Video Editor Help

The Contents lists the Help topics available for Video Editor.  Use the scroll bar to see entries not currently visible.

Keyboard

Video Editor Keys

Commands

File Menu

Help Menu

Options Menu

Procedures

Displaying Frame Numbers

Hiding the Control Panel

Jumping to a Frame Number

Opening a Digital Video File

Playing Audio in the Video Editor

Playing Video

Previewing a Video Segment

Quitting the Video Editor

Selecting a Beginning Frame

Selecting an Ending Frame

Selecting a Video Segment

Using the Arrow Buttons


File Menu

Open...

Opens an digital video file.

Related Topic:

Opening a Digital Video File

Exit

Exits the Video Editor.

Related Topic:

Quitting the Video Editor


Options Menu

Setup Video...

Displays the Setup Video dialog box which allows you to select a video source.

Setup Overlay...

Displyas the Setup Overlay dialog box which allows you to select a video overlay device.


Help Menu

Index

Displays an alphabetical list of all Help topics that are available.

Keyboard

Displays the accelerators for performing some tasks with the keyboard instead of the mouse.

Commands

Displays an explanation of commands.

Procedures

Displays a description of how to use the Video Editor.

Using Help

Displays a short tutorial and other information about using on-line Help.

About Video Editor...

Displays Video Editor copyright and version information.


Video Editor Keys

You can use the following keys to perform the corresponding functions:

Key	Function
Tab	Moves the focus to the next key in the control panel. Selection progresses from top to bottom and from left to right.
Tab + Shift	Moves the focus to the previous key in the control panel.  Performs in the opposite manner from the Tab key.
Shift + I	Turns on the Index counter. To turn it off, press Shift + I again or press the spacebar.
F	Places the current frame number in the From field.
T	Places the current frame number in the To field.
S	Searches for the frame number that is currently displayed in the Search field.
P	Plays from the starting frame (in the From field) to the ending frame (in the To field).
H	Alternately hides and re-displays the Video Editor window.


Video Editor Commands

To get help with a command, choose the appropriate menu.

File Menu

Open...

Exit

Options Menu

Setup Video...

Setup Overlay...

Help Menu

Index

Keyboard

Commands

Procedures

Using Help

About Video Editor...


Video Editor Procedures

Displaying Frame Numbers

Hiding the Control Panel

Jumping to a Frame Number

Opening a Digital Video File

Playing Audio in the Video Editor

Playing Video

Previewing a Video Segment

Quitting the Video Editor

Selecting a Beginning Frame

Selecting an Ending Frame

Selecting a Video Segment

Using the Arrow Buttons


Opening a Digital Video File

If your system and IconAuthor are set up to play digital video files you can open and then play a file within the Video Editor.

To open a digital video file:

1.	Choose Open... from the File menu of the Video Editor.

A Open dialog box appears.

2.	Select the file you want to play.

3.	Choose OK.

The first frame in the file is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen.  The size of the image varies depending on how it was recorded.

Related Topic:

Playing Video


Playing Video

The video play buttons on the left side of the Video Editor allow you to play the video in different modes such as play, slow, and step; and in different directions, such as forward or reverse. For example, if you click on the arrow button to the right of "Play," the video plays forward at normal speed from the current frame.  If you click on the arrow button to the left of "Play," the video plays backward.

Note: Audio can only be heard in the play forward mode.

If you are using a video player you can use the Index check box at the bottom of the Video Editor control panel to display the current frame number as the video plays.

Use the Audio1 and Audio2 check boxes to control the audio channels as you play video.

The Index and audio check boxes are only effective within the Video Editor.  For example, if you want to manipulate audio channels in the course of your application, you must do so through an icon such as the V:Audio icon.

Related Topics:

Using the Arrow Buttons

Displaying Frame Numbers

Playing Audio


Using the Arrow Buttons

The following buttons appear on the Video Editor control panel:

Play arrows - Play forward or rewind at normal speed.

Slow arrows - Play forward or rewind at slow speed.

Step arrows - Move one frame forward or backward.  If the video is already stopped when you first click on a step arrow, it moves one frame in the appropriate direction.  If the video is not stopped when you first click on a step arrow, it stops.  The next consecutive click on a step arrow moves one frame in the appropriate direction.

Fast arrows - Fast-forward or fast rewind.

Scan arrows - Scan forward or rewind at very high speed .

Note: Some of the arrow button functions may not be available if the commands they represent are not supported by your video player or digital video board.  For example, your videotape player may be unable to slow forward, or fast rewind, therefore the corresponding Video Editor buttons will not work.  Refer to the documentation for your video source to learn about which commands it supports.

To stop the video from playing:

•	Click on the button that you pressed previously.  For example, if you click on the play forward button, the video plays forward.  If you click on the play forward button again, the video stops.


Displaying Frame Numbers

If you are using a video player, the Index check box lets you turn the display of the current frame number on and off.  The Index feature is not available if you are playing a digital video file; it is also not available if it is not supported by your video player.

To display the current frame number:

•	Click on the Index check box to select it.

When you want to hide the frame number, click on the check box again to de-select it.


Playing Audio in the Video Editor

Use the Audio1 and Audio2 check boxes to control the audio channels as you play video.  Typically videodiscs and tapes have multiple audio channels whereas digital video files have one.  If you are playing a digital video file that has audio, both check boxes must be toggled on in order to play the audio.

To turn on an audio channel:

•	Make sure both the Audio1 and Audio2 check boxes are selected.

When you want to turn off the audio, click in either of the audio check boxes to de-select it.

Note: Audio can only be heard in the play forward mode.


Selecting a Video Segment

The buttons and text boxes on the right side of the Video Editor allow you to select a video segment. You select a starting frame number and place it in the From box and select an ending frame number and place it in the To box. You can play the segment you have specified in order to preview it. You can change the starting or ending frames as many times as you want.

This portion of the Video Editor is particularly useful when you have accessed the Video Editor from a Content Editor drop-down list box.  For example, the V:PlayTo icon Content Editor has an Ending Frame text box.  You use this text box to specify the last frame in the segment you want to play.  If you access the Video Editor from the corresponding drop-down list box, you can select a frame number, placing it in the To box.  When you exit the Video Editor, the frame number in the To box is automatically returned to the Ending Frame box.

Related Topics:

Selecting a Beginning Frame Number

Selecting an Ending Frame Number

Jumping to a Frame Number


Jumping to a Frame Number

Use the Search button to jump to the frame number you specify in the corresponding box.

To search to a frame number:

1.	Click in the box to the right of the Search button.

2.	Type in the number of the frame to which you want the player to search.

3.	Click on the Search button.

When the frame is found, it appears as a still on the screen.


Selecting a Beginning Frame

Use the From button to select a frame you want to designate as the beginning frame of the segment.

To select a beginning frame number:

1.	Play the video in any mode (play forward, fast rewind, step forward, etc.).  The video can also be stopped.

2.	Click on the From button when the frame you want as the beginning frame appears.

The corresponding frame number appears in the box to the right of the From button.

Note: It is possible that the Video Editor was invoked from the drop-down list box of a video icon Content Editor.  In this situation, when you select Return or Exit from the Video Editor Options menu, the video frame number in the From box is returned to the appropriate Content Editor text box.

Related Topic:

Selecting an Ending Frame


Selecting an Ending Frame

Use the To button to select a frame you want to designate as the ending frame of the segment.

To designate an ending frame number:

1.	Play the video in forward, reverse or pause mode.

2.	Click on the To button when the frame you want to be the ending frame appears.

The corresponding frame number appears in the box to the right of the To button.

Note: It is possible that the Video Editor was invoked from the drop-down list box of a video icon Content Editor.  In this situation, when you select Return or Exit from the Video Editor Options menu, the video frame number in the To box is returned to the appropriate Content Editor text box.

Related Topic:

Selecting a Beginning Frame


Previewing a Video Segment

Use the Preview button to play a video segment from the starting frame number (in the From box) to the ending frame number (in the To box).  In order for this feature to work properly, the number in the To box must be larger than the number in the From box.

To preview a video segment:

1.	Enter a beginning frame number in the From text box.

2.	Enter an ending frame number in the To text box.

3.	Click on the Preview button.

The specified segment plays.

Related Topics:

Selecting a Beginning Frame

Selecting an Ending Frame


Hiding the Control Panel
Hiding the Video Editor Control Panel

Use the Hide button to temporarily remove the Video Editor control panel from view.

To hide the Video Editor control panel:

•	Click on the Hide button.

To un-hide the Video Editor control panel:

•	Click anywhere on the screen.

When you hide the Video Editor control panel, you can still use the keyboard accelerators.  To ensure that the keyboard accelerators are available when you hide the control panel, make sure that the cursor is not in a text box (Search, From, or To) before you click on the Hide button.


Quitting the Video Editor

Regardless of how you access the Video Editor you can always exit in one of the following two ways:

•	Choose Exit from the File menu.

•	Double click on the Control Menu box.

If you accessed the Video Editor through the drop-down list box of a video icon Content Editor, you can use one of these exit options, or you can exit in such a way that one or both of the frame numbers in the From and To boxes are returned to the Content Editor box.

To return frame numbers to a Content Editor:

•	Choose Exit or Return from the File menu.

The Return option is only available if you accessed the Video Editor from a Content Editor.  The frame numbers that were entered into the from and to boxes of the Video Editor are returned to the Content Editor.

For Help on Help, Press F1