Pinnacle Systems Media Composer - 7.0 User’s Guide

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Avid® Media Composer

and Film Composer

Effects Guide

Release 7.0



tools for storytellers™

Chapter 1

Preparing to Work with Effects

Effect Types Effects Creation Tools Understanding Real-Time and Downstream Key Effects

About Downstream Key Effects About Real-Time Effects Playing Real-Time Effects

Displaying the Effect Palette

Resizing the Effect Palette Understanding the Color Coding Displaying Effect Templates

Installing Third-Party Plug-in Effects

Installing Photoshop-Compatible Plug-in Effects Installing AVX Plug-in Effects Troubleshooting AVX Plug-Ins

Settings for Effects

Effect Settings Render Settings Timeline View Settings

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Overlapping Real-Time Effects on the Same Track Overlapping Real-Time Effects and Non-Real-Time Effects Overlapping Real-Time Effects on Multiple Tracks Overlapping Real-Time Effects with Downstream Key Titles and Graphics

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Trim Settings

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Chapter 2 Basics of Effects Editing

Applying Effects to a Sequence

Displaying Effect Icons Applying a Single Effect Applying Multiple Effects

Selecting Multiple Transitions Selecting Multiple Segments Selecting Multiple Layers

Applying a Third-Party Plug-in Effect Deleting Effects in a Sequence Using the Fade Effect Button Working with Transition Effects

Types of Transition Effects

Applying a Dissolve Effect

Using the Effect Palette Using the Transition Parameters

Using the Add Dissolve Button Sizing the Effect to Fit the Media Trimming a Transition Effect

Adjusting Transitions in the Timeline Creating Motion Effects

Creating a Freeze Frame

Creating a Rolling Clip That Freezes Creating a Variable Speed Effect Creating a Strobe Motion Effect

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Chapter 3 Working in Effect Mode

Entering Effect Mode Understanding the Effect Preview Monitor

Navigating in Effect Mode

Changing Position

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Using Single-Field Step

Using Big Effect Mode

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Working with the Effect Grid

Setting the Effect Grid Options

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Setting Up the Effect Grid in a Film Project

Grid Options

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Displaying the Position Coordinates in Effect Mode Using the Effect Grid in a Film Project

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Position Information for the Blowup Effect Position Information for the Paint and AniMatte Effects

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Displaying the Safe Title and Safe Action Guidelines Displaying the Aspect Ratio Grid for Film Projects

Using the Effect Editor

Effect Editor Buttons Moving an Enlarged Image in Effect Mode Selecting a Parameter Changing a Parameter Reversing an EffectÕs Direction

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Accessing an EffectÕs Additional Parameters Replacing an Effect

Using Key Frames

Adding a Key Frame Selecting a Key Frame Moving a Key Frame Changing a Key FrameÕs Parameters

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Copying and Pasting Key-Frame Parameters Deleting a Key Frame

Adjusting Basic Parameters

Adjusting the Level Between Key Frames Adjusting a Color Parameter

Using the Eyedropper Using the Macintosh Color Picker

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Adjusting the EffectÕs Position

Using the Position Sliders to Adjust the Position

Changing the Position of the Effect Directly Adjusting the EffectÕs Scale Cropping an Effect Adjusting the Acceleration

Using an Effect Template

Saving an Effect Template Applying an Effect Template

Playing an Effect

Playing an Effect in a Continuous Loop Playing a Preview of an Effect

Rendering an Effect

Selecting the Render Setting for a Project Combining Real-Time Effects and Rendered Effects

Overlapping Real-Time Effects

Overlapping Real-Time and Rendered Effects

Speed Considerations Displaying Effects On-the-Fly Rendering a Single Effect Rendering Multiple Effects Rendering Third-Party Plug-in Effects

Managing Your Media Files

Locating and Deleting Effect Media Files

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Chapter 4 Creating Vertical and Nested Effects

Creating a Chroma Key or Luma Key Effect

Creating a Matte Key Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Using the Color Effect to Prepare a High-Contrast Image . . . 128

Working with Imported Graphics and Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Editing with Imported Matte Key Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Editing with Imported Master Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Nesting Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

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Nesting a Split Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Another Nesting Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Expanding Nested Effects in the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Nesting a Title Within a Picture-in-Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Submaster Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Submaster Editing of Multiple Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Submaster Editing of Multiple Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Collapsing Layers into One Submaster Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Performing a Video Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Chapter 5 Creating Titles and Graphic Objects

Task Overview Ñ Creating and Editing Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Downstream Keying of Titles and Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Opening the Title Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Understanding the Title Tool Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Understanding the Tool Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Using the Selection Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Setting Up the Drawing Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Previewing Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Using Title and Action Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Using Safe Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Selecting a Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Using a Video Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Updating the Video Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Creating a Color Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Displaying a Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Snapping to a Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Bringing the Title Tool Window to the Foreground. . . . . . . . . 155

Working with Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Creating Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Resizing Text Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Repositioning Text Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Editing a Text String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Formatting the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Setting the Default Text Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Selecting a Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Adjusting Point Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Making Text Bold or Italic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Justifying the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Kerning the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Adjusting Leading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Creating Graphic Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Drawing a Square or Rectangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Drawing a Circle or Oval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Drawing a Line

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Selecting Line Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Rounding Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Selecting a Line or Border Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Adding Arrowheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Changing Arrowhead Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Creating Rolling or Crawling Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Page Count Limits for Rolling or Crawling Titles . . . . . . . . . . 171

Using Auto Size Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Setting Up Text Formatting for Rolling Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Workßow Options for Creating Crawling Titles . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Typing the Rolling or Crawling Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Resizing a Rolling or Crawling Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Scrolling Through a Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Going to a Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Adding Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Deleting Additional Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Formatting Rolling or Crawling Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Choosing Colors and Setting Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Adjusting the Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Blending Two Colors in an Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Adjusting the Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Blending Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Working with Shadows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Applying Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Adjusting Shadow Color and Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Manipulating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Viewing Titles Full Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Basic Manipulation Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Layering Text and Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Grouping and Ungrouping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Locking and Unlocking Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Aligning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Distributing Objects

Saving Titles and Title Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Matching Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Using the Fast Save Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Saving a Title and Exiting the Title Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Saving Multiple Titles in a Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Revising a Title in a Bin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Saving Title Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Recalling a Title Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Applying Title Styles to Text Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Managing Title Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Exporting a Title as a Graphics File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

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Chapter 6 Editing with Titles

Task Overview Ñ Editing with Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Downstream Keying of Titles and Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Restrictions of Downstream Key Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Converting Downstream Key Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Restrictions of Non-Downstream Key Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Playback Capabilities of DSK and Non-DSK Titles . . . . . . . . 207

About Title Effect Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Editing a Title into a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

About Setting Marks in Rolling and Crawling Titles . . . . . . . 209

Adding a Video Track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Splicing or Overwriting a Title into a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . 210

Dragging and Dropping a Title into a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Trimming the Duration of Rolling and Crawling Titles. . . . . . . . . 213

Removing Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Replacing Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Fading a Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Adjusting Title Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Using Title Key Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Adjusting the Ef

Adjusting Foreground Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Adjusting Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Adjusting Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Cropping Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Softening Edges on Rolling Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Saving a Title Effect Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Revising a Title in a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Replacing Fill Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Rendering Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Re-creating Title Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Promoting a 2D Title to 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Troubleshooting Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

No Title and Video Background Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Downstream Key Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Wrong Title Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

fect ProÞle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Chapter 7 Intraframe Editing

Editing with Intraframe Capability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Using an Optional Pen Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Editing with Single-Field Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Rendering Intraframe Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Rendering Paint Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Rendering AniMatte Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Applying the Paint Effect to a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Applying an AniMatte Effect to a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Working with the Intraframe Editing Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Using the Effect Editor with the Paint Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Using the Effect Editor with the AniMatte Effect. . . . . . . . . . . 240

Using Effect Templates with the Intraframe Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Working with Intraframe Editing Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Using the Selection Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Global and Key-Frame Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Global Parameters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Key-Frame Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Object Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Feathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Horizontal and Vertical Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

Anti-Aliasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Using Path to Create a Signature Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Soft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Creating a Custom Brush Head from a Template . . . . . . . 252

Spin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Saving a Brush Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Working with Vector-Based Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

The Elements of Vector-Based Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Getting Started with Bezier Curves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Transforming a Rectangle into a Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Experimenting with Direction Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Creating a Corner Join. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Modifying Lines and Curves Summarized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

Painting a New Object with Bezier Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

Moving a Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Adding a Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Moving to Adjacent Control Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Moving Control Points and Objects in Small Increments . . . 267

Removing a Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Using the Paint Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Brush Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Rectangle T

ool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Oval Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

Polygon Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Creating Polygons with Straight-Line Segments . . . . . . . 272

Creating Polygons with Curved Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273

Creating a Straight Line Following a Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

Curve Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Previsualization Marker Tool for Film Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Applying the Marker Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Creating a Cut List with Effect Grid Information . . . . . . . . . . 279

Moving and Manipulating Painted Objects and Mattes . . . . . . . . 282

Reshape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Selecting an Object or Matte with the Reshape Tool . . . . 282

Changing the Shape of an Object or Matte with the

Reshape Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Editing Objects and Mattes Created with the

Curve Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Z-Rotation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Scaling Paint Objects and Mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Moving Painted Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Layering Objects and Matte Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Layering with the Paint Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Layering with the AniMatte Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Using the Outline/Path Button to Locate

Layered Objects and Mattes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Bringing Objects and Mattes Forward by One Layer. . . . 288

Sending Objects and Mattes Backward by One Layer. . . 289

Bringing Objects and Mattes to the Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Sending Objects or Mattes to the Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Grouping and Ungrouping Objects or Mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Locking and Unlocking Objects and Mattes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Chapter 8 Using the Paint and AniMatte Effects

Using the Paint Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-293

Getting Started with the Paint Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-293

Painting with the Brush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-294

Painting Using Different Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . 8-294

Changing the Parameters of a Painted Object . . . . . . . . 8-296

Paint Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-297

Paint Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-297

Choosing a Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-299

Using the Eyedropper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-300

Selecting a Color with the Color Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-300

Selecting a Color from the Macintosh Color Picker . . . 8-301

Shortcut for Selecting a Color with the Brush Tool . . . 8-301

Using Magic Mask with the Paint Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-301

Getting Started with Magic Mask and the

Paint Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-303

Magic Mask Hue, Saturation, and

Luminance Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-305

Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-305

Softness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-306

Using the AniMatte Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-307

Getting Started with the AniMatte Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-307

Creating a Multitrack Matte Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-308

Animating the AniMatte Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-310

Creating a Single-Layer Organic Matte Wipe . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-312

Adding a Soft Edge to the Organic Matte Wipe. . . . . . . 8-314

AniMatte Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-315

Key Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-315

Using Magic Mask with the AniMatte Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-317

Getting Started with Magic Mask and the

AniMatte Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-317

Hue, Saturation, and Luminance Parameters . . . . . . . . . 8-320

Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-321

Softness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-322

Exporting a Matte PICT File

Chapter 9 Working with 3D Effects

About the 3D Effects Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Turning the 3D Effects Option On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Accessing 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Applying a 3D Warp Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Promoting 2D Effects to 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Using Matte Keys with 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

Understanding the 3D Effects Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

Moving in 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

The 3D Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

Rotation Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

About 3D Effects Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

Opening Parameter Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Using the Enable Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Resetting Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

Using Effect Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

The Hierarchy of Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

Effect Parameters with 2D and 3D Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

Manipulating 3D Effects in the Effect Preview Monitor. . . . . 341

Zooming In or Out on the Effect Preview Monitor. . . . . . 341

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-322

Manipulating Effect Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

Using the Motion Path Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

Creating Custom 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

Some Tips for Creating 3D Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

Creating a Page Curl Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

A Simple Variation on the Page Turn Transition . . . . . . . . 348

Creating a Splash Dissolve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

Turning a Splash into a Flat Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

Creating a Scaled Picture-in-Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354

Using the Spline Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

Corner Pinning an Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

Creating a Stamp

Using Axis for a Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

Applying a Chroma Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

Using Avid Xpress 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

Chapter 10 2D Effects Reference

2D Effect Parameters Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367

Acceleration Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368

AniMatte Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Background Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Border Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

Color Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

Crop Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

Foreground Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373

Key Control Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374

Matrix Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376

Motion Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

Freeze Frame Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

Variable Speed and Strobe Motion Parameters . . . . . . . . . 379

Paint Effect Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

Position Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381

Blowup Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

ProÞle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383

Adjusting Foreground Level in the ProÞle Window. . . . . 383

Scaling Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Transition Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Plug-in Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

Blend Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

Dip to Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

Dissolve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

Fade from Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

Fade to Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

Picture-in-Picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

Superimpose

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

Conceal Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393

Bottom Left to Top Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393

Bottom Right to Top Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

Bottom to Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

Left to Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

Right to Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396

Top Left to Bottom Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397

Top Right to Bottom Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

Top to Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

Film Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

1:1.66 Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400

1:1.85 Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401

1:2.35 Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

16 x 9 Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

Blowup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

Film Dissolve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404

Film Fade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

Image Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Color Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Luminance (Luma Adjust) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

Luma Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409

Luma Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

Chrominance (Chroma Adjust) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

Color Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412

Color Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

Flip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

Flip-Flop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

Flop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415

Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415

Paint Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Resize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417

Submaster

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418

Key Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418

AniMatte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419

YUV Chroma Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Luma Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

Matte Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

L-Conceal Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425

Bottom Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425

Bottom Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Top Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Top Right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427

Motion Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428

Freeze Frame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428

Variable Speed and Strobe Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

Peel Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

Bottom Left Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430

Bottom Right Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430

Bottom to Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431

Left to Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

Right to Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

Top Left Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433

Top Right Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

Top to Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Push Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

Bottom Left to Top Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436

Bottom Right to Top Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

Bottom to Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

Left to Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

Right to Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Top Left to Bottom Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

Top Right to Bottom Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Top to Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Spin Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443

X Spin

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443

Y Spin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

Z Spin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445

Squeeze Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

Bottom Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448

Bottom Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448

Bottom Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449

Bottom to Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450

Centered Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450

Vertical Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451

Left Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Left to Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452

Right Centered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453

Right to Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454

Top Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454

Top Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455

Top Right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

Top to Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457

Horizontal Centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457

Wipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459

Box Wipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459

Bottom Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460

Left Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460

Lower Left Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

Lower Right Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462

Right Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462

Top Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Upper Left Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464

Upper Right Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465

Edge Wipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465

Vertical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466

Vertical Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Lower Left Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Lower Right Diagonal

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468

Upper Left Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

Upper Right Diagonal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

Horizontal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470

Horizontal Open. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471

Matrix Wipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471

Block Spiral. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

Grid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

One-Way Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474

Speckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474

Zig-Zag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475

Saw Tooth Wipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476

Vertical Open Saw Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477

Vertical Saw Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477

Horizontal Open Saw Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478

Horizontal Saw Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479

Shape Wipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

Center Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

Circle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481

Clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482

Diamond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483

Ellipse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483

Four Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484

Vertical Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485

Vertical Blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485

Horizontal Blind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486

Comparison of Similar Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487

Box Wipe Ð Upper Left Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487

Conceal Ð Top Left to Bottom Right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Push Ð Top Left to Bottom Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Squeeze Ð Top Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Chapter 11 3D Effects Reference

Basic 3D Effects Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Setup Versus Key-Frame Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Corner Pinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Crop Ñ Cropping the Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Scaling Ñ Changing the Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492

Axis Ñ Moving the Center of Rotation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493

Skew Ñ Tilting the Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494

Rotation Ñ Rotating an Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

Position Ñ Moving the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496

Acceleration Ñ Smoothing Out Key-Frame Transitions . . . . . 497

Spline Ñ Moving the Image Along a Smooth Path . . . . . . . . . 498

Tension (Tens.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499

Continuity (Cont.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500

Difference Between Tension and Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . 500

Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501

Adding a New Point to a Spline Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Perspective Ñ Moving the Perspective Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503

Target Ñ Post-Transformation Position and Scaling . . . . . . . . 503

Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505

Highlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

Defocus Ñ Controlling the Sharpness of Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . 508

Shadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508

Trail Ñ Adding a Trail to a Moving Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509

Stamp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509

Foreground Ñ Selecting Between Full, Chroma, and

Luma Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

Full Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511

Luma Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512

Chroma Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515

Background Ñ Add a Background Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518

ProÞle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519

Adjusting Foreground Level in the ProÞle Window. . . . . 519

3D Shape Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520

urns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521

Page T

Page Turn Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522

Page Fold Angle Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523

Splitting a Page Turn or Page Fold Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524

Manipulating the Flap and Bottom of a Page Fold . . . . . . 527

Highlight Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528

Splashes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529

Limitations to Splashes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530

Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531

Limitations to Ball Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532

Offset Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532

Slats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534

Arrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534

One Burst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535

Center Burst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535

Saw Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536

Sine Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537

Bumps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537

Scaling Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538

Hour Glass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

Bow Tie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

Octagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542

Hexagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542

Rain Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543

Hour Glass 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543

Hex Medium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544

Hex Wide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544

Circle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545

Ellipse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545

Goblet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

Avid Xpress 3D Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

Xpress 3D Effects Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547

Index

CHAPTER 1

Preparing to Work with Effects

The Avid Composer system offers many effects that you can apply to your sequences. This chapter describes some of the concepts you must become familiar with before you begin creating and editing effects into sequences.

¥ Effect Types

¥ Effects Creation Tools

¥ Understanding Real-Time and Downstream Key Effects

¥ Displaying the Effect Palette

¥ Installing Third-Party Plug-in Effects

Effect Types

¥ Settings for Effects

There is much overlapping that occurs between the various types of effects you can create, as well as the methods used to create them. Roughly speaking, there are four basic types of effects:

¥ Transition effects (dissolves, wipes, and so forth) are applied at

the cut point between two video clips that are on the same video track (that is, the same video layer). Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 describe techniques for creating transition effects.

¥ Segment effects (both single-layer and multilayer) are applied to

an entire clip or group of clips. There are two types of segment effects:

- A single-layer segment effect, such as a Mask, is applied to a

segment on one video track. Single-layer segment effects use

one stream of video. Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 describe tech-

niques for creating single-layer segment effects.

- A multilayer segment effect, such as a Picture-in-Picture effect,

is applied to the top layer or a middle layer of segments that

contain two or more video tracks that will be played simulta-

neously. Chapter 4

layer effects.

¥ Title effects are created with the Title Tool and edited onto their

own layers in a sequence. Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 describe techniques for creating and editing title effects.

¥ Motion effects (freeze frame, variable speed, and strobe) are cre-

ated by manipulating the playback characteristics of a clip of footage. Chapter 2 describes techniques for creating motion effects.

describes techniques for creating multi-

A number of effects across these categories have both 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) versions on systems equipped with the 3D Effects option.

For a list of effects for each model, see the Avid Media Composer Products Reference Guide.

Effects Creation Tools

The following chart presents the basic tools used to create effects.

Sources of effects:

Effect Palette

Apply transition and segment effects directly to tracks.

Title Tool

Motion Effect Parameters dialog box

Effects editing in Source/ Record mode:

Effects adjustment in Effect mode:

Effect Editor: Allows you to adjust effect parameters.

Edit effect clips into the Timeline.

Title and motion effects appear ﬁrst as clips in the bin.

Effect Preview monitor: Allows you to preview an effect, manipulate key frames, and manipulate wire-frame representations of the effect.

Understanding Real-Time and Downstream Key Effects

Many effects are real time, which means you do not have to render them before you play them. You can preview effects that are not real time before rendering. In addition, titles and graphic elements imported with an alpha channel display as downstream key (DSK) effects. When you establish Effect settings and Render settings, you determine how the Avid Composer system will play real-time effects and non-real-time effects. For more information, see ÒSettings for

EffectsÓ on page 41.

About Downstream Key Effects

By default, all titles are created using the Avid Composer systemÕs DSK capabilities. Graphic elements imported with an alpha channel are also created as DSK clips.

Downstream keying allows you to add uncompressed titles or graphics over multiple streams of compressed media and continue to play the sequence in real time. The real beneÞts of downstream keying are seen during editing of Title Effect clips into sequences.

For information about editing with DSK titles, including descriptions of various restrictions and playback capabilities, see Chapter 6.

About Real-Time Effects

A real-time effect is an effect that you can apply to a sequence and play without having to render it Þrst (rendering takes time and disk space). A real-time effect has a small orange dot within the effect icon in the Timeline. Effects that must be rendered have a small green or blue dot within the effect icon in the Timeline. For more information, see

ÒUnderstanding the Color CodingÓ on page 33.

Because real-time effects require an Advanced JPEG compression board and on some systems a DVE daughter board, not all Avid Composer systems have real-time effects. For a list of the Avid Composer systems that have real-time effects, see the ÒTable of Effects in Media Composer ProductsÓ in the Avid Media Composer Products Reference Guide.

Playing Real-Time Effects

Although you can create a sequence that has any number of real-time and non-real-time effects, the Avid Composer system can play only one real-time effect at a time. The following sections explain how the Avid Composer system handles situations with overlapping real-time effects. In any case, if you want to play two overlapping effects, you must render one of the effects.

If you have a real-time Title effect and a real-time Dissolve effect, render the Dissolve effect because it takes less time.

Overlapping Real-Time Effects on the Same Track

If your sequence contains overlapping real-time effects on the same video track, only one effect can be played in real time. For example, if you have two real-time effects on the same track (for example, a Dissolve overlaps video with a Mask effect), the Avid Composer system will play the real-time Mask effect and play the real-time Dissolve as a cut.

Real-time Dissolve transition effect

Real-time Mask segment effect

Overlapping Real-Time Effects and Non-Real-Time Effects

The combination of real-time and non-real-time effects on the same video track can show different results, depending on when you render the non-real-time effects.

Non-real-time Matrix Wipe segment effect

Real-time Edge Wipe transition effect

¥ If you render the non-real-time segment effects after you apply the

real-time transition effect, the sequence will play in real time.

¥ If you render the non-real-time segment effects and then apply the

real-time transition effect, the transition effect will play as a cut.

Overlapping Real-Time Effects on Multiple Tracks

If your sequence contains overlapping real-time effects on multiple video tracks, only the effect on the highest numbered track can be played in real time. For example, if you have a real-time Superimpose segment effect on track V2 over a real-time Edge Wipe transition effect on track V1, the system plays the Superimpose effect in real time and plays the Edge Wipe effect as a cut.

Real-time Superimpose segment effect

Real-time Edge Wipe transition effect

In this example, the fastest way to play both effects is to render the Edge Wipe effect.

Overlapping Real-Time Effects with Downstream Key Titles and Graphics

You can stack a DSK title or graphic over a real-time effect, and both the title and the effect will play in real time. For more information on DSK titles and graphics, see Chapter 5, ÒCreating Titles and Graphic

Objects.Ó

Displaying the Effect Palette

The Effect Palette is a window that lists all the effects that are available on your Avid Composer system. The effects that are available on your Avid Composer system depend on the model and options that you purchased. For the list of effects available for your model, see the ÒTable of Effects in Media Composer ProductsÓ in the Avid Media Composer Products Reference Guide.

You select transition and segment effects from the Effect Palette. The effects in the Effect Palette are grouped by category:

¥ Blend

¥ Box Wipe

¥ Conceal

¥ Edge Wipe

¥ Film

¥ Image

¥ Key

¥ L-Conceal

¥ Matrix Wipe

¥ Peel

¥ Push

¥ Saw Tooth Wipe

¥ Shape Wipe

¥ Spin

¥ Squeeze

¥ Xpress 3D Effect

Each of these effect categories contains multiple effects. Use the following procedure to display the Effect Palette.

To display the Effect Palette:

1. Either choose Effect Palette from the Tools menu, or press kÐ8.

Scrollable list of effect categories

The palette for the Þrst effect category, Blend, appears:.

Blend effect choices

The left side of the Effect Palette displays a scrollable list of effect categories. The right side shows the various effects that are available for the currently selected effect category.

2. Click an effect category to select it.

Note that the 3D Warp effect is available only on systems with the 3D Effects option. For information on 3D effects, see Chapter 9, ÒWorking

with 3D Effects.Ó The Paint effect and AniMatte effect are available

only on Avid Composer systems with the Intraframe Editing option.

Resizing the Effect Palette

You can resize the Effect Palette to display more effects when a particular category includes a long list of icons.

To resize the Effect Palette, click and drag the lower right corner of the palette to the size you want, and release the mouse button.

Understanding the Color Coding

Effect icons in the Effect Palette and in the Timeline display colorcoded dots to help you determine whether an effect is real-time or non-real-time. After opening the Effect Palette, you will notice that:

¥ Real-time effects are preceded by an orange dot.

¥ Real-time effects that might not be playable in real time due to

their position in a sequence or the options chosen in the Effect settings are preceded by a green dot. These effects take advantage of fast rendering.

¥ Non-real-time effects have no dot. In the Timeline, the effect icon

contains a blue dot until the effect is rendered.

Orange dot indicates a real-time effect.

Green dot indicates a real-time effect that might not be playable in real time.

No dot (as in Matte Key above) indicates a non-real-time effect; in the Timeline, the eff ect icon contains a b lue dot until the effect is rendered.

A real-time effect might not be playable in real time for one of the following reasons:

¥ There are two effect categories, Wipes and Keys, that contain

effects that are mutually exclusive as real-time effects. If you have both effect categories in a sequence, only one can be real time. The other must be rendered.

The current Effect settings for the project determine which type of effect is real time during editing. For more information, see ÒEffect SettingsÓ on

page 41.

¥ A real-time transition effect has been applied on top of another

effect.

¥ There is more than one real-time overlapping effect.

When you edit a non-real-time effect into a sequence, the effect icon appears with a blue dot in the Timeline, which indicates that you must render the effect to play it in real time. After you render the effect, the effect icon appears in the Timeline without a dot.

For more information on real-time effects, see ÒUnderstanding Real-

Time and Downstream Key EffectsÓ on page 26.

Displaying Effect Templates

Effect templates allow you to save the parameters of an effect to a bin and use them again to create or modify other effects.

In addition to allowing you to view all the standard effects, the Effect Palette allows you to view and access effect templates that are stored in open bins. The names of open bins containing effects appear in a list below the effect categories. To view the effect templates in the bin, click the bin name. The list appears in the right side of the Effect Palette. For example, in the following illustration the bin contains two effect templates named Matte Key: Avid Logo (With Alpha) and Title:

Show Open, which also appear in the right-hand list in the Effect Palette.

Whenever you open or close a bin or whenever you drop an effect into a bin, both lists automatically update.

Once a template appears in the right side of the Effect Palette, you can apply it like any other effect. See ÒUsing an Ef

page 112 for more information.

fect TemplateÓ on

Installing Third-Party Plug-in Effects

You can use third-party plug-in effects that are compatible with the Adobe Photoshop plug-in architecture and with the Avid Visual Extension (AVXª) standard. After you install these plug-ins, the effects appear in the Effect Palette. After you create an effect, you can save it as an effect template and reapply the template to other transitions or segments in your sequence. Effect templates also appear in a special section at the bottom of the Effect Palette.

Installing Photoshop-Compatible Plug-in Effects

The Avid Composer system can use many plug-in effects that are compatible with Adobe Photoshop Version 2.5. You purchase these plugins directly from a third-party vendor.

To install Photoshop-compatible plug-ins:

1. Copy the plug-in Þles from the software vendorÕs folder to the 3rd Party Plug-Ins folder in the Supporting Files folder in your Composer folder located on the Avid drive. You must place the plug-ins directly in this folder. They cannot be inside another folder within this folder or elsewhere on the Avid Composer system. If they are, the system will not recognize them.

2. If the Avid Composer application is open, you must close it and reopen it before the third-party plug-in effects will appear in the Effect Palette.

The following is an example of how Photoshop-compatible plug-in effects appear in the Effect Palette.

The Avid Composer system creates a new effect category for the plug-ins

Third-party plug-in effects

For information on applying third party effects, see ÒApplying a

Third-Party Plug-in EffectÓ on page 53.

Installing AVX Plug-in Effects

AVX (Avid Visual Extension) is a plug-in standard for integrating various third-party effects with the Avid Composer system. AVX is a crossplatform software architecture designed to allow software effect modules to be dynamically linked with a host application such as Media Composer or Film Composer.

You can purchase these plug-ins directly from a third-party vendor. The following lists three of the current vendors, the plug-in product names, and the vendorÕs web address:

¥ Ultimatte¨ Corporation (Ultimatteª)

http://www.ultimatte.com

¥ Artel Software (Boris FXª)

http://artelsoft.com

¥ ICE (Integrated Computing Engines, Inc.) (ICEfxª for Avid)

http://www.iced.com

AVX Plug-ins usually come complete with any necessary documentation. This section describes how to install the plug-ins and how to access them from the Avid Composer system.

To install AVX plug-ins:

1. Exit the Avid Composer application.

Do not add or remove plug-ins while the Avid Composer application is running.

1. Copy the plug-in Þles from the software vendorÕs folder to the AVX Plug-Ins folder on your Avid drive.

Place AVX plug-ins in this folder

Effect category

You must place the plug-ins directly in this folder. They cannot be inside another folder within this folder or elsewhere on the Avid Composer system. If they are, the system will not recognize them.

2. Restart the Avid Composer application and open the Effect Palette. The AVX plug-in effects will appear in the Effect Palette.

The following is an example of how AVX plug-in effects appear in the Effect Palette. This example shows several Boris effects.

Effects

For information on applying third party effects, see ÒApplying a

Third-Party Plug-in EffectÓ on page 53.

Some plug-in effects come with their own installation program. In that case, follow the directions supplied with the package.

Troubleshooting AVX Plug-Ins

This section describes solutions to problems that you may encounter with AVX Plug-ins.

Blank Effect Icons in the Timeline

AVX Plug-ins have a plug icon in the Effect Palette and in the Timeline. If the Effect icon in the Timeline is blank, the Avid Composer system either could not Þnd the plug-in or the plug-in version doesnÕt match the version of software that you used to create the plug-in.

To determine the cause of the problem, open the Console window (choose Console from the Tools menu) and look for the message ÒCan't Þnd effect.Ó The message will identify the plug-in that can't be displayed.

The following are the most common problems:

¥ The plug-in may be missing from the AVX_Plug-Ins folder. Open

the AVX_Plug-Ins folder (located in the SupportingFiles folder) and look for your plug-in. If it is missing, replace it. This may involve reinstalling the plugiIn.

¥ The plug-in in the AVX Plug-ins folder may be incompatible with

the effect in the Timeline. This might happen if you update the Plug-ins on your system. For example, if you create an effect with Version 1.1 of the plug-in software and then update your plug-ins to Version 2.5, the new software may not be compatible with the old effect.

Plug-ins should be compatible with minor releases but not necessarily with major releases of the Plug-in software. For example, Version 1.0 of a Plug-in should be compatible with Version 1.1 or

1.2 (minor revision). But Version 1.0 may not be compatible with Version 2.0 (major revision change).

If the plug-in is correctly installed, contact the plug-in vendor and ask if there are any known version compatibility problems with the plugin.

Missing Effect Categories in the Effect Palette

If the plug-in categories are not visible in the Effect Palette, they are either not installed correctly or you may have an incorrect version of the AVXLibrary. In this case, check the Console window for a message that states that AVX was disabled. If it was not disabled, quit the Avid Composer application, reinstall the plug-ins, and restart the application.

If the message in the Console states that AVX software was disabled, call Avid Customer Support to determine whether you need a new version of the AVXLibrary.

The Avid Composer System Cannot Render the Plug-In

If the Avid Composer system cannot render the plug-in, check the Console window. Some plug-ins write more information about the failure to the Console window. Also, some plug-ins may report the problem as a message in the Bin or Edit monitor. In general, contact the plug-in vendor if a plug-in doesnÕt work as expected.

Settings for Effects

The Avid Composer system has settings that control how you use effects. Some of these settings are User settings and some are menu selections. This section describes the User settings. The menu selections are described in ÒRendering an EffectÓ on page 116.

Effect Settings

For information about other settings in the system, see the ÒSettings Scroll ListÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer Products Reference.

There are two effect categories, Wipes and Keys, that contain effects that are mutually exclusive as real-time effects. If you have both effect categories in a sequence, only one can be real time. The other must be rendered.

Your Avid Composer system must have an Advanced JPEG compression board to have real-time effects.

Use the Effect Settings dialog box to specify which effect category will be real time. Make this decision based on whether you will be creating more wipes or keys in your sequence.

Because wipes and keys are real-time effects on Avid Composer systems with the 3D Effects option, the Effect settings do not apply to these systems.

To change the Effect settings:

1. Click the Settings button in the Project window.

2. Double-click the Effects setting.

The Effect Settings dialog box appears.

Render Settings

3. Select which effect category you want to be real time. The change takes place immediately in the Effect Palette.

You can control the size of an imported graphic and a rendered effect by changing the Render settings. This setting is intended to prevent playback pauses caused by PICT images, QuickTime¨ Þles, or rendered composites that are too complex.

To change the Render settings:

1. Click the Settings button in the Project window.

2. Double-click the Render setting.

The Render Settings dialog box appears.

3. Enter the following parameters:

- Select Show Intermediate Results if you want the Avid Com-

poser system to display the rendering of the effect as it progresses in the third, full-screen monitor.

- Limit rendered frame size to n% of default limit Ñ This is a

percent of the Avid Video ResolutionÕs (AVR) default limit for the frame size. The effectÕs AVR is the same as the sequenceÕs AVR. Enter a percent. The default is 100%.

- If frame size exceeds threshold Ñ The threshold is established

by the above percent. Select an action. The default is ÒAsk me.Ó

If you select ÒAsk me,Ó and the threshold is exceeded during rendering, a dialog box appears:

If you select ÒDonÕt Soften,Ó you might get an error message, such as a video underrun, when you play the rendered Þle.

If you do not respond within 30 seconds, the system automatically selects Soften.

Timeline View Settings

All effect icons are displayed in the Timeline by default. You can change the Timeline settings to display all effect icons, all effect icons except Dissolve icons, or no effect icons. If you have changed the setting to display no effect icons, you have to reset it before you begin applying effects. The fewer effect icons you display, the faster the screen refreshes.

To change the Timeline settings:

1. Click the Fast Menu button in the Timeline window.

The Timeline settings pop-up menu appears.

2. To display all effect icons in the Timeline, choose Effect Icons.

3. To display all effect icons except Dissolve icons, choose Effect Icons and deselect Dissolve Icons.

4. To display no effects icons, deselect Effect Icons. Dissolve Icons is automatically dimmed.

5. To save your Timeline settings, click the Timeline View Name button, select Save As, and enter a view name.

Timeline View Name button

Trim Settings

When you are in Trim mode, you can control whether or not the effects you apply are computed immediately on the screen (that is, on-the-ßy) or rendered later when you select the Render Effect function; viewing a transition as a cut can facilitate the trimming process. This setting is deÞned in the Trim Settings dialog box.

To change the Trim settings:

1. Click the Settings button in the Project window.

2. Double-click the Trim setting.

The Trim Settings dialog box appears.

Use the Render On-TheFly selection to determine when the Avid Composer system computes effects.

For information on changing the Trim settings, see the ÒWorking in Trim ModeÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

CHAPTER 2

Basics of Effects Editing

This chapter explains how to create basic transition and single-layer segment effects, including motion effects.

¥ Applying Effects to a Sequence

¥ Deleting Effects in a Sequence

¥ Working with Transition Effects

¥ Adjusting Transitions in the Timeline

¥ Creating Motion Effects

Applying Effects to a Sequence

This section explains how to apply an effect to a sequence in the Record monitor. Some effects can be applied only to transitions, other effects can be applied only to segments (clips in the sequence), and some effects can be applied to both transitions and segments.

You can apply an effect:

¥ To one transition or segment on a single video layer

¥ To multiple transitions or segments on a single video layer

¥ To multiple transitions or segments on multiple video layers

The effect type (transition or segment) determines where you can place the effect in the sequence. For an explanation of the effect types, see ÒEffect TypesÓ on page 23.

After you apply an effect, the next step is to adjust the effectÕs parameters. To understand how to adjust the effect parameters, see

ÒChanging a ParameterÓ on page 96.

Displaying Effect Icons

The default setting in the Timeline menu is to always display effect icons in the Timeline. If you have changed the setting, you have to reset it before you begin applying effects. For more information, see

imeline View SettingsÓ on page 43.

ÒT

Applying a Single Effect

Use the following procedures to apply an effect to one transition or segment on a single video layer.

To apply a single effect:

1. Create a sequence in the Record monitor using the standard Avid Composer editing procedures. For information about editing a sequence, see the ÒFirst Edits in Source/Record ModeÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

2. Choose Effect Palette from the Tools menu.

For an explanation of the Effect Palette, see ÒEffect TypesÓ on

page 23.

3. To apply an effect, do one of the following:

¥ Click and drag the desired effect to the segment or transition

in the Timeline, and release the mouse button.

¥ Use the Segment Mode button to highlight the segment in the

Timeline where you want to apply the effect, and double-click the effectÕs icon in the Effect Palette.

The effect icon appears in the Timeline as shown in the following example.

Effect Palette

Timeline

While you are applying an effect, if the effect is a segment effect, one segment at a time is highlighted as you drag the effect within the Timeline. If the effect is a transition effect, one transition at a time is highlighted as you drag the effect within the Timeline. Some effects can be both a transition and a segment effect, in which case transitions and segments are highlighted in the Timeline.

Applying Multiple Effects

You can apply an effect to multiple transitions, segments, or video layers in a single step. First, select the sections in the sequence using a lasso and then apply the effect. The speciÞc procedures are explained below.

Selecting Multiple Transitions

To select multiple transitions:

1. Make sure that you have not selected any transitions or segments in the sequence, and click the Effect Mode button to enter Effect mode.

2. Click a transition in the Timeline.

3. Move the cursor above the Timeline, and click and drag the cursor to the right or left of the transition to activate a selection box.

4. Lasso any additional transitions you want to select.

5. Release the mouse button when you have lassoed all the desired transitions.

The transitions that you selected are highlighted, and the position indicator moves to the Þrst transition.

6. If the desired transitions are not contiguous, Shift-click a transition to deselect it.

Transition is deselected.

7. Open the Effect Palette and double-click the effectÕs icon that you want to apply to the transitions Ñ in this example, the Fade from Color Effect icon.

The effect is applied to the highlighted transitions in the Timeline.

If there is not enough incoming or outgoing media to apply the transition effect, a dialog box appears. For more information, see ÒSizing

the Effect to Fit the MediaÓ on page 62.

Selecting Multiple Segments

To select multiple segments in the same video layer:

1. In Source/Record mode or Effect mode, move the cursor above the Timeline and to the left of the leftmost transition that you want to select. Click and drag the cursor to the right and down to activate a selection box.

Cursor selection box

2. Continue to drag the selection box to the right until you lasso the rightmost segment that you want to select.

Three segments are lassoed.

3. Release the mouse button when you have lassoed all the desired segments. The segments that you selected are highlighted.

4. If the desired segments are not contiguous, Shift-click a segment to deselect it.

5. Open the Effect Palette and double-click the effectÕs icon that you want to apply to the segments Ñ in this example, the Mask Effect icon.

Selecting Multiple Layers

To nest all clips inside one effect, Option-double-click the effect icon in the Effect Palette.

The effect is applied to the highlighted segments in the Timeline.

You can select transitions or segments on multiple layers using the same procedures described in ÒSelecting Multiple TransitionsÓ on

page 49 and ÒSelecting Multiple SegmentsÓ on page 51.

Applying a Third-Party Plug-in Effect

Third-party plug-in effects are applied to a sequence using procedures that are similar to those used for an Avid Composer system effect. The only difference is that parameters for third-party plug-in effects appear automatically in dialog boxes apart from the Effect Editor. Third-party plug-in effects you can apply to a sequence include plugins compatible with Adobe Photoshop Version 2.5, AVX plug-ins, and Digidesign AudioSuite Plug-Ins.

Effect category

When a segment contains a third-party plug-in effect, the effectÕs parameter dialog box appears the Þrst time you move the position indicator to another frame in that segment.

Applying a plug-in effect is similar to applying a standard Avid Composer system effect.

1. Choose Effect Palette from the Tools menu.

The Effect Palette appears.

2. Choose the effect category that contains the plug-in. For example, the following illustration shows the Ultimatte plug-ins.

Effects

3. Drag the effect onto your clip or transition in the Timeline.

Other Options button

4. Click the Effect Mode button.

The Effect Editor appears. One of the following styles of dialog boxes appears:

¥ Avid Composer Effect Editor controls only. This means that

you only see controls in the Effect Editor window.

¥ Custom dialog box only. In this case, when you click the Effect

Mode button, the Effect Editor is empty except for the Other Options button. Click the button to open the plug-in dialog box.

¥ Combination of Avid Composer and custom. In this case, Avid

Composer controls appear and you also see the Other Options button to access the custom options. Click the button to see the additional dialog box.

5. Adjust and preview the effect, depending on the controls in the dialog box. The plug-in vendor usually supplies documentation on how to adjust the effect.

6. When it is appropriate, render the effect.

Applying a third-party plug-in to a clip can cause the clip levels to be illegal by NTSC standards. Use an external vectorscope to check if the chroma and luma levels are still appropriate. If they are not, correct the levels by adjusting the parameters of the plug-in effect or by applying the Color Effect.

Third-party effects can require longer rendering times than do native Avid Composer effects.

Deleting Effects in a Sequence

Transition effects can be deleted from a sequence in Source/Record mode, Trim mode, or Effect mode. Segment effects can be deleted in Source/Record mode or Effect mode. Use the following procedures to either delete a single effect from a sequence or delete effects in multiple segments.

To delete a single effect:

1. Place the blue position indicator on the effectÕs icon in the Timeline.

In this example, the segment effect for the Þrst clip on video track V1 is being deleted.

Record monitor track selector

2. If there are multiple tracks that contain effects at the same position in the Timeline, select only the track where the effect to be deleted resides.

In this example, only video track V1 is selected, because the Title effect on video track V2 should not be deleted.

If you are deleting a segment effect and the segment contains a transition effect, the transition effect will be deleted also, because the transition effect resides Òon top ofÓ the segment effect. If necessary, you will have to reapply the transition effect.

3. In Source/Record mode, click the Remove Effect button located on the Fast menu above the Record monitor or in the second row of buttons below the Record monitor.

In Trim mode Ñ for transition effects only Ñ either press the Delete key or click the Remove Effect button.

In Effect mode, select the effect and press the Delete key.

When you delete an effect from a sequence, the associated media Þle is NOT deleted. In order to delete the effectÕs media Þle, you must manually remove it from the drive. The system operates this way so that you will be able to undo the deletion of an effect or undo the change you made to an effect. To delete an effectÕs media Þle, see ÒManaging Your Media FilesÓ on page 121.

To delete multiple segment effects:

1. In either Source/Record mode or Effect mode, click either Segment Mode button below the Timeline and Shift-click each segment that contains a segment effect to be deleted.

2. Click the Remove Effect button, or press the Delete key.

Using the Fade Effect Button

You can use the Fade Effect button to fade segment effects quickly and easily. A dialog box appears that allows you to enter the number of frames to fade up and fade down.

The Fade Effect feature automatically creates key frames for the effect. You can access the key frames in the Effect Editor.

To fade a segment effect:

1. Load the sequence if you havenÕt already done so.

2. To fade a single segment effect, place the blue position indicator in the segment.

To fade multiple segment effects, click either the yellow Extract/ Splice-in button or the red Lift/Overwrite button at the bottom of the Timeline window to enter Segment mode; then press and hold the Shift key and click the segments in the Timeline.

3. Click the Fade Effect button.

You can map the Fade Effect button to the Record monitor or the User Command Palette. For more information on mapping buttons, see the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or the Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

4. In the dialog box that appears, enter the number of frames to fade up and fade down, and click OK.

You can immediately view the Fade effect by playing the segment or segments.

Working with Transition Effects

You apply a transition effect to the cut point between two clips on the same video track. After you apply a transition effect, you can adjust its alignment and duration. Depending on the speciÞc effect, other effect parameters may apply.

Types of Transition Effects

Transition effects are included in all effect categories on the Effect Palette, except the Image effect category.

For an explanation of the transition effects in each effect category, see Chapter 10, Ò2D Effects Reference,Ó and Chapter 11 , Ò3D Effects

Reference.Ó

Applying a Dissolve Effect

One of the most common transition effects is a Dissolve. The Avid Composer system has three methods you can use to apply a Dissolve effect:

¥ Select the Dissolve effect from the Effect Palette.

¥ Type a duration in the Transition parameters.

¥ Click the Add Dissolve button.

This section describes each of these methods.

Using the Effect Palette

To apply a Dissolve effect using the Effect Palette:

1. Create a sequence in the Record monitor using the standard Avid Composer editing procedures. For information about editing a

sequence, see the ÒFirst Edits in Source/Record ModeÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

2. Choose Effect Palette from the Tools menu.

3. From the Blend category of the Effect Palette, drag the Dissolve effect icon to the transition in the Timeline and release the mouse button.

The Dissolve Effect icon appears in the Timeline.

When there is not enough incoming or outgoing media to apply a transition effect, a dialog box appears. See ÒSizing the Effect to Fit the

MediaÓ on page 62.

Using the Transition Parameters

You can create a Dissolve effect using the Transition parameters displayed in Trim mode and Effect mode. Simply enter the duration for which the effect will play, and the system adds the Dissolve to the sequence.

To create a Dissolve effect using the Transition parameters:

Transition Effect Alignment button

Transition Effect Alignment pop-up menu

1. In Trim mode or Effect mode, click a transition in the Timeline.

2. In the Transition Duration parameter, enter the DissolveÕs duration. The Duration format is determined by the Duration setting above the Record monitor, for example, seconds:frames.

Duration

This adds the Dissolve effect at the transition, and a Dissolve Effect icon appears in the Timeline.

3. Click the Transition Effect Alignment menu button, and select the effectÕs position relative to the cut point from the pop-up menu.

For an explanation of the Transition Alignment menu selections, see ÒTransition ParametersÓ on page 385.

Using the Add Dissolve Button

Another way to create a transition effect is to click the Add Dissolve button. This button allows you to apply a Dissolve or any other transition effect listed below without having to access the Effect Palette:

¥ Dissolve

¥ Film Dissolve

¥ Film Fade

¥ Fade to Color

¥ Fade from Color

¥ Dip to Color

To create an effect using the Add Dissolve button:

1. In Source/Record mode, Trim mode, or Effect mode, move the position indicator to the transition in the Timeline.

2. Click the Add Dissolve button located either below the Record monitor, in the monitor Fast menu, or in the Command Palette.

A dialog box appears.

3. Click the Add Dissolve parameter and choose a transition effect from the pop-up menu.

For an explanation of individual effects, see Chapter 10

Effects Reference.Ó

4. Enter the Duration of the transition effect in frames.

, Ò2D

5. Click the Position parameter and choose the effectÕs alignment to the cut point from the pop-up menu.

6. If you select Custom Start, in the Starts parameter you must enter the number of frames before the cut to start the effect.

7. Click Target Disk and from the pop-menu choose a disk on which to store the effect if you choose to render it.

The Effect Source Disk is the disk where the media on the outgoing shot of a transition resides.

8. If the effect you selected is real time on your Avid Composer system, select the DonÕt Render Real-time Effects parameter to prevent real-time effects from being rendered.

9. To add the effect without rendering it, click the Add button.

Or, to add the effect and render it, click the Add and Render button.

This adds the selected effect to the transition in the sequence.

Sizing the Effect to Fit the Media

When you select a transition effect from the Effect Palette, such as a Dissolve, and there is not enough source media to apply the effect, the following message appears:

¥ Off Media A Ñ Refers to the number of frames by which the out-

going media is short.

¥ Off Media B Ñ Refers to the number of frames by which the

incoming media is short.

To automatically size the effect to Þt the media:

¥ Click the Size To Fit button in the dialog box.

The system sets the duration of the effect to Þt the available media; if you have selected an alignment, the system attempts to preserve it.

To change the alignment or duration of the transition effect, see

ÒUsing the Transition ParametersÓ on page 59.

Trimming a Transition Effect

You can trim a transition effect using the standard transition trim procedures or the Transition Corner Display function in Trim mode. For more information, see the ÒWorking in Trim ModeÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

Adjusting Transitions in the Timeline

You can change the duration of Dissolve effects just by dragging them in the Timeline. You must be in Transition Corner Display in Trim mode to use this feature.

To adjust a transition using the Transition Corner Display:

1. Click on the transition in the Timeline.

2. Enter Trim mode.

3. Click the Transition Corner Display button.

The button turns bright green, and the display is enabled. As you position the cursor over the transition, it changes to look like a Þlm clip that has been cut for a splice.

4. Lengthen or shorten the transition effect by clicking and dragging to the desired length.

¥ To shorten a transition, drag toward the transition point.

¥ To lengthen a transition, drag away from the transition point.

The cursor changes to a hand that moves as you drag. You can adjust either the outgoing or the incoming video.

5. To review your edit, click the Play Loop button.

To customize transition effect parameters, see ÒTransition ParametersÓ on

page 385.

Creating Motion Effects

A motion effect, applied to a clip in the Source monitor, allows you to alter the playback characteristics of the clip. Motion effects include freeze frame, variable speed (such as slow motion or fast motion), and strobe motion effects. You can also combine variable speed and strobe effects in a single clip.

Creating a Freeze Frame

When you use a motion effect to slow down a clip, the effect is real time. When you use a motion effect to speed up a clip, the effect is non-real-time and must be rendered before it can be played.

A Freeze Frame effect is a still image based on a chosen frame from a clip that continues to display for the duration that you choose. When combined with the original clip, the footage plays and then ÒfreezesÓ and holds on the frame that you speciÞed.

To create a Freeze Frame effect:

1. Load a clip into the Source monitor.

2. Cue the clip to the frame that you want to freeze.

3. Choose Freeze Frame from the Clip menu.

A pop-up menu appears.

Duration

Custom duration

4. If you are using two-Þeld media (AVRs 70, 75, or 77), choose Freeze Frame from the Clip menu and choose an option from the Two Field Freeze Frames pop-up menu:

¥ Using Duplicated Field Ñ A single Þeld is displayed in the

effect.

¥ Using Both Fields Ñ Both Þelds are used to create the effect.

¥ Using Interpolated Field Ñ A second Þeld is created for the

effect by combining scan line pairs from the Þrst Þeld in the original media.

The chosen option becomes the default until you choose another option.

5. Choose Freeze Frame from the Clip menu and choose a duration:

¥ Choose a preconÞgured duration from the list.

¥ Choose Other and type a custom duration into the dialog box;

then click OK to enter the new duration.

A dialog box appears, prompting you to choose a target drive for the freeze frame media.

6. Choose a drive from the pop-up menu and click OK.

A new clip appears in the Source monitor and in the current bin preceded by a Motion Effect icon. The new clip has the original clip name followed by the letters FF.

Creating a Rolling Clip That Freezes

One common use for freeze frames is to create a segment that plays normally and then freezes, either to superimpose text information or to add emphasis to the end of a sequence before fading.

To create a rolling clip that freezes:

1. Load the original source clip from which you created the freeze frame.

2. Edit the clip into the sequence.

3. Place an IN mark in the sequence at the frame used to create the freeze frame.

4. Load the Freeze Frame clip into the Source monitor.

5. (Option) Mark the clip if necessary to shorten the duration of the clip.

6. Click the Splice-in button to edit the freeze frame into the sequence.

When you play the sequence, the footage plays full-motion and then freezes at the chosen frame.

Creating a Variable Speed Effect

Variable Speed effects involve changing the rate of playback to achieve fast-motion or slow-motion effects. The Avid Composer system creates slow-motion effects by duplicating frames in the original media. It creates fast-motion effects by eliminating frames from the original media. The resulting motion might appear to be jerky.

To create a Variable Speed effect:

1. (Option) If you require a Þxed duration for the clip based on a segment in the sequence, mark the segment in the Timeline with IN and OUT marks.

2. Click the Motion Effect button.

The Motion Effect button does not appear on the interface by default. You can map the Motion Effect button from the Command Palette to the Edit monitor or to the keyboard. For more information, see the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or the Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

Variable Speed option

The Motion Effect Parameters dialog box appears.

3. Select the Variable Speed option.

4. Specify the play speed for the Variable Speed Motion effect in one of the following ways:

¥ Type a number of frames into the frames Þeld.

¥ Type a frame rate into the FPS Þeld. To indicate reverse

motion, enter a negative number for the play rate.

¥ Type a percentage of the current play rate into the % speed

Þeld. To indicate reverse motion, enter a negative number for the percentage.

¥ Select the Fit To Fill option to automatically set the Variable

Speed parameters so that the duration of the motion effect will match the IN to OUT duration marked in the Record monitor.

When one of these is set, all values change to reßect the speciÞed play rate.

5. (Option) If your clip was digitized in one of the two-Þeld AVRs (AVRs 70, 75, or 77), choose a Render 2-Field Motion Effect option:

¥ Duplicated Field Ñ A single Þeld is displayed in the effect.

¥ Both Fields Ñ Both Þelds are displayed in the effect.

¥ Interpolated Field Ñ A second Þeld is created for the effect by

combining scan line pairs from the Þrst Þeld in the original media.

6. Complete the effect by doing one of the following:

¥ Click Create to create the new clip and close the dialog box.

An unrendered Variable Speed Effect clip displays a green dot when edited into a sequence to indicate that the clip might not play in real time in certain circumstances. For more information, see ÒUnderstanding Real-T

Downstream Key EffectsÓ on page 26.

¥ Click Create and Render to render the clip Ñ creating new

media Þles Ñ and close the dialog box.

A new clip is created in the Source monitor and in the current bin. The clip is named with the original clip name followed by the frame rate in parentheses. This clip can then be edited into your sequence like any other clip.

Creating a Strobe Motion Effect

ime and

Strobe motion results in a stuttering effect during playback of a clip. You determine the degree of the ÒstutterÓ or strobe when you create the effect.

You can also combine strobe motion with the Variable Speed effect. For more information on the Variable Speed effect, see ÒCreating a Variable Speed

EffectÓ on page 67.

To create a Strobe Motion effect:

1. Click the Motion Effect button.

Strobe Motion option

The Motion Effect Parameters dialog box appears.

2. Select the Strobe Motion option.

3. Specify the update rate in frames for the Strobe Motion effect. For example, a rate of 5 causes every Þfth frame to be displayed in the Strobe Motion effect.

4. (Option) If your clip was digitized in one of the two-Þeld AVRs (AVRs 70, 75, or 77), choose a Render 2-Field Motion Effect option:

¥ Duplicated Field Ñ A single Þeld is displayed in the effect.

¥ Both Fields Ñ Both Þelds are displayed in the effect.

¥ Interpolated Field Ñ A second Þeld is created for the effect by

combining scan line pairs from the Þrst Þeld in the original media.

5. Click Create and Render to render the clip and close the dialog box.

You must render a Strobe Motion effect in order to play it back in real time.

A new clip appears in the Source monitor and in the current bin preceded by a Motion Effect icon. The clip includes the original clip name followed by the word Strobe and the number of update frames in parentheses.

CHAPTER 3

Working in Effect Mode

After you have created an effect and applied it to a transition or segment in your sequence, you can adjust its appearance and operation by changing its effect parameters. This chapter explains how to go to Effect mode and use the Effect Preview monitor and the Effect Editor, and how to adjust the most common effect parameters.

¥ Entering Effect Mode

¥ Understanding the Effect Preview Monitor

¥ Using Big Effect Mode

¥ Working with the Effect Grid

¥ Using the Effect Editor

¥ Using Key Frames

¥ Adjusting Basic Parameters

¥ Using an Effect Template

¥ Playing an Effect

¥ Rendering an Effect

¥ Managing Your Media Files

Entering Effect Mode

After you add an effect to a sequence, you must enter Effect mode to change the parameters of the effect. Entering Effect mode transforms the Source/Record monitor into the Effect Preview monitor and opens the Effect Editor.

To enter Effect mode:

1. Place the blue position indicator on the effectÕs icon in the Timeline.

2. Click the Effect Mode button.

The Record monitor is transformed into the Effect Preview monitor, and the Effect Editor, which includes buttons and parameter panes to change effects, appears in the Bin monitor.

Effect Editor

Effect Preview monitor

Understanding the Effect Preview Monitor

The Effect Preview monitor displays the selected effect in the sequence where the position indicator is located in the Timeline. The effectÕs position bar, located directly below the Effect Preview monitor, represents only the selected effect, not the entire sequence.

Monitor icon

Press and hold mouse button for tracking information.

Edit Mode buttons

Position indicator

Length of effect

Current position in effect

Effect Preview monitor

Effect’s position bar

Key frame

Effect’s position indicator

Timeline

If the effect you expect does not appear in the Effect Preview monitor, make sure that you have activated the monitor in the monitor column of the effectÕs track. If a black frame appears in the Effect Preview monitor, the position indicator might be at a location in the Timeline where an effect has not been applied to the sequence.

The two boxes above the Effect Preview monitor display the length of the effect in seconds and frames and the current position in the effectÕs Timeline. In Effect mode, these boxes replace the name of the sequence that appears in this area when you are in Source/Record mode.

You can press and hold the mouse button to display a menu for viewing and changing the tracking information. For information on displaying tracking information, see the ÒViewing and Marking FootageÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

If the position information boxes do not appear above the Effect Preview monitor, increase the size of the window.

The following buttons appear below the Effect Preview monitor and below the Timeline.

Source/Record mode

Trim mode

¥ Source/Record mode Ñ Use this button to go to Source/Record

mode.

¥ Trim mode Ñ Use this button to go to Trim mode.

¥ Effect mode Ñ This button is highlighted, to indicate that you are

in Effect mode. If you are using a high-resolution monitor, click this button once to enter Big Effect mode. For more information on Big Effect mode, see ÒUsing Big Ef

Navigating in Effect Mode

Effect mode

fect ModeÓ on page 76.

Changing Position

The following sections describe helpful techniques for moving through footage in Effect mode.

You can change your position in the effect either by dragging the position indicator in the effectÕs position bar or by typing the timecode in the same way you do in Source/Record mode. The type of timecode

you enter (master timecode or absolute timecode) depends on the top row of tracking information you are displaying. The position information boxes above the Effect Preview monitor update as you change position. For more information on entering timecode to change the current position, see the ÒViewing and Marking FootageÓ chapter in the Avid Media Composer UserÕs Guide or Avid Film Composer UserÕs Guide.

Using Single-Field Step

Single-Þeld step enables you to view Þeld 1 and Þeld 2 of each frame of video. This feature is useful when you want to locate a defect on a speciÞc Þeld and use an effect to correct the defect. Any effect edits you make affect both Þeld 1 and Þeld 2 of each frame.

When you enter Effect mode, the tracking display above the Effect Preview monitor indicates the currently displayed Þeld by adding Ò.01Ó to the tracking number for the Þrst Þeld, or Ò.02Ó for the second Þeld.

To step through the footage one Þeld at a time, press the Option key and click either the Step Forward or the Step Backward button. As you step, the tracking number updates to reßect the currently displayed Þeld.

Using Big Effect Mode

Once you choose the Effect Editor, if you have a high-resolution monitor, you can click the Effect Mode button again to bring up Big Effect mode, which offers you a larger Effect Preview monitor.

Big Effect mode provides an enlarged window that makes working with effects easier. The Source monitor disappears, and the Effect Preview monitor transforms into a larger working space that makes it easier to create effects and make changes to them.

You must be using a high-resolution monitor as the Edit monitor to enter Big Effect mode.

To enable Big Effect mode:

1. In Source/Record mode, click and drag the Source/Record window so that it Þlls the width of your high-resolution Edit monitor.

2. Enter Effect mode by clicking the Effect Mode button.

3. Click the Effect Mode button again.

The Avid Composer system enables Big Effect mode. You can click and drag the Effect Editor to the left of the enlarged Effect Preview monitor.

Length of effect

Current position in effect

4. To return to normal Effect mode, click the Effect Mode button at the bottom of the screen.

If you do not return to normal Effect mode, Big Effect mode remains the default state when you enter Effect mode in the future.

Working with the Effect Grid

The Effect Grid provides a variety of ways to position effects with accuracy and previsualize them in the Effect Preview monitor. The grid coordinates can be expressed in traditional Þelds or XÐY pixels in any resolution. The following illustration shows a 12-Þeld grid displayed in a video project.

Grid Coordinates (at cursor position)

Grid points

Axis with tick marks

Safe title area

In video and Þlm projects, you can use the Effect Grid to:

¥ Display Safe Title and Safe Action guidelines.

¥ Display the aspect ratios for Þlm categories such as standard Þlm,

Academy, Super 35 mm, and Anamorphic, as well as the 4 x 3 safety area for the 16 x 9 aspect ratio.

¥ Show coordinate information to track the exact location of an

effect in the frame.

¥ Use the snap-to-grid feature to easily position effects.

In Þlm projects only, you can use the Effect Grid to:

¥ View the results of a Blowup, Paint, or AniMatte effect.

¥ Interpret the path of a Paint or AniMatte effect over a series of

frames using key frames. The coordinates show up when you generate a cut list, which enables the editor at the optical facility to track your effects accurately.

Setting the Effect Grid Options

To set the default grid values on your system, choose Grid from the Settings scroll list in the Project window. The following illustration shows the Grid Settings dialog box.

You can turn the Effect Grid on or off by clicking the Grid button in either Source/Record or Effect mode.

Setting Up the Effect Grid in a Film Project

If you are working in a video project and want to see only the Safe Action and Safe Title guidelines, Option-click the Grid button; the Effect Grid options now default to Safe Action and Safe Title guidelines. To toggle the display back to the full range of Effect Grid options, Option-click the Grid button.

In a Þlm project, the Grid parameter pane values in Effect mode deÞne a local grid effect that allows you to set the grid differently for each effect. If you save the effect as a template, the Avid Composer system automatically saves the local grid parameters as part of the template.

Other Options button (opens Grid Settings)

Grid parameter pane

Transfer fast menu

Grid Enable button

Use the Grid Enable button to turn the local Grid effect on or off. If you disable the local Grid effect, the Avid Composer system uses the global settings deÞned by the Grid dialog box. You can display the dialog box from two locations:

¥ Choose Grid from the Settings scroll list in the Project window.

¥ Click the Other Options button in the Effect Editor.

The Transfer Fast menu values appear on the parameter pane but do not appear in the Grid Settings dialog box. The Fast menu enables you to specify how the Þlm was transferred to video as follows:

Grid Options

¥ Full Aperture Ñ Transferred everything that is visible in the frame

¥ Academy Ñ Did not transfer the sound track area that appears on

the left-hand side of the Þlm

Table 3-1 describes the features of the Grid Settings dialog box.

Table 3-1 Grid Settings Dialog Box Options

Heading Description

Fields Determines the number of tick marks along the grid axes as well as the number of visi-

ble grid points. Since different optical houses expect different Fields and Sub Fields values, you should check with your optical house before deÞning your grid.

Sub Fields Determines the snap-to-grid feature between visible grid points. The value determines

how many jumps are in between each visible point. A value of 1 snaps only to visible points. A value of 2 provides 1/2 Þeld jumps. A value of 4 provides 1/4 Þeld jumps, and so on. A value of 0 turns off the snap-to-grid feature.

Source Scan Size

Source Grid Offset

Type Selects a different grid for each of the standard Þlm types:

Color Enables you to choose a color for the grid axes and the grid points.

Show Safe Title

Use these values if an optical house will use a Þlm scanner to process your Þlm (and add visual effects). Match the values to those used by your effects house.

These values enable you to move the grid on the image. They are typically applied for reference purposes after the Þlm has been scanned at the optical house. The offset allows you to sync up the telecine version with the scanned version. For example, you can add a marker to identify a speciÞc location on one frame. If the optical house has different coordinate values for that point, you can offset the grid on the Avid Composer system to match the optical houseÕs coordinates.

Square

Standard Film

Academy

Super 35

Anamorphic

Displays the safe title area. Create Þlm titles within this area.

Used for video projects

For 1.85, 1.77, and 1.66 and aspect ratios

For 1.85, 1.77, and 1.66 aspect ratios with guides for the loss soundtrack area

For 2.35 aspect ratio (pixel values count the entire frame)

For 2.35 aspect ratio (pixel values count only in 2.35 area)

Show Safe Action

Displays the safe action area for video display. This box is self-adjusting for PAL and NTSC projects.

Table 3-1 Grid Settings Dialog Box Options (Continued)

Heading Description

4 x 3 Safety for 16 x 9

Show Axes Displays the axes.

Show Tick Marks

Show Aspect Lines

Show Points Shows the grid points. Use the Fields parameter to set the number of grid points.

Show Position Info

Displays the safe area for the 4 x 3 aspect ratio when you are working in a 16 x 9 aspect ratio project.

Shows tick marks along the axes. Use the Fields parameter to set the number of tick marks.

Displays the aspect-ratio lines. Each grid type has different aspect-ratio lines.

Enables you to display the coordinates of any point in the Record monitor.

Displaying the Position Coordinates in Effect Mode

The Avid Composer system uses compass coordinates and X, Y coordinates to describe the position of an effect. To view the coordinates, you must choose the Show Position Info option in the Grid Settings dialog box and enable the Effect Grid. For compass coordinates, the point (0, 0) is the center of the axes. For X, Y coordinates, the point (0, 0) is the upper-left corner of the Source monitor. X values increase to the right, and Y values increase as you move up.

The compass coordinates describe the effectÕs position in terms of optical house standards. Each compass coordinate begins with a direction (N, S, E, or W, the abbreviations for North, South, East, or West) followed by a numerical value. This numerical component reßects the Fields and Sub Fields parameters you choose in the Grid Settings dialog box or the Grid parameter pane.

The X, Y coordinates describe position in terms of the Source Scan Size parameters you choose in the Grid Settings dialog box or the Grid parameter pane.

To display the coordinates in Source/Record mode, press and hold the mouse button, and drag the cursor in the Record monitor.

To display the coordinates in Effect mode:

1. Deselect all tools in the Effect Editor (including the Selection Tool and the Outline/Path button).

2. Press and hold the mouse button and drag the cursor in the Effect Preview monitor.

Using the Effect Grid in a Film Project

You can use the Effect Grid to include position information in a cut list for the Paint and AniMatte effects on a key-frame-by-key-frame basis. Additionally, you can display the position information for the Þrst key frame of a Blowup effect in a cut list. You must enable the Effect Grid before you generate the cut list to display the coordinate information in the cut list.

Position Information for the Blowup Effect

The event section of the cut list displays the compass coordinates of the effect at the Þrst key frame in the segment. Additionally, the Fields parameter you have chosen for the effect appears before the position coordinates.

Field parameter

X, Y coordinates

For information on the parameters available with the Blowup effect, see ÒBlowupÓ on page 403.

Position Information for the Paint and AniMatte Effects

By enabling Key Frames in the Cut List Tool options for optical lists, you can track the position of each Paint and AniMatte effect on a keyframe-by-key-frame basis. You must enable the Effect Grid before you generate the cut list, or the coordinate information will not appear in the cut list. The following illustration shows a cut list that includes coordinates for a Paint effect.

Compass coordinates X, Y coordinates

The compass coordinates for Paint and AniMatte effects indicate the position of each corner of the effect for each key frame. For example, a pentagon you create with the Paint effect shows Þve associated compass coordinates. The X, Y coordinates in the cut list indicate the position of the center of the effect at each key frame.

For information on getting started with the Effect Grid and the Paint and AniMatte effects, see ÒPrevisualization Marker Tool for Film

ProjectsÓ on page 277. For information on generating a cut list that

shows the position coordinates, see ÒCreating a Cut List with Effect

Grid InformationÓ on page 279.

Displaying the Safe Title and Safe Action Guidelines

Many effects can utilize the outer edges of the viewing screen area. If you are editing material that will be viewed on screens with more limited viewing areas, such as standard televisions, you can use the Safe Title and Safe Action options to provide visual guidelines in the Effect Preview monitor that replicate the actual viewable area on a standard television screen.

For example, you can use the Safe Title option as a template for the area in which you want the effect to operate. In this way, you can avoid the appearance of the effect ßoating off into a nonviewable area of a standard television screen.

Activate the Safe Title and Safe Action options in the Grid Settings dialog box as described in ÒSetting the Effect Grid OptionsÓ on page 79. To display the Safe Title and Safe Action guidlelines in Source/Record mode or Effect mode, Option-click the Grid button.

Two outlined boxes appear in the Effect Preview monitor. The inner box is the safe title area. All text and objects should remain within the inner box. The outer box is the safe action area for video display.

Effect Preview monitor

Safe title area

Safe action area

Displaying the Aspect Ratio Grid for Film Projects

The Effect Grid displays several guidelines to show you where you could crop the top or bottom of your frame to achieve the Òletter-boxÓ effect. Use this feature to determine if an undesired element can be seen during screening, if an alternate take should be used, or if a resize is required. The following illustration shows the Standard Film aspect ratios.

1.66 aspect ratio

1.77 (16 x 9) aspect ratio

1.85 aspect ratio

Activate the Þlm aspect ratio options as described in ÒSetting the

Effect Grid OptionsÓ on page 79. To display the aspect ratios in Effect

mode or Source/Record mode, click the Grid button.

If you want to apply a Mask effect, select one of the Film masks from the Effect Palette. For more information about applying effects, see

ÒApplying Effects to a SequenceÓ on page 46.

Using the Effect Editor

When an effect is selected and the Effect Editor is active, the selected effect displays in the Effect Preview monitor. The Effect Preview monitorÕs position bar represents only the selected effect, not the entire sequence.

Other Options button

Effect name

Triangular opener

Parameter pane

Slider used to adjust parameter

If you are in Effect mode already, the Effect Editor is open and active. You can just select the segment or transition effect to display the effectÕs parameters in the Effect Editor.

When you click the Effect Mode button to enter Effect mode, the Effect Editor appears.

Effect icon

This example shows the Grid Wipe effect parameters.

Not all effect parameters apply to all effects. Parameters that do not apply to an effect do not appear in the Effect Editor for that effect. To determine which parameters pertain to an effect, refer to the effectÕs description in Chapter 10, Ò2D Effects Reference,Ó and Chapter 11,

Ò3D Effects Reference.Ó

If the position indicator is not on an effectÕs icon in the Timeline or the track that contains the effect is not selected, then the Effect Editor is blank.

Effect Editor Buttons

This section describes the buttons in the Effect Editor, starting from the top-left button in the window. Not all buttons apply to each effect. If a button is not applicable, it does not appear in the Effect Editor for that effect. For more information about using each of the buttons, refer to the associated topic in this chapter.

Additional buttons appear in the Effect Editor, depending on which effect you are using. For example, if you are working with a 3D effect, a set of 3D-speciÞc buttons appear on the right side of the Effect Editor.

¥ Other Options

matrix effects, third-party plug-in effects, and the Title Tool.

¥ Triangular opener Ñ Click to display or hide the parameter pane.

A downward-pointing triangle displays the parameter pane; a right-pointing triangle displays only the parameter name.

button Ñ Click to access additional parameters for

Triangle

Parameter pane

¥ Other Options button Ð Click the Other Options button next to the

Color Preview window to display the color wheel palette when selecting a color. The Color Preview window displays the selected color. For more information, see ÒAdjusting a Color ParameterÓ

on page 104.

Other Options button Color Preview window

The following buttons appear along the right side of the Effect Editor.

Play Loop button

Dual Split button

Reduce button

Enlarge button

Play button

¥ Play Loop button Ñ Plays back a transition or segment effect in a

loop. Click the button again to stop the looped playback.

¥ Dual Split button Ñ Splits the Effect Preview monitor in half to

show the image with and without effects applied to it.

¥ Reduce button Ñ Reduces the image in the Effect Preview

monitor.

¥ Enlarge button Ñ Enlarges the image in the Effect Preview

monitor.

¥ Play button Ñ Plays the effect from the current position in the

effectÕs Timeline for most 2D and 3D effects.

The following buttons appear at the bottom of the Effect Editor.

Play Preview button

Add Key Frame button

Render Effect button

Grid button

Transition Effect Alignment pop-up menu

Outline/Path button

Transition Effect Duration box

¥ Add Key Frame button Ñ Creates a key frame at the frame in the

effectÕs Timeline where you place the position indicator. Optionclicking this button deletes a key frame.

The Add Key Frame button on the Command Palette is mapped to the double quote key (Ò) on the keyboard. You can map the button from the Command Palette to another key, or you can map the button to an existing button in the Source/Record monitor.

¥ Play Preview button Ñ Plays back a preview of an unrendered

effect.

¥ Render Effect button Ñ Renders the effect.

¥ Outline/Path button Ñ Displays a wire-frame representation to

illustrate the movement of an effect from the Þrst key frame through the last key frame.

Transition Effect Alignment pop-up menu

¥ Grid button Ñ Displays the Safe Title and Safe Action guidelines,

and enables the Effect Grid for precise placement of effects.

Transition Effect Duration box

¥ Transition Effect Alignment menu Ñ Use this menu button to

select the alignment of a transition effect to the cut point.

¥ Transition Effect Duration box Ñ Click in this display to enter

a duration for the transition effect other than the duration displayed.

For a detailed explanation of the above two parameters, see

ÒUsing the Transition ParametersÓ on page 59.

¥ 3D Promotion Ñ This button appears when you use a 2D effect on

systems with the 3D Effects option installed. You can click the button to promote the effect to a 3D effect. For example, you can promote a 2D Picture-in-Picture effect to a 3D effect and make use of the 3D Effects parameters. Before you promote the effect to 3D, you may want to save a 2D copy as a template so you can go back to it again at a later time. For more information, see ÒPromoting

2D Effects to 3D EffectsÓ on page 331.

Moving an Enlarged Image in Effect Mode

When you use the Enlarge button to increase the size of the image in the Effect Preview monitor, you cannot view the entire frame all at once. When you are creating an effect that requires great detail, you can reposition the enlarged frame in the monitor to view the sections that need your attention.

This feature applies only to an enlarged image in tbe Effect Preview monitor, not a standard-sized or reduced image.

To move the image within the Effect Preview monitor:

1. Click within the boundaries of the Effect Preview monitor.

2. Press and hold kÐOption.

The cursor becomes a hand.

Cursor Pixel Size display

3. Drag the hand in any direction to reposition the image within the Effect Preview monitor.

Similarly, you can enlarge the frame in the Source monitor when you are working in Source/Record mode and move the frame around by pressing and holding kÐOption. To access the Enlarge and Reduce buttons in Source/Record mode, you must map the buttons to your keyboard or to the user-selectable palettes.

Selecting a Parameter

Some effects have additional parameters that you select from the current parameterÕs Fast menu. For example, border types for 3D effects are on the same Fast menu.

Fast Menu button

Pop-up menu showing other parameters

Changing a Parameter

To change a parameter that has a slider, you must click its slider. When a slider is activated, it turns pink. Use the Tab key to move from one slider to the next slider.

Parameter’s slider

Parameter’s numeric value

Use any of the following methods to change the value of a parameter that has a slider.

¥ Move the slider with the mouse.

¥ Type a new value using the numeric keypad, and, if you entered

less than 3 digits, press Enter.

¥ Use the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys to change the value by Ð

1 or +1.

¥ Press the Shift key and use the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys

to change the value by Ð10 or +10.

Reversing an Effect’s Direction

You can set many of the effects in the Effect Palette to operate in reverse. When you operate the effect in reverse, in most cases the incoming (B) video changes places with the outgoing (A) video. The reversal changes the positions of the A and B video only for the duration of the effect.

Reverse button

To reverse an effectÕs direction, click the Reverse button in the Foreground parameter pane.

When the Reverse button is selected, the effect operates in reverse; when the button is deselected, the effect operates normally. For an explanation of changing the effectÕs level, see ÒAdjusting the Level

Between Key FramesÓ on page 103.

Accessing an Effect’s Additional Parameters

Some effects have additional parameters that control their operation. For example, the Grid Wipe effect has additional parameters in which you set the number of columns and rows in the wipe. When an effect has additional parameters, the Other Options button appears next to the effect name in the Effect Editor. The Other Options button also appears in a parameter pane in the Effect Editor if the pane can access additional parameters.

To access an effectÕs additional parameters, click the Other Options button next to the effect name or in a parameter pane.

A dialog box appears in which you set the additional parameters.

You also use the Other Options button to access the parameters for thirdparty plug-in effects and for the Macintosh Color Picker in the Title Tool and other effects that allow you to change color parameters.

Replacing an Effect

While in Effect mode, you can replace an existing effect.

To add a replacement effect:

1. Choose Effect Palette from the Tools menu.

2. Choose an effect category.

3. Use one of the following methods to replace the effect:

- Drag the new effectÕs icon to the Timeline. To replace an exist-

- Drag the new effectÕs icon to the Effect Preview monitor.

- Highlight the effect in the Timeline, and double-click the new

ing effect, place the new effectÕs icon on top of the existing effectÕs icon.

effectÕs icon in the Effect Palette.

4. Set the applicable effect parameters in the Effect Editor.

Using Key Frames

A key frame is a point in the effectÕs Timeline at which you can set parameters. Key-frame indicators appear as triangles in the effectÕs Timeline below the Effect Preview monitor.

Starting key frame

By default, the Avid Composer system always provides the starting and ending key frames of an effect. These key frames are selected by default and thus any parameter changes are constant throughout the

Ending key frame

effect. By using techniques for adding, deleting, moving, selecting, and deselecting key frames, you can begin to change the appearance and operation of the effect over time by applying parameter changes to speciÞc key frames.

Adding a Key Frame

You can create a key frame at any point in the effectÕs Timeline.

To create a key frame:

1. Click the position in the effectÕs Timeline below the Effect Preview monitor where you want to add the key frame. The position indicator moves to that frame.

2. Click the Add Key Frame button to add the key frame.

Selecting a Key Frame

You can select a key frame or multiple key frames using the following procedures. A key frame turns pink when selected.

¥ To select one key frame, click the key-frame indicator in the

effectÕs Timeline.

¥ To select multiple key frames, hold down the Shift key and click

the desired key-frame indicators in the effectÕs Timeline.

¥ To select all key frames in the effectÕs Timeline, press kÐA, or kÐ

click on one key frame.

For a fast way to jump to the previous or next key frame, you can map the Fast Forward and Rewind buttons from the Command Palette to your keyboard.

100

Pinnacle Systems Media Composer - 7.0 User’s Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Preparing to Work with Effects

Effect Types

Effects Creation Tools

About Downstream Key Effects

About Real-Time Effects

Playing Real-Time Effects

Overlapping Real-Time Effects on the Same Track

Overlapping Real-Time Effects on Multiple Tracks

Displaying the Effect Palette

Resizing the Effect Palette

Understanding the Color Coding

Displaying Effect Templates

Installing Third-Party Plug-in Effects

Installing Photoshop-Compatible Plug-in Effects

Installing AVX Plug-in Effects

Troubleshooting AVX Plug-Ins

Settings for Effects

Effect Settings

Render Settings

Timeline View Settings

Trim Settings

Basics of Effects Editing

Applying Effects to a Sequence

Displaying Effect Icons

Applying a Single Effect

Applying Multiple Effects

Selecting Multiple Transitions

Selecting Multiple Segments

Selecting Multiple Layers

Applying a Third-Party Plug-in Effect

Deleting Effects in a Sequence

Using the Fade Effect Button

Working with Transition Effects

Types of Transition Effects

Applying a Dissolve Effect

Using the Effect Palette

Using the Transition Parameters

Using the Add Dissolve Button

Sizing the Effect to Fit the Media

Trimming a Transition Effect

Adjusting Transitions in the Timeline

Creating Motion Effects

Creating a Freeze Frame

Creating a Rolling Clip That Freezes

Creating a Variable Speed Effect

Creating a Strobe Motion Effect

Working in Effect Mode

Entering Effect Mode

Understanding the Effect Preview Monitor

Navigating in Effect Mode

Changing Position

Using Single-Field Step

Using Big Effect Mode

Working with the Effect Grid

Setting the Effect Grid Options

Setting Up the Effect Grid in a Film Project

Grid Options

Using the Effect Grid in a Film Project

Position Information for the Blowup Effect

Using the Effect Editor

Effect Editor Buttons

Moving an Enlarged Image in Effect Mode

Selecting a Parameter

Changing a Parameter

Reversing an Effect’s Direction

Accessing an Effect’s Additional Parameters

Replacing an Effect

Using Key Frames

Adding a Key Frame

Selecting a Key Frame