Copyright: Sigurd Lerstad   Saturday, December 18, 1999 19:10:06


Basic Concepts


Palettes


Creating a new Project

A Project is the main file in MMStudio, so before you can do anything in MMStudio you’ll have to create a new project. A Project contains a list of all the footage items you’ve imported, as well as all the compositions you’ve created.

To create a new project, select New Project from the File menu


Open Project

To Open an existing project, select Open Project from the File menu and locate the filename


Saving a Project

To save a project, select Save from the File menu, if you haven’t saved this project before, you’ll be prompted to enter a filename.

To save the project with a new name, choose Save Project As from the File menu.


Importing Footage into a Project

To import a footage file into a Project, select File - > Import -> Footage file.


About Compositions

To make a movie you must first have a composition. A composition is what you will ultimately export to a file format such as AVI or Quicktime. A project that doesn’t contain any compositions doesn’t make much sense.

When you import footage from an external source, such as from an AVI file, it is treated as a composition.

A composition has a certain width and height, a number of frames and a framerate.

In a composition you’ll be adding layers of different types, and placing them together to create the final movie or image. Compositions can also be put in as layers in other compositions that you create, making so-called nested compositions.

A composition uses two windows to display it’s information. The Composition window, showing all the objects composited into one single image at the current frame. The Time Layout window where the objects are displayed from top to bottom on a timeline.

The term footage is used when you import movies or images from external files. But there is no real difference in a composition and footage. You can do with a footage almost everything you can do with a composition that you create from scratch.


Creating a new Composition

To create a new Composition select New Composition in the Composition menu, or press Ctrl+N.

The composition settings dialog will appear, the fields you must enter are:

•	Name	Name of the new composition

•	Width, Height	Dimensions in pixels of the new composition

•	FrameRate	Framerate of the new composition, in frames per second (fps)

•	Frames	Duration of the new composition, in frames


Arranging Frames

The Composition Arrange Frames dialog let’s you arrange/delete and copy frames from other compositions into the current composition.

To bring up the Arrange Frames dialog select Composition -> Arrange Frames from the menu.

The listbox on the left contains a list of all available compositions.

The top filmstrip contains thumbnails of the source composition (the composition selected in the listbox).

The bottom filmstrip contains thumbnails of the destination composition (the composition you are changing).

To copy frames from the source composition to the destination composition, select the frames you want to copy in the top filmstrip. And click Copy (the frames will be deselected)

Click OK when you are done.


Committing Layers

Committing layers in a composition, is the process of making the layers a permanent part of the composition and removing the layers. Playing back the composition or traversing the frames is much quicker after committing, as MMStudio doesn’t need to redraw all the layers, but there is no way to change how the layers behave, so commit only when you are sure the layers look as desired.

To commit the layers, select Composition -> Commit -> Commit Now.

Only layers which are visible will be commited. So if you have a lot of layers, and only want to commit some of them, turn off visibility for the layers you don’t want to commit first, and set it back to visible after committing.


About Layers

Layers are the building blocks of a composition. Layers are placed on top of each other like acetate cels to make the illusion of one single image (if they contain an image or video frames). A layer can also contain audio, in that case it will me mixed together with other audio layers when playing back the movie.

Layers have properties that tell how the layer is displayed. The properties depend on the kind of layer. Some layers have a fixed width/height, while most effect layers take the width/height of their parent layer or the entire composition, affecting everything that is below it.

A layer also has a start time and a duration. That is, when the layer will appear when playing back the composition and how long it will last before it again becomes invisible, for example, if the start time is zero, the duration is 5, and the composition duration is 10, the layer is visible from the moment the composition starts playing, and becomes invisible half-way through the playback of the composition.

There are several different types of layers. Some layers are completely self-contained (meaning that they don’t depend on imported footage items). Others rely on imported footage items.

Creating a new Object

Editing Objects


Paintbrush Layer

A paintbrush or stroke layer is created with the Paintbrush tool.

A paintbrush layer in MMStudio simulates a paintbrush stroke. Before painting, you can choose to either commit the stroke right after painting, or to retain the object so it can be changed or animated later. This is done in the Paintbrush Tool options dialog. If you choose to commit, all other objecs in the composition will be commited as well.

The properties unique to the paintbrush layer are:

The brush tip – The brush tip can be circular or it can be a custom image. By default it is circular. A circular brush has a profile, which defines the opacity of the brush from the center outwards.

To change the profile of a circular brush, click on the profile button in the Preview area in the Object Properties dialog to bring up the profile dialog.

To choose a custom image as a brush tip, click on custom in the Preview Area in the Object Properties dialog, this brings up a file open dialog, locate the image you want to use and click OK.

The colors in a custom brush image can be interpreted in two ways.

Alpha -	This will treat the image as a greyscale image, turning black values into transparent and white values into the current color.

RGB + Alpha – This will treat the image as is, using the color and alpha information as found in the original file.

Size : This is the size in pixels to use for the brush tip

Size +- : This specifies how much the size can vary when painting (view sliders below)

Jitter : This specifies in pixel values how far away brush dabs can be placed from where you’re pointing the cursor. A jitter of 0 means the brush dab will be placed exactly where you place the cursor.

Aspect : This specifies scaling aspect, values below 50 will squeeze the brush tip horizontally, over 50 will squeeze the brush tip vertically. A value of 50 specifies a 1:1 aspect ratio (no squeezing)

Angle : This specifies an angle to rotate the brush

Spacing : This specifies in % how far apart brush tips are to be placed. 100% is the size of the brush. Lower values result in a more continuous stroke, while higher values result in a more dotted stroke.

Min Spacing : This is the minimum spacing value in pixels to use.

Sliders : The slider options let you control how various brush properties react to mouse movements or pressure sensitive tablets.

Paint Method: This specifies how the brush-tip interacts with the underlying image. The different Methods are:

Normal - uses the current brush color regardless of the underlying image.

Multiply - multiplies the brush color with the underlying image colors. The resultant colors are always darker than the underlying image colors.

Screen - multiplies the inverse of the brush color with the inverse of the underlying image colors. The resultant colors are always lightuer than the underlying image colors.

Mosaic – pixelizes the image. The size of the pixels can be specified under method options.

TV Saturatiotion  – lets you adjust the saturation of the image. The amount of saturation can be set under method options.

Smear – lets you smear the image in the direction of the mouse movement.

Method Options: These options depend on the selected paint method.


Creating a new Layer

Before you can create a new layer, you must have a composition open.

To create a Video Layer:

•	Click the source video (or composition) footage in the Project window and while holding the mousebutton down drag it into the destination Composition Window.

This will create a layer that references the video (or composition) footage.

To create a Text Layer:

•	Select the Text tool in the Tools palette.

•	Set Any Text properties you want the layer to have.

•	Click in the Composition window where you want the text to appear.

•	Start typing.

To create a Paint stroke Object:

•	Select the Paintbrush tool in the Tools palette.

•	Set Any Paintbrush properties you want the layer to have.

•	Click in the Composition window and while holding the mouse button down, move the mouse to make strokes.

If you have set the paintbrush to use a custom brush. The custom brush will be added into the project as a new footage item if it wasn’t already there.

To create an OLE Layer:

•	Select Insert OLE layer from the Layer menu.

0	To create an Effect Object

•	First activate the layer that you want to apply the effect to. If you want to apply the effect to all existing layers in the composition, deselect all layers

•	Select the Effect you want to apply from the Effects menu.


Editing Layers

After a layer has been created, you will often want to edit it in some way, move it to another location in the Composition window, or change its properties.

First, select the layer. This can be done in the Time Layout window. Then select the Move Tool in the Tools dialog. Spatial layer properties, such as position, scaling and rotation, can be changed in the composition window, while other layer properties must be changed in the Layer Properties dialog.


Cut/Copying/Pasting and Deleting Layers


About Keyframes

A keyframe is a point in the time layout window that defines the value of a layer property at that time. MMStudio automatically calculates the values of that property between keyframes.

Example:

If you want a layer to move from left to right, across 10 frames, you can place a keyframe for the position property at frame 1, move the object into place where you want the object to first appear. At frame 10, you can add another keyframe for the position property, and move the layer to the location you want it to move to. The position of the layer for frames 2 to 9 will automatically be calculated for you.


Creating Keyframes

All the properties of a layer are initially non-animatable, which means they have no keyframes. If you set the value of a property that doesn’t have any keyframes, that value will count for the entire duration of the layer.

To animate a property for a layer:

•	Click on the down-arrow button in the Time Layout window. A menu with the available properties that can be animated will pop up. Select the desired property. A keyframe will be created for that property at the current frame. You can now expand the layer in the Time Layout window and see that a child item has been created.

For MMStudio to animate a layer, you will need at least two keyframes.

To create another keyframe, you must first go to the time you want to insert the new keyframe. Then there are different ways to go:

A:

•	Click on the checkbox in the switches pane (in the Time Layout window) next to the property.

0	The new keyframe will then take the value of whatever value the property had at that time.

1	B:

•	In the layer properties dialog expand the property groups if the property isn’t visible.

•	Change the value of the property (The UI control will be different depending of the type of property)

0	C:

•	In the Time Layout window, in the switches pane, click on the Value next to the property.

•	Enter a new value in the dialog that opens up.


Deleting Keyframes

To delete one single keyframe:

•	Go to the frame that contains the keyframe.

•	Click on the keyframe checkbox in the Time Layout window.

To delete all keyframes for a property.

•	Click on the down-arrow button in the Time Layout window. A menu with the available properties will pop up, and there will be checkmarks on the properties that contain keyframes. Select the property to make non-animatable.


Interpolation of Keyframes

When MMStudio calculates the value of a property between two keyframes, it interpolates between them.

You can choose between two interpolation methods, Linear and Hold (hopefully Bezier will also be implemented sometime)

Linear interpolation interpolates in a linear manner, meaning the values between two keyframes are evenly calculated between the left and right keyframe.

Hold interolation is not really a true interpolation method, it simply sets all values between two keyframes to the value of the left keyframe. It is iseful if you want a property to ”jump”. Using Hold interpolation, you can for example make an object stay at one position, and then suddenly make it appear at another place.

To choose which interpolation method to use:

•	Select the keyframe by clicking on it in the Time Layout window (The keyframe becomes highlighted)

•	Right-click to bring up the context-menu and choose Interpolation... to bring up the keyframe interpolation dialog.

•	Choose either Linear or Hold in the combobox


About Preferences

To access the preferences settings, choose Preferences / General from the File menu.

Preferences are loaded and saved between sessions and are common to all projects.

Transparency
Safe Zones
Plug-ins


Miscellanious


Transparency

The transparency preferences let’s you set how transparent areas in an image are displayed.

•	Click the Transparency Tab in Preferences

You can set the checkerboard size and the two colors used in the checkboard.


Safe Zones

When creating a movie that is to be displayed on a television set, you should try to keep important graphics within the action Safe zone, and text within the Title safe zone. This is because televion sets often cut out some parts of the outer edges.

To set the safe zones

•	Click the Safe Zones Tab in Preferences

•	Enter new values for Action Safe and Title Safe

To view the safe zones in the composition window

•	Select the menu View / Composition Guides / Safe Zones


Plug-Ins

Plug-ins are external files or modules that expand the functionality of MMStudio, adding support for new file formats, or new effects.

In the plug-ins preferences you can set additional directories or folders that will be scanned for plug-ins. MMStudio supports Photoshop Filters and AfterEffect effects as well as it’s own plug-in interface.

(Correction: PhotoShop filters and AfterEffect plug’ins are not fully supported yet)

MMStudio automatically scans the plugins folder located in the folder in which you installed MMStudio. You don’t need to add that folder to the folder list.

•	Click the Plug-ins Tab in preferences

To add a new directory

•	Click on the New button

•	Click on the Browse button and locate the folder

To change a directory

•	Click on the directory you want to change

•	Click on the Browse button and locate the folder

To remove a directory

•	Click on the directory you want to remove

•	Click the Remove button


About MMStudio

MMStudio is Copyright © 1999 Sigurd Lerstad.


Export Settings Dialog

In the Export Settings dialog


Profile Dialog

In the profile dialog you can set the


Plugins Dialog

This dialogs lists all the available plug-ins, and some information about each of them.


Brightness & Contrast

The Brightness & Contrast effect adjusts the brightness and contrast of the image. The center point of each slider is neutral and indicates no effect


Posterize

Using the Posterize effect, you can specify the number of tonal levels for each channel in an image. Posterize then maps pixels to the closest matching level. For example, choosing two tonal levels in an RGB image gives you two tones for red, two tones for green, and two tones for blue. Values range from 2 to 255.

Use Level to adjust the number of tonal levels for each channel to which Posterize will map existing colors.


Arithmetic

The Arithmetic effect performs various simple mathematical operations on an image’s red, green, and blue channels.

Operator Specifies which mathematical operation to perform between the value you specify for each channel and the existing value of that channel for each pixel in the image.

And, Or, and Xor apply bit-wise logical combinations of the specified value for each channel.

Add, Subtract, and Difference apply basic math functions using the specified value for each channel.

Max sets the channel to the specified value at every pixel where the existing color channel value is less than that which is specified.

Min sets the channel to the specified value at every pixel where the existing color channel value is greater than that which is specified.

Block Above and Block Below set the channel off everywhere that it is respectively greater or less than the specified value for each channel.

Slice sets the channel off where it is below the value specified and sets it on where it is above the value specified for each channel.

Clip Result Values Prevents all functions from creating color values that exceed the valid range. If this option is not selected, some color values may wrap around from on to off, or vice versa.


Set Channels

The Set Channels effect copies channels from other layers into the red, green, blue, and alpha channels of the current layer. For example, you can take the luminance of one layer and put it into the color channel of the selected layer. If  Stretch Layers to Fit is checked, all other layers are resized to the size of the layer to which Set Channels is being applied, or else the layers are centered.


Invert

The Invert effect inverts the color information of an image.

Channel Specifies which channel or channels to invert. Each group of items operates in a particular color space, inverting either the entire image in that color space or just a single channel. RGB consists of three additive color channels: red, green, and blue. HLS consists of three calculated color channels: hue, lightness, and saturation. YIQ is the NTSC luminance and chrominance color space, where Y is the luminance signal, and I and Q are the inphase and quadrature chrominance signals. Alpha, not a color space, provides a way to invert the alpha channel of the image.


Shift Channels

The Shift Channels effect replaces red, green, blue, and alpha channels in the image with other channels. In Take (Channel) From, specify which channel to use as a source.


Scripting

Scripting is a mechanism that let’s you record actions that you perform in MMStudio. You can access scripts in the Script palette.

To Create a New script, activate the Script palette, select New Script from the Script menu, or click the New Script button at the bottom of the palette. Then enter the Name you want for the new script. Click OK. Recording will automatically start for the New Script.

To Stop recording of the Script, push the Stop button at the bottom of the Script palette.


Loading & Saving Scripts

When recording a script, it is kept in memory, and will be lost when exiting MMStudio unless you save the script to a file. Script files have the extension ”.mscr”.

To save a script to a file, select the script in the Script palette, then select Save from the Script menu, enter the filename and click OK.

To load a script: Active the Script palette, select Load from the Script menu.. locate the script and click OK.

You can also drag a script file or a group of files from Windows Explorer and drop them into the Script Palette.

Autoscripts are automatically stored in the AutoScripts folder under the MMStudio directory.


Optimizing Scripts

Optimizing a Script means removing unnecessary actions from the Script.

Example:

Next Frame

Next Frame

Prev Frame

Next Frame

Optimization will reduce those four actions to a single action:

Seek To Frame +2

You will typically want to optimize a script to make playback faster and reduce the script file size.

To optimize a script, active the script in the Script palette and choose Optimize from the Script menu.