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P |-----------------------------------| | User's Guide for | | | | VIDEO PRO-TITLER | | | | Version 2.8 | |-----------------------------------| Designed and Programmed by John Allen User's Guide and some fonts by Bill Wind (C) 1988 by John F. Allen Jr. and William C. Wind TABLE OF CONTENTS Your First Look ....................... 2 Overview of Video Pro-Titler .......... 3 Working With Composite Video .......... 4 The Work Screen ....................... 5 Command Summary ....................... 6 Creating Title Sequences ............. 12 Videotaping Title Sequences .......... 14 Advanced Features .................... 15 Custom Color ......................... 20 Fonts, Defaults and Files ............ 21 NOTE TO EGA USERS: This program was designed specifically for the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) with its composite video output. If you run this program with an Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), you may find that some features do not work properly, according to which brand of EGA you are using. Potential EGA problems are highlighted throughout this User's Guide. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 1 YOUR FIRST LOOK To load and run VIDEO PRO-TITLER from DOS, type "pt" at the A> prompt and press RETURN. After a moment, the title screen will appear; when you are finished with the title screen, press the space bar and the main program will load. During future sessions from DOS, you can bypass the title screen by entering "protitle" at the A> prompt. If you run PRO-TITLER from Big Blue Disk, you will have to view the title screen each time (but it's a nice title screen, so why not?). After the main program has loaded, the VIDEO PRO-TITLER Work Screen will appear. In the upper left corner, you will see a small, white- bordered window with the words "B/W mode" opposite a flashing pointer. Press the DOWN ARROW key (on the numeric keypad) once and the words "Color mode" will now be opposite the flashing pointer. Press RETURN. Next, press the F3 key, and the words "Enter filename:" will appear just below the small window. Type "demo" and press RETURN. After the file has loaded, press F5, and you will be prompted to enter a number between 0 and 9. Type "3", and at the next prompt, type "n". Now, you are ready to view your first title sequence. Press the RETURN key twice, and the title sequence will be displayed in color against a grey background. The sequence will demonstrate many of the basic features that are available in VIDEO PRO-TITLER. NOTE TO EGA USERS: On some EGAs, the "demo" sequence may "hang up" during the section when text is scrolling upward. If this happens, press ESC to exit the sequence; then, press F3 and load a special sequence called "egademo", which has only short scrolling segments. Display this sequence according to the directions above, and if it runs all the way through, then you will know that your EGA limits you to fixed titles and short scrolling segments only. On other EGAs, the "demo" sequence may run properly, but the colors may be different than red, green, brown and grey. After the sequence ends, you will be returned to the Work Screen. If you would like to view the demo again, press F5 and respond to the three prompts as you did the first time (or, you can change the scrolling speed by entering a different number in response to the first prompt). If you would like to change the background color before you re-view the demo, hold down the DOWN ARROW key until the words "Blk background" appear beside the flashing pointer. This command, and the 15 commands below it, will change the display screen to one of 16 colors: just place the appropriate command next to the flashing pointer and press RETURN. At this time, however, you should avoid using the "Grn", "Red" or "Brn" backgrounds. When you are finished with the demo sequence, read on to find out about the many capabilities of VIDEO PRO-TITLER. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 2 OVERVIEW OF VIDEO PRO-TITLER VIDEO PRO-TITLER gives you the means to create professional-looking titles for your videotapes, using a variety of typestyles (fonts). Your titles can be fixed or they can be made to scroll from the bottom of the screen, or combinations of both types can be created. You may select from ten scrolling speeds. PRO-TITLER makes full use of the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), allowing you to use either the Green- Red-Brown (GRB) palette or the Cyan-Magenta-White (CMW) palette, against any one of 16 background colors. You may also choose between high and low intensity displays. PRO-TITLER will automatically center your titles, or it will justify them along the left or right margins. For emphasis, titles can be displayed at twice the normal height, and they can be underlined. Each font contains 14 custom characters which can be used to create lines, boxes, arrows, copyright symbols and more. In addition, VIDEO PRO-TITLER offers many advanced features for the experienced computer user, including: 1. Professional transitions between titles. 2. A loop function which allows you to repeat titles or effects. 3. The ability to flash portions of text. 4. The ability to create simple animation. 5. Multiple fonts in the same sequence. See the ADVANCED FEATURES section of this User's Guide for details. One of the least-known features of the CGA is its ability to create as many as fifteen foreground colors on a composite monitor, thus freeing the user from the three-color limitation of the computer monitor. This feature is supported by VIDEO PRO-TITLER and is explained in the CUSTOM COLOR section of this User's Guide. PRO-TITLER has other uses, besides the creation of video titles. Because of its ability to scroll text at a variety of speeds, PRO- TITLER can be used as a simple teleprompter during live video production. Away from the realm of video production, PRO-TITLER can also create free-standing displays on the computer monitor, which you might use to present information (say, in a lobby during an open house: "Welcome to our company. Today's schedule is as follows..."). Such a display can be made to repeat over and over, using the Auto Repeat function, and it can be presented in the CGA's high-resolution graphics mode, using just one color on a black background. As with any software, VIDEO PRO-TITLER has certain limitations. For instance, you cannot use PRO-TITLER to superimpose text over live action video. Also, PRO-TITLER displays only upper case letters and in only two sizes, and only one background color may be selected for each title sequence. Nevertheless, VIDEO PRO-TITLER is an extremely versatile tool for personal creativity, with many of its functions limited mainly by the imagination of its user. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 3 WORKING WITH COMPOSITE VIDEO There are two video outputs on the Color Graphics Adapter. The large output supplies RGB video to the computer monitor, while the small RCA jack supplies composite video to a Videocassette Recorder (VCR) or a composite monitor. The two types of video are different enough so that images on the computer monitor will not necessarily appear the same on a VCR or a composite monitor. In the high-resolution graphics mode, a single user-selected color is displayed against a black background on the computer monitor. However, when this same image is recorded onto a VCR or is displayed on a composite monitor, it will appear as a shade of grey against a black background. In the medium-resolution graphics mode, a three-color palette is displayed against a user-selected background on the computer monitor. On a VCR or a composite monitor, this image will look about the same, but it is possible to display up to twelve additional colors on a VCR or composite monitor, using the special technique that is described in the CUSTOM COLOR section of this User's Guide. In the 80-column text mode (the mode used to display the Work Screen), the colored text on the computer monitor will appear as distorted white characters on a VCR or a composite monitor. Because of these differences, it is important for you to connect a VCR or a composite monitor to your CGA before you start to use VIDEO PRO- TITLER. This will allow you to see the composite output as it will be recorded onto your VCR. Any of the following hookups will do the job. Cables and adapters can be purchased at your local electronics supply store. 1. MONITOR ONLY: Connect the composite output on the Color Graphics Adapter to the "Video In" or "Video Line In" or "Composite Video In" jack on the monitor. If you are using a combination TV- monitor, be sure to select the monitor function. 2. VCR+MONITOR: Connect the composite video output on the CGA to the "Video In" jack on the VCR. Then, connect the "Video Out" jack on the VCR to the "Video In" or "Video Line In" or "Composite Video In" jack on the monitor. If you have a TV-monitor, use the monitor function. 3. VCR+TV: Connect the composite video output on the CGA to the "Video In" jack on the VCR. Connect the "Antenna Out" or "RF Out" connector on the VCR to the "Antenna" or "VHF" connector on the TV (this connection may already be made). NOTE TO EGA USERS: Most EGAs do not support composite output. If your EGA does not have a composite output, then you will not be able to videotape your titles. If your EGA does have a composite output, review your owner's manual before making the hookups described above. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 4 THE WORK SCREEN The Work Screen is where you will be creating your title sequences, so let's take a quick tour of it. In the upper left corner is the small window which was mentioned earlier. This is called the Command Window, and it contains the 48 commands which you will use to create and display your title sequences. A command is invoked by scrolling it into position on the Active Line (the line with the flashing pointer) and then pressing RETURN. When invoked, some commands are entered into the Sequence Window and some commands change the Status Area. Certain commands require additional user input: when such input is required, a prompt will appear on the Prompt Line. Commands are scrolled up and down within the Command Window by using the cursor keys on the numeric keypad. The larger window in the lower left corner of the screen is called the Sequence Window, and it is here that you will build a sequence of commands for your titles. As your sequence grows, it will become too large for the window, but it can be scrolled up and down in the same way as the command list is scrolled within the Command Window. Only one window is active at a time, and the cursor keys work only with the active window. A window is activated by pressing the F1 key, which toggles back and forth between the two windows. Press the F1 key now. The border of the Command Window turns from white to green and the border of the Sequence Window turns from blue to white. The white border identifies the currently active window. If the demo sequence is still in the Sequence Window, use the cursor keys to scroll through it and examine the commands. When you are finished, press F1 again to activate the Command Window. The Prompt Line is located in the space between the two windows. When you ran the demo, you saw how the Prompt Line works. At present, the only thing visible on the Prompt Line is a blinking cursor. The red text in the upper right corner of the screen is a list of the Action Keys and their functions. You already know how some of these keys work, but further descriptions of the keys are given in the next section, COMMAND SUMMARY. The two lines of brown text below the Action Keys comprise the Status Area. The following information is displayed in the Status Area: 1. Bytes of unused memory that are available for the current sequence (up to 26753 bytes). 2. The current default font. 3. The current screen display mode ("B/W" or "Col"). 4. The current intensity setting ("Low" or "High"). 5. The currently selected palette ("GRB" or "CMW"). 6. The currently selected background color. The yellow text in the lower right corner of the screen is a list of Custom Characters that are available in most fonts, and the keys that invoke the Custom Characters. The last six characters on the list are normally used to make boxes. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 5 COMMAND SUMMARY This section contains descriptions of the 48 commands that can be accessed through the Command Window. 22 of these commands are Status Commands which control the over-all characteristics of the display screen; Status Commands are invoked before a sequence is displayed. Another 23 commands are Sequence Commands which tell the computer what characters to display and how to display them; Sequence Commands are invoked from within a title sequence. The other 3 commands are used to edit title sequences. This section also includes descriptions of the commands that are accessed from the keyboard. Before looking at the individual commands and keys, it is important to understand how a title sequence is created and displayed by VIDEO PRO- TITLER. A title sequence is nothing more than a list of commands which are entered, one by one, into the Sequence Window (in much the same way as a Basic language program is written). When a command is first entered, it will appear just above the Active Line (the line with the flashing pointer) in the Sequence Window, and it will cause the rest of the command list to scroll up one line. Later, when you edit your sequence, you will scroll Sequence Commands onto the Active Line in order to change or delete them. A command can only be edited while it is on the Active Line; once it moves off the Active Line, it must be scrolled back onto the Active Line before it can be modified. You will learn more about the editing procedure in the next section, CREATING TITLE SEQUENCES. Of the 23 Sequence Commands, only five are actually used to put titles onto the screen; the other 18 commands tell the computer how to display the titles. The display screen (not including the border area) consists of 25 display lines which are numbered 0 to 24, from top to bottom. As you enter text lines, blank lines or underlining, an internal Line Pointer begins at Line 0 and moves down the display screen, reserving enough space for each command. For each blank line or underline, the Line Pointer counts down one line for normal height or two lines for tall height. For each text line, the Line Pointer counts down two lines for normal height or four lines for tall height. At any given time, the Line Pointer is at the next available line following the last command. The two exceptions are when the last command was either "Goto line __" or "Draw block". Now, here are the commands in the Command Window: "B/W mode" is a Status Command which selects the high-resolution display mode. On the computer monitor, titles will be displayed in a user-selected color against a black background. The color is selected with one of the "Background" commands. On a VCR or a composite monitor, the titles will be displayed in black-and-white. When you are in this mode, the Status Area will show "B/W" after the word "Screen". NOTE TO EGA USERS: On some EGAs, this mode will produce unreadable titles. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 6 "Color mode" is a Status Command which selects the medium-resolution display mode. In this mode, a three-color palette is displayed against a user-selected background in either high or low intensity. The palette is selected with one of the "Palette" commands, the background is selected with one of the "Background" commands and the intensity is set with one of the "Intensity" commands. What you see on the computer monitor is essentially the same as what you will get on a VCR or a composite monitor -- except when you use the "Custom color" command to create up to twelve additional colors on the composite output. When you are in color mode, the Status Area will show "Col" after the word "Screen". "GRB palette" and "CMW palette" are Status Commands which select the three foreground colors to be used when a sequence is displayed. Within each palette, individual colors are selected with the "Letter color" commands. GRB means Green-Red-Brown; CMW means Cyan-Magenta- White. The current palette selection is displayed in the Status Area. "Low intensity" and "High intensity" are Status commands which control the brightness of the display, and are largely a matter of personal taste. The current intensity setting is displayed in the Status Area. "Fixed mode" is a Sequence Command which takes the computer out of the scroll mode. In fixed mode, there is no vertical movement of the titles, but it is possible to manipulate the titles in many other ways, using such commands as "Clear screen", "Goto line", "Pause", "Define block", "Draw block" and "Transition". "Scroll mode" is a Sequence Command which causes any text on the screen to begin scrolling upward. It also moves the internal Line Pointer to a phantom Line 25, just off the bottom of the screen, where it continues to assemble all subsequent text lines, blank lines and underlining. These lines are then scrolled onto the screen, one by one. Scrolling can be stopped at any time with the "Fixed mode" command. Certain commands, such as "Goto line", "Pause", "Draw block" and "Transition", do not work in scroll mode. A scrolling speed, se- lected before the sequence is displayed, applies only in scroll mode. For EGA users, scrolling may be limited to just a few lines of text. "Clear screen" is a Sequence Command which instantly erases all text from the screen and moves the internal Line Pointer to Line 0 if you are in fixed mode, or the phantom Line 25 if you are in scroll mode. "Goto line __" is one of PRO-TITLER's most powerful Sequence Commands. Used only in the fixed mode, this command moves the internal Line Pointer to any of the 25 display lines, allowing you to place text or blank lines at that location. Whenever you use "Goto line" in this manner, the new text or blank lines will replace anything that was originally on the selected line. Normal height text will also replace the line below the selected line, and tall height text will also replace the three lines following the selected line. In normal height, blank lines will replace as many lines as are specified in the "Blank lines" command; in tall height, the number of blank lines will be doubled. When you select "Goto line" by pressing RETURN, you are Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 7 prompted to enter a line number. Type the appropriate number (0 to 24) and press RETURN again to enter the command into the sequence. "__ Blank lines" is a Sequence Command that inserts blank space between lines of text. When you select this command by pressing RETURN, you are prompted to enter the number of blank lines that you wish to insert. Simply type the desired number and press RETURN again to enter the command into the sequence. When "Tall height" has been selected, the number of blank lines you enter is doubled on the display screen. "Pause for __ seconds" is a Sequence Command that pauses the sequence for the specified number of seconds. Each command in a sequence is executed at machine language speed, so it is necessary to pause the sequence whenever you want a title to be viewed in fixed mode. The pause can be anywhere from .1 second to 99.9 seconds, depending on what you are trying to do. The average pause for a fixed title is between 2 and 6 seconds. The longer pauses are used with free- standing displays and the shorter pauses can be used to create simple animation effects (see ADVANCED FEATURES). When this command is selected, you are prompted to enter a number (between .1 and 99.9); after you type the number, press RETURN and the command will be entered into the sequence. This command works only in fixed mode. "Line of text" is the Sequence Command which is at the very heart of VIDEO PRO-TITLER. With this command, you enter the words, numbers and other characters that make up the text of your titles. When you select this command, you are prompted to enter your text on the Prompt Line. Type in the text and press RETURN to enter it into the sequence. Only one line of text is entered each time you use this command, so it may take several "Line of text" commands to complete a title. When first entered, all text lines are left-justified. "Use font __" is a Sequence Command which allows you to change fonts: you can load up to four fonts before you display a sequence, and then use this command to change fonts from within the sequence. For more information about how this command is used, see the description of the F2 key later in this section, and then refer to the ADVANCED FEATURES section. "Define block" is a Sequence Command which is very similar to the "Line of text" command. When you select this command, you are prompted to enter a line of text in the same way as the "Line of text" command. The difference is that the text line entered with "Define block" will not be displayed, but will be placed into a "buffer" area of memory for subsequent display by either the "Draw block" or the "Transition" command. The text line will be entered into the Sequence Window, but because it does not yet have a location on the display screen, the internal Line Pointer will not be incremented. This fact is indicated by a "house" character at the beginning of each text line that is entered with the "Define block" command. Defining a text block erases any previously defined block from the buffer. Text lines that have been created with "Define block" will be displayed in normal height only. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 8 "Left justify", "Center" and "Right justify" are Sequence Commands which manipulate lines of text that have been entered with the "Line of text" or "Define block" commands. When first entered, all text lines are left-justified (the same as this paragraph). If you want to center or right-justify a newly entered text line, select the desired command and enter it immediately after the text line. If you are editing a sequence and you decide to change the justification of a previously entered text line, scroll the text line onto the Active Line in the Sequence Window and then enter the new "Justify" command. These three commands will affect either the text that is on the Active Line, or if there is no text on the Active Line, they will affect the line directly above the Active Line. When you press RETURN to enter the "Justify" command, the affected text line will shift to the right or the left, according to the type of justification that was chosen. The type of justification is also indicated by a distinctive symbol that appears at the beginning of each justified text line (except lines that were entered with the "Define block" command). "Underline" is a Sequence Command which automatically underlines all characters (excluding spaces) on a text line. "Underline" is entered into the sequence immediately after the text line that is to be affected -- but also after any "Justify" commands that affect that text line. Each text line must be underlined separately, because the underlining takes up its own display line(s). Wneh entered in this manner, underlining will automatically adopt the justification of the text line above it. However, if you are editing a sequence and you change an underlined text line, you must then re-enter the "Underline" command for that line, so that the underlining will conform to the changed text. "Draw block" and "Transition" are advanced Sequence Commands which are used with "Define block" to create special effects. The use of these commands is explained in the ADVANCED FEATURES section. "Normal height" and "Tall height" are Sequence Commands which change the height of subsequent text lines. Normal height characters are two display lines in height, while tall height characters are elongated versions which take up four display lines. The height of blank lines and underlining is also doubled in tall height mode. The "Tall height" command does not affect text lines that are entered with the "Define block" command. "Counter = __" and "Loop" are advanced Sequence Commands which work the same as "For" and "Next" in Basic. They allow a portion of your sequence to repeat itself for the number of times specified in the "Counter" command. "Counter" is placed at the beginning of the section to be repeated, and "Loop" is placed at the end of the section to be repeated. When "Counter" is selected, you are prompted to enter the number of desired repetitions. Type in the number and press RETURN to enter the command into the sequence. Specific uses for these commands are given in the ADVANCED FEATURES section. "Stop sequence" is an Editing Command that can be temporarily placed in a sequence to end it at that point and return to the Work Screen. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 9 "Find label" and "Label ____" are Editing Commands which are used to jump to specific parts of a sequence. "Label" creates a 6-character label and inserts it into the sequence. "Find label" is used during editing to jump to a specified label, instead of scrolling there with the cursor keys. When you display a sequence, all labels are ignored. When you select either of these commands, you are prompted to enter a six-character label name (letters or numbers or both). Type in the name and press RETURN to enter the command into the sequence. The sixteen "Background" commands are Status Commands which change the display screen to the selected color in color mode, or change the text to the selected color in B/W mode. Only one background color can be active at a time. In color mode, do not use a background that is the same color as your text; in B/W mode, do not use "Blk background". The currently selected background color is shown in the Status Area. The three "Letter color" commands are Sequence Commands which are used to select the display colors for your text lines when you are in color mode. These commands have no effect in B/W mode. Selection of a "Letter color" command causes subsequent text lines to be displayed in one of the two indicated colors, depending on the palette that is active. "Letter color G/C" produces green or cyan letters; "Letter color R/M" produces red or magenta letters; "Letter color B/W" pro- duces brown or white letters. Normally, you cannot mix colors within a line of text, but see ADVANCED FEATURES for a way around this. On some EGAs, colors may be different than those described above. "Custom color ___" is a Sequence Command which allows you to create up to twelve additional colors on a composite monitor. On the computer monitor, custom colors will appear as thin stripes. See the CUSTOM COLOR section for complete information about this command. The following additional commands are accessed from the keyboard: The F1 key activates one of the windows, allowing the commands in that window to be scrolled with the cursor keys. The active window is identified by a white border. The F2 key loads a font from the program disk. Up to four fonts can be loaded at a time for use in a sequence. When you press the F2 key, you are prompted to enter a font number. Type a number between 1 and 4 and press RETURN. Then, you are prompted to enter the filename of the font. Type the filename, press RETURN, and the font will be loaded. Only one font can be loaded into each number at a time: loading a new font into a given number will replace the previously loaded font. The most recently loaded font becomes the default font and its name and number are displayed in the Status Area beside the word "Font". The default font can be changed with the 1, 2, 3 and 4 keys (see below). Also see the ADVANCED FEATURES section. The F3 key loads a previously saved sequence into memory, clearing any sequence that is currently in memory. You are prompted to enter the filename of the sequence to be loaded: type the filename (preceded by the drive designator and a colon, if needed) and press RETURN. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 10 The F4 key saves the sequence that is currently in memory to disk. You are prompted to enter an 8-character filename: type the filename (preceded by the drive designator, if needed) and press RETURN. The F5 key displays the sequence that is currently in memory. You are prompted to enter a scrolling speed for the scrolling portion of the sequence: type a number between 1 and 10 (no need to press RETURN). Next, you are prompted to enter "y" or "n" for Auto Repeat. Type the appropriate letter. Finally, you are prompted to press RETURN twice, after which the sequence will begin. To break out of a sequence before it is completed, press ESC. The F6 key clears the current sequence from memory. You are given a chance to back out of this command, in case you selected it by mistake. If you respond by pressing the Y key, the memory is cleared and the memory indicator in the Status Area reads "26753". The F7 key exits the program. You are given a chance to back out of this command, in case you selected it by mistake. If you press the Y key, the program ends and any sequence currently in memory is lost. The F8 key displays a directory of all fonts and sequences that are on the disk which you designate at the prompt. The INS key opens up a space in the Sequence Window so you can insert a new command. The space is opened up just prior to the command that is currently on the Active Line. The DEL key deletes the command that is currently on the Active Line in the Sequence Window. Use this command carefully, because a deleted command cannot be recovered: it can only be re-entered. The UP ARROW and the DOWN ARROW keys (on the numeric keypad) scroll the commands in the Command Window or the Sequence Window (only one window can be active at a time). The HOME and the END keys (on the numeric keypad) scroll instantly to the beginning or the end of the command list in either the Command Window or the Sequence Window. The ESC key is used to break out of a sequence that is running, either in normal or Auto Repeat mode. It may take a moment for the sequence to abort, depending on what the computer is doing when you press the key. When the sequence aborts, you are returned to the Work Screen, with the next unexecuted command on the Active Line in the Sequence Window. The 1,2,3 and 4 number keys (the regular number keys, not the numeric keypad) are used to change the default font. Press the key corres- ponding to the font that you want to select. The number and name of the default font appear in the Status Area. This is also a quick way to see which fonts are currently loaded into which numbers. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 11 CREATING TITLE SEQUENCES The first step is to write out a list of the commands that you will be using in your sequence. For a scrolling sequence, the first command is always "Scroll mode", followed by a series of color commands, text lines and blank lines, and ending with about 25 blank lines so that the last title scrolls completely off the top of the screen. For a fixed sequence, the first text line for each title is placed at the proper display line with the "Goto line" command. This is followed by the remaining blank lines and text lines for that title. Each title is separated from the next title by a "Pause" command and a "Clear screen" command (unless an advanced transition is being used). In a combination sequence, the |------------------------------------| commands for fixed and scroll- | Clear screen | ing sequences are combined, and | Tall height | the "Scroll mode" and "Fixed | Letter color B/W | mode" commands are used to | Goto line 8 | change from one mode to the | Line of text: RAMBO XXIV: | other. The commands in the box | Center justify | to the right constitute a short | Pause for 2 seconds | combination sequence which you | 1 Blank line | can enter to become familiar | Line of text: TERROR IN SUN CITY | with the creation process. | Center justify | | Pause for 4 seconds | Clear any sequence that is | Clear screen | currently in memory and then | Normal height | select the Command Window. | Scroll mode | Enter the commands, one after | Letter color R/M | another, by scrolling the | Line of text: STARRING | appropriate command onto the | Underline | Active Line in the Command | Line of text: SYLVESTER STONE | Window and then pressing | Right justify | RETURN. If additional input | 5 Blank lines | is required for that command, | Letter color G/C | type it in and press RETURN | Line of text: WITH | again. Down in the Sequence | Underline | Window, you will see the | Line of text: RICHARD CRUMMA | sequence being assembled a | Right justify | command at a time. | 25 Blank lines | | Fixed mode | When all of the commands have | Goto line 10 | been entered, double-check that | Letter color B/W | they are correct, and then | Line of text: DIRECTED BY | display the sequence with a | Center justify | scrolling speed of 3. Notice | 1 Blank line | the effect of each command as | Line of text: STANLEY POOBRICK | the sequence is displayed. | Center justify | View it again, if necessary, | Pause for 4 seconds | until you understand the rela- | Clear screen | tionship between the commands | Pause for 5 seconds | and the screen display. |------------------------------------| Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 12 After you view a new sequence, you may decide that it needs a little editing to make it look more professional. To make a change to an existing command, select the Sequence Window and scroll the command you want to change onto the Active Line. Then, select the Command Window, scroll the new command onto the Active Line and enter the new command in the usual way. Once entered, the new command will replace the old command in the Sequence Window. Even if the new command is the same as the old command (for example, if you want to replace "Pause for 4 seconds" with "Pause for 3 seconds"), you must re-enter the new command, using the procedure just described. If you re-enter a text line, you must also re-enter any "Justify" or "Underline" commands that are associated with that text line. If you want to delete a command altogether, scroll the unwanted command onto the Active Line in the Sequence Window and press the DEL key. If you want to insert a new command between two existing commands, use the INS key. Pressing the INS key once will open up a blank space on the Active Line and move all subsequent commands down one space; pressing the INS key more than once will open up additional blank spaces. New commands can then be entered into the spaces. If you are editing a long sequence, use the "Label" and "Find label" commands to move around more quickly within the list of commands. Use the "Stop sequence" command or the ESC key to avoid viewing the entire sequence when you only want to check out one portion of it. If you want to move quickly to the beginning or the end of the command list (in either window), use the HOME and END keys. To get familiar with the editing process, make some changes to the "Rambo" sequence that you just created: make the pauses longer or shorter; change or delete some blank lines; add some new titles (if you are using an EGA, you may need to shorten the scrolling portion of the sequence). To get more practice in creating and editing titles, re-load the "demo" sequence, display it a few times, and then tinker with it. Once you are comfortable with the process, you are then ready to create your own title sequences from scratch. If you want to have a permanent copy of any of your masterpieces, use the F4 key to save it to disk. VIDEO PRO-TITLER uses standard filename rules: filenames may contain up to 8 characters (an extension of .SEQ is automatically added); you cannot save two files to the same disk with the same filename (the new file will always overwrite the old file); if you want to save to or load from a disk drive other than the default drive, precede the filename with the drive designator and a colon (for example, b:rambo). NOTE TO EGA USERS: By now, you should know which features of VIDEO PRO-TITLER will work with your EGA and which will not. Take a few minutes to analyze your limitations and determine how to optimize your use of PRO-TITLER. For example, although you may not be able to videotape your titles, and you may be limited to fixed titles, you can still use this program for free-standing displays on your computer monitor. Also, you will probably discover that most of PRO-TITLER's Advanced Features (See Page 15) work just fine on your EGA. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 13 VIDEOTAPING TITLE SEQUENCES In the section titled WORKING WITH COMPOSITE VIDEO, you learned about the difference between what you see on your computer monitor and what is recorded onto a VCR. Also, two types of computer-to-VCR hookups were described. Most VCRs now have a feature which allows you to re-record a new section of video on top of a previously recorded section. This feature is usually called "Video Dub" or "Insert", and it is the mode that you want to use when you add PRO-TITLER's title sequences to your videotapes. Different VCRs will have different instructions for using "Video Dub", so refer to your owner's manual to set up for this type of recording. When everything is hooked up and set up properly, press the F5 key. Answer the two prompts according to what you want to do, and then press RETURN once. The screen will change to the background color that you selected. Put your VCR into the "Video Dub" or "Insert" mode, and when it starts to record, press RETURN to start the title sequence. As the end of the sequence approaches, be ready to take your VCR out of "Video Dub", so that you don't record the video disruption that occurs when the computer returns to the Work Screen. You should have provided a few extra seconds at the end of the title sequence for this purpose. The above procedure is recommended when titles are to be added to existing video. If you are recording titles onto a blank video- cassette (or, if you do not have a "Video Dub" mode on your VCR), use the normal record mode as follows: Press F5, answer the first two prompts and press RETURN. The selected background color will appear. Put the VCR into "Record", wait about 5-20 seconds and then press RETURN to start the title sequence. When the title sequence ends, take the VCR out of "Record" before the computer returns to the Work Screen. If you are recording an Auto Repeat sequence and you want to fill the videocassette with repetitions, you can leave the VCR unattended; it will exit "Record" when the tape runs out, and then it will rewind the tape. NOTE: Most VCRs have a 1-2 second delay between the time that you press the button to start recording or dubbing and the time that recording or dubbing actually begins. Always take this delay into consideration when you prepare to videotape your titles. NOTE TO EGA USERS: If your EGA does not have a composite output, then you will be unable to videotape your titles as described above. Even if your EGA does support composite output, you may find that the output differs from that of a CGA. If you have read all of these last 14 pages, then you should know how to use all of VIDEO PRO-TITLER's basic functions. The next section is devoted to PRO-TITLER'S Advanced Features. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 14 ADVANCED FEATURES Before you begin this section, you should view another demo sequence that is on the disk with VIDEO PRO-TITLER. Press the F3 key and answer the prompt by entering "advdemo". In order to view the sequence properly, you must also load a special font which contains some custom graphics characters. Press the F2 key and enter "1", followed by the filename "advdemo" again (this is also the name of the special font). Then, load the following three fonts: 2 - "nofrills" 3 - "mvice" 4 - "western" Now, display the sequence, and you will see many of the fancier effects that you can create with PRO-TITLER's advanced commands. Near the end of the demo, you will see some custom color effects which will only display properly on a composite monitor or a TV. If you are using an EGA, the sequence may "hang up" during the final scrolling segment. If this happens, press ESC to exit the sequence. The success of most advanced features depends on your ability to place characters onto the display screen with absolute precision. In order to achieve such precision, you must first know exactly how much space is taken up by each character, and then you must know how to plot the position of each character on the display screen. In other sections of this User's Guide, you learned that the PRO- TITLER display screen consists of 25 horizontal lines, numbered 0 to 24. You also learned that a line of text occupies two of these lines in normal height and four lines in tall height. In addition, each blank line or underline occupies one display line in normal height and two display lines in tall height. With this information, it is possible to place a line of text exactly where you want it on the display screen. However, in order to place individual characters with such precision, you need more information about the display screen. In addition to 25 horizontal lines, the display screen is divided into 40 vertical columns, numbered 1 to 40 from left to right. When these lines and columns are plotted on a piece of paper, the resulting grid consists of 1000 individual units. By knowing the number of units occupied by each character, you can use the grid to plot the exact location of any character on the display screen. If you intend to use PRO-TITLER's advanced commands, you should prepare a 25x40 plotting grid with the line numbers and column numbers marked along the edges. Then, make copies of the grid and use the copies whenever you are preparing an advanced command. Nearly all of PRO-TITLER's characters are two lines high by two columns wide (2x2). The following characters, which are 2x1, are the only exceptions: I 1 . , : ; " ! ( ) and space. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 15 When tall height has been selected, the height of all characters is doubled (to 4x2 and 4x1), but the width remains the same. With this information, you can use the 25x40 grid to plot the exact position of any text line, as well as any character within that line. If the line is left-justified, count the columns from the left; if the text is right-justified, count from the right side of the grid. It is also possible to determine the location of characters that have been center-justified, but you will probably find it easier to center the text yourself by entering blank spaces at the beginning of the text line. Now that you understand how to plot the location of text lines and characters, you are ready to learn about the various commands and techniques that you can use to create professional-looking advanced effects within your titles. The following descriptions will make frequent reference to the commands in the "advdemo" sequence, so be sure you have that sequence in the Sequence Window before you read on. The sequence contains over 550 commands, so make frequent use of the "Find label" command to move among the sequence commands. ANIMATION. The first two titles in "advdemo" are animated titles. Animation is created by drawing, erasing and then re-drawing text lines, allowing little or no pause time between the changes. Examine the commands for the first line of the first title (Label 001 to Label 002), and you will see that precise plotting was essential for this part of the title to work. The final position of the centered text line was plotted on the 25x40 grid and the column location of each letter was noted, along with the number of spaces between each letter and the left edge of the grid. Then, as the text lines were entered which would cause the letters to drop into place, the correct number of spaces was inserted prior to each letter. Each text line was erased by a "2 Blank lines" command before the next one was drawn. The second line of the first title (Label 002 to Label 003) is much simpler to create: the same line of text is just redrawn eight times, with a new letter added each time and 12 spaces always inserted before the letter P. In the second title (Label 003 to Label 004), a "trail" is left behind as each text line moves onto position. Then, the trail is erased by a series of "Blank line" commands. As you have probably noticed by now, it takes a lot of commands to create animation on VIDEO PRO-TITLER. However, for other types of advanced features, there are special commands which make the job quicker and easier. TRANSITIONS. VIDEO PRO-TITLER offers seven built-in transitions with which you can place fixed titles onto the screen or remove them from the screen. These transitions are invoked with the "Transition" command and will only affect the block of text that is currently defined with the "Define block" command (if you've forgotten how "Define block" works, refer to the COMMAND SUMMARY section). Each transition can be executed at one of ten speeds: Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 16 1. "Slide in from the left" takes the currently defined text block and slides it onto the screen from the left edge. Any text that is already on the selected display line will be erased from the left. 2. "Slide in from the right" works the same as Transition 1, except that the new text slides in from the right edge of the screen. 3. "Slide out to the right" places the currently defined text block onto the screen (erasing any text that is currently in that location) and slides it off the right edge of the screen. 4. "Slide out to the left" works the same as Transition 3, except that the text slides off the left edge of the screen. 5. "Fade" places the currently defined text block onto the screen gradually, creating a fade-in effect. Any text already on the selected display line will be erased the same way, resulting in a dissolve effect between the old and the new text lines. 6. "Wipe from inside" displays the currently defined text block from the center outward to the edges (like a curtain opening). Any text already on the selected line disappears behind the new text. 7. "Wipe from outside" works the same as Transition 6, except that the new text is displayed from the edges toward the center (like a curtain closing). When you select the "Transition" command, you are first prompted to enter the transition number (1-7) and then the transition speed (0-9, with 0 being the fastest), before you enter it into the sequence. Examples of various transitions can be found in the "advdemo" sequence, between Labels 004 and 005. Note that a fade-out effect is accomplished by first defining a blank text line (just press RETURN at the prompt), and then displaying it with Transition 5 on top of the text line to be faded out. Other examples of transitions are located between Labels 008-009 and Labels 011-012. MULTIPLE FONTS. You already know that you can have up to four fonts in memory at a time, and that the default font is the font that is displayed in the Status Area. When you display a sequence, the default font is used, unless a different font is designated from within the sequence. To change fonts from within a sequence, put a "Use font __" command at the point where you want the new font to be displayed. Subsequent text will be displayed in that font until another "Use font" command is put into the sequence. When you select "Use font __", you are prompted to enter a number between 1 and 4. Type a number and then press RETURN to enter the command into the sequence. Before you display a sequence, make sure that a font is loaded into each number that is used in the sequence; otherwise, some titles may display as "garbage" characters. Normally, only one font can be used on each text line, but it is possible to mix fonts on a line by using the "Draw block" command (see pages 18-19). Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 17 Examples of multiple fonts are scattered throughout the "advdemo" sequence, but the best demonstration of this advanced feature is located between Labels 005 and 006. CUSTOM GRAPHICS. In the font called "advdemo", most of the custom characters (as listed in the lower right portion of the Work Screen) have been redefined to provide special graphics characters that are unavailable in the other fonts. For example, the backslash, the tilde and the slash, which are normally parts of a box, have been redefined as the end, the middle and the front of a drag racer. The other three box parts- }{| -have been redefined as an airplane towing a banner. The airplane and its banner can be seen between Labels 003 and 004. It moves across the screen by first using Transition 1 and then using Transition 3. The drag racer is near the beginning of the Custom Graphics display (Labels 006-007) and moves in the same way. Another custom graphic, the starfield, is created with the three keys that normally produce a double line: <>=. The < and > each produce a different cluster of two stars, while the = produces a single star. In the "advdemo" sequence, the starfield is created by seven text lines containing the three symbols (mostly the =), separated by spaces. The additional twinkling stars are created by the "Draw block" command (see below). Yet another custom graphic, called the "pulsar", consists of a series of expanding boxes which are accessed with the square brackets and the underline: []_. The pulsing effect is an animation created by cycling through the three shapes. In the "advdemo" sequence, each text line is drawn three times in a 15-cycle loop. The first and third lines have the same pattern of change, while the second line is reversed. One additional custom graphic is a left-pointing arrow (accessed with the # key) that matches the right-pointing arrow (accessed with the + key. Both types of arrows can be seen between Labels 010 and 011. Also, the @ key has been redefined as a 2-column blank space (the normal space, accessed by the space bar, is only one column wide). See below for an example of how the 2-column space is used. THE DRAW BLOCK COMMAND. When invoked, this command immediately displays the currently defined text block at the current location on the display screen. However, "Draw block" is unique in the way that it displays characters. If a character is drawn on top of another character that is already on the screen, two things will happen. First, all pixels that are common to both characters will be turned off; and second, all pixels that are unique to each character will remain on. Thus, if a block L is drawn on top of a block H, the resulting character will look a bit like an upsidedown F: L H H F L H H F L HHHHHH FFFFF L H H F LLLLLL H H FFFF Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 18 If a character is drawn into a blank space, the character will display normally, but if it is drawn a second time on top of itself, the character will disappear. This is how some of the stars in the starfield were made to twinkle (see Labels 006-007). Blank spaces within a text block will cause no change when they are drawn on top of existing text by "Draw block": the existing text will still be displayed. This means that you can combine colors on a single line by defining text blocks of each color and then placing all of the text blocks on the same line. This effect is demonstrated in the Multi-Color portion of the "advdemo" sequence (Labels 007-008), using the special "advdemo" font. Note that the @ key is used to create the 2-column blank spaces and the normal space is used to create 1-column blank spaces. Examine the text blocks carefully and you will see how this effect works. This same technique can be used to mix fonts on a single line. OTHER EFFECTS. Between Labels 007-008, a special type of flashing is created by rapidly redrawing the same line of text in different colors. Watch the pulsing colors in the lines, "16 Background Colors", "Two Palettes" and "Two Intensities". Words and lines are made to flash (Labels 009-010) by repeated use of the "Draw block" command within a loop. In the same way, the asterisks around the word "Glitter!" are made to flash while the word changes color. The color effect in the words "Razzle Dazzle!" is accomplished with "Wipe from inside" (Transition 6) at Speed 0. The elaborate sequence between Labels 010 and 011 illustrates the use of custom graphics with the "Slide in" transitions. Also included is a variation of the "pulsar" effect. The brief scrolling title between Labels 011 and 012 is followed by a special way to use the "Custom color" command (see the next section). NOTE TO EGA USERS: If your EGA does not support a composite output, then you will be unable to use the Custom Color option that is described on the next page. Even if your EGA provides a composite output, you may find that Custom Color does not produce the exact results described on the next page. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 19 CUSTOM COLOR In addition to the four colors that are always present in color mode, you can create up to 12 additional custom colors which will display on a composite monitor. Thus, you can have as many as 16 different colors on the screen at the same time, depending on your selection of background color, palette and intensity. Custom colors are created with the "Custom color ____" command. When you select this command, you are prompted to enter an 8-digit number in the format XYXYXYXY, where X is a number between 0 and 3 and Y is a different number between 0 and 3. The numbers represent the current display colors: 0 is the background color, 1 is the first color in the selected palette (green or cyan), 2 is the second color in the palette (red or magenta) and 3 is the third color in the palette (brown or white). After entering the 8 alternating numbers, press RETURN to enter the command into the sequence. "Custom color" works just like the "Letter color" command, causing subsequent text to be displayed in the selected color. On the computer monitor, custom colors will appear as patterns of vertical stripes, but on a composite monitor, the stripes will display as solid colors that are different from the colors in the stripes. For example, if you select "Custom color 02020202" and display it against a black background, using the GRB palette at low intensity, the alternating black and red stripes will display as a dark blue on the composite monitor. The 12 colors in the Custom Color Palette will differ according to the background color, the intensity and the standard palette (GRB or CMW) that are currently selected. Using every possible combination, you can create as many as 64 Custom Color Palettes! The best way to understand custom color is to see it. On the disk with VIDEO PRO- TITLER is a sequence called "colorbar" which will display the 12 colors in the current Custom Color Palette (on a composite monitor only), along with the number codes that produce those colors. By changing the background, the intensity and the standard palette, you can review all 64 Custom Color Palettes and decide which ones will work for you. You will quickly notice that certain fonts, when displayed in certain custom colors, will appear slightly distorted. Also, certain color combinations will produce completely unreadable characters, and within some Custom Color Palettes, there will be a repetition of colors. However, most Custom Color Palettes will provide you with 12 individual custom colors that will produce readable text. There is an additional "fun-type" effect that can be produced with the "Custom color" command. If you enter the number codes in the format XXXXYYYY, you will create striped titles on both the composite monitor and the computer monitor! See the last title in the "advdemo" sequence for an example of this effect. Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 20 FONTS, DEFAULTS AND FILES FONTS. VIDEO PRO-TITLER has been supplied with eight resident typestyles (fonts). The filename for each font is given below, along with a brief description of each font: NOFRILLS - a thick block style font. ROMAN - a standard serif font similar to the words on this page. * GOTHIC - a sans-serif font like the words on Pepsi cans. * MVICE - a fancy style like the titles on "Miami Vice". WESTERN - a decorative font like the titles on "Bonanza". COMPUTER - a popular "high-tech" style. PTITLER - the style used on the VIDEO PRO-TITLER title screen. ADVDEMO - a thin block style with custom graphics characters in place of the usual custom characters. * The * designates fonts which display in greater detail in B/W mode. On the disk with PRO-TITLER is a 30-second sequence called "viewfont". This sequence will display all of the characters in the current default font for your examination. DEFAULTS. When you first load and run VIDEO PRO-TITLER, the following default commands are in effect: B/W mode GRB palette LGy background Letter color G/C Low intensity Normal height Fixed mode Left justify The NOFRILLS font is loaded into 1, but there are no fonts in 2, 3 or 4. There is no sequence loaded; all available memory is free. The Command Window is the active window. FILES. The following files are included with VIDEO PRO-TITLER: PT.BAT -- A batch file which runs TITLE.COM and PROTITLE.COM. TITLE.COM -- The file which displays the title screen. PROTITLE.COM -- The main VIDEO PRO-TITLER program. DEMO.SEQ -- A sequence demonstrating PRO-TITLER's basic features. ADVDEMO.SEQ -- Demonstrates PRO-TITLER's advanced features. EGADEMO.SEQ -- A modified demo for EGA users. COLORBAR.SEQ -- Displays the current Custom Color Palette. VIEWFONT.SEQ -- Displays the characters in the default font. PRINT.ME -- The file which printed this User's Guide. NOFRILLS.FON --| ROMAN.FON | GOTHIC.FON | MVICE.FON |-- Resident fonts. WESTERN.FON | COMPUTER.FON | PTITLER.FON | ADVDEMO.FON --| Video Pro-Titler User's Guide Page 21