Editing QuickTime Movies > Using Video tracks > Setting the properties of a video or other visible track
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Setting the properties of a video or other visible track


The Video Track Inspector allows you to view and edit the track properties:

Title The title of the Video track. Enter any name you want.

Start Time The time position in the movie where you want to start the Video track.

Duration The length of time you want the Video track to run.

Scale Sample Time This checkbox is enabled for tracks that contain samples (sprites, text, chapter, HREF, and filters), or for the Folder track, which contains other tracks. With this option checked, the sample durations changes proportionally when you change the track duration in the track inspector (or if you Shift-drag the track bar's end). With this option not checked, only the last sample would be lengthened to the end of the track bar. (The default setting is unchecked.)

Note: If you have a Sprite track with a lot of samples (for example, frame actions) that need to occur at specific times in the movie, and you then change the duration of the Sprite track with 'Scale Sample Time' checked, all the samples (keyframes) would move as well. This is not a recommended process as this could drastically change the whole layout of the sprite samples.

Position The left and top position respectively of the Video track in the movie. You can view the position changes in the Layout tab of the Movie Viewer window as you change the position numbers in the Inspector. Likewise, you can change the position in the Movie Viewer window and see the changes reflected in the Video Track Inspector.

Size Sets the vertical and horizontal dimensions (width and height respectively) of the Video track as it will appear in the movie. The actual size of the movie is determined by the resulting boundary size of all visible tracks.You can view the size changes in the Layout tab of the Movie Viewer window as you change the size numbers in the Video Track Inspector. Likewise, you can change the size in the Movie Viewer window and see the changes reflected in the Video Track Inspector.

Normalize Track/Set Track Dimension Click this icon () to set these track dimensions. Every track has its own original dimension (called normal size). When you adjust these dimensions in the Layout tab view or in the inspector, you determine a scaling factor. If your track's original size is 160x240 and you set it to 320x240, the scaling factor is 2. When you select Normalize from this popup, the track is reset to 160x120.

If you set the track to 320x240 and then select Set Track Dimension, this new dimension will be the track's new original size; that is, the scaling factor is removed and is set back to one (1). After having done that, Normalize will scale the track down to 320x240, rather than 160x120.

This is particularly useful for the Text track. For example, add a Text track and a Text Sample. When you add a Text track, it is added with the size of 320x240 (the size is determined by the movie size). Scale the Text track down to 160x120 and watch how the text is scaled down. The text will be half the original size. In most cases, you don't want this. To scale the track but not its contained elements, select Set Track Dimension. The track dimensions still show 160x120, but this is now its new original size because the scaling factor has been set to one (1). The text won't be scaled any further.

Constrain Proportions Resizes the Video track proportionally. For example, when you edit the value in the width box, the height is adjusted to maintain the original aspect ratio of the track, and vice-versa.

Mode Specifies how the Video track will overlay on other tracks within the movie:


Choose a mode from the pop-up list.
  • Dither Copy (default mode) simply overlays the image on a track directly below it and applies dithering for a more refined look. There is no interaction between a track in Dither Copy mode and tracks below it.
  • Copy is the same as Dither Copy, with one exception: it lacks the dithering capability, which makes it less suitable for display on systems in 256-color mode. However, this option may provide better performance in low memory situations.
  • Blend makes the track translucent, so you can see partially through it to the track below. The degree and color of the transparency can be set by clicking the color field next to the Mode drop-down list, which displays the Color palette. In the Color palette, choose a color and drag it from the preview pane to the Mode color field. The lighter the color, the less translucent the track will be; the darker the color, the more translucent it will be.
  • Transparent lets you define a transparent color for any visual track. Choose the color as described in Blend mode.

    • The next four modes are all based on alpha channels. An alpha channel defines how an image is combined with a background image already present at the location where the image will appear. By defining an alpha channel you specify which part of a visible image should be left out (the proper term is "masked") to make a background image appear in that area. The "alpha" graphics modes in this menu enable Adobe GoLive to display movies with alpha channel content:
  • Straight alpha means that the color components of each pixel should be combined with the background pixel at the same location based on the value contained in the alpha channel.
  • Premul white alpha supports images created on a white background with a premultiplied alpha channel.
  • Premul black alpha supports images created on a black background with a premultiplied alpha channel.
  • Straight alpha blend is a combination of straight alpha and blend, so the masked areas will be transparent, and the non-transparent areas will be translucent. As with the Blend mode, you can use the Color palette to edit the degree of translucency.
  • Composition (Dither Copy) is similar to Copy and Dither Copy, but more appropriate for Video tracks created from animated GIF files.

    • Editing QuickTime Movies > Using Video tracks > Setting the properties of a video or other visible track