All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or storing in a retrieval system, or
translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems,
Inc.
Software license
The software described in this document is furnished under a License Agreement which is included
with the product. This Agreement specifies the permitted and prohibited uses of the product.
Inc. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned in this
manual are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective
owners.
GoMotion (c) 2000 Ligos Corporation. All rights reserved. Ligos, the Ligos Logo, GoMotion and
GoMotion logo are trademarks of Ligos Corporation.
Sample files
Files provided as samples on the program CD can be used for personal demonstrations, productions
and presentations. No rights are granted for commercial reproduction or redistribution of any sample
files.
The big picture ....................................................................................................................................... 4
An introduction to Digital Video ................................................................................................................. 4
An introduction to MPEG ........................................................................................................................... 5
How VideoStudio works ............................................................................................................................ 6
Hardware checkup before using VideoStudio ..................................................................................... 10
Installation and DV configuration .......................................................................................................12
Getting around Ulead VideoStudio ...................................................................................................... 14
The Library ............................................................................................................................................ 18
Steps to create your movie .................................................................................................................. 20
Index ....................................................................................................................................................70
Title ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
Rolling & scrolling ....................................................................................................................... 46
Fading in & out .......................................................................................................................... 47
Putting it all together .................................................................................................................. 48
Using video or image clips as titles .............................................................................................. 48
Voice & Music ........................................................................................................................................ 50
Make Movie Manager .................................................................................................................. 60
Projects, templates & video save options ..................................................................................... 61
MPEG-1 file for VCD ................................................................................................................... 63
MPEG-2 file for DVD ................................................................................................................... 64
Recording back to DV camcorder ................................................................................................. 65
The Internet .............................................................................................................................. 66
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
The big picture
Editing video in computers used to be dominated by professionals only. Nowadays, with the
introduction to video editing software programs such as Ulead VideoStudio, editing video in
your computer is easy and fun, even if you’re new to the digital video world!
An introduction to Digital Video
Tens of millions of camcorders have been
sold around the world and computers have
become standard fare in the home. It hasn’t
taken long for video capture cards to make
the connection between the two. So what’s
the big deal with Digital Video (DV)?
The viewing area of the DV is big in 720x480
pixels, with more than 500 horizontal
resolution and PCM 16 / 12 -bit stereo sound.
For the DV camcorders themselves, they are
usually compact and lightweight. In addition,
the tiny DV tape is easy to carry, and its
digital record and playback format, are
superior to analog ones such as High-8, 8mm, S-VHS and VHS. What’s more,
capturing DV data into your computer or
recording back to your DV camcorder is
simple through the IEEE 1394 (also known as
FireWire or i.LINK) interface card, in a
purely digital form without loss of quality. No
wonder DV has taken the world by storm,
becoming the format of choice for
enthusiasts.
DV camcorders
That’s why Ulead VideoStudio fully supports
DV editing. You can even control your
camcorder with Ulead VideoStudio and the
mouse! (See page 13 for details on setting up
VideoStudio.)
4
Video storage media
THE BIG PICTURE
Yet, what about those long existing analog
camcorders, tapes, as well as other analog
video sources like TV and VCR?
VideoStudio doesn’t leave them behind.
Through an analog video capture card, you
can still capture, edit and record your video in
VideoStudio.
An introduction to MPEG
Another recent development is MPEG. Ulead
VideoStudio gives you the power to edit
MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 movies with amazing
frame-accurate technology. The wide
availability of CD-Recordable (CD-R) allows
anyone to create their own Video CD (VCD).
Ulead VideoStudio lets you create WhiteBook
standard MPEG-1 (Video CD 2.0) movies
that are ready to be written to a VCD.
Ulead VideoStudio
Ulead VideoStudio also allows you to create
amazing DVD quality movies using the
MPEG-2 format, which is also used in the
upcoming digital television era. Start by
capturing MPEG-2 video straight from your
camcorder (depending on your video capture
card’s capabilities, see page 26), then trim
and edit your movie with frame accuracy.
Finally, take advantage of DVD quality (see
page 64) to create your final MPEG-2 movie.
5
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
How VideoStudio works
VideoStudio follows a step-by-step paradigm.
By working on one step at a time, editing
tasks remain uncomplicated throughout the
entire process, from start to finish. What’s
more, editing your video on the computer
offers the ease of mouse clicks, drag and drop
operations, as well as cut and paste
operations. VideoStudio also offers more than
a hundred transition effects, professional
titling capabilities and simple soundtrack
creation tools. Learn in seconds, create in
minutes.
Getting video off your camera and onto your
PC’s hard drive is the first step in creating
digital video. This process is known as
capturing video. You will also need a video
capture card, so your computer can receive
and interpret the video data from your
camera. To make sure that everything works
properly, follow your capture card’s
installation instructions.
Ulead VideoStudio workspace
A section of video captured to your computer
is known as a video clip. You can scroll
through your movie as easily as you do a Web
page in a browser. With little effort, you can
edit frame by frame, as well as change the
order of scenes using the drag and drop
method.
6
A video clip
THE BIG PICTURE
Putting a transition effect between clips is as
easy as select and apply. Adding Title with
customized text titles or even video clips.
And with a few more clicks, you can animate
your titles to scroll or fade.
Ulead VideoStudio breaks your movie up into
separate tracks, which gives you broad
creative freedom. While your video probably
already has a sound track, adding a voiceovernarration brings clarity to your personal
videos. Better still, add background music
off your favorite music CDs to set the mood
in your movie. These tracks are independent,
so changes to one track don’t affect the other.
All of the tracks in your movie are organized
into a video project file. This project file
(*.VSP) contains all of the information about
how your movie is put together, including all
video and audio files made within
VideoStudio. Yet, the project file itself is not
your actual movie. All of the edits you make
in your project do not affect the original clips
themselves. This means that you can trim and
edit without fear of making permanent
changes to your original clips. When it is all
ready to go, your computer collects all of the
information together to create your final video
file at your designated location. This process
is called rendering.
Transition effect and title
Voiceover and music
A movie clip sample
So just follow along in Ulead VideoStudio’s step-by-step path. You’ll find that your friends are
amazed at the professional quality of your home movies. The only question you’ll hear more
often than “How’d you do that?” is “When’s the sequel?”
7
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Whats New?
Find out the latest features and enhancements in VideoStudio and take advantage of them right
away!
•Reusable template from a video file - When you’re opening a new project, you can directly
take the settings from an existing video file such as an AVI or an MPEG file. This avoids the
hassles about getting the right settings, and helps to maintain the same quality of the movies
you make.
•Automatic plug-and-play capture device detection - Whenever you change to a capture
device source that uses Microsoft DirectShow driver (applicable to most DV camcorders),
VideoStudio instantly detects it as a new capture plug-in. So, you don’ t have to change the
plug-in manually, as well as close and reopen VideoStudio.
•Fast batch video capture - If you need to capture a number of sections from a DV tape, this
feature is your best choice. All you need is to set the Mark in and Mark out points for all the
sections you want, and capture them all at once!
•Scene change detection for video capture - Breaks a video file (DV formatted AVI only)
into several clips automatically whenever there is a recording date and time change. This
helps you better manage your video, because in many cases the scene change is the beginning
of another theme on your DV tape.
•Seamless capture - If you’re using Windows 98, Me or 2000, capturing DV is no longer
limited to maximum 4 GB at a time. Once the size of a captured DV has reached 4 GB,
VideoStudio automatically continues the capture process by saving the captured video to
another file. So, no matter how long your video is, capturing is a one-time process.
•Customized library folders - Lets you create personal folders in libraries for managing files.
•Next generation processor compliant - Supports improved multimedia capabilities such as
digital video decoding and encoding, if your computer uses the Intel’s next generation
processor (Williamette CPU).
•Powerful video filters - Besides the effects to be inserted between video clips, VideoStudio
now provides video filters that can be applied to clips themselves directly. These filters
change the appearance or style of clips, giving you more varieties in presenting the clips.
•Enhanced titles - In VideoStudio, the Title step is no longer limited to plain text only. You
can also place video or image files into your movie. These inserted files can even have
transparent background, or blend with the original video clip in a special moving path. For
normal text titles, shadows and borders are now included to give you more choices in
changing text appearance.
•Better streaming video support - Creates a movie that uses the latest streaming video
technologies, including the Streaming RealVideo (*.rm) and the Streaming Windows Media
(*.wmv). These formats replace the previously known active streaming format (*.asf or
*.asx), and help to maintain uninterrupted transmission of video files over networks such as
the Internet.
8
WHAT’S NEW?
•Convenient right-click menu - Provides quick access to commands such as copy, paste,
delete and properties when you right-click a video clip, title, or audio track. The rightclicking commands are available in both Storyboard and Timeline modes, as well as the
libraries.
•Improved workspace - Provides better organized program appearance when the screen uses
high resolution: 1024 x 768. Under this mode, you can see more thumbnails in the library at
the same time for your convenience.
•Make Movie Manager - Displays a customized list of video file format templates. You then,
don’t need to spend time in setting options every time you make a movie.
•Flexible project settings - Once you have set the properties of a project, you can still change
them later at any time. This gives you worry-free flexibility whenever you need to make
property changes.
•Mark in / out during playback - Now you can directly set the beginning or the ending point
even when a video clip is being played. To do so, just click the Set mark in / out buttons or
the F3 / F4 key respectively to trim a video right away.
9
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Hardware checkup before using
VideoStudio
With the advent of Digital Video (DV), it has never been easier to capture, edit, and record
video on your PC. Follow the installation instructions of your IEEE 1394 (also known as
FireWire or i.LINK) interface card, and consult your camcorder’s manual for the proper
hardware installation procedures. This is crucial as correct hardware settings are a must to
ensure VideoStudio runs properly in your computer, especially if you’re using a DV
camcorder and an IEEE 1394 card. So, find out which operating system (O/S) you’re using
and then go to the Control Panel: Systems - Device Manager from your O/S. Here you need
to check if all the listed devices below have been properly installed.
Windows 95
VideoStudio does not support Windows 95. Please upgrade to a newer Windows version like
Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows Me.
Windows 98
If you’re using the first edition of Windows 98, it can detect the installed IEEE 1394 card. But,
it works with Texas Instruments DV driver only. What’s more, this version of Windows does
not come with this driver. So, you need to find it first. For example, usually you can get it from
the drivers (if bundled) that come with the IEEE 1394 card. Below is the checklist:
•1394 Bus Controller
•Sound, video and game controllers: 1394 camcorder (This device appears only when the DV
camcorder is on, and it’s connected to the computer through the IEEE 1394 card.)
If you are using Windows 98 Second Edition, it fully supports the IEEE 1394 card and comes
with the Microsoft DV driver. Yet, you can still use the Texas Instruments DV driver. Check if
you have the following devices:
•1394 Bus Controller
•Image Device: Microsoft DV Camera and VCR (For Microsoft DV driver only . This device
appears only when the DV camcorder is on, and it’s connected to the computer through the
IEEE 1394 card.)
•Sound, video and game controllers: 1394 camcorder (For T exas Instruments DV driver only.
This device appears only when the DV camcorder is on, and it’s connected to the computer
through the IEEE 1394 card.)
10
HARDWARE CHECKUP BEFORE USING VIDEOSTUDIO
A device list on the Device Manager in the
Systems Properties dialog box, Windows 98
Second Edition
Settings tab after clicking the Properties button
when a hard drive is selected. Access this from
Control Panel: System - Device Manager.
Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
Windows Me fully supports the IEEE 1394 card with the following devices detected:
•1394 Bus Controller
•61883 Device Class
•AVC Device Class
•(Brand name) DV Camcorder: The brand name depends on the DV camcorder connected to
the IEEE interface card. (This device appears only when the DV camcorder is on, and it’s
connected to the computer through the IEEE 1394 card.)
Windows NT 4.X and 2000
Windows NT 4.X does not support IEEE 1394 card. For Windows 2000, it fully supports the
IEEE 1394 card with the same devices as detected in Windows 98 Second Edition. (See the
illustration above or the previous page for the checklist.)
Notes:
• In Windows 98 and Me, please select the DMA option in the Device Manager: Disk drive: Settings
tab. In Windows 2000, the DMA option is hidden but it’s always enabled. DMA avoids possible drop
frame problems later when you are capturing video.
• In addition to commonly used Texas Instruments and Microsoft DV drivers, there are other drivers
available. Consult your camcorder’s manual for suitable drivers.
11
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Installation and DV configuration
Installing Ulead VideoStudio:
1 Place the Ulead VideoStudio CD into
your CD-ROM drive.
2 When the Setup screen appears, follow
the instructions to install Ulead
VideoStudio onto your computer.
Note:
If the Setup screen doesn’t appear after
loading the CD, then you can manually start it
by double-clicking the My Computer icon on
your desktop, then double-clicking the icon for
the CD-ROM drive. When the CD-ROM window
opens, double-click the Setup icon.
Please also install the following applications,
because they are very important in making
digital video work well on your computer.
The installation program will walk you
through installing:
Ulead VideoStudio installation screen
12
•QuickTime
•Windows Media Format
•RealPlayer
•Acrobat Reader
Running Ulead VideoStudio:
•Double-click the Ulead V ideoStudio icon
on your Windows desktop.
OR
•Select the Ulead V ideoStudio icon from
the Ulead VideoStudio program group on
the Windows Start menu.
Running Ulead VideoStudio
from Windows Start menu
INSTALLATION AND DV CONFIGURATION
Setting up Ulead VideoStudio for DV:
1 Connect your camcorder to your IEEE
1394 capture card.
2 Insert your video tape into the camcorder
and turn it on. Make sure it is in the
playback mode (usually named VTR or
VCR). See your camcorder’s manual for
specific instructions.
Note:
When your camcorder is in the record
mode (usually named CAMERA or MOVIE),
you can still capture real-time video directly in
VideoStudio, even if there’s no video tape
inserted.
3 Run Ulead VideoStudio.
4 Click the Global commands button and
select Change Capture Plug-in.
5 Select the appropriate DV Capture Plug-
in. Though this varies depending on your
hardware, the most commonly used one
is Ulead DirectShow Capture Plug-in.
6 Click the Global commands button and
make sure the detected device is listed.
This is located below Change CapturePlug-in with a black bulleted mark in
front.
You also need to set up how Ulead VideoStudio will control your camcorder through the IEEE
1394 interface. The appropriate settings depend on your particular capture card.
Setting up DV device control:
1 Click the Global commands button and
click Select Device Control.
2 Select from the Current device list. For
example, if the detected device is
Microsoft DV Camera and VCR,
please select MS 1394 Device Control.
Similarly, if the device is DVcamCapture (T exas Instruments driver),
select TI 1394 Device Control.
13
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Getting around Ulead VideoStudio
The Ulead VideoStudio interface has been designed to make the sometimes complicated task
of editing movies on your PC intuitive and enjoyable. The illustration on this page shows an
overview of the entire program, while the next few pages detail more specific features. Note
especially the Options panel, which is highly context sensitive (meaning that it changes
depending on the program’s mode) and contains a ton of information.
Options panel
Contains controls,
buttons, and other
information.
Preview window
Shows the current clip,
video filter, effect, or
title.
Folder button
Click to switch between
various library folders.
Load media button
Click to add video or audio
files to the Library.
Library
Stores and organizes all of
your media clips.
Timeline
Represents the period of
time that a clip appears in
your movie.
Track buttons
Each activates a track to edit. Clicking a
button changes the Preview window and
available options accordingly.
14
Trim bar
Used for trimming, editing,
and cropping video clips.
Example of T oolT ips
Zoom controls
Change the view to zoom in/out
or fit the entire project on the
screen.
GETTING AROUND VIDEOSTUDIO
T oolTips
While moving the mouse over a
button or object, you can see a
balloon that pops up with the
name of the item.
Selected range
These color bars represent the trimmed or
selected part of a clip or project.
Trim handle
Click and drag to trim a
clip.
Insert media button
Displays a menu allowing you
to place video, audio or image
Switch mode
Toggles viewing mode between
Storyboard and Timeline.
clips directly on the project.
Time units
Represents the timing of
clips in hours : minutes,
seconds, and
milliseconds
Clip navigator
Click and drag these controls to scroll
through a clip. The position is shown in
the Preview window’s contents.
Project scroll controls
Use the left and right buttons or grab the scroll
bar to move around your project.
Continued...
15
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Global commands button
This button pops up a menu that contains
many useful tools such as online Help and
preferences. You can also setup device
control and capture plug-in from here.
Clip navigation buttons
These can be used to move around a
project or a selected clip. See next
page for details.
Undo and Redo
Any changes you make that you
don’t like can be instantly fixed or
undone by clicking the left button.
And if you change your mind,
simply click Redo.
16
Context sensitive help
This button activates the Context
sensitive help feature. After you click
on it, your cursor changes to a question
mark. Move over an object in the
program and click again.
Global commands popup menu
Trash can
Drag and drop clips here to delete
them from the project. You can also
select a clip and press the Delete key
on your keyboard.
GETTING AROUND VIDEOSTUDIO
Next
Moves to the point right after the
present one of a project, clip, or
selected area.
Previous
Moves to the preceding point
of a project, clip, or selected
area.
Home
Moves to the starting point
of a project, clip, or selected
area.
End
Moves to the ending point of
a project, clip, or selected
area.
Repeat
Plays a project, clip, or
selected area continuously.
Play project / Stop
Click to render (create) your project. Once the project is
rendered, click this button to play the project. Holding the
Shift key down while clicking, rendering or playback is
based on the selected duration (between Mark in and Mark
out) on the Trim bar. To cancel the rendering process, press
the Esc key. Or, click it again to stop the playback.
V olume
Click and drag the slider to
adjust the volume of a clip’s
audio output or music. This
adjusts the volume of your
speakers at the same time.
Play / Play clip / Stop
Click to play a DV tape, or a selected video or audio
clip. Note that holding the Shift key while clicking
the button, playback is based on the selected
duration (between Mark in and Mark out) on the
Trim bar. During playback, click this button again
to stop.
17
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
The Library
The Library is a storage depot for everything you need to create a movie: video clips, video
filters, audio clips, still images, transition effects, music files, titles and color clips. These are
collectively known as media clips. You can think of the Library as a general manager for all of
the pieces of your project.
Adding media clips to the Library:
1 Click the Load media button to open a
dialog box for locating the media clip to
insert in the Library.
2 Select the desired file.
3 Click Open when you are finished.
The type of clip that can be inserted depends on which step you are working on (such as Title
or Music). The most convenient way of working with clips is using your mouse. If you want to
add clips to, or use clips from the Library, first select the desired clip, then drag and drop it to
its destination. You can even drag and drop files right from Windows Explorer into the Library
panel.
Load media buttons
These allow you to locate the clip you want to add to the
Library. A media clip can be a video, color, image, or audio
clip.
18
Deleting media clips from the Library:
1 Select the clip that you want to remove
from the Library.
2 Drag the selected clip to the Trash can
or press the Delete key.
3 When prompted, verify whether you
also want to delete the source file from
your hard disk.
Note:
Deleting source files from your hard disk
permanently removes them from your
computer. You may not be able to recover
them again. Please make sure that those
source files you are about to delete are
unnecessary.
Trash can
Deleting thumbnail dialog box (Source file will not
be deleted.)
Deleting source file dialog box (Source file will be
deleted.)
GETTING AROUND VIDEOSTUDIO
You can also right-click any clip in the Library to open the quick menu for viewing clip
properties as well as copy, paste, or delete. While holding the Ctrl or the Shift key, you can
also click various clips for multiple file selection.
Library Manager
The Library Manager organizes your custom Library folders. These folders help you manage
and store all kinds of media files.
Using the Library Manager:
1 Select Library Manager by clicking the
Global commands button, or the downarrow button in the Library area.
2 Select a media type from the A vailable
custom folder list.
The down-arrow button
3 Depending on how you want to work on
these folders, click New, Edit, or Delete
accordingly. Select a specific folder from
the box below, when at least two custom
folders exist.
4 Click Close.
Library Manager dialog box
19
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Steps to create your movie
Ulead VideoStudio itself is similarly laid out in a step-by-step format, following the items in
the menu bar at the top of the program, from left to right. Click a step item on the menu bar to
move directly between steps. The step you are currently in is highlighted in green.
It’s not necessary to work through every step every time, but these steps can serve as a guide to
creating a complete movie. These steps don’t necessarily need to be followed in the order that
they are presented, either.
Your work is saved in a small project file (*.VSP) that organizes all of your media files
together. A project file is NOT the same as a movie and changes made to it do not affect your
media clips. It is possible to have a number of different projects using the same clips.
Start
The Start step is for creating a new project file or opening an existing
one. This is the very first and required step whenever you want to work
in VideoStudio. See page 22.
20
Capture
Once a project is opened in the program, new video can be recorded
onto your computer’s hard drive in the Capture step. See page 24.
Storyboard
The Storyboard step and the Storyboard section of the program under
the Preview window are the heart of Ulead VideoStudio. This is where
you arrange, edit, and trim your masterpiece. Video filters can also be
added to create unique appearances of video clips. See page 30.
Effects
Transition effects between scenes are fun and easy. Thumbnail
animations and drag-and-drop operations put dozens of cool effects at
your fingertips. See page 42.
STEPS TO CREA TE YOUR MOVIE
Title
No movie would be complete without opening and closing titles. Not
only can you use text in any Windows True Type font, color and size,
but you can add video or image clips. This gives you the power to
animate them just like the pros. See page 44.
Voice & Music
Steps 6 and 7 deal with audio. Background music is probably one of
the most important factors determining the mood or feel of your
movie. Add ambiance with tunes from your favorite CDs or record a
voiceover narration to effectively clarify important parts of your
video. See page 50.
Finish
The final cuts have been made and the music has been synchronized
with care. Now it’s time to put it all together and make a master copy
of your newest movie. See page 56.
Notes:
• When moving between steps, Ulead VideoStudio Guide - a real-time online Help - appears to give
you quick reference and tips. You can decide whether to show it in the Preferences dialog box (by
pressing the F6 key).
• Since video rendering usually requires a large hard drive space, use the Preview tab on the
Preferences dialog box to assign proper space and folders in the hard drive(s). Do this before
opening a project in VideoStudio to ensure enough space for rendering and previewing.
21
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Start
The Start step is where you create a new project file (*.VSP), or open an existing project. A
project file is a small file used by Ulead VideoStudio to store all of the information about your
movie such as clips used, trimming information, duration of movie, size of frames, and type of
movie to make. A project file is not the finished movie and can only be opened in Ulead
VideoStudio. The actual process of creating a movie from a project file is called rendering.
Creating a new project:
1 Click the New project button.
2 Enter a Project name, and choose a
folder Location on your hard drive. The
project name later will be used to create a
subfolder under this location.
3 Select a template from Available project
templates (including all templates you
created previously, see next page for
details). Select the one that most closely
matches the type of movie you want to
create.
4 Click OK.
22
Opening an existing project:
1 Click the Open project button.
2 Select the project file (*.VSP) you want
to open. If you are not sure where the file
is, use the Browse button and then click
the Scan button. This finds all *.VSP
files under your assigned folder or drive.
3 Click Open.
Note:
A fast way of opening an existing project
is to use the Recent file list. Just move the
mouse over the project to want, and then click
it to open. However, VideoStudio cannot open a
project if it was moved or removed.
Open dialog box
Browse dialog box
START
Templates save many complicated settings for capturing video and for creating your movie in
the Finish step. They are an extremely important part of your project and should not be
overlooked. More information about template options can be found starting page 61.
Creating a new template:
1 Click the Global commands button.
2 Select Templates Manager from the
menu.
3 Click New. Here, enter a name for your
template and select a file format.
4 Set up the details of the template. (See
page 61 for details.)
5 Click OK.
Note:
Templates Manager also allows you to
modify templates. To do so, select from
Available movie templates and click the Edit
button.
Tip:
Press the Ctrl+ S keys to quickly save your project from time to time in VideoStudio. This
ensures that all project settings and file links are always up-to-date.
23
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Capture
The process of recording video to your computer is called capturing. When everything is
ready to go, the video feed from your source device should be visible in the Preview window.
If your card supports a television monitor, you should also be able to watch your video there.
Checklist for successful video capture
Capturing video is one of the hardest things you will ever ask of your computer. Video takes up
a huge amount of disk space and, because of the high data rate, is difficult for your hard disk to
handle. Here are a few things you can do to ensure success:
•Shut down ALL other programs that are running except Windows Explorer and Ulead
VideoStudio. Also, disable Screen Saver to avoid possible interruption during capturing.
•Best results can be achieved by using a dedicated video hard drive, preferably with the
capabilities of at least Ultra-DMA/66, 7200 rpm and more than 30 GB space.
•For better manipulation of batch capture (details on page 28) and camcorder device control,
correct timecode on the DV tape is a must. To do this, before actually shooting your video,
use the standard playback (SP) mode and shooting a blank video (for example, leaving the
lens cover on while recording) without interruption from start to end of a tape.
Capture audio
Captures original audio tracks from
your source to your hard disk.
Capture to Library
Captured video is placed into
both the workspace and the
video library.
Split by scene
Automatically separate captured
video into several clips whenever
there is an obvious scene / frame
change.
Video menu
Displays a menu allowing you to
modify your capture settings.
Switch mode
Toggles between Capture mode and
Playback mode for instant previews.
24
Options page controls
Click to toggle between Capture
Settings (Page 1) and Batch Capture
(Page 2). The middle number indicates
the current page number.
Capture video
Records video from your
source to your hard disk.
Capture image
Captures a single frame
as a still image from
your source to your hard
disk.
Capture duration
Sets the length of time
for the capture.
Captured frames
The total number of
captured video frames.
Dropped frames
The total number of lost
video frames while
capturing.
CAPTURE
Capturing video (analog capture card
with audio / video jacks or S-video):
1 Hook up your video source device to
your capture card. On some cards, you
also have to connect the audio cables to
your sound card.
2 Use your device’s controls to move
around and find what you want to
capture.
3 Click the Capture video button to begin
recording.
4 When you have recorded what you want,
click the Capture video button again or
press the Esc key to stop capturing.
Tips:
• The Capture menu item is grayed out or unavailable in the Playback mode. Yet, in the Capture
mode if you still encounter the same situation, check whether your video capture hardware is
correctly installed.
• In step 3, a confirmation dialog box appears. Click OK to start actual capture process.
• Delay of capture might occur due to the prompt of confirmation dialog box or the connection
between hardware. To avoid this delay, clear the option “Enable press OK to capture” on the
Capture tab in the Preferences dialog box. Also, rewind your video tape to an earlier point and then
start capturing. Remember that you can always trim the video later in VideoStudio.
• The normal number of dropped frames is zero. If there’s any dropped frame, check if the DMA
setting is enabled. See page 11 for details.
Confirmation dialog box
Capturing DV video:
1 Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play
(or VTR / VCR) mode. See your
camcorder’s manual for specific
instructions.
2 Run Ulead VideoStudio. Then, open a
project and go to the Capture step.
3 Correctly setup the DV plug-in on the
Global commands menu, and then click
the Play button in Ulead VideoStudio.
4 When you get to the part of the video you
want to record, click the Capture video
button in Ulead VideoStudio.
5 Click the Capture video button again (or
press the Esc key) to stop recording.
Note:
For setting up DV plug-in, see page 13
for details.
25
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Tip:
When you connect a new video device (such as a DV camcorder) that uses Microsoft DirectShow
driver to your computer, VideoStudio detects it automatically with a confirmation dialog box asking you
if you want to use the newly detected device. Just click OK to accept the change, without the need to
restart VideoStudio.
Capturing MPEG video
Capturing video directly from your camcorder straight to MPEG is one of the most exciting
developments in computer video. Ulead VideoStudio gives you the flexibility to choose
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2, depending on your needs. MPEG-1 is usually recommended for older
computers or people who want to create VCDs. For MPEG-2, it is more suitable for those with
faster computers or people who want excellent DVD quality.
Notes:
• This feature is only available if the analog video capture card supports RGB 24 or YUV capture.
(Please see the manual for your capture card.) Once you have configured your hardware and
software, you can capture video using the standard procedures described on the preceding pages.
• IEEE 1394 interface card does not support MPEG video capture.
26
Setting up MPEG capture:
1 Connect your camcorder to the capture
card.
2 Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play
(or VTR / VCR) mode). See your
camcorder’s manual for specific
instructions.
3 Run Ulead VideoStudio.
4 Click the Global commands button and
This divides a captured video file (DV formatted AVI only) into several video clips based on
the recording date and time change between video sessions. A video session is a period of
video which is filmed continuously. The feature is very useful when you have lots of video
sessions recorded on the same DV tape at different times and
you want to separate them into different clips. To do so,
select Split by scene on the Options panel, and then start
capturing (see page 25).
Once a video is captured, the Scenes & Recording Cuts
dialog box appears where you can preview, check, combine
or split all video sessions. Once you’re done, click OK.
Notes:
•
Though the captured video is separated into several clips in VideoStudio, there is only one captured
video file on the hard drive. To actually divide the video into several files, go to the Storyboard step
and save each clip as an individual video file.
•
You can also split an existing video file (DV formatted AVI only). Simply load it from the hard drive
into the Library. Then, right-click the thumbnail and select Split by scene.
Capturing still images
In addition to video, VideoStudio also allows you to capture still
images. Simply follow the procedure for DV video, but in step 4,
press the Capture image button on the Options panel instead
Capture image button
whenever you see a frame you want. For details, see page 39.
Video file size in Windows
Windows operating systems have some limitations of video file length when capturing and
rendering. Since VideoStudio runs on Windows, the same situation is therefore unavoidable.
So, when you need to capture or render a very long video, do this several times and note the
following limitations of a file size.
•For all Windows systems (except Windows 2000 with NTFS formatted partition in hard
drive) while the DirectShow driver is used, the maximum captured or rendered file size
is 4 GB.
•For all Windows systems (with analog capture cards) while the VFW (Video for Windows)
driver is used, the maximum captured file size is 2 GB.
27
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Batch capture
Overburdened by a lot of stuff to capture from your DV tape? You can get peace of mind
through VideoStudio’s Batch capture. This new feature captures all the video clips you want
in just one click and saves your time considerably. To do so, simply keep watching the video.
At any time, press the F3 key as the Mark in point and then the F4 key as Mark out. Repeat
press F3 and F4 as many times as you like, as long as you feel you want to capture a particular
section on the DV tape.
Note:
Batch capture can be achieved only when you’re using a DV tape and the IEEE 1394 card for
computer connection.
Options page controls
Click to toggle between Capture Settings (Page 1)
and Batch Capture (Page 2). The middle number
indicates the current page number.
Start batch capturing from the Tasks list
Captures the listed tasks all at once.
Play all or only selected
tasks
Edit the tape’s name
You can give the tasks to be
captured a name. Once they’re
saved to video formatted files,
it’s easy to trace them later.
Tasks list
Displays all the tasks you created in
the timecode format. Click to select
a task. Multiple selection can be
made just as you would in
Windows Explorer.
Cut the selected task(s)
Deletes the selected task(s).
Clear all tasks
Deletes all tasks on the list.
Modify a task
Changes the timecode of either the starting or
the ending point.
Previews the selected
tasks before capturing.
Mark in a new task
Uses the current frame
you saw as the starting
point of a task.
Mark out a new task
Uses the current frame
you saw as the ending
point of a task.
28
CAPTURE
Using Batch capture:
1 Turn on your camcorder and set it to
Play (or VTR / VCR) mode. See your
camcorder’s manual for specific
instructions.
2 Run Ulead VideoStudio. Then, open a
project and go to the Capture step.
3 On the Options panel, click the right-
arrow button (or the middle button and
select Batch Capture). This moves to
the 2nd page on the Options panel for
Batch capture.
4 Click the Play button in Ulead
V ideoStudio.
5 When you get to the part of the video
you want to record, click the Mark in a
new task button (F3). Click the Mark
out a new task button (F4) to end the
task.
6 Keep watching the video, and then
repeat step 4 as needed.
7 If you feel these tasks are what you want,
click the Start batch capturing fromthe Tasks list button. Otherwise, adjust
the tasks by using modification buttons.
(You can also directly double-clicking a
task, and then enter new timecode.) Once
you are done, click the capturing button.
8 Batch capture starts based on all or
selected (if any) tasks. The process stops
when the last task is captured. A report
appears also for your reference.
Note:
It is up to you whether to click the Stop button before starting Batch capture. Yet, if you need to
modify some tasks, clicking the Stop button first helps VideoStudio find tasks to be captured earlier.
29
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Storyboard
A storyboard is an outline for a movie. It contains a chronological order of the events that
occur in your story. The bottom half of the Ulead VideoStudio interface is simply an electronic
storyboard.
Click the Switch mode button to change
between the two display modes.
Storyboard mode presents an overview of the
entire project’s video track.
Timeline mode allows frame accurate editing of
individual clips.
The Storyboard can be viewed in two distinct modes by clicking the Switch mode button.
Which mode you use depends entirely on personal preference, but most people find both
modes to be useful at different times. For example, the Storyboard mode is the fastest and
simplest way to add clips to your movie. Clips can be moved around by simply dragging them.
After arranging your scenes in the Storyboard mode, some people prefer to switch to the
Timeline mode to fine tune their effects and perform frame accurate trimming and editing of
individual clips.
Switching to the Timeline mode, Ulead VideoStudio show exactly when and where events in
your story occur (based on frame and timecode relationship) and you can see at a glance the
contents of various media clips. A clip can be a video file, an audio file, a transition, a colored
background or a title. If you’re starting from scratch, you can drag clips from the Library and
simply drop them on the Timeline.
Storyboard mode
You may find that starting out in the Storyboard mode is the easiest way to get your project
rolling. After starting a new project, switch to the Storyboard step and take a look at your
project. Each picture represents an event in your movie, an event being a video clip or a
transition. The thumbnails reveal at a glance the chronological order of events in your project,
but do not tell you much about the clips themselves.
30
STORYBOARD
You can drag and drop clips to arrange them, and transition effects can be inserted between
clips. Selected clips can be trimmed in the preview window. See page 35 for more information
on trimming.
Timeline mode
When Ulead VideoStudio is in the Timeline mode, clips are placed on the workspace as short
sequences. The length of these clips accurately represents the duration of the clip in your
project. The ruler units can be adjusted to your convenience. Setting the ruler units to
fractions of a second gives you precise control over trimming and editing, while longer ruler
units allow you to view more of your project. You can control ruler units by using the Zoomcontrol buttons. Click the Fit project in window button if you want to see the entire project
displayed on one screen. If you have a mouse with a scroll button, the scroll button can be used
to zoom.
Zoom control buttons
Storyboard mode
Selected clip
Transition effect
Fit project in window button
Timeline mode
Ruler units
The Tracks
The Timeline is divided horizontally into four tracks. The Video (including filters & effects),
Title, Voice, and Music tracks all correspond to the Ulead VideoStudio steps of the same
name.
Switching to different tracks:
Video
•Click the Step menu item on the top that
corresponds to the track.
•Click the track, the clip, or the icon
located to the left of each track you want
to work on.
Title
Voiceover
Music
The tracks
31
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
The Options panel
Ulead VideoStudio offers different controls on the Options panel depending on the step or
track you are working on. This way the workspace is kept simple and uncluttered. Just
remember that if you can’t find a control that you are sure you have seen before, try switching
to the type of editing you want to do first.
Video duration
Video mark in / out
Displays the starting / ending point
of a video clip (after trimming).
Displays the length of time of the clip.
Click a digit or an arrow button for
modification.
Volume
Click the arrow or enter digits
directly to adjust volume.
Save current frame as a new
image file
Saves the currently selected frame
to an image file in the Library.
Save selection as a new video file
Applies any trimming
modifications to a clip and saves it
to a new video file.
Clip properties
Click to display specific
information about a clip.
Cut video clip
Deletes a selected video clip.
Reset
Sets all values
back to defaults.
Set mark in / out
Trims and sets the starting / ending
point of a clip during playback.
Fade in / out
Gradually increases / decreases the
volume between zero and full.
Export video clip
Saves a selected video clip based on
the chosen method in Output options.
Output options
Click the arrow to select a method for
sharing your movie with others. See
page 58 for details.
Apply changes
Applies new settings made on the
Options panel to the selected clip.
Any changes that you have made on the Options panel are applied to the clip when you click
the Apply changes button. All of the settings can be restored to their original values by
clicking the Reset button. As with any changes you make in Ulead VideoStudio, you can
always undo them by clicking the Undo button or by pressing the Ctrl+Z key.
The Play project button
While you are editing, there are many times that you will want to preview your work to see
how your project is progressing. The row of buttons below the Preview window are used to
navigate around your project, play clips, and create previews of your entire project.
(See page 17 for a specific description of each button.)
32
STORYBOARD
A Ulead VideoStudio project (*.VSP), cannot be played until it has been rendered, or created.
Click the Play project button to begin the process of rendering your project for previewing.
Clip navigation buttons, with the Play project button circled
Rendering is easy, but it can take some time. Fortunately, Ulead VideoStudio offers
SmartRender technology, which optimizes the rendering process by not re-rendering the parts
of the project that have not changed. Ulead VideoStudio performs this magic with heavy use of
temporary files. These files are stored in a location that you can set in the Preferences:Preview tab, found on the Global commands menu. By efficiently allocating disk space for
temporary files, you don’t need to worry about “Out of Memory” error messages.
However, the space in your hard drive reduces as the number of temporary files increases.
From time to time, you need to delete these temporary preview files of the current project to
speed up rendering or previewing. To do so, use Preview Files Manager on the Globalcommands menu.
Global commands menu
Preview Files Manager dialog box
So the best advice we can offer is that you edit for a while and then when you need a break, hit
the Play project button and let Ulead VideoStudio render your project. By doing this fairly
often, render times should be very reasonable.
Rendering a portion of your project, instead of the whole thing, can save you time and give you
a quick preview of important sections. This is especially useful for rendering across transitions,
title sequences, or to check the timing of audio clips in relation to the associated video. If you
only want to render the part of your project, hold the Shift key on your keyboard while clicking
the Play project button. For details on partial rendering, see page 57.
33
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Working with clips
The best part of editing your movie on your computer is the ease with which you can snip and
trim with frame by frame accuracy.
Trimming a clip with the Trim bar:
1 Select a clip from the Timeline or the
Library.
2 Click and drag a T rim handle to set the
trim position.
3 When you’ve selected the area you want
to trim, click the Apply changes button.
4 You can selectively play only the
trimmed portion of the clip by holding
the Shift key and clicking the Play clip
button.
Notes:
•
The green bar beneath the preview window
represents the selected portion of the clip. If
the clip has not been trimmed, the green bar
extends for the entire length.
•
Watch the Video mark in / out figures on the
Options panel to monitor your trimming. The
Mark in / out points can also be set by
pressing the F3 and F4 key, respectively.
•
For precise control, click on a Trim handle,
hold it, and use the left or right arrow keys on
your keyboard to trim one frame at a time.
Video mark in / out area
34
Inserting a video clip onto the Timeline:
•From the Library , drag and drop the clip
to the Timeline.
•T o insert a clip directly to the Timeline,
click the Insert media button, located to
the left of the Timeline.
Insert media button
STORYBOARD
The key to making highly accurate cuts and edits is controlling the ruler scale in the Timeline.
When each unit represents one second, you can get pretty close in estimating your edits.
Zoom buttons
Trim handles
Scroll bar
Trimming a video clip that has been inserted onto the Timeline
Trimming a clip from the Timeline:
1 Select a clip by clicking it on the
Timeline.
2 The yellow Trim handles on either side
of the clip can be dragged to change the
length of a clip.
3 The Preview window reflects the position
of the Trim handle in the clip.
4 Watch the Video mark in / out displays
on the Options panel to numerically
monitor your trimming.
5 Other clips in your project automatically
Note:
reposition themselves according to your
edits.
The time unit on the ruler scale changes
accordingly when the view is adjusted by Zoom
controls.
While trimming and editing, you may sometimes need to adjust the view of the clips on the
Timeline. Use the Zoom controls to control the view. The Scroll bar makes navigating
through your project quicker and easier. A wheel mouse can also be used to scroll, and you can
zoom by holding the Ctrl key while using the wheel.
Don’t forget that you can always undo just about any changes you’ve made in your project by
pressing the Ctrl+Z keys. You can set up the levels of undo by pressing the F6 key to open the
Preferences dialog box.
35
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Trimming a clip with the Options panel:
Video duration
Displays and sets the length of time of the clip.
1 Select a clip on the Timeline or in the
Library.
2 Click the time in the Video duration
box. For example, click the seconds (“),
and the numbers begin blinking.
Arrow buttons
Use these to fine tune
your trimming.
3 Enter a length of time for the clip. The
Mark in shows where the clip begins and
the Mark out point displays the end of
the trimmed clip.
4 Click the Apply changes button.
Note:
Changes made in the Video duration box
only affect the Mark out point. The Mark in
point remains unchanged.
Reset
Sets all values
back to defaults.
Apply changes button
Applies new settings made on the
Options panel to the selected clip.
Video mark in / out
Displays the points in
the original clip where
the trimming takes
place.
The Library can store multiple versions or copies of a single video clip. This means that you
can break large clips up into a number of smaller clips using the trim tools and save these clips
to the Library as separate entries. The source video file itself is not physically altered, nor are
actual copies made of the original file. This is very useful since it allows you to manage your
production very creatively, but it does not take up any more disk space since you still have only
one video file saved on the hard disk.
36
Creating multiple versions of a single clip:
1 Select a clip from the Library.
2 Grab and drag a Trim handle to set the
trim position.
3 Click the Apply changes button.
4 Reinsert the original clip into the Library
by clicking the Load video button. So,
currently there are two versions of a
single clip in the Library. Repeat steps 1
to 4 to create more versions as needed.
Note:
In step 1, if you want to use an existing
clip in the current project, drag a clip from the
Timeline into the Library first.
STORYBOARD
The method of trimming illustrated here allows you to use your original video file as the source
for a number of different clips in the Library. This type of editing does not affect the source file
anyway.
This clip is a trimmed version of the
original video file saved on the hard
disk. You can see at a glance that it
has indeed been trimmed by
selecting the clip and checking the
Options panel or the Trim bar.
Once the clip is trimmed, you can
rename the thumbnail in the Library
to avoid confusion between the
trimmed and the original. (See
detail on renaming in the notes
below.)
This Library contains five
versions of the same clip.
Selected clips are
highlighted in blue.
When the original clip is
reinserted into the Library, the
Mark in point is zero and the
Mark out point is the last
frame. The duration is the
entire clip. The Trim bar
clearly shows that the clip has
not been trimmed.
Many times, when you make an edit, you may wish to make a permanent change to the clip and
save the edited file. Again, Ulead VideoStudio gives you a margin of safety in that it saves the
trimmed video to a new file and does not alter the original file. You can press the Delete key or
drag the thumbnail to remove it from the Library, or even remove the original file to recover
disk space when you are sure of your changes.
Breaking a clip into multiple files:
1 Select a clip from the Library or
Timeline.
2 Grab and drag a Trim handle to set the
trim position.
3 Click the Save selection as a new video
file button.
4 You now have two different physical
video files on your hard disk, the original
file (such as SOURCE.AVI), and a
trimmed copy (such as SOURCE-1.AVI).
Notes:
•
To rename a thumbnail, click on the name of
the thumbnail and modify it in the same way
as you would in Windows Explorer.
•
Dragging a clip from the Timeline to the
Trash only removes the thumbnail. The
original video file on the hard disk is not
affected.
37
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Using image clips
While Ulead VideoStudio by definition is primarily used to put together motion pictures, you
shouldn’t underestimate the value of still pictures in your video productions. You can use
images or pictures from any source, and even use individual frames from a video file.
Inserting an image clip:
1 Switch to the Image Library by clicking
the list and selecting Image.
2 Click an image in the folder, or click the
Load image button and browse for the
picture you want to store in the Library.
3 Drag and drop the image onto the
Timeline just like any other clip.
Load image button
This button changes
depending on the
type of Library
folder.
Once an image is on the Timeline, you can set it to any time span you like by dragging its Trimhandles, or by entering a duration in the Image duration box on the Options panel.
Still images provide excellent backgrounds for title sequences. Since you can precisely control
the duration, images provide an easy way to control the total length of your project. You can
even create very effective “slide show” movies composed entirely of still image clips. Images
that are the same size as your video frames work best. You can resize your pictures in an image
editor like Ulead PhotoImpact, or have Ulead VideoStudio do it for you when the movie is
created.
38
Note:
Since VideoStudio automatically resizes the still image based on the current project settings,
possible image distortion might occur if the original image has to be resized considerably. To improve
this situation, try to adjust the image to the 4:3 ratio (same as TV screen) in an image editor and save
it to another file. Then, load it to VideoStudio.
Trim handles
Information about an image clip
STORYBOARD
Capturing still images in the Storyboard step
Though capturing still images is available in the Capture step (see page 27), you might want to
do it in the Storyboard step. This is because you can, in the Storyboard step, move to a specific
frame precisely. It also avoids possible undesired vibrating effects as the video keeps running
when still images are captured in the Capture step.
Capturing still images:
1 Select a clip in your project.
2 Drag the Preview bar to a single frame
you want to capture.
3 Switch to an image folder in the Library.
The folder can be the default Image
folder, or the one created by yourself.
4 Click the Save current frame as a new
image file button on the Options panel.
The new image file is saved in the hard
disk and is represented as a thumbnail
under the image folder you assigned.
Note:
The still image format can be BMP or
JPEG, and the size is the same as its source
video clip. To choose a file format to save,
press the F6 key and go to the Capture tab in
the Preferences dialog box.
Using color clips
Color clips are simply solid colored backgrounds that are useful for titles and transitions. For
example, black clips can be used for an effective fade to black transition. They are added to a
project by selecting the Color Library, inserting a specific color clip into the Library and
dragging and dropping the clip into your project. The duration of a color clip can be controlled
just like an image clip.
Inserting a color clip:
1 Switch to the Color Library by clicking
the list and selecting Color.
2 Click a color in the folder, or the Load
color button to choose another one.
3 Set a Duration and click OK.
39
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Titles set against solid backgrounds are often easier to see than if set against an image,
especially a moving one.
Once a color clip has been inserted into the Library, you can drag it to the Timeline to put it
into your movie project. Color clips are great for beginning a movie. Place your opening
credits over the top of the color clip and then use a cross fade effect to create smooth transition
into your movie. See page 44 for more details.
Using video filters
Video filters are effects which you can apply to video clips in order to change their style or
appearance. For example, you can improve the color balance of a clip, or make the video look
like a painting. Filters are applied over each frame in a clip. By specifying the different start
and end values, you can control the intensity and speed of a filter as it moves from the first
frame to the last.
40
Inserting a video filter:
1 From the Library list, select Video Filter
folder.
2 Click the video filter you want.
3 Click the Advanced options button for
filter customization. (Before this, click a
specific thumbnail on the Options panel
if you want to do detailed customization
later.) Available options depend on the
filter selected.
4 Click the Add to timeline button.
5 Move the mouse over the video clip you
want to apply the filter and click it.
STORYBOARD
Shift up / down
video filter buttons
Example of a dialog box after clicking
the Advanced options button
Add to timeline button
Advanced options button
Notes:
•
VideoStudio allows you to apply a maximum of five filters to a single video clip.
•
When there is more than one video filter applied to a video clip, you can change the order of filters
by clicking the Shift up / down video filter buttons. Yet, the order change affects the whole
appearance or style of the video clip.
•
Advanced options can be made to the first frame and the last only in a video clip. So, drag the slider
to either of these two points for adjustments.
41
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Effects
Transition effects give your home movies a truly professional touch. Fortunately, they are also
the easiest part of Ulead VideoStudio. For your first few videos, feel free to go a little crazy
and try out every transition in the Library. Once you’ve gotten used to using transition, you can
express your artistic side by modifying the preset transitions to your own liking. In any case,
you’re guaranteed to have fun in this section.
Simple jump cuts used to be all you could do with your home videos. This is when one scene
stops and the next scene starts immediately. Ulead VideoStudio, on the other hand, has tons of
styles of transitions you can use, from cross fades to explosions. We’ll deal with the details of
these effects later, but for now you just need a project with two video clips in it.
Adding a transition:
1 From the Effects step, use the drop down
list in the Library to select a category of
effects.
2 Scroll through the effects thumbnails in
the Library panel and find one that you
like to use.
3 Click and drag the effect to the Timeline,
roughly between two video clips.
4 Drop your effect and it will snap into
place.
Note:
You may find it easier to work on
transition effects when you’re in the Storyboard
mode.
Drag and drop transition effects right onto the
Storyboard or Timeline mode
42
EFFECTS
Your clips appear adjacent to each other on the Storyboard. You’ll recall that the Storyboard
has two different modes, Storyboard and Timeline, but transitions work the same way in both
modes. The illustrations on the previous page shows VideoStudio in Storyboard mode. The
mode can be switched by clicking the Switch mode button.
Transition magic
If you’ve tried a few simple transitions as outlined on the previous page, you really have
mastered all you need to know. Ulead VideoStudio pretty much takes care of all the details to
make your transitions smooth and professional. That doesn’t mean the program has taken
control of your movie for you, however. After you have added a transition to your project, take
a look at the Options panel. Below is an example of one of the transitions, from the Slide
effects, specifically the Barn door. In this effect’s settings, displayed on the Options panel,
you can change many parameters that will allow you to control exactly how the effect is going
to be used in your movie.
Border size and color
Select a size for the border (in pixels) on the left and
choose a color by clicking on the color box.
Duration
Sets the length of time for the transition. You can also
modify the duration by using the yellow Trim handles on
the Timeline.
Transition effects
direction
These buttons control the
direction of motion in the
transition effect. In this
transition, the two doors
can move in eight
different ways.
Soft edge
The soft edge applies to the border of the
effect. This blends the two clips together
more smoothly. If you don’t have a border
set on the clip, these buttons are
unavailable.
Add to timeline / Apply changes
Click to add the new transition to the
Timeline. When you are modifying a
transition that has already been inserted, this
button has a check mark on it. Click to apply
your changes to the selected clip.
43
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Title
While a picture may be worth a thousand words, there is no doubt that clarifying titles or
credits like text here and there throughout your movie adds to its comprehensibility. And what
movie would be complete without opening and closing credits? If you can type, even with just
two fingers, you can create professional titles in minutes.
Adding a text title:
1 From the Title step, use the Clip
navigation buttons below the Preview
window, or directly drag the Preview bar
to scroll through your movie.
2 When you see the frame where you
would like your title to appear, click the
Create or edit Title clip button or
directly click the Preview window.
Remember that you cannot create a new
title over an existing title clip.
3 T ype in your title in the Preview window
and customize it as you would in an
ordinary word processor. All settings are
available on the Options panel.
(See page 45 for details.)
4 When you are finished, click the Add to
timeline button. Repeat steps 1 to 4 by
moving to a different frame to enter a
new text title as needed.
Preview bar
Create or edit
Title clip button
Clip navigation buttons
Add to timeline button
44
Notes:
•
When entering a text title, a faint rectangle is
visible in the Preview window. This is the
Title safe area, and it is the recommended
maximum size for your text. Along with the
rectangle, you should see a blinking cursor
that indicates the starting point for text entry.
•
When entering text, you can press the
Backspace key to correct mistakes and
press the Enter key to start a new line. Move
around the text with the arrow keys as
needed. To change the attributes of text, first
highlight the text by selecting it with your
mouse and then make revisions.
The yellow triangle
represents the
position of the title
clip in the Timeline.
A centered text title being
edited. Note the Title safe
area around the center of
the window.
TITLE
VideoStudio improves the Options panel with new features like border, transparency and
shadow. Simply use these settings to design the look of the current selected title. Note that
available options might be different, depending on the title preset you choose.
Option page 1: General
Depending on the option you choose, it can apply to the whole text title, or part of it.
Create or edit title clip
Click to begin making or modifying a title clip.
Font face
Selects any True Type font
installed on your computer.
Options page controls
Click to toggle between three option pages:
General, Transparency, and Shadow.
Line spacing
Sets the spacing, or leading, between
lines of text.
Font size
Sets the size of the text in points.
Font style
Bold, italic and underline.
Motion style button
Selects a type of animation for
your credits. Click to display
animation styles.
Reset
Reverts to original settings.
Option page 2: Transparency
Each option here applies to the whole text title.
Border width
Sets the extent of the border
around each character in a text
title.
Transparency
Sets how visible the title is
over your video.
Color
Sets the color of the selected text.
Alignment
Left, center or right justification.
Duration
Sets the length of time for the title
clip. You can also modify the
duration by using the two yellow
Trim handles on the Timeline.
Apply changes
Applies new settings to the title clip.
Border color
Sets the border color of the
whole text title.
Soft edge
Sets how smoothly a text title
blends into the video clip.
45
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Option page 3: Shadow
Each option here applies to the whole text title.
Shadow styles
Determines the shadow type.
Available detailed settings vary
depending on the shadow style you
choose.
Transparency
Sets how visible the shadow is over
your video.
Modifying a text title:
1 Click a title clip on the Timeline. The
selected clip will be surrounded by a
broken line and two yellow handles.
2 Click the Create or edit title clip button,
or directly click the Preview window to
change the text.
3 Again, you can simply move to another
step to finish, or click the Apply changes
button. You can also use the Reset button
make the text change back to its original
state.
Create or edit
title clip button
Shadow color
Sets the shadow color.
Intensity
Sets the extent of the
shadow.
Soft edge
Sets how smoothly the
shadow blends into the
video clip.
Reset and Apply changes
buttons
Note:
Once a title clip has been inserted onto the Timeline, you can adjust its duration by either
clicking and dragging on the handles, or entering a duration value on the Options panel. To see what
the title looks like in the Preview window, use the Preview bar handles. The Library can also be used
to store your title clips. To add a title clip to the Library, just drag it from the Timeline to the Library.
Rolling & scrolling
One of the most common and effective techniques for presenting closing credits is the rolling
or scrolling credits. With Ulead VideoStudio, this is simply a matter of specifying a direction
and a duration for your text. After you have entered some text and inserted it onto the
Timeline, click the title clip you have created and check the Options panel.
46
TITLE
Animating a text title:
1 Select a text title on the Timeline or
create a new one.
2 On the first page of the Options panel,
Motion style
button
click the yellow Motion style button.
3 Select a motion style from one of the
preset choices.
4 Click the Apply changes button.
Text title animation effects on
the Options panel
Most of the motion style buttons, the last twelve in fact, represent scrolling animations. It is a
little difficult to explain in words, but not hard to understand.
For example, the button has a box with three arrows pointing down. This
represents a title that starts off the top of the screen, scrolls downward across
the screen, and scrolls off the bottom.
A brief description of each motion style is also available in a pop up message format when
moving the mouse over a motion style button.
But the best way to figure out what these really do is to select the effect, and then click Playclip button to see the result in the Preview window. You can also use the Preview window to
see the results of your changes by grabbing and dragging the yellow Preview bar beneath the
Preview window.
The speed of scrolling is directly determined by the length of the clip: very slow title
animations take longer to play. So if you need a scrolling title that lasts for less than a second,
the speed of scrolling is going to necessarily be quite rapid.
Fading in & out
Another incredibly useful, easy, and effective method of displaying your titles is to fade your
text in from invisible to crisp and clear and then back to invisible again. This works especially
well for opening credits with a slow fade, or as captions with a quicker fade.
Fading titles:
1 Select a text title on the Timeline or
create a new one.
2 On the first page of the Options panel,
click the yellow Motion style button.
3 Click one of the three buttons for fading.
Buttons for fading
47
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Putting it all together
To create a long list of credits in a production, it is necessary to insert a series of title clips into
the Timeline.
Creating extended credits:
1 Start by creating one clip with multiple
lines of text.
2 Drag a copy of the Title clip from the
Timeline to the Library. This is the
easiest way to maintain consistency on
Note:
each title’s attributes.
3 Drag title copies from the Library back to
the Timeline to create new titles.
4 Modify the text in the copied title.
5 Repeat this procedure until you have
credited the whole gang.
You’ll end up with a number of separate,
sequential title clips on the Timeline. Try adding
a small space between clips for a brief pause.
Anyway you do it, test your titles to ensure that
they are readable in the final version of your
movie. (See page 57 for information about
previewing parts of a movie)
Using video or image clips as titles
In addition to text titles, VideoStudio provides a new feature that adds video or image clips as
titles. This new feature is particularly useful when this video or image file has a transparent
background. So, the object in the video or image file does not just blend smoothly into the
background. More importantly, you can simply design a custom-made video or image title in
dedicated editors like Ulead COOL 3D 3.0 and Ulead PhotoImpact 6.0 first, and then import it
to VideoStudio as a title.
48
Notes:
•
For a video title with a transparent
background, currently VideoStudio only
accepts the AVI format with a 32-bit RGB
data type created in Ulead COOL 3D 3.0.
•
For an image title with a transparent
background, the accepted format is PNG,
PSD, and TIF. For example, to do it in Ulead
PhotoImpact 6.0, create an irregular shape
selection first. Then, save it as one of the
above mentioned format with the option
“Save Selection” activated.
Video Save Options
dialog box in
Ulead COOL 3D 3.0
Save As dialog box in
Ulead PhotoImpact 6.0
TITLE
Also, VideoStudio adds a new versatile moving path option that animates a video or image title
in a way of your choice. The way to use the option is the same as the one for text titles. Below
is the introduction to all the options (including moving path) that apply to both video and
image titles.
Option page 1: General (Video)
See page 32 for details.
Option page 2: Motion (Video and Image)
Option page 1: General (Image)
Note:
As VideoStudio automatically resizes an
image clip to the 4:3 ratio, it’s better to create
an image at this ratio beforehand to avoid
possible undesired distortion.
Moving style
Determines the way a video or
image title moves. Move the mouse
over each icon for its ToolTips with
specific description.
Zoom ratio
Sets the degree of magnification for
a video or image title.
Anchor position
Determines the location of a video
or image title within its underlying
video or image clip.
49
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Voice & Music
The importance of music in a video production cannot be overstated, and a running narration
can be just as critical. Ulead VideoStudio has the tools to make sure your audio is top notch.
Like the other parts of VideoStudio, the audio tracks are activated by clicking on their
respective Step on the menu at the top of the program interface, by clicking on the icons to the
left of the track, or by double-clicking on the track itself. The upper audio track is the Voicetrack. This can be used to create a running narration of your movie. The lower audio track is
the Music track, and can be used for background music. You can even use music from your
favorites CDs.
Voice track
Detail of the Timeline showing the two audio tracks with WAV file clips
Insert media files button
If you already have some audio files (including MP3 files) ready to be
used in your movie, it is just a matter of clicking the Insert media files
button and inserting the clip onto the Timeline. The Library can also be
used to store your audio clips and dragging and dropping to and from
the Timeline is effortless. Click the Load audio button at the top right
of the Library panel to add audio clips.
Incidentally, the Ulead VideoStudio CD also comes with several audio
clips ready for you to use. These clips are mostly short sound effects
clips and can be very humorous when used in your movies, or can be
used to create additional ambience.
50
Music track
Load audio button
VOICE & MUSIC
Voiceover narration
Explaining exactly what is going on in your movie can really help your viewers understand and
enjoy it better. This technique is often used in television documentaries and news stories.
Narrating a movie:
1 Use the Preview bar to move to the
section of the video you want to narrate.
Remember that you cannot record over
an existing clip, so make sure none is
selected by clicking on a blank section of
the Voice track.
2 Select the Record with preview option
and then click the Record button. A
small lever meter appears.
Detail of Voiceover on
the Options panel
3 When you speak into your microphone,
the meter should light up. Use the
Windows audio mixer to adjust the level
of the microphone.
4 Click the Start button and begin
speaking. W atch your video play in the
Preview window to synchronize the
narration with the action.
5 Click the Stop button (or press the Esc
key) when you are finished recording.
Adjust Volume level meter
Note:
Before narration in VideoStudio, check the audio settings in Windows. For example, in Windows
98, go to the Start menu and then click Programs: Accessories - Entertainment - Volume control.
Please click Options: Properties and then select Recording. In the volume controls list that appears
below, select the MIC option and then click OK. Here in the MIC Balance area, make sure the Select
option is checked and the microphone volume level is adjusted to your desired level.
The easiest method of recording a narration for a video is to record in short ten or fifteen
second sessions. This allows you to prepare what you are going to say more easily and to
quickly fix mistakes. When you have mispoken and recorded a bad clip, just select the clip on
the Timeline and delete it. Some people are comfortable doing impromptu narrations, some
people prefer just an outline, and others like to have the complete text of what they want to say
written out beforehand. Don’t worry, this is still only the project and not the actual movie, so
you still have a lot of room to experiment.
51
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Background music
The mood of your movie is determined as much by your video as it is by the background music
you use. Whether you choose Classical, Country, or Chinese folk music, the decision is entirely
up to you. The source of this music can be any CD in your collection.
To use the audio from a CD in your movie, you first have to record the music you want with
your computer. This creates a WAV file, which is the digital audio data from your CD. Ulead
VideoStudio now supports a number of additional file formats, including MP3. MP3s are an
exciting new way to share music over the Internet and there are thousands of songs available
for you to download.
Recording music from a CD:
1 Insert the CD in your CD-ROM.
2 On the Options panel, select a Music
track.
3 Select the track (song number) on the CD
that you want to play.
Important: Many computers
automatically play CDs when they are
CD track information on the Options panel
inserted. You must close all other CD
players for this step to work properly.
4 Click the Play button to listen to the CD
to find the section of the song that you
want to record. Remember that you
cannot record over a WAV file on the
Music track, so click on a blank portion
The Play button changes to the Stop button
when playing a CD.
of the track if the CD controls are
unavailable.
5 Click the Record button when you are
ready.
6 Click the Stop button (or press the Esc
The Record button turns red when recording.
key) to insert the recorded clip onto the
Timeline.
After you have recorded a clip, the controls
on the Options panel have changed
somewhat. The top numbers now represent
the total Duration of the inserted clip. As
with other types of media clips, you can now
trim the inserted music file to better fit your
movie.
52
WAV file trim information
VOICE & MUSIC
Working with background music
You can drag and drop audio clips to move
them or add them to the Library. From the
Timeline, a selected audio clip has two yellow
handles that can be used for trimming. Again,
just grab a handle and drag it to shorten a
clip, either from the beginning or end.
Duration
Displays and lets you
change the duration of
the WAV file.
Volume
Sets the volume for the
entire clip.
Selected WAV file with Trim handles
Mark in / out
Shows trimming information about the clip.
Fade in / out
Gradually fades the beginning and/or
ending volume of a clip.
Clip properties
Click to display detail information
about the clip.
Trimming an audio clip:
1 Select a clip by clicking on it in the
Library or the Timeline.
2 Click and drag a T rim handle to set the
trim position.
3 When you have selected the area you
want to trim, click the Apply changes
button.
4 You can selectively play only the
trimmed portion of the clip by holding
the Shift key and clicking the Play
button.
Apply changes
Click to apply trimming and volume changes to
the selected clip.
Trim handles beneath the Preview window
Apply changes button
Play button
53
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Mixing it up
VideoStudio has two explicit sound tracks, one for voice and one for music. If you captured
your video with sound, then in reality, you also have a third sound track that is included with
the video file. This really gives you a lot of creative freedom. Vacation shots, scenery and
nature videos, and movies of parties all lend themselves very well to music video style
productions. Or you can combine this format with a voiceover. And when someone talks to the
camera, you may want to eliminate the music all together for a short period of time. The key to
making this all work smoothly is to control the volume of the various clips. This is done with
the Options panel.
The control of your audio tracks is found on the Options panel. The panel shown below is
actually from a video clip, but you will notice that it is the same as the audio clip on the
Options panel. The first control is the volume control, expressed as a percentage of the
original. Click the control to select from a range of audio amplification options: 0 to 500%
(where 100% is no change and 0% will completely silence the clip). If you want a completely
silent part, it is probably easiest to just delete the clip from one of the audio tracks. This,
however, is not the best way to eliminate the audio part of a video clip on the Video track. Any
changes made with this control applies to the entire clip.
Audio controls for a video clip
Volume amplification control
Ulead VideoStudio splits the audio into Voice and Music tracks for convenience as well as
simple mixing, but you shouldn’t feel limited by this. You may have noticed that you can insert
any sort of Windows audio file onto either track, regardless of the content. Music clips can go
on the Voice track and vice versa.
54
VOICE & MUSIC
Moving audio clips between tracks:
1 To move an audio clip from the Music
track to the Voice track, you first need
to drag the clip to the Library.
2 Delete the clip you have just copied from
the Music track.
3 Switch to the Voice track by double-
clicking on it.
4 Drag the clip from the Library to the
Voice track.
Fade away
Background music that starts and stops suddenly can be distracting. If you record an entire
song, this is probably not a problem since most songs have a beginning and ending. But,
smooth transitions are a different matter if you only want to use a portion of a song. Ulead
VideoStudio provides the tools necessary to seamlessly blend your music into the background.
Fade in
Slowly fades the volume of the first 30%
of a clip from zero to 100%.
Volume
Sets the volume for the entire
length of a clip. Use this control
to lower the volume of the audio
on a video clip so that your
voiceover narration can be clearly
heard above the background.
Fade out
Slowly fades the volume of the last
30% of a clip from 100% to zero.
Active controls are yellow.
Detail of an audio clip on the Options panel
55
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Finish
Currently, there is no single standard format for video on a PC. This is not an uncommon issue
in the early days of any new technology. There are dozens of choices you need to make about
the format of your final movie. Fortunately, in the case of digital video, choosing the wrong
format costs you nothing. In this sometimes complicated section, we’re going to walk you
through the universal procedure you need to follow to make a movie, talk about the various
options you need to consider, and discuss the actual formats’ strengths and weaknesses.
Rendering a movie:
1 Click the Finish step to display the
Options panel for making your actual
movie file.
2 On the Options panel, click the Make a
movie button. The Save As dialog box
appears.
3 Enter a File name for your movie and
select a file format from the Save as type
list.
4 Select a format that is the same as your
captured clips’ format.
5 To start the rendering process, click the
Save button.
Make a movie button
Save As dialog box for making movies
The speed at which your computer renders or creates a movie can vary greatly, depending on
how complicated your project is, which occasionally takes some time. Be patient and let your
computer do its thing. You may even want to let your computer render really big projects
overnight or while you’re at work.
Notes:
•Once a movie is rendered, an associated thumbnail will be displayed in the Library.
•If you’re using an IEEE 1394 interface card, the maximum file size of a rendered movie is 4 GB.
Yet, Microsoft Windows 2000 with a hard drive using NTFS formatted partition can go beyond that
limitation.
•If you’re using an analog video capture card, the maximum file size of a rendered movie is 2 GB.
Tip:
To minimize rendering time, use the same video file format settings for source video files
(including captured video files and inserted ones), project, and movie template. The second-best
method is to have the same settings for source video files and project. The second method at least
saves the rendering time whenever you use the Play project button for previewing before actually
making a movie.
56
FINISH
If you’ve gone through the process of creating a movie already, you know that rendering may
take quite a while. Sometimes, it is hard to know how your project is going to work until it is
actually rendered. Fortunately, Ulead VideoStudio lets you select a portion or range of your
project to render as a preview video for just this reason.
Rendering partially:
1 Make sure that no clips are selected (a
selected clip has a broken line around it).
You can deselect a clip by clicking on the
ruler at the top of the Timeline.
2 The green bar and Trim handles now act
on the entire project. Use the handles to
select a Preview range. You can tell that
the Preview range is working on the
entire project because a red line appears
Video clip with selected preview area in red
on the Timeline. This represents the
range selected quite clearly. (Another
way of selecting a preview range is to
drag the yellow triangle along the red
line. Then, press F3 and F4 respectively
for starting and ending points.
3 Click the Make a movie button on the
Options panel.
4 In the resulting Save As dialog box, enter
a file name and then click the Options
button. On the first tab, Ulead
VideoStudio, select Preview range
instead of Entire project. (For more info
on Video Save Options dialog box and
recommendations, see page 61.)
5 Click OK to return to the Save As dialog
box and then click the Save button.
Rendering quick previews of parts of your project is invaluable in fine tuning effects, titles,
and synchronizing audio in your projects. In the image above, you can see that the Preview
range covers a bit before and after a transition effect. The resulting video file will accurately
show how the transition will look in the final movie.
Note:
Another way to preview parts of your project is to click the Play project button while holding the
Shift key, even if you’re not in the Finish step. The selected range will be rendered and then played in
the Preview window. This method creates a temporary video file under the folder you assigned in the
Preferences dialog box for preview files location. Please deleted them from time to time by selecting
Global commands: Preview Files Manager, so as to free up hard drive space.
57
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Putting a movie on the Web
After you have created a movie that is suitable for posting to the Internet, Ulead VideoStudio
can assist you with the actual task of coding the HTML document.
Creating a Web page:
1 Select a video clip from the Library. If
you want to use a project, make sure you
have already rendered it using the Make
a movie button.
2 Select Web Page from the drop down
list on the Options panel.
3 Click the Export video clip button.
4 Choose whether you want to use an
ActiveMovie control. (See below for
more information.)
5 Enter a name and location for the new
Note:
HTML file.
6 Click OK when you are finished.
In step 1, you can go to the Storyboard
step, and then select a video clip from either
the Timeline or the Storyboard mode.
Your default browser now opens, showing you how your page looks. You can, of course,
enhance this page by using your favorite HTML editor or even Windows NotePad. When you
upload this page to your Web server, you need to change one line of code to reflect the relative
links to the associated movie file:
<PARAM NAME="FileName" VALUE="C:\My Project\my_movie.avi">
In this example of an ActiveMovie object, this line points to a local hard drive, so you need to
point it to its location on your Web site. You’ll also need to change the link if you are not using
the ActiveMovie control. ActiveMovie is a small plug-in for your Internet browser (standard
with IE 4.0 or above), and your viewers will also need to have it installed. If you choose No,
the page will be set up with a simple link to the movie.
Sending a movie by E-mail
When you select E-mail, Ulead VideoStudio automatically opens your default e-mail client
and inserts the selected video clip into a new message as an attachment. As with regular e-mail,
enter a recipient, a subject and a message and then send your message.
If you have problems getting this to work, use the Ulead VideoStudio online Help and enter Email as the search keyword on the Index tab for assistance.
58
FINISH
Electronic greeting cards
Multimedia greeting cards are an attractive way of sharing your video to friends and relatives.
Instead of sending the video as a simple attachment in an e-mail, Ulead VideoStudio packs the
movie into an executable (*.exe) file that automatically plays the video as soon as the user runs
it. In addition, the video is displayed in a background image of your choice. This procedure
only works on finished, or rendered movies, and not on projects. You can select individual
clips or render your movie to include the whole thing in a card.
Creating a greeting card:
1 Select a video clip.
2 Select Greeting Card from the drop
down list, and then click the Exportvideo clip button.
3 Your video appears in a bounding box in
the Multimedia Greeting Card dialog
box. Select an image from the
Background template by doubleclicking it.
4 Move the mouse over the thumbnail, and
drag it to adjust the position. Another
way is to enter X and Y axis values. You
can also resize the image using the black
controls around the thumbnail, or enter
Width and Height values directly.
5 Enter a file name for the card in the
Greeting card file entry box.
6 Click OK to create the card.
Multimedia Greeting Card dialog box
The templates that are provided with Ulead VideoStudio are JPG image files. If you are
artistically inclined, you can create your own templates in any graphics editor, or even use still
frames captured from your movies. Search for images with the Browse button next to the
Background template file name entry box.
59
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Make Movie Manager
The Make Movie Manager lets you create, modify, or delete movie templates. With movie
templates ready, making a movie is simple because all you have to do is choose a template you
like without taking the risk of improper settings.
Using the Make Movie Manager:
1 Click the Global commands button, and
then select Make Movie Manager.
2 Select a media type from the A vailable
movie templates list.
3 Select a template, and then click New,
Edit, or Delete accordingly. (Depending
on how you want to work on these
templates.)
4 Click Close.
Note:
If you do not want to use a movie
template, select Custom in step 2. Here you
can freely choose a file format and its options.
60
Using a movie template:
1 Go to the Finish step, and then click the
Make a movie button.
2 Select a template from the list that
appears. Available choices depend on the
number of templates created previously.
3 Move to the folder you want to save the
movie, and then enter a file name.
4 Click Save.
FINISH
Projects, templates & video save options
Since project properties, project / make movie templates, and video save options share mostly
the same settings, this section gives you an overall introduction to video file save options and
suggestions. Project properties determine the video settings in your project, while make movie
template and video save options save your movie in different formats at your choice.
•Project (template) properties: Access it any time by clicking the Global commands button
and select Project Properties (or Templates Manager / Make Movie Manager and then
choose a template). Next, click the Edit button.
•Video save options: In the Finish step, click the Make a movie button. Next, click the
Options button. (If you have movie templates ready , click Custom first.) The default values
are based on your project properties (template). You can customize them, but watch out for
possible incompatibility problems if values are not properly set.
Note:
Available settings depend on the type of file format you choose. The following settings are for
Microsoft AVI files only. Click the Help button for specific instructions whenever in the dialog box.
Ulead VideoStudio
If you only want to render a small portion of
your movie, create a Preview area, and then
come back here to select Preview range.
Otherwise, Entire project is selected by
default.
For computer video, a Frame-based frametype is always fine. If you want to watch your
movie right after rendering your project,
select Play after creating. You can, of
course, play your movie with Windows media
player at any time after rendering.
General
If you have a sound track in your project,
select Audio and Video for the Data track.Frame rates can be set anywhere between 15
and 30 frames per second. Higher frame rates
mean high quality, but larger file sizes. Check
your capture card manual for possible frame
rate recommendation. For example, it is
Video Save Options: Ulead VideoStudio
61
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
common to use 29.97 fps for NTSC video
going back out to a VCR in North America.
As with Frame rate, a larger Frame size
yields a larger file size. It’s best to try to
render your video with the same frame rate
and frame size as when captured. This results
in the highest quality video and the quickest
rendering times. In the Storyboard mode,
select a clip and click the Clip properties
button to find out about these settings.
Advanced
In this tab, you can specify the data rate of
your video file by targeting a specific medium
for play back. Data rate is calculated in
kilobytes per second (Kb/Sec) of data that
needs to move from your source (disk drive,
CD-ROM, modem, etc.) through your
computer. If you have a Target playbackdevice in mind right now, select it from the
list. You can set the Tolerance to let the data
vary a little, otherwise Ulead VideoStudio
will stop and warn you if the data rate is too
high. It may well be impossible to compress
640x480 30 fps video down to a data rate of
150 Kb/Sec, but this depends on your video
(e.g. whether it has a lot of action) and how
much quality you feel you can sacrifice.
Video Save Options: General
Video Save Options: Advanced
Compression
This is where you choose the codec, or type
of compression software, you’ll use to create
your video. All digital video is compressed in
some way, and the video clips you captured to
your computer are already using some kind of
codec. To maintain the highest possible
quality and keep render times to a minimum,
it is best to use the same codec to capture
62
FINISH
your video and to create your final movie.
This information can be found by clicking the
Storyboard step, selecting a captured clip, and
clicking the Clip properties button. Some
video capture cards record “uncompressed”
video, in which case you should select None
as the compression type (this, however, will
create a very large file).
Many codecs allow you to select the Quality
of the output as a percentage. In some, you
can set the Keyframe for every X frames;
for now the default for the codec should be
adequate, but lower numbers mean longer
render times and higher quality. The Datatype is usually set by default, and again,
should match your captured clips. Audio
compression can also be set, independent of
the video compression. Data rates are listed,
so you can easily see the impact on your
completed movie. There is no point in
choosing a higher quality audio setting than
your original source audio files. And, like
video, selecting the same audio compression
as used in your highest quality audio clip
(usually music) is your best option.
Video Save Options: Compression examples using different codecs
MPEG-1 file for VCD
A VCD is simply a special version of a CD-ROM. The exciting thing about this format is that
it can be read by CD-ROMs, VCD players, or even DVD players.
The format used on a VCD is MPEG-1. The previous section explains how you can put a video
file on a CD to play back on a computer. This file can be just about any format: AVI, MPEG-1,
MPEG-2, etc. When you want to create a VCD file, however, you need to create a special
WhiteBook standard MPEG-1 file that has very technical specifications. Fortunately, creating
such a file is easy with Ulead VideoStudio.
63
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Creating an MPEG-1 file:
1 Open your project and go to the Finish
step.
2 Click the Make a movie icon.
3 From the Media type list, select NTSC
VCD (or PAL VCD, depending on your
TV standard).
4 Enter a name and click Save to render
your movie.
MPEG-1 is a highly compressed format that maintains very good quality. Once the file is
created, you have to use a special VCD creation program to write (burn) the CD on your CD
writer. Simply follow the instructions for those programs to write your movie to the correct
location on the CD. Keep in mind that the quality of the blank CD could be important and that
not all stand-alone players can play VCDs created on your computer.
MPEG-2 file for DVD
The most exciting recent development is MPEG-2, which is used on DVDs and digital satellite
television. MPEG-2 yields highly compressed files of extremely high quality. There are a
couple things you should consider about this format.
First of all, MPEG-2 files and Digital Video files are of the same video resolution. NTSC
MPEG-2 (DVD) is 720x480 pixels, while PAL MPEG-2 (DVD) is 720x576 pixels. This fairly
large resolution implies that the MPEG-2 file size is much bigger than MPEG-1’s.
With that in mind, MPEG-2 is an excellent choice for any type of movie. Ulead VideoStudio
lets you capture directly from your camcorder to the MPEG-2 format, perform frame-accurate
editing, and then create a final movie in the same format. You can further use a special DVD
authoring tool to create a DVD that can be played directly on a home DVD player or the DVDROM on your PC.
64
FINISH
Creating an MPEG-2 file:
1 Open your project and go to the Finish
step.
2 Click the Make a movie icon.
3 From the Media type list, select NTSC
DVD (or PAL DVD, depending on your
TV standard).
4 Enter a name and click Save to render
your movie.
Recording back to DV camcorder
All movies on a computer are composed of ones and zeros and are therefore digital, but Digital
Video with uppercase for both “D” and “V” stands for a very specific format of video, just like
VHS or High-8. This format can be understood (played back, recorded) by your camcorder.
When you have the proper hardware (capture card) and software (DV codec), it can also be
understood by your computer.
The most exciting thing about DV is that it can be copied from your camcorder to your
computer, and then back to your camcorder (after editing, of course) without any loss of
quality. Ulead VideoStudio offers comprehensive support for DV in all of its manifestations on
the market. This includes, but is not limited to, Type-1, Type-2, PAL, NTSC, and even the
device control of your camcorder.
Recording a movie to your DV camcorder:
1 Turn on your camcorder and set it to Play
mode (or VTR / VCR mode). See your
camcorder’s manual for specific
instructions.
2 Select a compatible DV formatted AVI
file from the Library. If you want to use a
project, make sure you have already
rendered it using the Make a movie
button.
Note:
To check if a video clip is a DV formatted AVI file, right-click its associated thumbnail in the
Library, and then select Clip properties. (See the above illustrations.)
65
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
3 Go to the Finish step.
4 From the Output options list, select your
DV Recording device (for example: MS
DV Recording).
5 Click the Export video clip button. The
DV Recording - Preview Window
dialog box opens. Click Next.
6 In the DV Recording - Record Window
dialog box, click the DV recording
button to begin the process.
7 Click Finish.
DV Recording button
DV Recording - Record Window dialog boxDV Recording - Preview Window dialog box
Note:
Before recording a video file back to your DV camcorder, make sure the video is saved with the
correct codec. For example, the codec DV Video Encoder - Type 1 usually works well for most NTSC
DV camcorders. You can select it from the Compression tab in the Video Save Options dialog box.
The Internet
The Internet is becoming an exciting new place to share your movies, but there are a few things
you need to watch out for. A short three minute vacation video can easily run 60 MB and take
many hours to download. But at reasonable file size, you can put your movies on the Net just
as easily as you place an image on a Web page. Effective use of video on the Internet requires
very high compression ratios that usually result in very low quality movies. This means your
66
FINISH
movie should use a small window (320x240 or preferably smaller), low
frame rate (15 fps), and radio quality mono audio (8 bit). Videos with a lot of
motion or action are not well suited to this medium.
When you are ready to create your movie, the procedure is the same as any
other method. Click the Finish step, click the Make a movie button, and then
select the Options button. On the Compression options tab, select a codec.
Cinepak and Indeo are good choices. Again, you have to consider that these videos are going
to be played on someone else’s computer, so you need to use a popular codec found on many
computers.
MPEG-1 (Moving Picture Experts Group) is becoming the de-facto format for video and
audio on the Web. It is currently used in millions of commercial Video CDs around the world
and provides high compression ratios without loss of quality. This is an excellent choice not
only for the Internet, but for all movies that you plan to play on your computer.
Streaming video is an exciting new method of displaying video on the Internet. This means
that your video begins playing while your movie is still downloading. Some methods of
streaming require special software, a special Internet server and can be expensive, but there are
a number of alternatives appearing. Ulead VideoStudio allows you to compress your files using
RealNetwork’s RealVideo file format (*.RM), Microsoft’s Advanced Streaming format
(*.WMV, previously named *.ASF or *.ASX) or Apple’s QuickTime format (*.QT). These
formats also require your viewer to install the appropriate player, but all are widely available
for download on the Internet. Excellent results can be achieved with any of these codecs.
67
Glossary
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Analog
A signal that is not digital. Most VCRs, radio/
television broadcasting, AV in/out, S-VIDEO, and
stereos are analog. Computers are digital, dealing in
ones and zeros. Information from an analog source
must be digitized to be used on a computer.
Capture
The recording of video or images to a computer
hard disk.
Clip
A short section or part of a movie. A clip can be
audio, video, still images or a title.
Codec
COmpress and DECompress. All video on a
computer uses a special algorithm or program to
process video. This program is called a codec.
Color Clip
A simple background color used in a movie. It is
often used for titles and credits since they stand out
clearly against the solid color.
Compression
Making a file smaller by removing redundant data.
Nearly all digital video is compressed in some way
or another. Compression is achieved through a
codec.
Data Rate
The amount of data per second that is transferred
from one part of your computer to another. In digital
video, the data rate of your source is very important:
CD-ROMs have lower data rates than hard disks.
The data rate of the Internet is very low.
Digital
Computer data consisting of ones and zeros.
Contrast digital information with analog.
Driver
A software program that controls the connection
between a specific device and a computer.
Effect
In Ulead VideoStudio, an effect is a special
computer generated transition between two video
clips.
Frame
A single image in a movie.
Frame Rate
The number of frames per second in a video. NTSC
video is commonly 29.97 frames per second (fps),
but smaller video files can be created on the
computer by using lower frame rates, like 15 fps
(not suitable for VCD or DVD).
Library (Ulead VideoStudio)
The Library is the repository for all of your media
clips. You can store video, audio, titles, or color clips
in the Library and instantly retrieve them for use in a
project.
Mark In/Out
Points in a clip that have been marked for editing
and trimming purposes. A section can be selected
from a longer clip by setting its beginning (Mark in)
and ending (Mark out).
MP3
Abbreviation of MPEG Audio Layer-3. MP3 is an
audio compression technology that produces near
CD audio quality at a very small file size, making it
transfer quickly over the Internet.
MPEG-1
A standard for video and audio compression used in
many products like VCD. For NTSC, its video
resolution is 352x240 pixels at 29.97 fps. For PAL, it
works at 352x288 pixels at 25 fps.
MPEG-2
A subset of MPEG-1. It’s a standard for video and
audio compression used in products like DVD. For
NTSC DVD, its video resolution is 720x480 pixels at
29.97 fps. For PAL DVD, it works at 720x576 pixels
at 25 fps.
68
GLOSSARY
NLE
Non Linear Editing. Conventional editing on a VCR
is necessarily linear because you must access clips
on a video tape in order. Computer editing can be
done in any order that is convenient.
NTSC/PAL
NTSC is the video standard in North America,
Japan, Taiwan, and some other regions. Its frame
rate is 29.97 fps. PAL is common in Europe,
Australia, New Zealand, China, Thailand, and some
other Asian places, which has a frame rate of 25
fps. There are other differences. In the world of DV
and DVD, NTSC has the video resolution of
720x480 pixels, while PAL has 720x576 pixels.
Plug-ins
Plug-ins are small utilities in a program that add
special functions or effects. In Ulead Video Studio,
there are a few output functions that let you send
videos by e-mail, create Web pages or send
multimedia greeting cards.
Project File
In VideoStudio, a project file (*.VSP) contains the
required information to link all associated image,
audio, and video files. You need to open a project
file first before starting video-editing in VideoStudio.
Render
Rendering is the process of making a finished movie
from the source files in a project.
Smart Rendering
SmartRender technology renders only project
changes, eliminating the need to re-render whole
projects and enabling fast previewing.
Streaming
This is a relatively new Internet technology that
allows large files to be played as they are being
downloaded. Streaming is commonly used for large
video and audio files.
Template
A work pattern in a software program. It includes
predefined formats and settings to save user’s
efforts and reduce risks of making mistakes.
Timecode
The timecode of a video file is a numerical way of
representing the position in a video. Timecodes can
be used to make very accurate edits.
Timeline
The timeline is a graphic representation of your
movie in chronological order. The relative size of
clips on the timeline gives you an accurate idea of
the length of your media clips.
Title
A title can be a movie title, a caption or credit. Any
text, image, or video file that overlays in your movie
can be referred to as titles.
Transition Effect
A transition is a method of sequencing between two
video clips, like fading from one into another. In
Ulead VideoStudio, there are a large variety of
special transitions available, and they are called
Effects.
Trim
The process of editing or cropping a movie clip.
Computer video can be trimmed frame by frame.
Source
The source or origin of your media, usually a
camcorder or VCR. Audio CDs are great sources for
music clips.
Storyboard
A storyboard is a visual representation of your
movie. Individual clips are represented as image
thumbnails on the timeline.
Video Filters
A video filter is a method of changing the
appearance of a video clip, like mosaic and ripple.
Voiceover
The narration of a video or movie is commonly
called the voiceover. This is most notable in
documentaries such as nature shows.
69
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
Index
A
ActiveMovie control 58
Adding text title 44
Adding transition 42
Advanced Streaming format 67
analog capture 25
Animating text title 47
Apply button 46
audio clips 50
B
Background music 52
background music 7
backgrounds 39
Batch capture 28
Breaking clip 37
C
camcorder 25
Capture 20, 24
capture card 25
capture still images 27
capturing 6
capturing DV 25
capturing MPEG video 26
capturing still images in the Storyboard step 39
capturing video 6
CD 50
Clip navigation buttons 33
Clip navigator 15
closing credits 44, 46
codec 62
color clips 39
color library 39
Compression 62
Ctrl+Z 35
D
data rate 62
delay of capture 25
deleting media clips 18
deleting source files 18
device control 13
Digital Video 10
dropped frames 25
duration 46
70
DV 4, 10
DV Recording 66
DVD 64
DVD quality movies 5
E
E-mail 58
Effects 20, 42
entire project 61
existing project 22
Export video clip 58, 59
extended credits 48
F
F6 35
Fade away 55
Fade in / out 47, 53
Fading titles 47
Finish 21, 56
FireWire 4
Fit in window 31
Fit project in window button 31
Frame rates 61
Frame size 62
Frame-based frame type 61
G
Getting Ulead VideoStudio 14
Global commands button 16, 33
greeting cards 59
H
handle 34, 36, 37, 53
I
i.LINK 4
IEEE 1394 card 4, 10, 28, 56
image clips 38, 39
image library 38, 39
Insert 18, 19, 60
Insert image 38, 39
Insert media button 15, 34
Inserting color clip 39
Inserting image clip 38
Inserting video clip 34
Inserting video filter 40
Installing Ulead VideoStudio 12
interface 14
Internet 66
INDEX
J
jump cuts 42
L
Library 14, 18, 36
Library Manager 19
license 2
Load audio button 50
Load clip button 18
Load media button 14
M
Make a movie button 56
Make Movie Manager 60
Mark in 28
Mark in /out 34, 35
Mark out 28
maximum file size 56
media clips 18, 30
Mixing it up 54
modes 30
modifying text title 46
movie template 60
moving clips between tracks 55
moving path 49
MP3 50, 52
MPEG 5, 26
MPEG-1 63
MPEG-2 5, 64
multiple versions of a single clip 36
music 21, 50
music track 50, 52
N
Narrating movie 51
narration 50
new project 22
new template 23
O
opening and closing credits 44
Options panel 14, 32
Out of Memory 33
P
PCM 4
Play project 33
Play project button 32
Preferences dialog box 21
Preview Files Manager 33, 57
Preview range 57, 61
Preview window 14
project file 7, 22
Q
Quick Time 67
R
RealVideo 67
record 25
recording movie to your DV camcorder 65
recording music from a CD 52
rendered 33
rendering 7, 22
rendering movie 56
rendering partially 57
Reset button 46
right-click menu 9
rolling & scrolling 46
ruler scale 35
ruler units 31
running Ulead VideoStudio 12
S
Scroll bar 35
scrolling animations 47
scrolling credits 46
seamless capture 8
Select a clip 35, 36
Sending a movie by E-mail 58
setting up MPEG capture 26
Shadow 46
SmartRender 33
Soft edge 43, 45
Software license 2
solid colored backgrounds 39
sound tracks 54
Split scene 27
Start 20, 22
Start step 22
step by step 6
store your title clips 46
Storyboard 20, 30
Storyboard mode 30
Streaming video 67
successful capture 24
Switch mode 15, 30
Switching to different tracks 31
71
ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO USER GUIDE
T
Templates Manager 23
temporary files 33
timecode 24
Timeline mode 31
Title 7, 21, 44
Title button 44
Title motion button 47
Title safe area 44
Tolerance 62
Tracks 31
tracks 7
transition effect 7
Transparency 45
transparent background 48
trim 34
Trim handle 15, 35, 38, 57
Trimming audio clip 53
Trimming clip from the Timeline 35
Trimming clip with the Options panel 36
Trimming clip with the Trim bar 34
U
Ulead VideoStudio project 33
undo 35
Using still images 38, 39
V
Y
yellow Trim handles 35
Z
Zoom controls 15, 31, 35
VCD 63
video capture hardware 25
video clip 6
video filters 8, 40
video or image title 48
VideoStudio CD 50
Voice 21, 50
Voice track 50
Voiceover narration 51
voiceover narration 7
Volume 17
W
Web page 58
Windows 56
Windows 4.X, NT and 2000 11
Windows limitations 27
72
Loading...
+ hidden pages
You need points to download manuals.
1 point = 1 manual.
You can buy points or you can get point for every manual you upload.