and listed
below:
(1) Line
The line can be rendered in different ways, with the following
congurable properties:
• Various line thicknesses
• Various colors (invisible when alpha = 0)
• Various line patterns
The line can also be angular (e.g. for streets) or smoothly
curved (e.g. for air routes). The appearance of the line can also
change from one key point to the next.
(6) Finishing point
The nishing point represents the destination of the trip and
has the same properties as a key point, except that it cannot
be erased. For the points listed before, various symbols are
displayed within the colored points along the route. They are
explained in the following table:
Symbol Name
➔ Starting point
l Waypoint, but also for freely positionable objects
£ Key point
r Finishing point
Starting and nishing points
If you have not done any editing yet, the starting and nishing
points – connected by a line – will usually be displayed in a
position outside the menu bar area. The starting and nishing
points are clearly marked as such and they can be moved
and edited like any other point. Erasing them is not possible,
however.
Setting points
You can set a new point by moving the trackball pointer to the
desired position on the line and clicking on the left trackball
button. A new waypoint (green) will now appear.
Activating points
An inactive point (red) can be activated by clicking on it. The
color of the point changes into green, but its location remains
the same.
(2) Waypoints
Waypoints are used to enter the path followed by a route. They
are only visible while editing, not in the nal image.
(3) Key points
Key points can be placed along a route. They can then be
labeled in different ways, although you will usually use the
same type for all key points, to make it easy to make overall
changes. You can also dene pauses in the progression of the
line at key points. During the rendering phase, the scene can
also be split in different parts at these pauses.
(4) Starting point
The starting point for tracing out the route corresponds to the
origin of the line. Otherwise, the starting point has exactly the
same properties as a key point. It is, however, not possible to
delete it.
(5) Head object
It is possible to attach an object to the head (the front end) of
the growing line. This object, (e.g. a car, a ship, an airplane, an
arrow, a hand ...) will then move along with the head. An object
that moves along with the head, can automatically be turned in
the direction the line is growing.
Moving points
Any of the points can be moved in the map display. An active
point (green) can be grabbed by clicking on it. It will then
become blue, while the trackball pointer disappears. While you
move the point by rolling the trackball, the shape of the curve
will automatically adapt to the new location. To x the point at
its current location, click again. Right clicking will cancel the
move.
Deleting points
An active point (green) can be erased by clicking on the right
trackball button. For this to work, the trackball pointer must be
precisely positioned on the point that is to be deleted.
2.2 Transition effects
In the transition effects menu, you have the option of inserting
various fade effects for transitioning from the map display to
the video scene (and back again).
To create these transitions, you must the set the pause time
for the dened key points to a value greater than 0 and then
set the Split key points effect option to „Yes“ in the Special
window before the effect is calculated. This way, the sections
8
Chapter 2
that are generated during the rendering process will be saved
separately in the scene bin, making it possible to use the
effects to connect them with your video scenes.
These effects make it therefore possible to fade from the map
display to your normal lm footage and back at various key
points during your trip. You can, of course, choose not to use
any effects or to use other transition effects. However, the
effects included with Columbus 3 do offer the advantage of
generating these effects with pinpoint accuracy.
The effects that come with Columbus 3 are Rotate, Circle
fade, Rectangle fade and Zoom. Of course, all these effects
can be customized further by additional effect options that
allow you to create your own custom transitions:
To start, select the Direction of the transition.
Col . -> Video fades from the map scene (to the left in the
storyboard) to the video scene (to the right in the storyboard).
The option Video -> Col. goes in the opposite direction: from
the video (to the left) back to the map (to the right).
The Select key point button can be used to select the point
at which you want the video scene to start fading in. Depending on the setting of the Direction button, the map image will
always be displayed when you are selecting the point. Use Po-
sition to set the small marker on the center of the symbol that
represents the key point you want to use. If you do not see the
map display here, you should check the setting of the Direc-
tion button. The Size function cannot be activated. Additional
settings depend on the effect being used:
The Columbus 3 Rotation effect provides you with a Rotation
option that allows you to specify the number of scene rotations
and a Trail option that generates trails of ghost images that
become gradually more (or less) transparent.
The Columbus 3 Circle and Columbus 3 Rectangle effects
have the Threshold effect option with which you can set the
percentage of blurriness of a scene.
Columbus 3 manual
9
3. The menus
When seen for the rst time, the Columbus 3 user interface
may seem quite complicated. To help you nd your way
around the extensive menus, the controls are explained here.
At the left of the Columbus 3 menus, you will see several
buttons on the highest level (depending on the mode selected).
They display different symbols that represent the main menus
described below.
At the left, you can see the functions Point, Look, Camera de-
tail, Text, Editor detail, Global settings, Select new object
and the corresponding Settings menu. When you click on one
of these buttons, the name of the menu thus activated will be
displayed in the header of the box in the middle. This way, you
will always know exactly in which menu you currently are.
The top four buttons serve to open menus relating to the active
(green) point. You must therefore rst ascertain that the point
desired is green.
3.1 Points menu
The Type option allows you to switch between waypoint
and key point. A waypoint merely inuences the path of the
line, but is itself not visible in the nal video. Hence, it is not
possible to set a pause time. A key point, on the other hand, is
usually linked to a visible object (such as a little ag) and has
additional options to adjust its pause time and its look.
The Line button can be used to inuence the path of the line in
the area around the point. Round is typically selected in order
to obtain a smooth curve. Angular results in a straight line
towards the point, a clear angle, and a straight line leaving the
point towards the next point. (The object moves towards the
point in a straight line and then continues on to the next point
also along a straight line.)
Pause time allows you to set a time during which the progression of the line is paused at this particular key point. This function can be used when you want to record a longer comment
in this location, or if you want to switch from the route display
to another video scene using a transition effect or if you want
to change the head object at this location.
At a key point with a pause time greater than 0, a new scene
can automatically be inserted during the calculation phase (this
is a setting in the effect options). The break will occur halfway
the pause time.
3.2 Look menu
The look of the key point as dened in the general settings can
also be changed here. You can dene the key point and change the head object and the line setting. You can also congure
the transition effects of the key point and the head object. Use
Look to switch between the Position and View settings of key
points and head objects.
The settings enable you to switch between Local and Global.
The Object setting also allows you to select Off. In that case,
no object will be displayed at this key point, regardless of the
global settings. Normally all buttons are set to Global. This
means that the global settings are applied to the key point.
This way, all key points look the same and can be easily modi-
ed globally. Only in rare cases is it necessary to set one of the
three components to Local, when you want to make changes
to a specic point, independently of the other functions.
You can select an object with Select object and change the
Size. The available options for the global changes can also be
found in the Global settings menu (Chapter 3.6) under Key
object, Key object position, Key object view and Key object
transition and are explained there. In this Look menu, the
option Head object movement will also allow you to change
the speed of a head object at the active key point.
If you activate the setting for acceleration, the head object will
start slower in this location, or will slow down before this key
point, if this action (slow down) has been activated. The setting
(percentage) is always applied to half of the stretch before
(slowing down) or after (speeding up) the key point.
3.3 Camera detail menu
10
Chapter 3
This enables you to magnify or reduce the map details that are
to be displayed during the path animation. A map detail can be
dened at each key point. The map will then be zoomed in or
zoomed out during the animation from the active point to the
next point. Zoom factor changes should be carefully considered to avoid creating scenes that appear too busy.
If you set the map movement (Map menu item) to manual in
the Global settings menu, it becomes also possible to dene
camera detail at the waypoints. If map movement is set to
manual, it becomes also possible to change the position of
the map camera.
This inuences the look of the map after the calculation. If you
want to zoom the map in or out, you must indicate this in the
Editor detail menu.
3.4 Text menu
to move horizontally on the map and use the Vertical slider to
move vertically on the map. If the Zoom setting of the map is
such that it is not possible to move horizontally or vertically,
it will still be possible to move the slider, but it will return to 0
every time.
3.6 Global settings menu
This is where various global settings can be found, i.e. settings
that will be applied to the entire project and not only to speci-
c points. These settings can be accessed by clicking on the
Global settings selection button.
This menu is only accessible for key points.
A 4-line text can be entered at each key point, independently
of the other key points. Click on the Text button to open the
familiar keyboard and enter the desired text. Should you so
choose, you also have the option to enter the text using an
external keyboard.
The text can be adjusted further. Use the Text attributes menu
to set Text alignment, and also the Position relative to the
point and the distance (distance from key point to text) as a
percentage. Text formatting (font, color...) can be set in the
Global settings menu (Chapter 3.6) under Text attributes.
These global settings can be used to set the color, the frame
size and the font type for 5 different fonts. This setting can be
accessed in this menu by selecting Font selection.
Use the Text transition menu to indicate whether you want
the text at the key point to fade in (fade in) or to fade in and
out (fade in/out) or not to fade at all (Off). You can also set a
transition duration.
3.5 Editor detail menu
This menu can be used when you want to magnify details of
a map, to better position a point or to move on a map (that is
bigger than the eld of view).
Use Zoom to dene the map detail. Use the Horizontal slider
3.6.1 Line type path
Here, under Draw path, you can rst of all congure whether
you want a growing line to be drawn. If you do, you can then
select the Line type (solid or various dashed lines), the Line
width and Line color. If you have congured the setting so
that a line path is not traced out, you will see a thin grayishwhite line appear instead to indicate where the path is. This will
of course be left out when the calculations are carried out later
on. Even if the time control in the top right of this menu (see
Chapter 3.9) is not set to maximum, the dashed display will still
be chosen for the scene‘s remaining time.
3.6.2 Line type route
When you activate the Draw course option, the route stretch
will be pre-drawn from the start, and the line will subsequently
be lled with color. You can dene the color using the Line
color button. The line type, whether it dotted or continuous,
and its thickness, are all congured through settings in the Line
progression menu.
3.6.3 Text attributes
You can use any font installed on your system when working
with Columbus 3 (except for DEMO fonts). This menu allows 5
fonts to be dened. You can then choose amongst them in the
local text settings.
To set these denitions, you should use this menu to select
fonts 1-5 in turn and congure their individual settings of font
type, size, color and frame attributes.
Under the Select font style/size setting, you can congure the
font type and size. You can use Font color to set the color in
which the font will be displayed. Outline can be used to draw
a border around the letters (the outline strength can be adju-
11
Columbus 3 manual
sted) and the Outline color allows you to select its color.
Once you have done this for Font 1, you should switch to
Font 2, and so on, up to and including Font 5.
Of course, you need only to dene as many as you require
at this time. You can change these font denitions in this
menu at any time. Changes to the text design always affect
all the texts that use this font. Specic key points can only
be created through setting these fonts.
3.6.4 Key object
The key object is an object that is displayed at key points.
It is displayed in exactly the same way at all the key points
that have their key object setting set to Global (default
setting).
Notes: When you want to adjust such global settings, it
will prove benecial to have an active key point that makes
use of these global settings. This way, you will see the
result of the changes to the settings right away. If you have
a key point with local settings, you will only see the global
changes when using a slider.
First, you can activate or deactivate the key object display
using the Show key object setting. If it is activated, you
can select the object using Select key object. A selection
window (similar to the familiar pattern selection window - see
Chapter 3.13) opens allowing you to make your selection.
Furthermore, you can modify the Key object size.
3.6.5 Key object position
You can optimize the position of the object with respect to
the key point by moving it along the X- and Y-axes.
3.6.8 Head object position
You can position the head object with respect to the tip of
the line using the Distance and Angle functions. To do this,
you should rst enter a distance and then an angle. This will
enable you to better visually verify this adjustment.
3.6.9 Head object view
In order to obtain the optimum view, you can rotate the
head object in three dimensions using the controls for the
three angles X, Y and Z.
3.6.10 Head object transition
This is where you dene the fade-in and fade- out values
for the global setting. You can choose how the head object
fades in or out at the key points and how long the transitions take to complete. The times can only be adjusted if
an effect has been selected. The available transitions are as
follows:
Off: No transition takes place. The slider for adjusting the
time is locked.
Smooth fade: The object is smoothly faded in or out.
Light up: The object briey lights up and is then faded.
Zoom: The object grows smaller when fading out and
grows in size when fading in.
3.6.11 Light
Many Columbus 3 key objects or head objects are three
dimensional (3D). This effect, however, is only seen clearly if
lighting is simulated. In this submenu, the Use light button allows you to activate and deactivate lighting. You can
also use the Light button (type of light) to change the Light
direction and the Light color.
3.6.6 Key object view
In order to obtain a better view of the object, you can
rotate it in three dimensions using the controls for the three
angles X, Y and Z. Because of their default settings, many
objects will be shown from the back. Hence, it is important
to change their view setting.
3.6.7 Head object
The head object is directly linked to the growth of the
line and moves together with the head of the line (i.e. the
leading end). Basically, the same selection options and
settings options are available as for the key objects. An additional setting under Head object allows you to make the
direction of the head object change automatically. If Auto
direction is activated (default setting), the head object is
always rotated automatically so that it points in the direction in which the line is growing. This ensures, for instance,
that an aircraft symbol will always appear to y forwards
and not sideways or backwards. For many 2D-objects it is
benecial to switch off this option.
Note: If the color of the light is not white, all the objects
will be slightly colored by it. So if the color of some objects
appears different to how you imagined they would look,
please check the lighting settings.
3.6.12 Shadows
Irrespective of your light source settings, you can set a shadow casting for your course. Shadows can be set individually for 3D objects, lines, fonts and images or scenes.
For each of the 4 possibilities, you dispose of the same
settings.
Indicate if you want to use a shadow or not.
Enter the direction of the object‘s shadow cast, the distance to it, and its color. An alpha value of less than 100%
is only natural, since that will allow the shadow casting to
adapt itself somewhat to the ground on which it is cast.
3.6.13 Time
This menu allows you to set the time duration of the trajectory. The individual Pause times and Transitions are added
to this time, thus resulting in a total time for the animation.
12
Chapter 3
3.6.14 Camera
This is where you can congure how the camera moves in
the case of oversized maps. If you decide to use manual,
you will not be able to change any other settings options
here; though in the Camera detail menu you will be able
to enter a manual camera position for each point. If you
decide on automatic camera movement, you can use the
Camera points function to set whether the camera should
move from key point to key point (only key points) or
whether it should move to all points. Set it to static to avoid camera movements during the animation. In this case,
you should congure the camera detail in such a way as to
make your route appear in the desired detail.
3.6.15 Map
This menu is only available if you started Columbus 3 in
Image Pool Ext. mode. Here you have the option of changing the map. After you click on the Select map button,
the image pool opens and you can select a map from it. In
the Imagepool you can also change the product in order to
access images of other products. Please refer to the Bogart
SE manual for more information regarding the Imagepool.
3.7 Selecting a new object
This allows you to choose a new object that can be positioned independently of the route. The object can be your
choice of a text (4 lines), an image from the Imagepool, a
scene from an active project, or an object from the pool.
You can insert as many of these independent objects in
your route as you would like. Once you have chosen the
object type, you should click on Create object. This will
bring you in the menu you need to select your object.
Select text to enter text, Image to go the Imagepool, Scene
to select a scene and 3D object to go to the Object pool.
The size of the selected objects is adjustable. The object
will always be positioned in the center of the image. These
objects can be moved, in the same way this is done for the
route.
When you want to change the properties of an object, this
is the menu to come to. If there are no independent objects
on your route, you will see this through an empty menu and
a text message.
Select your object and change the properties. Depending on the type of the object, different properties will be
displayed here. These options are identical to those of the
key points. They have already been described there. You
can also link the object here. There are always two active
points on your map: one point on your route and one free
object. These can be linked by clicking on „Join object with
route point“. The time component will now be linked to the
route point. This is only important when you want the object
to fade in/out. The object will then behave as a key object,
and it will be faded in/out at the key point for the duration
you have set. Only the time factor of the route point is used,
all other values are not changed, nor copied. It speaks for
itself that you can also delete the object again.
3.9 Time control
In the top right of the main menus you will see a slider
control that you can use at any time to specify the point in
time at which you want the current route display to apply.
Normally it should be set to the maximum value (to the far
right) so that the entire route is always visible. The default
setting for the maximum value is 10 seconds, though this
can be changed at any time using the Route button in the
Time menu (Chapter 3.6.13). The times stated here is the
net „driving time“ and does not include the time needed for
transitions or pauses.
3.10 Preview
Contrary to other programs, Columbus 3 displays a full
screen animated preview. The menu bar and the trackball
pointer are not available during such a preview. However,
you can abort a preview by clicking on the right trackball
button. Depending on the complexity of the Columbus 3
project and on the system model you are using, the preview
might not be played completely smoothly. However, the timing will on the whole be accurate. You might notice some
display inaccuracies but these will no longer be visible after
the calculations have been performed.
3.8 Conguring/modifying objects
3.11 Archive
This is where you can store entire routes together with all
their settings thus enabling you to use them as often as
you like. The map used is not saved. This way, you can use
the same route on any other map. If the size of the map is
changed, the route will be adjusted to t the new image
limits.
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Columbus 3 manual
3.12 Default
You can use this button to delete the created route together
with all its settings and reset the settings to their predened
values. The system asks you for conrmation rst.
3.13 Selecting objects
Columbus 3 provides a special window in which you can
select objects for the key points (also the starting and nishing points) and for the head of the line. Its user interface
is similar to the pattern selection function (image pool) that
you are already familiar with. The Type option allows you to
switch between 2D (at) and several three-dimensional objects. Later on, you can rotate any of the types as desired.
To select an object, simply click it in the list. The object is
shown on the right with its name and an animated preview.
You can end the selection process by clicking on Ok. If the
Ok button is locked (i.e. you cannot press it), the object in
question is only installed as a demo and therefore cannot
be used in Columbus 3.
3.14 Supplied Columbus 3 maps
These are oversized maps that allow you to scroll over
the map during the route. The maps that you see in this
selection are sorted alphabetically from A (= Africa) to V (=
Lake Victoria). Most of the maps can be selected with or
without town names; a + after the map name indicates the
difference (e.g. Spain and Spain +). Some maps also include national borders. Since these are all maps whose size
exceeds the video resolution, only a part of the map will be
displayed if you generate an empty scene in the New (Edit)
menu.
3.15 FAQ
Question: How do you change a head object at a particular
point?
Answer: You have dened a global head object. If you want
to change it at a particular point, you must set a key point
at that position and then modify the look of this key point.
Activate the key point, open the Look menu and select the
Head object option. Set the Show head object setting to
Change and then select the new head object.
Question: Why does the camera not always follow the head
object when the camera moves across the map?
Answer: If this situation arises, activate the Camera option
in the Global settings menu. The Camera movement setting is probably set to automatic and the Camera points
option is probably set to only key points. Set the latter
to all points so that the camera also moves to all of the
waypoints.
Question: Why does the head object not move when a
change of direction takes place?
Answer: In the menu for adjusting the head object settings
(Global settings and Look) you will nd the Auto direction
setting. This setting must be activated by setting a checkmark so that the head object aligns itself with its direction
of movement.
Question: I have selected a different detail - why is it not
taken into account during the preview and calculations?
Answer: You have probably modied the Editor detail but
not the Map detail. You should dene it so that it is also
taken into account in the calculations.
Question: Why is the map constantly zoomed during the
preview and the calculations? How can this be
deactivated?
Answer: The Camera detail has probably been incorrectly
dened at some positions. Take a look at the Preview and
remember at what positions the incorrect detail appears.
Afterwards activate the key point/waypoint in that area
and check the Camera detail setting.
Question: Why can‘t I select a map in Columbus 3?
Answer: You have started the program Video Ext. mode
– you cannot select a map in this mode. Exit the program
and set the mode to Image Pool Ext. before you restart
Columbus 3.
Question: How do I restore the previous settings in order to
create a new route?
Answer: You will see the Default button on the right of the
menu. If you press it, the settings in Columbus 3 will be
reset to their default values with one starting point and one
nishing point. You can now easily create a new route.
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Chapter 3
Question: I want to use the maps from Columbus 3 to
create an empty scene in the New (Edit) menu. Why is a
different map created instead?
Answer: It is not that a different map is being created but
a map detail of that map, i.e. a part of the map. The maps
have a larger size than can be displayed at the video resolution. For this reason it is not possible to display the entire
map area in the scene display.
Columbus 3 manual
15
4. Information on the
Power Key Option
Besides providing shortcuts for the existing controls that you
can access using the “F2” key, Columbus 3 also provides a
whole range of further functions that to some extent are only
available using the keyboard. The various control options that
can be accessed using the keyboard are only available if the
Power Key Option is activated.
Ins: This key creates a new waypoint and congures it with the
default values. To set the waypoint, you must place the trackball pointer over the required position on the route.
Ctrl-Ins: This key combination creates a new key point and
congures it with the default values (trackball pointer must be
placed over the position on the route).
Del: The currently selected waypoint or key point (green) is
deleted. Starting and nishing points cannot be deleted.
Page Up: The next point along the route towards the starting
point is selected (green).
Page Down: The next point along the route towards the
nishing point is selected (green).
F13 Preview – even if the toolbar has been minimized.
Ctrl-c: This command copies the settings for the currently
selected point into an internal memory buffer (”clipboard“).
Ctrl-v: This combination applies the values that you previously
copied using <Ctrl-c> to the currently selected point.
Ctrl-i: This creates a new point using the values that you previously copied using <Ctrl-c> (trackball pointer must be placed
over the position on the route).
Ctrl-s: The currently selected point changes state from “waypoint” to “key point” or vice-versa.
Enter: The currently selected point (green) is activated (blue)
thus allowing you to move it. To move it, you can use the
cursor keys while pressing and holding down the <Nav> key
(compare also <Ctrl Nav Cursor> in the Power Key Option
manual). After you have moved the point, you can “drop” it in
position by pressing <Enter>. It now becomes green.
Esc: You can cancel moving an active point (blue) at any time
by pressing <Esc>. The point turns green and jumps back to
its original position.
Home: The starting point of the route is selected (green).
End: The nishing point of the route is selected (green).
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Chapter 4
Columbus 3 manual
17
5. Application examples
We recommend you work through the following application
examples in order to familiarize yourself with how Columbus 3 works. The sample exercises only demonstrate a few
of the functions of the program, but they do provide you
with a good starting point, so that you can also easily learn
to use the other functions, with just a little practice. For
details on the functions of individual buttons and controls,
please refer to the previous chapters. The examples have
been specially put together for newcomers to the program
and therefore introduce you slowly to the various controls.
Afterwards, we recommend you try out your own ideas.
5.1 Creating a route on a map
In this example you will learn how to operate the Columbus
3 program, how to use simple effects and how to create a
simple route through Egypt, traced out on a selected map.
Open the Edit-Special menu, select Columbus 3, set the
mode to Image Pool Ext. and click on Start program. You
will now see a full screen image your last map or the Columbus 3, and the Columbus 3 toolbar in front of it.
If you have already changed some of the program settings
before, please click on the Default button and answer the
conrmation request with Yes.
You will see a yellow diagonal line that has a starting point
and a nishing point each indicated by a red Pin 2.
You should now select a map. To do this, you should go to
the Global settings. This is button 3 from the menu buttons
at the left. Select the map option in the Global settings
menu. Start the map selection and, in the following menu,
set the product to „Columbus 3“ and the type to Images.
Select the image in the second column of the second row.
It is „Egypt+“ with city names. To conrm your choice, conrm this menu with OK.
In order to edit the route, you should click once on the
green starting point (on the left) so that it turns blue. You
can now move it by rolling the trackball. Position the point
anywhere near the left edge of the screen, for example over
the city of Cairo, and then click on the left trackball button
again to conrm the new position.
Next, click twice on the nishing point so that it rst turns
green and then blue. You can now move it to a city near the
right edge of the screen (e.g. on Luxor). Afterwards, conrm
the new position by clicking on the left button again. The
Columbus menu may be hiding the map you need. Just
move the menu to the other side of the screen. In order to
do this, you should press the second key at the bottom
right, immediately next the exit Columbus key
Note: If the city of Luxor is not yet visible on your monitor,
or if you would like to change the goal of the line to Assuan,
you can change the map view. To do this, you should go to
the Editor area menu and change the zoom factor to show
more of the map. It becomes possible to locate the goal of
the route on a spot of the map, which was not visible until
now.
Next, position the trackball pointer over any position along
the yellow line and click on the left trackball button. You will
see that a new point has been set. Repeat this procedure a
few more times until you have set several points evenly distributed along the line. Now click on one of the points that
you have just set. If it is red, click on it twice so that if rst
turns green and then blue. If it is already green (i.e. active),
just click on it once. The blue point can now be repositi-
oned in the same way as the starting and nishing points.
Reposition the points one after another on your map so that
you create a few stopovers in other cities (e.g. El-Minya,
Asyut, Sohag, Qena).
You should now open the Global settings menu by clicking
in the left menu. In this menu, set the top selection button
to Head object, activate the Show head object function
and click on Select head object to choose a symbol for the
leading end of the growing line. In the selection window that
then appears, you will see several groups (can be set under
Type) of which some are better suited for use as a key point
and others as the head object. Settle for „Bus, transporter“
and select one. Acknowledge with OK and set the head object size to 50%. Make sure that the Auto direction function
has been activated. Click on the Preview button. You will
see the bus move along the line. The toolbar reappears.
Lets us now slightly modify the line that is traced out by the
object. To do so, in the Global settings selection button, set
the Line type path function. This is where you can change
the type, width and color of the line to ensure, for instance,
that the line stands out better against the background.
Now look at the Preview once again, save your example (e.g. under the name „Cairo“) in the Archive and then
close the program by clicking on the Edit menu icon in the
bottom right corner. Next, close the Special window by
clicking on Ok so that the scene is calculated with a length
of 10 seconds (default value). The setting for the Split video
button in the Special menu is irrelevant in this case, since
you have not set any key points other than the starting and
nishing points. If, on the other hand, you prefer to get a
higher image quality, you should change the Quality setting.
A higher quality image will take longer to calculate.
5.2 Changing the look of the key points
This example explains another feature: the look setting, i.e.
appearance.
For this, we will use the same map as for the rst applica-
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Chapter 5
tion example. (Please refer to that section for information
on how to load the map. In case you have just followed
the rst example, you can simply start Columbus 3 again.
That way, you will see the situation it was in when you last
closed it. You can also follow the example with any other
route.
Select the starting point (Cairo, in our example) to activate
it (green), and click on the icon for the Look menu. In this
menu, you can change the settings for the starting point.
Make sure that the Key object function is selected under
Look. By default, the Object selection button is set to Global, which means that the global settings from the Global
settings menu are also applied to the currently active point.
However, to enable individual settings here, you must select
the Local option for Object. The starting point‘s object is
now no longer displayed.
Click then on the Select object button. Please select the
„Buildings“ type in this menu, choose the last entry „Sta-
dium 3,“ and conrm your choice by clicking on OK. You
will see the new object at your starting point and can now
specify its size.
To make things look even better, you also have other
options available to you for changing the look. Change the
Look selection button setting to Key object position. If you
have the starting point next to an important location on your
map, the object should not cover the city. You can move the
position of the object in such a way as to position it next to
the city. To do this, you should set the position to local and
enter the settings for position X and Y. Next, change the
Look setting to Key object view and then change the View
setting itself to Local. This allows you to rotate the stadium
about its point on the route to obtain an even better view
of the object. Simply adjust the values for the X, Y and Z
angles and see how the appearance changes.
You can now make changes to the nishing point in a similar way to the settings changes you have just made. The
appearance of the waypoints cannot be changed since they
are, after all, not visible in the nal video (they must rst be
converted to key points if you want to change their look).
You can then save this exercise in the archive as „Cairo 2“
and have Columbus 3 calculate the route.
The setting for the Split video button in the Special menu is
also irrelevant in this example, since you have not set any
key points other than the starting and nishing points.
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