Copyright: Copyright © 1999 Pinnacle Systems Inc.


Contents
Studio PCTV Help File Contents

About Studio PCTV

The Studio Interface

Capturing Video

Working with Video Scenes

Working with Still Images

Working with Transitions

Working with Title Deko

Working with Audio

Making Digital Movies

Settings and Options

Tips and Tricks

Troubleshooting

Video Compression


Introduction
About Studio PCTV

Studio is the award-winning software from Pinnacle Systems that lets you create your own digital movies right on your PC. Capture video, edit, add styled titles, transitions, even your own sound track and narration to your digital video creation. Studio gives you options to output your video as an MPEG or AVI file, to store on CD, use in presentations on your Web site, or create a video email.

Studio makes creating exciting digital videos an easy three-step process.

1.	Capture your video to your PC hard drive.

2.	Arrange the video scenes in order. Drag and drop transitions, titles and still images. Complete your movie with sound effects, background music and voice-overs.

3.	Create your final digital movie in a variety of formats

Features of Studio PCTV

•	Easy video capture on the PC

•	Interactive editing with instant preview

•	Titles

•	Special effects and audio

•	Choice of movie formats

•	On-line help


Capturing Video

Studio lets you capture directly from any input connected to your Studio PCTV card. During capture, your source video passes through the Studio PCTV card where it is  digitized to your PC and compressed in Indeo format. As the video is captured, the Studio software automatically detects the beginning and end of each scene, and populates the Album with thumbnails. After you have captured your video, you can pick just the scenes you want, add transitions, titles, and sound effects. Or you can go straight to making a digital movie.

During capture, you have complete control over the video and audio you choose to digitize. This is where you choose your video input (composite, S-Video, or built-in TV tuner), video capture quality, how video levels are set (brightness, contrast, hue and color saturation), how high or low you set individual clip audio levels, whether you capture stereo or mono audio.

After the capture process, Studio can detect each edit or scene change on your source video, and create a separate video scene in the Album. You then use the Studio editing capabilities to choose those scenes you want in your final movie from the Album containing all the available scenes.

Follow these links to explore the video capture process in detail:

•	The Diskometer - monitoring disk usage

•	SmartCapture - Automatic Scene Detection

•	Step by step - Video capture by the numbers

•	Configuring Capture - Video and audio capture control panels


Making Digital Movies

Once you have created the script for your movie, you are ready to share it with friends and relatives.

Studio provides two choices of format for saving your projects as digital movies. In most cases you will choose the MPEG file format, which is supported on all Windows 95, 98, NT PCs. Sometimes, though the AVI file format might be preferred, even though AVI files are generally larger and of lower quality than MPEG files. Two reasons for choosing AVI are:

Because you want to import your video into another application that does not support MPEG files

Because you expect some viewers will be running Windows 3.1

•	Save your current project as an MPEG file

•	Save your current project as an AVI file


Studio MP10 Troubleshooting Guide
Studio PCTV Troubleshooting Guide

If you should run into any problems with the operation of your Studio PCTV, see if you can find a solution among these topics:

•	Video and audio are out of sync after playing 15 minutes

•	General crash or error function

•	Overlay does not work

Check out the Tips and Tricks section of this help file for other insight that may help you in dealing with particular problems.

If you're still stuck, contact Pinnacle Systems Technical Support for assistance.


About Video Compression

Because raw digital video images and audio comprise a great deal of data, special compression techniques have been developed that allow for more efficient storage and faster transmission than would otherwise be possible. Follow these links for detailed information:

•	Why is compression important?

•	What does "MPEG" mean?

•	What is MPEG image data compression?

•	How does MPEG compression work?


Easy Video Capture
Easy Video Capture on the PC

Video capture has never been easier, since the Studio works with a range of capture devices from Pinnacle Systems. The Studio application has easy-to-use Good/Better/Best quality presets like a VCR, and calculates how much video your computer can store. Studio automatically detects and records scene changes, making editing a breeze.


Interactive Editing with Instant Preview

With Studio, creating a movie is a quick and interactive process. Using the Instant Preview window, you can view your movie any time during editing and get a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" (WYSIWYG) view of your movie. If you don't like a title or effect, make a change and view that change instantly-video editing has never been as fast or as fun. Just drag and drop video scenes, transitions, titles and audio (effects, background music and voice-overs).


Titles

Studio includes Pinnacle Systems' Emmy award-winning TitleDeko title creator, making it easy to add simple or elaborate titles and credits to your movie. TitleDeko features over 300 looks and styles, including metallic titles, transparent titles, neon titles and flying titles.


Special Effects and Audio

Special effects: Studio creates over 100 professional-quality scene transitions such as fades, dissolves and wipes. Drag and drop these to the timeline or storyboard to add transitions to your video, or animate graphics and titles!

Audio: Adding voice-overs is a breeze - just pick up the microphone, click a button and start speaking. Audio effects, such as applause, or sound tracks from an audio CD can be added easily using the Studio point-and-click interface. The SmartSound feature creates custom background music quickly and easily - choose the type of music and its length, and it appears on the sound track.


Movie Formats
Create Browsable CDs

Studio lets you save your video creation as an AVI or MPEG file, so it's easy to use your video in a variety of other applications.


On-Line Help

On-line help is right where you need it, when you need it, while you’re working in Studio.

Standard On-Line Help. Click the Help button in the Studio main menu bar, or Press [F1] to display the table of contents page of the standard help topics.

Tool Tips. To find out what a button or other Studio control does, pause your mouse pointer over it and a Tool Tip appears explaining its function.


The Studio Interface

Studio has three operating modes, which correspond to the three steps in the movie-making process: Capture, Edit and Make Movie.

The three-step process is represented by three buttons under the main menu bar, each of which selects the corresponding mode in Studio:

1. Capture	2. Edit	3. Make Movie

You spend most of your time in the Edit Mode, so that mode is initially selected each time you run Studio. This is a good place to begin getting acquainted with the program.

•	Edit mode

The first step in making a movie is to capture your video onto your hard disk.

•	Capture Mode

When all your editing is done, it's time to create the final product - to make a movie on videotape on your VCR, or output a digital movie file to disk.

•	Make Movie Mode


Edit mode

The Edit Mode display includes three main areas: The Album, the Player and the Movie Window. In addition, multilevel Undo and Redo buttons are located in the upper right corner along with the Help button. Clicking Undo repeatedly steps you back through the previous changes you made. It is essentially unlimited. You can feel free to experiment with editing because you can always Undo your way back to your starting point.

Use the links below, or the browse arrows in the Help window tool bar, to explore each main area in turn.

The Album lets you choose which captured video scenes, transitions, graphics and sound effects you want to include in your edited movie.

•	The Album

The Player lets you play back a selected clip (such as a video scene or title) from the Album, or play back parts of your edited movie from the Movie Window.

•	The Player

The Movie Window lets you preview and edit the clips and effects that make up your movie.

•	The Movie Window


The Player
The Player in Edit Mode

The Player displays a preview of the movie, or shows what is selected in the Album. The Player also offers controls to navigate the movie you are editing.

The Player consists of two main areas: the Preview window and the Playback controls. The Preview window displays the video at the current position. The Playback controls allows you to play the video, or go to an exact position within it.

The Preview Window is used in many ways throughout Studio, from monitoring video during capture to previewing transitions between scenes.

•	The Preview Window

The Playback Controls let you navigate within the material displayed in the Preview Window.

•	The Playback Controls


The Preview Window

The Preview window is a central point of focus in Studio because you use it so often. It displays moving video during play. It displays still frames (or another image such as a Title) at your current position when you select a scene in the Album or clip in the Movie window, or if you advance via single frames (using the jog buttons, for example). The Preview window is also used in functions such as capture and trimming.


The Playback Controls

The Player's Playback Controls, below the Preview Window, let you navigate your scenes.

Transport controls

Play/Pause. Click the Play button to preview the movie from the current position. Once preview begins, Play becomes a Pause Button. When paused, the scene or clip on which Preview stopped becomes selected scene.

Cue. Plays the movie in fast-forward mode at 10x the normal speed.

Review. Plays the movie in fast-reverse mode at 10x the normal speed.

Start. Click this button to start preview from the first scene.

Jog Buttons. Click the Jog buttons to step the movie forward and backward by frames.

Player Scrubber

Use the Player Scrubber to quickly traverse forward and backward through the movie. The Scrubber also shows at a glance the relative position of the current position. Regardless of actual movie length, the Scrubber bar represents the entire length of the movie. The left edge is the beginning.

As you move the Scrubber, the Preview Window shows the current position of the movie.

The Counter

The counter seeks to and displays the current position in, and also lets you select the exact point at which to start play. To seek to or play from an exact point, click on the number you wish to change and type in a new value.

Counter Shortcuts

Step through the fields: Tab or Left/Right cursor keys

Increment/decrement field values: Up/Down cursor keys. Hold the Up/Down keys to continuously increment/decrement.

Current Position Feedback

Regardless of which control you use to change the current position, Studio provides intuitive feedback on your current position. The feedback mechanisms provide a range from a "big picture" view all the way down to the specific frame. In increasing order of fineness they are as follows.

With one or more scenes selected in the Album, the Player Scrubber shows current position within the capture file. This is very useful if your album contains many scenes spanning multiple pages.

The Timeline Scrubber shows the current position within the movie.

The Progress Indicator within the current scene shows the current position within the Scene.

The Counter displays the exact current position in numerical values.


The Album

The four sections of the Album store Video Scenes, Graphics and Titles, Transitions and Sound Effects. Click the tabs down the left side to access the section you want.

Video Scenes

Studio does away with one of the more tedious jobs in traditional video editing by automatically dividing your captured video into individual scenes. Just drag the ones you want from the Album into the Movie Window.

Graphics

Studio comes with lots of ready-made titles for you to use in your productions, and the powerful TitleDeko title editor lets you create titles of your own. Your graphics can also include bitmaps and captured video frames.

Transitions

Slick professional transitions - fadeouts, dissolves, and wipes - add instant pizzazz to any production.

Sound Effects

Enliven your videos with more than 150 supplied sound effects in 13 categories - or add your own!


The Movie Window

The Movie window menu bar contains several important controls and displays. The Toolbox button on the left opens the Toolbox, which contains a number of important tools to help you with movie editing. To the right of the Toolbox button is the project file name, along with an area that displays messages about the action you are performing. At the right are three view buttons.

The Movie window has three views: Timeline, Storyboard and Text. Each one gives you a different way to look at your movie. You switch between them by clicking the View Selection buttons in the upper right corner of the Movie window menu bar.

Storyboard View: The Storyboard view shows the order of video scenes and transitions. It is useful for quickly structuring a movie.

Timeline View: The Timeline view shows the position and duration of clips relative to the Timescale. This view also displays the four tracks on which you can place various types of clips: video scenes, title overlays, sound effects/voiceovers and background music.

Text View: The list in the Text view shows the start and end times of clips, as well as their duration. In addition, custom names for clips are visible in this view.


Capture Mode

Capture mode enables you to record source video to your hard drive. That source video can be the built-in TV tuner (when an external antenna or cable service is connected), a camcorder, a VCR or a live camera. As the Capture process proceeds, the Album is populated with video scenes and the Player shows the incoming source video. Concurrently, the Diskometer monitors the free space on your hard drive.

The Player during Capture Mode: During capture the Player shows you the incoming source video, and the Counter displays an accurate running length of the video being captured. While in Capture Mode, Studio is capturing 30 frames per second to your hard disk. The Player window, however, may not display at full frame rate.

Start/Stop Capture Button: The Start/Stop Capture button begins and ends the capture process.

Diskometer: The Diskometer tells you how much hard drive space is available in both graphical and numerical form. The Diskometer also allows you to select the quality of the video you capture. The higher the quality you choose, the more disk space you’ll need for each second of video captured.


Make Movie Mode

The Make Movie mode allows you to make final videotapes of your movies. At this time, Studio will render all your movie edits, titles, transitions, and soundtracks and save the result as either an MPEG or AVI file.

The controls for making a file are displayed by clicking Make AVI file or Make MPEG file to the left of the Make Movie Status window.

The Settings button accesses options for including audio, the type of compression and so forth. In addition, the Make Movie window contains the Diskometer, which is a convenient way to monitor the amount of space on your hard drive versus the amount of space used in saving the digital movie file.

As the make movie process proceeds, the Timeline scrubber advances across the Movie window, and the Preview window shows the clip currently being recorded.


The Diskometer

The bottom half of the Capture window contains the Diskometer. The Diskometer shows the amount of space on your hard drive that’s already in use, and how much space is available for the current capture. It also contains four quality button pre-sets that let you select different video capture qualities.

The higher the quality you choose, the more disk space you’ll need for each second of video capture.

There are option control panels that slide out from either side of the Diskometer. To the left of the Diskometer is the Video Capture Options panel, and to the right is the Audio Capture Options panel.

Folder Browser

The default location for captured video is C:\Program Files\Studio PCTV\CapturedVideo. To save newly captured videos to a different location, click the File Cabinet button to display a Browse for Folder window.

Disk Space

Disk space available is indicated in two ways. A Disk Space pie chart shows used and available space. In addition, the Diskometer also shows the amount of capture time available at the current Quality setting.

Capture Quality

When Studio captures video, it digitizes the video and allows you to choose the quality at which the video is captured. The higher the quality, the more disk space needed for each second of video. You can choose four quality settings using the push buttons.

Note: Studio does not allow captures larger than 2GB. Studio will calculate the duration of video that will fill 2GB at the selected quality, and display this as the maximum duration for this capture.


SmartCapture Automatic Scene Detection

SmartCapture is a key feature of Studio. SmartCapture’s automatic scene detection eliminates the drudgery of manually marking the beginning and end of video scenes. When Studio captures your source video to your hard drive, it automatically detects natural breaks that occur in that video. For example, Studio knows when a camera operator stopped shooting one scene and began reshooting. Studio automatically creates separate scenes for you when it detects these situations. SmartCapture saves many hours of tedious scene logging, so you can move right onto drag-and-drop video editing.

Automatic scene detection isn’t fool-proof. Occasionally Studio will produce extraneous scene changes, or miss some scenes.

Automatic scene detection is sensitive to abrupt changes in brightness, and can falsely detect scene changes under some circumstances. However, you can easily combine these scenes into a single scene.

Weddings and other events where a large number of people take flash photos

Other flashing lights, such as nightclub strobe lights and emergency vehicle lights

Sunlight reflected on moving surfaces

"Whip pan" shots in which the camera pans fast instead of making an edit.

Conversely, video shot in a situation where there is very little change in brightness produces the opposite result: too few scenes detected. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this condition: subdividing scenes.


Video Capture Step by Step

Click the Capture button in the Movie menu bar. The Capture Mode interface is displayed.

To capture video:

1.	Verify the source video is connected to the PCTV Composite or S-Video input, and the source audio is connected to the audio inputs of the PCTV.

2.	Select Quality by clicking one of the four Quality Setting push buttons.

3.	Click the Start Capture button. The Capture Video dialog box is displayed.

4.	Type in a name for your source video. Next, enter the duration for this capture or end the capture "on the fly" by clicking the Stop Capture button.

5.	If you’re capturing pre-recorded material, start your playback device.

6.	Click the Start Capture button in the Capture Video dialog box.

During capture, the Preview window displays the incoming digitized video that is being saved to your hard drive.

7.	Click the Stop Capture button to end capture at any point (the Start Capture button toggles to a Stop Capture button while you are capturing video). Studio automatically stops capture if your hard drive fills up, or when the duration you entered is reached.


Video Capture Control Panels

Studio provides slide-out Option control panels for video and audio capture options to suit either your work style or your specific equipment configuration.

Video Control Panel

Setting your video options correctly as you capture will give your project consistency from beginning to end in terms of flesh tones, brightness, and contrast.

First choose the type of video you wish to digitize by clicking the appropriate Source button (S-video or composite). The slide-out Video Options tray then allows you to control the brightness (video gain), contrast (black level), sharpness, hue, and saturation of each video clip digitized.

Audio Control Panel

Setting your audio options correctly as you capture will ensure consistent volume levels and quality.

You can digitize the audio that accompanies your video by clicking the Audio Capture On button. If your clip is video only, click the Audio Capture Off button. The slide-out Audio options tray includes settings for Volume and Balance.


Video Scenes
Working with Video Scenes

This chapter explains how to use video scenes. You learn how to open a file of captured source video, and how Studio detects and creates an Album of scenes from which you can assemble your movie.

The process of creating a movie starts with capturing source video clips. If your hardware is connected, capture and use your own video for the examples in this chapter. If not, use the pre-captured video, A Day in the Park, which was installed along with the other Studio software if you performed a default installation.

Displaying Scene Start and Length

As you move the pointer over scenes, the pointer changes to a grabber symbol. If you pause momentarily on the scene, the start time and length is displayed. Note that the start time is the time on the original tape.

Selecting Scenes

Studio offers a variety of ways to select scenes in the Album and in the Movie window. Selection techniques follow standard Windows conventions. Selected scenes are indicated by a highlighted border. You can use combinations of these techniques.

Choose Edit > Select All from the menu bar, or press Ctrl+A to select all the scenes in the Album, including subsequent Album pages not visible.

Shift-click to select a range of continuous scenes.

Ctrl-click to make discontinuous selections.

Click-hold-drag to marquee select an area.

Press the arrow keys to navigate through the Album grid.

Scene Topics

•	Opening the captured video

•	Reviewing Video Scenes in the Album

•	Trimming Scenes

•	Splitting Clips

•	Combining and Subdividing Scenes

•	Re-detecting Scenes

•	Changing the thumbnail frame


Opening A Captured Video File

Captured source video files are stored on your hard drive. They are selected and opened with standard Windows file/folder navigation tools found at the top of the left Album page.

Note that Studio can combine video files of different qualities within a movie, but at a price. If all the files in your movie have the same quality, Studio does not have to render the entire movie before you can output it to videotape. If, however, you use captured source files of different quality, Studio must render the entire movie, which may be quite time-consuming.

To open and select a captured video:

1.	If the Video Scenes section of the Album is not already on top, click the Show Video tab on the left edge of the album.

The Album flips to the Video Scenes section and displays file navigation tools in the upper left corner.

2.	Select a video from the drop-down list, or press the File Cabinet button to navigate to a different folder.

The Album is now populated with the detected scenes from your captured video. Each scene is denoted by a picture of the first frame of the scene.


Reviewing Video Scenes in the Album

Scenes are displayed in the order in which they were captured. This order cannot be changed in the Album, but scenes can be assembled in the movie in any order.

After you have opened your captured video, you may want to review the scenes and make adjustments before placing them on the Video track. You can decide to combine, split or detect new scenes within specific scenes. However, the sequence of scenes within the Album always remains in the order in which you digitized your video clips.

Immediately after selecting the captured video, the Preview window displays the first frame of the first scene. When you select a scene, the Preview window displays the first frame of that scene. To play back the contents of the Album from thecurrent position, click the Play/Pause button.

To review the captured video starting from a selected scene:

1.	Click on the first scene to select it.

The Preview window displays the first frame of the selected scene.

2.	Click the Play button in the Preview window.

The Preview window now plays the scenes in the Album. Progress is indicated in three ways.

Studio highlights the scenes successively as they are played.

The Player scrubber in the Preview window shows the current point of play relative to the entire captured file.

Each Scene window contains a Progress indicator that shows the point of play relative to that scene. As the movie continues to play, the Progress indicator travels from scene to scene.


Trimming Scenes

Video scenes and other clips that are too long can be trimmed to remove the excess. Unlike traditional trimming processes, no data is lost: Studio sets new start and end points for the clip in the Movie window, but does not alter the original Album scene. This means you can always reset scenes to their original state, or select different trim points.

Studio offers two ways to trim.

•	Directly on the Timeline

•	With the Trim tool

The basic process involves selecting a point near the beginning of the scene to which you want to trim (the "in" point). Once this point is selected, the Trim command trims the excess from the beginning of the scene to this new point. Trimming from the end (the "out" point) works the same way.


Trimming on the Timeline

The quickest way to trim is by dragging the edges of scenes directly on the Timeline. Watch the Preview window as you trim, so you can find the frame on which you want the scene to end or begin.

It takes a little practice to become accurate with this technique, but once you do, it is very fast. The easiest way to learn is with only one scene on the Timeline. Once you have mastered that, you can try trimming when there are multiple scenes on the Timeline.

Follow these links for details:

•	Trimming a single scene on the Timeline

•	Trimming with multiple scenes on the Timeline


Trimming with the Change Clip Properties Tool

The Change Clip Properties tool provides a convenient place to perform trimming functions for any type of clip, including video scenes. It includes the benefits of trimming on the timeline in that you can perform precise and fast trimming. As you work, you receive visual feedback. Once you have completed a trim, you can preview the scene to make sure you like it, and reset it if you don’t.

Click the button at the left of the Movie window menu bar to open and close the Toolbox, or double-click on the clip in the Movie window.

Orientation to the Change Clip Properties Tool

When trimming video scenes, the Change Clip Properties tool provides a variety of controls. On the left and right the beginning and ending frames are shown. Between these is a set of Transport controls that play the scene as you are working. A set of Trim Calipers is found at the bottom. At the top are a Name field in the center and a Duration field on the right.

Start/End Trim Scene Preview Windows

The Trim Scene Preview windows show the first and last frames of the scene. Before you trim, they display the first and last frames of the original scene in the Album. As you trim, they display the new start and end frames.

At the bottom of the Preview windows are several controls for setting trim points. The left and right Trim To buttons with bracket symbols trim the start and end to the current frame shown on the Player. The Counter displays the current start/end times. You can also manually type in values on the Counter to set new trim points. The Up/Down arrow buttons increment/decrement the current position by single frames.

The Player Window During Trimming

During trimming, playback is controlled from the Toolbox, and the Preview Player controls are not displayed.

Using the Movie Window Scrub Slider

A convenient way to rapidly move to the general area you want to trim is to use the Timeline scrubber in the Movie window. As you move it, the Trim scrubber and Player scrubber track its movements.

Transport Controls

Between the Start/End Preview windows is a set of Transport controls. From left to right their functions are:

Click the left-most button to go to the untrimmed start of the scene.

Click the second button to go to the new trimmed start time.

The third button plays the scene, and changes to a Pause button during play. The Player stops when you click it a second time. As you play, the Trim scrubber moves from one segment to the next so you can accurately review the trimmed and untrimmed portions.

Click the right-most button to loop the scene continuously. The button’s function changes to Pause.

Trim Calipers

The Calipers provide a fast way to make accurate trims, and provide instant graphical feedback on how much you have trimmed. Slide the left and right markers to the point at which you want the scene trimmed. Move the Trim scrubber to scrub the trimmed scene.

Duration Counter

This Counter shows the length of the scene, and operates in the same way as other counters in Studio . However, changing its value manually increases or decreases the scene length by adding or subtracting from the end of the scene.

Scene Name

You can give your scenes names that are more meaningful to you by typing them in this box. These names are visible only when the Movie window is in Text view.

Tip: to see the new name, move the cursor over the scene’s thumbnail in the Album or on the Storyboard.


Resetting Trimmed Scenes

You can Undo if you don’t like the results of a trim, or you can manually reset the trimmed scene.

To reset a trimmed scene.

1.	Drag the scene edge directly on the Timeline until it stretches no further, or drag the Trim tool to the end; or,

2.	Use the Trim tool to drag the Caliper to the end; or,

3.	Use the Trim tool, but click to go to the clip start; then click under the first frame preview window to set the start frame.


Splitting Clips

If you want to insert another scene or a still image into the middle of a clip, you can split any type of clip on the Video track in the Movie window into two parts and then insert the new item. This includes video scenes and still images. You can also restore a clip that you have split in error.

Follow these links for details:

•	Splitting a clip in the Movie Window

•	Splitting a scene in the Album

•	Restoring a split clip


Combining and Subdividing Scenes

SmartCapture automatic scene detection is very fast and a great labor-saving tool; however, you might not want a particular scene to begin or end at the points Studio has chosen for you.

You might want to combine multiple scenes into a single scene or split one scene into smaller scenes. Both techniques are easy, and are similar to each other. These operations are accomplished on the scenes in the Album, not in the Movie window.

Follow these links for details:

•	Combining scenes in the Album

•	Subdividing scenes in the Album

•	Splitting an individual scene in the Album


Re-detecting Scenes

If you combine or subdivide scenes and later decide that you’d prefer to revert to their original state, you may re-detect any scene or selection of scenes. The detection results are identical to those that resulted from opening the captured video.

To re-detect scenes:

If you have subdivided scenes, you must first recombine them. Even if you cannot remember exactly what you did and recombine more than is necessary, the detection process will restore the original scene sequence.

1.	Select any scenes you have subdivided, right-click on one of the selected scenes, and chose Combine from the pop-up menu.

2.	Select the resulting scenes that you wish to re-detect.

3.	Right-click on any of the selected scenes and choose Detect Scenes from the pop-up menu.


Changing the Thumbnail Frame

By default, Studio uses the first frame of each Scene as the thumbnail. You can easily select a different frame for the thumbnail.

To change thumbnails in the Album:

1.	Select the scene to be changed.

2.	Use the Player control to find the frame you wish to be the thumbnail.

3.	Right-click on the scene and choose Reset Thumbnail from the pop


Combining Scenes in the Album

To combine scenes in the Album:

1.	Select the scenes to be combined.

2.	Right-click on one of the scenes.

3.	Choose Combine from the pop-up menu, or select Album > Combine Scenes from the main menu bar.

The selected scenes are combined into one. Only selected adjacent scenes are combined. Furthermore, they are joined in the order in which they appear in the album, regardless of the order in which they were selected. Album order proceeds across rows and then down the page. To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click the Undo button.

If you highlight two or more discontinuous sets of scenes using the shift-drag technique, each set of adjacent scenes is combined, but the two sets are not combined with each other.


Subdividing Scenes in the Album

To subdivide scenes in the Album:

1.	Select the scenes to be subdivided.

2.	Right-click on one of the scenes.

3.	Choose Subdivide from the pop-up menu, or select Album > Subdivide Scenes from the main menu bar. The Subdivide Selected Scenes dialog box appears.

4.	Choose the length of the subdivided scenes by typing in a value.

The smallest increment of subdivision is one second. Any video remaining after subdivision is added to the last scene.

5.	Click OK.

A progress bar appears, the scene is subdivided, and new scenes are added to the Album. To revert, press Ctrl+Z, or click Undo.

You can subdivide these scenes still further, provided they retain a duration of at least one second.


Splitting a Scene in the Album
Splitting an Individual Scene

To split an individual scene in the Album:

1.	Select the scene.

2.	Use the Player transport controls to locate the frame where you wish to split the scene.

3.	Right click in the screen and select Split Scene.


Splitting a Clip in the Movie Window

To split a clip in the Movie window:

1.	Place the clip in the appropriate track in the Movie window.

2.	Choose the split point.

You may use any method that adjusts the current position, such as moving the Timeline scrubber, clicking Play and then Pause, or changing the Counter.

3.	Right-click within the Movie window Video track, but not on the scene itself.

4.	Select Split Clip from the drop-down menu.

The clip is split at the point of the current position.


Restoring a Split Clip

To restore a split clip you can Undo, replace it, or use the Trim tool.

To restore a split clip:

First try to Undo. Even if you performed other actions after you split the scene, the multilevel Undo allows you to restore the split scene; or

If you elect not to Undo other actions as well, you can replace both halves of the split clip with an original from the Album; or,

Delete one half of the split clip, and trim out the other.


Trimming (one Scene on the Timeline)

To trim a single scene on the Timeline:

The following exercise shows how to trim scenes directly on the Timeline by trimming the end of the first scene.

1.	Delete all but one scene from the Timeline. If no scenes are on the Timeline, drag one to it from the Album.

2.	Fine adjustments are easier when the time scale is expanded.

Position the pointer anywhere on the Timeline except directly over the Edit line. The pointer becomes a clock symbol; move it to the right to expand the Timescale.

3.	Position your mouse pointer over the right edge until it becomes a left-right arrow.

4.	Click-drag to the left. The Preview window shows the current frame. As you trim, the frame displayed in the Preview window becomes the last frame.

Release the mouse button. The scene is now trimmed.


Trimming (Multiple Scenes on Timeline)
Trimming (Multiple Scenes on the Timeline)

To trim with multiple scenes on the Timeline:

When more than one scene is on the Timeline, you first need to select the scene to be trimmed.

1.	Select File > New Project to open a new file, or simply delete all the scenes from the Timeline (press Ctrl+A, then Delete).

2.	Drag the first two scenes from the Album onto the Timeline. (If you are using A Day in the Park, note that the Timescale is relatively short.)

3.	To expand the Timescale, right-click in the time ruler. Choose 30 seconds from the pop-up menu.

4.	Select the left scene.

5.	Move your pointer over the dividing line between the two scenes until it becomes a left-right arrow.

6.	Click and drag the edge to the left. Note how the Preview window changes.

Note that the last frame of the first scene is displayed in the Preview window. As long as the left scene remains selected, you can continue to trim more video by dragging the edge to the left again, or restore some of the trimmed video by dragging the edge to the right.

7.	Select the second scene. Move your cursor over the left edge of the second scene until it become a right arrow.

8.	Drag the left edge of the second scene to the right.

9.	Release the mouse button. The left edge of the second scene snaps back against the right edge of the first scene.

The beginning of the second scene is now trimmed. The first frame of the second scene is displayed in the Preview window.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having difficulty manipulating the edges of scenes, try the following:

Verify that the scene you wish to trim is selected, and that it is the only scene selected.

Expand the Timescale until it is easier to make fine adjustments.

Be careful not to expand the Timescale too far. If that does happen, scenes will appear very long. Undo enough times until the scale is restored, or use the scale tool to reduce the Timescale.


Tool Functions

At the top and sides of TitleDeko are two Toolbars that offer fast access to frequently used TitleDeko functions. In addition, all functions can be selected via the menus. Frequently used functions also have keyboard shortcuts.

New, Open and Save Files; Cut, Copy and Paste

These are standard Windows functions.

Typographical Characteristics

Before you can change typographical characteristics, select the text you want to change.

Click the drop-down list arrows to choose a typeface and size.

To preview the typeface before you select it, click the Typeface Browser button, then choose the face you want from the browser window.

To make text bold, italic and/or underline, click the appropriate button.

Look Browser / Edit Looks

Click the Look Browser button to display a window that contains all the preset looks. Clicking on a specific look applies a set of appearance attributes to the selected text or object.

Click the Edit Look button to modify the currently selected look. There are numerous fine adjustments that are explained in greater detail later.

Grid / Horizontal / Vertical Alignment Browsers

Alignment browser tools are active depending on whether the selected object is text or a non-text object (such as a circle). For example, you can right align a circle, but you can’t justify it like text by spreading out the words and letters.

Click the Justification Grid button for a browser that gives you a fast way to align objects.

To change the horizontal or vertical alignment and/or justification of text characters, click the respective button and choose the type of alignment you wish. Some alignments also work on objects.

Undo / Redo

Click Undo to undo the last action. Undo will undo multiple levels of action, limited only by available memory. Redo undoes the last Undo.

Accept / Reject Title

Accepts or rejects the title or overlay and returns you to Studio.

Move / Scale, Rotate / Skew

Depending on how you select the text or object, these tools have different functions. The cursor will change to show the active function.

Text Kerning / Leading

Spreads text lines vertically (leading), or words and letters horizontally (tracking), or adds/removes space between individual letters and words (kerning).

Add Rectangle, Ellipse

Click to add these shapes. Hold the Ctl key down while drawing the shape to constrain the shape to a square or circle.

Insert Picture

Click to insert an image from your hard disk or other media. Pictures are treated like other objects in that you can scale, skew, and size them. Pictures get a transparent background only if they contain an alpha channel (e.g. a 32-bit .bmp file).

Replace Background

Allows you to make adjustments to the color, opacity and other details of the background, or select a picture to be used as the background.

Additional Menu Commands

Coarse / Fine

From the main menu bar, select Transform > Coarse or Fine to change the increments used in moving the cursor via the keyboard.

Make Full Screen

From the main menu bar, select Layer > Make Full Screen to enlarge a picture to fill the screen.

Find, Find Next and Replace

From the main menu bar, select Edit > Find, Find Next or Replace to perform text search and replace functions analogous to those of a word processor.


Selecting Text and Objects

TitleDeko is character-oriented. You can select individual characters, words, lines or pages to change their position, size, or style. Consequently, text selection feels a little different than in other software, particularly word processors.

To select all text characters or objects:

Type several lines of text, then try the following selection methods until text selection seems comfortable.

Choose Select All from the Edit menu, or press Ctrl+A. A selection box with handles appears around all of the text. Note that if you click on the red dashed line that indicates the video-safe area, a similar-looking box appears. However, this box is larger and surrounds the entire image. You have selected the image area, not the text.

To select a single word or object:

Double-click the word or object. Or, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the beginning or end of the word, then hold Shift and press the right or left arrow.

A selection border with handles appears around the word or object.

To select an arbitrary section of text spanning more than one line:

Drag across, then down or up the text, or diagonally.

Or, position the cursor at the beginning or end of the desired selection area, and press arrow keys while holding the Shift key. Also, the Tab key moves the cursor from one word to the next.

Selected text within blocks is denoted by a series of fine parallel black lines as shown in the following illustration. The entire block is surrounded by a selection border with handles.

To deselect text or objects:

Click anywhere outside the selected area.


Formatting and Transforming Text and Objects

You can format text and objects by choosing a style with preset attributes, or manually by adjusting attributes such as boldness, size, typeface and spacing.

To select and change the typeface, click the down arrow and choose the typeface from the drop-down list, or click the Typeface Browser button for a graphical display of typefaces, and double-click the one you want.

To change the point size of text, type a new value into the Size field or click the arrow buttons.

To change text to bold, italic and/or underline, select the text to be changed. For bold, italic and underline, click the corresponding button in the Editor menu bar, or use the shortcuts (Ctrl+B), (Ctrl+I) and (Ctrl+U).

Applying Looks to Text and Objects

One of TitleDeko’s most powerful features is its library of preset looks. Looks include color, texture and transparency attributes that are applied to the face, edge and shadow of objects. With a click of the mouse you can instantly change the appearance of an object from glowing purple neon to blue metallic.

To select and change looks, click the Looks button. The Looks browser graphically displays the looks you can pick. Just double-click the look you want.

Justifying Text

Justification operates differently in a video character generator than in a word processor. TitleDeko uses justification controls to position all objects, including rectangles and ellipses, as well as text. You can Justify objects via menu selections, buttons, keyboard shortcuts and keypad shortcuts. The next sections explain how to use these techniques.

Justification Buttons

Three buttons provide access to the same functions: Justify, Horizontal Justify, and Vertical Justify.

The Justify button provides the same Bottom, Middle, Top functions as does the Justify menu, and also has Left, Center, Right controls for each. Click the Justify button to display a grid that resembles a Tic-Tac-Toe grid.

To use the grid, select the text or object, and click the button that indicates how you want the text justified, or where you want the object positioned.

The numeric keypad also emulates the functions of the grid, and thus offers a quick way to position or justify text and other objects, which is particularly useful if you have many repetitions to do. Hold down the Ctrl key, and press one of the numbers on the numeric keypad to quickly justify text (and objects). Notice that the position of the marker in the grid button changes, as do the Horizontal and Vertical Justification buttons.

The Horizontal and Vertical Justify buttons display controls to manipulate text and objects in those directions. In addition, these buttons also contain Full and Spread functions that apply only to text. Select the text or object, click the button that indicates how you want the text justified or where you want the object positioned. The choices are obvious except for Full and Spread.

Full Horizontal, Full Vertical and Spread Justification

Full horizontal justification makes the text flush or even with both the left and right sides of the text field box, except for the last line of text which remains left justified. Full vertical justification makes the text flush or even with both the top and bottom of the text field box. Spread justification makes all lines of text flush with both the left and right sides of the text field box, including the last line.

Tools and Selection Handles

Three buttons (Move/Resize, Rotate/Skew, Kerning/Leading) have dual functions depending on the handle you select. The current function is denoted by cursor shape. The following text explains these cursor shapes and how they function on text and other objects.

When you select an object, handles appear on the corners and midpoints as shown in the illustration on the left. In the case of Rotate and Skew, a single handle appears in the upper right corner as shown on the right.

Kerning / Leading Tool

This multifunction tool is used to change several characteristics. The associated cursors appear only on the handles.

Kerning

Kerning is adjustment of the space between words and letters. Kerning is typically used for very large letters when the default spacing of some combinations of characters in combination may be visually unpleasing.

To kern text, click the Kerning/Leading button, select the characters to kern, hold down Alt and press the right/left arrows to increase/reduce the space between selected characters. Or, use the cursor to drag the handle at either side of the selected text.

Leading

Leading is the amount of space between lines of text. To change the leading, click the Kerning/Leading button, select the text, and use the cursor to drag one of the handles above or below the text block.

Layers

Layers allow you put one object in front of another. To move a layer forward or backward, select the object. From the Layer menu, choose one of the menu commands such as Layer > Send Back One Layer, or press its command key equivalent (Ctrl+[-]).

Move / Resize Tool

Moving

The Move cursor indicates moving is enabled. It appears everywhere on the selection box except at the handles.

Resizing

..

Corner handles control height and width together; middle handles on the right or left control width only; and middle handles on the top or bottom control height only. Hold down Shift while dragging a corner handle to constrain the aspect ratio during scaling.

In the following example, the word in the center has not been changed. The widths of the words on the left and right are narrowed and expanded respectively.

Rotate / Skew Tool

Rotating

The Rotate cursor indicates rotating is enabled. It appears everywhere on the selection box, except at the upper right handle.

Skewing

The Skew cursor appears only when you position it on the upper right handle. Use the Skew function to make objects appear slanted.


Using and Modifying Styles and Looks

About Looks and Styles

Applying a look changes the appearance of text and objects. A look changes how the face, edge and shadow of the object appears. Each of those has a variety of parameters you can also adjust.

Styles change more than just the face, edge, and shadow. A style includes a look, plus any other formatting or transformations that can be applied to text or objects. For example, styles can include typeface, size, and rotation, in addition to a look.

Applying Looks to Text and Objects

To select and change looks, click the Looks button. The Looks browser graphically displays the looks you can pick. Just double-click the look you want.

Editing Looks

To create your own custom effect, change the detail attributes of the current look. You cannot save your changes in the Looks browser. However, you can save them as part of a style.

The look details (face, edge and shadow) each have its own set of attributes such as color, size and blur, which you change to create a custom look. The face is the font rendered in the current attributes. The edge is an additional line around the face, and the shadow is an offset second image of the face and the edge.

Select View > Look Editor, click the Edit Current Look button. The Look Editor window appears, with a tab for each of the three details.

The Details and Attributes

Most of the Attribute controls are obvious, so the following does not explain those in depth. In addition, a small preview window in the lower left corner shows your adjustments, which makes it easy for you to experiment.

Face, edge and shadow details have several items in common:

Choice of solid or gradient colors. These operate the same as described in the section on Backgrounds.

A Blur slider, which varies the fuzziness of the face, edge or shadow detail. You can adjust the slider, or type in a precise number.

Face, edge and shadow details differ in these respects:

The face detail has a checkbox that turns off the face altogether, leaving only the edge and shadow.

The edge detail allows adjustment of the edge size or thickness, either with the slider or by typing in a precise value.

The shadow detail also allows you to change the direction of the shadow.

Note that the edge and shadow of some sophisticated custom looks cannot be modified.

Accessing the Style Window

Styles are accessed in the Style window.

To display the Style window, select View > Preset Styles from the menu bar. The Style window contains graphic representations of 24 preset styles. To select a style, click on it.

Creating your own Styles

You can replace any of the 24 preset styles with a style of your own. Create text or an object with the attributes you want for your new style. Next, right-click on the preset style you wish to replace. Select Deposit Current Style Here.


The Background

Backgrounds fill the screen behind all the text and objects. Full-screen titles always have an opaque background. Overlay titles have either no Background, in which case the text and objects appear directly on top of the video, or a semi-opaque background that the video shows through.

Replace Background Window

You control all aspects of the background with the Replace Background window.

Transparent Backgrounds

Select this to create an overlay with no background. This is the default choice for overlay titles.

Solid Color Backgrounds

Selecting this creates a background consisting of a single color. In the case of an overlay title, this background could be semitransparent.

Gradient Backgrounds

Gradient backgrounds consist of two or more colors that are blended smoothly together. In the case of an overlay title, each color can have its own level of opacity.

To make the top a single color that merges into a single color at the bottom, choose the same color for both of the top buttons and a different color for the bottom pair of buttons.

Picture Backgrounds

To use a picture as the background, type in the path name, or click the Browse button, navigate to the directory that contains the file, and choose the file.

Selecting Colors and Opacity

Colors

To select color and opacity for a sold or gradient background, click on the corresponding Color button. The Color Picker appears. Except for opacity, the choices in this screen are self-explanatory and conform to Windows Color Picker standards.

Opacity

As you adjust the opacity slider down from 100%, the background becomes increasingly transparent.


Trimming Titles and Graphics

Titles and graphics are trimmed in one of two ways: directly on the Timeline, or with the Transitions Trim tool.

Trimming on the Timeline Using Handles

Trimming transitions directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion as trimming scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

•	Trimming Scenes on the Timeline

Trimming with the TitleDeko Tool

To display the TitleDeko tool, select the title and click the Toolbox button.

The two functions you can perform in the TitleDeko Trim tool are changing the duration or end point, and renaming the image. The duration is changed by entering new values in the Duration fields, or by clicking the Up/Down arrow buttons. You can use the Player to preview the effect, but you must use the Duration fields. You can also type in a custom name for the image. This name appears in the Text View of the Movie window.


Creating Titles with Title Deko

TitleDeko is an integrated title editor program that allows you to quickly and easily create professional quality titles and graphics. Titles can contain words, shapes, background colors, and photos or graphics imported from other programs. TitleDeko offers preset, professionally-developed styles for quickly making titles, along with virtually limitless custom styling. You can modify titles by adding transitions for a wide variety of effects, such as titles that fade in or slide, and adjust the duration of the title in your movie.

Launching TitleDeko

You can launch TitleDeko in three ways. The way in which you launch TitleDeko determines if the title is an overlay or full screen. (You can change this later.) A full-screen title is placed on the Video track, and fills the entire screen, replacing the video. An overlay title is placed on the Title Overlay track, and is superimposed on the video.

Launching from the Movie Window: For an overlay title, double-click on the Title Overlay track where you want the title to appear. For full-screen titles, right-click on the Video track.

Launching from the Toolbox: Click the Toolbox button to open it, then click the Title button. This displays the Title tool. Click either the Title Overlay or Full Screen Title button.

Launching from the Main Menu Bar: Choose Toolbox > Create Title, then click either the Title Overlay or Full Screen Title button to launch TitleDeko.

•	Using TitleDeko


Using TitleDeko

TitleDeko is an integrated title editor program that allows you to quickly and easily create professional quality titles and graphics. Titles can contain words, shapes, background colors, and photos or graphics imported from other programs. TitleDeko offers preset, professionally-developed styles for quickly making titles, along with virtually endless custom styling. You can modify titles by adding transitions for a wide variety of effects, such as titles that fade in or slide, and adjust the duration the title appears in your movie.

TitleDeko appears in a separate window with its own user interface. It creates titles that are inserted in your Studio movie. You can also save titles separately to use in other Studio movies.

You create the title in TitleDeko's Preview window. You type in text, apply a style, and complete it by resizing, repositioning, or rotating, or by adding shapes or pictures. When you’re done, click the Accept button (green check mark) and the title is automatically inserted into the Studio Movie window.

To launch TitleDeko from within Studio, see Creating Titles with Title Deko.

•	Tool Functions

•	Selecting Text and Objects

•	Formatting and Transforming Text and Objects

•	Using and Modifying Styles and Looks

•	The Background

•	Trimming Titles and Graphics


Adding a Full-screen Still Image

Still images such as photographs, Clip art and so on are added from the Graphics Section of the Album.

To add a full-screen still image:

1.	Locate the position in the Movie Window where you want the image to be added.

2.	Click the Show Graphics tab on the Album, and locate the image you want to add.

The Album Graphics Section is displayed, along with a set of default images (if you chose to install them). You can use your own images by clicking the File Cabinet button and navigating to the folder containing your images.

3.	Drag the image you want to add to the desired position in the Movie Window.

You can also incorporate still images into titles created with TitleDeko.


Adding an Overlay Still Image

Overlays are created in two ways. The primary method is through the title editor TitleDeko; however, you can also import a still image file. One difference between the two methods is the way the transparent portion of the Overlay Image is determined:

•	Transparency in Overlay Images

To add an overlay still image

1.	Click the Graphics tab on the Album, and locate the image you want to add.

2.	Select the Timeline view in the Movie Window, and locate the position where you want the image to be superimposed.

3.	Drag the chosen image from the Album into the desired position on the Movie Window’s Title Overlay track.


Transparency in Overlay Images

An Overlay Still Image appears to have a solid background, yet - when you place it on the Title Overlay track in the Movie Window’s Timeline view - the background disappears allowing the video to show through. How does Studio do this? The processes are different for imported graphics than for TitleDeko images.

Controlling Transparency for TitleDeko Still Images

TitleDeko images automatically handle transparency, and give you easy control using the Opacity slider.

Controlling Transparency for Imported Still Images

For still images placed on the overlay track, Studio uses the color of the top-left pixel of the image to determine the transparent color. All pixels that match this color are assigned Opacity of 0% (fully transparent or clear). Because these pixels become transparent, the pixels of video behind them show through.

This function works well for still images that have consistent solid background colors. However, if you find that your particular overlay image background color does not work well for this, you can use an image editing program to change the top-left pixel to the desired color, or make sure the transparent areas all match the color of the top left pixel.

If you do not want a transparent background for your image, use an image editing program to change the top-left pixel to a color that is not used in the image.

Note: Graphics imported into TitleDeko can have transparent backgrounds only if the graphic file contains an "alpha channel" - an additional layer of information specifying the areas that are to be treated as transparent. Only certain graphic file formats (e.g. 32-bit .bmp files) support the inclusion of an alpha channel.


Frame Grabber Basics

You can choose a frame to grab from one of three sources:

Captured video

Video or digital camera

External video sources, such as television

After you have grabbed the frame, the Frame Grabber offers two options for using it:

Adding it to the Video track

Saving it to your hard drive as a graphic file

Adding it to the Video track places the grabbed frame before the video clip that is currently selected. When you save to your hard drive, a full-resolution image is stored. You can save the file in most standard graphic formats.


Using the Frame Grabber

Using the Frame Grabber Tool

Open the Toolbox and click the Frame Grabber button. The Frame Grabber tool allows you to grab frames from either the current movie or from:

A captured video clip.

Any video input source connected to your PCTV, like a camcorder or a VCR.

After you grab the frame, the Frame Grabber lets you either:

Add it to the Video track, or

Save it to your hard drive as a graphic file.

Adding it to the Video track places the grabbed frame before the video clip that is currently selected. When you save to your hard drive, a full-resolution image is stored. You can save the file in most standard graphic formats.

•	Grabbing a frame from a movie

•	Grabbing a frame from a video source

•	Adding a grabbed frame to a movie

•	Saving a grabbed frame to disk


Grabbing a Frame from a Movie

To grab a still image from one of the videos you’ve already captured:

1.	Select From movie.

2.	Use Player controls to find desired frame.

3.	Click Grab Frame button, and the captured frame appears in window.


Grabbing a Frame from a Video Source

To grab a frame from a video source:

1.	Verify Studio is receiving your source video.

2.	Select From video input.

3.	Play the source video to the frame you wish to capture.

4.	Click the Grab Frame button. You’ll see the video appear in the Preview window.


Adding a Grabbed Frame to a Movie

To add your still image to your movie:

Click the Add to Movie button. Studio places the grabbed frame on the Video track of your movie in front of the video clip that is currently selected.


Saving a Grabbed Frame to Disk

To save your still image as a file:

1.	Click the Save to Disk button.

2.	Choose the file folder in which to save the image. Give the file a name you’ll recognize later by typing in a name in the file name box. Save the file.

3.	The default file type is BMP. To choose another file type, click the pull-down arrow to drop down the file type list. Scroll down to select a file format.

4.	Choose the resolution for the image.

5.	Click the Save button.


Trimming Still Images

Still images are trimmed in one of two ways:

Directly on the Timeline

With the Change Clip Properties tool

Trimming on the Timeline

Trimming still images directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion to trimming scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

•	Trimming on the timeline

Trimming with the Change Clip Properties Tool

Double-click on the image while in Timeline view to display the Change Clip Properties tool. Because there is little about a still image that can be changed, the Change Clip Properties tool offers only two options for still images.

To set the length the still image is displayed, change the fields in the Duration counter.

To give the image a custom name, type the name in the Name field.

For titles, the Edit Title button is enabled. To edit a title, click this button. The title editor, TitleDeko, opens with that title in its editing window, ready for you to make changes. Click the Accept button when you are finished. The revised title appears in the Movie window.


The Frame Grabber

The Frame Grabber can capture a still image from any video source, and save it in many standard graphic formats. You can use the grabbed frames in other software applications, or reinsert them back into your movies as still images. You can also import them into title images with the title editor, TitleDeko.

Here are some examples of using the Frame Grabber:

Edit grabbed images back into a video production using overlay or full screen effects. For example, you can point your camera at your old family photos, grab images of them, and insert them into your movie.

Grab still pictures from any video source, including any videotape, TV, video games, etc.

Turn your camera into a scanner by pointing it at photos or documents and grabbing a picture. You can place documents on a copy stand or just tape them to a wall.

Save grabbed images for use in desktop publishing programs, including page-layout software, paint programs, word processors, e-mail, and Web pages.

Frame Grabber Topics

•	Frame Grabber Basics

•	Using the Frame Grabber


Creating and Using Still Images

Studio offers a variety of capabilities for creating and using still images. You can import images, such as photographs or drawings in most standard formats, and video frames, which can be grabbed with the Studio Frame Grabber. Titles are also a type of still image, and may themselves contain imported images and grabbed frames.

Still images can be placed on the Video track or the Title Overlay track. Still images on the Title Overlay track are superimposed on top of the video.

When you place a still image in the Movie window, a copy of the image file is imported into the Studio project. This makes the Studio project more transportable; however, changes to the original image file are not reflected in the Studio project. If you do need to change the original image, replace the image in Studio.

Full Screen Images

A full screen image is a still that is placed on the Video track, and fills the entire screen, replacing the video. When the preceding video clip ends, Studio displays the still image clip for the time specified on the Studio Timeline. The visual effect is that the video ends, and is replaced by the graphic until the next video clip or still image begins.

Overlay Images

An overlay image is placed on the Title Overlay track and is superimposed on top of the moving video without replacing it. The video continues playing in the background, while the overlay image appears stationary in the foreground. The visual effect is that a still image, such as title words or a graphic, appears on top of the video.

•	Creating titles with TitleDeko

•	Adding a Full-screen Still Image from the Album

•	Adding an Overlay Still Image from the Album

•	The Frame Grabber

•	Trimming Still Images


Transition Types and their Uses

Transitions are used based on the content of the video and what you are trying to do with your movie. Properly used, transitions let you subtly reinforce the meaning of the movie and how it plays without the audience becoming aware that a transition is employed. If you watch professionally-produced video on television, you’ll see many ways to improve your own tapes. Generally, it is advisable to refrain from overusing transitions that tend to cause abrupt changes or otherwise draw attention to themselves. There’s a big difference between a subtle Dissolve from one clip to the next, and employing a heart-shaped Wipe.

Cuts

A cut is actually the absence of a transition. It produces an abrupt shift from one scene to the next.

Fade

This transition fades the first portion of the video clip up from a black screen, or fades the last of the clip down to a black screen. If Fade is used between clips, the video clip that is playing fades down; the incoming video clip then fades up (this is sometimes referred to as a "crossfade"). Fade is the first transition in the Transition section of the Album.

Fade is typically used when there is a large break in the continuity. Examples include fading up from black at the beginning of your movie, or down to black at the end. It also can be used to indicate a new section has started. For example, a movie of a play might benefit from fading down to black an the end of one act, and then fading up from black as the next act opens.

Dissolve

A Dissolve is a gradual change between one video clip and another. The Dissolve is a widely used transition that avoids abrupt cuts from one clip to the next. Unless you intentionally want a cut, which can also be considered a type of transition, consider a Dissolve. While a short Dissolve can take the edge off a cut, a long Dissolve is useful to suggest the passage of time.

Wipes

A Wipe appears as if the incoming video clip is wiping over and into the video clip that is playing, replacing the playing video with the incoming one using one of many directions or patterns. Studio offers many types of Wipe transitions, along with numerous variations of each. Some Wipes draw a lot of attention to themselves, so consider their use carefully.

Slides

A Slide appears as if one video clip is sliding over the previous clip, and pushing it off the screen. Studio offers eight types of Slide transitions. Again, the content of the video and your intention as the producer dictate what type of Slide you use and how you use it. For example, you might use a Slide Right to begin a scene of a car entering the screen from the left.


The Transitions Album

Like the other raw materials for your movies, such as Scenes and Titles, the available Transitions have their own Section in the Album. Using the Transitions tab to open the section.

Displaying Transition Type

As you move the cursor over the transition icons in the Album, the cursor changes to a grabber symbol. If you pause momentarily on the icon, the transition type is displayed. If you leave the cursor on the transition, the display persists for several seconds.

Previewing Transition Effects

Select a transition icon and watch the Player Preview window. The Player demonstrates the effects of the transition using the conventions of "A" and "B" where A represents the first clip and B the second. To see a detailed view, stop the Player and use the Frame Reverse/Forward buttons to step through the effect one frame at a time.


Adding Transitions to your Movie

Transitions are placed on the Video track by dragging them from the Album like any other item. To quickly add Transitions, the Storyboard view is recommended, but you can add Transitions in any view.

To add a transition:

1.	Click the Storyboard View button in the Movie window menu bar. Locate a boundary between two Clips that you want to connect with the Transition, or an Overlay Image to which you like to add a Fade in or out.

2.	Click the Transitions Tab in the Album.

3.	Locate the Transition you wish to use, and drag it to the chosen Clip or Overlay Image boundary.


Trimming Transitions

Transitions are trimmed in one of two ways:

Directly on the Timeline

With the Transitions Trim tool

Trimming On The Timeline

Trimming transitions directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion to trimming Scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag.

•	Trimming scenes on the Timeline

Using the Trim Transitions Tool

The Trim Transitions Tool works similarly to the Trim Scenes Tool.

To display the tool, double click on the Transition or select the Transition and click the Toolbox button.

The Start Frame, End Frame, Transport Controls, as well as the Name and Duration fields, work identically to their counterparts for the Trim Scenes Tool.

You can use the Scrubber to control the playback of the Transition in the Player’s Preview window.

Reverse Direction Checkbox

You can change the direction of some Transitions by checking the Reverse Direction checkbox.


Using Transitions

Studio offers sophisticated video effects called transitions that give your movie a professionally-produced look. Once you begin to use transitions, you’ll recognize many of these effects in professionally-produced videos.

Transitions are placed on the Video track between two video clips, between full screen graphics, or between a combination of these clip types. Transitions can also be placed on the Title Overlay track, to bring titles on and off the screen. Transition types include Fade, Dissolve, Wipe and Slide. Studio offers numerous variations of Wipe and Slide transitions. For all transitions, except Fade and Dissolve, you can set the duration and direction to suit each movie’s specific requirements. The only variable for Fade and Dissolve is duration.

•	Transition Types

•	The Transitions Album

•	Adding Transitions to your Movie

•	Trimming Transitions


The Timeline Audio Tracks

The Movie window contains two tracks on which you may place audio. In addition, the Video track also contains the audio portion of video scenes.

Video Scene Audio Track

In addition to the video scenes, the Video track also contains the audio captured with your video. A scene's audio is part of the scene itself and cannot be split from it. When you move or trim a scene, the audio is correspondingly moved or trimmed.

Sound Effects and Voice-overs Track

The most common uses for this track are voice-overs and sound effects; however you can place any WAV file on this track, containing any type of content. Examples include sound effects such as applause, or music saved in WAV format.

Background Music Track

Use this track to include music from audio compact disks (CDs) and SmartSound background music. Although SmartSound will always be background music, the CD audio can be any type of audio. You can also place WAV files on this track.


Audio Clips in the Album

Selecting Audio Clips in the Album

Studio offers a variety of ways to select audio clips in the Album. You can Shift-click to select contiguous clips, Ctrl-click for noncontiguous selections, area select with the marquee, and use combinations of these techniques. In addition, you can use the arrow keys to navigate through the Album. Selection techniques follow standard Windows conventions.

Previewing Audio Clips

You will probably want to preview the audio effects before placing the clips on the Timeline to get a better feel for their length and how they fit in with your movie. Any audio clip in the Album can be previewed. After you select a clip (or clips), they play automatically.


Placing Audio Clips on the Timeline

WAV files are placed from the Album whereas CD music, voice-overs and SmartSound background music are added via their Toolbox tools. The following two sections explain both techniques.

Placing WAV File from the Album

Place WAV audio clips on their tracks the same way you would drag a scene from the Album.

To place a WAV file on the Voice-over and Sound Effect track:

1.	Click the Sound Effects Album tab.

2.	The Album displays the section for Sound Effects. The page is populated with sound files (if you chose to install them).

3.	Place your pointer on the icon for the sound effect you would like to use.

4.	Click on the sound if you wish to preview it.

5.	Drag the clip to the Voice-over and Sound Effect track. The clip remains selected.

6.	To hear the sound again, click the Play button.

Placing other Types of Audio Using the Toolbox

The other types of audio clip are created with the Toolbox:

•	Creating a CD Music Clip

•	Creating Background Music

•	Creating a Voiceover


Creating a CD Music Clip

To Place a CD sound track on the Background Music track:

1.	Click the Toolbox button, then the Background Music button in the Tool Selector area.

The Name and CD Title drop-down lists contain Untitled until you insert a CD, type in the CD name and select a track. Subsequently, Studio remembers the CD name and track number.

2.	Type in a name for the CD, or click the down arrow button in the CD Title drop-down list and choose a CD you have previously named.

3.	Click the down arrow button in the track drop-down list and select the track you wish to place in your movie. You can select a portion of the track by trimming it using the Trim Calipers.

•	Trimming Audio Clips

4.	Click the Add to Movie button.

The CD track is placed on the Timeline. Note that you can place the audio CD music clip at any point on the Timeline by first positioning the Timeline scrubber at that point. If no clip is selected, the CD music is placed at the beginning.

5.	To hear the sound clip when it is on the Timeline, click the Play button on the Player, or double-click the sound clip and click the Play button in the CD Music Tool.


Creating Background Music

Without Studio, background music can be difficult to add to a movie. You need to decide on the right kind of music, and select an exact duration that matches your video without causing the beginning and end to have abrupt transitions.

SmartSound easily avoids this. SmartSound creates music, automatically and precisely tailored to your specifications. Need exactly 10 seconds and 24 frames of a piano solo for your introduction? You can have it with SmartSound.

SmartSound combines a style of music along with a specific type to produce an appropriate background sound track.

SmartSound consists of two main software components: the program built into Studio for choosing and controlling music creation, and the sound files themselves. Because the sound files are large (around 250 Megabytes), the default install does not include them. If you didn’t install them, and you find yourself using this feature a lot, you can install these files any time for more convenient access, or continue to use them directly from the CD to conserve hard disk space.

To create background music with SmartSound:

1.	Select the clips to which you which you want the SmartSound added.

2.	Click the Toolbox button, then the Create Background Music button in the Tool Selector area.

The SmartSound window appears.

3.	Choose a style, song and version from the lists.

The number of versions that appears depends on the duration of the selected clips. By increasing duration, more versions may appear in the window.

4.	Choose the length of the music in seconds, if you want it to be longer or shorter than the clips you selected.

The SmartSound clip is placed on the CD Audio track.


Creating a Voice-over

Studio makes voice-overs as easy as a telephone call. Just turn on the Voice-over Recorder and speak into the microphone. You can narrate as you watch the movie play so your words are in sync with the action on the screen. You can also use the recorder to record other sounds with your microphone.

Note: Before you can record a voice-over, you need to connect a microphone to the input jack of your PC sound board.

To record a voice-over:

1.	Before you begin recording, review the video scenes in your movie and decide when you want the voice-over to begin (the cue) and end.

2.	Select Tools > Record Voice-over from the main menu bar or click the Voice-over button in the Toolbox.

The Voice-over Recording window appears. Note that the Recording lamp is not lit.

3.	Select the point on the Timeline at which the voice-over is to begin. You may do this by selecting a clip, playing the movie and stopping it at the desired point, or moving the Timeline scrubber. Note: you must have at least one video clip on the Timeline to record a voice-over.

4.	Pick up the microphone, then click the Record button.

The unlit Recording lamp changes to Standby, then a 3-2-1 countdown so you are prepared. (Even if you don’t start speaking exactly on cue, you can always reposition the beginning of the voice-over clip on the Timeline.)

5.	When the Recording lamp lights and the movie begins playing, begin speaking. As you speak, watch the movie so you can stay in sync.

6.	When you are finished, click the Stop button.

The lamp goes out, and the voice-over clip is automatically placed on the Voice-over track of the Timeline.

7.	Review your voice-over by clicking on it and clicking the Play button.

Voice-over Volume

The recording volume for a voice-over is set when you record the voice-over, and cannot be changed; however, you can adjust the playback volume any time. Recording volume is set with the Recording Volume slider on the right of the Voice-over window. Generally, you will leave the slider set at zero gain (mid-point). To the right of the slider is a volume meter. Watch this meter to make sure your recording levels don’t get too high or low.

Editing Voice-overs

Edit the voice-over in the same way as any other audio file. You can reposition the voice-over clip on the Timeline, adjust the volume, and trim the beginning or end.

Recording Quality Options

You can adjust factory-preset values for recording quality. Voice-over Recording Options include Channels and Sample Rate adjustments. These options control the quality of voice-overs or other recorded audio. Set them at the highest quality level you anticipate needing, but keep in mind that increasing quality requires more disk space.

•	Settings and Options


Adjusting Audio Levels

Anatomy of an Audio Clip

An audio clip icon on the Timeline has several parts. Clip length is denoted by the vertical bars. The actual content of the audio is indicated by the waveform. A continuous type of sound, such as a car engine, would have many pulses packed closely together. A staccato sound has sets of pulses spaced apart.

Two other lines indicate the normal and adjusted audio levels. The normal, or unadjusted, audio level of 0 db is the grey line; adjusted audio is the red line.

Adjusting Audio Levels

Audio levels of individual clips can be adjusted directly on the Timeline, or in the Volume window. Each technique offers its own advantages. Adjusting on the Timeline gives you a good sense of time versus volume, whereas the Volume window facilitates adjusting the relative volumes of the tracks with respect to each other.

Adjusting Audio Clip Volume on the Timeline

The audio level can be adjusted directly within the clip. Use the pointer to move the dark line that represents the audio level.

To raise or lower volume:

1.	Select the clip whose volume you wish to modify. Note that the unadjusted (0 db) Volume Level line is displayed.

2.	Position the pointer over the Volume line until it becomes an Up/Down arrow.

3.	Click-drag the line up to increase the volume, down to decrease it. You can change the volume profile of the Clip as desired by altering the volume at different points.

4.	When you release the mouse button, Studio places a volume adjustment handle at the point where you release the button. These adjustment points can be further modified as required.

To reset the volume level:

Right-click within the audio clip you adjusted. Choose Remove Volume Changes from the menu. All adjustment points are removed.

Adjusting Audio Levels with the Volume Tool

The Volume tool offers a greater degree of adjustment functionality organized into one convenient location. The Volume tool operates in a similar way to a traditional audio mixer. You can control the volume of the individual tracks with respect to each other, on the fly or with playback stopped. In addition, you can fade the audio in or out at any point. The Volume tool also displays the volume with meters similar to those on stereo equipment.

Tracks are indicated by the symbol in the upper left corner of each section. Volume is controlled by clicking on the Volume sliders and adjusting them up or down. The buttons with the ramp symbol fade the volume up or down.

For example, if you’re adding a voice-over, reduce the video clip volume so the voice-over predominates.

Changes you make with the Volume tool apply from the current position of the Timeline scrubber to the next adjustment point on the affected audio track.

Fade In and Fade Out Buttons

Above each Volume slider is a set of Fade buttons that contain ramp symbols. Clicking these produces a Fade In or Out at the current position of the movie. The fade is reflected in the Volume Line for any affected Clips as usual.

You may notice that sometimes the Fader buttons are grayed out, which means a Fade is not possible at this point because the scrubber is at the beginning or end of a clip.


Trimming Audio Clips

Audio clips are trimmed in one of two ways:

Directly on the Timeline

With the Audio Trim tool

Trimming on the Timeline

Trimming audio clips directly on the Timeline works in a similar fashion to trimming scenes on the Timeline: grab the left or right edge and drag

•	Trimming Scenes on the Timeline

Trimming with the Audio Tools

The Trim Audio tool works the same way as the Trim Video Scenes tool.

To display the Trim tools for audio, double-click on the audio clip, or select the transition and click the Trim button in the Toolbox tool selection area.

Whereas the Trim Scenes tool shows the start/end video frames, the Trim Audio tool shows the audio clip. In the case of a WAV file audio clip, a waveform that represents the sound is displayed.

Trimming WAV sounds: The controls for the WAV Trim tool operate in exactly the same way as those for the Video Scenes Trim tool. The only difference is that a waveform of the WAV file is displayed instead of the Start/End video frames.

Trimming CD Clips: For CD music, the CD and track names are displayed instead. As with the WAV Trim tool, the controls operate the same way as in the Video Scenes Trim tool.

Trimming background music: The Trim tool display for background music is a slight variation: The Background Music tool is displayed, except that the Trim Tool button is selected. As with the Transition Trim tool, the only adjustments you can make are the duration and name. Duration is changed by entering new values in the Duration fields, or by clicking the Up/Down arrow buttons. Trimming does not remove music. Rather, it generates a new song of the desired length that has a proper beginning and end.

You can also type in a custom name for the music. This name appears in the Text view of the Movie window.


Sound Effects and Music

You can add a great deal of polish to your video by adding background music, recording voice-overs, and inserting audio effects such as applause. Studio accesses and plays common digital audio file types. For example, you can add audio files stored on your hard disk in WAV format, or import audio directly from an audio CD. In addition, the audio track of all video clips is captured along with the video, and is always available.

Studio also provides some exciting new features. You can record voice-overs and other audio into your movie directly from your computer, and automatically create any length and type of background music.

Audio clips are selected and placed on their tracks in the same way as video clips. Once an audio clip is placed on its track, you edit it the same way as you would a video clip. You can move its location on the Timeline, adjust the volume, and trim from the beginning or end.

•	The Timeline Audio Tracks

•	Audio Clips In The Album

•	Placing Audio Clips On The Timeline

•	Trimming Audio Clips

•	Adjusting Audio Levels


About Compression

A Studio native file is essentially an edit list that points to the clip data, and is quite small. An MPG file (.mpg) contains the actual video frames and other data, and is significantly larger .Compression algorithms are employed to compact the data, using a software Codec (compressor/decompressor).

You have control over several CODEC settings. Files can be greatly reduced; however, do keep in mind the trade-off between file size and quality: the more you compress, the more you reduce quality. Both video and audio compression are adjustable. Video compression adjustments include frame size and frame rate. For audio, you can select a single channel (that is, monaural) and adjust the sampling rate.

Adjusting Compression Settings

You may want to adjust compression settings because the files are too large, you want higher quality, or you are creating them for a special purpose (such as Web files, where you may want a specific frame size and other characteristics).

Compression settings are changed in the Settings dialog boxes.

•	Video compression settings

•	Audio compression settings


Save Current Project as an MPEG File
Save Your Current Project as an MPEG file

To save your current project as an MPEG file:

1.	Click the Make Movie button on the main menu bar.

The portion of the screen above the Movie window changes to display the Make Movie window, with the controls needed to make a digital movie.

2.	Check your settings.

Select a Quality preset or create a custom setting in accordance with your requirements.

Deselect Include audio if you do not want audio in your MPEG file.

Click OK.

3.	Click the Create MPEG File button.

Type in a name for your .mpg file. The default directory in which your file will be saved is C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio PCTV\Movies. You can change this by clicking the File Cabinet button and navigating to a new directory.

4.	Click OK.

When you click the OK button in the Create MPEG File dialog box, Studio begins making the MPEG file. You can see the progress of Studio by the progress bars which appear in the Player window.

5.	Check your result.

When Studio is finished rendering, you are ready to play your movie. To the left of the Settings button is the Launch Windows Media Player button.


Save Current Project as an AVI File

To save your current project as an AVI file:

1.	Click the Make Movie button on the main menu bar.

2.	Click the Make AVI File button .

3.	Click the Settings button. Verify that the Include Video and Include Audio checkboxes are selected.

Options are provided for turning these off because you may want to make an AVI audio-only file to save the sound as an AVI for import into another program. You also might not want to include audio in a video, such as a small Web page animation, and can reduce the file size by removing audio.

Under each option is the compression setting currently in effect.

4.	Check the Diskometer to make sure you have enough drive space.

5.	Click the Create AVI file button

Type in a name for your AVI file.

The default directory in which your file will be saved is C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio PCTV\Movies.

Click OK to start the AVI file creation process. To create the AVI file, Studio will decode each frame of MPEG video, render whatever titles and effects are present, and compress the resulting frame using the CODEC you specified in the Settings Control Panel.

This is generally a slow process. The actual time depends on the speed of your computer and the length of your video.

Checking your Results

Once your movie has been rendered, you can review the results using the Windows Media Player. You can launch the Windows Media Player by clicking on the button to the left of the Settings button. You can save your Studio movie as a digital movie if you want to use your movie in a multimedia presentation on your computer, to send it to a friend via email, or to put it on a Web page or CD-R.


Audio Compression Settings

If you want to keep file sizes to a minimum, audio for many digital uses can be set to 8-bit mono at 11 KHz. For a general rule, try 8-bit 11 KHz for audio that is mostly voice-overs, and 16-bit stereo at 22 or 44 KHz for audio that is predominantly music. By comparison, CD-ROM music is 16-bit stereo sampled at 44 KHz. Another way to consider evaluating an audio compression choice is that 11 KHz is comparable to AM radio quality, 22 KHz comparable to FM and 16-bit stereo, 44 KHz to audio CD quality.

Type: In most cases, you will choose either PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) or ADPCM (Adaptive Delta PCM).

Channels: You may choose between 8- and 16-bit mono and stereo sound. Sound quality and file size increases as when you add a second channel or increase bit depth.

Sample Rates: Digital audio is produced by taking small discrete samples of the continuous analog waveform. The more samples, the better the sound. For example, audio CDs are recorded at 44 KHz, 16-bit stereo. Audio can be sampled at 11 KHz for most digital uses, particularly for voice-overs.


Changing Settings

Options are provided to adjust certain factory-preset default values. The default values work well for the vast majority of situations and hardware. However, you may wish to modify them to suit either your work style or your specific equipment configuration.

•	Audio Capture Options

•	Video Capture Options

•	The Options Dialog


Audio Options
Audio Capture Options

Audio options are accessed using the slide-out audio control panel on the Diskometer. Setting your audio options correctly as you capture will ensure consistent volume levels and quality.

Capture

This allows you to capture video with or without an associated audio track

Volume

This allows you to vary the signal strength (volume level) of your incoming audio.When you output to tape or save a digital movie, the volume level change will be reflected in that version.Some sound cards do not support the volume meter. In that case, the volume meter is not displayed.

Balance

This allows you to place incoming audio to the left or right channel, or balance (center) it equally on both channels.


Video Options

Input

This is how Studio chooses between the composite (RCA female connector) and the S-Video (4-pin DIN female connector) or the built-in tuner on your Studio PCTV board. Even though you have an external video signal connected to the Studio PCTV board, you must choose the correct video input.

TV Standard

Choose the appropriate standard for your region from PAL, NTSC or SECAM.

Video Frame Size

This is the width and height of the video frame you capture, measured in pixels. It is important to capture all the video in one project at the same frame size to avoid both increased rendering times and loss of picture quality (when Studio needs to increase a clip's frame size to match that of other clips in the project).

Capture/Quality Slider

The Capture/Quality slider controls the video CODEC capture quality. You can reduce the size of your captured files by lowering the quality slider value.


Tips and Tricks

Check out these topics for inside information and advice that will help you get the most out of your Studio PCTV. If you encounter problems, please read this information before calling technical support.

•	Video capture

•	Preview

•	Video format

•	Hard disk storage

•	Defragmenting the hard disk

•	Video production


Tips and Tricks: Video Capture

The image quality of my captured video is poor.

Changing the following parameters can influence the image quality:

Increase your video capture quality

Use S-video input/output

My captured video contains image interference such as blocks, step effects, or fuzzy contours.

These disturbances are so-called "artifacts" that can occur when images are compressed. These will vary in intensity depending on the nature of the original material and the type of compression used.

Increase the data rate for the video capture

Use an S-Video connection between your output source and your capture device.

Composite or S-Video. Which connection should I use?

Your choice of a connection to use for Video In and/or Video Out depends on the playback and recording equipment used. Higher image quality can be obtained with an S-Video device than with composite equipment.

What video quality setting should I use?

The video quality setting has a direct effect on the picture quality and the storage requirements for your captured video. To obtain high image quality, you must set a high quality (high video bit rate), which also increases demand for hard disk storage.

Making an unedited digital movie

If you do not want to edit your video, you can still use Studio to capture video to an AVI file.


Tips and Tricks: Preview

My preview is shown in poor quality.

A Studio Preview window is a fixed size. If you are capturing at 160x120 resolution, the playback of your video in the Preview window may exhibit scaling artifacts. These may depend on your graphics card. Playback of your final video at its native resolution will not exhibit these effects.

Use the slider to change the ratio between the video quality and playback rate.

The preview and/or the captured film are only in black and white.

The video standard may be improperly configured. Please check the configuration in the Studio PCTV application under Studio PCTV Setup or in the PCTV, under Configuration (button) > Video > Standard, and correct the configuration if necessary.


Tips and Tricks: Video Format

How can I save my edited video as a VideoCD?

To create VideoCDs, you will need CD creator software that has been adapted especially for your CD burner. This software must support the VideoCD format. You can create VideoCD-compatible video files in the Make MPEG option of Make Movie.

How can I create an Internet video?

As a rule, files produced for the Internet should be as small as possible and playable on any computer system.

Keep the video as short as possible

Reduce the video data rate to an acceptable minimum

Reduce the video size to QSIF

Record audio only if necessary

Reduce the audio data rate to an acceptable minimum

Generate an MPEG system stream.

Convert your AVI files to Real Video using the included Real Producer application.


Tips and Tricks: Hard Disk Storage

How much hard disk capacity do I need for my video captures?

The video and audio data of your video file will be stored on the hard disk. If you want to continue editing your captured video with the Studio software, your video will be stored as a combined MPEG video and WAV audio stream to permit maximum efficiency during video editing. Approx. 1484 MB of data is stored on the hard disk for one hour of video. (Video data rate of 2 Mb/s, audio recording 44kHz, 16-bit stereo).

A simplified capture of the video footage as a complete MPEG system stream would require approx. 964 MB of hard disk storage (video data rate of 2 Mb/s, audio bit rate 192 kbits).

MPEG Video + WAV Audio

Parameter	Data rate	Data quantity

Video	2 Mbit/s	879 MB/h

Audio	Stereo, 44,1 kHz, 16-bit	605 MB/h

Total	1484 MB/h

The data quantity for the MPEG video stream will vary depending on the data rate (see above). At a bit rate of 2 Mb/s for the video capture, 250 KB of data per second will be stored on the hard disk.

MPEG Video

The storage requirements for the video stream depend on the data rate selected for the capture.

Data rate	Data quantity

1.5 Mbit/s	675 MB/h

2 Mbit/s	879 MB/h

3 Mbit/s	1350 MB/h

Audio

For audio, it is possible to differentiate between two formats:

1.	WAV Audio

The storage requirements can be calculated according to the following fomula:

Memory required [MB/h] = (mode x frequency x bit) x 3600 / 8  / 1024

where:

Mode = 1 (mono) or 2 (stereo)

Frequency  =  44100 (kHz)

Bit = 8 or 16

Example: (2 x 44100 x 16) x 3600 / 8 / 1024 x = 605 MB per hour.

2.	MPEG Audio

Space requirements depend on the audio bit rate used. Typical data rates are 192 kbit/s or 224 kbit/s (85 MB / 98 MB per hour).

During video editing, the original video remains intact. You will need additional hard disk space for the newly created film.


Tips and Tricks: Defragmenting the Hard Disk
Tips and Tricks: Defragmenting

For best performance, you should defragment your hard disk(s) periodically. "Fragmentation" refers to the condition of a disk in which files are divided into pieces scattered around the disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally when you access a disk frequently by creating, deleting, and modifying files. At some point, the operating system needs to store parts of a file in noncontiguous clusters.

This is entirely invisible to users, but it can slow down the speed at which data is accessed because the disk drive must search through different parts of the disk to put together a single file. For purposes of writing and reading video files, be aware that defragmenting your hard drive is a simple, effective method of maximizing your system’s performance.

There are software utilities, called disk optimizers or defragmenters, that defragment a disk. You find the Windows 95 defragmentation utility under Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.


Tips and Tricks: Video Production

Video Editing and Capturing

All it takes to turn your raw footage into an interesting, exciting, or informative film is a little basic knowledge.

By means of clever editing, you can also build tension in your private video and captivate viewers with interesting special effects. Just the ability to combine shots in different ways makes it possible to produce varying effects. The right sound, whether original sound, commentary, noise, or music, if used intelligently, can further supplement the selected sequence of cuts and support the intended effect of the images.

Even if editing makes or breaks a film, you should consider how your video footage is going to be used already during taping. Nothing is more frustrating than discovering later during editing that you are missing an important sequence or that one camera angle does not fit with the others.

Creating a Shooting Plan

It is not always necessary to have a shooting plan, but it can be very helpful for large video projects. A shooting plan can be as simple or as complex as you like. Starting with a simple list of the planned scenes, the possibilities include detailed camera directions and written-out dialog, or even a full-fledged script in which every single camera angle is described in detail along with duration, lighting, text, and props.

Editing

Using Varying Perspectives

An important event should always be shot from varying perspectives and camera positions. Later, during editing, you can select and/or combine the best camera angles. Make a conscious effort to tape events from more than one perspective (first the clown in the circus ring, but then also the laughing spectator from the clown’s point of view). Interesting events can also take place behind the protagonists or the protagonists may se seen from behind. This can be helpful later when trying to establish a sense of balance in the movie.

Close-ups

Don’t be stingy with close-ups of important things or persons. Close-ups usually look better and more interesting than long shots do on a television screen and they are easy to use for effects later.

Long Shots / Semi-Long Shots

Long shots later provide the viewer with an overview and establish the scene of the action. However, these scenes can also be used later to shorten longer scenes. When you cut from a close-up to a long shot, the viewer no longer sees the details and it is thus easier to make a chronological jump. Showing a spectator in a semi-long shot can also distract briefly from the actual action.

Complete Actions

Always shoot complete actions with a beginning and an end. This makes editing easier later.

Transitions

Cinematic timing requires some practice. It is not always possible to film long events in their entirety and in movies they often have to be represented in severely abbreviated form. Nonetheless, the plot should remain logical and cuts should not always call attention to themselves. This is where transitions come into play. Transitions divert the viewer’s attention from the actual action, enabling filmmakers to make chronological jumps, for example, without the viewer being conscious of them.

A differentiation is made between plot-related transitions (e.g., a close-up of an end product, the creation of which will now be shown in the film) and neutral transitions (e.g., close-up of a motif that is only indirectly related to the film, for example, showing an interested audience member during a podium discussion. Since the actual speaker is heard but not seen, later it will be easy to cut at this point to a later point in the discussion).

Furthermore, there are also external transitions, which show something apart from the actual action (during a shot inside the marriage registry, cut to the exterior of the marriage registry, where a surprise is already being set up). Transitions should underscore the message of the film and must always fit the respective situation, in order to avoid confusing viewers or distracting from the actual storyline.

Sorting Footage

Poor shots should be sorted out uncompromisingly.

Logical Sequence of Action

The shots strung together during editing must interact appropriately in relation to the respective action. Viewers will be unable to follow the events unless the storyline is logical. Capture viewer interest from the very beginning with a fast-paced or spectacular start and maintain that interest until the very end. Viewers can lose interest and/or become disoriented if scenes are strung together in a manner that is illogical or chronologically false, or if scenes are too hectic or short (under 3 sec). Motifs should not vary too much from the scenes that follow them.

Bridging the Gaps

Bridge the gaps from one filming location to another and use close-ups, for example, to bridge chronological jumps; start with a close-up, for example, and then after 7-8 seconds zoom to a semi-long or long shot and dwell on this shot again for a while (again approx. 7-8 sec).

Maintain Continuity

Continuity is important with regard to chronology and situations. Sunny weather does not fit with spectators who opened their umbrellas.

Tempo of Cuts

The tempo at which a film cuts from one scene to the next often influences the message and mood of the film. The absence of a particular shot and the duration of a shot are both ways of manipulating the message of the film.

Avoid Visual Disjunctions

Stringing together similar shots one right after the other may result in visual disjunctions (the same person may in the left half of the picture one moment and in the left half of the picture the next, or is shown with and then without eyeglasses).

Do Not String Together Pan Shots

Pan shots should not be strung together unless they have the same direction and tempo.

Rules of Thumb for Video Editing

(These do not always apply to experimental films and video clips)

Do not string together scenes in which the camera is moving. Pans, zooms, and other moving shots should always be separated by static shots.

Shots that follow one another should be from different camera positions. The camera angle should vary by at least 45 degrees.

Dialogs (sequences of faces) should always be shot alternately from varying angles of view.

Change perspectives when shooting buildings. When you have similar shots of the same type and size, the picture diagonal should alternate between front left to rear right and vice versa.

Make cuts when persons are in motion. The viewer will be distracted by the ongoing motion and the cut will go almost without notice. In other words, you can cut to a long shot in middle of the motion.

Make harmonious cuts, avoid visual disjunction.

The less motion there is in a shot, the shorter it should be. Shots with fast movements can be longer.

Long shots have more content, so they should also be shown longer.

Stringing your video sequences together in a deliberate manner not only permits you to produce certain effects, but even enables you to convey messages that can or should not be shown in pictures. There are basically six methods of conveying messages through cuts:

Associative Cuts

Shots are strung together in a certain order to trigger associations in the mind of the viewer, but the actual message is not shown (for example, a man bets on a horse race and, in very next scene, we see him shopping for an expensive new car at a car dealership).

Parallel Cuts

Two actions are shown in parallel. The film jumps back and forth between the two actions; making the shots shorter and shorter until the end is a way of building suspense until it peaks (example: two different cars drive from different directions at high speed toward the same intersection).

Contrast Cuts

The film purposely cuts unexpectedly from one shot to another, very different shot, in order to point up the contrast to the viewer (example: a tourist lying on the beach, the next shot shows starving children).

Substitutionary Cut

Events that cannot or should not be shown are replaced by other events (a child is born, but instead of childbirth, the blossoming of a flower bud is shown).

Cause and Effect Cuts

Shots are related by virtue of cause and effect; without the first shot, the second would be incomprehensible (example: a man fights with his wife and, in the very next shot, winds up sleeping under a bridge).

Formal Cuts

Shots that vary in content can be strung together if they have something in common, for example, the same shapes, colors, motions (a crystal ball and the earth; a yellow raincoat and yellow flowers, a falling skydiver and a falling feather).

Soundtrack Production

Soundtrack production is an art, but it is an art one can learn. Of course it is no easy task to find the commentary in the right place, but short, informative comments are often very helpful for the viewer. Spoken commentary should sound like a natural narrative. Commentary that is read or too carefully phrased usually sounds fake and should be avoided whenever possible.

Keep Comments Brief

A general rule applicable to all commentary is that less is more. Pictures should speak for themselves, and things that are evident to viewers from the pictures require no comment.

Preserve Original Sounds

Spoken commentary should be mixed with both the original sounds and the music in such a way that the original sounds can still be heard. The sound is part of your video footage and should not be cut away altogether if at all possible, because video without original sound can easily seem sterile and less authentic. Frequently, however, the recording equipment captures noises from aircraft and cars that do not appear in the scene later. Sounds such as these, or loud wind noises, which are more distracting than anything else, should be masked or replaced with appropriate commentary or music.

Select Appropriate Music

Appropriate music adds a professional finishing touch to your movie and can do a lot to reinforce the message of a video. The music selected, however, should always be appropriate to the message of the film. This is sometimes a time-consuming matter and a challenge, but it is well worth the effort, since well-chosen music is usually greatly appreciated by the viewer.

Title

The title should be informative, describe the contents of the movie, and awaken interest. Instead of sticking letters onto the monitor in order to film them in front of the video playing in the background, like back in the old days, today all it takes to a fascinating title is a few clicks of the mouse. Thus there are no limits to how creative you can be. As a rule, you can let your fancy run free when coming up with a title for your video. Here are a few tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of the title for your video.

Use a Short, Clear Title

Titles should be short and in a large, highly legible font.

Title Colors

The following combinations of background and writing are easy to read: white/red, yellow/black, white/green. Exercise caution with white titles on a black background. Many video systems are unable to handle contrast ratios in excess of 1:40 and are unable to reproduce such titles in detail.

Time on Screen

Rule of thumb: The title should be on screen long enough that it can be read twice. Allow approx. 3 seconds of onscreen time for a title with ten letters. Allow an additional second of onscreen time for every 5 additional letters.

Besides postproduction titles, natural titles, such as directional signs, street signs or title pages of local newspapers often also pose interesting possibilities.


Troubleshooting: ActiveMovie

Under certain conditions, the video properties of the MPEG file (number of frames, duration, and GOP size) may not reflect reality.

ActiveMovie computes the duration and number of frames based on the file size and the data rate recorded in the file header (The first few bytes in a file are known as the file header. This is where general information about the file is stored.)

This procedure assumes that the data rate / bit rate and the GOP structure remain constant through out the video clip. If one of these values varies in the stream, e.g., the bit rate, the projected duration and/or number of frames will no longer reflect reality. A variation of these parameters conforms to the MPEG definition.

How Does MPEG Compression Work?

During MPEG processing, the data stream is first divided into groups of multiple individual frames, so-called GOPs (Group of Pictures). There are three types of frames in a GOP: I Frames, P Frames and B Frames. A GOP typically consists of 15 frames with the following structure:

IBBPBBPBBPBBPBB  IBBPBBPBBPBBPBB  IBBPBBPBBPBBPBB

The first frame of each group is a so-called Intra-Frame or I Frame. I Frames are transmitted in their entirety, but in a JPEG format. All other frames are compared to the I Frame, and only those parts that have changed are encoded.

P Frames contain only the differences in picture content in comparison with the last I Frame. This is known as "motion compensation".

The B Frames (bi-directional frames) are computed from the preceding and subsequent I or P Frames. The B Frames require only 12.5 % of the storage capacity required for an I frame.


Troubleshooting: Video and Audio Synchronization

Problem

Video and audio are out of sync after playing 15 minutes.

Possible cause

The soundboard clock and the PCTV clock are not 100% in sync. This problem can occur with any combination of separate sound and video digitizer boards

Solution

Divide your project in parts of maximum 10 minutes length. If Audio-Video Sync is already lost after 5 minutes, please use another soundboard.


Troubleshooting: Crash or Error

Problem

General crash or error function.

Solution

Make sure the PCTV driver has been completely installed in Windows 95.

Details:

Use the Control Panel, Multimedia, Advanced, Video Capture Devices to configure the Studio PCTV MPEG Capture/CODEC board driver.

The Use this capture device option must be activated if you want to use the PCTV to record. If other drivers are listed under Video Capture Devices, make sure the DO NOT use this capture device option is activated for them.


Troubleshooting: Overlay Does Not Work

Problem

Overlay does not work.

Solution 1

Your color depth may be set too high or too low. Set the color depth to 16 bit in Display Properties and retry the test.

Solution 2

Your desktop area may be set too high. Set the desktop area in Display Properties to 800 x 600 and retry the test.

Solution 3

You may be using either a Generic Windows driver or an older version of your graphics card. Your graphics card driver may also be corrupt. Please contact your graphics card vendor to ensure you have installed the most current driver properly. Reinstall your graphics driver with the help of their Technical Support.

Solution 4

You may not have Direct-X installed properly. Please contact your graphics card vendor for support on this.


Troubleshooting: Contact Technical Support

We’re here to help. If you have questions about using Studio PCTV you can visit our web site, email, fax, write or call us. The best way to get your questions answered is on our Internet Web Site.

1	Internet Web Site

www.pinnaclesys.com/studio/pctv

This is the best way to get your questions answered. Here you can easily find answers to the most common questions, participate in a discussion forum with other PCTV users, as well as download the latest updates. If the answer to your question is not on-line, you can use our handy web form to submit your questions directly to our technical support specialists. Questions are answered within 24 hours (72 hours for questions submitted on weekends).

2	Tech Support email address

consumer-support@pinnaclesys.com

If you are unable to access our web site you can still send an e-mail to our tetechnical specialists. Be sure to include your serial number. Questions are answered within 24 hours (72 hours for questions submitted on weekends).

3	Fax your questions to

1-408-933-8626

Please include your serial number.

4	Write to us

Studio PCTV Technical Support
280 North Bernardo Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043

Please include your serial number.

5	Reach us by phone

1-650-237-1800
Tech Support Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 8am - 5pm PST
Fri: 10am - 5 pm PST

Please have your serial number handy.


The Options Dialog

The options dialog box is accessed by choosing Options from the Main Menu. The Options dialog box contains four tabs, representing the three main Studio processes: Capture, Edit and MakeAVI File/Make MPEG File.

Once you change an option, it remains changed for all subsequent Studio sessions. There is no master reset. If you want to return to the factory preset values, use the information in the following sections.

•	Capture Tab Settings

•	Edit Tab Settings

•	Make AVI File Tab Settings

•	Make MPEG File Tab Settings


Options Dialog: Capture Tab Settings

This tab on the Options Dialog controls options relating to Capture Mode.

The Capture Options tab is divided into two areas: one for Video adjustments and another for Audio. Changes affect the entire capture. If you want to change only one capture session, make sure you reset the values before the next session.

In making these adjustments, keep in mind that your computer monitor and speakers contain their own set of adjustments (and other characteristics) that may affect the apparent brightness of the source video, as well as the audio volume and quality.

These controls are only available if you have selected Custom quality. If you have selected one of the three pre-set quality settings, the controls will show you the pre-set values, but will not allow you to change them.

•	Video Capture Options

•	Audio Capture Options


Options Dialog: Edit Tab Settings

This tab on the Options Dialog controls options relating to Edit Mode.

The Edit Options tab is divided into three areas: one for the quality of voiceover recordings, one for the size of storyboard thumbnails, and  one for the default durations of fades, transitions and graphics.

Duration Options

Duration times are measured in seconds and frames. After 29 frames for NTSC or 24 frames for PAL, the counter increments to the next second.

Transitions and Graphics

This setting controls the time a transition or still image will be visible, unless you trim it on the Timeline or change the value of its Duration field in the Change Clip Properties tool. Note that the default time values are different: one second for transitions; four for graphics. The maximum duration is 10 seconds for transitions. For still images, it is 59 seconds and 29 (or 24) frames, depending on whether the video standard is NTSC or PAL.

Volume Fades

This option changes duration values for the Volume Fade buttons found in the Change Volume tool. Specifically, it sets the amount of time audio volume is increased or decreased from the current position to the new volume level.


Options Dialog: Make AVI File Settings

This tab on the Options Dialog controls options relating to creating AVI files.

The options on this dialog relate to video and audio compression in AVI files.

•	Video compression options

•	Audio compression options


Options Dialog: Make MPEG File Settings

This tab on the Options Dialog controls options relating to creating MPEG files.

This tab accesses the settings found in the Make MPEG File Settings dialog box. Access to them is duplicated here for your convenience.

Video Settings

Here you choose among several quality presets based on your application. You can also customize the frame size and data rate for your movie.

Audio Settings

The Make Video audio settings default to the highest audio capture quality used in your project. These settings cannot be changed.


Options Dialog: Video Capture Settings

These options are available on the Capture Options Tab of the Options Dialog.

Frame Size

This is the width and height of the video frame you capture, measured in pixels. It is important to capture all the video in one project at the same frame size to avoid both increased rendering times and loss of picture quality (when Studio needs to increase a clip’s frame size to match that of other clips in a project).

Capture/Quality Slider

The Capture/Quality slider controls the video CODEC capture quality. You can reduce the size of your captured files by lower the quality slider value.


Options Dialog: Audio Capture Settings

These options are available on the Capture Options Tab of the Options Dialog.

Channels

Keep in mind that higher quality levels increase the size of a captured movie, and you must capture the audio at the same quality level you intend to use for your finished movie.

Example: You capture at 8-bit mono, but you make a digital movie with its Audio Channels options set to 16-bit stereo. The digital movie will contain two 16-bit channels, however the sound will have been made from an 8-bit mono signal. The net effect is a larger file size with no increase in quality.

Sample Rate

Sample rate operates in a similar way to Channels: capture at the highest quality level at which you expect to output. Roughly speaking, an 11 kHz sampling rate is equivalent to AM radio quality, 22 kHz is similar to FM radio and 44 kHz to audio CD-ROM quality. Another way to look at this is that 11 kHz is adequate for voice, but 22 or 44 kHz is better for music.

For the highest possible audio quality, set Channels to 16-bit stereo, and Sample Rate to 44 kHz. You might want to do this for an audio-only AVI.


Video Compression Settings

Same as Project Button: To Use the same video quality settings as the highest quality file in your movie, click the Same as Project button.

Compression: Choose the compressor (Codec) that is most suitable for your intended use. The default is Indeo, which is an efficient and universal compressor found on all Windows PCs. You can use any other suitable compressor, but be aware that not all PCs may play the resulting file.

Width and Height: Width and height are measured in pixels. The default setting of 320 x 240 is the resolution at which Studio captures. Decreasing width and height greatly decreases file size because the amount of data greatly decreases with the size, but compression reduces the effect. As you adjust one parameter, the other also changes to maintain a standard 4:3 video aspect ratio.

Quality/Data Rate: Depending on the CODEC being used, you can adjust either the quality or the data rate of your movie. The higher the data rate or quality you choose, the larger the resultant file.

Frame Rate: The default is the same frame rate at which Studio captures your video. You may want to set the frame rate lower for applications such as Web video. Increasing the frame rate above the default value does not increase quality, but does increase file size.


Why is compression important?

Uncompressed video and audio data takes up a lot of memory. PAL has a resolution of 768 x 576 pixels and is transmitted at 25 (full) screens per second. Thus one second of PAL video requires 768 x 576 x 25 x 2 bytes, i.e., approx. 22 MB. This means that 30 seconds of uncompressed video would fill up a CD (650 MB). By way of comparison, 30 seconds of CD-quality audio would amount to 176 KB.

Reducing the video resolution to one-fourth (SIF) or even one-sixteenth of full resolution would still result in a data stream of more the one MB. Compression is handled by so-called CODECS (Compressors / Decompressors). A differentiation is made between hardware CODECS  and software CODECS . Hardware CODECS  are generally more powerful. In this product, a dynamically loadable processor (RISC-CPU) is used that combines the advantages of a hardware CODECS (speed) and a software CODECS  (variability) to implement the MPEG compression.


What does "MPEG" mean?

In the original sense, MPEG is a working group under the auspices of the ISO (International Standards Organization)/IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) that develops standards for digital video and audio compression. The name "MPEG," however, is increasingly used for the actual compression standard instituted by this group.

In general, the MPEG compression types are subdivided into:

MPV MPEG Video,

MPA MPEG Audio, and

MPS MPEG System (also abbreviated *.MPG) (a combination of both).

The MPEG video and audio compression schemes are completely different from one another, since they are adapted to completely different kinds of human sense perception.


What is MPEG image data compression?

MPEG image data compression is a so-called "lossy" compression procedure, i.e. a portion of the original data is lost during compression.

MPEG data compression provides considerably higher compression factors than loss-free procedures. Lossless compression procedures can only compress at a factor of 2-3, which is not sufficient for storage of video data.

The lower the compression factor, the better the results appear.


How does MPEG compression work?

MPEG data compression occurs in the following steps:

4:2:0 Subsampling

The first step of MPEG data compression is the image conversion from the RGB format (i.e. computer image) to the YUV format. In this format Y contains the brightness information (luminance), U and V deliver the color information (chrominance).

Since the human eye can discern differences in brightness better than differences in color, the Chrominance Subsampling method (reduced scanning of color information) can be used to capture video. The Studio PCTV uses the 4:2:0 ratio where there are four bytes for brightness information and two bytes for color information: the U and V color information of every fourth pixel only is used.

Motion Estimation

The MPEG encoder used in Studio PCTV achieves a high degree of video compression by using Motion Estimation and Prediction. Motion video contains 30/25 frames per second. Except at scene changes, most frames within a scene are quite similar to adjacent frames. (The exception, of course, occurs when there is motion within a scene).

Discrete Cosine Transformation

Each TV image delivers one brightness signal and two color signals per pixel. The DCT (Discrete Cosine Transformation) converts these signals into a frequency coefficient containing the color and the brightness information. Then the signals can be compressed more easily. DCT is lossless.

Quantization

By applying complex mathematical operations, the quantization ensures that image parts which are important to the human eye are represented precisely and irrelevant information is represented with less precision.

Run Length Encoding

The Run Length Encoding (RLE) method makes use of the fact that many parts have the value "zero" after the DCT and the quantization operation have been applied. Instead of saving all "zeros" individually, "zero" is only saved once, together with a counter, which states how often it occurs in succession.

Variable-Length Coding

The last step of image compression is the Variable-Length Coding method which makes use of the statistical properties of the data to be coded. This method evaluates how often and with what probability certain values occur. Values that seldom occur receive a long code, while values occurring often receive a short code.

Playback

When playing back video, the MPEG image compression steps occur in the reverse order.

Tip

If you crop the invisible areas around an image, the image that must be compressed is smaller.


The Toolbox

The Toolbox provides a convenient point-and-click interface to add clips to the movie and adjust existing clips. The controls in the Toolbox can also be accessed via the main menu bar and other ways.

The Toolbox opens into the area normally occupied by the Album. It contains two main areas:

Tool Selector buttons in a panel on the left. Clicking these displays the corresponding Tools.

The currently selected Tool on the right. Double-clicking on a clip in the Movie window also displays the Toolbox.

The tools

Change Clip Properties

The Change Properties Tool adjusts the start and end times of any type of clip. This is called trimming. It also allows you to type in descriptive names.

Grab Frames

This tool takes a snapshot of a single frame. You can use it in your movie, or save it for use in other applications.

Titles and Graphics

Titles and graphics are created and trimmed with this Toolbox window.

Record a Voice-over

Recording a voice-over is a snap - all you do is click the Record button and begin speaking into your microphone.

Create Background Music

The Create Background Music Tool lets you add or trim background music. Studio offers a powerful background music generator. Just choose a Style, Song, and Version.

Add Audio CD Music

You can easily add audio tracks from an audio CD, and control their length, disk name, and track names.

Adjust Track Volumes

Studio offers three tracks that can contain audio: one for the audio from your source video, and two dedicated audio tracks (one for sound effects/voice-overs, and another for Background Music). The Volume window displays the audio levels with volume meters, and lets you control the volume of each track with respect to the others in real time, while your preview is playing.