Using the TimeLine Window

The TimeLine Window provides enhanced functionality that lets you add more complex interactivity to your QuickTime movies, but at the same time makes it easier to do so. The TimeLine Window is shown here and described below.

The TimeLine Window tools and controls provide the following functions:

Inspect/move/copy sample () Use this tool for selecting items in the TimeLine Window. You can also use this tool for moving and copying tracks, as well as displaying the track inspectors.

Create sample () Use this tool to create a Sample track bar or sprite keyframe. Some tracks do not contain samples, such as the Video track. However, for the tracks that do contain samples (such as the three Filter tracks, HREF, Text, Chapter, and Sprite tracks), an expanding/collapsing arrow is visible to the left of the track name. Click the arrow to expand the track. The Sample track appears. You'll need to create the sample content (they are not created by default). Click the Create sample tool, choose your start point in the track content area and drag the Sample track bar to the desired end point. Release the mouse button. You'll see your Sample track in the track content area and the corresponding sample inspector will be displayed.

Divide sample () Use this tool to create several samples in a very short time frame. For example, you can add text to a sample, apply it, then display the text at three different time intervals by cutting the original long sample into three pieces. Then you can drag each sample bar to the time interval you want.

Glue samples () Use this tool to set the end time of one sample to the start time of the next sample. Or, you can set the start time of a sample to the end time of the previous sample. For example, create a Text track with two samples. Drag the second sample until there is a gap between sample one and sample two. Then, click the first sample with the glue tool, and the gap will be filled.

Delete sample () Use this tool to delete a Sample track bar or sprite sample. Simply place the eraser tool on the Sample track bar or sprite sample and click.

The Marker pop-up () Jumps you to a specific marker in the Time Ruler, which will jump to that spot in your movie in the Movie Viewer window.

The Time Ruler Displays time intervals depending on what you have selected in the Time Slider at the bottom of the window (x number of frames per second, or seconds). You can also set markers in the Time Ruler, which allow you to jump right to that spot in the movie for editing purposes.

The track list Displays the tracks in the current movie. Each track bar is identified by its name (such as Video Track 1 or Two Source Filter Track) or by its title if you enter one in the appropriate Inspector (such as Fade-in for a Filter Track). You can also double-click the Track name in the track list and enter a new name. You can select a track by clicking its name in the track list or by clicking the track bar in the track content area. To delete a selected track, choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Clear.

The standard Video and Filter track Examples for you to see how some typical tracks appear in the TimeLine Window.

The three columns of Track information to the left of the track list are shown or hidden by clicking the Show/Hide Track Info button () at the bottom of the window. The columns display the following information:

The track content area Displays a bar (or keyframe for a sprite sample) that represents the media on each track. The left edge of the bar marks the start time, and the right edge marks the end time of the track. The keyframe marks the start time of the sprite sample.

The Loop button () Plays the movie in a simple endless loop. When the end of the movie is reached, the movie jumps back to the start and resumes playing, repeating this cycle the number of specified times.

The Palindrome button () Causes the movie to bounce back and forth between its start and end points. (The Loop button must be clicked to enable the Palindrome button.)

Playback controls Let you play your movie in a variety of ways:

The Time Slider The scale to the right of the looping and playback buttons controls the time resolution of the movie. This makes it easier to examine the timing relationships of the various tracks in multiple track movies. Its nonlinear scale extends from one frame (maximum resolution) to one minute (minimum resolution).

By dragging the Time Slider scale to the right, you decrease the time resolution (x number of frames per second, or a measure of seconds up to one minute) and the track bars compress until they fit in the track list area. This allows you to survey a larger section of the movie or the entire movie at a time. The image above shows the effect of compressing the movie display to 50 percent (two frames instead of one). By dragging the Time Slider scale to the left, you maximize time resolution, which increases the level of detail with which the tracks are displayed. The default time resolution is 6 Frames per second. Any changes you make are saved between sessions.

The Time Cursor Lets you preview your movie and place new markers in the Time Ruler. To preview your movie, simply grab the Time Cursor with your mouse, hold down the mouse button and move the Time Cursor left or right. When you want to place a new marker in the time scale, move your mouse left or right in the time scale without holding down the mouse button. You'll see a dotted, vertical line, and your mouse cursor becomes a hand. To place the new marker, slowly move your mouse down until the cursor turns into a small triangle. At that point, click your mouse and a new marker will be set.

Editing QuickTime Movies > About the interactive QuickTime editing tools > Using the TimeLine Window