Pinnacle Systems Hollywood FX Pro - 5.0 User’s Guide

Hollywood FX

User’s Guide

Release 5.0 - Revision A - English

Pinnacle Systems, Inc.
280 North Bernardo Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94943

ii Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Table Of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...................................... 1

What is Hollywood FX?..........................................................................1

Hollywood FX levels............................................................................... 2

Before you start .......................................................................................3

Installing Hollywood FX.........................................................................4

Licensing and registration .......................................................................6

Customer support.....................................................................................7

CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED ............................... 9

Hollywood FX in the application ............................................................9

Adding a Hollywood transition ............................................................. 10

Changing an existing HFX transition .................................................... 11

Using Hollywood FX as a filter............................................................. 12

CHAPTER 3: TUTORIALS........................................... 15

Tutorial 1: Transitions and options........................................................15

Selecting an FX......................................................................................16

The Monitor panel ................................................................................. 17

Basic effect options ...............................................................................17

Basic flight options................................................................................ 18

Basic lighting, shadows and shine.........................................................19

Basic render options .............................................................................. 21

Tutorial 2: Transition+ ............................................................................23

Selecting the Transition+....................................................................... 23

Mapping a video clip to Source 3..........................................................24

Tutorial 3: MultiWindow FX .................................................................. 26

Selecting the FX and setting options .....................................................27

CHAPTER 4: PINNACLE ONLINE .............................. 29

Table Of Contents iii

CHAPTER 5: TROUBLESHOOTING........................... 31

CHAPTER 6: PERFORMANCE ................................... 35

CPU speed, bus speed and memory.......................................................35

Graphics card drivers............................................................................. 36

Adjusting preview rendering performance............................................36

CHAPTER 7: ADVANCED TUTORIALS ..................... 39

Tutorial 4: Keyframe editing with envelopes......................................... 39

The Envelope Editor.............................................................................. 40

Selecting an object and option............................................................... 40

Creating the envelope ............................................................................41

Setting up the first keyframe .................................................................42

Adding a keyframe ................................................................................ 43

Other envelope controls......................................................................... 44

Tutorial 5: Flight path editing................................................................. 45

Modifying the path ................................................................................ 47

Tutorial 6: Creating new FX from existing FX PRO .............................. 49

Saving your custom FX.........................................................................52

Adding a filter plugin ............................................................................53

Tutorial 7: Warp plugins PRO ..................................................................56

Changing Peel options...........................................................................58

Keyframing the angle of peel ................................................................ 60

Tutorial 8: 3D text generation PRO ......................................................... 61

CHAPTER 8: THE HOLLYWOOD FX WINDOW ......... 65

CHAPTER 9: MENUS AND PANELS.......................... 67

Menus .................................................................................................... 67

The FX Tree panel................................................................................. 74

FX Tree Advanced Features PRO ...........................................................75

The Monitor panel and associated controls ........................................... 78

iv Hollywood FX User’s Guide

CHAPTER 10: THE ALBUM ........................................ 83

CHAPTER 11: FX PROPERTIES ................................ 85

Quick Flight Controls............................................................................86

Quick Lighting Controls........................................................................ 86

CHAPTER 12: MEDIA PROPERTIES.......................... 91

Media Selection .....................................................................................91

Trimming............................................................................................... 94

Cropping controls ..................................................................................94

CHAPTER 13: OBJECT PROPERTIES....................... 95

Object hierarchies..................................................................................95

Positioning controls...............................................................................97

Shape and dissolve ................................................................................99

Object flags.......................................................................................... 100

CHAPTER 14: SURFACE OPTIONS......................... 101

Basic color attributes ........................................................................... 102

CHAPTER 15: THE ENVELOPE EDITOR ................. 107

The single-value envelope...................................................................107

Multiple-value envelope......................................................................108

The Envelope window.........................................................................109

Key Type controls ...............................................................................110

Keyframe controls ............................................................................... 110

Keyframing example ........................................................................... 111

Saving and loading envelopes ............................................................. 113

Exiting Hollywood FX ........................................................................ 113

CHAPTER 16: PLUGINS PRO ..................................... 115

Managing Plugins...................................................................................116

Filter - Blur..........................................................................................117

Filter - Chroma Key.............................................................................119

Filter - Luma Key ................................................................................ 120

Filter - Directional Wipe .....................................................................121

Table Of Contents v

Filter – Edge Wipe ..............................................................................122

Filter - Gradient Wipe .........................................................................124

Warp – AlphaParticles......................................................................... 125

Warp – Displacement Map..................................................................128

Warp – Explode................................................................................... 130

Warp – Peel ......................................................................................... 133

Warp – Polyshrink...............................................................................134

Warp – Ripple .....................................................................................135

Warp – Swirl .......................................................................................138

Warp - Twist........................................................................................ 140

CHAPTER 17: EXPORT HFX PRO .............................. 141

CHAPTER 18: IMPORT 3D PRO .................................. 143

CHAPTER 19: 3D TEXT PRO ....................................... 147

APPENDIX A: LICENSE AGREEMENT .................... 151

INDEX ........................................................................ 155

vi Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Chapter 1:

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing Pinnacle Systems’ Holly­wood FX. Hollywood FX is a powerful editor of 3D
transitions, titles and animated effects. Since 1994 this
product has provided many of the same capabilities as
broadcast television equipment and high-end
compositors. It gives you an incredible collection of 3D
transitions that you can quickly add to your video
productions, and completely customize to your needs.
This chapter will introduce you to Hollywood FX,
provide instructions for installation and give contact
information for customer support.

This is a general guide to using Hollywood FX. If you
received Hollywood FX as part of a complete Pinnacle
Systems’ solution, you should first read the Hollywood
FX documentation accompanying that solution.

What is Hollywood FX?

Hollywood FX is an incredible collection of true 3D
transitions and effects that you can add to any video
production. Hollywood FX works as an integrated
plugin to your video editing software (the “host
application”). Hollywood FX is:

• True 3D: Hollywood FX uses OpenGL to provide

hardware accelerated, high quality 3D rendering.

• Easy to use: Simply drag-and-drop Hollywood FX

into your timeline like any other transition or filter.
The Hollywood FX window will appear and you can

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

select a transition, change your options, or customize
an effect.

• Organized: Transitions are organized into conveni-

ent bin categories with icons that let you find the
transition you want quickly.

• Convenient: With every transition you can quickly

change the flight direction, lighting, shadows, shine
and antialiasing with the click of your mouse.

• MultiWindow excitement: Hollywood FX supports

unlimited video sources to create multi-layer 3D
composites. Create cubes with different video
sources on each side, and much more.

• Expandable: Additional theme packs of 3D

transitions, effects, plug-ins and more are available
through Pinnacle Online, and Hollywood FX PRO
lets you share your own creations with other users.
Visit Pinnacle Online at:

hollywoodfx.pinnaclesys.com

Hollywood FX levels

There are two levels of Hollywood FX for Edition:

• Plus: This version is included with Edition 5 and

includes 300 FX plus advanced control over lighting,
light direction, shadows, shine, motion blur, trails,
antialiasing and more. Plus lets you customize any
transition with full keyframe editing of flight paths,
object shape (morphing) and transparency of objects.

• PRO: Gives you more than 100 additional

transitions (over 400 total) and gives you complete
control over all 3D rendering options. PRO provides

2 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

a complete suite of 3D tools to create your own 3D
transitions and effects:

• Complete keyframe editing of all object, surface,

light and camera attributes in a full 3D editing
environment.

• Includes a suite of image filters including: Blurs,

Directional Wipe, Edge Wipe, Gradient Wipe
and Luma and Chroma key.

• Includes a powerful suite of 3D warp plugins

including: Alpha Particles, Displace, Explode,
Peel, PolyShrink, Swirl and Twirl.

• Adds an incredible 3D text generator that lets

you create amazing 3D text fly-ons.

• Import your own 3D objects (Lightwave 5

format) to create completely unique 3D effects.

• Share your customized effects with others by

exporting a simple self-installing compressed file
that contains the effect and all objects and
images needed for that effect.

You can easily and instantly upgrade between these
levels over the Internet at Pinnacle Online or purchase
packaged upgrades from your video reseller.

This is a complete guide for both the Plus and PRO
levels of Hollywood FX. Sections and features only
available in PRO are marked with PRO .

Before you start

Before getting started with Hollywood FX you should
have a good working knowledge of your Windows
system. You should be able to use the mouse to select
menu options and should understand and be able to use
the common controls.

Chapter 1: Introduction 3

You should also be thoroughly familiar with your video
editing software. You should be able to use clips in the
timeline and understand how to add and modify
transitions and filters.

Throughout this document we use the term FX to refer
to the transitions and effects in Hollywood FX. This
term generically describes the following types of
transitions and effects:

• Transition: These are standard A-B transitions,

where one video source transitions into a second.

• Transition+: These are also A-B transitions;

however, they may have additional video channels
that can be mapped with video. For example, the
FlipOver FX features the first video source flipping
over like a card to reveal the second video source.
There is a third video source that is visible in the
background as the “card” flips over.

• MultiWindow: These effects are not transitions at

all. Instead, windows of video may fly on or off the
screen into various positions while playing your
video.

• AniComps: These are effects that frame a picture,

provide 3D titles and accentuate a video segment
through animated composites.

Installing Hollywood FX

If Hollywood FX was included in a Pinnacle Systems’
solution, it will be installed automatically with that
product, and you can skip this section.

Before installing Hollywood FX, verify that you have
the correct minimum requirements:

• PC-compatible computer with at least a 300 MHz

(Intel Celeron/Pentium II, or AMD Duron/Athlon
class processor).

4 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

• Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME,

Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

• 64 MB RAM (more may be required by your video

editing software). For multi-window effects, 128 to
256 MB (or more) is recommended.

• At least 200 MB hard disk space.

• 16-bit or 24-bit display adapter. A 3D OpenGL

accelerator is recommended.

To install Hollywood FX:

1. Insert the Hollywood FX CD into your CD-ROM

drive. The main installation menu for your software
will appear.

2. Select Install Hollywood FX. The Language

Selection dialog will appear.

3. Select your preferred language then click OK. The

Serial Number dialog will appear.

4. Enter the serial number that came with your

software (normally found on the first page of this
guide or on the CD-ROM sleeve). Enter the serial
number exactly as shown, including dashes, then
click OK.

5. Click Next to continue. The Setup Path dialog will

appear.

Normally you should accept the default path for
installation. Do not select your non-linear editor’s
plug-in path for installation; the installer will
automatically install the files needed into your non­linear editor’s folders. Click Next to continue.
Hollywood FX will be installed on your system.

After installation, the LicenseTool dialog will
appear. You have the option to register online

Chapter 1: Introduction 5

immediately (see “Licensing and Registration”
below).

After installation, you may be required to restart
your system.

Licensing and registration

The License Tool

Registering your software gives you access to
important benefits including current updates, support,
upgrade promotions, and information on exciting new
products from Pinnacle Systems.

Hollywood FX Basic and Plus do not require
registration, but will continue to remind you until you
have registered your software.

Hollywood FX PRO is copy protected, and users must
register within 90 days to continue using the software.

When you register a Hollywood FX product, you will
receive a permanent keycode that fully enables

6 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Hollywood FX on a particular computer and stops the
registration reminders.

You can register from any Internet-enabled computer
by connecting to hollywoodfx.pinnaclesys.com. If you
do not have your own Internet-enabled computer, you
can register from any computer that is connected to the
Internet (from a library or Internet café for example).

If you reformat your system drive and reinstall the
operating system or move Hollywood FX to a new
computer, you will need a new permanent keycode,
which you can obtain at
hollywoodfx.pinnaclesys.com.

Customer support

Pinnacle Systems is dedicated to providing the best
products and the best customer support.

For fastest support, point your browser to:

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/support

Please note: Pinnacle Systems cannot provide support
for using your non-Pinnacle video editing software.
You should first make sure you fully understand the
operation of your other software before calling. You
should also look through the read-me file and the
Troubleshooting section of this guide (page 31) before
contacting customer support.

Chapter 1: Introduction 7

Chapter 2:

Getting started

This chapter will help you get started using Hollywood
FX in Pinnacle’s Edition and Liquid – the “host
applications”. The basic procedure for adding and
modifying Hollywood FX transitions and filters is
described, along with hints and tips.

After this brief introduction, first-time users should
continue with the tutorials in the next chapter (page

15).

Hollywood FX in the application

The Hollywood FX effects can be found and inserted
into a host application project in various ways. One
way is by selecting the ALL button just below the
central bar. This will reveal the tree of various filters
and plugins offered. From here you can either select the
primary Hollywood FX icon from the PlugIn
Transition FX if you want to use an FX for transitions.
To use an FX as a filter, select the Hollywood FX icon
from Plugin Clip Fx.

Another way is under RealtimeTransition FX/Specials.
Here, every transition has its own icon that you can
simply drag and drop it between two video sources.

Chapter 2: Getting started 9

Adding a Hollywood transition

Multiple ways to select a Hollywood FX

Before adding a Hollywood FX transition, prepare two
video sources on the A and B tracks of the timeline, so
that there is some overlap between the two video clips.

Timeline prepared for Hollywood FX Transition

To add a transition to the timeline:

1. Click on the Edition.FX tab in the Project window,

then double-click on the Plugin Transition FX
folder, and the Pinnacle group.

2. Drag Hollywood FX from the Project window into

the timeline, between the two video clips.

10 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

3. Double-click on the transition block or Right-click

on the transition and choose the Edit... command
from the popup menu.

The Hollywood FX dialog will appear, letting you
choose a specific transition, and change options for
your transition.

A Hollywood FX Transition in the timeline

Changing an existing HFX transition

You can modify a transition that is already in the
timeline, changing the selected effect or any options at
any time.

To change an existing transition in the timeline:

• Double-click on the transition block; or,

• Right-click on the transition and choose the Edit...

command from the popup menu.

The Hollywood FX window will appear, letting you
choose a specific transition, and change options for
your transition.

Chapter 2: Getting started 11

Using Hollywood FX as a filter

Hollywood FX can be used as a filter on a graphic,
title, or video clip. Hollywood FX is great for flying on
or off titles over video.

To prepare:

1. Start a new sequence and drag a video clip into the

first video track.

2. Select a title and drag three copies of it into the

timeline, on the video track immediately above the
video clip you dragged into the first track.

The Timeline, ready for a Hollywood FX Filter.
(1) The first copy of the title will fly on over the
video clip; (2) The second will simply be overlaid
on the clip; and (3) The third will fly off the screen.

To fly on the title with Hollywood FX:

1. In the Project window, click on the Edition.FX tab,

then double-click on the Plug In Clip Fx folder.

2. Drag the Hollywood FX 5.0 Filter from the Project

window into the timeline on top of the first copy of
the title.

12 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

3. Double-click on the asterisk ( ) icon on the title

clip to display the Hollywood FX window.

The Hollywood FX Filter has been added to the
first title clip. Double-click the icon (circled) to
display the Hollywood FX dialog. Right: The icon
is shown in a magnified view.

4. Click on the Domino effect in the first row of the

FX Album.

5. Click on Basic Options in the Properties panel on

the left.

6. Check the Reverse Flight checkbox (this will make

the effect fly on instead of fly off).

7. Click OK to close the Hollywood FX window.

After background rendering is complete, you can play
the sequence back and see the title fly on with the
effect selected.

To fly off with Hollywood FX:

1. Drag the Hollywood FX 5.0 Filter from the Project

window into the timeline on top of the last copy of
the title.

2. Double-click on the asterisk ( ) icon on the title

clip to display the Hollywood FX window.

3. Select the Dive Off effect from the first row of the

FX Album.

4. Click OK to close the Hollywood FX window.

When background rendering is complete, you can play
the sequence back, and you will now see the title fly
on, hold, then fly off.

Chapter 2: Getting started 13

Chapter 3:

Tutorials

Here we present three tutorials that will help you get
oriented quickly to using Hollywood FX. Each tutorial
focuses on a different FX type: Transitions,
Transitions+ and MultiWindow.

TUTORIAL 1: TRANSITIONS AND OPTIONS

This tutorial will take you through the basics of
selecting a Transition FX and setting Effect Options.

To prepare for this tutorial: Set up two video clips in
your host application and add Hollywood FX as
described in Getting Started (page 9). When the
Hollywood FX window appears, you are ready to
begin.

The Hollywood FX window

Chapter 3: Tutorials 15

The Hollywood FX window is organized into panels
and menus. The first panel is the Properties panel (by
default this panel may be closed upon first use after
install). This is where all detail controls are found.

The second panel is the Monitor panel that displays the
preview of the current FX (the above image shows the
monitor selected in Tri-View mode).

Finally, the lower half provides access to the Album
folders. One is for selecting property controls for
Objects, Plug-ins, Media, Camera and Lights. The
other is for selecting from the many categories of FX.

Selecting an FX

When the Hollywood FX window is displayed, you
will immediately see the FX Album Folders (the FX
you chose and the FX Folder it is a part of should be
highlighted). The FX Album has two major panels: the
FX Album Folder tree showing the different FX
Folders and the panel showing the FX Album Items of
the FX Folders allows you to select one of the many FX
available. For this tutorial you will select an interesting
transition called Ball Split. This FX is in the Basic
Shape group.

Selecting a folder (1) and an item (2) in the FX Album.

To select the Ball Split FX:

1. Select Basic Shapes from the FX Group popup list.

2. Click on the Ball Split FX icon.

16 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

The Monitor panel

Whenever you make changes in Hollywood FX, the
preview window in the Monitor panel is updated. Try
dragging the slider directly below the preview to view
different frames of the preview.

Monitor panel: 1) Play entire FX preview once;

2) Loop play: preview continuously as you work (press
again to stop preview); 3) Step backward one frame;

4) Step forward one frame; 5) Go to first frame; 6) Go
to last frame; 7) Frame counter; 8) Timeline slider.

To turn on continuous playback of the preview:
click on the Loop Play button below the preview
window in the Monitor panel.

Basic effect options

Hollywood FX gives you quick and easy control over
many FX options. You can create new and exciting
results without having to re-keyframe the entire FX.

To view the basic effect options: Click on the name at
the top of the FX Tree.

Chapter 3: Tutorials 17

Left: The FX tree. Right: The Basic Options selected in

Basic flight options

the Properties Panel.

You can quickly change the flight path of an object in
useful ways using the Basic Options controls.

Basic flight options

Watch the preview now. You will see that instead of
the first video source flying off and revealing the
second video source, the second video source will fly
on and cover the first video source.

18 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Flight path try-out:

• Click-and-drag the Flight Rotation dial so that it

reads 45. Watch the preview.

• Click on the Object Rotation checkbox so it is

checked. Watch the preview.

• Click-and-drag the Flight Path dial so that it reads

90. Watch the preview.

• Click-and-drag the Flight Path dial so that it reads

0. You can also use the arrow keys to change the dial

by one degree increments.

The Flight Path dial rotates the entire flight path of the
3D objects in the FX, giving you a different result
quickly and easily. When you change the Flight Path, it
does not rotate the object itself. Checking the Rotate
Object checkbox will cause the object itself to rotate
and “follow” the new path.

Note: Some FX were not designed to be compatible
with the basic flight options. So this feature may be
disabled for those effects.

Basic lighting, shadows and shine

Lighting, shadows and shine add incredible 3D realism
to an FX. By default all of these features are turned on.
Try turning them off to see the difference it makes.

Basic lighting options

Chapter 3: Tutorials 19

Basic shadow options

Basic shine options

To turn off Lighting and Shadows:

• Click on the Shadows checkbox to clear it. Notice

that the shadow disappears.

• Click on the Lighting checkbox to clear it. Notice

that the 3D ball is no longer shaded.

• Click on Shadows and Lighting to turn these

features back on.

In addition to being able to control which lighting
features are used, you can also control the light
direction. By default, light comes from the top center of
the 3D “world”. When you adjust the light direction, it
automatically adjusts the shine and shadow position as
well.

Light direction try-out:

• Click-and-drag the Light Direction dial so that it

reads 90. Watch the preview.

• Click-and-drag the Light Direction dial so that it

reads 180. Watch the preview.

20 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

• Click-and-drag the Light Direction dial so that it

reads 0. You can also use the arrow keys to change
the dial by one degree increments.

Changing the light direction to 180 degrees gives a
very unique, almost sinister appearance.

Basic render options

The Basic Options Render controls let you adjust
special rendering features of the 3D engine.

Render type

Normally objects with curves are rendered with smooth
surfaces. You can use the render type to change to
faceted or wire surfaces.

To change the render type:

• Select Flat from the Render dropdown. Notice that

the object no longer appears smooth.

• Select Wire from the Render dropdown. Notice that

the object is now rendered as a wire-frame rather
than a solid object.

• Select Smooth from the Render dropdown to return

to smooth solid rendering.

Antialiasing

Because of the low resolution of video, sharp edged 3D
effects will often exhibit blocky stairstepping along the
edges of objects. Antialiasing eliminates much of this
problem. Hollywood FX includes three methods of
antialiasing (although the preview generally displays
only edge antialiasing).

Chapter 3: Tutorials 21

Selecting render options

Antialiasing first look:

• Select Web/CD under Antialiasing and notice how

the edges of the 3D ball are smoothed.

• Select Video under Antialiasing to switch to scene

antialiasing. This generally will not change the
preview, but during final rendering full Scene
antialiasing will be used.

• Select Hardware under Antialiasing to take

advantage of some of today’s high-end graphics
chips.

The additional checkboxes and advanced shadow
controls are described in more detail under “Quick
Lighting Controls” (page 86).

When you are ready, click OK in the Hollywood FX
dialog to exit, then render your project to see the
results.

22 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

TUTORIAL 2: TRANSITION+

In Tutorial 1 you worked with a Transition FX that had
only two video sources. In the present tutorial you will
use a Transition+ FX that also performs a transition but
has additional video sources you can use.

When you are finished with this tutorial, you will
know:

• How to use a Transition+ FX with extra video

sources.

• Some of the features on the Settings menu.

To prepare for this tutorial: Set up two video clips in
your host application and add Hollywood FX as
described in the “Getting Started” chapter (page 9),
creating a two-second transition. When the Hollywood
FX window appears, you are ready to begin.

Selecting the Transition+

To select the transition:

1. Select Wipes and Fades from the FX Group popup

list at the top of the page.

2. Click on the FlipOver icon.

3. Click the Play Once preview button on the

Monitor.

Watch the preview. Notice that while the video is
flipping over, you can see black in the background.
There is a backdrop that is currently not visible,
because no video source has been mapped to it. The
next step is to map that third video source.

Chapter 3: Tutorials 23

Mapping a video clip to Source 3

Continuing Tutorial 2, we will now add a video clip to
Source 3 so that the background is no longer black.

Selecting media options

To add a video clip to Source 3:

1. Double click on the Back 3 Object icon in the

Tree panel.

2. Double click on the Backdrop 3 Surface Icon

to expand out the Media file.

3. Click on the Select File button in the Media

Options panel.

4. Using the file requester, select a video clip to use

for Source 3.

5. Click on the Play Once button in the Monitor

window.

You have selected a new video source and should be
able to see it in the background as Source 1 flips over
to Source 2. You should also make sure the field
interpretation is correct for this video.

24 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

To change field Interpretation: Click on the
Interpret popup, and select the proper field

interpretation for your video. For most video capture
cards you will select Interlaced – Upper First or
Interlaced – Lower First.

While correct interpretation is not important in the
preview, it will be important for final rendering. If
interpretation is not set correctly, the video in the
background will playback incorrectly (it will jitter
rather than playing smoothly).

Media Options panel, showing the Interpret field

From now on, when you select a video file, the
Interpret value will be defaulted to the last option
selected. You will only need to change Interpret if you
select a single image file, or video captured using a
different video card.

Chapter 3: Tutorials 25

TUTORIAL 3: MULTIWINDOW FX

Tutorials 1 and 2 introduced you to Transition and
Transition+ FX respectively. The third type of FX in
Hollywood FX is the MultiWindow FX. MultiWindow
FX do not perform a transition from one video source
to another. Instead, they feature multiple video
windows that fly on or off screen in various ways. For
this tutorial we will use the Flip 4 effect, where four
video windows fly off after playing over a backdrop.

Prepare for the tutorial

MultiWindow FX are designed differently from
Transitions. In a MultiWindow FX, the Source A video
from the host application is always used as the
backdrop video. This makes it easy to lay out the
timeline so that you can have the backdrop video
continue before or after the FX.

To prepare for the tutorial:

1. Start a new project.

2. Place the video you want to use as the backdrop on

video track 5, so that it starts at the beginning of the
project, and runs for about five seconds.

3. Insert the Hollywood FX filter plug-in from the

Plug-In Clip FX onto the video in Track 5.

4. Double click on the asterisk next to the thumbnail

at the end of the video clip to open the Hollywood
FX window to select the effect.

26 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

The Hollywood FX transition in Edition, ready for a
MultiWindow FX. 1) Drag and drop the Hollywood FX
filter from the Plug-In Clip FX; 2) Place the filter on
this video, as it will be the backdrop for the FX;

3) Double-click asterisk here to open Hollywood FX.

Selecting the FX and setting options

To select the Flip 4 FX and set options:

1. Select Multiwindow Effects from the FX Album.

2. Select Flip 4 from the FX icons.

3. Click on the Play Once button in the Monitor

panel.

Notice that the video source from the timeline plays in
the background. We will now select video clips for the
remaining video windows.

To map the additional video sources:

1. Click on the FX Tree panel.

2. Click on the Flat 3 object.

3. Click on the Host Video 3 to reveal the Media

Properties panel.

4. Click on Select Media File folder in the Properties

panel.

Chapter 3: Tutorials 27

The Hollywood FX transition selected and ready to
map additional video. 1) Select folder to map
additional sources; 2) Selected FX – Flip 4; 3) How
Flip 4 should look after mapping additional sources.

5. Select a video clip using the file requester.

6. Now you’re ready to do the same for the other Host

Medias, except for Back 1.

7. Click on the Play Once button in the Monitor panel

to see the preview.

Because you set up the default Interpret value in
Tutorial 2, you should not have to change it for each
video source you selected above.

28 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Chapter 4:

Pinnacle Online

When you register Hollywood FX online to get your
permanent keycode, you will also receive a userid and
password for Pinnacle Online, where you can purchase
and instantly download upgrades and add-on packs of
FX.

To use Pinnacle Online you will need a web browser
(like Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher), and a
connection to the Internet. Simply connect to:

http://hollywoodfx.pinnaclesys.com

Follow the instructions there to access and use your
Pinnacle Online account.

Chapter 4: Pinnacle Online 29

Chapter 5:

Troubleshooting

This section provides a list of common problems and
their solutions. If you can’t find an answer to your
problem in this list, or in the ReadMe file that is
created during setup, then contact Hollywood FX
customer support (see page 7) for more help.

Hollywood FX does not show up in my host
application.

During installation Hollywood FX will attempt to find
all compatible host applications and install the proper
plug-in files for each. If Hollywood FX does not show
up in Pinnacle Edition/Liquid, try copying the plug-in
files from the Host Plugins folder (in Hollywood FX)
as follows:

• Copy Edition\HfxEdt5.vfx to:

Edition\Plugins\Transitions

Copy EditionFilter\Fl-HfxEdt5.vfx to:

•

Edition\Plugins\Filter

My video editor crashes when I try to use
Hollywood FX.

This usually indicates a conflict with your 3D graphics
card. You should download and install the very latest
drivers for your graphics card.

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting 31

I never get a rendered transition, I just get the
Hollywood FX Logo.

This indicates that Hollywood FX was not able to use
OpenGL to render the effect. Check the following
items to resolve this problem:

• Check to make sure the files Opengl32.dll and

Glu32.dll are in your Windows\System folder

(Winnt\System32). If they are not present, Windows
95 users should download the OpenGL libraries from
the Support area of the Hollywood FX website.
Windows 98, NT, and 2000 users should check their
operating system installation, and reinstall any
service packs.

• Make sure you are using the very latest drivers for

your graphic display card.

• Change the preview engine under Render Engine in

the Preview menu.

When I select video or images in the Media
Options panel I get a white object instead of
video.

Generally this indicates you have run low on memory.
If you are doing MultiWindow effects with more than 3
video sources, you should have a minimum of 128 MB
of RAM (with at least 256 MB highly recommended).
If you are using images you scanned in, you should
lower the resolution of those scanned images.

32 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

I get color/brightness jumps at the start and end
of my effect.

This is normally because the rendered effect is being
recompressed while the surrounding video is not. Many
non-linear editors have an option to Recompress
Always or to turn off Smart Rendering. If your non­linear editor does not have a Recompress Always
option, you can usually solve the shift by adding a
Brightness/Contrast filter to both the incoming video
and outgoing video clips, but leave the
Brightness/Contrast settings unchanged. This will
cause the video to be recompressed, but not changed.

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting 33

Chapter 6:

Performance

Hollywood FX uses OpenGL, which is the industry
standard 3D graphics language for high performance
high quality rendering. Over the past few years the 3D
accelerators and their OpenGL graphics drivers have
improved dramatically, however there are still times
that the graphics drivers cause incompatibilities with
Hollywood FX. For this reason, Hollywood FX
defaults to software-only rendering for the highest
degree of compatibility, at the cost of slower previews
and rendering.

This section describes the steps you can take to
improve 3D rendering performance. You should only
try these changes once you are familiar with
Hollywood FX and have successfully rendered some
effects in your projects.

CPU speed, bus speed and memory

Your system configuration can make a dramatic
difference in performance. By upgrading your CPU to a
faster speed, upgrading to a new motherboard that has a
133MHz (or faster) bus, and by increasing memory to
256MB or more, you can dramatically improve the
performance of Hollywood FX, whether you have a 3D
graphic accelerator or not.

Chapter 6: Performance 35

Graphics card drivers

The most important aspect to 3D performance from
your graphics accelerator is the driver software you are
using. You should regularly check your graphics
accelerator manufacturer’s website for updated drivers.
Here are the website addresses of the most popular
graphics cards.

• 3D-Labs (Wildcat, Oxygen) – www.3dlabs.com

• ATI (Radeon) – www.ati.com

• Matrox (G450, Parahelia) – www.matrox.com/mga

• Nvidia (GeForce, Quadro) – www.nvidia.com

Adjusting preview rendering performance

Almost any good 3D accelerator will dramatically
improve the performance in the Preview Monitor
window. However, we highly recommend a graphics
card with at least 128 megabytes of memory on board.

You must enable OpenGL Hardware in the Preview
Settings to benefit from your accelerator.

To enable accelerated preview rendering: In the
Preview menu, move down to select the Accelerated
OpenGL from the Render Engine sub menu.

If you encounter problems with the preview after
enabling on-screen rendering, you should immediately
return to Preview menu Render Engine and select the

Software engine.

Notice: It is recommended to test these rendering

changes using the Easy FX editor that you can launch
from the Start Menu.

36 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Adjusting preview rendering performance

Chapter 6: Performance 37

Chapter 7:

Advanced tutorials

Before following these tutorials, you should fully read
and understand the previous portion of this guide.

TUTORIAL 4:
K

EYFRAME EDITING WITH ENVELOPES

This tutorial demonstrates the way you can keyframe
any option in Hollywood FX to create advanced
results.

Hollywood FX uses the term Envelope to designate a
set of keyframes that describe how an option’s value
will change over time in Hollywood FX.

Prepare for the tutorial and select the FX:

1. Create a new project in your host application.

2. Add two video clips and create a two-second

transition between them.

3. Add Hollywood FX as a transition between the two

video clips.

4. From the Hollywood FX window, select the

Tumble 2 transition in the Flying Windows group.

Before continuing, please change to Percent settings.
This will make it easier to follow the tutorial.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 39

To change to percent settings: With the Hollywood
FX window open, go to the Setup menu, move down to
Timecode and change to Percent.

The Envelope Editor

Hollywood FX uses the term Envelope to designate a
set of keyframes that describe how an option’s value
will change over time in Hollywood FX.

The Envelope Editor is normally hidden when you first
begin using Hollywood FX (to keep life simple).

To display the Envelope Editor: Click on the
Show/Hide Album button to hide the Album and make
the Envelope Editor visible.

The Show/Hide Album Button

The Envelope Editor will appear. We are going to
modify the Tumble 2 transition by making the
tumbling video dissolve as it tumbles into the distance.
We will do this by creating an envelope for the object’s
Dissolve option.

Selecting an object and option

In this step, we specify the object (“SoftFB 1”) and
option (dissolve) that will be controlled by the
envelope we are creating.

40 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

To select the Object and Option:

1. Click on the SoftFB 1 object in the FX Tree panel.

2. Click on the Dissolve slider in the Object

Properties panel so that it is highlighted.

Notice that the word Dissolve under the slider is
highlighted in green. This is an indicator that it is the
current option that can be modified in the Envelope
Editor. Whenever you select a control that can have an
envelope in Hollywood FX, it will be highlighted in
green.

Creating the envelope

Hollywood FX makes it extremely easy to create
envelopes by simply clicking and dragging in the
envelope window. We want to create an envelope for
dissolve that makes the object disappear over the entire
length of the transition.

To create a simple envelope: Click-and-drag the
slider in the envelope window to the end of the timeline
and click on the keyframe button. Drag the
keyframe you create all the way to 100% value and
release the mouse.

The envelope after creating the first keyframe. 1) Click
here to create your first keyframe; 2) A second
keyframe is created automatically at time 0%; 3) Make
sure your slider is here; 4) Resulting keyframe.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 41

Notice that there are two keyframes (indicated by
blocks). The one at the end is the one you created. The
keyframe at 00:00:00 is created automatically, since all
envelopes in Hollywood FX must at a minimum have
keyframes at each end of the envelope editor.

Also notice that the preview and the current time slider
at the top of the envelope window have moved left to
right, from beginning to end. Notice that the keyframe
at the end is highlighted in yellow to indicate that it is
the current keyframe.

Setting up the first keyframe

The way the envelope is currently designed, the value
of Dissolve will remain 100% for the entire effect.
What we want is for the value to start at 0%, so let’s
change the first keyframe.

Dissolve slider

To change the first keyframe:

1. Click-and-drag on the time slider and move it to

beginning in time 0%.

2. Drag the dissolve slider and you will see the yellow

block move to the bottom of the envelope window
(value 0%). Its value is “tied” to the current
envelope.

3. Release the mouse button.

42 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

The first keyframe is adjusted: 1) Click here to create

keyframe; 2) Keyframe is created at 00:00:00:00.

Now our envelope will work correctly, causing the
object to dissolve over the entire length of the
transition. Try playing the preview to see the results.

Adding a keyframe

Let’s add one more keyframe to this envelope, so that
the object becomes transparent more quickly. We will
create this key in a different way.

To create the new keyframe:

1. Drag the dissolve slider until it is at the middle of

the timeline.

2. Now drag the Dissolve slider in the Shapes &

Dissolve panel over to 90%.

After creating the new keyframe

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 43

The new keyframe is created automatically when you
change the value of Dissolve. This shows how the
original value slider for Dissolve and the Envelope
Editor are tied together. This feature makes it
extremely easy to create keyframes for any value in
Hollywood FX.

Other envelope controls

Before concluding this tutorial, let’s play around with
some of the other envelope controls. First, let’s move
quickly between the keyframes in this envelope.

To move between keyframes:

1. Click on the Prev button in the Envelope

Editor. The current time slider (and preview) will
move to the keyframe at 0%.

2. Click on the Next button in the Envelope

Editor. The current time slider will move to the
keyframe at 50%.

3. Click on the Next button. The current time slider

will move to the keyframe at 100%.

4. Finally, click on the Prev button to return to the

50% keyframe.

Using the Prev and Next buttons can quickly get you to
the keyframe you need, especially when you have
keyframes close together and one of them is hard to
select by clicking on it with the mouse.

Deleting a keyframe

Now let’s say we don’t really like having the keyframe
at 50%, so we will get rid of it.

44 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

To delete the current keyframe: Click on the Delete

button in the Envelope Editor.

The keyframe at 50% disappears, and the envelope
returns to a straight line between 0% and 100%.

Remember, envelopes can be created for almost any
value in Hollywood FX. If a control is highlighted in
green when you use it, that means you can control that
value with an envelope and create exciting results.

TUTORIAL 5: FLIGHT PATH EDITING

You can edit the paths of any 3D object to create
unique results. A set of tools on the Object Options
panel along with the Envelope Editor give you
complete flexibility to create new flight paths for
objects.

In this tutorial we will take the Ball Backup FX, and
create a new path so that the ball bounces up and down
on the screen. We use the term path to mean the
envelope for an object’s position, rotation, and scale.

To prepare for the tutorial and select the FX:

1. Create a new project in your host application.

2. Add two video clips and create a two second

transition between them.

3. Add Hollywood FX as a transition between the two

video clips.

4. Select the Ball Backup transition in the Basic

Shapes group.

5. Click on the Sphere object in the FX Tree panel.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 45

Let’s start by looking at the keyframes in the Ball
Backup FX. The picture above shows each keyframe in
the Ball Backup FX. For each keyframe you can see the
position, rotation and scale values, as well as a camera
preview and a perspective preview of the FX at that
time. You can follow along yourself by using the Next
and Prev buttons in the Envelope Editor.

Keyframe notes

At the first keyframe, the object is not morphed, and is
positioned at 0, 0, 0 on the X, Y, and Z axis. It is not
rotated at all (0, 0, 0), and is scaled at 100% of normal
size (1, 1, 1).

At the second keyframe, the object is moved down a
small amount along the Y axis (-0.123) and farther
away from the camera (-0.37 along the Z axis). The
sphere object is also scaled smaller (0.39, 0.39, 0.39) in
all directions.

The third keyframe continues the object’s movement
away from the camera (-1.36 on Z), and is smaller
again (0.25, 0.25, 0.25 for scale).

46 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

In the fourth keyframe, notice that the sphere is rotated
118 degrees around the X axis, and has moved
offscreen.

In the last keyframe, the object has been scaled so
small it is no longer visible, and is far offscreen.

Modifying the path

We are going to create a path where the sphere moves
up and away from the camera, then drops down and
bounces up and over background video. We will begin
by altering the current path. (As in Tutorial 4, we use
the term path to mean the envelope for an object’s
position, rotation, and scale.)

Before you start, switch to a Multiview:

• Make sure you have at least Split view mode

selected so you can see the Perspective view.

• If you cannot see above the top of the backdrop in

the Perspective view, click on the Zoom button
above the Monitor panel and move your mouse left
or right to see more or less.

Split view (L) and the Zoom button (R)

To alter the current path:

1. Click on the Next key button to go to the

keyframe at 40%.

2. Click on the Move button to the right of the

monitor and proceed to move the ball up high in the

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 47

Monitor panel by sliding the mouse forward several
times until it is halfway off the top of the monitor.

This will create the illusion that the ball has been
thrown up and in the next keyframe it will come
down.

To change the next keyframe:

1. Click the Next button in the Envelope Editor, so

that you’re at keyframe 70%.

2. Click on the Scale tool button at the right of the

Monitor panel.

3. Click-and-drag in the Monitor window to

interactively scale the sphere object smaller. Drag
to the left until the object is about half its original
size (you can watch the scale values and stop
scaling when the scale values reach about 0.45).

4. Click on the Move tool, then click-and-drag in

the monitor to interactively move the sphere. Move
the sphere towards the bottom of the Monitor, also
move it slightly backwards.

5. Now click-and-drag the timeline slider back and

forth to view the path of the ball. In the perspective
view you will notice at the end that the ball passes
through the background. This is OK because from
the camera view you cannot see this.

To create the bottom of the bounce:

1. Move the current time slider to 40%.

Note: If the timeline is not in percentages, you can

switch from timecode/frames etc. to percent from
the Setup/Timecode menu.

48 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

2. Click on the Move tool on the right side of the

Monitor.

3. Click-and-drag down in the preview until the object

is at the very bottom of the preview.

How things should look after everything is keyframed.

TUTORIAL 6:
C

REATING NEW FX FROM EXISTING FX PRO

The easiest way to create new FX is by changing an
existing FX to meet your needs rather than starting
from scratch. In this example, we will take the Flyoff
FX and replace the flying window with a morphing
shape, plus we will use an image filter plugin to
dissolve the shape in an exciting way.

Prepare for the tutorial and select the FX:

1. Create a new project in your host application.

2. Add two video clips and create a two second

transition between them.

3. Add Hollywood FX as a transition between the two

video clips.

4. The FlyOff transition should already be selected.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 49

5. For ease of training, switch to Percent by clicking

on the Setup menu, then Timecode, then click on
Percent.

Switching to Percent for training purposes

The first thing we want to do is replace this simple flat
window with a more interesting shape. We will choose
a Large Cylinder shape to replace the flat window.

To replace the Flat Window (SoftFB 1):

1. Select the object SoftFB 1 in the FX Tree.

2. Drag the Album Tree slider and move it down until

you see the Objects Albums, and select the Shapes
Album.

3. In the Album panel to the right, hold the shift key

down and drag the Large Cylinder icon over and
drop it on top of the SoftFB 1 object.

Replacing SoftFB 1: 1) SoftFB 1 selected in the FX
Tree; 2) the Shapes Album selected in the Album
Tree; Large Cylinder selected to drag and drop on
SoftFB 1.

The flat window has now been replaced with a large
cylinder. If you play the preview, the cylinder flies off;

50 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

however, it does not start flat. This is because we have
not morphed the cylinder from its flat shape to its fully
morphed cylinder shape. To do this, we will create an
envelope that will morph it from flat to cylinder during
the first 10% of the FX duration.

To create the initial keyframes:

1. Click-and-drag the Morph slider in the Object

Options panel so that it is high-lighted and its value
is 0 at 00:00:00:00.

2. Click Create a Key

in the Envelope window to

create a new envelope for the Morph value.

3. Click in the Envelope window at 10% time, then

drag the new keyframe up to 100% in value and let
go of the mouse button.

To adjust the 100% time keyframe:

1. Click-and-drag on the keyframe at 100% time.

2. Drag it up to 100% value and let go of the mouse

button.

3. Click on the Linear button at the bottom of the

Envelope Editor.

Creating Morph Keys: 1) Set at 0% so the object is
flat 2) 100% morphed to Large Cylinder 3) Holding
at 100% morphed till end of effect.

We now have an envelope where the Morph starts at
0% and moves up to 100% during the first 10% of the

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 51

duration of the FX. Then it stays at 100 % morphed for
the remainder of the FX. If you play the preview you
will see the results.

Your new morphing cylinder effect.

Saving your custom FX

Next we will make some more changes to this FX, but
let’s save it as a new FX right now. If you are creating
a custom FX for a specific project, you don’t need to
save it. All of your customizations will be saved as part
of the host application’s project file. However, if you
want to use the customized FX again and again you
will want to save it to disk and add it to the FX Album.

To save your custom FX:

1. Make sure the current time slider in the Envelope

Editor panel is at a point in time that will be best

represent the FX as an icon, since Hollywood FX
takes a picture at that moment in time and makes an
icon of it.

52 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

2. First in the Album Tree, either select one of the

existing Albums or create a new Album.

3. Now, pull down the Menu to Save As (notice that

the folder you selected is auto inserted into the
Save in: field).

4. Type a new name in the file requestor and click

OK.

After a few moments, the FX Album will appear
with your new FX Album and your new FX icon
visible.

Your new morphing cylinder FX saved in a new
album.

Adding a filter plugin

Now, let’s make our cylinder do a cool dissolve over
time using the Gradient Wipe filter. Hollywood FX
includes a number of plugins for filtering media video
and for warping 3D objects.

The Gradient Wipe plugin uses a grayscale gradient
image to dissolve a Media item using the “shape” of
the gradient as the shape of the dissolve.

To add the Gradient Wipe plugin:

1. Scroll down to the Filters and click on the Plugins

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 53

2. Click on the Gradient icon and drag it to the FX

Tree and drop it on Host Video 1 of the Large
Cylinder object

Adding Plugins: 1) Gradient Filter attached to
Video; 2) Plugins Album selected; 3) Gradient
Wipe plugin selected.

The new plugin will be added directly below (and
indented) the Host Video 1 Media item, and the
item Properties panel will change to show the
Gradient Wipe options.

The Gradient Wipe options

54 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

We will now select a gradient image and set some
options.

To set the options for Gradient Wipe:

1. Click on the Select Gradient… button. A file

requester will appear.

2. Change the current folder to the Hollywood

FX\Images\Gradients folder (this should be the
default).

3. Double-click on the Clouds1.tga file.

4. Make sure Wipe % From Transition is checked.

5. Change the Softness slider to 80.

6. Change the Border Size slider to 30.

7. Click on the Border Color button and select a

yellow color from the color requester.

8. Try playing the preview. Now the cylinder looks as

though it’s being eaten away by acid as it flies off
screen. Rather than tie the transition amount to the
FX duration, you could have keyframed your own
transition amount to have the object partially
dissolve then reappear, and you could envelope
softness, border size, and color to create a more
dynamic and interesting dissolve.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 55

Same cylinder, now with gradient wipe

To conclude this tutorial, save your modified FX one
more time.

To resave:

• Select Save from the File Menu. The current folder

should default to the last folder you saved an FX in.
The name will also default to the original FX name.

When you are finished, try rendering this FX in your
Host application to see the final results.

As you can see, by modifying existing FX and using
plugins you can create dramatic and exciting new FX.

TUTORIAL 7: WARP PLUGINS PRO

Hollywood FX includes a number of 3D plugins called
Warps. These Warps mathematically change the shape
of a 3D object and can be keyframed over time. This
tutorial will demonstrate the use of one of the most
common Warp plugins called Peel. Unlike more

56 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

limited effect software, Hollywood FX allows you to
attach a Peel to any object (not just a flat plane) and
allows you to attach multiple peels to the same object.

Prepare for the tutorial and select the FX:

1. Create a new project in your host.

2. Add two video clips and create a two second

transitions between them.

3. Add Hollywood FX as a transition between the two

video clips.

4. Select the Specialty Effects album from the Album

Tree

5. Select the PRO Warp Template FX for the

Specialty Effects album.

Note: The Warp Template FX contains a high­polygon object, ready for use with Warp Plugins,
and has no motion.

To attach the Peel Plugin:

1. Click on the High Mesh object in the FX Tree.

2. Click on the Warps and then Plugins icon in the

Album Tree.

3. Drag the Peel plugin from the Album and drop it on

the High Mesh 1 object. The dialog will appear.

You should immediately see that the object has peeled.
By default, the Peel time is keyed to the total transition
time, and the direction of the Peel is tied to the Flight
Direction spinner (under Effect Options). This makes it
simple to quickly add a Peel to an effect. Most plugins
work this same way, providing default options that
make it easy to quickly get the results you want.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 57

Adding Warps: 1) Peel attached to object; 2) Warps

Album selected; 3) Gradient Wipe plugin selected.

Peel Options

Changing Peel options

Let’s try changing some options to see what they do.

To modify Percent of peel completed and Angle of
Peel:

1. Clear the Peel % From Transition checkbox (the

Peel % slider will appear).

58 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

2. Clear the Direction From Transition checkbox

(the Angle of Peel spinner will appear).

3. Change the Angle of Peel spinner to -45 and the

Peel % slider to 50.

Angle of Peel showing (L) -45 and (R)180. (Note: The

lighting was adjusted on each and Full Shadows was

turned on so that the object would cast a shadow on

itself.)

The Peel % controls how far the peel has progressed.
This can simply be tied to the total transition time, or
can be keyframed individually to create interesting
effects, like partial peels. Now let’s play with the Peel
Radius.

To modify the radius of the Peel:

• Move the Radius slider back and forth to see the

result. When finished, leave the Radius at
approximately .10.

Radius of Peel of .10 (L) and 1(R)

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 59

Finally, there is a checkbox that controls whether to
perform a roll (which is the default) or to actually peel
without rolling.

To Peel instead of Roll:

• Click on the Peel instead of roll checkbox.

Roll (L) and Peel (R)

Keyframing the angle of peel

Now let’s quickly create an interesting keyframed
effect where the peel spins around the object as it peels.

To start keyframing the Angle of Peel:

1. Click on the Peel instead of roll checkbox.

2. Check the Peel % From Transition checkbox.

3. Move the Angle of Peel spinner to 0.

4. Move the current time slider in the envelope

window to 0%.

5. Click on the Create button in the Envelope

Window to create a keyframe at time 0% with the
Angle of Peel currently at 0.

You have now created the first keyframe, with the
angle starting at 0 degrees.

60 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

To complete the keyframing:

1. Move the current time slider in the Envelope

Window to 100%.

2. Move the Angle of Peel spinner to 180 degrees.

You have now created the second keyframe, and if
you play the preview you will see the object peel as
it flies off, and the peel rotates around the object.

Combining plugins

Remember that plugins in Hollywood FX can be
combined. You could attach a Ripple at the same time
the object is peeling, or even attach a second peel to the
same object.

Two Peels attached to the same object: 1) showing the
result; 2) showing two plugins applied in the FX Tree.

TUTORIAL 8: 3D TEXT GENERATION PRO

Hollywood FX includes an easy-to-use 3D text
generator. This feature is best used within the Filter
format of Hollywood FX. It allows you to create text
that is extruded in 3D with bevels. You can assign
different colors to the sides, face and bevel edges of the

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 61

text. You can also generate the text as a single block or
with each letter being it’s own separate object. This
tutorial will demonstrate the use of 3D text in its most
common uses. Unlike more limited effects software,
Hollywood FX allows you to attach a warp plug-in (see
“Tutorial 7” on page 56) to 3D text, so you could even
explode your text or have it surface-wipe away.

Prepare for the tutorial:

1. Create a new project in your host application and

put on clip in the timeline so that it can have a filter
attached to it and make sure it is set for Alpha
Channel transparency.

2. Add Hollywood FX as a filter and bring up the

Hollywood FX dialog for the filter.

3. Within Hollywood FX select New from the File

menu.

To applying the 3D Text plugin:

1. From the Album Tree, scroll down to the 3D Text

Plugin.

2. Drag the 3D Text Plugin over to the FX Tree and

let go.

The 3D Text Options will show above in the
Properties panel.

62 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

1) FX Tree with Text Added; 2) Album Tree with
3D Text plugin album selected; 3) 3D Text icon in
Album selected.

To set 3D Text options:

1. Now type any word in the Text field of the 3D Text

options.

Font field and 3D Text field

2. Select the yellow Font folder to choose another font

style.

Font Style dialog

3. Now change the colors of the text by selecting the

four color sides.

Chapter 7: Advanced tutorials 63

3D Text color buttons for each side of the text

Resulting 3D Text

4. Next we want to apply a preset flight path and

watch our word fly off the monitor. Move down the
Album Tree to the Presets Album.

5. Drag and drop the Spin Off icon over to the 3D

Text icon in the FX Tree

Adding Flight Path: 1) Dropping the preset flight
onto the 3D text object; 2) Album of flight presets;

3) Spin Off flight path selected.

You can change the word any time by selecting the 3D
Text plugin attached to the 3D Text object. You can
also apply plugins like Explode and make your 3D text
blow apart. Experiment and have fun with this valuable
tool of Hollywood FX.

64 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Chapter 8:

The Hollywood FX window

The Hollywood FX window gives you quick and easy
access to all of your 3D transitions, and lets you
quickly change rendering options and edit flight paths
and other attributes of FX. The window is made up of a
number of panels. These panels group together the
different features of Hollywood FX so that you can
quickly and easily select effects and make changes.

1) Menus provide extra functionality; 2) Properties
panel - select items to be changed; 3) Monitor panel –
instant preview; 4) FX Tree panel – customize FX
motion, media, surfaces, etc; 5) Album Folder tree –
access groups of album elements; 6) Album item panel
– select individual FX; 7) Click to show/hide Album (to
view Envelope Editor).

Chapter 8: The Hollywood FX window 65

Hiding the Album (by clicking on the button at in
the illustration above) reveals the Envelope Editor.

66 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

This chapter describes core areas of the Hollywood FX
user interface: the menus, the FX Tree panel, and the
Monitor panel.

Menus

The menus allow for extended functionality. You can
perform any of the following:

File – New PRO

This command will clear (not delete) any FX selected
and start a new FX from scratch.

Chapter 9:

Menus and panels

File – Save to Album Preset

Use this command to save the FX you are editing to the
last preset you created in the Album. To create a new
preset in the album simply drag the FX from the Tree
panel into the Album.

The icon created for the FX will match exactly what is
currently scene in the preview, so set the preview slider
appropriately to create a useful icon.

File – Export HFZ PRO

This command will allow you to package up your
custom effects for easy sharing with other users. They
are saved to a folder in:

My Documents/Pinnacle Hollywood FX

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 67

PRO

File – Close

This command will close the Hollywood FX dialog.
You need to save any options selected before choosing
this option if you want to permanently keep what you
have worked on.

Item – Undo/Redo PRO

As you make changes, the Undo menu will become
available, letting you undo the last action performed.
You can select Undo again and again to undo previous
actions. The Undo menu will change to show a
description of what action will be undone by selecting
the menu item.

If you mistakenly Undo an action, you can redo it by
selecting the Redo menu item. Each time you select
Undo, the action that was undone is added to the Redo
list, letting you move back and forth through all of the
changes you have made since displaying the
Hollywood FX editor.

Item – Rename PRO

Select this to rename the current item in the Tree panel.
When you select this, the item will be highlighted and
you can type a new name for the item.

Item – Clone PRO

Select Clone to create a copy of an Object, Light or
Plugin in the Tree panel.

Item – Delete

PRO

This will delete the selected item from the FX. Only
objects, plugins, and lights can be deleted.

68 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Item – Move Up/Down PRO

Select these menu items to quickly change the
rendering order of objects (you can also drag-and-drop
items within the Tree panel to re-order them). The
feature is particularly useful for effects you design that
have a keyhole or transparency need.

The unique nature of this feature would be to create
some 3D text and set the surface opacity on the face of
the text to 0.001. Then have that text sorted above
Source 1 video in the objects list. This will cause the
face of the text as it passes by the screen to key out and
show the background source 2. Take a look at the
“Wow” effect example in the ‘Words and Icons’ group.

Wow Effect: 1) Showing keying style wipe resulting
from sorting object layers; 2) Moving the object down
will turn it off.

Item – Add Null Object PRO

Selecting this item creates a new Null Object in the
scene. Null objects are not rendered, but are used to
create motion hierarchies and as reference positions for
certain plugins.

Item – Add Light

PRO

This allows you to add a spot, point or fill light to
enhance a composite.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 69

The Keyframe menu

The commands on this menu include Previous, Next,
New, Copy, Paste, Delete and Key Type. Please see
Chapter 15: The Envelope Editor, (page 107) for

information on these commands.

Album – Import 3D

When you select this item, a file requester will appear
allowing you to select 3D objects to import into the
Album. You can import Hollywood FX objects (.hfo)
and Lightwave 5.x format objects (.lwo). When
importing objects that have morph targets, you should
name the targets with sequential numbers to indicate
that they are morph targets (for example if you selected
Airplane.lwo, Airplane1.lwo, Airplane2.lwo, then
Hollywood FX will import Airplane.lwo as the master
object, with Airplane1.lwo and Airplane2.lwo as the
morph targets.

Album – Import Media

When you select this item, a file requester will appear,
allowing you to import media files into the Album,
which you can then drag-and-drop into FX. You can
select multiple files to import from the file requester.
Hollywood FX can import AVI files, Quicktime files,
and TGA, BMP, and PNG images.

Album – Display Album

This command will show or hide the Album so that you
can view the Envelope Editor.

Album – Separate Album Window

This command will separate the FX Album into its own
floating dialog so if you have a dual monitor or large

70 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

monitor you can keep your Envelope Editor open and
also display all of your FX Albums.

Album – Delete

This command will delete the current item from the
FX. Only media and object items can be deleted, and
media items can only be deleted from an FX if they are
not used by any surfaces. You must first reassign the
media for any surfaces or delete any objects that use
that media before deleting the media itself.

Preview – Play Once, Play Loop, Step Forward &
Back, Goto Start, Goto End

This menu provides the same functions as the Moni­tor’s playback control buttons.

Preview – Layout - Single, Split, Tri & Quad
Views

This menu provides the same functions as the Moni­tor’s view control buttons.

Preview – Video Sources – Proxy, Still & Actual

This menu provides the same functions as the Moni­tor’s Video Source control buttons.

• Proxy (fast): Instead of video from the host

timeline, simple proxy images with a source number
are used. This generally provides the fastest preview.

• Still (normal): This is the default selection. A single

frame for each video source is used during the entire
preview. This will generally give you a good idea of
how the final FX will look while rendering very
quickly.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 71

• Actual (slowest): The correct video is used for each

frame of the transition. This is the most accurate and
also the slowest preview option, since for each frame
of the preview; Hollywood FX must get the correct
video frame from the host application.

Render Engine – Accelerated OpenGL vs.
Software

Almost any good 3D accelerator will dramatically
improve the performance in the Preview Monitor
window. However, we highly recommend a graphics
card with at least 128 megabytes of memory on board.

Select Accelerated OpenGL from the Preview-Render
Engine menu to speed up your preview display.

If you encounter problems with the preview after
enabling on-screen rendering, you should immediately
return to Preview menu Render Engine and select the

Software engine.

Notice: It is recommended that you to test these

rendering changes using the Easy FX editor, which you
can launch from the Start Menu.

Setup – Time Code

This menu will allow you to select the timecode
settings for the format you are working with
(e.g. NTSC vs PAL). It also is where you can select the
percent option, which although not required can make
working with Envelopes easier.

• Percent: When selected, the timecode is simply a

percent of the total time.

• SMPTE 24 fps: This option is used primarily for

film editing at 24 frames per second. Time is shown
in the format HH:MM:SS:ff.

72 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

• SMPTE 25 fps: This option is used primarily on

PAL editing systems for editing video at 25 frames
per second. Time is shown in the format
HH:MM:SS:ff.

• SMPTE 30 fps drop-frame (NTSC 29.97): This is

used for standard NTSC editing, where specific
frame numbers are dropped to maintain the NTSC

29.97 frame frame. Time is shown in the format
HH;MM;SS;ff.

• SMPTE 30 fps non drop-frame: This option is

used when you want to edit at 30 frames per second
without worrying about the NTSC 29.97 fps timing.
Time is shown in the format HH:MM:SS:ff.

• Number of Samples: This timecode simply displays

sequential frame numbers. The format is #####.

• Feet+Frames 16 mm: This timecode is used for

editing 16mm film. The format is FF + ff where FF
is feet and ff is frames.

• Feet+Frames 35mm: This timecode is used for

editing 35mm film. The format is FF + ff where FF
is feet and ff is frames.

Help – Help Topics

This menu will allow you to display the Help Topics
dialog to search the resource database.

Register/Upgrades & Add-Ons

If you haven’t yet registered and entered your
permanent keycode, you can select this to display the
registration information dialog, and register online
instantly, or enter a keycode you received after
registering from another system. If you have already

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 73

registered, click on this button to find out about
upgrade options.

Technical Support

This will allow you to go directly to Pinnacle’s Tech
support forums if you have an Internet connection.

About

The About dialog displays the version number, serial
number, and machine ID of your Hollywood FX. You
can also quickly connect to Pinnacle Online through
the Internet from the About dialog.

The FX Tree panel

The FX Tree panel is the central control for the
Hollywood FX window. It lists all of the options,
objects, surfaces, and media for the current effect.
When you click on one of these items, the Properties
Panel above changes to show the options for the
selected item.

74 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

The FX Tree panel

FX Tree Advanced Features PRO

The FX Tree panel has some advanced features in
Hollywood FX PRO: the main camera controls and the
lighting controls.

Camera controls

The camera controls allow you to actually rotate the
camera 360 degrees around, making it possible to
create a new look for any effect.

Another use of the camera controls would be to fly the
camera into an object, rather than flying the object to
the camera. For instance, you might have several
objects rotating in the middle of the screen, but want to
give the illusion of all of them moving in one direction.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 75

Instead of having to animate the multiple objects, you
can simply animate the camera.

Camera controls and Monitor set to quadview to see

adjustments. Notice the camera in the lower left view.

Lighting controls

Adding another light and using its controls can be done
either from the Item Menu or from within the Album
Tree.

To add a light:

1. Select any FX with a high polygon level, such as

12-Organic Shapes – BAS-Sliding In.

2. Move the slider in the Album Tree down to the

Lights Album.

The Lights Album selected.

3. Click on the Spot light.

76 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

4. Drag the Bright Soft light from the Light Album

and drop it into the FX Tree under the Main
Camera.

The Lights Album with Bright Spot selected (L);
Bright Spot added to the FX Tree (R).

5. View the results in the Monitor (shown here in split

view):

The result of an added spotlight

You can make various adjustments to the spot light in
the Properties panel. Control the direction, the size and
softness of the spot light ring, and the brightness. Play
with these options to master the art of adding lights.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 77

The spotlight control panel

The Monitor panel and associated controls

The Monitor panel provides a preview of your chosen
FX and options. The preview is generated on the fly as
you make changes. A number of controls are provided
to adjust the preview itself.

78 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

The Monitor panel: 1) Choose from single view to quad
view to see your FX from all angles for editing;

2) Click these to select proxy images, still image or
moving sequences of your video; 3) Use this slider to
move back and forth through the frames of the preview;

4) Click this button to play the entire preview one time;

5) Click this button to start and stop looping playback
of the preview; 6) Use Skip and Step buttons to jump to
start or end of the preview and single frame step.

Looping Playback button

The looping playback button starts and stops
looping playback of the preview. When the
button is pressed in, the preview will playback
continuously. You can continue to change options or
select a different transition while the preview is
playing.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 79

Reverse Effect button

The Reverse Effect button is a real time saver.
It allows you to reverse all flight directions
with one click. So now your video window will fly on,
instead of flying off..

Single Playback button

Click the single playback button to play the
entire transition one time. This is useful when
you’ve made some changes and want to see the entire
effect quickly.

Step buttons

Step forward one frame or step backward
one frame.

Skip buttons

Jump to the beginning frame of the
effect or to the last frame in the effect.

The Timeline slider

The preview slider lets you manually move
to any frame of the preview. Simply move
the slider back and forth to see different frames of the
preview. If the preview is playing (either the looping
playback is selected, or the single playback was just
pressed), you will not be able to use the preview slider.

Layout buttons

Normally, the preview shows the
view from the camera in the FX. The
camera view is what is used for rendering the actual

80 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

FX. Sometimes, particularly when editing an object’s
flight path, you will want to see the other views of the
FX from at different angles. These buttons allow you to
see multiple views, such as side, top and perspective.

View sources

These buttons allow you to switch
between Proxy, Still and Actual. Actual
shows and update of the video from the timeline, but
will slow down performance.

Layout control buttons

These buttons allow you to change
the way the multiple views display.
You can change a side view and rotate it to a
perspective angle, then zoom out or move it off center
to gain a better editing view.

The Timecode counter

The timecode counter shows the
current position of the FX in
conjunction with its Host’s timeline.

Select button

Use the Select button to click in the various
areas you want to edit.

Flight Rotation button

The Flight Rotation button is a quick way to
rotate the flight path of the transition object.

Chapter 9: Menus and panels 81

Light Direction button

The Light Direction button is a quick way to
change the FX scene is lighted. You can easily
create a creepy FX by simply changing the light
direction to shine upward from below.

Green light

This means that the FX will preview in Real­Time and Final Render will be considerably fast.

Red light

This means that the FX is more complex than the
hardware can handle. It will have to render its
Preview and Final Render time will be slower.

82 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Chapter 10:

The Album

The Album is where you can browse through the FX
available in Hollywood FX.

The FX Album: 1) Select from the different groups of
FX; 2) Double-click on an icon to select that FX. The
current selected FX is highlighted in purple.

If you have HFX Basic or Plus, you will see some of
the icons with a Plus or PRO watermark to indicate
that you need to upgrade to a particular level to use that
effect.

FX are organized into groups that make it easy to find
the FX you want quickly and easily.

To change to a different group: Click on the Folders
in the Album Folder Tree to select from the different
FX icons. The icons for each FX in an album will help
you find the effect you want.

To select an FX: Double-click on the icon for the FX
you wish to select. The selected effect will be
highlighted yellow, and the preview will be updated.

Chapter 10: The Album 83

Renaming

Click on your FX Album name once, then again to
rename the group, object name, media name, surface
names etc.

Organizing FX

You can create new FX by dragging the FX item from
the Tree panel into an FX folder in the Album. You can
reorganize existing FX into different albums by simply
dragging the FX icons themselves between albums.

Renaming mode

84 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Chapter 11:

FX properties

Once you have selected an FX from the FX Album,
you can change rendering options for that FX.

To display the Properties panel: Click on the name of
the FX in the FX Tree panel.

The FX Tree

Hollywood FX makes it easy to quickly customize an
FX to your needs with a series of simple controls.

The Basic Options panel

Chapter 11: FX properties 85

Quick Flight Controls

Flight Path

For most transitions, you can quickly change the
direction in which the video flies off (or on) using the
Flight Path dial. Simply click and drag in the dial to
change the flight direction and create a very different
result.

Rotate Object

When you use the Flight Path dial, you are changing
the direction the object flies, but the object itself stays
oriented in its original direction. When you check the
Rotate Object checkbox, the object will rotate to
follow the Flight Direction, often giving a more
interesting result.

Quick Lighting Controls

Lighting

Use this checkbox to turn on or off lighting in the FX.
Turning off lighting will eliminate the realistic shading,
but will speed up rendering.

Light Direction

Use the dial to change the direction of the light in the
scene. You can create interesting results by having
light come from the bottom of the screen instead of the
top. Light Direction affects the shading, shine, and
shadows of 3D objects in an FX.

86 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Shadows

Use this checkbox to turn on or off shadows in the FX.
Turning off shadows will speed up rendering. Having
shadows on can add a sense of 3D realism to an FX.
Shadows can be controlled in more detail using
Shadow Type, Opacity, Distance and Softness.

Shadow Type

These radio buttons control the type of shadow that is
generated.

• Cast: Cast shadows treat the backdrop image like a

• Drop: When drop shadows are selected, shadows are

• Full: Turn on full scene shadowing. With this option

piece of paper that all other objects cast shadows
onto. The closer an object is to the backdrop, the
closer its shadow is to the object.

always drawn at a specified distance from an object.

objects shadow themselves and each other for the
most realistic look.

Opacity

This slider controls the darkness of the shadows. The
higher the value, the darker and more opaque the
shadows are. The lower the value, the more transparent
the shadows are. Generally a value from 30% to 50%
produces a very realistic shadow.

Distance

This slider controls the distance of shadows from their
objects. The greater the distance, the farther the shadow

Chapter 11: FX properties 87

Softness

Shine

Motion Blur

is drawn from the object. This slider is particularly
useful for drop shadows. Remember, the direction of
the shadow is controlled by the Light Direction dial.

Hollywood FX lets you create soft-edged shadows.
Simply increase the softness value to create a softer
shadow. Note however, that the higher the softness
value, the greater the rendering time.

Many FX have a glossy shine on the 3D objects that fly
on or off screen. This checkbox controls shine. Clear
this checkbox to turn off the glossy shine.

You can also control the brightness of the shine and the
size of the shine spot using the sliders.

This checkbox will turn on realistic motion blur for an
FX. Motion blur mimics the blur that is seen when
objects move quickly across a camera’s view. When
motion blur is turned on, you can control the specific
look of the blur using the Length and Count. Note:
Motion blur can greatly increase rendering time.

Distance

This determines how far the blur “smears”. This value
is the percent of the total distance from one frame to
another in the FX. The higher the value, the longer the
smear. Hollywood FX always renders an accurate

88 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Count

Trails

Trail Count

intraframe blur, unlike other products which simply
create a fixed distance blur.

This determines how many copies of the object are
drawn to create the blur. The higher the number the
smoother the blur appears. Increasing this number also
greatly increases rendering time.

Checking this will turn on trails. Any moving objects
will leave trails behind them as they move.

Determines the number of trails that are drawn behind
each object when trails are turned on.

Render

You can change the 3D rendering of the FX:

• Smooth is the normal setting. Curved surfaces will

have a realistic smooth appearance.

• Flat will render all surfaces as flat polygons.

Surfaces that are normally smooth will have a
faceted appearance.

• Wire will render all 3D objects as wireframes rather

than solid surfaces.

Chapter 11: FX properties 89

Antialiasing

Some FX will exhibit aliasing (blocky stair stepping
along the edge of a 3D object). Turn on antialiasing to
reduce aliasing.

• Off: No antialiasing is used. Fastest option.

• Web/CD: Antialiasing is slower, but provides good

• Video: Highest level of antialiasing, slowest

• Hardware: Good results and very fast if you have a

Best Quality

results for all FX.

rendering.

graphics display card that supports hardware based
anti-aliasing.

Turning on this feature will cause the rendering engine
to render at the highest possible quality.

Pixel Blending

Turning on this feature will cause the rendering engine
to perform advanced pixel blending, smoothing out
images in the FX. This feature is especially useful
when you “zoom” in on a piece of video. Pixel
Blending will eliminate the normal blockiness of the
zoom.

90 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

When you select a Media item in the FX Tree panel,
the Media Options will be displayed in the Item panel.
The Media Options panel gives you the ability to map
video and image files onto the 3D objects in an FX.

Usually, Source 1 and 2 come from the host applica­tion’s timeline and normally you will not remap those.
The Media items are most often used to map additional
video sources for MultiWindow FX, when the host
application does not provide that video.

Media Selection

Chapter 12:

Media properties

Use Transition Source

Click on these buttons to select one of the video
sources from the host application.

Select File

This button displays a file requester, letting you select
a single image, a sequence of images, or a video file.
To select a sequence of images, simply select the first
image in the sequence (each file of the sequence must

Chapter 12: Media properties 91

be numbered sequentially). Hollywood FX currently
supports Targa, Bitmap, and PNG images, as well as
Video for Windows and Quicktime video files. Note
that you can also select media by dragging-and­dropping media from the Album onto the Media item in
the FX tree.

The Media Options panel: 1) Use the Select buttons to
replace any Media with video from the host
application, or from an image or video file;

2) Different video/image files can have different
field/frame orders; 3) Use cropping to remove video
blanking or create interesting results; 4) Use the slider
and In and Out buttons to trim a video source;

5) Create interesting playback effects with these
controls.

92 Hollywood FX User’s Guide

Interpret

When you select a video file, you should also set the
Interpretation for that video file so that fields and
frames are correctly rendered.

• Frames - If the video sequence consists of video

frames that are not interlaced fields, then you should
select this option.

• Separate Fields – If the video is stored as separate

fields, select this option (most video is stored
interlaced however).

• Interlaced – Upper First: This option is used when

the video source consists of interlaced frames
(consisting of two fields), where the upper field is
rendered first in time.

• Interlaced – Lower First: This option is used when

the video source consists of interlaced frames
(consisting of two fields), where the lower field is
rendered first in time.

• Single Image: Use this option when you are

mapping an individual image, or you only want to
use a single image from a sequence of images or
video file.

For most video, one of the Interlaced interpretations
will be used. Generally this should be the same field
order as you set in your host application. Hollywood
FX will remember the last Interpret setting for each
type of media.

Chapter 12: Media properties 93

Trimming

In

Click the In button to set the in-point of the video
source. The current time shown below the slider will be
used as the first frame in the FX.

Out

Click the Out button to set the out-point of the video
source. The current time shown below the slider will be
used as the last frame in the FX.

Cropping controls

These controls adjust the number of pixels that are
cropped on each side of the video source. This is most
often used to remove blanking information from
captured video, but may also be used to create some
unique results where you only display a small portion
of a video source.

94 Hollywood FX User’s Guide