Pinnacle Systems Studio - 14.0 Instruction Manual

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Pinnacle Studio

Version 14

Including Studio, Studio Ultimate

and Studio Ultimate Collection

Your Life in Movies

photos, video and celebrity images are protected by the laws of many countries. You may not use other people’s content unless you own the rights or have the permission of the owner.

This product or portions thereof are protected under one or more of the following United States patents: 5,495,291; 5,946,445 6,469,711; 6,532,043; 6,678,461; 6,901,211; 6,907,191 7,124,366; 7,165,219; 7,286,131; 7,301,092; and 7, 46 7,244. Other patents are pending.

Mpegable DS 2.2 ©2004 Dicas Digital Image Coding GmbH.  Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. This product contains one or more programs protected under international and U.S. copyright laws as unpublished works. They are confidential and proprietary to Dolby Laboratories. Their reproduction or disclosure, in whole or in part, or the production of derivative works therefrom without the express permission of Dolby Laboratories is prohibited. Copyright 1993-2005 by Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.  MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson Multimedia.  Portions of this product were created using LEADTOOLS ©1991-2006, LEAD Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Portions utilize Windows Media Technologies ©1999-2005 Microsoft Corporation.  Real Producer SDK ©1995-2005 Real Networks Inc.  This product contains portions of imaging code owned and copyrighted by Pegasus Imaging Corporation, Tampa, FL. All rights reserved.  MPEG Layer II Audio by QDesign Corp.  This product contains a YouTube API.

No part of this manual may be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, manual, or otherwise, without the express written permission of Pinnacle Systems, Inc.

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

Printed in the USA.

ii Pinnacle Studio

Table of contents

BEFORE YOU START .................................................. XI

Equipment requirements ........................................................................ xii

Abbreviations and conventions ............................................................. xiv

On-line help .......................................................................................... xvi

CHAPTER 1: USING STUDIO ....................................... 1

Undo, Redo, Help, Support and Premium ............................................... 2

Setting options ......................................................................................... 3

Edit mode .................................................................................................... 4

The Player ................................................................................................ 5

Playback controls ..................................................................................... 8

Further editing topics ............................................................................. 11

Expanding Studio .................................................................................. 12

CHAPTER 2: CAPTURING AND IMPORTING MEDIA 17

The Studio Import Wizard ..................................................................... 18

Import Wizard panels .............................................................................. 19

The Import From panel .......................................................................... 20

The Import To panel .............................................................................. 23

The Mode panel ..................................................................................... 27

The Compression Options window ....................................................... 30

The Scene Detection Options window ................................................... 31

The Filename panel ............................................................................... 32

Table of contents iii

Selecting media for import ...................................................................... 34

Import from file-based media ................................................................ 35

Import from DV or HDV camera .......................................................... 42

Import from analog sources ................................................................... 47

Import from DVD or Blu-ray Disc ........................................................ 48

Import from digital cameras .................................................................. 49

Stop motion ........................................................................................... 49

Snapshot ................................................................................................ 52

CHAPTER 3: THE ALBUM .......................................... 57

The Videos section .................................................................................... 63

Opening a video file .............................................................................. 67

Viewing video ....................................................................................... 71

Selecting scenes and files ...................................................................... 72

Displaying scene and file information ................................................... 73

Comment view ....................................................................................... 74

Combining and subdividing scenes ....................................................... 75

Redetecting scenes ................................................................................. 77

The Transitions section ............................................................................ 78

The Montage® Themes section ................................................................ 80

The Titles section ...................................................................................... 81

The Still Images section ........................................................................... 82

The Disc Menus section ............................................................................ 83

The Sound Effects section ........................................................................ 84

The Music section ..................................................................................... 85

The Project Bin ......................................................................................... 86

CHAPTER 4: THE MOVIE WINDOW ........................... 91

Movie Window views................................................................................ 95

Storyboard view ..................................................................................... 95

Timeline view ........................................................................................ 96

Text view ............................................................................................. 102

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The toolboxes .......................................................................................... 102

The Video toolbox ............................................................................... 104

The Audio toolbox ............................................................................... 106

CHAPTER 5: VIDEO CLIPS ...................................... 109

Video clip basics ..................................................................................... 110

Adding video clips to your movie ....................................................... 110

Working with multiple capture files .................................................... 111

The project video format ..................................................................... 112

Interface features ................................................................................. 115

Trimming video clips .............................................................................. 117

Trimming on the Timeline using handles ............................................ 117

Clip-trimming tips ............................................................................... 121

Trimming with the Clip properties tool ............................................... 122

Resetting trimmed clips ....................................................................... 124

Splitting and combining clips ................................................................ 125

Advanced Timeline editing .................................................................... 126

Insert editing ........................................................................................ 128

Split editing ......................................................................................... 130

The SmartMovie music video tool ......................................................... 134

CHAPTER 6: THEMES AND THEME EDITING ........ 139

Using themes ........................................................................................... 141

The Themes section of the Album ....................................................... 143

Creating theme clips ............................................................................ 143

Working with theme clips on the Timeline ......................................... 145

Anatomy of a theme ............................................................................ 147

Opening the Theme Editor tool............................................................ 150

Using the Theme Editor tool ................................................................ 151

CHAPTER 7: VIDEO EFFECTS ................................. 155

Working with the effects list................................................................ 156

Changing effect parameters ................................................................. 158

Keyframing .......................................................................................... 160

Using keyframing ................................................................................ 163

Previewing and rendering .................................................................... 166

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Video effects library ............................................................................... 166

Standard effects ...................................................................................... 168

Auto color correction ........................................................................... 169

Dream glow ......................................................................................... 169

Noise reduction .................................................................................... 170

Rotate ................................................................................................... 170

Stabilize ............................................................................................... 170

Speed ................................................................................................... 171

Ultimate effects ....................................................................................... 172

Blur ...................................................................................................... 173

Emboss ................................................................................................ 173

Old film ............................................................................................... 173

Soften ................................................................................................... 174

Stained glass ........................................................................................ 174

Luma key ............................................................................................. 175

2D Editor ............................................................................................. 175

Earthquake ........................................................................................... 175

Lens flare ............................................................................................. 176

Magnify ............................................................................................... 176

Motion blur .......................................................................................... 176

Water drop ........................................................................................... 177

Water wave .......................................................................................... 177

Black and white ................................................................................... 177

Color correction ................................................................................... 177

Color map ............................................................................................ 178

Invert ................................................................................................... 178

Lighting ............................................................................................... 179

Posterize .............................................................................................. 179

RGB color balance............................................................................... 179

Sepia .................................................................................................... 180

White balance ...................................................................................... 180

CHAPTER 8: TWO-TRACK EDITING ....................... 181

Introducing the overlay track ............................................................... 181

A/B editing .......................................................................................... 183

The Picture-in-picture tool ................................................................... 184

The Chroma key tool ........................................................................... 190

Selecting colors ................................................................................... 196

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CHAPTER 9: TRANSITIONS ..................................... 199

Transition types and their uses ............................................................ 201

Previewing transitions in your movie .................................................. 204

Audio transitions ................................................................................. 204

The Ripple Transition command ......................................................... 205

Trimming transitions ............................................................................. 206

Trimming with the Clip properties tool ............................................... 207

CHAPTER 10: STILL IMAGES .................................. 209

Editing still images ................................................................................. 211

Editing image clip properties ............................................................... 212

The Frame Grabber ............................................................................... 219

The Frame grabber tool ....................................................................... 219

CHAPTER 11: DISC MENUS ..................................... 221

Disc authoring in Studio ...................................................................... 223

Using menus from the Album .............................................................. 224

The DVD Player Control ..................................................................... 226

Editing menus on the Timeline ............................................................ 228

Editing with the Clip properties tool ................................................... 230

The Disc menu tool .............................................................................. 235

CHAPTER 12: THE CLASSIC TITLE EDITOR .......... 237

Launching the Classic Title Editor ...................................................... 238

The Classic Title Editor controls ........................................................... 239

Title-type buttons ................................................................................. 239

Object toolbox ..................................................................................... 240

Editing-mode selection buttons ........................................................... 243

Object layout buttons ........................................................................... 245

Clipboard and delete buttons ............................................................... 247

Text-styling controls ............................................................................ 247

The Classic Title Editor Album ............................................................. 249

The Looks Browser ............................................................................. 249

The Backgrounds section ..................................................................... 251

The Pictures section ............................................................................. 253

The Buttons section ............................................................................. 254

Table of contents vii

CHAPTER 13: THE MOTION TITLER ....................... 257

Launching (and leaving) the titler ........................................................ 259

File operations ..................................................................................... 261

The Motion Titler Album ...................................................................... 262

The Videos section .............................................................................. 264

The Photos section ............................................................................... 265

The Objects section ............................................................................. 266

The Looks section ................................................................................ 267

The Motions section ............................................................................ 272

Creating and editing Motion Titles ....................................................... 275

The Background Panel ......................................................................... 277

The Edit window ................................................................................. 279

Working with text ................................................................................ 282

Working with the Layer List................................................................ 286

Working with layer groups .................................................................. 293

CHAPTER 14: SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC ........ 297

The Timeline audio tracks ................................................................... 300

The CD audio tool ............................................................................... 302

The Background music tool ................................................................. 303

The Voice-over tool ............................................................................. 305

Trimming audio clips ............................................................................. 308

Trimming with the Clip properties tool ............................................... 308

Audio volume and mixing ...................................................................... 310

Anatomy of an audio clip .................................................................... 311

Adjusting audio on the Timeline ......................................................... 313

Transitions on the audio tracks ............................................................ 315

The Volume and balance tool .............................................................. 316

CHAPTER 15: AUDIO EFFECTS .............................. 323

Noise reduction .................................................................................... 324

Ultimate effects ....................................................................................... 326

ChannelTool ........................................................................................ 326

Chorus ................................................................................................. 326

DeEsser ................................................................................................ 327

Equalizer .............................................................................................. 327

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Grungelizer .......................................................................................... 328

Leveler ................................................................................................. 329

Reverb ................................................................................................. 329

Stereo Echo .......................................................................................... 330

Stereo Spread ....................................................................................... 330

CHAPTER 16: MAKING YOUR MOVIE ..................... 331

Output to disc media .............................................................................. 334

Output to file ........................................................................................... 338

Output to tape ......................................................................................... 346

Configuring the camera or video recorder... ........................................ 346

Output your movie to videotape .......................................................... 348

Output to the web ................................................................................... 349

APPENDIX A: SETUP OPTIONS .............................. 351

Project preferences .............................................................................. 352

Video and audio preferences ............................................................... 355

Make Disc settings .............................................................................. 360

Make File settings ................................................................................ 365

Make Real Media file settings ............................................................. 369

Make Windows Media file settings ..................................................... 372

Make tape settings ............................................................................... 374

APPENDIX B: TIPS AND TRICKS ............................ 377

Hardware ............................................................................................. 377

Graphics card settings .......................................................................... 379

Studio and computer animation ........................................................... 380

APPENDIX C: TROUBLESHOOTING ....................... 381

Technical help on-line ............................................................................ 382

Top support issues .................................................................................. 384

Errors or crashes during installation .................................................... 385

Studio crashes in Edit mode ................................................................ 386

Table of contents ix

Studio hangs when rendering ............................................................... 391

Studio hangs on launch or does not launch .......................................... 394

“Burning failed” error appears in Make Movie ................................... 396

DVDs created by Studio do not play back, or appear blank. ............... 398

APPENDIX D: VIDEOGRAPHY TIPS ........................ 399

Creating a shooting plan ...................................................................... 399

Editing ................................................................................................. 400

Rules of thumb for video editing ......................................................... 404

Soundtrack production ......................................................................... 406

Title ..................................................................................................... 407

APPENDIX E: GLOSSARY ........................................ 409

APPENDIX F: KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS ................ 427

INDEX ........................................................................ 431

x Pinnacle Studio

Before you start

Thank you for purchasing Pinnacle Studio. We hope you enjoy using the software.

This manual covers all versions of Studio, including Studio Ultimate and Studio Ultimate Collection. Differences between versions will be noted as applicable. Most of the time, the word “Studio” will be used generically to refer to all versions. Similarly, references to “Studio Ultimate” apply also to Studio Ultimate Collection unless otherwise stated.

If you have not used Studio before, we recommend that you keep the manual handy for reference even if you don’t actually read it all the way through.

In order to ensure that your Studio experience gets off on the right foot, please review the three topics below before continuing to Chapter 1: Using Studio.

Also highly recommended to new users is the Studio Tutorial. To launch the Tutorial, click its link on the “splash” screen when you start Studio, or use the Help ¾ Guided Tour menu command within the application itself.

Before you start xi

Equipment requirements

In addition to your Studio software, an efficient Studio editing system requires certain levels of hardware performance as noted in this section. Remember too that while specifications are important, they do not tell the whole story: the proper functioning of hardware devices can also depend on manufacturer-supplied driver software. Checking the maker’s web-site for driver updates and support information can often be helpful in solving problems with graphics cards, sound cards and other devices.

Note: Some features mentioned here require free or paid “activation” via the Internet, depending on your version of Studio.

Computer

• Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 1.8 GHz or higher

(2.4 GHz or higher recommended). Intel Core™ 2 or i7 2.4 GHz required for AVCHD editing (2.66 GHz for AVCHD 1920)

• 1 GB system memory recommended, 2 GB required

for AVCHD editing

• Windows® 7, Windows Vista® with SP2, or

Windows XP with SP3

• DirectX 9 or 10 compatible graphics card with 64

MB (128 MB or higher recommended); 256 MB for HD and AVCHD editing

• DirectX 9 or higher compatible sound card

• 3.2 GB of disk space (plug-ins extra)

• DVD-ROM drive to install software.

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The following items are optional:

• CD-R(W) burner for creating VideoCDs (VCDs) or

Super VideoCDs (SVCDs).

• DVD-/+R(W) burner for creating DVD, HD DVD

and AVCHD discs.

• Blu-ray burner for creating Blu-ray discs (Studio

Ultimate).

• Sound card with surround-sound output for preview

of surround-sound mixes.

The hard drive

Your hard drive must be capable of sustained reading and writing at 4 MB/sec. Most drives are capable of this. The first time you capture, Studio will test your drive to make sure it is fast enough. Video in the DV format occupies 3.6 MB of hard drive space per second, so just four and a half minutes of DV video will consume a full gigabyte on the drive.

Tip: For capture from video tape, we recommend using a separate hard drive in order to avoid competition between Studio and other software, including Windows, for use of the drive during capture.

Video capture hardware

Studio can capture video from a variety of digital and analog sources. Please see “The Import From panel” on page 20.

Video output hardware

Studio can output video to:

• Any HDV, DV or Digital8 camcorder or VCR. This

requires an OHCI-compliant IEEE-1394 (FireWire)

Before you start xiii

port (as provided by Pinnacle Studio DV). The camcorder must be set up to record from DV Input.

• Any analog (8mm, Hi8, VHS, SVHS, VHS-C or

SVHS-C) camcorder or VCR. This requires Pinnacle Studio USB-700, PCI-500, PCI-700, or another Pinnacle device with analog outputs. Output to analog camcorders or VCRs is also possible using a Pinnacle Studio DV or other OHCI-compliant 1394 port if your DV or Digital8 camcorder or VCR can pass a DV signal through to its analog outputs (see your camcorder manual and Chapter 16: Making your movie, for more information).

Abbreviations and conventions

This guide uses the following conventions to help organize the material.

Terminology

AVCHD: A video data format used by some highdefinition camcorders, and for creating DVD discs that can be read on Blu-ray players. Successful editing of AVCHD files requires more computing power than other formats supported by Studio.

DV: The term “DV” refers to DV and Digital8 camcorders, VCRs and tapes.

HDV: A “high-definition video” format that allows video in frame sizes of 1280x720 or 1440x1080 to be recorded in MPEG-2 format on DV media.

xiv Pinnacle Studio

1394: The term “1394” refers to OHCI-compliant IEEE-1394, FireWire, DV or i.LINK interfaces, ports and cables.

Analog: The term “analog” refers to 8mm, Hi8, VHS, SVHS, VHS-C or SVHS-C camcorders, VCRs and tapes, and to Composite/RCA and S-Video cables and connectors.

Buttons, menus, dialog boxes and windows

Names of buttons, menus and related items are written in italics to distinguish them from the surrounding text, whereas window and dialog names are written with initial capital letters. For example:

Click the Edit menu button to open your menu in the Classic Title Editor.

Choosing menu commands

The right arrowhead symbol (¾) denotes the path for hierarchical menu items. For example:

Select Toolbox ¾ Generate Background Music.

Keyboard conventions

Key names are spelled with an initial capital and are underlined. A plus sign denotes a key combination. For example:

Press Ctrl+A to select all the clips on the Timeline.

Mouse clicks

When a mouse click is required, the default is always a left-click unless otherwise specified:

Right-click and select Go to Title/Menu Editor.

Before you start xv

On-line help

Two kinds of immediate help are always available while you are working in Studio:

• Help file: Click the help button in the Studio

main menu bar, or select the Help ¾ Help topics menu, or press F1 to open Studio’s help file.

• Tool tips: To find out what a button or other Studio

control does, pause your mouse pointer over it. A “tool tip” appears explaining its function.

xvi Pinnacle Studio

CHAPTER 1:

Using Studio

Creating movies with Studio is a three-step process:

1. Import: Import source video material – your “raw footage” – to your PC hard drive. Possible sources include analog videotape (8mm, VHS etc.), digital videotape (HDV, DV, Digital8), memory cards and other file-based media, and live video from a video camera, camcorder or webcam.

Import mode is covered in Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media.

2. Edit: Arrange your video material as desired by reordering scenes and discarding unwanted footage. Add visuals, such as transitions, titles and graphics, and supplementary audio, such as sound effects and background music. For DVD, Blu-ray Disc and VCD authoring, create interactive menus that give your audience a customized viewing experience.

Edit mode is the arena for most of your work in Studio. See “Edit mode” later in this chapter (page 4) for a fuller introduction.

Availability: Blu-ray Disc authoring is supported in Studio Ultimate and Studio Ultimate Collection only.

Chapter 1: Using Studio 1

3. Make movie: When your project is complete, generate a finished movie in your choice of format and storage medium: tape, VCD, S-VCD, DVD, AVI, MPEG, RealVideo, Windows Media and more.

Make Movie mode is covered in Chapter 16: Making your movie.

Setting the mode

Select which step of the movie-making process you want to work on by clicking one of the three mode buttons at the top left of the Studio window:

When you switch modes, the Studio screen changes to display the controls needed for the new mode.

Undo, Redo, Help, Support and Premium

The Undo, Redo, Help, Support and Premium buttons are always to be found in the top right corner of the Studio window, no matter which of the three modes you are currently working in.

• Undo allows you to back out of any changes you

have made to your project during the current session, one step at a time.

• Redo reinstates the changes one by one if you undo

too far.

• The Help button launches Studio’s built-in help

system.

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• The Support button opens Studio’s technical support

site in your web browser.

• The Premium button lets you expand Studio by

purchasing and installing premium content. (See page 12 for details.)

All other controls on the Studio screen are dedicated to tasks within the current mode.

Setting options

Most options in Studio are set using two tabbed dialog boxes.

The first lets you control options related to Edit mode. It has two tabs:

The other dialog box is concerned with options relating to Make Movie mode. It has three tabs, one for each of the three movie output types:

Each panel of both dialog boxes can be opened individually with a corresponding command on the Setup menu (e.g. Setup ¾ Project preferences). Once either dialog box is open, however, all of its panels are available through the tabs.

Chapter 1: Using Studio 3



For simplicity, we generally refer to the different options panels independently, as in “the Project preferences options panel”.

Detailed explanations of the options in both dialog boxes are contained in Appendix A: Setup Options.

Additional options for importing are provided on the Mode panel of the Import Wizard. The options available depend on the type of media you plan to import, as explained under “The Mode panel” on page

27.

EDIT MODE

Studio opens in Edit mode each time it is launched, because that is the mode you use most often. The Edit mode display includes three main areas.

The Album stores resources you will use in your movies, including your captured video scenes.

The Movie Window is where you create your edited movie by arranging video and sound clips, and by applying transitions and effects.

The Player provides playback and previewing for whichever item is currently selected in Studio. That may be an Album resource – such as a video scene, title or sound effect – or your edited movie, complete with transitions, titles, effects and several audio tracks. The Player is covered below.

4 Pinnacle Studio

See Chapter 3: The Album and Chapter 4: The Movie Window for detailed information on those topics.

Studio in Edit mode with n the Album, o the Player, and p the Movie Window, shown here in its Storyboard view.

The Player

The Player displays a preview of your edited movie, or of the item currently selected in the Album.

It consists of two main areas: a preview window and playback controls. The preview window displays video

images. The playback controls allow you to play the video, or go to an exact position within it. These controls come in two formats: standard and DVD.

Standard mode

The standard playback controls are similar to those on a camcorder or VCR. They are used for viewing ordinary video.

Chapter 1: Using Studio 5

DVD mode

The DVD playback controls emulate the navigation controls on a DVD player or remote control. Use them for previewing your DVD or other disc productions, including menu interaction.

6 Pinnacle Studio

The preview window

This is a point of focus in Studio because you use it so often, especially for previewing your movie. It can also be used to display:

• Any type of Album content.

• Still images or titles from your movie.

• Changes to video effects in real time while you

adjust the parameter controls for the effects.

• Still frames from your video. While viewing a still

frame, you can step by as little as a single frame in either direction with the “jog” controls.

Resizing the video preview

If your screen dimensions permit, Studio lets you enlarge the Player – and therefore the video preview – by means of the Player size slider. This control appears above the Player to the left of the Undo button when reorganizing the display is possible.

Drag the control knob rightwards to increase the Player size, or leftwards to decrease it. The leftmost knob position corresponds to the smallest (and default) size.

Resizing the Player optimizes your use of screen “real

estate” to obtain a larger video preview.

Chapter 1: Using Studio 7

The DVD toggle button

Switch between the two playback modes with the DVD toggle button at the bottom right-hand corner of the Player. This button is only available when your edited movie contains at least one menu.

Playback controls

The Player presents either of two sets of playback controls depending on the playback mode you choose.

When you play your movie back as ordinary video, you will be using the standard playback controls. If your movie uses disc menu navigation, you can play it back as an optical disc with interactive on-screen menus by using the DVD playback controls. Both groups of controls are covered below.

The full-screen preview button: This button, just above the top right-hand corner of the preview window, switches to a full-screen preview. It is available in both playback modes. On a single-monitor system, the full-screen display ends when your movie ends, or you double-click the screen or press the Esc key. See the Video preview options in the Video and Audio Preferences panel (page 355) for settings that apply to multiple-monitor systems.

The Video preview options on the Video and audio preferences options panel let you direct the full-screen preview to the secondary monitor on your system if there is one. In Studio Ultimate, you can simultaneously send your preview to an external device, if desired.

8 Pinnacle Studio

Standard playback controls

These buttons control playback in the Player. Play / Pause: The Play button previews the

movie from the current position. Once preview begins, Play becomes Pause. When playback is paused, the Album scene or Movie Window clip at which previewing stopped remains selected. The [Space] key can also be used to start and stop playback.

Go to beginning: This button halts playback and skips back to the first frame of the material being previewed.

Fast reverse, Fast forward: These buttons let you preview your movie at two, four or ten times the normal speed, in either direction. Use them to scan for a particular piece of video you want to work with. Click the buttons repeatedly to loop through the speed factors.

Loop: This button causes the currently-selected clips in the Movie Window to play back repeatedly. This feature is especially convenient whilst selecting and editing add-on effects and transitions. Click any playback button to halt looping. The loop button lights up while looping is active. Looping is maintained even if you switch playback speeds.

Jog buttons: This pair of controls normally steps your movie forward and backward by one frame at a time. To step by seconds, minutes or hours instead of frames, select the corresponding field in the counter (see below), then use the jog buttons to modify it.

The Player scrubber

Use the Player scrubber to quickly traverse your captured video or edited movie in either direction. The

Chapter 1: Using Studio 9

scrubber position corresponds to the position of the current frame in the captured video file (not just the current scene) or in the edited movie (not just the current clip). Thus the scrubber bar always represents the entire length of the content being viewed.

As you move the scrubber, the preview window shows the current frame. If you have activated the audio scrubbing button in the Movie Window, you will also hear snatches of your movie’s audio as you scrub. See page 92 for details.

The ability of the preview to keep up with the scrubber depends on the speed of your computer. If you move the Player scrubber slowly, the preview display responds smoothly. As you increase the rate at which you move the scrubber, the preview will jump frames. The point at which it does so depends on your hardware. The smoothness of the preview also diminishes as the overall length of the material being scrubbed increases.

The counter

The counter displays the current playback position in hours, minutes, seconds and frames. You can directly modify the counter fields to select an exact frame to view or at which to start playback. Simply click on the number you wish to change and type a new value. To move to a different field, click again or use the Left and Right arrow keys.

You can also modify the value in a selected field by using the jog buttons beside the counter or the Up and Down arrow keys.

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The master volume slider

This control sets the overall audio volume during preview playback. It is equivalent to turning up the master volume on your sound card using the system volume tool. It does not affect the volume of the final movie Studio creates in Make Movie mode.

The small loudspeaker icon at the right of the control serves as a master mute button during playback.

DVD playback controls

These controls include the four standard transport buttons detailed above (Play/Pause, Fast reverse, Fast forward,

Go to beginning) plus the DVD Player

Control, which is described under “The DVD Player

Control” on page 226.

Further editing topics

Please see the following for details on specific editing topics:

• Chapter 5: Video clips

• Chapter 6: Themes and theme editing

• Chapter 7: Video effects

• Chapter 8: Two-track editing

• Chapter 9: Transitions

• Chapter 10: Still images

• Chapter 11: Disc menus

Chapter 1: Using Studio 11

• Chapter 12: The Classic Title Editor

• Chapter 13: The Motion Titler

• Chapter 14: Sound effects and music

• Chapter 15: Audio effects

Expanding Studio

One way to add pizzazz to your productions is to use a variety of video and audio filters, animated transitions, titles, VCD and DVD menus, themes and sound effects.

Studio includes an extensive selection of hundreds of content items and special effects, but it’s also designed to grow along with your needs. When you want a particular filter, transition, menu or effect that isn’t part of the basic set, an easy-to-use upgrade mechanism lets you find, purchase and install the materials you need without even leaving the program.

New tools, new media, new frontiers

You can purchase additional media and filters in any of three ways from within Studio:

• With the Help ¾ Purchase activation keys

menu command (or the premium shortcut button at the top right of the Studio screen).

This opens a special browser window in which you can access a catalog page for any type of premium content that interests you.

• With the Album commands More transitions, More

themes, More sound effects and More menus.

12 Pinnacle Studio

These commands are found on the dropdown lists in the corresponding sections of the Album. They will enable you to download, try out and purchase additional premium content that was not included with the program installation.

• By clicking the activate buttons found in some parts

of Studio.

These buttons can be found whenever premium content is on display within Studio. The one above, when seen in the Audio effects tool and the Video effects tool, would let you activate a pack of audio or video filters. You may encounter similar buttons in the Album that let you purchase all the media on a particular Album page as a theme pack.

How activation works

“Activating” premium content for Studio means to obtain a license allowing you unrestricted use of the content on the single machine where Studio is installed. The licensing mechanism employs two distinct but mutually related codes:

• An activation key for each premium content item you

purchase;

• Your Passport, which is a number generated the first

time you install Studio on your computer. You can view your Passport by selecting the Help ¾ My Passport menu command.

Because the Passport is specific to one computer, you will need to obtain new activation keys if you install Studio on a different machine. These will be provided

Chapter 1: Using Studio 13

at no charge, but your user licenses for both Studio and any premium content you have obtained then apply to the new machine only.

Note: Although your Passport is specific to an individual computer, it is not affected by ordinary hardware modifications such as adding or removing expansion cards, drives or memory.

If you don’t have an Internet connection...

You can purchase and apply premium content activation keys even if you don’t have an Internet connection on the computer where Studio is installed. When you click one of the unlock links within Studio, a dialog will be displayed showing information needed for ordering the specific content you want, including:

• An Internet URL where you can activate the content

• Numeric identifiers for the Studio program and the

item you want to activate

• Your Passport and your Serial Number

Navigate to the given URL from another computer, enter the information, and complete the purchase as directed. You will then be given an activation key with which you can activate the content on the original computer by using the Help ¾ Enter Activation Keys menu command.

Hiding and showing premium content

If you would prefer not to view the premium content and features available in Studio, open the Project

preferences options panel and uncheck either or both of Show premium content and Show premium features.

(See page 352.)

14 Pinnacle Studio

Importing content from past Studio versions

If you are an owner of a past version of Studio, the chances are that you already own content items, whether on a “Bonus Content” or “Premium Pack” disc, or on a hard drive attached to your system. The Studio “Transfer Content” wizard walks you through the process of locating all such materials that are available to you, and importing them for use in the current version of the software. Among the item types handled by the wizard are:

• Titles

• Disc menus

• Sound effects

• Hollywood FX 3D transitions

• RTFx video effects

To launch the wizard, look in the Studio group on your Start ¾ All Programs menu, and select Tools ¾ Transfer Content.

Chapter 1: Using Studio 15

CHAPTER 2:

Capturing and

importing media

Studio lets you incorporate many kinds of media in your video productions. When these are stored externally to your computer – on a camcorder tape, say, or a memory stick from your digital camera – they must be transferred to local storage before you can use them.

This transfer process is called “capturing” or “importing”. A distinction has long been made between “capturing” from tape and “importing” from file-based sources, but it is less significant nowadays when most audiovisual recordings are stored in digital form throughout their lifetimes. Only when recording from analog sources (such as VHS or Hi8) is there still a “capture” process involving conversion to digital form.

We will most often use the terms “import” and “importing” to signify all methods of bringing images and sound into Studio for use in your productions.

The next step

After Studio has finished importing your media, you will be able to access the imported files for use in your productions. See Chapter 3: The Album for details.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 17

The Studio Import Wizard

The very first step in capturing is to open the Studio Import Wizard by clicking the Import button at the top left of the screen.

The Import Wizard consists of a large central area surrounded by a number of smaller panels. One of these, the Import From panel at the top left of the display, has a pivotal role. It provides a list of device

types that can serve as the source of your import operation. Your choice of input source in turn determines the rest of the Import Wizard display. Above all, the set of controls offered in the central area for preview, browsing and selecting material depends on the chosen import type.

Importing can be regarded as a four-step process:

1. Select the import source on the Import From panel.

2. Confirm or adjust the settings on the other panels.

3. Select material to import from the chosen source.

4. Initiate the import operation.

Studio then begins transferring the requested audio, video and pictorial material from the source device to your hard drive, using the locations set in the Import To

18 Pinnacle Studio

panel. Once the import operation is complete, the Import Wizard closes and returns control to Studio, where you can access the imported files through the Album. (See Chapter 3: The Album.)

Here the Import Wizard is configured for importing material from DVD. For disc sources, the central area lists the ‘chapters’ available for importing.

IMPORT WIZARD PANELS



The actual selection of material to be imported takes place in the central area of the Import Wizard. Each import source uses the central area somewhat differently.

Depending on the input source, the central area shares the Import Wizard interface with up to four auxiliary panels with standardized functions.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 19

The Import From panel

This is the top left panel of the Import Wizard, a position that reflects its vital role in setting up the import operation.

The photos, music and video footage you want to import may reside on a variety of device types and technologies. The supported import sources include:

• All types of auxiliary file-based storage media,

including optical drives, memory cards and USB sticks (see “Import from file-based media”, page 35). Click Other devices in the Import From panel to start.

• DV or HDV video cameras using an IEEE-1394

(FireWire) connection (see “Import from DV or HDV camera”, page 42). Devices are listed by name in the Import From panel by their device names (e.g. “DV Device”). Select the applicable one.

• Analog video cameras and recorders (see “Import

from analog sources”, page 47). Any analog capture hardware on your system is listed by name (e.g. “Pinnacle Systems MovieBox”).

• DVD and Blu-ray discs (see “Import from DVD or

Blu-ray Disc”, page 48).

• Digital still cameras (see

“Import from digital cameras”, page 49).

Some sources in the Import From panel are chosen from a sub-list of actual devices that is appears when you click the

20 Pinnacle Studio

main source entry. In the illustration, DVD / Blu-Ray has been clicked. The user can now choose between the two DVD drives installed on this particular system.

Single-frame import

Studio provides two special modes for importing single frames, rather than continuous footage. These modes are:

• Stop motion: Create an animated film by importing

one frame at a time from a live video source (see “Stop motion”, page 49).

• Snapshot: Import individual images from tape or

from a live source like a webcam (see “Snapshot”, page 52).

Adjusting analog audio and video levels

Analog capture hardware may provide additional controls for modifying parameter levels of the audio and video signals. Such a capability is useful for correcting exposure problems and the like in the source material, and when you need to compensate for differences in video from multiple sources.

To access the controls, click the more button beside the source name. This opens the Analog Input Levels window.

Although you can also adjust these levels with the appropriate Video effects in Edit mode, setting them correctly for capture can save you from having to worry about color correction later on.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 21

The Analog Input Levels window lets you adjust a number of video and audio parameters. The Hue slider (fourth from left) is not used with PAL sources.

Setting your audio options correctly as you capture will help in achieving consistent volume levels and quality.

Particular capture devices may offer fewer options than are shown and discussed here. For instance, with hardware that doesn’t support stereo captures, an audio balance control will not appear.

Video: Choose the type of video you are going to digitize by clicking the appropriate source button (Composite or SVideo). The five sliders allow you to control the brightness (video gain), contrast (ratio of lightest to darkest), sharpness, hue and color saturation of the incoming video.

• The hue slider can be useful for correcting unwanted

color shifts in NTSC material; it is not available when capturing from a PAL source.

• The saturation slider regulates the “color saturation”

– the amount of color – in the image. (An image with zero saturation has only black, white and gray tones.)

Audio: The sliders on the right side of the panel let you control the input level and stereo balance of the incoming audio.

22 Pinnacle Studio

The Import To panel

After importing, your media items will be accessible as files on your computer. The Import To panel of the Import Wizard lets you specify where those files will be stored. Separate folders are available for video, audio and picture items, but the Import To panel only lists those that are relevant to the current import source, as set in the Import From panel.

As the number of media files on your system grows, it becomes increasingly useful to give some thought to how best to organize the material into folders and subfolders such that in the future you can most readily retrieve any desired item. The controls on the Import To panel are designed to automate this process to whatever degree you choose.

Working with import folders

Until you specify otherwise, the Import Wizard uses the standard document folders for video, music and pictures within your Windows user account. The illustration shows a typical setup in Windows Vista. To change an import folder, click either the small folder button or the current folder path. (See “Selecting an import folder” below.)

The folders you choose for each media type, whether default or custom, serve as base locations for your imported files. In order to manage your media

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 23

collection effectively, you can also specify either a custom subfolder name or a method of automaticallygenerating a name based on either the current date or the creation date of the imported material. Click either s“set subfolder” or the more button for the media type to access the subfolder options. (See “Setting a subfolder” below.)

For example, if you set your main video folder to “c:\vid”, and your subfolder naming method to “Current month”, any video you import will be placed in a folder with a name like “c:\vid\2009-10”.

Fill level indicator: This bar graph shows for each import destination how much room is left on the storage device. The first part of the bar represents space zzalready occupied on the device. The colored extension shows how much room any currentlyselected media files awaiting import will require.

Available storage space display

Note: If a destination device reaches 98 per cent full during import, the operation is halted at that point.

Selecting an import folder

To choose a different base folder for a given media type, click the corresponding folder button or folder name on the Import To panel. This opens a folder selection box where you can navigate to, and if necessary create, the folder you want to use.

24 Pinnacle Studio

Folders that contain subfolders are indicated with a plus icon to the left of the folder icon if they are currently closed, and a minus icon if they are open. Clicking the icon reverses the state of the folder.

Click the plus icon to view the contents of a folder.

To create a subfolder within the currently-selected folder, click “New Folder” at the bottom of the file selector, type a name for the folder, then press Enter.

To rename a folder, select it then either click it once with the left mouse button, or press the F2 key. An inplace edit box opens, allowing you to type over the old name with a new one of your choice. Finally, press Enter to accept or Esc to cancel the name change.

Renaming the selected folder.

After locating and selecting the folder you want to serve as the base folder, click the OK button to approve the choice and return to the Import Wizard window.

Setting a subfolder

To designate a subfolder of the base folder as the actual import destination for the media type, click either “set subfolder” button or the more button . These buttons

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 25

open a dialog window that represents an expanded version of the Import To panel, one that includes controls needed to set the subfolder name or naming method for each media type supported by the currentlyselected import source.

The expanded Import To dialog window for filebased media. Since files can be of any media type, controls for all three types are provided. Most other sources import only video media, and don’t show the Audio and Photo controls.

The row of controls for each media type includes a dropdown list of naming options:

• No subfolder: With this option, the files you import

will be stored in the base folder.

• Custom: When you choose this option, an in-place

edit box appears. Enter the name of the subfolder in which to store your next import or imports of the media type.

• Today: Your imports will go to a subfolder named

with the current date, in the format “2009-10-25”.

26 Pinnacle Studio

• Creation date: Each imported file will be stored in a

subfolder named with the creation date of the media, in the same format as above. When multiple media items are brought in as part of a single import operation, this may entail creating or updating multiple subfolders.

• Current month: This is the same as the Today

option but without the day portion, e.g “2009-10”.

After making your choice, click the button at the top right of the dialog window to return to the Import Wizard.

The Mode panel

The Mode panel of the Import Wizard provides a place to adjust the options offered by several import sources.

DV / HDV import options

The options for DV and HDV import are in three groups on the Mode panel.

Presets: The Presets group offers two standard configurations for video and audio compression, and a custom setting that lets you fine-tune compression parameters in the Compression Options window, which opens when the upper more button is clicked. (See

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 27

“The Compression Options window” on page 30.) The fixed presets are:

• DV: This provides full-quality DV capture, using

about 200 MB of disk space per minute of video.

• MPEG: MPEG compression produces smaller files

than does DV, but requires more computational horsepower to encode and decode. This could result in slower performance on older computers.

Scene detection: When the scene detection feature is enabled, your footage is divided up on import into “scenes” that can be displayed and manipulated separately in the Studio Album. This greatly simplifies the task of locating material of interest during editing.

Click the lower more button to open the Scene Detection Options window. (See “The Scene Detection Options window” on page 31.)

Stop at tape end: This option tells Studio whether to automatically stop capturing if a blank area of tape is encountered. A blank area – one without timecode striping – indicates virgin tape. Provided you have avoided leaving any blank spots during shooting (by slightly overlapping neighboring shots), this option allows for unattended capture.

Import options for analog media

The options for analog import are similar to those just discussed for digital sources. See below for explanations of the Compression Options and Scene Detections Options windows.

28 Pinnacle Studio

Stop when no signal is the analog equivalent of the Stop at tape end option described above. When set,

Studio will automatically end capture when the signal from the source device is interrupted.

Import options for file-based media

The Mode panel provides two options affecting importing from file-based media.

Delete original: When this option is enabled, the original copies of the files you import will be deleted after copying. This option is handy if you are using the Import Wizard to consolidate your media and don’t want your hard drive cluttered with redundant copies.

Ignore duplicates: This option helps you deal with redundant media files you already have, by telling the Import Wizard not to import extra copies of files that may be differently-named but are apparently identical.

Import options for stop-motion capture

In stop-motion animation, a series of individual frames is captured from a live video source. Depending on your plans for the stop-motion sequence, you can instruct the Import Wizard to integrate the individual frames into a movie, or simply import each frame as a picture, or both.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 29

The Compression Options window

The options provided in the Mode panel for both DV / HDV and analog import include access to this window for fine-tuning compression preferences. If you select either of the DV and MPEG presets, you can use this window to review the actual settings used. Editing the settings here automatically selects the “Custom” preset.

The Compression Options window for digital and

analog video import.

Because some options are contingent on others, not all will be visible simultaneously.

Video settings

Compression Codec: Use this dropdown list to select the codec you want to use.

Framesize: This line shows the dimensions of the captured video.

Quality, Data rate: Some codecs present quality options in terms of a compression percentage (Quality), and others in terms of the required data transfer rate in KB/sec (Data rate).

30 Pinnacle Studio

Audio settings

Compression: This dropdown shows the codec that will be used to compress the incoming audio data.

Record audio: Clear this checkbox if you are not planning to use the captured audio in your production.

The Scene Detection Options window

The options provided in the Mode panel for both DV / HDV and analog import include access to this window for configuring scene detection preferences.

The Scene Detection Options window for DV or HDV import. When importing from analog sources, only the the last two options are supported.

Automatic scene detection is a key feature of Studio when working with DV and HDV sources. As video capture proceeds, Studio detects natural breaks in the video and divides it up into scenes. A new icon is created in the Video Scenes section of the Album for each scene detected.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 31

Depending on which capture device you are using, automatic scene detection is carried out either in real time during capture, or as a separate step immediately after capture is completed.

The four scene detection options are:

• Automatic based on shooting time and date: This

option is available only when you are capturing from a DV source. Studio monitors the time stamp data on the tape during capture, and starts a new scene whenever a discontinuity is found.

• Automatic based on video content: Studio detects

changes in the video content, and creates a new scene wherever there is a large change in the images. This feature might not work well if the lighting is not stable. To take an extreme example, a video shot in a nightclub with a strobe light would produce a scene each time the strobe flashed.

• Create new scene every X seconds: Studio creates

new scenes at an interval you choose. This can be useful for breaking up footage that contains long continuous shots.

• No automatic scene detection: Select this option if

you want to monitor the entire capture process and decide for yourself where scene breaks should occur. Press the [Space] key each time you want to insert a scene break during capture.

The Filename panel

This panel of the Import Wizard is where you specify the names under which your imported media files will be stored.

32 Pinnacle Studio

Each type of input source has a default filename assigned by Studio. For instance, the default filename when importing a Snapshot is “Snapshot”. To change it, click in the space and type the name you want.

The Import Wizard never overwrites an existing file when importing. If a file with the same name as the target name already exists, a sequence number is added to the name of the incoming file.

When importing from filebased media, additional file naming features are available. By default the naming formula for a file-based input is given symbolically as “[original].[ext]”, meaning that the original filename and extension are used.

If you want a custom name, enter it into the edit box as usual; however, in the case of file-based media the target filename has two parts: a stem, which you supply, and a tail, which is generated by one of three simple rules at the time of import. The default rule adds a unique sequence number to every filename. While you are entering your custom name, the edit box shows only the stem. But when the name is displayed at other times, the rule for the tail part of appears as well.

To select a different rule for the tail part, click the more button . This opens a dialog window with two dropdown lists. The first lets you choose between

“original” and “custom” for the stem. You can use this if you ever want to revert to importing files under their original names. The second dropdown, which is

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 33

displayed only for custom names, gives the available rules for generating the tail part:

• Number: This is the same rule used by other media

types to avoid name collisions. If your stem is “Parade”, the first file copied will be named “Parade” (plus the original file extension), the second will be named “Parade_001”, and the numbers then continue in sequence.

• Creation time: The time of day when the file was

created, in hours, minutes, and seconds, is used to generate file names like “Parade_20-30-00” for a file that was created at exactly 8:30 in the evening.

• Time of day: This is like the previous option, but the

time of importing the file is used.

The Import Filename Configuration window.

SELECTING MEDIA FOR IMPORT



Each source supported by the Import Wizard has its own appropriate set of controls for selecting the material. When you click the source name in the Import From panel, the central area of the wizard configures itself appropriately with the controls you need.

34 Pinnacle Studio

Import from file-based media

Select Other devices in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard to prepare for importing from file-based storage media other than local hard drives, including optical drives, memory cards and USB sticks.

The job of selecting the files to import belongs to the folder and media file browser in the central area of the display.

When importing from file-based media, the Import Wizard provides a folder and file browser in the central area. This is flanked on the left by the Import From and Import To panels, and on the right by the Mode and Filename panels. The Start Import button at bottom right sets things in motion after the desired media files have been selected.

A single import operation can take in multiple types of media file from multiple source folders. Each selected file will be copied to the correct folder for its media type (as specified in the Import To panel).

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 35

The folder and media file browser

The left hand column of the browser is a hierarchical view of all folders on all filestorage devices attached to your computer. These devices include hard drives, optical disc drives, memory cards and USB sticks.

Navigation in this “folder tree” is similar to that in Windows Explorer and other programs. Folders containing other folders are indicated by a plus sign to the left of the

name when they are closed and by a minus sign when they are open. Click the sign to open out (“expand”) or close down (“collapse”) a folder’s list of subfolders.

Only one entry in the folder tree can be highlighted at a time. Any media files contained in that folder are immediately listed in the larger, right-hand division of the browser. You can preview files on the spot, and earmark those you intend to import by checking the box at the top right of corner of each file icon.

Previewing media files

Previewing audio and video: The media file browser includes built-in previewing for all supported media types. Click the play button in the center of video and audio file icons to preview the media they represent. For

36 Pinnacle Studio

quick viewing, video files play back within the icon frame itself. Click anywhere on the icon to halt playback; otherwise the entire file is previewed.

Here, the folder video\current is open, revealing eight video files. To select (or unselect) a file for import, click the checkbox in the top right corner of its icon. In the illustration, three files have been selected.

Full-screen preview: During video playback, a full-screen viewing button is displayed at the top left of the file icon. This button works similarly to the Player’s full-screen preview button in Studio’s Edit mode (see page 8).

Full-screen previewing closes automatically at the end of the video. To close it manually, press the Esc key or double-click the display during preview.

To view a digital photos or other picture file at fullscreen resolution, double-click its icon.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 37

Scrub preview: Audio and video clips both provide a scrubber control immediately below the file icon. Click and drag the scrubber knob to manually review any part of the file. The mouse pointer changes to a twoheaded horizontal arrow when it is correctly positioned for scrubbing.

Selecting media files for import

To select media files one at a time for importing, click the selection box at the top right corner of the file icon.

Click the selection box to check or uncheck the file.

Multiple selection: The browser also provides a method of selecting (or unselecting) simultaneously a group of highlighted files. To highlight an individual file, simply click on its name or its icon; the highlighted state is indicated by an orange border. To highlight additional files, click icons in conjunction with either of the Shift and Ctrl keys, as follows:

• Click while pressing Ctrl to add or remove the

highlighting from one file without affecting the others in the group.

• Click while pressing Shift highlights the clicked icon

and all those between it and the previously clicked icon, inclusive. Highlighting is removed from any icons not within the range.

38 Pinnacle Studio

You can also highlight a range of icons directly with the mouse, by dragging out a rectangle that intersects the icons you want to include. Click the first icon and move to the last one before releasing the mouse button.

Having highlighted some icons you want to import, click the selection box of any one of them to select or unselect the entire group at once.

A group of four highlighted video file icons. Selecting or unselecting any one will affect the whole group.

Select all and Unselect all: Click these buttons along the bottom of the media file browser to select for importing either all or none of the media files listed in the current folder. They do not affect any files currently selected in other folders.

Use the Select all button to select all the media files in

the current folder.s

Each time a file is added to or removed from the list of those to be imported, the media browser updates the selection status indicator at the bottom of the display.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 39

Customizing the browser

Several controls allow you to configure the media file browser appropriately for your display hardware and requirements.

Close the folder tree: To maximize the space for viewing files, click the left-pointing double-arrow icon at the top of the folder tree scroll bar. This collapses the folder tree to a vertical bar down the left-hand side. At the top of the bar is the right-pointing double-arrow that will reopen the tree. The name of the current folder is also shown.

Filter the file list: Another way to optimize your use of the file area is to limit the files shown to include only one media type. This is the function of the media filter dropdown at the bottom left of the browser. By default, all supported media file types appear in the browser, but you can limit the view to picture files, audio files or video files by your selection here. To see exactly which file types are included in a selection, hover on the item for a second or two to pop up the list.

Hovering over the Audio files option brings up a list of file types from which audio import is supported.

Set preview size: A final tool for managing screen real estate is the preview size slider at the bottom right of the browser.

40 Pinnacle Studio

Move the slider leftwards to reduce, or rightwards to increase, the size of the preview images in the file browser. There are three ways of moving this slider with the mouse:

• Click on the slider knob and drag to the left or right.

• Click beside the slider knob to nudge itin the

appropriate direction.

• Click the minus/plus buttons at the ends of the slider

scale to move the knob by a larger amount.

Set preview volume: To set the playback volume of audio and video clips for previewing, hover the mouse pointer in the area of the audio/mute button in the bottom bar of the media file browser. A volume slider will appear beside the button. Drag the knob up and down to control the volume. Click the audio/mute button itself to toggle audio muting.

Adjusting the import file date and time

The internal clocks of the recording devices are often set incorrectly, resulting in incorrectly timestamped media files. The Import Wizard can correct this kind of problem by setting the date and time of the imported files according to your specifications.

To correct the file time or date:

Use the more button on the “Selected Files” lines to open a window that offers two options for adjusting the timestamps:

• Correct time zone: This slider changes the file

timestamp of any media files you import by up to 12

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 41

hours in either direction. You can use this adjustment to compensate for the time difference when you bring home video from your travels.

• Set date/time: These fields lets you enter an exact

date and time of your choice. The file time of any media files you import will be changed to this.

Import from DV or HDV camera

To prepare for importing digital video, switch on your DV or HDV device in play mode and select it in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard.

You will also need to make sure that your destination folder, compression presets, and other options are set up in the other panels the way you want them. (See “Import Wizard panels”, page 19.)

Previewing video

The video currently playing on the source device should now be visible in the preview area at the central area of the display. Along the right edge of the video preview is a scale showing the moment-bymoment audio level. Above that scale, by the top right corner of the preview frame, is a small button that switches to full-screen previewing.

42 Pinnacle Studio

When a DV or HDV source is selected, the central area of the Import Wizard provides controls for previewing and importing the taped material.

Below the preview image is a row of controls for automating capture by setting mark-in and mark-out points. See “Recording video and audio” on page 45 for more information.

Another row of controls, the transport bar, serves as your navigation console for the source device.

The transport bar for DV and HDV import, with (from left) jog controls and timecode readout, transport buttons, a shuttle control, and an audio button with a pop-out slider for controlling the preview volume.

The current timecode indicator shows your playback position according to the timecode recorded onto the tape when

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 43

it was shot. The four fields represent hours, minutes, seconds and frames respectively. To the left of the indicator is a pair of arrow buttons; use these to jog the position one frame back or frame forward at a time.

From left to right, the transport

buttons are play/pause, stop, rewind and fast forward. These buttons relay

commands to your camera. Using them is equivalent to using the camera’s onboard controls, but typically more convenient.

Drag the orange needle on the shuttle control to the left or right to change the playback position in the reverse and forward directions respectively. The motor speed increases as you drag the needle further off center. When you release the needle, it homes to the center position and pauses playback.

Set preview volume: To set the playback volume for previewing, hover the mouse pointer in the area of the audio/mute button in the bottom bar of the media file browser. A volume slider will appear beside the button. Drag the knob up and down to control the volume. Click the audio/mute button itself to toggle audio muting.

• Mark-In/Out: Mark In and Mark Out indicate the

planned starting point and ending point of a video capture. See page 45 for further information.

Note: DV and HDV sources are also suitable for snapshots; see page 52 for details.

44 Pinnacle Studio

Recording video and audio

The Import Wizard supports two approaches to selecting a range of video to be imported.

In the manual approach, you simply watch the preview playback and press Start Capture at the start of the desired footage. When you reach the end of the segment, press Stop Capture. If you have continuous timecode on the source footage, and have set Stop at tape end to “Yes” in the Mode panel, you can walk away and leave the Import Wizard to switch off when the input is exhausted.

The automatic method of capture is good for setting the endpoints of your capture (the “mark-in” and “markout”) points with single-frame precision, and for unattended importing that should halt before the end of the recorded material.

Sometimes you may want to use set the mark-in time and leave mark-out blank. When you click Start Capture the Import Wizard will locate your start time then capture until you tell it to stop (or at tape end).

You can also set a mark-out time and leave the mark-in time blank. When you click Start Capture import will begin immediately, and end automatically at the markout point. Entering a duration and entering a mark-out time are equivalent. Whichever you specify, the Import Wizard calculates and displays the other one automatically.

Note: Before starting the import operation, verify that the settings on the Import To panel and other panels (see page 19) have been configured correctly.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 45

To capture manually with the Start Capture and Stop Capture buttons:

1. Make sure that the mark-in and mark-out points are

not set. If needed, use the button associated with the field to clear it with one click.

2. Manually start playback of the source tape before

the desired starting point of the capture.

3. Click the Start Capture button when the starting

point is reached. The button caption changes to Stop Capture.

4. At the end of the segment click the button again.

The captured material is stored in the Album.

5. Manually halt playback (unless automatic shutoff is

in effect as noted above).

To capture automatically by setting mark-in and mark-out points:

1. Use the time counter controls to set the mark-in and

mark out values – the start and end points of the desired footage.

To set the mark-in point, either enter a value directly into the start field, or navigate to the desired point and click the Start button. A similar approach can be used to set the mark-out point.

2. Click Start Capture. Studio positions the source

device to the mark-in point and automatically begins recording.

3. When the mark-out point is reached, import is

terminated and the source device is stopped.

4. The captured material is stored in the Album.

46 Pinnacle Studio

Import from analog sources

To record analog video (e.g. VHS or Hi8) you need a converter that you can connect to your computer and that has the appropriate video and audio connections. This is also the case when recording from analog sound sources, such as a record player.

Currently supported devices include Pinnacle and Dazzle products such as USB 500/510, USB 700/710 and DVC 100, and webcams based on DirectShow technology.

To prepare for importing from an analog source, switch on the device and select it by name in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard. Also choose the applicable input (e.g. “Video Composite” or “Video SVideo”). If you wish to tweak the incoming analog signal prior to digitization, click the more button , which provides access to the Analog Input Levels window. (See page 21 for more information.)

Before starting the capture, make sure that your destination folder, compression presets, and other options are set up in the other panels the way you want them. (See “Import Wizard panels”, page 19.)

To capture from an analog source:

1. Verify that the correct input is connected (e.g.

“Video S-Video”).

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 47

2. Start the playback device just before the point at

which you would like capture to begin. Video and audio previewing should now be active.

(If not, check cabling and converter installation.)

3. Click the Start Capture button to start recording.

The button caption changes to Stop Capture.

4. At the end of the segment click the button again.

The captured material is stored in the Album.

5. Halt the source device.

Import from DVD or Blu-ray Disc

The Import Wizard can import video and audio data from DVDs and BDs (Blu-ray discs). To begin, insert the source disc in its drive and select it in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard. If you have more than one optical drive, choose the correct device among those listed.

Before starting the capture, make sure that your destination folder and file name are set up in the other panels the way you want them. (See “Import Wizard panels”, page 19.)

Because large files can be involved when importing from optical discs, selecting the correct import directory is important. In particular, ensure that the designated storage location has sufficient space available (see page 23).

Note: Copy-protected media cannot be imported.

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Previewing the disc files

The media on optical discs are accessed through the computer’s file system. For this reason, the previewing controls in the central area, the methods for selecting files, and the procedure for importing, are the same as for ordinary file-based media (except that the unneeded folder view starts in the closed position). Please see page 35 for further information.

Import from digital cameras

Like optical disc drives, the media on digital cameras is accessed through the computer’s file system. The camera may appear on the source list as a removable disk drive. Previewing, selecting and importing are the same as for ordinary file-based media (except that the folder view starts in the closed position). Please see page 35 for further information.

Stop motion

The Stop Motion function of the Import Wizard allows you to create animated films by stitching together individual frames grabbed from a live video source, such as an analog video camera or webcam. The result of your Stop Motion import will be either a movie at 8

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 49

or 12 frames per second, the collection of still images you grabbed, or both, depending on your Mode panel settings.

To prepare for Stop Motion import, make sure the source device is switched on, then select it by name under the Stop Motion heading in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard. (See page 21 for more information.)

Before starting the capture, make sure that your destination folder, options and file name are set up in the other panels the way you want them. (See “Import Wizard panels”, page 19.)

If your source equipment is functioning correctly, you should have a live preview in the central area of the Import Wizard window. For a full-screen preview, click the button at the top right of the embedded preview. To terminate the full-screen mode, press Esc or click the close button at the top right of the screen.

When you are ready to capture an image, click the Capture Frame button. A thumbnail of the grabbed frame is added to the Image Tray at the bottom of the window. (See “Using the Image Tray” on page 54 for more information.)

Since this is a stop motion sequence, after each image is grabbed you will generally make small changes to the scene you are shooting in order to create the illusion of motion from frame to frame.

To make your task of visualization easier, the Stop Motion preview includes an “onion skin” effect,

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whereby successive frames are shown simultaneously in translucent layers so that the differences can be clearly seen. This feature can be configured on the control bar.

The number of images shot so far and the duration of the film (based on the number of images, rounded off) are displayed to the right below the control bar.

The Stop Motion control bar

This bar provides transport and other functions for Stop Motion import.

From left to right:

• Live and File indicators: These let you switch

between previewing the live video feed and previewing the captured frames in the Image Tray. You can review – and if necessary replace – particular frames without having to undo other work.

• Counter: This readout shows your current position

within the animation in hour, minutes, seconds and frames. The counter value depends on the number of frames you have grabbed and the animation speed in frames per second. The up and down arrow buttons to the left of the counter provide single stepping when previewing your animation.

• Navigation buttons: These buttons are for

previewing your animation. A loop button lets you cycle the animation continuously for easy checking.

• Frame rate: This rate, in frames per second,

determines how many frames you will have to create in order to amass one second of movie time. This rate influences the apparent speed of the animation.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 51

• Onion skin settings: Click the more button to

open a small window where the onion skin feature can be configured. The first slider shows the difference in transparency between successive frames, while the second controls the number of frames, in addition to the current one, that will take part in the effect. Experiment with both settings until you find the levels that work best for your movie.

Importing the animation

When you have added all the frames you want to the animation, click the Start Import button. The Import Wizard adds your animated movie, and/or the individual frames you captured, to the appropriate sections of the Studio Album.

Snapshot

The Snapshot function of the Import Wizard is used to record individual frames (still images) from cameras or players connected to the system. To prepare, make sure the source device is switched on, then select it by name under the Snapshot heading in the Import From panel of the Import Wizard. (See page 21 for more information.)

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Before starting the capture, make sure that your destination folder and file name are set up in the other panels the way you want them. (See “Import Wizard panels”, page 19.)

Now start your camera, or roll your tape, and start monitoring the embedded preview display in the central area of the Import Wizard window.

For a full-screen preview, click the button at the top right of the embedded preview. To terminate the full-screen mode, press Esc or click close at the top right of the screen.

Capturing snapshots in the Import Wizard. While previewing live or taped video in the central area of the window, use the Capture Frame button to grab still images. Grabbed frames accumulate in the Image Tray at the bottom of the window until you click the Start Import button to transfer them to the Studio Album.

When you want to capture an image as it goes by, click the Capture Frame button. A

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 53

thumbnail of the grabbed frame is added to the Image Tray at the bottom of the window.

Capture as many additional frames as are required. The Import Wizard adds each one in turn to the collection growing in the Image Tray. In the course of capturing, you can change tapes, re-aim your camera, and so on as you see fit. The source video doesn’t need to be uninterrupted as long as there is signal present when you actually click the Capture Frame button.

Using the Image Tray

For on-the-spot review of a frame you have already grabbed, click the thumbnail of any but the most recent frame in the Image Tray. This switches the preview display from the video source to the captured file, and activates the File indicator. You can also activate the indicator by clicking it directly.

Click the File indicator or any thumbnail in the Image Tray to review images already grabbed. Here, thumbnail 3 has been clicked, and the mouse is poised over the trashcan icon to delete it. The heavy line to the right of the selected thumbnail indicates where the next grabbed frame would be inserted.

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To delete a captured frame, select it in the Image Tray, then click the trashcan icon that appears in the top right corner of the thumbnail.

To switch back to previewing video after reviewing files in the Image Tray, click the Live indicator beneath the preview display.

Importing the frames

When you have grabbed all the frames you want from the video source, click the Start Import button. The Import Wizard adds the grabbed images to the still images section of the Studio Album.

Chapter 2: Capturing and importing media 55

CHAPTER 3:

The Album

The Videos section of the Album in Scenes mode. The icons shown here represent the scenes within a particular movie file. Controls are provided (top) for accessing other movie files anywhere on your system. Click the tabs down the left side of the Album to access the materials in the other sections.

With the current explosion of digital media technologies, it is easier now than ever before to obtain high-quality media items and incorporate them in your productions.

Many types of media and resource can serve as ingredients in Studio movies in addition to just video. Starting with visual elements, you can include digital photographs and art, fancy titles and animated transitions. As for audio, you can spice up, or even

Chapter 3: The Album 57

replace, the source video’s own soundtrack with music, sound effects and voice-overs.

Then there are the special items. For a DVD disc you will want to include attractive navigation menus, while for polish and pizzazz in any production you can turn to Studio’s Montage® theme templates, which let you recombine other resources into dynamic and creative video layouts.

Your Studio software installation already includes an extensive collection of professionally-authored resources, and numerous bonus packs are available as well. Further afield there are practically limitless possibilities for using all kinds of additional media, whether of your own creation or from other sources.

Managing your media

Keeping track of this abundance of riches could easily become a challenging task in itself, but Studio provides two key management tools that let you navigate and access your media assets with ease.

The Album provides intelligent browsing of your entire media collection. It lets you quickly locate and preview any desired item, then introduce it into your production simply by dragging its icon into the Movie Window. All your projects share and make use of the Album, which is a permanent feature of Studio’s Edit mode.

The Project Bin is a special version of the Album dedicated to handling the resources needed by the current project. Media items you add to your movie, are included in the Bin automatically, but you can also add items directly so that they will be handy later on. The Bin lets you collect and file all the materials you need for a production, and keep them at your fingertips

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throughout the editing process, ready to use whenever your project is loaded.

In this chapter we first cover the Album proper, but most of the concepts and operations described apply equally to the Bin, which is described beginning on page 86.

Accessing Album media

The source materials you need for making a movie are stored in the various sections of the Album, each of which is accessed by its own tab as follows:

Video: This section contains video footage you have shot or otherwise obtained. The supported video file formats are: avi, mpg, mpeg, mod, mp2,

mp4, m2ts, mt2, m2t, tod, m1v, m2v, mpv, 3gp, wmv, mov and skm. You can access and preview files

directly, or you can open an individual file to access its contained scenes, which are represented by thumbnail icons. To use some of the scenes in your movie, just drag their icons into the Movie Window. See “The Videos section”, page 63.

Transitions: This Album section contains fades, dissolves, slides, and other transition types, including the elaborate Hollywood FX transitions. To use a transition, position it next to or between video clips and graphics in the Movie Window. See “The Transitions section”, page 78.

Montage® Themes: A Theme in Studio is a set of matching templates. You can use the templates to create effective sequences that combine your video and still images with built-in animations and effects. See “The Montage® Themes section”, page

80.

Chapter 3: The Album 59

Titles: This section contains editable titles, which you can use as overlays or as full-screen graphics. You can create your own titles from scratch, or use or adapt the supplied ones. Studio supports rolls, crawls, animated motions, and many typographical effects. See “The Titles section”, page 81.

Photos and Frame Grabs: This is a section of photographs, bitmaps and grabbed video frames. You can use these images full-screen or as overlays on the main video. Most standard image file formats are supported: bmp, dtl, gif, jpg, jpeg, pcx, png, psd, tga, tif and wmf. See “The Photos and Frame Grabs section”, page 82.

Disc Menus: Studio has an extensive collection of chapter menus to use in DVD, VCD and S-VCD authoring. You can use these as they are, modify them, or create your own. See “The Disc Menus section”, page 83.

Sound Effects: Studio comes ready with a wide range of high-quality sound effects. You can also use files that you have recorded yourself or obtained from other sources. The formats supported are: wav, mp3, mpa, m4a, wma, avi and ac3. See “The Sound Effects section”, page 84.

Music: In this Album section you can locate and use music files stored on your hard drive. The formats supported are the same as those for sound effects. See “The Music section”, page 85.

Using the Album

A dropdown list of folders is displayed in all Album sections. In some, like the Photos and Frame Grabs section, where the folders represent actual directories

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on your hard drive, additional navigation controls are also provided.

A dropdown list of folders in the Photos and Frame Grabs section. Here the current folder contains both image files and subfolders, one of which has been designated a ‘favorite’ (starred). Favorite folders can be quickly retrieved by clicking My Favorite Folders in the list.

The resources in each folder are represented by icons. If there are more than will fit the display, a scroll bar provides access to the rest. At the top right of each Album page, Studio shows the total number of items in the folder, and the range that is currently visible.

The readout above the scroll bar shows that the first 18 of 19 icons are currently on display.

All types of Album content can be previewed simply by clicking on the icons.

Chapter 3: The Album 61

This chapter introduces each of the Album sections in turn, beginning with a detailed discussion of the allimportant Videos section. Actually using the contents of the Album to create your edited movie will be the subject of chapters 4 through 15.

Source folders for Album content

Most Album sections contain ordinary media files of various types, but there are three exceptions. The scene icons in the Scenes mode of the Videos section represent segments within a particular video file, while the icons in the Transitions and Themes sections represent special resources associated with the Studio program.

The other five sections, however, and the Files mode of the Videos section, present the files contained in some particular disk folder.

The icons in the Titles section represent files stored in a selected source folder on your hard drive. The dropdown list at the top of the Album page lets you select from any of several installed folders of titles. The folder button beside the list lets you access titles in folders other than those listed if required. The Disc Menus section works similarly.

The source folder for each section’s content is listed in the dropdown list at the top left of the Album, next to a

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small folder button . To change the source of the current section, either select a folder from the dropdown list, or click the button, browse to another folder on your system, and select any file. The file you select will be highlighted in the repopulated Album section.

Some Album sections also provide a parent folder button to facilitate moving around within a group of folders containing media of the same type.

File-based media in the Album provide a context menu command, Open Containing Folder, that opens a Windows Explorer window with the given file selected.

THE VIDEOS SECTION

This is where the editing process really begins – in the Videos section of the Album with your captured raw footage and other video source materials. In a typical production, your first step will probably be to drag some scenes from the Album down into the Movie Window (see Chapter 5: Video Clips).

In the Album, scenes are displayed in the order in which they occur in the video. This order cannot be changed, since it is determined by the underlying file, but scenes can be added to your movie in any order you choose. Similarly, while you can’t trim (edit) Album scenes themselves, you can use any desired portion of a scene when it appears as a clip in your movie.

Chapter 3: The Album 63

Files mode and Scenes mode

Choosing a particular video scene to use in a movie is a two-step process. First, you must select the video file containing the required scene by browsing for it on a storage device – usually a hard drive – attached to your system. Second, you choose the scene you want from amongst those the selected file contains.

To browse for a video file in the Videos section of the Album, select the Files radio button.

Browse folders and video files on your computer by selecting Files mode in the Videos section of the Album. Double-click a video file or select the Scenes radio button to switch into Scenes mode.

View options

Both the Files and Scenes modes support multiple view options that let you tailor the display to your needs by showing more or less information about each Album item.

Studio provides several methods of accessing these view options:

• Through commands on the View menu.

• Through the Album’s right-button context menu.

• Through the pop-up menu button that appears

when you click the View button.

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In Files mode, the Videos section supports three views at varying levels of detail: n Icon view, o Details view and p Thumbnail view.

The two view options available in Scenes mode are: n Thumbnail view and o Comment view.

Interface features

The Videos section offers several special interface features:

• Scenes that have been added to the Movie Window

are distinguished in the Album by a checkmark in the top right corner of the scene icon. The checkmark remains as long as any clip in the Movie Window originates with that scene. A colored background square in the same corner of the icon indicates that it has been explicitly added to the Project Bin. Both indicators can occur together (see below).

Chapter 3: The Album 65

• To see how a particular Album scene is used in your

current project, use the Album ¾ Find Scene in Project menu command. Studio highlights any clips

in the Movie Window that originate in the selected scene (or scenes). To go the other way, use the Find Scene in Album command, which is on the rightclick menu for Movie Window clips.

The symbol in the top-right corner of an icon in the Album or the Project Bin reveals its status: n unused (no symbol); o used in project; p added to Bin; q both used in project and added to Bin.

Nearly all menu commands that apply to scenes are available both on the main Album menu, and on the pop-up menu that appears when you right-click a selected scene. When this documentation calls for a menu command like Album ¾ Combine Scenes, remember that an equivalent command is usually available on the pop-up “context” menu as well. Many commands are also available in the Project Bin.

Summary of operations

Because of its central role, the Videos section of the Album provides an extensive set of operations. These are covered below in the following topics:

• Opening a video file

• Viewing video

• Selecting scenes and files

• Displaying scene and file information

• Comment view

• Combining and subdividing scenes

• Redetecting scenes

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Opening a video file

The default locations for your video files are the Windows public video folder and the matching folder in your user account. When you are viewing the Videos section in Files mode, both of these locations always appear on the dropdown list at the top of the Album.

You can also choose other hard drive folders to access stored video files. Studio lets you navigate to the folder where your files are located by clicking the icons in the Files mode. You can also select a file directly by clicking the Browse for file button in either Files or Scenes mode. Both the current and previous folders are also listed, if they are different from the two standard locations, making four different folders that may appear in the list at any one time.

The final entry on the dropdown list is “My Favorite Folders”. If you are working with several different video folders, Studio’s “favorites” feature makes navigation easy. To designate any folder a favorite, use the right-button menu command Set as Favorite folder. Favorite folders are displayed with a star graphic in the Album. To return to a favorite, select “My Favorite Folders”, then the particular folder you have in mind.

Selecting ‘My Favorite Folders’. The folder at right has been designated a favorite, as shown by the star.

See “The Videos Section” (page 63) for details about modes and view options when working with video scenes in the Album.

Chapter 3: The Album 67

Opening a folder

Folder contents are displayed in Files mode. Both the subfolders and the digital video files within the current folder are shown.

Three ways to open a folder:

• With the Videos section in Files mode, select the

folder name on the dropdown list, or double-click any listed folder.

• Click the parent folder button in either Files or

Scenes mode.

• Click the browse for file button and use the Open

dialog to locate a digital video file in either Files or Scenes mode. When Studio opens the video file, switch to Files mode to display the contents of its parent folder.

Opening a file

When you open a video file, icons are displayed that represent the scenes in the file:

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Three ways to open a digital video file:

• Select the file name on the dropdown list when the

Videos section is in Scenes mode.

• Double-click a file listed in Files mode.

• Click the browse for file button and use the Open

dialog to locate a digital video file of any supported type on your hard drive.

Scene detection and thumbnails

When you open a video file, the Album fills with the file’s detected scenes. Each scene is denoted by a thumbnail frame – an icon of the scene’s first frame. It may be that the first frame doesn’t make a good icon for the scene, so Studio lets you pick a different one if desired.

To change thumbnails in the Album:

1. Select the scene to be changed.

2. Use the Player to find the frame you want used for

the thumbnail.

3. Click the Album ¾ Set Thumbnail menu command.

Video aspect ratios

Most digital video files provide format information that allows Studio to detect the frame aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9 automatically. If the file does not provide aspect ratio information, Studio defaults to the standard 4:3 format.

The Aspect Ratio 4:3 and Aspect Ratio 16:9 commands on the Album menu let you manually set whichever

Chapter 3: The Album 69

ratio you need. These commands also appear on the right-button context menu for video in the Album. Their method of operation is to stretch the original frames to the new frame size. If you set the ratio of a 4:3 movie to 16:9, for example, people and objects will appear widened relative to their height.

This is different from the frame-size conversion that occurs when you add a scene to a movie project with the “opposite” aspect ratio. In that case, the scene is scaled in both dimensions equally to fit within the target frame, and excess area appears as black.

The Aspect Ratio commands become available after the Studio has opened the file for the first time and indexed its scenes. Until then the menu items are disabled.

(L) Original 4:3 frame; (C) Same frame with black sidebars on adding to 16:9 project; (R) Same frame after Aspect ratio 16:9 command is used. Aspect ratio mismatches can also be handled in the Movie Window with the context menu commands ‘Show full picture’ and ‘Zoom picture to fill frame’.

Note: The movie project’s frame format, which cannot be changed after the project is created, can be set for new projects in the Project preferences options panel. See page 352 for more information.

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Viewing video

Individual or multiple scenes in an open video file can be viewed at any time.

To view video starting at a selected scene:

1. Click on the scene’s icon in the Album.

The Player displays the first frame of the selected scene.

2. Click the Play button in the Player.

The Player now plays the selected scenes and any subsequent ones. Progress is indicated in three ways.

• The scenes highlight successively as they are

played.

• The Player scrubber shows the current point of

play relative to the entire movie.

• Scene thumbnails display a progress bar during

preview. As you continue to view your captured video, the progress bar moves from one thumbnail to the next.

Chapter 3: The Album 71

Previewing digital video files

When a video file is selected in Files mode, you can use the Player to preview the video without actually opening the file into Scenes mode.

Selecting scenes and files

Studio offers a variety of ways to select scenes, files and folders in the Videos section of the Album. Selected video scenes are indicated by a highlighted border. Selected folders and video files are shown with text highlighting.

Selected scenes have a highlighted border (center).

Selection techniques follow standard Windows conventions. Use any of the following, separately or in combination:

• Choose the Edit ¾ Select All menu command or

press Ctrl+A to select all the scenes (or files and folders) currently displaying in the Album, including those on other pages.

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• Shift-click to select a range of neighboring items.

• Ctrl-click to add or remove individual items from the

selection.

• Starting with the mouse pointer over a blank area of

the Album page, click and drag to “marquee” an area, selecting all the items that intersect the area.

• Use the arrow keys to navigate the Album grid. Use

the arrows in combination with Shift to select items as you go.

Selected folders and video files have highlighted text. Note the star on the folder ‘2008’, indicating that it has been designated a favorite.

Displaying scene and file information

As you move the mouse pointer over video scenes, the pointer changes to a grabber symbol. If you pause momentarily on the scene, the start time and length is displayed in a pop-up box.

If you leave the grabber on the scene, the display persists for several seconds. The start time shown is the timecode from the original source video, in minutes, seconds, and frames.

Chapter 3: The Album 73

For information regarding video files when the Videos section is in folder view mode, select

Details view in the Album’s right button context menu. The file name, resolution, aspect ratio, duration and frame rate are displayed. Switch back to a more compact listing with Icon view.

Comment view

In the default view for the Scenes mode of the Videos section, known as Thumbnail view, each scene is represented by a thumbnail frame icon. To see more information about each scene, switch to Comment view using any of the methods described on page 64.

In comment view, editable captions are displayed for Album scenes. The usage of these captions is up to you: they might be search keywords, or scene names, or text comments describing the scene content. The default caption is generated from the scene’s sequence number and duration (e.g. “Scene 3, 7:21”).

If you click on a video scene, an in-place text field lets you enter a custom name or comment.

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Selecting scenes by name

A related option lets you select video scenes by scanning for keywords in the comments. Use Album ¾ Select By Name to open this dialog box:

Enter a keyword into the text field and click OK to highlight all Album scenes whose caption contains the keyword. The default captions are not searched – only the ones you have customized.

Combining and subdividing scenes

After previewing your scenes, you might want to combine or subdivide some into larger or smaller units. Such adjustments are easily made.

To combine scenes in the Album:

1. Select the scenes to be combined.

2. Select Album ¾ Combine Scenes.

The selected scenes are combined into one. Only selected adjacent scenes can be combined.

Furthermore, they are joined in the order in which

Chapter 3: The Album 75

they appear in the Album, regardless of the order in which they were selected. (Album order proceeds across rows and then down the page.) To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click the undo button.

If the scenes you selected were not all neighbors, each set of adjacent scenes is combined, but the different sets are not combined with each other.

Several selected scenes (black) are merged into two longer scenes. Having no neighbors, scene 4 is unaffected, even though it was part of the selection.

To subdivide scenes in the Album:

1. Select the scenes to be subdivided.

2. Select Album ¾ Subdivide Scenes.

The Subdivide Selected Scenes dialog box appears.

3. Choose the length of the subdivided scenes by

typing in a value. The smallest allowed subdivision is one second.

Any video remaining after subdivision is added to the last scene.

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4. Click OK.

A progress bar appears, the scene is subdivided, and new scenes are added to the Album. To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click the undo button.

You can subdivide these scenes still further, if desired, down to the minimum duration of one second.

Three selected scenes are subdivided to a duration of five seconds. The vertical stripes indicate fivesecond divisions within each scene. The uneven clip timings at right occur because time left after subdivision is added to the final divided scene; that is also why scene 2 is ultimately unaffected by the subdivision operation.

Redetecting scenes

If you combine or subdivide scenes and later decide that you’d prefer to restore them to their original state, you may redetect any scene or selection of scenes. The detection results are identical to those originally obtained, provided the same scene detection technique is used.

If you have subdivided scenes, you must first recombine them. Even if you cannot exactly recall the

Chapter 3: The Album 77

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initial state and so recombine more than is necessary, the detection process will restore the original scene sequence.

To redetect scenes:

1. If you need to recombine any scenes, first select the

subdivided scenes, then apply the Album ¾ Combine Scenes menu command.

2. Select the scenes you wish to redetect.

3. From the Album menu, select either Detect Scenes

by Video Content or Detect Scenes by Shooting Time and Date.

A progress window appears as Studio detects the scenes and repopulates the Album.

THE TRANSITIONS SECTION

The Transitions section of the Album provides a

large set of drag-and-drop clip transitions. To keep things manageable, the transitions are divided into groups. Use the dropdown list to select which group of transitions you want to view.

To learn about transitions, and how you can use them in your movies, see Chapter 9: Transitions.

Studio’s transitions collection includes 74 standard transitions, over 100 Alpha Magic transitions, and a starting set of unrestricted Hollywood FX 3-D transitions.

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Obtaining more transitions

Besides those installed with Studio, additional packs of Hollywood FX transitions are available for purchase through the Pinnacle web-site.

For more information about purchasing premium content for Studio, see “Expanding Studio” on page 12.

Displaying the transition name

As you move the mouse pointer over the transition icons in the Album, the pointer changes to a grabber symbol (indicating that the transition can be dragged from the Album to the Movie Window). If you pause

momentarily on the icon, the name of the transition is displayed. The display persists for several seconds or until your mouse pointer moves off the transition.

Previewing transition effects

When you click on a transition icon, the Player demonstrates the transition using the convention that “A” represents the original clip and “B” the new clip. The demonstration cycles for as long as the icon remains selected.

To see a detailed view, stop the Player and use the jog buttons (Frame reverse and Frame forward) to step through the transition one frame at a time.

Chapter 3: The Album 79

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THE MONTAGE

Editing based on Montage® Themes is a

powerful feature unique to Studio. Each theme consists of a set of matching templates. Use the dropdown list to select the Theme whose templates you want to view.

The templates available for each theme provide slots for your own video, photos, captions and settings. When you create a theme clip from the template (by dragging it to the Movie Window), the Theme Editor opens to accept your customizations. It can be reopened at any later time by double-clicking the clip. Templates give you a fast, easy way to craft visually effective sequences that combine your own materials with built-in animations and effects.

THEMES SECTION

For information on using themes in your movies, see Chapter 6: Montage® themes and theme editing.

Obtaining more themes

Besides those installed with Studio, additional themes are available for purchase through the Pinnacle website. For more information about purchasing premium content for Studio, see “Expanding Studio” on page 12.

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THE TITLES SECTION

This section of the Album contains a collection

of text and graphic titles in a variety of styles. They can be used in your movie as either full-screen or overlay titles. The difference is that in an overlay title the transparent background is replaced by other material (usually a video clip), whereas in a full-screen title, any transparent areas of the background are replaced with black.

Studio supports two title formats. Both allow you to combine decorative text with graphic shapes and images, but each has specialized properties, and its own editing tools.

• Classic titles are primarily static, but allow simple

animation in the form of text ‘crawls’ and ‘rolls’. The Classic Title editor also supports advanced text formatting such as variable character and line spacing. Most importantly, the Classic Title editor can also be used for visual editing of disc menus.

• Motion titles provide fewer special text operations,

and cannot be used to edit disc menus. As the name suggests, however, these titles support a rich set of customizable animation routines, which can be applied to invidual elements – text or graphic – to produce dynamic visual compositions. The thumbnail versions of motion titles are distinguished by a special symbol in your project.

In the Album, a gray checkerboard is used to indicate the portion of a title that will be treated as transparent in overlays. (If you

prefer a black background, use the Album ¾ Black

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background menu command.) As with video scenes, titles that have been added to your current project are indicated in the Album by a checkmark symbol.

With Studio’s built-in title editors, you can readily create your own titles when needed. However, you may find it easier still to start with one of the supplied titles, of either type, and customize it in the corresponding editor.

The Titles folder: The icons in the Titles section represent files in the folder named at the top left of the section. Each folder contains either classic or motion titles. The special folders “My Motion Titles” and “My Classic Titles” provide default locations for storing titles that you have created or modified yourself. You can also select a different folder to be the source of the section (see “Source folders for Album content” on page 62).

For information on using titles in your movie, see

Chapter 12: The Classic Title Editor, and Chapter13: The Motion Titler.

THE STILL IMAGES SECTION

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This section of the Album displays thumbnail

icons of image files, which may include grabbed video frames, photographs and bitmapped drawings. Most standard image file formats are supported. As with video scenes, images that are in use in your current movie are indicated by a checkmark symbol.

The Still Images folder: The icons in the Still Images section represent files in the folder named at the top left

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of the section. Images can be added to the section by storing them in this folder. For instance, you can save grabbed video frames into the folder from the Frame grabber tool, copy images using the Import Wizard, or save your digital photos from a desktop photo-editing application. You can also select a different folder to be the source of the section (see “Source folders for Album content” on page 62).

For information on using still images in your movie, see Chapter 10: Still images.

THE DISC MENUS SECTION

This section of the Album contains a collection

of artist-designed menus for VCD, S-VCD and DVD authoring. Menus in Studio are really specialized “classic” titles: they can be created and edited in the Classic Title Editor, and either saved from the editor into a disk folder or incorporated directly into your movie.

As with video scenes and other visual resources, disc menus that are in use in your movie are distinguished in the Album by a checkmark symbol.

For information on using disc menus in your movie, see Chapter 11: Disc menus.

The Disc Menus folder: The icons in the Disc Menus section represent files in the folder named at the top left of the section. Menus can be added to the section by storing them in this folder. You can also select a

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different folder to be the source of the section (see “Source folders for Album content” on page 62).

The motion background symbol: Some of the menus supplied with Studio incorporate a background of moving video rather than a static picture, and you can also create such menus yourself. This “motion background” can help give a professional look to your finished disc.

Availability: The motion background feature is available in Studio Ultimate only. See “Adding a motion background” on page 252 for information on creating or editing a moving video background.

Menus with motion backgrounds are indicated by a small symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of the Album icon.

Obtaining additional disc menus

Besides those installed with Studio, additional disc menus are available for purchase through the Pinnacle web-site. For more information about purchasing premium content for Studio, see “Expanding Studio” on page 12.

THE SOUND EFFECTS SECTION

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Studio comes with a wide range of ready-to-use

sound effects. These wav files are installed into a number of folders, covering categories such as “animals”, “bells” and “cartoons”.

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