Pinnacle Systems Xpress - 4.0 Quick Start Guide

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Avid Xpress

Getting Started Guide

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Avid Xpress Getting Started Guide • Part 0130-04549-01 Rev. A • August 2000

Chapter 1 Introduction

Using the Tutorial Sections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

What You Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Turning on Your Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Starting the Avid System (Windows). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Starting the Avid System (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Electronic Licensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

How to Proceed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Setting Up Your Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Getting Help for Windows and Dialog Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Getting Help for Screen Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Keeping Help Available (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Restoring Help from the Taskbar (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Resizing the Application (Windows). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Using Alt+Tab (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Finding Information Within the Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the Contents List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Using the Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Using the Search Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Using the Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Printing Help Topics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using Online Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Chapter 2 About Avid Xpress

Video Editing with Avid Xpress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Avid Xpress Essentials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Subclips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Your Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

The Attic Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

The Avid Xpress File System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chapter 3 Starting a Project

About Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using the Bins Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

About Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Using the Settings Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Tutorial: Starting a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Starting the Application (Windows). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Starting the Application (Macintosh). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Opening a Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Creating a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Selecting a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Chapter 4 Digitizing

Selecting Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

About the Digitize Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

About the Audio Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

About the Video Input Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Digitizing Preparations Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

About Digitizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Digitizing and Logging at the Same Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Batch Digitizing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Redigitizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter 5 Getting Ready to Edit

About Bin Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Controlling Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Using Position Bars and Position Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Using Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Play Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Step Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Using the Tool Palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Using the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

J-K-L Keys (Three-Button Play) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Home, End, and Arrow Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Using the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Stepping with the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Shuttling with the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Marking IN and OUT Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Creating Subclips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Tutorial: Getting Ready to Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Viewing Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Using Text View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Using Frame View (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Using Frame View (Macintosh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Playing Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Playing Clips in a Source Pop-up Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Controlling Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Marking Edit Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Marking the planing ms Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Marking the ducks Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Marking the draw knife cu Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Using Timecode to Find a Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Using Frame Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Subclipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Clearing IN Points and OUT Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Closing the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Ending the Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Chapter 6 Editing a Rough Cut

Viewing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Navigating in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Using the Position Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Using the Scroll Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Displaying More or Less Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Using the Track Selector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Selecting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Monitoring Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Monitoring Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Tutorial: Rough Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Making the First Edit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Using Digital Audio Scrub to Locate a Specific

Frame of Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Splicing an Audio Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Playing a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Confirming the Duration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Splicing Video into the Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Splicing a Clip in a Pop-up Monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Playing IN to OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Using the Go to OUT Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Moving to the Head and Tail of a Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Using the Splice-in Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Splicing a Clip into the Middle of a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Undoing an Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Using the I/O (IN Point / OUT Point) Tracking Display . . . . . 107

Chapter 7 Refining the Edit

Using Segment Mode to Edit in the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Editing in Segment Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Distinguishing Between Two Types of Editing Buttons . . . . . 110

Basic Trim Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Entering Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Exiting Trim Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Selecting Between Trim Sides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Performing a Basic Trim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Using the Command Palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Audio Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Adjusting Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Tutorial: Refining Edits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Overwriting Clips into a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Storyboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Marking Clips for Storyboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Storyboard Editing the Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Rearranging Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Overwriting with the Three-Point Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Changing the Order of Clips in a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Removing Footage from a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Removing Footage and Closing the Resulting Gap . . . . . . . . . 128

Removing Footage and Retaining the Resulting Gap . . . . . . . 129

Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Adjusting Both Sides of a Transition

(Dual-Roller Trimming) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Using Dual Rollers to Trim the Outgoing Clip. . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Trimming the pan lumber Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Single-Roller Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Adding Synced Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Working with Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Adjusting Audio Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Adjusting Audio Pan (Balance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Chapter 8 Adding Effects

Effects Editing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Displaying the Effect Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Effect Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Effect Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Transition Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Segment Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Applying Effects to a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Working in Effect Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Rendering an Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Tutorial: Adding Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Adding Transition Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Adding a Dissolve Effect (Fade-In) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Dissolving Between Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Creating a Series of Dissolves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Creating Audio Dissolves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Adding a Fade-to-Black Effect Within the Sequence. . . . . . . . 150

Adding a Picture-in-Picture Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Using the Second Video Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Creating the Picture-in-Picture Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Repositioning the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Adjusting a Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Adding Keyframes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Adding Background Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Rendering the Effect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Screening the Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Chapter 9 Creating Titles

Creating New Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Understanding the Title Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Working with Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Text Formatting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Selecting Colors and Setting Transparency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Adjusting the Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Editing a Title into a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Tutorial: Creating Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Adding a Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Creating a New Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Repositioning Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Changing Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Adding a Shadow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Saving a Title. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Editing the Title into the Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Adding Rolling Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Editing an Existing Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Adding a Video Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Viewing the Creation Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Splicing the Title into a Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Deleting Excess Footage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Closing the Title Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Chapter 10 Generating Output

Output Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Preparing for Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Digital Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

About Exporting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Preparing to Export a Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Tutorial: Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Recording a Digital Cut to Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Chapter 11 Backing Up

About Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Media Objects and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Media Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Basic Media Tool Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Freeing Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Consolidating Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

About the Consolidate Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Backing Up Media Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Backing Up Project Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Tutorial: Backing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Consolidating the Boat Shop Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Saving Your Work on a Drive or Floppy Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Restoring from a Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Quitting and Shutting Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Index

Figures

Figure 7-1 Command Palette Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Tables

Table 6-1 Starting the Tutorial: Rough Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Table 7-1 Starting the Tutorial: Refining Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Table 7-2 Mark Points for Tutorial Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Table 8-1 Starting the Tutorial: Adding Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Table 9-1 Starting the Tutorial: Creating Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Table 10-1 Starting the Tutorial: Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Tab l e 11 -1 Media Objects and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Tab l e 11 -2 Starting the Tutorial: Backing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

This chapter sets you up to use this guide and explains how to work through the tutorial sections that teach you the basics of your Avid system. This chapter contains the following sections:

• Using the Tutorial Sections

• What You Need

• Turning on Your Equipment

• Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows)

• Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh)

• Starting the Avid System (Windows)

• Starting the Avid System (Macintosh)

• Electronic Licensing

• How to Proceed

• Using Help

• Using Online Documentation

Using the Tutorial Sections

The self-paced tutorial sections included in this guide are designed as guided Avid editing sessions, using the basic features of the system. In

the tutorial sections, you’re going to edit a 1-minute sequence about a company in Amesbury, Massachusetts that makes small fishing boats called dories.

The footage for the sequence is on the Avid Xpress Tutorial CD-ROMs that came with your system. The CD-ROMs contain digitized media that is ready for you to use.

The instructions in the tutorial take you through each step of the editing process. The steps are:

• Starting a project (in Chapter 3)

• Getting ready to edit (in Chapter 5)

• Editing a rough cut (in Chapter 6)

• Refining the edit (in Chapter 7)

• Adding effects and titles to the sequence (in Chapter 8 and

Chapter 9)

• Preparing output (in Chapter 10)

• Backing up (in Chapter 11)

To complete this tutorial, you need a basic familiarity with the Windows

never used a Windows or Macintosh system, refer to the Windows or the Apple

You don’t need any previous experience with the Avid system. The terms and techniques needed for each tutorial section are in each chapter. However, it will help to read Chapter 2 of this guide before starting any of the tutorial sections. You can also use the Avid Xpress Help (see “Using Help” on page 27) and online books (see “Using

Online Documentation” on page 34) for more information.

operating system or Macintosh® computer. If you have

Macintosh manuals.

This tutorial takes approximately 4 hours. Before you begin, you need:

• An installed Avid system

• The Boat Shop media and project files on the Avid Xpress Tutorial

Depending on your level of expertise in editing on Avid systems, you can choose to work through the tutorial in either of two ways.

• If you have no experience with Avid Xpress or other Avid systems,

• If you have used other Avid systems, you might want to read

What You Need

If you have not yet set up your system, see the Avid Composer Products Setup Guide. If you need to install the Avid Xpress

software, see the Avid Xpress Release Notes.

CD-ROM

you should go through the entire tutorial.

certain chapters to understand the specific features of Avid Xpress, and complete the tutorials in those chapters. Each tutorial section is self-contained.

The Tutorial CD-ROMs packaged with your Avid system include all files necessary to complete this tutorial. They are:

• OMFI MediaFiles folder — contains the digitized files you need

for the tutorial. You need to copy these files to your external media drive.

• Avid Projects folder — contains the project and bins you need for the tutorial. You need to copy these files into \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress on your internal hard drive (Windows) or to your Avid drive (Macintosh).

Turning on Your Equipment

Begin your edit session by turning on the components of your Avid system. If any part of your system fails to turn on, make sure its electrical cord is plugged snugly into an appropriate electrical outlet or power strip. For more information on setting up your system, see the Avid Composer Products Setup Guide.

For information on your Windows features, such as the desktop and icons, see your Windo ws documentation.

If you fail to follow the proper sequence for starting up your system, you could damage your computer or storage drives.

Always turn on the devices in the following order:

1. Fixed-storage drives: Turn on fixed-storage drives before starting the computer. Allow 10 to 15 seconds for the drives to spin up to speed before starting your PC or Macintosh.

2. Other peripheral hardware: Turn on all other peripheral units except the PC or Macintosh. These include:

- Monitors and speakers

™

-Meridien

- Tape decks and additional autoassembly configurations

(switcher, time-base corrector, and so on) if you plan to digitize or conduct an autoassembly

- Black burst generator (to maintain proper sync between audio

and video while digitizing and editing)

3. The PC or Macintosh

Windows:

a. Turn on your PC.

The computer goes through a self-check routine, and the Windows startup screen appears.

b. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and log on.

I/O box

The Windows desktop appears.

Macintosh:

Press the Power On key located at the upper right corner of the keyboard.

When you start the Macintosh:

• You hear a tone that means the hardware is operational.

For information on Macintosh features, such as the desktop and icons, see your Macintosh documentation.

• The computer goes through a self-check routine. If the

Macintosh passes all of its internal logic tests, the smiling Macintosh icon appears.

• The Avid startup screen appears and the initialization process

begins.

• The Macintosh desktop appears.

Avid drive (internal)

Media

drives

(external)

To avoid system damage, do not disconnect or turn off external drives while the PC or Macintosh is on.

Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows)

The Tutorial CD-ROMs contain all the files you need for the tutorial sections of this guide. The CD-ROMs contain an NTSC version and a PAL version of the tutorial media files digitized at a 20:1 resolution. The tutorial files require two CD-ROMs for NTSC and two for PAL. The installation procedure is the same for installing either type.

Each CD-ROM has its own installation program and is installed independently of the other CD-ROM. You will need approximately 1 GB of free space available on your external media drive.

It takes approximately 30 minutes to install the media files from the CD-ROMs to the external media drive.

To install the Avid Xpress tutorial on a Windows system:

1. Insert the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 of 2 into the CD-ROM drive. The Avid Xpress Tutorial screen appears.

2. Click Installers.

3. Click Install Tutorial.

The Welcome to Avid Xpress Tutorial (NTSC or PAL) Setup dialog box appears.

4. Click Next.

The Choose Destination Location dialog box appears. This allows you to place the Boat Shop project files in the Avid Projects folder. If an Avid Projects folder is not already created, the installation will create one for you.

5. Select the destination location for the project files, and then click Next.

The Select a Drive dialog box appears. This allows you to select the drive where you want to store the media files. The media files take up approximately 1 GB. Select a drive with adequate space.

6. Click the appropriate drive, and then click Next.

- If an OMFI MediaFiles folder already exists on the drive, the

media files are copied into that folder.

- If there is no OMFI MediaFiles folder on the drive, a message

appears asking if you want to create an OMFI MediaFiles folder on the drive. Click Yes. The folder is created and the media files are copied to the external drive.

When all the media files on Disc 1 are copied to the drive, the system prompts you to insert Disc 2. The Setup Needs Another Disk dialog box appears.

7. Eject the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 of 2 from the CD-ROM drive.

8. Insert the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 2 of 2 into the CD-ROM drive.

9. Click OK.

The system continues to install the rest of the tutorial media files.

10. When the media files on Disc 2 are copied to the drive, a message appears telling you to reinsert Disc 1.

11. Eject the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 2 of 2 from the CD-ROM drive.

12. Reinsert the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 of 2 into the CD-ROM drive.

13. Click OK.

A final dialog box appears informing you that the installation is complete.

14. Click Finish, and then click Exit to close the Avid Xpress Tutorial screen.

15. The installation is complete.

Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh)

Each CD-ROM has its own installation program and is installed independently of the other CD-ROM. You will need approximately 1 GB of free space available on your external media drive.

It takes approximately 30 minutes to install the media files from the CD-ROMs to the external media drive.

To install the Avid Xpress tutorial on a Macintosh system:

1. Insert Xpress Tutorial Disc 1 of 2 into the CD-ROM drive. The Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 icon appears on your desktop.

2. Double-click the Avid Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 icon. A window opens showing the contents of Disc 1.

Avid Xpress Install icon

3. Double-click the Xpress NTSC or PAL Install 1 icon. The Xpress NTSC or PAL Install 1 window opens.

Avid drive

Media drives

4. Click the Avid Projects icon and drag it to the Avid drive in the Drive scroll list. The tutorial project installs on your Avid drive and a message appears asking if you want to continue the installation.

5. Click Continue.

It takes approximately 20 minutes to copy the Disc 1 media files to the external drive.

6. Click the Media Files icon and drag it to any external media drive in the Drive scroll list. The drive must have approximately 1 GB of free space.

- If an OMFI MediaFiles folder already exists on the drive, the

media files are copied into the folder.

- If there is no OMFI MediaFiles folder on the drive, a message

appears asking if you want to create an OMFI MediaFiles folder on the drive. Click Yes. The folder is created and the media files are copied to the external drive.

When all the media files on Disc 1 are copied to the drive, the system prompts you to insert Disc 2.

You cannot remove Disc 1 at this time. You must quit the installation program before you can remove Disc 1 from the CD-ROM drive.

7. Click OK. The system notifies you that the installation of Disc 1 is complete.

8. Click Quit. The installation program closes.

9. Click the Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 1 icon and drag it to the Trash. The CD-ROM drive ejects Disc 1.

10. Insert Xpress Tutorial Disc 2 of 2 into the CD-ROM drive. The Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 2 icon appears on your desktop.

11. Double-click the Xpress NTSC or PAL Tutorial Disc 2 icon. A window opens showing the contents of Disc 2.

12. Double-click the Xpress NTSC or PAL Install 2 icon. The Xpress NTSC or PAL Install 2 window opens.

13. Click the Media Files icon and drag it to the same drive where you installed the Disc 1 media files. The remaining tutorial files are copied to the drive.

14. When the media files on Disc 2 are copied to the drive, a message appears telling you that the installation is complete.

15. Click Quit. The installation is complete.

Starting the Avid System (Windows)

To start Avid Xpress on a Windows system:

1. Click the Start button.

2. Point to Programs.

3. Point to the Xpress folder.

4. Click Xpress.

To start the application from the desktop, Avid recommends that you create a shortcut and place it there. For more information on making a shortcut, see your Windows documentation.

The application will not start properly if the icon is moved from the Xpress folder. To start the application from a convenient location, Avid recommends that you create an alias and place it in a convenient location.

Starting the Avid System (Macintosh)

For more information on making an alias and using the Apple menu, see your Macintosh documentation.

To start Avid Xpress on a Macintosh system:

1. Open the Avid drive by double-clicking the Avid drive icon.

2. Open the Xpress folder.

3. Double-click the application icon or alias. The Avid splash screen appears.

The Avid Xpress application icon is located in the Xpress folder on the Avid drive. For most users, the desktop or the Apple menu is a more convenient location for starting the application.

Electronic Licensing

To accept your Avid Xpress product license electronically:

1. Read the License Agreement, then click the Accept button or the Decline button at the bottom of the screen.

The agreement appears the first several times you start Avid Xpress. After several starts, a new button appears at the bottom of the screen.

2. If you do not want to see the license agreement again, click the

Accept and Don’t Show Again button.

A dialog box appears.

3. Enter the name of your organization in the dialog box, and click OK.

After Avid Xpress starts, the Open Project dialog box appears, as described in “Opening a Project” on page 51.

How to Proceed

The following are a few tips for taking full advantage of the Avid Xpress documentation and other resources:

• Complete the tutorial sections in this guide before starting a project.

• Begin learning about basic procedures by using the default settings. As your confidence increases, begin to explore additional procedures and settings.

• Instead of using the standard menus to find the command you need in a window, try using shortcut menus. Right-clicking (Windows) or pressing Ctrl+Shift and clicking (Macintosh) on a window brings up a context menu that shows the most frequently used commands for that window.

Using Help

• Keep the Avid Xpress Quick Reference available during editing sessions to speed the use of shortcuts and keyboard commands.

• Make a habit of reading Avid’s newsletters, mailings, and other trade publications.

• Make use of additional training resources provided by Avid whenever possible, such as classes and instructional videotapes. For more information, contact Avid at 800-867-2843.

• Check the following Avid Web site for listings of courses, schedules, and locations:

www.avid.com/services/training/training.html

You can get help and background information for tasks, windows, dialog boxes, and screen objects through your Avid Help system. Your Help system is HTML-based and operates in a Web browser. You need Version 4.5 or higher of Microsoft

system, Avid recommends Internet Explorer Version 5 or higher.

Internet Explorer. On a Macintosh

Setting Up Your Browser

You must have cookies enabled in your browser to use several capabilities of your Avid Help system. Avid does not retain personal information about you or your system other than your frequently visited Help topics.

To enable cookies:

1. Choose Internet Options from the Internet Explorer Tools menu.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Click the Custom Level button.

4. Scroll down to the Cookies section.

5. Make sure the Enable button is selected.

6. Click OK, and then click OK again.

Getting Help for Windows and Dialog Boxes

The Help system provides you with context-sensitive Help for windows and dialog boxes, such as tools and settings.

To get Help for windows and dialog boxes:

1. Make sure the Avid application is active.

2. Position the mouse pointer anywhere in the window or dialog box for which you want help.

3. Press the F1 key (Windows) or the Help key (Macintosh) on the keyboard.

If there is no information about a window or dialog box, a Navigation Canceled message appears in the browser. Open the Help and use the Search or Index functions to look for information on that window or dialog box.

Getting Help for Screen Objects

You can use What’s This? Help to find out about buttons and other screen objects.

To get help for screen objects:

1. Do one of the following:

- (Windows) Using the right mouse button, click the screen

object (for example, a button).

- (Macintosh) Ctrl+Shift+click the screen object (for example, a

button).

A pop-up menu appears.

2. Choose What’s This? from the pop-up menu.

A browser window opens that explains how you use the item. Many windows include a link (marked by underlined text) to more information.

(Windows only) For some dialog boxes, such as Import and Print, use the

Question Mark button to access What’s This? Help.

Keeping Help Available (Windows)

When you access a Help topic and then return to the Avid application, the Help browser disappears behind the Avid system.

To keep Help available, you can use one of the methods in the following topics:

• Restoring Help from the Taskbar (Windows)

• Resizing the Application (Windows)

• Using Alt+Tab (Windows)

• Printing Help Topics

Restoring Help from the Taskbar (Windows)

You can restore the Help from the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. All your active applications are represented by buttons on the taskbar.

To restore Help, click the browser button on the taskbar, and the Help reappears.

If you can’t see the taskbar, you might have set a property that hides it.

To keep the taskbar on top:

1. Right-click in an area of the taskbar where there are no buttons.

2. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

The Taskbar Properties dialog box appears.

3. Select Always on top.

4. Deselect Auto hide.

5. Click OK.

The taskbar remains visible at all times.

If you want the taskbar to appear only when you pass the pointer over the bottom of the screen, select Auto hide along with Always on top.

Resizing the Application (Windows)

To resize the application and leave Help available:

1. With Help active, drag the purple Help title bar to the top of the screen.

2. Click in the Avid application.

The Help browser disappears behind the Avid system.

3. Click the Restore button in the top right corner of the application.

The application shrinks slightly and reveals the Help browser behind it.

This allows you to click back and forth between the application and the Help browser without significantly reducing the size of the Avid application.

Using Alt+Tab (Windows)

To use Alt+Tab:

1. Press and hold the Alt key.

2. Press and release the Tab key.

A window appears containing icons and names for all the applications currently started on your system. A box surrounds the active application.

3. Continue to hold the Alt key and press and release the Tab key until the box surrounds the Help browser icon, and then release both keys.

Finding Information Within the Help

You see the Help browser when you open Help from the Help menu. The left frame of the Help browser includes a Contents list and buttons for several other methods of finding information.

Using the Contents List

The Contents button provides a list of topics covering the entire Help system.

To view the Contents list by using the Contents button, do one of the following:

• From the Help menu, choose Avid Xpress Help, and then click the Contents button.

• From a Help topic, click the Contents button.

To display a topic, double-click the topic title in the Contents list.

The Contents displays only the top-level topics. Many entries link to subtopics with related information or procedures.

Using the Index

The Index button provides an alphabetized list of entries, like the index of a printed book.

To find topics by using the Index button:

1. From the Help menu, choose Avid Xpress Help, and then click the Index button (or click the Index button from a Help topic).

2. From the alphabet at the top, select the letter that begins the topic you want to find (for example, click A to jump to index entries listed under audio).

3. Scroll through the topics beginning with that letter until you find the topic you want.

4. Click the number to the right of the index entry. The number indicates how many topics that index entry has associated with it.

The topic opens in the right frame of the browser.

Using the Search Feature

The Search button lets you search the entire Help system for words or phrases, and then lists topics that include those words or phrases.

To search for topics by using the Search button:

1. From the Help menu, choose Avid Xpress Help, and then click the Search button (or click the Search button from a Help topic).

2. In the text box, type the word or phrase that you want to find. You

can type up to three words, not including invalid words like “the” or misspellings.

3. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) or click the Search button.

A list shows topics that contain the word or words for which you searched.

Do not type quotation marks or asterisks in the text box.

4. Click a topic in the list.

The topic opens in the right frame of the browser.

Using the Glossary

The Glossary defines and explains many terms common to the industry. Some entries might not apply to your particular system.

To use the Glossary:

1. Click the Glossary button.

2. Click the letter that begins the term or concept for which you are searching.

3. Scroll through the section to find your term.

4. Click links to see related information.

Printing Help Topics

You can print a Help topic if you need to refer to it during a complicated procedure or for reference later.

To print a Help topic:

1. Open or click the topic to make it active.

2. Choose Print from the browser File menu, or click the Print button in the browser toolbar.

3. Select the print options.

4. Click OK (Windows) or Print (Macintosh).

You can print a topic by clicking the right mouse button and choosing Print from the pop-up menu (Windows only).

Using Online Documentation

The Avid Xpress Online Publications CD-ROM includes:

• Avid Xpress User’s Guide

• Avid Xpress Effects Guide

• Avid Xpress Getting Started Guide (this book)

• Avid Xpress Help system

The books are PDF files. You can view them with the Adobe Acrobat

The online version of the books enables you to:

• Navigate through books by using bookmarks and hyperlinks.

• Speed up information retrieval by performing keyword searches.

• Annotate the books with your own notes.

• Zoom in on a page, enabling closer review of text and images.

• Print any or all pages.

• View the books with full-color graphics.

• View movies that illustrate Avid Xpress effects.

Avid gives you permission to print up to three complete copies of each book.

Reader, which you can install from the CD-ROM.

CHAPTER 2

About Avid Xpress

Welcome to the world of nonlinear digital video editing, in which you can create professional-quality video programs from your desktop. The Avid system allows you to change any part of your video program at any time, until you create your final program on tape. With Avid Xpress, you can be as flexible and as creative as possible when editing your video programs.

This chapter explains the basic concepts and terminology that you need to be familiar with to edit video with Avid Xpress. This chapter contains the following sections:

• Video Editing with Avid Xpress

• Avid Xpress Essentials

• The Avid Xpress File System

Video Editing with Avid Xpress

In traditional video editing, you electronically copy video from a source tape to an edit master tape. The process is tedious, and it is difficult to make changes to your work.

By contrast, when you edit with Avid Xpress, you don’t have to dub footage onto a master videotape. Instead, you manipulate Avid Xpress “clips” that reference your digitized audio and video material. This allows you to experiment with every edit you make through multiple generations. You can trim, move, delete, duplicate, or modify individual frames or entire segments, and immediately see the results.

When you play back your work, the system accesses and plays the appropriate portions of the digitized video and audio.

The following is a summary of the Avid Xpress editing process:

1. Collect source material for your project.

Collect your source video and audio. You can start with any video format — Beta SP, 3/4 inch, 8mm, Hi-8, VHS, S-VHS, or any other. You can also incorporate still images or other computer-generated files, including computer graphics, still-image files, animations, sound effects, or AVI movies.

2. Digitize your source material.

Play your source videotapes on a video deck, and digitize them right onto your hard disk. Import computer-generated files into your project — graphics, still images, animations, sound effects, synthesized music, AVI movies, and special effects.

3. Create a rough cut of your video.

Play your digitized source material in Avid Xpress. Organize your sources, and lay out a storyboard, using representative clip frames. Mark sections of your digitized sources, and edit them together. Reorder your material, cut and paste sections, and trim the transitions between clips. Immediately view each change you make. Save the changes that you like; easily undo the changes that

you don’t like.

4. Refine your edits.

Use Avid Xpress to enhance your program with special effects, such as dissolves, wipes, filters, and video overlays. Add graphics and animations, CD-quality sound, and a voice-over. Incorporate titles and credits.

5. Record your finished program.

Record your final program from Avid Xpress onto videotape. Save a copy of your program in AVI format for CD-ROM or network distribution. Modify and record a new version of your program at any time.

Avid Xpress Essentials

This section explains the terms and concepts that you will need to know in order to understand the Avid Xpress editing process.

Media Files

Material is stored in media files.

When you digitize source material from a video or audio deck, or when you import computer graphic files into your Avid Xpress project, the material is saved in media files on your system’s external

media drive. One media file is created for each track of video or audio. Three media files — for one track of video and two tracks of audio — are created for a video with a stereo sound track.

OMFI

Video deck

Media drive

Master clip

MediaFiles

Clips

Clips point to media files.

Subclips

Subclips are sections that you mark within clips.

You do not manipulate media files directly. Avid Xpress creates another file, called a master clip, on your system’s internal drive when

you digitize media. The master clip is simply a pointer to its corresponding media file.

While editing your video, you create other clips, such as graphic clips and effects clips. You make your edits by modifying clips — the corresponding media files remain unchanged. This allows you to easily create and undo edits without destroying your original material.

Because you work with clips instead of media files, you can create virtually unlimited versions of a program without creating multiple copies of the extremely large source material.

Subclips are specific sections of clips that you want to use in your program. You create a subclip by marking IN and OUT points in a clip and then dragging this material to the bin. The subclip is composed of the material between the IN and OUT points.

A subclip points to a media file’s master clip. You must not delete the master clip from which a subclip was created. If you delete the master clip, you will lose the information in the subclip.

Clip

Subclip

Sequences

A sequence is a program created from one or more clips and subclips.

You can join different clips and subclips to create a sequence. A sequence can include edited material from source clips and subclips, new clips created when you add effects during the editing process, and material from other sequences. Your final program will be

composed of one or more sequences, depending on how it’s most convenient for you to work.

A sequence is composed of marked material from clips, subclips, and other sequences. The material outside the IN and OUT points remains in the media file’s master clip. This material is very important; you need it to trim cuts and create transition effects between segments. For more information about trimming cuts, see “Trimming” on page 130.

For more information about transition effects, see the Avid Xpress Effects Guide.

Like a clip, a sequence contains pointers to media files. If you delete one of the clips used to create a sequence, the sequence still works because the sequence contains its own pointers to the media files.

Sequence

Clip

Subclip

OMFI MediaFiles

Your Program

The program is your final video creation.

Bins

You organize your footage in bins.

Your Project

You edit within a project. A project consists of one or more bins, normally containing footage for a specific program.

A program consists of one or more sequences. You use clips, subclips, and sequences to build a program. Your program is represented by the Timeline. A program is your final creation; you can output your program to tape when you are finished.

Even though your media files contain the actual source material for the program, you never manipulate the media files directly. Instead, you move, copy, and edit clips, subclips, and sequences.

Clips, subclips, and sequences are organized and stored in bins. Traditionally, a bin is a place where film editors store reels of film. In Avid Xpress, bins are tools for organizing the material for a project.

You gather the material you need to create a program in a project. Each project contains information about bins, clips, subclips, sequences, and the program in the Timeline. You might have several projects on your system, but you can only work on one project at a time.

The Attic Folder

For a complete description of retriev ing bins from the Attic

folder, see “Attic folder: retrieving bins from” in the Help index.

Avid Xpress saves copies of your current project and its bins at regular intervals and whenever you save or close a project or bin. These auto-save files are stored in the Attic folder in the Avid Xpress application folder. If at any time you lose work due to a power outage or system error, open the Attic folder and look for a project or bin of the same name with the file name extension .bakxx, where xx is the version number. For example, the first backup file for the bin Rough Cut would be named Rough Cut.bak01. Later versions would be named Rough Cut.bak02, Rough Cut.bak03, and so on.

The Avid Xpress File System

The following illustration shows the different kinds of Avid Xpress files and where they are stored. The Avid Xpress application folder is stored on your internal hard drive (Windows) or Avid drive (Macintosh). The Avid Projects folder is stored on the same disk as the Avid Xpress application folder. Media files must be stored on a separate, Avid-approved media drive, which is guaranteed to be fast enough to support real-time video playback.

Avid Xpress Avid Projects

(application folder)

Media drive

OMFI MediaFiles

Settings

Attic

Avid Xpress

Supporting

Files

Bin A

Project subfolder

Project

Bin B

CHAPTER 3

Starting a Project

The Project window provides controls in three different display modes for structuring and viewing important information about your current project. These include a display of bins and folders associated with the project, a list of all settings, and basic information about the format of the project and use of system memory and hardware.

Starting a project is described in the following sections:

• About Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

• Using the Bins Display

• About Trash

• Using the Settings Display

Tutorial: Starting a Project contains the following sections:

• Starting the Application (Windows)

• Starting the Application (Macintosh)

• Opening a Project

About Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

Avid Projects and Avid Users folders allow you to move whole projects or selected project and user settings between systems by copying and moving files on your desktop.

When you create a new project or user, the system creates the following files and folders:

• When you create a new user, the system creates three items: a user profile file, a User settings file, and a user folder containing the two. Each item is given the user name you provide. This new folder is stored in the Avid Users folder on your internal hard drive in \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress (Windows) or on the Avid drive (Macintosh).

• When you create a new project, the system creates three items: a project file, a Project settings file, and a folder containing the two, each of which is given the project name you provide. This new folder is stored in the Avid Projects folder on your internal hard drive in \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress (Windows) or on the Avid drive (Macintosh).

Your settings are initially set to the default values. As you work, the files maintain current settings or are adjusted to your use, while the project folder fills with bin files.

Using the Bins Display

Bins are windows that contain titles, thumbnails (small pictures that represent clips), and information about the material you digitize. These editable files are called master clips. They refer to the actual media files created when you digitize source material. While the physical media are stored on external hard drives, the master clips that refer to that media reside in the bin. Bins also store the sequences, subclips, group clips, and effects clips that you create during a project. The Project window allows you to make a new bin, close it, reopen it, and move clips among these bins. You can also open bins created for different projects.

After you select a user and project in the Open Project dialog box, the Project window opens. To view a complete list of bins associated with the project, click the Bins button in the Project window. A list of bins appears.

Bins button

Open bin

About Trash

From the Bins list you can examine the number, names, size, and location of bins, and you can also open bins. Dotted bin icons next to bin names indicate bins that are currently open; solid icons indicate closed bins.

Avid stores deleted bins in the Trash. The Trash icon is located in the Project window and only appears when you delete a bin. You can use the Trash to retrieve bins you deleted in error, or empty the Trash to create more disk space.

To empty the contents of the Trash:

1. Click the Trash icon to display its contents.

2. Click the Bin Fast Menu button on the bottom of the Bin window.

3. Choose Empty Trash.

Trash icon with file in trash

Clips, subclips, and effects that are in a bin appear in the Trash after you delete the bin. However, if you select a clip, subclip, or effect directly and press the Delete key, the item does not appear in the Tr as h.

Using the Settings Display

From the Settings display, you can view, select, open, and alter various User, Project, and Site settings, as described in this section.

To view the Settings display, click the Settings button in the Project window. The Settings scroll list appears.

Settings button

Settings type

Three types of settings are displayed in the Settings scroll list:

• User settings are specific to a particular editor. User settings reflect individual preferences for adjusting the way you view the Avid Xpress system. Individual User settings are stored in each user folder within the Avid Users folder on your internal hard drive in \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress (Windows) or on the Avid drive (Macintosh).

• Project settings are directly related to individual projects. When a Project setting is changed, it affects all editors working on the project. Specific Project settings are stored in each project folder within the Avid Projects folder on your internal hard drive in \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress (Windows) or on the Avid drive (Macintosh).

For a complete description of all settings and their options, see

“Settings:described” in the Help index.

• Site settings establish default parameters for all new users and projects on a particular system. These can apply to particular configurations of equipment installed at the site, for example, specifications and node settings for an external switcher. They can also include other User or Project settings that you copy into the Site Settings window. Site settings are stored in a separate Settings folder in the Avid Xpress folder on your internal hard drive in \Program Files\Avid\Avid Xpress (Windows) or on the Avid drive (Macintosh).

Tutorial: Starting a Project

In this tutorial, you start Avid Xpress, create a user, and select a project. Before starting this procedure, make sure you have installed the Tutorial files. See “Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows)” on

page 18 or “Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh)” on page 22.

Starting the Application (Windows)

To start Avid Xpress on a Windows system:

1. Click the Start button.

2. Point to Programs.

3. Point to the Xpress folder.

4. Click Xpress.

After a few moments, the Open Project dialog box appears.

To start the application from the desktop, Avid recommends that you create a shortcut and place it there.

If the license agreement window opens, click either Accept or Accept and

Don’t Show Again.

For this tutorial, you will use the Boat Shop NTSC or Boat Shop PAL project (along with its settings file) that you installed into the Avid Projects folder in “Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows)” on

page 18.

Starting the Application (Macintosh)

To start Avid Xpress on a Macintosh system:

1. Double-click the desktop alias of the Xpress folder icon to open the folder.

2. Double click the Avid Xpress application icon to start the program.

After a few moments, the Open Project dialog box appears.

If the license agreement window opens, click either Accept or Accept and

Don’t Show Again.

For this tutorial, you will use the Tutorial NTSC or Tutorial PAL project (along with its settings file) that you installed into the Avid Projects folder in “Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh)” on

page 22.

Opening a Project

To open a project, you create a new user and select an existing project.

Creating a User

To create a new user:

1. Click the New User button in the Open Project dialog box.

The New User dialog box appears.

2. Type your name and click OK.

The Open Project dialog box reappears with your name highlighted in the list of users.

Selecting a Project

To select a project:

Click on the Project window and press the F1 key (Windows) or press Ctrl+Shift and click (Macintosh) to bring up the contextsensitive Help for the Project window.

1. Select Boat Shop NTSC (Windows) or Tutorial NTSC (Macintosh), or Boat Shop PAL (Windows) or Tutorial PAL (Macintosh) from the Avid Projects list and click OK.

The Project window opens. It lists the bins, or storage areas, created to hold the clips and sequences you will need for this tutorial.

2. Double-click the icon to the left of Getting Ready to Edit to open the bin.

This bin contains the clips of the source footage you will use to begin to build the Tutorial sequence.

You’ve finished this tutorial. The next tutorial is “Tutorial: Getting

Ready to Edit” on page 77. Be sure to read Chapter 4 and the

introductory material in Chapter 5 before continuing the tutorial.

CHAPTER 4

Digitizing

This chapter discusses the digitizing process and related tools.

Digitizing is described in the following sections:

• Selecting Settings

• About the Digitize Tool

• About the Audio Tool

• About the Video Input Tool

• Digitizing Preparations Check List

• About Digitizing

Selecting Settings

For more information on the selecting settings, see

“Digitizing: settings for” in the Help index.

A number of settings have a direct bearing on the digitizing process. Before digitizing, review the following options for General Settings, Deck Settings, and Digitize Settings:

• Drive Filtering Based on Resolution causes the system to dim all drives for which speed capabilities are unknown or untested in a particular video resolution. This setting is selected by default in the General Settings dialog box.

The Avid system does not prevent you from using non-Avid drives, but their reliability cannot be assured.

• Deck Configuration Settings allow you to establish deck control parameters.

• Deck Preferences include various options for source deck, sync mode, preroll, drop/non-drop-frame preference, and deck control.

• Digitize Settings include essential options for digitizing and batch digitizing, including general parameters for capture of the source material, and special conditions such as digitizing across timecode breaks or capturing a single video frame.

About the Digitize Tool

For more information on the Digitize tool, see

“Digitize tool” in the Help index.

Record

Channel Selection

Video Input

Message bar

Clip name and comment

Bin

Target Drive Single/Dual Drives

Deck controls

The Digitize tool provides controls for digitizing your footage.

To open the Digitize tool, choose Digitize from the Tools menu. The Digitize tool opens.

Digitize indicator

Trash

Digitize/Log Mode

Toggle Source

Video Input Tool

Audio Tool

Enable Timecode

Audio Input

Resolution

Color/Monochrome Selection button

Drive time

available

Sets specific timecode for digitizing

Deck Selection Source Tape

display

Custom Preroll

The Digitize tool has the following options:

• Audio Input pop-up menu allows you to choose Analog, AES/EBU, or S/PDIF.

• Audio Tool button opens the Audio tool.

• Bin pop-up menu lets you choose a target bin as the destination for the master clips created when you digitize on-the-fly. You can also choose a target bin containing the logged clips you will use to batch digitize your media.

• Channel Selection panel lets you select which video and audio tracks you want to digitize from the source tape and whether you want to record timecode.

• Clip name and comment allows you to enter a clip name and any other information about the clip.

• Color/Monochrome Selection button allows you to filter out all of the color from each frame of video when digitizing.

• Custom Preroll check box allows you to select a preroll of 1 to 30 seconds.

• Deck controls operate the deck.

• Deck Selection pop-up menu lets you choose the deck you want to play from. It also lets you check and reset serial port connections to decks.

• Digitize indicator flashes on and off while you are digitizing.

• Digitize/Log Mode button lets you switch between Digitize mode and Log mode.

• Drive time available is displayed after you select a video resolution and target a drive or drives for the digitized media.

• Enable Timecode button allows the system to digitize timecode from the source tape. If this is deselected, the system digitizes the time-of-day timecode.

• Message bar displays information on the current status of the tool.

• Record to Timeline allows you to digitize footage directly from tape into a sequence loaded in the Timeline in one step. Recording to the Timeline works best when you are digitizing on-the-fly.

• Red Record button begins the digitizing process.

• Resolution pop-up menu next to the Bin pop-up menu lets you choose a video resolution.

• Single/Dual Drives button lets you target a single or separate media drives for digitizing the audio and video for each clip.

• Source Tape display shows the name of the source tape.

• Target Drive pop-up menu lets you choose the target drive.

• Toggle Source button switches the deck online or displays the External Timecode icon, which allows you to select LTC (longitudinal or linear timecode).

• Trash button stops the digitizing process and deletes the digitized media.

• Video Input pop-up menu allows you to choose Composite, Component, or S-Video.

• Video Input Tool button opens the Video Input tool.

About the Audio Tool

For more information on the Audio tool, see

“Audio tool” in the Help index.

In/Out

Reset Peak

Track

Digital VU scale

The Audio tool controls parameters for audio input and output.

To open the Audio tool, choose Audio Tool from the Tools menu or click the Audio Tool button in the Digitize tool. The Audio tool opens. Click the Output and Setup buttons to fully open the Audio tool.

Output

Meters

Setup

Peak/Hold

Analog VU scale

Output

display

Setup display

Channel Selectors

The Audio tool has the following options:

• Analog VU scale on the right displays a fixed range of values that you can conform to the headroom parameters of your source audio.

• Channel Selector pop-up menus let you map tracks in the sequence to output channels.

• Digital VU scale on the left displays a fixed range of values from 0 to –90 decibels (dB), according to common digital peak meter standards.

• In/Out buttons switch the meter displays for each channel between input levels from a source device and output levels to the speakers and record devices. I indicates Input and O indicates Output.

• Meters dynamically track audio levels for each channel as follows:

- Meters show green below the target reference level (the

default reference level is –14 dB on the digital scale).

- Meters show yellow for the normal headroom range, above

the reference level to approximately –3 dB.

- Meters show red for peaks approaching overload, between

–3 dB and 0 dB.

- Thin green lines at the bottom indicate signals below the

display range.

• Output button displays the Output display.

• Output display contains a single slider control for raising or lowering global audio output.

• Peak/Hold button allows you to select options for customizing the meter displays, and setting and playing back the internal calibration tone.

• Reset Peak button resets the current maximum peak measurements. It also stops the playback of the internal calibration tone.

• Setup button displays the Setup display.

• Setup display contains information and controls for adjusting various audio hardware parameters.

• Track indicator displays the audio track number.

About the Video Input Tool

For more information on the Video Input tool,

see “Calibrating:video input” in the Help index.

Input

Waveform Monitor button

The Video Input tool controls parameters for incoming video.

To open the Video Input tool, choose Video Input Tool from the Tools menu or click the Video Input Tool button in the Digitize tool. The Video Input tool opens. Click the Internal Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope Monitor buttons to fully open the Video Input tool.

Vectorscope VectorscopeInternal

Monitor button

Internal Waveform monitor

monitor

Settings

Slider

Consumer Source and 100% Bars

Preset buttons

The Video Input tool has the following options:

• 100% Bars is used if the source displays 100% bars for calibration.

• Consumer Source is selected if you are using a consumer-grade video deck (VCR), or a deck that has no built-in time-based corrector.

• Input pop-up menu lets you choose either Composite, Component, or S-Video input source.

• Internal Waveform Monitor button lets you adjust luminance values.

• Preset buttons are lit when the factory preset levels are displayed. When you click a lit Preset button, it dims and the slider returns to the most recent manual level setting.

• Settings pop-up menu lets you save the Site settings for an individual tape each time you calibrate bars.

• Sliders let you change the value for Black, Y Gain, Saturation, and Hue.

• Vectorscope Monitor button lets you adjust hue and saturation.

Digitizing Preparations Check List

1. Consider striping your drives in advance according to the Avid Composer Products Setup Guide if you are working on a complex project with multiple streams of video and highresolution images.

2. Consider labeling each of your external drives. If there are no labels, you can add a specific name to help identify the information on the drive, for example, Boat Shop (G:). When digitizing audio, you must keep the audio files on a separate external drive from the uncompressed video files. To keep both the audio and video on separate drives, label your drives, for example: Audio (F:) and Media (G:).

3. Check your hardware configurations: power switches, cable connections, and remote switch on the source deck for deck control (for hardware configurations, see the Avid Composer

Products Setup Guide).

4. In the Project Settings scroll list, make sure you have selected the options you want in the General Settings, Deck Settings, Deck Preferences, Deck Configuration, and Digitize Settings dialog boxes.

5. Insert a tape into the deck and set up the Digitize tool for track selection, target bin, target drives, source tape, and source deck.

6. Use the Audio tool to set the audio input levels.

7. Use the Video Input tool to set the video input levels; save your video settings for future use.

About Digitizing

You can digitize your source material in one of the following ways:

• Digitize and log at the same time

• Batch digitize

• Redigitize

Digitizing and Logging at the Same Time

When you digitize without entering log information in a bin ahead of time, the system creates clips and associated media files while you digitize. Digitizing in this manner involves manually cueing source footage with an Avid-controlled deck, using the deck controls in the Digitize tool.

For more information on digitizing, see

“Digitizing” in the Help index.

There are several ways to digitize and log at the same time. They are:

• Digitizing from a mark IN to a mark OUT. This method lets you specify the exact timecode location to begin and end digitizing. You can also specify only a mark IN or mark OUT, and enter the other mark on-the-fly.

Batch Digitizing

• Digitizing on-the-fly. This method is easier than setting marks, but it is less precise. It involves using the deck controls in the lower left corner of the Digitize tool to cue, play, and stop the source footage manually while digitizing.

• Autodigitizing. This method requires the least amount of supervision and effort, but usually calls for more digitizing time and disk storage space. It involves playing each source tape from a cue point near the beginning and letting the system digitize the entire tape, automatically naming and entering each clip into the bin.

For more information and procedures, see

“Batch digitizing” in the Help index.

Redigitizing

For more information and procedures, see “Redigitizing” in the Help index.

Once you have imported a log or manually logged a group of clips into a bin, you can automate the digitize process by using the Avid Xpress batch-digitizing capabilities. To batch digitize, source tapes must have timecode.

Redigitizing is the process of capturing previously digitized source footage based on existing clips and sequences. Redigitizing uses the batch-digitize process and does not require extra logging time because the clip information for such things as source tracks, timecodes, and resolution settings already exists in the bin.

CHAPTER 5

Getting Ready to Edit

Before starting an editing session, you need to understand how to organize and manipulate your clips.

Preparing to edit is described in the following sections:

• About Bin Views

• Controlling Playback

• Marking IN and OUT Points

• Creating Subclips

Tutorial: Getting Ready to Edit contains the following sections:

• Viewing Clips

• Playing Clips

• Marking Edit Points

• Subclipping

• Clearing IN Points and OUT Points

About Bin Views

You can use three views for working with clips in a bin: Text view, Frame view, and Script view.

The Bin Fast menu displays the same menu as the Bin menu on the toolbar along the top of your screen.

Column headings

Object icons

Bin Fast

Menu button

Frame View button

Script View button

•In Tex t v ie w, clips are displayed in a database text format that uses columns and rows, with icons representing the various objects. You can save various arrangements of columns, text, and objects as customized views by using the Bins settings in the Project window and the Bin Fast menu.

To enter Text view, click the Text View button (T) in the lower left portion of the bin.

Bin View pop-up menu

Text View button

•In Frame view, each clip is represented by a single picture frame, with the name of the clip. You can play back the footage in each frame, change the size of frames, and rearrange frames in any order within the bin.

To enter Frame view, click the Frame View button (F) in the lower left portion of the bin.

•In Script view, the Avid system combines the features of Text view with Frame view, and adds space for typing notes or script. The frames are displayed vertically on the left side of your screen with a text box to the right of each clip. Clip data is displayed above the text box.

To enter Script view, click the Script View button (S) in the lower left portion of the bin.

To the right of the Display View buttons in Text view, is a pop-up menu of titles for different Bin views. Bins have the following default views that are automatically loaded:

• Statistics view uses the standard statistical column headings derived from information established during capture, such as Start and End timecodes, Duration, Resolution, and so on.

• Custom view allows you to create and save customized views. The only required heading is the clip name, displayed by default. You can customize the view by adding, hiding, or rearranging column headings.

Controlling Playback

There are several ways to play, view, and cue clips. You can:

• Instantly access frames or move through footage by using the position indicator within the position bar under the Composer and Source pop-up monitors

• Play, step (jog), or shuttle through footage by using the buttons that appear below the Composer and Source pop-up monitors

• Play, step, or shuttle by using keyboard equivalents

Using Position Bars and Position Indicators

You can quickly access frames within a clip that’s been loaded into a monitor, or move through the footage by using the position indicators that appear in the position bars under the Composer or Source pop-up monitors and in the Timeline when you are viewing a sequence.

• You can move the position indicator within the position bar under the Composer or Source pop-up monitors by clicking anywhere in the position bar, or by dragging the position indicator to the left or right. The speed with which you drag the position indicator determines the speed at which you move through the footage.

Position bar

Position indicator

• In the Timeline, the position indicator shows your position within the sequence. It is always in the same position as the position indicator in the Composer monitor’s position bar, and works in the same way. You can click anywhere in the Timeline to relocate the position indicator, or you can drag the position indicator through footage at varying speeds.

Position indicator in Timeline

Using Buttons

Play Button

• You can go directly to the beginning or end of a clip or sequence by clicking at the far left or far right of the clip or sequence.

You can use the buttons that appear below the Composer and Source pop-up monitors to play and step through your footage. You can also use the keyboard to manipulate footage.

The Play button works much like the Play button on a VCR. With a clip loaded in a monitor, the Play button plays your footage at a normal rate. During playback, the Play button acts as a Pause button.

The Play button appears by default in the buttons below the Composer and Source pop-up monitors.

For more information on using the Play

button, see “Play Button:using” in the Help index.

When viewing sequences in the Composer monitor, you can play only video and audio tracks that are currently monitored in the Track Selector panel.

Step Buttons

You can also use the Step buttons under either monitor to jog or play the clip backward or forward in 1-frame increments.

If you press the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh) while clicking either button, you can advance 10 frames forward and 10 frames backward.

Using the Tool Palette

The Tool palette provides additional buttons for editing and navigating.

Tool palette without text

You can view the Tool palette by clicking the Fast Menu button under the Composer or Source pop-up monitors. Click the Tool palette and drag it to any other location on the screen for easy access. If necessary, resize the Tool palette so that it displays both rows of buttons.

To view the Tool palette with text, make sure the Show Labels in Tool Palette option is selected in the Interface Settings dialog box.

Tool palette with text

Using the Keyboar d

The default keyboard contains all of the buttons discussed so far as well as several additional ones. To access the keyboard, choose Keyboard from the Project Window Settings scroll list.

Play button

Pause button

J-K-L Keys (Three-Button Play)

The J-K-L keys on the keyboard allow you to play, step, and shuttle through footage at varying speeds. This feature, also referred to as three-button or variable-speed play, allows you to use three fingers to manipulate the speed of playback for greater control.

To shuttle through the footage by using the J-K-L keys on the keyboard:

1. Load a clip or sequence into the Composer or Source pop-up monitors.

Play/Step/Shuttle buttonsStep buttons

End key

Home key

2. Use the following keys to shuttle at varying speeds:

- Press the L key to move forward through the footage at

normal speed. Press once to increase the forward speed 2 times, twice to increase it 4 times, and three times to increase it 8 times normal speed, as desired.

- Press the J key to move backward at the same shuttle speed

increments.

- Press and hold the K and L keys together for slow forward.

Mouse Jog button

- Press and hold the K and J keys together for slow backward.

3. To pause the shuttling, press the K key or press the space bar.

Home, End, and Arrow Keys

You can use the Home, End, and arrow keys on the keyboard to move through footage when a clip is loaded in a monitor.

• The Home key takes you to the beginning of a clip or sequence.

• The End key takes you to the end of a sequence.

• The Left Arrow key moves the footage one frame forward.

• The Right Arrow key moves the footage one frame backward.

Using the Mouse

You can use the mouse for one-handed control of playback. You can either step or shuttle by using the mouse.

Stepping with the Mouse

To step by using the mouse:

1. Do one of the following:

- Load a clip into the Source monitor or a sequence into the

Record monitor.

- Select a clip in a bin in Frame view.

2. Do one of the following:

- Press the N key to activate mouse control for stepping.

- Activate the buttons on the Command palette by selecting

Active Palette at the bottom of the Command palette. Then click the Mouse Jog button, which appears on the Play tab of the Command palette. This button can be mapped to any

3. Move the mouse to the right to step forward, or to the left to step

Mouse Shuttle button

backward.

4. To quit stepping with the mouse, press the space bar.

Shuttling with the Mouse

To shuttle by using the mouse:

1. Do one of the following:

- Load a clip or sequence into the Source or Record monitor.

- Select a clip in a bin in Frame view.

2. Do one of the following:

- Press the semicolon (;) key to activate mouse control for

- Activate the buttons on the Command palette by selecting

button under the Record monitor by selecting the Button to Button Reassignment option (see “Using the Command

Palette” on page 114).

shuttling.

Active Palette at the bottom of the Command palette. Then click the Mouse Shuttle button, which appears on the Play tab of the Command palette. This button can be mapped to any button under the Record monitor by selecting the Button to Button Reassignment option (see “Using the Command

Palette” on page 114).

3. Move the mouse to the right to increase the shuttle speed, or to the left to decrease the shuttle speed.

4. To quit shuttling with the mouse, press the space bar or double-click the mouse button.

You can also use the keyboard in conjunction with the mouse to control shuttling. For example, if you are shuttling with the mouse and you press the L key, the playback speeds up to the next normal play rate (30, 60, 90, 150, or 240 fps for NTSC; 25, 50, 75, 125, or 200 fps for

PAL). You can continue to change the shuttle speed and direction with the mouse.

Marking IN and OUT Points

You can mark IN and OUT points for your clips in advance, which provides several advantages:

• You can quickly build a sequence by splicing the marked clips into place one after another.

• You can use the process of rough-cut or storyboard editing, which allows you to instantly splice several prepared clips into a sequence (see “Storyboarding” on page 121).

• You can play back and mark clips in the bin before loading a single clip, saving several steps.

Even if your marks are not accurate now, the Avid system allows you to trim the edit points and fine-tune the sequence later without reediting the material.

Creating Subclips

When you mark footage with IN and OUT points, you can either save the entire clip along with the new marks, or you can create subclips based on the marks you set to break up longer master clips into smaller segments of selected footage.

Unlike master clips, subclips do not directly reference the original media. Subclips remain linked to the master clips from which they are created, and the master clips in turn reference the digitized media files located on your storage drives. As a result, none of the original footage is lost.

Clip icon

You can create subclips directly from the marked section of material in the monitors by using one of the following methods:

• Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh): Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh), then click the picture and drag it from the monitor to the bin in which you want to store the subclip.

• Clip icon: Click the icon next to the clip name in the Source monitor, then drag the icon to the bin in which you want to store the subclip.

• The pointer changes to an icon of a hand pointing at a frame while you drag the frame. When you release the frame the subclip acquires a new name with the file name extension Sub.x, and a Subclip icon appears in the intended bin.

• Make Subclip button: Click the Make Subclip button located in the Tool palette to create the subclip and place it into the active bin by default. If you press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh) while you click the Make Subclip button, the Bin Selection dialog box appears, enabling you to select the destination bin for the subclip.

For more information

on trimming, see “Trim edits” in the Help index.

A new subclip as referenced in Bin Text view

The new subclip is listed in the bin, preceded by a Subclip icon and identified with a numbered .Sub file name extension, as shown in the following illustration.

Subclips do not limit your access to the original, digitized master clip material when trimming. Therefore, if you must trim beyond the marked IN to OUT boundaries of the subclip to make it longer or shorter, your system does accommodate the boundary adjustments during the trim.

Tutorial: Getting Ready to Edit

The following tutorial steps correspond to the clips and sequence in the bin titled Getting Ready to Edit:

Viewing Clips

Be sure to read Chapter 2 and the preceding overview sections of this chapter before you start the tutorial.

1. If Avid Xpress is not already running, start it by double-clicking the Avid Xpress icon.

2. Select your user name and your Boat Shop NTSC (Windows) or Tutorial NTSC (Macintosh), or Boat Shop PAL (Windows) or Tutorial PAL (Macintosh) project and click OK.

3. From the Project window, double-click the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

The clips associated with the lesson are displayed in the bin.

The information in a bin can be viewed in the following ways:

• Text view displays columns of information about your clips.

• Frame view displays each clip as a single representative image.

• Script view displays each clip with an image and an area in which to enter text as part of a storyboard.

Name heading

Text view

Frame view

Bin Fast Menu button

Text View button

Frame View button

Using Text View

The S button is for Script view.

Let’s look at Text view.

1. Click the Text View button (T) in the lower left corner of the bin to view information about clips in the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

If the button is highlighted, you are already in Text view.

You can rearrange the clips in the bin by sorting on a particular column. Let’s sort by clip name so we can easily locate any clip.

2. Click the Name heading in the bin.

3. Choose Sort from the Bin menu along the top of the screen.

The clip names are rearranged in alphabetical order.

Using Frame View (Windows)

Now let’s look at Frame view.

1. Click the Frame View button (F) to see a picture-frame representation of each clip in the bin.

The sorted order of clips does not carry over to Frame view.

2. Choose Reduce Frame or Enlarge Frame from the Edit menu.

To change frame size at the keyboard, you can also press Ctrl+K (Reduce Frame) and Ctrl+L (Enlarge Frame).

If some clips are now off screen, do one of the following:

- Choose Fill Window from the Bin menu.

- Drag the window corner in the lower right corner of the bin

window.

The clips are arranged in neat rows and columns in the bin.

Using Frame View (Macintosh)

Now let’s look at Frame view.

1. Click the Frame View button (F) to see a picture-frame representation of each clip in the bin.

The sorted order of clips does not carry over to Frame view.

2. Choose Reduce Frame or Enlarge Frame from the Edit menu.

To change frame size at the keyboard, you can also press Command (k)+K (Reduce Frame) and k+L (Enlarge Frame).

If some clips are now off screen, do one of the following:

- Click the zoom box in the upper right corner of the bin

window.

Playing Clips

- Choose Fill Window from the Bin menu.

- Drag the size box in the lower right corner of the bin window.

3. Click the zoom box in the upper right corner of the bin window labeled Getting Ready to Edit.

The bin zooms out to enclose all the clips. However, they might be

scattered randomly in the bin window. Let’s fix that.

4. Choose Fill Window from the Bin menu.

The clips are arranged in neat rows and columns in the bin.

Now you can adjust frame size so the clips are “readable” but not so large that they won’t fit in the bin window.

The clips are arranged in neat rows and columns in the bin.

Your Avid system offers a variety of ways to play clips. The more you practice the various methods, the more control you will have over the editing process.

Playing Clips in a Source Pop-up Monitor

A Source pop-up monitor is a window in which you can play clips.

1. In the Getting Ready to Edit bin, select the clip named bridge by double-clicking anywhere in the frame.

The bridge clip appears in a Source pop-up monitor.

2. Press the Home key on the keyboard (between the main keyboard and the numeric keypad) to go to the start of the clip.

The End key, just below the Home key, moves the position indicator to the end of the clip.

3. Press the Play (5) key on the keyboard to play the clip at normal speed.

4. Press the Play (5) key again (or press the space bar on the keyboard) to pause playback at any point.

5. Press the L key (Play) on the keyboard to play the clip forward at normal speed. Press the key repeatedly to play the clip forward at 60, 90, 150, and 240 frames per second (fps).

6. Press the J key (Reverse Play) on the keyboard to play the clip backward at normal speed. Press the key repeatedly to play the clip backward at 30, 60, 90, 150, and 240 frames per second (fps).

7. Press the K key (Pause) on the keyboard to pause playback.

8. To move forward or backward at slow speed, press and hold the K key while you press and hold the L or J key.

9. Use the 4, 3, 2, and 1 keys to step through the footage forward or backward in 1-frame or 10-frame increments.

Step 10 Frames Backward

Controlling Playback

In a Source pop-up monitor, you can use:

• Playback control keys

• Equivalent buttons under a Source pop-up monitor

• Blue position indicator to go to a specific position or scroll (move) through a clip

Position bar

Step 1

Frame Backward

Step 10

Frames Forward

Step 1 Frame Forward

Position indicator

Step Backward

Step Forward

Play

To play through the clip:

1. Double-click the tools clip in the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

The tools clip appears in a Source pop-up monitor.

You can also press the Play (5) key on the keyboard to play.

2. Click the Play button.

3. Click the Play button again (or press the space bar on the keyboard) to pause playback at any point.

4. Step through the footage forward or backward in 1-frame increments by using the Step Forward and Step Backward buttons under the Source pop-up monitor. You can also use the 4, 3, 2, and 1 keys on your keyboard.

5. Locate the vertical blue position indicator in the position bar in the Source pop-up monitor.

To step several frames forward, click just to the right of the position indicator.

Press the End key to go to the end of the clip.

6. Click to the left of the position indicator to step several frames back in the clip.

7. Press the Home key to go to the beginning of the clip.

8. Step through the clip by clicking different spots in the position bar.

9. Drag the position indicator to the left, then to the right, to scroll through the clip.

Marking Edit Points

Before making your first edit, you can mark the segments of the clips you want to use in your sequence. You can mark clips in a Source pop-up monitor.

In this section, you will:

• Mark IN and OUT points in a Source pop-up monitor.

• Locate IN and OUT points by timecode in a Source pop-up monitor.

Marking the

planing ms

Let’s first display clips in a Source pop-up monitor, and then mark a couple of clips you will use when you edit the sequence.

1. Activate the Getting Ready to Edit bin by clicking anywhere in it or by choosing Getting Ready to Edit from the Windows menu.

The bar above the active window changes to purple.

2. Double-click the planing ms clip to open it.

The clip name is highlighted and the clip appears in the Source pop-up monitor.

3. Play the clip from the head by pressing the Home key and then the Play (5) key, and find the approximate place where the boatbuilder begins to plane. Then use the Step Forward and Step Backward (3 and 4) keys to locate the frame where he starts the first planing stroke.

4. Mark an IN point by pressing the Mark IN (I) key.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the left edge of the Mark IN frame.

Clip

5. Step forward two full strokes of the plane.

6. Mark an OUT point by pressing the Mark OUT (O) key.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the right edge of the Mark OUT frame.

The system saves your IN and OUT points until you change them.

Marking the

ducks

draw knife cu

Clip

Now mark the IN and OUT points for the ducks clip. This time, instead of using the Play (5) key, use the J-K-L keys to play the clip.

1. Double-click the ducks clip to open it.

2. Locate the frame where the second duck enters the right edge of the frame behind the duck swimming in the foreground.

Use the 3 and 4 keys to locate the precise frame.

3. Mark an IN point by pressing the I key.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the left edge of the Mark IN frame.

4. Step forward to locate the first frame where the same duck flies beyond the left edge of the screen.

5. Mark an OUT point by pressing the O key.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the right edge of the Mark OUT frame.

Clip

Let’s mark another clip we’ll use in the sequence.

1. Open the draw knife cu clip in a Source pop-up monitor by double-clicking it in the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

When you edit the sequence, you want to show just three strokes of the knife.

2. Place the position indicator near the midpoint of the clip, and play forward until just after the first fairly large wood chip falls off.

Use the Play button (or J-K-L keys) to get close to the frame, and then use the Step buttons to locate the frame you want to use as your IN point.

3. Mark an IN point by clicking the Mark IN button under the monitor.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the left edge of the Mark IN frame.

4. Step forward and locate a frame just after three strokes of the knife.

5. Mark an OUT point by clicking the Mark OUT button under the monitor.

A white sawtooth pattern appears on the right edge of the Mark OUT frame.

Using Timecode to Find a Frame

You can mark IN and OUT points by using timecode as your reference point. If you know the timecode for the frame you want to mark, you can go to that frame instantly by typing it on the numeric keypad.

In this section, you will use visual cues to mark an IN point, and then locate a specific timecode. First, you need to display the appropriate timecode information.

1. Double-click the chiseling clip to open it.

2. Place the pointer in the gray title bar area over the timecode information displayed above the Source pop-up monitor.

3. When the pointer changes to a downward arrow, click to display the pop-up menu, then choose TC, V1 (timecode for track V1) from the menu. A check mark means it is already selected.

Timecode shows the following: Hours

Minutes Seconds Frames

One second holds 30 frames.

The timecode references the frame displayed in the Source pop-up monitor.

4. Use the Play and Step buttons to locate the frame where the boatbuilder begins one of the first strokes of the chisel.

5. Click the Mark IN button.

6. Read the timecode in the Timecode display at the IN point. Add 15 frames (13 frames PAL) to the timecode number. (Remember, there are 30 frames in a second.)

For example, if the timecode is 04:11:34:15, adding 15 frames gives you a result of 04:11:35:00.

7. Type the resulting number on the numeric keypad and press the Enter key on the numeric keypad. The system inserts the colons for you.

As you start typing, a window opens in the middle of the Source pop-up monitor, showing the numbers you type. When you press the Enter key, the position indicator locates the specified frame.

The Timecode window displays the current number.

To locate frames by using the numeric keypad, you must show the appropriate timecode in the Timecode display. For example, the timecode display must show track V1 to go to a specific frame on the V1 track.

Timecode display

Timecode entered

8. Click the Mark OUT button.

Using Frame Offset

Whenever you use the numeric keypad, you must press the Enter key on the numeric keypad after typing the number.

You can also use the numeric keypad to move the position indicator forward or backward a specified number of frames, with the frame

offset feature. Let’s mark an IN point for the planing cu clip and then use frame offset to locate the OUT point.

1. Double-click the planing cu clip to open it in a Source pop-up

2. Use the Play and Step buttons to locate the frame where the

3. Click the Mark IN button.

monitor.

boatbuilder begins making the first stroke of the plane.

4. To advance 2 seconds, type +129 (+124 PAL) on the numeric keypad and press the Enter key on the numeric keypad. The system inserts the colons for you.

Since Avid Xpress counts the frame it is parked on, you type one frame fewer than 2 seconds.

When using frame offset, type one frame fewer than the number of frames you want to advance.

Subclipping

If you want to move back a certain number of frames, type a minus sign (–) instead of a plus sign (+) in front of the number.

5. Mark that frame as the OUT point.

Now you will copy portions of one clip into shorter clips, called subclips. Subclipping is a great way to organize your footage into manageable units.

1. Double-click the tools clip in the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

2. Press the Home key to go to the start of the clip.

3. Scroll through the clip by clicking the Play button or by dragging the blue position indicator. There are two separate actions that can be copied into separate subclips.

4. Mark an IN point when the boatbuilder begins turning the auger drill.

5. Mark an OUT point 14 seconds later by typing +1400 on the numeric keypad and pressing the Enter key on the numeric keypad.

Actually, you have marked an OUT point after 14 seconds and

1 frame, but that’s acceptable because you need not be so precise here.

6. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh), click the clip, and drag it from the Source pop-up monitor to the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

As you begin dragging, the pointer changes to a hand attached to a small box.

The subclip has the name of the original clip, followed by Sub.n, where n is the number of times the master clip has been cataloged to that bin.

A new item called tools.Sub.01 appears in the Getting Ready to Edit bin. The name is highlighted.

7. Type drilling and press the Enter key (Windows) or the Return key (Macintosh) to name the subclip.

Clearing IN Points and OUT Points

Now you will clear previous IN and OUT points, mark new IN and OUT points, and create a new clip.

1. With the tools clip in a Source pop-up monitor, click the Clear Both Marks button in the Tool palette to clear the IN and OUT points.

2. Mark an IN point in the clip when the boatbuilder begins hammering, after he takes a few practice swings.

3. Mark an OUT point at the end of the clip.

4. Press and hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (Macintosh), click the clip, and drag it from the Source pop-up monitor to the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

The clip name is highlighted in the Getting Ready to Edit bin.

5. Type hammering and press the Enter key (Windows) or the Return key (Macintosh).

You’ve finished this tutorial. You can go on to “Tutorial: Rough Cut”

on page 99, or quit the session.

Closing the Project

To close the project:

1. Choose Close Bin from the File menu.

The bin closes.

2. Click the Project window and choose Close from the File menu.

The system saves and closes the project. A dialog box appears.

3. Do one of the following:

- Select an existing project.

- Create a new one.

-Click Quit.

Ending the Session

To end the session:

1. Choose Save Bin or Save All Bins from the File menu.

2. Click the Project window labeled Boat Shop NTSC (Windows) or Tutorial NTSC (Macintosh), or Boat Shop PAL (Windows) or Tutorial PAL (Macintosh).

3. Choose Save All from the File menu.

4. Do one of the following:

- Go to the next tutorial.

- (Windows) If you are ready to take a break, choose Exit from

the File menu to quit the Avid system.

(Macintosh) If you are ready to take a break, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the Avid system.

The system returns to the desktop.

CHAPTER 6

Editing a Rough Cut

Beginning to edit involves working with various elements of the Avid Xpress interface.

Editing a rough cut is described in the following sections:

• Viewing Methods

• Navigating in the Timeline

• Using the Track Selector Panel

Tutorial: Rough Cut contains the following sections:

• Making the First Edit

• Splicing Video into the Sequence

Viewing Methods

You can work with clips and sequences in several different ways, depending upon your needs and preferences. Each method has its own uses and advantages, as follows:

• Viewing in bins: Frame view shows you pictorial images of the clips in your bins; Text view shows you the clips listed by name.

• Viewing in a Source pop-up monitor: You can load clips and sequences into a Source pop-up monitor to view and mark or subcatalog clips for use in a sequence that you build in the Composer monitor.

• Viewing in the Composer monitor: You can load a sequence into the Composer monitor to view, mark, or modify an existing sequence.

• Viewing in the Timeline: Use the Timeline to view individual tracks for either a sequence or a source clip.

Navigating in the Timeline

The Timeline window provides various controls for quickly moving through a sequence and adjusting your view of details displayed in the tracks while editing. You can change Timeline views by using the Timeline Fast menu.

Using the Position Indicator

The position indicator (the vertical blue line) in the Timeline marks your place in the sequence. It also determines how some of your commands are interpreted. For example, when you perform an edit, the system takes the location of the position indicator as the mark IN in the absence of established marks.

When you move the position indicator in the Timeline, the smaller

position indicator within the Composer monitor’s position bar also moves.

Using the Scroll Bar

The scroll bar functions like any standard scroll bar. Click the arrows or drag the scroll box to scroll left or right.

Scroll bar

Scroll box

Displaying More or Less Detail

The scale box on the scale bar expands and contracts the Timeline area centered around the blue position bar, allowing you either to zoom in to focus on a specific area of your sequence, or zoom out to see your whole sequence. This is especially useful when you have a lengthy sequence with many edits.

Scale bar

Scale box

The Timeline always expands or contracts proportionally on both sides of the position indicator.

• To see more detail, click the scale box and drag it to the right.

As the Timeline expands, a second “shadow” position indicator appears next to the blue position indicator showing the end of a single frame, and the two continue to move apart as you expand the Timeline.

Position indicator Shadow position indicator

The position indicator and its shadow mark the beginning and end of each frame.

• To contract an expanded Timeline to see less detail but more of the sequence, click the scale box and drag it to the left.

Using the Track Selector Panel

The Track Selector panel provides numerous controls for working effectively with multiple tracks. With this one panel, you can select, delete, monitor, enlarge, reduce, lock, patch, and move any video or audio track.

The Track Selector panel also provides a quick display of track information. You can see which tracks (on the source or record side) are available, active, patched, monitored, or locked. The following configuration shows one example. The Track Selector panel might look very different depending on the nature of the source material or the work under way in the sequence.

Source Track Monitor buttons Source Track buttons

Sync Lock and Lock buttons

Record Track buttons

Record Track Monitor buttons

Timecode button

The source side (left side) of the panel displays only those tracks available for the clip currently loaded and displayed in the Source pop-up monitor. For instance, a clip that has audio digitized for track A1 only does not display an A2 track in the Track Selector panel.

The record side of the panel displays only those tracks currently in use for the sequence and displayed in the Composer monitor. However, if you edit source material with a track selected that does not yet exist on the record side (A3 or V2, in the previous example), by default the track appears on the record side after the edit takes place.

Selecting Tracks

You can select tracks on either the record side or the source side as follows:

• You can edit selected tracks on the source side directly into the sequence, assuming you have selected parallel tracks on the record side.

• You cannot edit deselected tracks on the source side into the sequence, regardless of record track selections.

• You cannot edit deselected tracks on the record side, regardless of source track selections.

There are three methods for selecting tracks:

• Click any deactivated Track Selector button to select it. Click any activated Track Selector button to deselect it.

• Drag a lasso around multiple Track Selector buttons to select them all at once.

• With the Timeline window active, choose Select All Tracks from the Edit menu to select all tracks on the record and source side.

For example, you might select the source and record tracks for V1, A1, and A2 to edit video and audio from the source clip into the sequence. Select only V1 source and record tracks to edit the video without the sound. Or, select only A1 and A2 source and record tracks to edit the sound without the video.

Selected tracks change color.

Monitoring Tracks

Audio Track

Monitor

buttons

There are also keyboard equivalents for selecting tracks. Check your keyboard or the Keyboard settings in the Project window Settings scroll list.

You determine the monitoring of tracks by clicking a Track Monitor button of either the source-side or record-side tracks to activate or deactivate the track for monitoring.

Video Track Monitor buttons

Audio Track Monitor

buttons

Monitoring Video

The Video Track Monitor button determines whether you see video during playback. The Video Track Monitor button displays a Monitor icon when the track is monitored for playback and output. You can turn it off at any time to monitor only audio during editing. When there are multiple video tracks, all tracks below the monitored track are active during playback.

When you edit with multiple tracks, you can activate the Video Track Monitor button on a lower track to monitor only the video on that track. This is especially useful when you have multiple layers of video effects and need to see one track without the additional layers.

If you activate the Video Monitor Track button on a lower track, be sure to activate the topmost track to view, render, or record all the tracks together. Unmonitored tracks are not included in playback.

Tutorial: Rough Cut

In this tutorial, you begin editing the Boat Shop sequence. This section corresponds to the clips and sequence in the bin titled Rough Cut. See Table 6-1.

this tutorial.

Table 6-1 Starting the Tutorial: Rough Cut

If you have worked on the previous tutorial and the Avid system is still running:

1. Double-click the Rough Cut bin to open it.

Be sure to read the preceding overview sections of this chapter before you start

If you have worked on the previous tutorial but have quit the Avid system:

1. Start the Avid system by double-clicking the Avid Xpress icon.

2. From the Project window double-click the Getting Ready to Edit bin and the Rough Cut bin to open them.

If you are just starting out with this tutorial and

haven’t completed the previous tutorials:

1. Start the Avid system by double-clicking the Avid Xpress icon.

2. From the Project window, click New User and type your name. Select Boat Shop NTSC (Windows) or Tutorial NTSC (Macintosh), or Boat Shop PAL (Windows) or Tutorial PAL (Macintosh), and click OK.

3. From the Project window double-click the Getting Ready to Edit bin and the Rough Cut bin to open them.

Making the First Edit

In this section, you lay down the audio clip, which contains the

sequence’s music and narration. You learn how to mark exactly 1 minute of the clip, which will be the duration of your finished sequence. First, you play the clip:

1. Double-click the Audio Track clip and play the clip in a Source pop-up monitor.

The clip appears as black because it’s audio only.

2. Go to the head of the clip by pressing the Home key on your keyboard.

Using Digital Audio Scrub to Locate a Specific Frame of Audio

Use digital audio scrub to locate a specific frame of audio. Use it now to locate the first frame of music in the audio clip.

1. Press the Caps Lock key to activate digital audio scrub.

2. Play the clip again and click the Play button to stop at the approximate place where the music begins.

3. Press the Step (jog) keys (1, 2, 3, 4 on the keyboard) to locate the first frame of the music and click the Mark IN button.

When you use the Step keys, a frame of music or speech sounds scratchy or buzzlike. You might want to increase the volume of your speakers to hear the first frame of music.

4. Press the End key on the keyboard.

5. Press the Step Backward key to find the last frame of music.

6. Mark that frame as the OUT point.

7. Press the Caps Lock key again to close digital audio scrub.

100

Pinnacle Systems Xpress - 4.0 Quick Start Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Tables

Introduction

Using the Tutorial Sections

What You Need

Turning on Your Equipment

Installing the Tutorial Files (Windows)

Installing the Tutorial Files (Macintosh)

Starting the Avid System (Windows)

Starting the Avid System (Macintosh)

Electronic Licensing

How to Proceed

Using Help

Setting Up Your Browser

Getting Help for Windows and Dialog Boxes

Getting Help for Screen Objects

Keeping Help Available (Windows)

Restoring Help from the Taskbar (Windows)

Resizing the Application (Windows)

Using Alt+Tab (Windows)

Finding Information Within the Help

Using the Contents List

Using the Index

Using the Search Feature

Using the Glossary

Printing Help Topics

Using Online Documentation

About Avid Xpress

Video Editing with Avid Xpress

Avid Xpress Essentials

Media Files

Clips

Subclips

Sequences

Your Program

Bins

Your Project

The Attic Folder

The Avid Xpress File System

Starting a Project

About Avid Projects and Avid Users Folders

Using the Bins Display

About Trash

Using the Settings Display

Tutorial: Starting a Project

Starting the Application (Windows)

Starting the Application (Macintosh)

Opening a Project

Creating a User

Selecting a Project

Digitizing

Selecting Settings

About the Digitize Tool

About the Audio Tool

About the Video Input Tool

Digitizing Preparations Check List

About Digitizing

Digitizing and Logging at the Same Time

Batch Digitizing

Redigitizing

Getting Ready to Edit

About Bin Views

Controlling Playback

Using Position Bars and Position Indicators

Using Buttons

Play Button

Step Buttons

Using the Tool Palette

Using the Keyboar d

J-K-L Keys (Three-Button Play)

Home, End, and Arrow Keys

Using the Mouse

Stepping with the Mouse

Shuttling with the Mouse

Marking IN and OUT Points

Creating Subclips