Adding an Action Tray & Setting Its Media & Effect

Adding an Action Tray

There's actually no discrete step necessary to add an Action Tray to a show. Trays are created automatically by dropping an effect or media input into the Action Area.

Adding a Media File or Effect to a Show and Creating an Action Tray

If an Action Tray does not yet exist for a particular input/effect pairing, then dropping a media file or effect on a blank spot in the Action Area will both create a tray and populate it with the selected content. It really is as simple as clicking and dragging the desired file or effect from its library into the Action Area and releasing the mouse button when the pointer is in the position where you want the tray to appear. You can also drag a media file from a file management window such as Windows Explorer directly into Vlog It! If the position where the tray lands is not quite right, you can move the tray to adjust the timing or reorganize the sequence.

It makes no difference whether you create a tray by dropping a media file or an effect. If you drop a graphical media file, then the default effect will automatically be assigned. If you drop an effect, then the media input will be either the camera or undefined, depending on the particular effect. So if you will be using the default effect, which you can specify as explained below, then you can save a step by starting with the media file.

Adding Multiple Media Files or Effects

Vlog It! allows you to add two or more media files or effects at once:

  1. If necessary, scroll to the bottom of the show. (Creating multiple new trays in the midst of existing trays is asking for trouble: either the new trays will end up interspersed with the old ones or, worse yet, the content of some existing trays will be replaced by the new content.)
  2. Select the set of media files or effect in their library either by clicking and dragging across a batch of contiguous icons or by holding the CTRL key while clicking each icon. All the icons must be in the same library folder.
  3. Click any of the selected icons, drag to the Action Area, and release the mouse button. A tray will be created for each selected media file or effect. They will be organized in the same sequence as they appear in the library.

Setting The Default Effect

The initial default effect is the Dissolve, one of the simplest and most professional transitions. To change the default to any other effect:

  1. Select Application Settings in the Settings Menu.
  2. Click that field's Browse button for the Default Effect field.
  3. Navigate to the folder for the desired effect.
  4. Select the desired effect and click Open.

Changing a Media File or Effect for an Existing Action Tray

To change the media file or effect for an existing Action Tray, drag the desired icon from its library and drop it on top of the tray. The selected media source or effect will replace whatever was previously assigned to the tray. If you've already published the show, you will have to republish it in order for the new effect or content to be included.

90 Second Cap for the Special Edition and Free Trial: In these two versions of Vlog It!, shows can be up to a minute and a half in length. The full version allows shows to be any length, so feel free to start scripting and story-boarding your first feature-length vlog.