The
two settings common to nearly all effects are Duration and Pause Time. Wipe Effects have three additional options.
To view and adjust these settings for an effect in a show, click the effect's icon in its action tray. This will
bring up the Actions Tab (unless that effect was already selected and you had opened a different tab, in which
case you'll have to click the Actions Tab).
Though the Pause Time is the second setting on the Action Tab, we'll cover it first here because understanding what it does illuminates how the duration setting works. With Dual Display Effects, which are unique among Vlog It! effects in that they have a built-in pause time, this value controls how long both displays remain up.
All other effects have no Pause Time set by default. If you leave the Pause Time of such an effect at 0.0, it will function as transition effect, meaning that the paired B Source will supplant the A Source, becoming the A Source for the next pairing of trays. Setting a Pause Time effectively converts a transition effect into a non-transition effect: after the specified pause, the effect reverses itself, which reverts to the previous A Source.
This setting controls how long an effect takes to unfold. How the duration is applied depends on whether or not the effect has a built-in pause time and, if it doesn't, on whether you've entered a pause time.
Transition to dual display = Pause time in dual display = Return to single display = |
2.5 seconds 5 seconds 2.5 seconds |
Total time = |
10 seconds |
Transition in = Pause = Transition out = |
5 seconds 5 seconds 5 seconds |
Total time = |
15 seconds |
This defines the edge of the wipe. With the slider all the way to the left, the border of wipe will be a hard line; with the slider pushed all the way right, the wipe blends across a wide swath, a gradient of transparency. If this description leaves you puzzled, drop a wipe effect in the Action Area and preview it with the Softness at both extremes. As with most things in life (and a certain children's folk tale), you'll probably find that a setting somewhere in the middle is just right.
Checking this box will reverse the direction of the wipe effect. For example, if the Wipe Clockwise effect is assigned and you click Reverse, the wipe will proceed counter-clockwise.
To set the color of the semi-transparent edge of the wipe effect, click this button and select a color from the dialog box. The higher the softness setting, the more pronounced the color will be.
Like to Tinker? Eager for More Advanced Customization Options? If so, then you might want to consider trying Visual Communicator. This related product family has a far more extensive selection of effects, and most allow you to customize a wide range of properties, including such things as opacity, reflection, shadow, background graphics, the exact direction of movement. Download a fully functional free trial version and try out some of the advanced options for yourself; note that in the interest of keeping the download size manageable, we did not include many more effects than you get with Vlog It!