HitFilm Express 2017 User Guide

HitFilm Express 2017 User
Guide
Table of Contents
1 Learning HitFilm Express 8

2 New in HitFilm Express 9
3 A Note for Mac Users 11
4 Installation & Activation 12
5 The HitFilm Workflow 14
Getting Started 15
Options 16
Starting A Project 20
Saving & Loading Projects 22
Saving Composite Shots 24
Introducing the Media Panel 25
Introducing the Two Timelines 26
Introducing the Viewer 28
Introducing the Controls Panel 33
The Interface 36
The Panels 38
History & Undo/Redo 40
Proxying 42
Exporting 43
Keyboard Shortcuts 51
6 Editing 56
Importing Files 57
Supported Formats 59
Relinking Offline Files 61
Replacing Media 63
Organizing Media 64
Audio and Video Sync 65
Media Properties 67
Trimming Assets 69
Adding Clips To The Timeline 71
Audio and Video Tracks 72
Using the Editor Timeline 76
Refining Your Edit 78
Basic Compositing With Clips 86
Working With Audio 89
Effects and Transitions 95
Transition Details 97
Audio Effects 99
Using Composite Shots in the Editor 101
7 Compositing 104
Creating Composite Shots 105
Using the Composite Shot Timeline 108
Managing Composite Shots 111
Embedding Composite Shots 112
The Render Pipeline 113
Creating Layers 115
Working with Layers 117
Creating and Using Planes 121
Grade Layers 122
Transforming Layers 123
Animation 125
Animating With Keyframes 127
The Value Graph 131
Spatial Animation in the Viewer 133
Using Point Layers 135
Motion Blur 136
Compositing with Blend Modes 137
The Layer Viewer 140
Masking 141
Tracking 144
Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm 149
Importing 3D Camera Tracking Data 150
Working in 3D 151
Transforming Layers in 3D 155
Lighting a 3D Scene 156
Layer Materials 159
Virtual Cameras 162
Distance-Based Fog 164
Creating Text & Titles 165
8 Visual Effects 169
360° Video 172
Audio 173
Blurs 174
Color Correction 182
Color Grading 198
Distort 207
Generate 218
Animated Lasers 226
Dimension Rift 228
Hyperdrive 230
Lightswords 231
Gradients & Fills 239
Grunge 241
Keying 246
Matte Enhancement 248
Lights & Flares 250
Particles & Simulation 256
Atomic Particles 257
Blood Spray 268
Fire 269
Gunfire 271
Lightning & Electricity 274
Shatter 275
Quick 3D 278
Bonfire 279
Falling Debris 280
Fire Explosion 281
Fluffy Cloud 282
Missile Smoke 283
Rain 284
Sci-Fi Shockwave 285
Smoke 286
Sparks 287
Storm Cloud 288
Scene 289
Sharpen 290
Stylize 291
Temporal 296
Video Clean-up 298
Denoise 301
Warp 303
Action Cam Lens Distort 306
Presets 312
9 Licensing Details 314
1 Learning HitFilm Express
HitFilm Express is a unique combination of editor and compositor. There are many resources
available for learning how to use the software, including extensive video tutorials, sample projects,
written documentation, and a helpful community forum.
The User Guide

This manual provides an overview of all of HitFilm Express' features. It is a convenient way to look up
details about any specific tool or function of the software.
Video Tutorials
The HitFilm YouTube show releases a new tutorial every week. You'll find over 50 hours of video
tutorials, all available for free. When possible, project files are included with the tutorials, so you can
follow along. Check out the show over on our YouTube channel.
If you're completely new to HitFilm or filmmaking we highly recommend heading to our support
section and watching the Start Here series of videos. Watch them now.
The HitFilm.com Community

The HitFilm.com community is always ready to help out with tips and techniques. Head over to the
forum to see what's going on and ask questions.
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2 New in HitFilm Express
There are a huge number of new and upgraded features in HitFilm Express 2017. If you've used an
earlier version, here's a brief overview of what's changed:
UPDATED Environment Map Transform
UPDATED Environment Map Viewer
NEW Audio mixers

NEW Per track audio mixing
NEW Master Audio track for controlling overall audio levels
NEW Audio Balance (panning)
NEW Solo and Mute
NEW Auto sync your video clips with separately recorded audio
UPDATED Support for even more video, image and audio formats
UPDATED Dedicated editing trimmer with Insert and Overlay functionality
UPDATED New keyboard shortcuts to set the in and out points in the trimmer
UPDATED Editing tools including
- NEW J-cuts
- NEW L-cuts
UPDATED New shortcuts to link and un-link media on the timeline
NEW Export Queue
NEW Export Presets
NEW Export tasks can be queued, duplicated and modified easily
NEW Support for 4K UHD Projects (3840 * 2160 Maximum with 2GB of GPU RAM)
UPDATED Industry standard quality formats
NEW Native import and export GoPro CineForm 10-bit/12-bit - Windows only
UPDATED Import and export Apple Pro Res 10-bit/12-bit - Mac only
UPDATED RAM Preview for faster playback of complete visual effects
- UPDATED RAM Preview can now use more of your RAM
UPDATED Full Retina and HiDPI support on Mac and Windows
NEW Dynamic Toolbox property searching
NEW Dynamic Timeline layer & effect property searching
UPDATED Project remembers toolbox tree state
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NEW Effect presets added to many effects greatly increasing the ease-of-use of many tools
NEW mocha HitFilm plugin (Add on Required)
- NEW Support for all media types from HitFilm

- NEW Integrated as a plug-in to the main software
NEW Heat distortion
NEW Lightsword (2 point Auto)
NEW Lightsword (4 point Manual)
NEW Lightsword (Glow only)

NEW in ‘Destruction Pack’
- Energy distortion effect
- Fluid distortion effect
- Smoke Distortion
NEW in ‘Sci-Fi Pack’
- Lightsword Ultra (2 point Auto)
- Lightsword Ultra (4 point Manual)
- Lightsword Ultra (Glow only)
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3 A Note for Mac Users
This manual uses screenshots and terminology from the Windows version. Mac users should be
aware of some minor interface and functionality differences, as outlined below.
File, Preferences & Workspace Menus

In addition to the the File and Workspace menus that are part of the HitFilm interface, the File and
Workspace menus can be found in the standard Mac menu bar at the top of the screen. In addition,
the HitFilm Options screen can be accessed by selecting Preferences in the HitFilm Express 2017
menu of the standard menu bar.
Import Formats
Core supported import formats include:
Apple ProRes 4444, 422
H.264, H.263
MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1
Photo-JPEG
DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD

PNG encoded MOV, 32-bit and 24-bit
Note that the Windows .AVI format is not supported in the Mac version.
Export Formats
Additional supported export formats include:
Quicktime .MOV: AVC/H.264, Apple Pro Res 422, Apple Pro Res 4444 (24-bit & 32-bit) & Photo-
JPEG.
Note that the Windows .AVI format is not supported in the Mac version.
Keyboard Shortcuts
All keyboard shortcuts use the standard Apple CMD key instead of the Windows Ctrl key.
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4 Installation & Activation
The latest version of HitFilm can always be downloaded from HitFilm.com. If you've already
registered, you can download from your account.
System Requirements
In order for HitFilm Express 2017 to run properly, it is necessary that it be installed on a system
which meets or exceeds the following requirements.
OS: Windows PC - 64-bit version of Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10; Apple Mac - OS X
10.10 Yosemite, OS X 10.11 El Capitan or MacOS 10.12 Sierra
Storage: 1.2 GB free hard disk space for installation
Internet: Internet connection required for online activation and web services. Offline activation is
possible as well.
Processor: Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or AMD equivalent
RAM: 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended)
Graphics Processor: Graphics processor with at least 512 MB video memory.
2GB or more video memory recommended for 4K UHD.
Earliest graphics cards HitFilm supports:
NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series (2008)
AMD Radeon HD 5000 Series (2009)
Intel HD Graphics 4000 (GT2) (2012)
Graphics Card Drivers: It is very important to have up-to-date drivers for your graphics card when
using HitFilm.
For Mac users, the drivers are built into the OS and do not need to be updated separately.
For Windows users, it is recommended that you regularly check the website of your graphics card
manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) for their latest drivers each month. The update built into
Windows does not always report all updates, so it is recommended that you visit the
manufacturer's site rather than rely on the Windows update for your drivers.
Demo Mode
After installation HitFilm will start in demo mode. You can try out all the features and save projects,
but you will not be able to export until you activate the software using your free serial code.
Activating
When you start the software choose Activate & unlock from the welcome screen.
Follow the on-screen instructions to login and activate your software. Make sure you use the same
email address you used when downloading Express.
You can also activate by going to the File menu, choosing Options and using the Activation
settings.
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After activation, the next time you restart you will have access to HitFilm 4 Express, including any
features you have enabled through the HitFilm.com Store.
Installing on Another Computer

HitFilm Express 2017 license allows for a single activated computer at a time.
If you want to transfer your install to a different computer you will need to deactivate on the old
computer first.
The installer and your serial code are permanently stored in your online account, so you can access
them any time you need to reinstall or reactivate. You can also view your current activations there,
and deactivate if necessary.
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5 The HitFilm Workflow
HitFilm Express provides you with several workflow options so that you can integrate HitFilm
technology into your projects.
HitFilm Express
The core HitFilm Express 2017 software includes an editor, a powerful compositor with a unified 3D
workspace and over 150 effects. Switching between the editor and your visual effects shots is as
easy as changing tabs in your web browser.
The standard version of HitFilm Express 2017 is already hugely powerful. No other free software
provides an integrated, easy-to-use combination of editing and 3D compositing.
If you want even more tools and options, additional functionality can be purchased from the HitFilm.
com Store, including:
• Film looks and grading tools to make your videos look great
• Light flares and atmospheric lighting effects
• Denoise and repair tools
• Muzzle flashes and fire effects
• Sci-fi lasers and lightswords

• Academy Award-winning planar tracking in a special version of mocha from Imagineer Systems
About Premium Video Formats

Dolby AC3 audio (used by many AVCHD cameras) and MPEG-2 video require licensing, which
prevents us from including them with HitFilm Express 2017 for free.
If you use these formats you can enable them for just $10 by adding the Premium formats pack to
your version of express. Visit the HitFilm.com Store for more details.
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5.1 Getting Started
HitFilm is designed to be easy to learn and use while providing a lot of power. If you have any
familiarity with other video products you will find the interface familiar and easy to pick up, but even if
you are complete beginner you'll be up and running in no time.
HitFilm is split into four separate screens, each providing a specific set of features. You can switch
between these different screens at any time while working on a project using the Home, Project,
Edit and Export buttons at the top of the screen.
The Home screen provides quick access to your saved projects and highlights new tutorials, articles
and community activity. You can also access this user guide via the Home screen. To start a new
project, click the New button on the Home screen. Find out more about creating projects here.
The Project screen is where you edit the specific settings used by the Editor timeline in your
project. When you create a new project, you will be given the option to select the settings you
desire. The project screen can be accessed at any time, if you wish to change the settings later.
Most of your work in HitFilm takes place on the Edit screen. This is where you'll find the editor and
compositor timelines, the Viewer and the effects library.
The Export screen is where you render your completed project into a new video file, which you can
view outside of HitFilm.
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5.2 Options
HitFilm's setup can be changed from the Options window, which can be found in the File menu.
This section is called Preferences on Mac, and is accessed through the HitFilm Pro menu.
General
Maximum Undo: HitFilm tracks all of your actions, so that you can undo mistakes or go back if
you change your mind. This free you to experiment without worry, since you can revert to earlier
settings at any time. Maximum Undo defines the total number of history states that will be logged
by HitFilm. Logging more actions will require more memory. Find out more about using your
action history.
Plane/Image Default Duration: Unlike videos, planes and images do not have a specific
duration. This setting determines their initial duration when you add them to a timeline.
Composite Shot Default Duration: When creating a new composite shot this is used as the
default duration, unless the composite shot is based on existing media.
Timeline Default Duration: When starting a new project, this is used as the default duration for
the editor timeline.
Audio Waveforms: The editor timeline displays a waveform for audio clips. For information on the
different waveform types, see Mixing audio.
Default Shadow Map Size: The quality of shadows can be controlled using the resolution of the
shadow maps. Larger shadow maps will create smoother edges on shadows, at the cost of
performance.
Display Motion Path: The motion path provides an indication of the movement of a layer across
multiple keyframes. This setting adjusts the detail visible in the motion path.
Include Screen Layout When Saving Projects: When activated, your interface layout is stored
in the project file. The layout in a project file will override the default workspace layout.
Use Relative File Paths in Saved Projects: Projects can include absolute or relative references
to media file paths. When using relative paths, media is located relative to the project file itself. As
long as the folder structure relative to the project file is maintained this makes it easy to transfer
to a different computer or to use cloud storage.
Close All Media Files When Application is not Active: Some of HitFilm's media libraries are
able to 'lock' media files, preventing any changes to the source files while you are working in
HitFilm. This option forces all media to be closed and unlocked when you switch to a different
application, so that you can make external changes to your media. When you switch back to
HitFilm after making external changes, your media will be updated to reflect the changes. Note
that this may impact performance when switching back to HitFilm.
Play Audio When Scrubbing Timeline: HitFilm can play audio as you manually move the playhead
around your timeline.
Use Logarithmic Waveform Scaling: Logarithmic waveforms more accurately depict the logarithmic
nature of the db scale, and often make waveforms easier to read.
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Show Help Links: Question mark icons in the corner of panels provide quick access to relevant
pages in the user guide. These can be turned off to save space if you wish.
Use full data range when decoding 10/12-bit files: Processing 10-bit or 12-bit files at their
native color depth offers improved quality, but may slow performance.
Prompts & Warnings

HitFilm will notify you in certain situations. You can turn these alerts on and off according to your
preference.
Prompt when media doesn't match timeline: Adding a clip to an empty editor timeline will give
you the option of matching the editor project settings to those of the media. When this option is
disabled, the editor project settings will be automatically updated to match the first clip that is
added, without an alert being displayed.
Prompt when adding timelines to the export queue: When a timeline is added to the Export
queue, HitFilm will ask if you want to continue editing, or export immediately.
Confirm automatically adding 3D cameras to 2D shots: If a 3D layer is added to a 2D
composite shot, HitFilm will ask whether you want to add a 3D camera. When this option is
disabled, a camera will automatically be added when necessary, without a prompt being
displayed.
Confirm removal last camera from 3D shots: Displays a notification when the last 3D camera
is being removed from a composite shot, as this will also remove 3D layers from the timeline.
Show warning on launch if GPU is unsupported: HitFilm will check your hardware to confirm
whether the GPU meets the requirements for the software to function properly. If the hardware is
below the minimum requirements, a warning will notify you.
Show warning for oversized particle textures: Large texture sources can impact performance
of particle based effect, including the Particle Simulator, Gunfire, and Quick 3D effects.
Cache
Caching is used to improve performance while you're using HitFilm.
RAM Preview is one form of caching, used to temporarily render a section of your timeline into
memory for real time playback. You can set the amount of your system RAM allocated to RAM
previews here. Higher values will allow more frames to be previewed.
The Low button sets it to 25% of your installed RAM.
The High button sets it to 75% of your installed RAM.
You can also manually enter any value up to 100% of your installed RAM. However, setting the
maximum above 75% could begin to negatively impact the RAM preview performance, since some
RAM is also required for the operating system and software to run.
For full details on using RAM preview, see Introducing the Viewer.
Media
HitFilm automatically stores background cache files of imported media, to improve media
performance.
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Database: Specifies the location of the cache database.
Cache: Specifies the location of the cache files.
Keep Unused Files: Old cache files will be automatically deleted after a specified number of
days.
Delete Cache: Removes all cache files.
HitFilm must be restarted before changes to the Cache settings will take effect.
Proxy
The proxy system enables background rendering of composite shots and media files. This enables
real time playback even of complex visual effects shots. For details see Proxying.
Media Directory: The location for storing proxy files.
Use Proxies For Export: When exporting your final render, HitFilm can use your proxies to
reduce overall rendering time.
Limit Proxy Folder Size: Specifies the maximum size of the proxy folder. Enabling this option
will add the following settings:
Maximum Size: Sets the maximum size of proxy storage, in MB.
Usage: Displays the percentage of your allocated proxy storage which is being used.
Delete All Proxies: Removes all proxies from the current proxy folder destination. Note that this
cannot be undone.
Auto Save
HitFilm automatically saves your project at regular intervals, in case of power or system failure.
You can change the frequency and storage location for auto saving, or turn it off entirely.
Note that large project files can take a few second to save, so may cause momentary pauses during
auto saving.
Auto saves are stored separately to your main project file so that they do not interfere with your
master project. Auto saves are only created if the project has been changed since the last manual
save. Each auto save will create a new project file. Once you manually save your project any prior
auto saves will be cleared and the auto save frequency will begin again.
If the software does not close normally, such as during a power cut, the next time you start the
software you will be given the option to recover the most recent auto-save.
Shortcuts
Many of HitFilm's tools and features can be controlled using keyboard shortcuts. As you become
familiar with the software you will find that using shortcuts substantially speeds up your workflow.
The default shortcuts can be edited here to suit your preferences.
To change an assigned shortcut key, click in the shortcut column for the command and then press
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the desired key combination.
You can use the search box at the top of the window to quickly find a specific shortcut. For a
complete list of the default keyboard shortcuts, please see the Keyboard Shortcuts page.
Activation
The activation section of the Options window displays details about your software's activation status.
This is where you can find your hardware ID, which you may need if you contact HitFilm technical
support.
You can also choose to activate or deactivate the software from here. See Installation & activation
for more information.
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5.3 Starting A Project
After starting HitFilm Express you are presented with the Home screen. From here you can quickly
access your recent saved projects or create a new project.
Clicking the New button will take you to the Project screen, where you set up your initial project
settings:
Templates are provided for most common video formats up to 4k resolution. You can also customize
your setup and save your own templates by clicking on the Save icon.
Video
It is advisable to be familiar with the formatting details of the footage you will be editing, before you
begin your project. If you know the resolution, frame rate, and aspect ratio of your footage, enter that
information here. If you don't know these settings, then don't worry. You can skip them for now, and
HitFilm can edit the settings later to match the video files you import.
Resolution
The project resolution which HitFilm will support is dependent on the amount of video RAM on your
GPU.
Less than 1GB of video RAM supports resolutions up to 1920x1088
2GB or more of video RAM will support resolutions up to 3840x2160
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Audio
Select the sample rate that you wish to use for your project. In general, this should be the same
sample rate used by your video files.
Rendering
The Rendering settings affect the quality at which your project is rendered. In general, higher
settings create higher quality results, at the expense of slower performance. You may want to adjust
some of these settings periodically while working on a project, using lower settings while working to
increase productivity, then switching to higher settings to evaluate quality, or for your final export.
You can also set default values for these settings in the General tab of the HitFilm Options
(Preferences on Mac).
Antialiasing Mode: Antialiasing is used to reduce 'aliasing' on diagonal lines during rendering.
Antialiasing is always used during the final export and can be turned on and off while working
inside HitFilm.
HitFilm Express Pro supports multiple antialiasing methods. The number and types of available
methods will depend on your computer's video card. The further down the list of available options
the bigger the performance impact and the finer the rendering quality.
More information on CSAA (external resource).
More information on MSAA (external resource).
Shadow Map Size: This performs a similar function to the reflection map size, but for rendered
3D shadows. The default shadow resolution of 2048 pixels is suitable for many projects but can be
adjusted to suit your specific needs.
A lower resolution, such as 512, will create lower quality shadows with more visible edges.
However, performance will be improved so for long distance shots this may be a good trade-off.
Conversely, increasing the shadow map to 4096 pixels will create a higher quality shadow at the
expense of performance.
You can change the shadow map at any point during a project, so one approach is to use a
small shadow map while working on your project, then increase it to the required resolution prior
to final export.
Start Buttons
When starting a new project you have two options for getting started:
Start Compositing: Creates a new composite shot using the project settings. This is useful if you
want to immediately start work on a visual effects shot.
Start Editing: Sets up your editor timeline so that you can start importing and editing your clips.
Use this option if you are using HitFilm as your main editor.
You can return to the Project screen at any time to update your project settings, by clicking the
Project button at the top of the HitFilm interface.
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5.4 Saving & Loading Projects
Saving a project file gives you the ability to work on a project over several sessions. All of your
project decisions are saved into a HitFilm project file. The next time you load the project file you can
continue from exactly where you left it.
Project media is not included in the project file. If you move the project file to a different
computer you will need to copy or transfer the media files as well.
If you want to create a new video file which can be played outside of HitFilm, see the chapter on
Exporting.
Saving Your Project

The quickest and easiest way to save your project is to click the Save button on the navigation bar.
This will update your saved project file. If it is the first time you have saved the project you will need
to specify a location for the file.
You can also use the Ctrl+S k eyboard shortcut to save your project.
The File menu also has Save and Save As options. Save As can be used to create a new copy of
the project file on your computer, after which clicking the Save icon will save to the newer project.
If the Save icon is dark gray it means that you have not made any changes to your project since you
last saved.
Hovering the mouse over the Save icon will display the location of the project file on your computer.
HitFilm also has an auto-save feature built in, which allows the software to save your project at
regular intervals. This allows you to recover your work in the event of a power failure or similar
situations. To learn more about setting up Auto Save, please see the page on the HitFilm Options
screen.
Loading Projects
To load a project select Open from the Home screen or File menu, then locate the project file on
your computer.
You can also select from a list of recent projects in the File menu and on the Home screen.
Importing Projects & Composite Shots

You can import composite shots from one project into another project. This is useful for transferring
visual effects shots and templates between projects, or for importing data created in mocha HitFilm.
In the Media panel, click the menu button to the right of the Import... button and select Composite
Shot. You can now select either a project file or a composite shot file to import into your current
project.
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When importing a project file HitFilm will analyze the file and display a list of available composite
shots. You can select specific composite shots to import.
Imported composite shots will be listed in new folders in the Media panel. If any of the composite
shots used embedded composite shots, these will also be imported. The editor timeline from one
project can not be imported into another using this method. If you wish to move your editor timeline
from one project to another, you must first export it, to create a new video file. The new file created
can then be imported into a new HitFilm project.
For more information on composite shots see Introducing the two timelines.
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5.5 Saving Composite Shots
Composite shots can be saved to your computer and then imported into other projects. This is very
useful for creating templates involving multiple layers.
To export a composite shot, locate it in the Media panel then choose Save As... from its menu.
Note that saving a composite shot does not include embedded composite shots or associated
media.
If you need to create a template using multiple composite shots you should save it as a normal
project, then import that project as described in Saving & loading projects.
Composite shots can be imported into a project using the Composite Shot option in the menu to the
right of the Import... button in the Media panel.
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5.6 Introducing the Media Panel
All of your re-usable project assets are stored in the Media panel for easy access.
When you first start a project your Media panel will be empty. As you bring files into the project or
create them inside HitFilm they will be listed.
Media assets can include:
Video, image and audio files. If you're editing a film you'll probably have lots of these. Working
with these files inside HitFilm never makes direct alterations to the files on disk.
Planes are special colored rectangles which can be created inside HitFilm. These are very useful
and can be heavily customized with the addition of effects and mask shapes.
Composite shots are special layer-based timelines designed specifically for creating visual
effects, titles and animations.
All items in the Media panel can be dragged onto any timeline in the project. Items can be used
multiple times in the same project and even on the same timeline.
When you add an item from the Media panel to a timeline it creates a new clip or layer (depending
on the type of timeline). You can then heavily customize that specific instance of the clip or layer,
without affecting the main item in the Media panel.
For more information on the Media panel see:
1. Importing files
2. Organizing media
3. Media properties
4. Adding clips to the timeline
5. Synchronizing Audio and Video
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5.7 Introducing the Two Timelines
HitFilm's timelines are where you'll make most of your project decisions. Timelines represent your
video sequences, with time running from left to right.
There are two different types of timeline: the editor timeline, where you perform track-based video
editing, and composite shots, where you create layered visual effects and motion graphics.
HitFilm has one editor timeline per project. Composite shot timelines can be created at any time,
and there is no limit to the number of composite shots that can be contained in a project.
Switching between timelines is as easy as changing tabs in your web browser, making for a fast,
efficient workflow.
There are many similarities between the timelines. Many tools are available in both, and the
playhead works the same in both cases. It's also important to understand the key differences.
The Editor Timeline

The editor timeline is track-based. Each track can contain multiple clips in sequence, one after
another. This makes it very easy to edit your videos. Here's what it looks like:
In the above example you can see there are several video and audio tracks. You can have an
unlimited number of tracks in the editor. This can be used for simple compositing (picture in picture
during a vlog or presentation), adding titles and logos, or for actual editing as you can see in the
example above.
See Editing for full information about using the editor timeline.
Composite Shot Timelines

Composite shot timelines are layer-based. Each layer contains a single asset which can be highly
customized, enabling you to carry out sophisticated compositing tasks.
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Layers can be expanded to display more information. In the above example the Energy Distortion
layer has been expanded to show the controls for the effect applied to the layer. The left side of the
timeline shows the names of the layers and properties, while the right half shows the position of
layers in time. You can also see two diamond shaped icons which are keyframes. Keyframes are
used to change properties over time.
Composite shots can contain large numbers of layers, each of which contains many properties. You
can use the Search box at the top of the timeline to find specific layers or properties within complex
timelines.
See Compositing for full information about using composite shot timelines.
Switching Timelines
Looking at the top of the images above, you can see the each timeline is shown as a tab. Switching
between the timelines is as simple as clicking on the relevant tab. You can do this at any time. It's
just like switching tabs in your web browser.
As you create more composite shots you will see more tabs along the top of the timeline.
Composite shots are also listed in the Media panel, making it easier to manage larger projects when
you might not want all your timelines open simultaneously. Clicking the X icon on any tab will close
that tab. Any composite shot can be re-opened by double-clicking it in the media panel.
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5.8 Introducing the Viewer
The Viewer is where you see the results of your editing and compositing. It's also where you'll make
many of your compositing decisions, adjusting layers and masks directly instead of using the
Controls panel. The Viewer is linked to your currently active timeline. The Viewer's contents and
available tools will vary depending on your chosen timeline.
Playback Controls
Along the bottom of the Viewer are the playback controls.
Loop Playback
When activated, playback will loop once the playhead reaches the end of the timeline or the end of
the work area.
The work area can be defined using the Set In and Out point buttons with the playhead at the
desired frames. This can be particularly useful for looping playback around a specific cut or visual
effects sequence.
Set In and Out Points

The in and out points set the work area. This region of the timeline is used when looping playback
and when exporting your project. This makes it easy to export specific sections of a project, rather
than entire timelines.
Playhead Control
The timeline playhead determines which frame is displayed in the viewer. The playhead can be
controlled from the Viewer.
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Move playhead to start instantly jumps the playhead to the beginning of the timeline. You can
also press the Home key.
Previous and Next frame buttons move the playhead by a single frame.
The Play button plays the timeline forwards. Realtime playback may not be possible,
depending on the complexity of the timeline. Realtime playback can be achieved using the RAM
preview or proxy features.
Playback can also be controlled using the standard keyboard shortcuts J, K and L.
J plays backwards. Pressing J repeatedly will double the playback speed.

K stops playback.
L plays forwards. Pressing L repeatedly will double the playback speed.
RAM Preview
System memory can be used to preview a section of your timeline in realtime, even if there are
complex effects.
Clicking the preview button will begin rendering from the playhead's position and will carry on until
the RAM allocation is filled or you click elsewhere in the interface to stop the previewing.
You can then playback the previewed frames or scrub the playhead in realtime.
The memory allocated for RAM previewing can be adjusted in Options.
Time Displays
To either side of the Viewer are time displays.
On the left the current time is shown, based on the position of your playhead.
On the right the total duration of your current timeline is shown.

You can set each separately to display as a timecode (in the format Hours:Minutes:Seconds:
Frames) or as a framecount by right clicking and selecting from the menu.
Viewer Playhead & Duration Bar

The duration bar represents the total duration of your currently selected timeline.
The lighter gray area shows your work area, which you can change using the In and Out controls.
When a RAM Preview has been rendered, the area that is currently stored in RAM will be
represented in blue.
By dragging the vertical white bar you can move the playhead around your timeline. This is
particularly useful if your timeline is currently zoomed in to a specific area, as you can watch
another part of the timeline without having to move or scale your track or layer view.
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Viewer Tools
At the top-left of the Viewer are several tools.
Select
The Select tool is used for interacting with layers and effects on the Viewer. With the Select tool
active you can select and transform layers and move position points.
Hand
This pans the view around the Viewer. This is useful if your content does not fit into the Viewer
panel, such as when you are zoomed in or are working in HD on lower resolution monitors.
When the Hand tool is active you will not be able to interact with layers or effects. As an alternative
to selecting the hand tool, you can click and hold the right mouse button while the cursor is over the
viewer, then drag to reposition the view within the viewer panel.
The following Viewer tools are only available if you are work ing in a Composite Shot timeline.
Text
Used to create or edit text layers. Double-clicking the Text tool will create a new text layer and
display the text properties window, where you can specify the size of the layer. If you select the
Text tool by clicking it once, you can then click and drag to draw a text box directly in the Viewer.
Text can only be created in a composite shot timeline. To edit the contents of any text layer, first
select the Text tool.
See Text layers for more information.
Mask Shapes
Masks are used to specify areas of a layer to remove or retain. Layers can include multiple masks.
There are three mask tools: ellipse, rectangle and freehand. These are used to draw masks for your
layers.
See Masks for details.
Orbit
When you're working in 3D the orbit tool can be used to orbit the camera or view around wherever
you click or a specific selected layer. You can switch between the two orbit modes by holding down
on the Orbit button to display the menu.
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For more information see Working in 3D.
Viewer Display Options

The Viewer can be customized to display specific information.
The Viewer can be scaled using the Scale menu to the bottom-right. When the content of the Viewer
is too large to fit into the interface you can pan around the view by right clicking and dragging on the
view or using the Hand tool. The Scale To Fit option is most useful, as it will auto-scale the viewer
to fit into whatever space you have available, allowing you to see the entire frame. The 100% view
option is useful for seeing exactly what your frame will look like at actual size. You can also adjust
the scale using the scroll wheel on your mouse.
At the bottom-left of the Viewer are several icons for turning 3D rendering features on and off. See
Working in 3D for more details.
There are several menus along the top of the Viewer.
For information on the View and alignment menus see Working in 3D.
Channels
The channels menu switches the Viewer between different color and alpha channels.
RGB: The full rendered output. This is what is exported.
RGB Straight: All RGB color channels without alpha transparency. Note that fully transparent
areas may be displayed with unexpected coloring.
Alpha: Only the alpha (transparency) channel. White areas represent fully opaque and black
areas represent fully transparent. Very useful for checking mattes during compositing.
Red/Green/Blue: Shows only the selected color channel.
Quality
Antialiased: Renders at full resolution with anti-aliasing for smooth edges. The antialiasing
method can be adjusted on the project screen.
Full/Half/Quarter: Renders at specific resolutions. Lower resolutions increase performance. Note
that this only affects the rendering in the Viewer, and final exports will always be at maximum
quality.
Options
The Options menu turns various rendering features on and off. Note that these options do not affect
the export render; they only have an impact in the Viewer. These settings can also be changed
using the Render Options button at the bottom-left of the Viewer. See Working in 3D for details.
Some of these options will not be present unless you have a 3D camera present on your timeline.
Lights: Turns rendering of lights on and off.
Shadows: Turns rendering of shadows and ambient occlusion on and off.
Reflections: Turns dynamic reflections on and off.
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Motion Blur: Turns motion blur on and off.
Depth Of Field: Turns depth of field on and off.
Toggle All Render Options: Toggles all of the above options at once.
Floor Plane: Turns the 3D reference grid on and off.
Show Motion Path: Animated layers display a line representing the movement over time. This
can be turned on and off.
Background Color: The Viewer usually renders a black background. This can be changed to a
different color, which can be useful during compositing to ensure you do not have any 'holes' in
your scenery.
Checkerboard Background: in 2D views this is on by default. A checkerboard pattern is
displayed in transparent areas of the frame. This pattern is not visible when you Export, but can
be used in the Viewer to identify transparent areas of the frame which would otherwise be hard to
spot.
Export Frame: saves a high quality PNG of the current frame.
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5.9 Introducing the Controls Panel
Most of your customization decisions are made in the Controls panel, which displays every detail of
your currently selected layer or clip.
The contents of the Controls panel updates for your currently selected timeline item. Some items
have more available controls than others.
As you add masks and effects to layers the Controls panel will expand and update to show the new
information.
Each customizable entry in the Controls panel is called a property. These are organized into
property groups so that you can easily find what you need. For example, the Transform property
group is where you'll find the position, scale and rotation properties.
When you're working on composite shots, most properties in the Controls panel are also mirrored on
the timeline, making it easy to add keyframe animation for properties. However, some effects such
as Color Correction Wheels display richer controls in the Controls panel than on the timeline.
Some layers can contain large numbers of properties, particularly when the layer has many effects
applied to it. You can use the Search box at the top of the Control panel to find specific properties
for the layer or its effects.
Adjusting Property Values

There are several methods used to adjust values for various properties in HitFilm. You will frequently
use direct values, sliders, rotation wheels, check boxes, and combo boxes.
Direct Values
Most properties will display a numeric value which can be changed directly. Some properties offer
only a direct value, while others include interface tools that can be used to change the value, which
are discussed further down this page.
Values can be changed directly on any property, whether ther eare interface controls or not, in the
following ways:
Click the value, and type in a new value. Pressing Enter will confirm your entry and apply the
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value to that property. Pressing Tab will confirm the value and auto-select the value of the next
property in the controls.
Click and hold on the value, and drag to the left or right while keeping the mouse button
depressed.
On some properties, holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking on a positive Transform value will
switch it to a negative value and vice versa (eg, -500 will become 500).
Some properties will function in 2D, and have two values, such as the Position shown above. The
first value controls the X axis of the property, which runs from left to right. The second value controls
the Y axis, which runs from bottom to top.
Other properties, such as the Orientation shown above, will function in 3D, and have three values. In
this case, the first two values are the same as the values in the 2D version. The third value controls
the Z axis, which runs forward and back, controlling the distance from the audience.
Many properties can operate in either 2D or 3D, depending on the Dimension settings of the
layer. Converting a 2D layer to 3D will add a third value to some properties.
Sliders
Sliders allow you to change a value by dragging to the left or right.
Some properties will allow only positive values, while other properties allow positive or negative
values.
Rotation Wheels
Some properties are better served by a wheel than a slider. Primarily, this applies to rotational
properties, where a wheel gives a more intuitive depiction of the selected angle.
Click on the wheel and drag around its perimeter to rotate it and change the value. The white handle
on the wheel indicates the current angle.
Rotation more than a complete turn is allowed, and the 0x indicator ion the value represents the
total number of complete rotations. The 0.0 portion indicates the angle in degrees beyond the last
complete rotation, and resets to 0 after 360 degrees.
The Absolute value shows the total number of degrees represented by the number of rotations and
the angle.
Check Boxes
Check boxes toggle a property on or off.
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They may be on or off by default, depending on the property. A checkbox in the box indicates the
property is enabled, or on.
Combo Boxes
For properties that offer a specific list of options, rather than a numeric value, a combo box is used
to select the option you need.
Clicking the triangle on the right side of the property opens the menu.
After opening the box, click any item in the list of available options to make your selection.
Certain effects (such as Color Correction Wheels, in the Starter Pack add-on) include unique
controls, which are explained further in the Visual Effects pages that apply to those specific effects.
For more information:

1. Effects and transitions
2. Working with layers
3. Animating with keyframes
4. Transforming layers
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5.10 The Interface
HitFilm's interface can be fully customized. The Workspace menu displays controls for turning
individual panels on and off, switching workspace and managing your custom workspaces.
The workspace menu can be opened using the icon at the top of the screen:
If you are on a Mac, the Workspaces can also be accessed through the View menu.
Four standard workspaces are provided to suit common tasks.

All panels: A feature-rich workspace with all panels enabled. Easy access to all editing and
compositing features.
Classic: Based on the default layout in HitFilm 2 Ultimate. This option can be more familiar to
users coming from an older version of the software
Compositing: Optimized for compositing, with emphasis on the controls and effects panels.
Editing: Optimized for editing, with emphasis on the trimmer, media panel and viewer.
Designing Your Own Workspaces

Workspaces can be fully customized, and you can create your own workspace templates. Details
on how to customize the layout of the panels and containers that mke up the HitFilm interface is
detailed below.
When you have a layout that you wish to save for later use, open the workspace menu and select
Create. Anew window will appear, where you can name your new workspace. After you click OK,
your new workspace will be available through the Workspaces menu.
If you are on a Mac, then after creating your workspace layout you will open the View menu and
select Save Workspace. Enter the name you wish to use, and after clicking OK, the workspace will
be available in the View > Workspaces menu.
Containers and Panels

The HitFilm interface is designed using a mixture of containers and panels. A container can contain
multiple panels, which can then be switched between using tabs.
The size of containers can be adjusted by dragging on the container's edges.
Panels can be moved between containers by clicking and dragging on the panel's tab.
Containers can be moved around the screen by clicking and dragging on an empty area of the
container's title bar.
Dragging a container over another container will display a 4-way drop zone indicator. Dropping the
container onto the relevant zone will insert the container to the left/right/top/bottom of the affected
container.
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Floating Containers
Containers can also be separated from the main window and moved into their own 'floating' windows.
These can then be dragged anywhere around your desktop. This can be useful if you want to move
the viewer onto a second monitor, for example.
To float a container, simply right click its title bar and select Float container.
To move a floating container back into the main interface click the workspace icon in the floating
container's title bar.
You can also drag a floating panel back into the interface, by choosing a new container location and
dragging the tab of the floating panel into the header of that container.
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The Panels
The HitFilm interface is made up of a number of panels, which are displayed as tabs within containers in
the interface. Each panel serves a specific purpose. Details regarding each panel are provided below.
More information on arranging the panels and customizing the interface can be found on the The
Interface page.
Audio Mixer
The Audio Mixer panel provides tools for mixing the audio tracks on the Editor timeline. Meters are
given for each track, to monitor their levels. The levels of individual tracks and their stereo pan can
be adjusted, so they fit properly into the mix with the other tracks. Tracks can also be easily muted
or soloed. The page on Working with Audio provides additional details on reading meters and using
the Audio Mixer.
Controls
The controls panel displays all the controls, properties and values used by the selected layer, and
allows you to edit them. Additional details are available in Introducing the Controls Panel.
Effects
The effects panel contains all of the effects that can be applied to your layers, as well as some
effects that create their own layers. It also contains presets, and allows you to create and organize
your own presets using the effects built into HitFilm. The individual effects are covered in detail in
the Visual Effects of the manual.
History
The history panels shows a log of the most recent changes made in the software, and allows you to
undo or redo them by moving through the list. It is covered in greater detail on the Action History
page.
Media
The Media panel stores all the media files imported into your project. You can organize your media
assets there, as well as access and modify their Properties and import new files. More information
on using the media panel is provided on Introducing the Media Panel.
Meters
The audio Meters panel provides a dynamic readout of the audio levels of your project so you can
adjust the audio levels appropriately. Then you can adjust the levels to ensure your project is
audible, but not so high that the audio is distorted by peaking. To learn more about working with
audio and using meters, see the page on Working with Audio.
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Processor
The Processor panel is used to manage your proxies. It shows all proxies currently being
generated,
Timeline
The timeline is where you arrange and manipulate your media to create your project. The Timeline
panel is permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface.
There are two types of timelines in HitFilm; the Editor and Composite Shot timelines. Both are
covered extensively in Introducing the Two Timelines.
Track
The Track panel contains the controls used to perform 2D tracking on video layers. To learn how to
track a layer, and to get familiar with the controls, please refer to the chapter on Tracking.
Trimmer
The trimmer panel allows you to load a specific video clip from the media panel for review, or to
select a portion of the clip to add to your timeline. To learn more about trimming clips, please see
the Trimming Assets page of the Editing chapter.
Viewer
The Viewer is where you see the combined results of your timeline. All media assets and effects
used on the timeline will be displayed in the Viewer. You can playback the timeline there to view the
results. You can also directly edit the position of layers within the Viewer, and edit the contents of
some layers by creating masks or entering text.
The Layer panel is also found in the Viewer container. It shows the currently selected layer, before
any effects or Transform adjustments are applied. It is primarily used for tracking.
The Viewer and Layer panels are permanent, and cannot be removed from the interface. There are
many options available in the viewer, and they are covered in detail in Introducing the Viewer.
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5.11 History & Undo/Redo
Everything you do in HitFilm is logged, so that you can always undo any changes or mistakes, even
over multiple steps.
Undo & Redo

You can undo and redo your actions using the undo/redo buttons at the top-left of the screen. This
steps through your actions one at a time. You can also use the Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+Y (redo)
shortcuts.
Hovering the mouse over the buttons will display the next action to be affected.
If you undo several steps and then perform a new action, you will not then be able to redo back
to your project's earlier state.
History
A more powerful way to control your actions is to use the History panel.
The history panel shows a chronological list of all your actions, with your most recent at the bottom.
You can undo and redo one step at a time using the buttons at the bottom of the panel.
Clicking on an action in the list will revert instantly back to that state. You can continue to click in
the action list to jump to different points. This is a great way to instantly compare the state of the
project before and after making a series of changes.
If you jump back several steps in the action list then perform a new action, any subsequent
actions in the list will be permanently lost.
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You can change the number of actions that the software will log in Options.
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5.12 Proxying
HitFilm uses GPU acceleration and intelligent caching to maximize performance across a wide
range of hardware. However, some intensive visual effects will always be too complex to render in
real time.
Proxying creates a full quality, pre-rendered version of a composite shot or video asset, providing
faster performance. This is particularly useful when using embedded composite shots or using
composite shots on the editor, as you can maintain fast performance.
You can adjust proxy storage and render settings in Options.
Creating Proxies
To create a proxy, right-click an asset in the Media panel and choose Make Proxy from the asset's
menu. You can also choose Make Proxy from a layer's menu on a timeline.
This progress wheel indicates how far along the process of creating a proxy has come.
This play icon replaces the progress wheel when the proxy is complete, and indicates a
completed proxy is ready for use in playing back that asset.
Proxying is carried out in the background, so that you can keep on working while proxies are
created. You can keep track of proxies in the Processor panel, which can be turned on in the
workspaces menu.
Once a proxy is complete it will be used in place of the original on all timelines. This also enables a
composite shot to display frame thumbnails on the editor timeline.
While it is possible to proxy video files and improve their performance, the proxy system in
HitFilm is intended for pre-rendering of composite shots too complex for your system to play in
real-time. If you choose ro proxy videos, be aware that the proxies can full a lot of hard drive
space. If your video files don't perform well and you feel they could benefit from proxying, a
better option is to convert the files to an editing codec before importing them.
Invalidating proxies
Making any changes in a proxied composite shot will cause the proxy to be invalidated. Therefore it
is best to use the proxying system once you have finished work on a composite shot, or when you
do not expect to be making regular changes.
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5.13 Exporting
Exporting creates a new video or image sequence from your project. The exported media can then
be used and played outside of HitFilm.
Exporting a Timeline
You can export any timeline, in whole or in part, to create a new video file of its contents. On the left
hand side of each timeline are two icons. Which one you click determines what portion of the
timeline is added to the Export Queue.
Export Contents: The top button exports the entire contents of the timeline. If your timeline
extends beyond the video it contains, any empty frames on the end will not be included in the
export.
Export IN/OUT Area: The bottom button exports only the work area of your timeline. The
work area is defined by the In and Out points you set. To set the work area, move the playhead to
the frame where you want the work area to begin, and press the I key (for "in") on the keyboard.
Then, move the playhead to the frame where you want the work area to end, and press the O key
(for "out").
Once the work area is set, click the Export Work Area button to add the work area to the render
queue.
Exporting Multiple Media Items to Individual Clips

You can select multiple clips on the editor timeline, or multiple layers on a composite shot timeline,
and then right-click on any of the items and select Add To Export Queue. This will add each
selected item to the Export queue as a separate task, so that you can export them individually.
This can be useful for batch converting multiple files to a new format, or for exporting the individual
elements of a scene for further compositing or editing in another application.
The Export Screen

The HitFilm Export screen is where you manage your exports. It is divided into two main sections.
On the left is the Queue. You can add multiple export tasks to the queue, and export them
individually or all at once. On the right is the Presets bank, where you can select from a variety of
predefined export settings designed for different purposes. You can also customize the settings at
any time you need to, and save your own export presets.
The Queue
When you export a timeline from the Edit screen of HitFilm, it is added to the export Queue. You
can view the list of queued timelines here, and select the export details used by each task. The
details of each task in the queue are also listed.
Name: The name of the task to be exported.
Format: The format to be used for the export. This is determined by the preset that is selected.
Preset: Presets contain a specified set of format and compression details which will be used to
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create the exported file. The presets panel on the right side of the Export screen can be used to
manage your presets, and will be discussed later.
Duration: Indicates the total duration of the exported file.

Output: Here is where you can set the name and location that will be used by the exported file.
Click on the Output field to enter a name to be used by your exported file, and to choose the
location to which it will be saved.
Progress: Once you click the Start Exporting button, the progress of the task will be shown here,
so you can see how much is completed, and how much of the render remains.
Start Time: The time of day at which the file began rendering for export.
Elapsed: The amount of time that has been spent processing the task so far. During the export,
this number will change dynamically based on how long the task has taken. Once the export is
complete, this will display the total time spent on rendering the exported file.
Remaining: An estimate of the amount of time it will take to complete the export.
At the bottom of the Queue there are several buttons for managing the task list.
Remove Task(s): Removes the selected task (or tasks) from the render queue
Remove Completed Task(s): When a render task is completed, it remains listed in the queue.
You can select completed tasks and use this button to remove them when you no longer need
them listed.
Start Exporting: Begins exporting all tasks listed in the render queue. Tasks will be processed in
order, from the top of the list to the bottom.
Presets
The Presets portion of the Export screen lists all your available export presets. Presets allow you to
save export settings that you wish to use again, and make it easy to export multiple versions of your
project for different purposes. The included presets provide a variety of settings suitable for most
export situations, but you are not limited to only exporting using these settings.
You can create your own presets at any time. Click the New Preset button below the presets list,
then select the format you wish to use, MP4, Image Sequence, AVI (Windows), or MOV (Mac).
Once you select a format, the options for that format will be shown, so you can select the specific
settings you wish to use in your preset. These options are explained in detail below.
In the queue, you can select any of your available presets for each export task.
You can delete a preset by selecting it in the list, and then clicking the Delete Preset button at the
bottom of the screen.
The From Source option that appears in various options when creating a preset allows the
preset to adapt, and vary certain settings based on those used by the source timeline. For
example, You may want to use a specific preset on source timelines that use different frame
rates. Setting the Frame Rate to "From Source" allows you to do so.
MP4 Options
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The MP4 format uses the H264 codec, which is superb for creating final content for delivery. It
creates high quality video at remarkably small sizes, so is excellent for creating videos suitable for
uploading to the internet.
Note that the MP4 format is designed specifically as a final delivery format. While an MP4 video may
appear to be visually high quality, it will be lacking in detail compared to other formats. It is therefore
recommended that H264 is not used to export video which is being transferred to another program
for further work.
General Options
Name: Enter a name for your preset. This is the name that will be shown in the Presets panel of
the Export screen.
Format: The format used by the preset. This option is selected from the New menu at the bottom
of the panel, before the preset is made, and cannot be edited here.
Comment: You may add a comment to your preset, to remind you of details of the compression,
or when the preset is intended to be used, or other information.
Video
Codec: MP4 export requires the use of the H.264 codec, so this setting cannot be edited.
Width / Height: Set the dimensions at which the timeline will be exported. By default these will
be set to the dimensions of the selected timeline. You can also tick the box under "From Source"
to have the preset automatically use the dimensions of the timeline being exported.
Scale Mode: This menu lets you control how the timeline is fitted into the exported frame.
Keep Aspect Ratio is the default, and prevents the frame from being distorted if the
export resolution uses a different aspect ratio from the timeline.
Center will center the source timeline into the export resolution, without scaling. If the
source is larger than your export resolution, it will be cropped to fit. If your source is smaller than
the export resolution, black edges will be added.
Ignore Aspect Ratio will warp the source timeline to fit the size and shape of the
export resolution.
Keep Aspect Ratio by Expanding will increase the scale of the source timeline as
required to fill the export resolution, which may result in some cropping of the source timeline.
Frame Rate: This defaults to From Source, so the frame rate of whatever timeline you are
exporting will be used, and should generally be left there. You can deselect the From Source
option and manually select a frame rate, but keep in mind that changing the frame rate will affect
the speed at which the video in the exported file plays back.
Aspect Ratio: sets the aspect ratio of individual pixels in your exported file. Modern HD formats
nearly always use square pixels,but if you wish to export using non-square pixels, you can set the
aspect ratio here.
Profile: Profiles define specific sets of capabilities in the exported file. Baseline keeps file sizes
to a minimum. Main is the standard for broadcast TV, and is usually the best for standard
definition content. High is the broadcast standard for HD television and Blu-Ray, and is also used
for high quality digital storage.
Level: A Level defines a specific set of constraints within the selected Profile. These might be
limitations on resolution or frame rate, or maximum bitrate. Increasing the Level will increase the
available resolutions, bit rates, and frame rate options.
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Encoding: You can select between variable or constant bitrate encoding. Bitrate refers to the rate
at which the decoded data of the file is processed. Variable Bitrate is preferred in most cases. It
allows a higher bitrate to be used in more complex frames of the file, and lower bitrates to be used
in less complex areas where the additional data is not needed. Constant Bitrate uses the same
bitrate for all frames regardless of their complexity,which can be useful for streaming content, but
will tend toward quality degradation in more complex areas of the exported file.
Target Bitrate: When using Variable Bitrate encoding, the software will aim to make this the
average bitrate for the entire file. In general, increasing the Target Bitrate increases the quality of
the exported file.
Max Bitrate: When using Variable Bitrate encoding, this sets the highest bitrate that will be used
for complex portions of the timeline. In general, set the Max Bitrate about 50% higher than your
Target for best results.
Bitrate: If you are using Constant Bitrate encoding, there will only be one Bitrate slider, which
defines the constant bitrate that will be used.
Audio
Codec: MP4 export requires the AAC audio format, so this setting cannot be edited
Channels: HitFilm export uses stereo audio, stored in two channels (left and right).
Sample Rate: Set the sample rate used by the exported audio. By default, HitFilm will use the
same sample rate as the timeline that is being exported. However, if you wish to change it, you
can deselect the "From Source" option, and choose a different sample rate from the menu. The
sample rate refers to the number of audio samples per second of audio, and is similar to frame
rate of a video signal. Higher sample rates don't necessarily bring a perceptible improvement in
audio quality, but they can allow for more extensive editing to be done without audible damage to
the signal. CD audio uses 44.1 KHz, while digital video typically uses 48 KHz.
Bitrate: The audio bitrate balances the file size and the audio quality. Higher bitrates will give
greater fidelity at the cost of larger file sizes. 192 kbps is a typical High Quality setting, while 256
kbps is commonly used by professional AAC audio files for maximum fidelity. In the AAC format,
exceeding 256 kbps is not likely to provide perceptible quality increase, though some other audio
formats which use less efficient compression methods may benefit from higher bitrate values.
Image Sequence Options

Image sequences have the benefit of exporting one frame at a time, which can save you time in the
event of unexpected power loss, as you only need to resume exporting from the most recently
rendered frame (with most video formats you would need to start exporting again from the start).
Several common image types are provided, including PNG, JPG, BMP and OpenEXR.
Image sequences cannot include audio.
General Options
the Export screen.
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Video
Format: Select the image format to be used by the exported sequence. PNG and BMP offer high
quality images, but larger file sizes. JPG images provide excellent compression, for much smaller
files that still offer acceptable image quality.
Prefix: You can enter a prefix that will be used in the name of each image in the sequence. By
default the prefix is set to "image", but you can enter any text you wish to use.
Example: The file names of the exported images will combine the prefix with the image number.
This example shows what the image names will look like.
Dimensions: By default the dimensions will be set to From Source, so the dimensions of
whatever timeline is being exported will be used. If you wish to override this, and create a preset
that will always export to fixed dimensions, you can disable the "From Source" option, and set
specific dimensions at which the timeline will be exported.
export resolution.
Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as PNG or
OpenEXR, then this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export. RGB
will export only the color data. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to store
the transparency data contained in the timeline being exported. If you are exporting to JPG or
BMP formats, no alpha channel option will be available, as these formats cannot support alpha
channels.
Compression: If you select PNG format, this slider will allow you to adjust the amount of
compression applied to the image. Lower values reduce file size, at the cost of image quality.
Higher values give better image quality, but create larger file sizes.
Quality: If you select JPG format, this option will be available. By default it is set to From
Source, but if you wish to customize the quality level used, you can deselect the" From Source"
option and manually specify the quality level. Higher values will give better image quality and larger
file sizes.
Color Bit Depth: By default this is set to From Source, and will use the bit depth selected in
your Project settings. If you want to override the project settings, so the preset always exports to
a fixed bit depth, you can deselect the" From Source" option, and manually select either 16-bit
Float or 32-bit Float color depth.
MOV Options [Mac Only]

If you're using HitFilm on a Mac you can access Apple's Quicktime format, with several codecs
providing a range of compression options from H.264 to ProRes 4444. The PRoRes options are
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particularly useful for creating high quality files suitable for further editing.
General Options
the Export screen.
Video
Codec: Select the codec to be used for Export. The ProRes codecs provide a range of high
quality options, and are popular among professional editors. AVC/H.264 is suitable when small file
size is critical. Photo-JPEG is a high quality format which stores each frame of video as a JPEG
image, within the .mov container. Note that if you wish to access individual image files after
export, you should use the Image Sequence export option.
Width / Height: By default HitFilm will use the dimensions of the timeline being exported. If you
wish to override this, and create a preset that will always export to fixed dimensions, you can
disable the "From Source" option, and set specific dimensions at which the timeline will be
exported.
export resolution.
Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as ProRes 444,
then this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export. RGB will export
only the color data. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to store the
transparency data contained in the timeline being exported.
Bitrate: If you select the AVC/H.264 codec, this option will be available. Bitrate refers to the rate
at which the decoded data of the file is processed. Higher bitrate settings will provide a higher
quality file.
Key Frame Interval: If you select the AVC/H.264 codec, this option will be available. The Key
Frame Interval controls the frequency at which key frames will be stored when encoding the
footage. Higher values create smaller files, at the expense of image quality and performance.
Lower values improve performance and image quality, but also increase file sizes.
Quality: If you select Photo-JPEG codec, this option will be available. It controls the quality of the
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JPEG compression used to encode each frame of the video. Higher values will give better image
quality and larger file sizes.
Audio
Codec: Select the audio codec used by the exported file. AAC is a high quality compressed
format designed for final playback, Apple Lossless and Uncompressed PCM are full-quality
formats useful for audio editing.
Bitrate: The audio bitrate balances the file size and the audio quality. Higher bitrates will give
greater fidelity at the cost of larger file sizes. 192 kbps is a typical High Quality setting, while 256
kbps is commonly used by professional AAC audio files for maximum fidelity. In the AAC format,
exceeding 256 kbps is not likely to provide perceptible quality increase, though some other audio
formats which use less efficient compression methods may benefit from higher bitrate values.
AVI Options [Windows Only]

On Windows you can export to the CineForm codec to create high quality intermediate files suitable
for further editing. You can also export to uncompressed AVI or legacy DV codecs.
General Options
the Export screen.
Video
Codec: Select the codec to be used for Export. CineForm provides a high quality, high
performance file, and it an excellent choice for creating files suitable for further editing.
Uncompressed provides maximum quality, but very large file sizes. DV NTSC and DV PAL are
legacy standard definition formats provided for backward compatibility. NTSC is the SD video
standard in America, while PAL is the SD video standard for Europe.
Dimensions: Set the dimensions at which the timeline will be exported. By default these will be
set to the dimensions of the selected timeline. You can also tick the box under "From Source" to
have the preset automatically use the dimensions of the timeline being exported.
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export resolution.
Channels: If you are exporting to a format that supports alpha channels, such as CineForm or
Uncompressed, then this option allows you to select which channels are included in the export.
RGB will export only the color data. RGBA includes the color data as well as an alpha channel, to
store the transparency data contained in the timeline being exported.
Quality: When the CineForm codec is selected, five different quality settings are available. For
most professional level projects, Film Scan 1 or High are the best options. They are suitable for
acquisition, post-production, and rendering tasks. Film Scan 2 offers the highest quality, but is
overkill for most projects. It might be useful, however, if you must export a file that will required
extreme post-processing. Medium gives a smaller file size, while still creating a file suitable for
modest post-processing. Low should be used when small files are of primary concern, and post-
processing is not required.
Format: Cineform allows you to export using 10-bit YUV color, or 12-bit RGB color.
Audio
Codec: The PCM codec is used for audio in AVI files.
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5.14 Keyboard Shortcuts
Many tools and functions in HitFilm can be selected or accessed using keyboard shortcuts. Getting
familiar with the keyboard shortcuts can greatly speed up your workflow. In addition, many shortcuts can
be edited, so you can assign whatever key or key combination you desire. The Keyboard Shortcuts
editor can be accessed by opening the HitFilm Options screen on Windows (HitFilm Preferences on
Mac) then clicking the Shortcuts tab.
The keyboard shortcuts are divided into several groups, based on the area of the interface in which they
apply. If you prefer to use your own shortcut settings, rather than the defaults, any shortcut can be
edited to suit your preferences.
To edit a shortcut, click on the current k ey combo to select it, then type in the new k ey combo
you wish to use.
To the right of each shortcut is a Reset button, which can be used to reset that shortcut to its default
setting. At the bottom of the Shortcuts tab is a Reset All Shortcuts button, which will reset all shortcuts
to the defaults listed below.
General
Undo - Ctrl+Z
Redo - Ctrl+Y
New Project - Ctrl+N
Open Project - Ctrl+O
Save Project - Ctrl+S
Save As - Ctrl+Alt+S
Exit - Alt+F4
Delete - Del
Rename - F2
Cut - Ctrl+X
Copy - Ctrl+C
Paste - Ctrl+V
Duplicate - Ctrl+D
Select All - Ctrl+A
Reset - Ctrl+R
Create New Composite Shot - Ctrl+Shift+N
Create New Plane - Ctrl+Shift+A
Import Media - Ctrl+O
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Switch to Home Screen - Ctrl+1
Switch to Project Screen - Ctrl+2
Switch to Edit Screen - Ctrl+3

Switch to Export Screen - Ctrl+4
Common Timeline
Set In Point - I
Set Out Point - O

Set In and Out Points to Content - P
Set In and Out Points to View - (no default)
Move Playhead to Start of Timeline - Home
Move Playhead to End of Timeline - End
Jump to Time - Ctrl+J (highlights current time indicator)
Play/Pause - Space
RAM Preview - Alt+L
Previous Frame - ,
Next Frame - .
Jump Back by 10 Frames - Shift+,
Jump Forward by 10 Frames - Shift+.
Previous Edit Point - Page up
Next Edit Point - Page down
Increase Timeline Scale - Ctrl++
Decrease Timeline Scale - Ctrl+-

Scroll to Playhead - Ctrl+Home
Previous Keyframe - Alt+,
Next Keyframe - Alt+.
Add/Remove Keyframe - Alt+T
Slice Selected Objects/Layers - Ctrl+Shift+D
Move Playhead to In Point - Shift+I
Move Playhead to Out Point - Shift+O
Editor Sequence Timeline
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Select Tool - V
Hand Tool - H
Snap On/Off - Shift+S

Slice Tool - C
Slip Edit Tool - Y
Slide Edit Tool - U
Ripple Edit Tool - R
Roll Edit Tool - E

Ripple Delete - Alt+Delete
Make Composite Shot - Ctrl+M
Rate Stretch Tool - S
Link Video and Audio Clips - CTRL+\
Unlink Video and Audio Clips - Shift+CTRL+\
Composite Shot Timeline

Select Tool - V
Hand Tool - H
Slice Tool - C
Snap On/Off - Shift+S
Open New Layer Menu - Ctrl+Alt+N
New Plane Layer - Ctrl+Alt+A
New Camera Layer - Ctrl+Alt+C
New Light Layer - Ctrl+Alt+L

New Grade Layer - Ctrl+Alt+G
New Text Layer - Ctrl+Alt+T
New Point Layer - Ctrl+Alt+P
Move Layer(s) to Playhead - (No Default)
Make Composite Shot - Ctrl+M
Rate Stretch Tool - S
Trimmer
Set In Point - I
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Set Out Point - O
Previous Frame - ,
Next Frame - .
Move Playhead to Start - Home
Move Playhead to End - End
Move Playhead to In Point - Shift+I
Move Playhead to Out Point - Shift+O
Play/Pause - Space
Toggle Loop Playback - Ctrl+L
Shuttle Left - J
Shuttle Right - L
Shuttle Stop - K
Insert Media on the Current Timeline - B
Overlay Media on the Current Timeline - N
Viewer Panel
Select Tool - V
Hand Tool - H
Text Tool - T
Rectangle Mask Tool - R
Ellipse Mask Tool - E
Freehand Mask Tool - F
Orbit tool - B
Set Mask Point(s) to Linear - Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L
Set Mask Point(s) to Curved - Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C
Move Position Left by 1 Pixel - Left arrow
Move Position Right by 1 Pixel - Right arrow
Move Position Up by 1 Pixel - Up arrow
Move Position Down by 1 Pixel - Down arrow
Move Position Left by 10 Pixels - Shift+Left arrow
Move Position Right by 10 Pixels - Shift+Right arrow
Move Position Up by 10 Pixels - Shift+Up arrow
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Move Position Down by 10 Pixels - Shift+Down arrow
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6 Editing
HitFilm includes non-linear editing tools for constructing your short films, documentaries, music
videos and features. The editor is perfectly integrated with the compositing features.
The editor timeline is track-based, with each track containing multiple clips (videos, image, audio or
composite shots).
The basic editing workflow in HitFilm is as follows:
1. Start a new project
2. Import your media files
3. Organize and assess media
4. Trim media using the trimmer
5. Add clips to the timeline
6. Use the timeline tools to further refine the edit
7. Convert clips to composite shots for complex VFX work
8. Adjust audio levels
9. Add transitions and effects
10.Export the finished project
You will develop your own preferred editing workflow, if you don't already have one, as you become
familiar with HitFilm.
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6.1 Importing Files
To use media files in your project you need to first import them. Once imported they become assets
in the Media panel, where they can be accessed and re-used as many times as you want.
Importing media to your project does not alter or affect the original source files on your computer, as
HitFilm only references the original files. Therefore removing a clip from a timeline or from the Media
panel does not remove it from your computer. Similarly, duplicating a clip in a HitFilm project does
not create multiple copies of the source, as they all reference the same source.
Therefore if you wish to transfer a project to another computer you must make sure all project media
is also included.
Import
To import files to HitFilm you can use the Import button in the Media panel or drag files directly from
a folder on your computer into the HitFilm interface.
Other Import Options

Clicking the arrow to the right of the Import button displays additional import options.
Media is the standard option for importing videos, individual images and audio.
Image Sequence is used for important sequential images stored in a single folder. Images
should be numbered in frame order.
Composite Shot is for importing HitFilm projects and composite shot files. See Saving composite
shots for more details.
3D Camera Tracking Data from software including Boujou, SynthEyes, PFtrack and more can
be imported into HitFilm. This will create a new composite shot containing the 3D camera and
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point cloud. The tracking data must use the .ma format.
Once an item is in the Media panel you can customize its properties by clicking the gear icon to its
right, or choosing Properties from its menu.
Premium Video Formats

Dolby AC3 audio (used by many AVCHD cameras) and MPEG-2 video require licensing, which
prevents us from supporting them in HitFilm Express 2017 for free.
If you use these formats you can enable them for just $10 by adding the Premium formats pack to
your version of express. Visit the HitFilm.com Store for more details.
Syncing Video and Audio

If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can sync them in the HitFilm media panel.
Select the video file in the media panel, then hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and select the associated
audio file. Right-click on either of the files, and select "Merge Audio/Video." HitFilm will compare the
audio in both files, synchronize them, then replace the original audio in the video with the audio file
you selected. A new synchronized file will be created, and can then be edited on the timeline. For
more info see Audio and Video Sync.
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Supported Formats
Import
The following formats are supported by HitFilm for import.
Video
AVCHD (M2T, MTS, M2TS)
AVI (including 10-bit and 12-bit GoPro Cineform) (Windows only)
DV & HDV
MP4 (AVC/H264 & AAC)
MPEG-1 & MPEG-2 (TS, PS, MPE, MPG, MPEG, M2V)
MXF (DVCPro HD)
Quicktime MOV (including 10-bit and 12-bit Pro-Res) (requires that an up to date version of
Quicktime is installed on your computer)
WMV
Audio
AAC
MP3
M4A
MPA
WAV
WMA
Images & Image Sequences

BMP
GIF
JPG
PNG
TIFF
OpenEXR (including 32-bit)
Project
HFP (HitFilm Project)
HFCS (HitFilm Composite Shot)
Camera data
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MA (Maya formatted)
Export
HitFilm supports export in the following formats:
Export
AVI (Cineform, Uncompressed, PAL DV, NTSC DV) (Windows only)
Quicktime (ProRes, AVC, Photo-JPEG) (Mac only)

MP4 (AVC/H264 & AAC)
Image sequence (PNG, JPG, BMP)
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Relinking Offline Files
If files become offline while you are working on a project they will be marked in the Media panel and
on any timelines where they are in use.
You will also be notified of any offline files when you open a project.
If a file goes offline you won't lose anything from your project, even if the file has been used
extensively on your timelines, as long as you're able to relink it.
What Causes a File to Go Offline?

When you import a file to HitFilm a reference to the file is created in the form of a media asset.
Anything you do with the media asset in HitFilm will not affect the original source file - so you can
delete, trim, cut and apply as many effects to the media asset without altering the file on your hard
drive.
HitFilm relies on being able to find the source file in its original location. If the source file is moved,
deleted or renamed HitFilm will not be able to find the file and the associated media will be marked
as offline in your projects.
Relinking
There are several ways to relink a file, depending on the reason for the file going offline.
Restoring the Source File

Often the easiest way to relink a file is to restore the source file to its original state.
If the file has been accidentally moved, return it to its original location.
If it has been renamed, change the name back to the original.
If it's been accidentally deleted, restore it from the Recycle Bin.
After a file has been restored to its original location on your computer, HitFilm will automatically
detect it and bring the media asset back online.
Relinking Individual Files

Offline files can be relinked from the Media panel from the offline asset's menu.
Clicking the Relink button displays a file browser which can be used to locate the file's new
location.
Batch Relinking
When you open a project it will be checked for any offline files. If any are found they will be listed in
the offline files dialogue.
You can start relinking the offline files in the list by double-clicking on them. This will display a
standard file browser which you can use to locate the file's new location.
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Each time you relink a file in the list HitFilm will check the other files to see if they can also be
found at the new location. Therefore if you have deliberately moved an entire folder of video files you
can relink them all by simply relinking just one.
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Replacing Media
Assets in the Media panel can be instantly replaced with another asset. This process will ripple out
through the project, replacing all instances of the original asset with the replacement asset.
To replace, on Windows hold the Ctrl+Shift keys or the Alt key and drag the replacement asset onto
the original asset in the Media panel. On Mac use the Cmd+Alt key combination while dragging.
Note that this feature supports the replacement of image, audio and video assets only.
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6.2 Organizing Media
There are several tools for keeping your Media panel tidy, even in complex projects.
Listing Modes
The Project Media listing can be switched between a list view or a thumbnail view. Thumbnails can
be useful for identifying videos and images at a glance, while the list view allows more items to be
visible at once.
Arranging and Grouping

The assets in your Media panel can by arranged by name or by file type and can be grouped by
folder or media type. The order of the list can be flipped using the sort button.
Searching for Assets

If you are looking for a specific asset and know its name, you can type it into the Search bar. As
you type the list will be instantly updated to display relevant results.
Creating and Using Folders

You can create folders within the Media panel. Specific assets can then be moved into folders,
allowing you to create your own organization of assets.
Note that the Group mode needs to be set to Folder for your own folders to be visible.
A new folder can be created by clicking the New Folder button.
You can also drag an asset or multiple assets onto the New Folder button to create a new folder and
automatically move the assets inside.
Folders and assets can be renamed from their menu or by pressing F2.

See Audio and Video Sync for instructions and more information.
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6.3 Audio and Video Sync
Audio Sync
If your video and audio are recorded in separate files, you can synchronize them in the Media Panel.
This process creates a new merged file, making it very easy to keep the sync locked while editing.
Select the video file in the Media Panel, then hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and select the associated
audio file. Right-click on either of the files, and select "Merge Audio/Video" as shown in the image
below.
HitFilm will compare the audio in both files, synchronize them, then combine the video frames with
the separate audio file you selected. A new synchronized file will be created, and can then be edited
on the timeline. The newly created file uses the same name as the original video, and appends a
(Merged) tag to the name for differentiation, as shown in the below image.
This process does not create a new media file on your drive. It creates a referenced file, referencing
the video stream of one file and the audio stream of the other, which requires very little storage
space on your hard drive. If you wish to create a new standalone video file containing the synced
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audio and video, then you can add the Merged file to the timeline and export it.
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6.4 Media Properties
Each media asset has its own properties, which are used to control its behaviour inside your project.
An asset's properties can be displayed by clicking the gear next to its name in the Project Media
list.
Different types of media have different settings.
Adjusting a media asset's properties will affect all instances of it on all timelines.
Media Properties
Clicking This icon displays key information about the video. Some properties can be edited, while
others are directly linked to the source file and cannot be changed.
Name: The name of the source media file. If you change the name here, it will only affect the way
the media is displayed within the HitFilm Media panel. The original media file on your hard drive
will remain unaffected.
Path: Shows the file directory where the source media file is located on your system.
Video
Frame Rate: By default the frame rate of the source file is used. If you wish to force a different
frame rate, you can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a different frame
rate. Changing the default frame rate will change the playback speed of a clip, relative to the frame
rate of the timeline. For example, a 24fps clip on a 24fps timeline will play at normal speed.
Reducing the asset's default frame rate will create slow motion playback and increasing it will
create fast motion playback. This can be useful for creating slow motion effects, by importing a
high-frame rate clip, then manually assigning it to play back at a much lower frame rate. For slow
motion it is always best to shoot at a high frame rate if possible. A video shot at 48fps and then
changed to 24fps will create a convincing, smooth slow motion effect.
Aspect Ratio: By default the pixel aspect ratio of the source file is used. If you wish to force a
different aspect ratio, you can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a different
aspect ratio.
Alpha: This option will appear only for files that contain an alpha channel By default the Alpha
blend mode of the source file is used. If you wish to change the way the alpha is processed, you
can deselect the From Source option, then manually select a different option. Straight is for
alpha channels where all transparency data is stored in the alpha channel itself, and none in the
color channels. Premultiplied is for files where a predetermined background color is blended into
the transparent areas. If you import a file that contains transparency, but it is not displaying
correctly, try changing the alpha mode it uses.
Resolution: Resolution is a permanent property of the source file, and cannot be edited.
Color: The Color Bit Depth is a permanent property of the source file, and cannot be edited.
Codec: The codec used to encode the video is a permanent property of the source file, and
cannot be edited.
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Audio
The audio properties of a clip are displayed for reference, but cannot be edited directly in HitFilm.
Format: Lists the format of the audio, including its bit-depth and the number of channels it
contains.
Sample Rate: The sample rate of the source file. It is recommended that the sample rate of your
imported audio match the sample rate used in your project settings.
Codec: The type of compression used to encode the audio in the source file.
General
Container: Lists the container used by the source file.
Duration: The total duration of the source file, in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames format.
You can also change a media clip's alpha channel behavior between Straight or Premultiplied.
This is particularly useful when importing OpenEXR images, which do not specify the best mode.
Other Asset Types

Special assets have different properties. More information can be found about these in the
Compositing section, in the following chapters:
Plane Layers
Composite Shot Properties
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6.5 Trimming Assets
The Trimmer can be used to identify a specific section of a media asset before adding it to your
timeline as a clip. This makes it easy to remove the start and end of a take, retaining the portion
between 'action' and 'cut'.
The Trimmer is also useful for previewing media before using them on the timeline.
The Trimmer functions similarly to the Viewer, sharing several playback tools.
Playback Controls
Along the bottom of the Trimmer are the playback controls.
Loop Playback
When activated, playback will loop once the playhead reaches the end of the timeline or the end of
the work area.
The work area can be defined using the Set In and Out point buttons with the playhead at the
desired frames. This can be particularly useful for looping playback around a specific cut or visual
effects sequence.
Set In and Out Points

The in and out points set the work area. This region of the timeline is used when looping playback
and when exporting your project. This makes it easy to export specific sections of a project, rather
than entire timelines.
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Playhead Control
The timeline playhead determines which frame is displayed in the viewer. The playhead can be
controlled from the Viewer.
Move playhead to start instantly jumps the playhead to the beginning of the timeline. You can
also press the Home key.
Previous and Next frame buttons move the playhead by a single frame.
The Play button plays the timeline forwards. Realtime playback may not be possible,
depending on the complexity of the timeline. Realtime playback can be achieved using the RAM
preview or proxy features.
Playback can also be controlled using the standard keyboard shortcuts J, K and L.
J plays backwards. Pressing J repeatedly will double the playback speed.
K stops playback.
L plays forwards. Pressing L repeatedly will double the playback speed.
The In and Out buttons in the Trimmer are used to specify the section of the asset which will be
added to the timeline.
You can drag from the Trimmer directly onto the timeline, allowing you to position the new clip
precisely. A green outline displays the drop location on the timeline.
Note that if you drag a clip from the Media panel the entire media asset will be used to create
the clip, even if you've set up a trim section in the Trimmer. To use only the trimmed section,
mak e sure you add the clip from the Trimmer.
Inserting and Overlaying Clips

Alternatively the Insert and Overlay buttons on the Trimmer can be used.
Insert places the clip at the playhead's position, moving affected clips out of the way. Any existing
clips on the timeline will be moved to the right to make space for the new clip. If the playhead is in
the middle of an existing clip it will be automatically sliced at that position.
Overlay adds the clips at the playhead's position, replacing any existing clips which are occupying
the affected frames.
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6.6 Adding Clips To The Timeline
There are several ways to add clips to your timeline.
If you want to preview or trim clips before adding to the timeline, see Trimming assets.
Placing Clips
Media assets can be dragged directly from the Media panel onto the timeline. A green outline will be
displayed showing where the clip will be dropped. While you are positioning the clip the Viewer
panel displays adjacent frames from any other clips on the timeline, so that you can accurately
position the new clip within an existing sequence.
Adding a clip uses an Overlay Edit, whereby the new clip is placed at your chosen position,
replacing any clips on the occupied frames.
Holding SHIFT while adding a clip uses an Insert Edit. Any clips that are already in the chosen area
are sliced at the in point of the new clip and moved to the right, with the new clip being placed in the
gap.
When placing a media asset which includes both audio and video content, holding ALT (OPT on
Mac) will place only the video or only the audio, depending what type of track the cursor is
positioned over when you release the mouse button.
Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that clips connect
directly with no blank frames in-between.
Clips snap to other clips and to the playhead.
You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of clips using the Page Up and Page Down
keys.
Automatically Creating New Tracks

You can automatically create a new track when placing a new clip by dropping it onto the blank area
above or below the numbered video and audio tracks. This will create a new track and place the clip
onto it.
For more information on working with tracks, read the Using audio and video tracks chapter.
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6.7 Audio and Video Tracks
The editor timeline consists of several tracks. At first you will only have two tracks, one for video and
one for audio. You can add additional tracks as you work, if necessary.
How Tracks Work

Tracks are only found on the editor timeline (composite shots use layers, which are covered in the
Compositing section).
A track can only contain video or audio content, not both. In this context, 'video' can mean videos,
images, planes or composite shots.
All video tracks are displayed in the top area of the timeline, while audio tracks are displayed in the
bottom area. The amount of interface dedicated to each can be adjusted by dragging the splitter up
or down.
If you have lots of track s or are work ing on a small screen some of your track s might not be
visible. There are individual scroll bars at the right of the timeline to move up and down
separately through the video and audio track s.
A single track can hold as many clips as you want. Clips are placed sequentially one after the other,
either end-to-end or with gaps in-between.
Linked Clips
Some media assets include both an audio and a video track. In this case the media asset is
represented as two separate clips on the timeline, one on a video track and one on a audio track.
Linked clips are marked with the chain icon.
Any editing changes you make to one will also be applied to the other. Clips can be linked and
unlinked by selecting them and choosing Link or Unlink from the right click menu.
Creating and Deleting Tracks

You can create a new track by right clicking anywhere in the track listing and choosing Insert track.
A track can be deleted by right clicking a track in the track listing and choosing Delete track. If the
track contains any clips you will be warned before the track is removed.
Re-ordering and Renaming Tracks

Tracks by default are called Video 1, Video 2 or Audio 1, Audio 2 etc. If you want to change these
names to be more descriptive you can do so.
Right click the track name and click Rename to choose a new name for the track.
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Renaming a track will not affect any of its clips.
You can drag tracks up and down in the list to re-order them. This will move the entire track's
contents.
Muting Tracks
Video and audio tracks can be turned on and off using the mute icons to the left of the track names.
Turning a track off does not lose any of its clips or properties.
Changing the Appearance of Tracks

HitFilm can dynamically fit timelines of any length into the available space. At times you will need to
zoom in on a specific area of time, to fine tune the timing of an edit or of effects to a finer degree of
accuracy. At the bottom left of the timeline is the Zoom slider, which controls the zoom level of your
timeline.
The height of tracks and other aspects of their appearance can be customized using the Track
Appearance Menu. This menu is contained within the small right-pointing triangle just to the right
of the timeline Zoom Slider. This menu contains three submenus, which give you control over the
height of your video and audio tracks, as well as how the previews on these tracks are rendered.
This allows you to assign your timeline space to where it is needed most. For example, while
working on your soundtrack, you can reduce the size of the video tracks to make more room for the
audio tracks, and enlarge the audio tracks to see their waveforms more clearly.
Video Size
Video tracks can be assigned one of four heights. Medium is the default size. Larger heights make
the thumbnails larger, so it is easier to see the contents of the video files contained in the tracks.
Note that when Small is selected, no thumbnails will be rendered for the video tracks. In this image,
the Video Tracks have been set to Extra Large, while the Audio tracks have been set to Small.
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Audio Size
Audio tracks can be assigned one of four heights. Medium is the default size. Larger heights make
the waveforms larger, which can be useful during audio editing. Note that when Small is selected,
waveforms will not be drawn for the audio tracks.
Preview Mode
Preview mode controls how the preview thumbnails are rendered for your video clips.
None - removes all thumbnails from the timeline, using only the clip names to identify the
individual clips that are present. This can speed up performance, since the thumbnails tdo not
need to be calculated. The following image shows medium sized tracks with the preview mode set
to None.
Start/End - Shows only two thumbnails for each clip, one at the start and one at the end. This
speeds up performance, while still providing images to help identify the clips at the edit points,
where most adjustments are going to be made. This image shows medium sized tracks with the
preview mode set to Start/End
Full - Full is the default mode, and shows thumbnails across the entire duration of each video clip.
This makes it very easy to identify your clips, regardless of where you are on the timeline. This
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image shows medium sized tracks with the preview mode set to Full.
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6.8 Using the Editor Timeline
There are several tools arranged around the outer edge of the editor timeline.
The Time Ruler

Along the top of the timeline is the time ruler, representing the duration of your project. Clicking on
the time ruler will move the playhead, which defines the current frame, which is displayed in the
Viewer.
You can also click and drag on the playhead itself.
To jump to a specific time simply type it into the time display at the top-left. The time display can be
switched between time and frames using its menu.
Scaling and Panning the Timeline

The longer your project becomes, the less likely it will all fit on one screen. The timeline can be
scaled using the zoom bar, so that you can either zoom out to see the timeline's entire contents or
zoom in to focus on a specific area.
When zoomed in you can then use the scrollbars or the Hand tool to pan the timeline left and right.
Knowing how to move around the Editor timeline efficiently will make your editing much easier.
Once you've placed some clips on your timeline you will need to be able to scroll and zoom around
the project.
Pressing Ctrl+Home will auto-scroll the timeline to the current playhead position.
Setting the Work Area

The work area is represented by the light gray bar running along the time ruler.
You can use the work area to specify a particular part of your editor sequence to export or loop play,
rather than exporting the entire timeline.
To set your editor sequence work area, drag the ends of the work area, use the I key or the O keys
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on your keyboard, or use the In and Out buttons on the Viewer. When using the keys or buttons the
playhead's current position will be used to set the in our out point.
Pressing the P k ey will set the work area to encompass the contents of your timeline.
Holding the Alt k ey and dragging on the work area will move it without changing its duration.
Exporting
The timeline includes two Export buttons, which will add your timeline to the Export queue. The two
icons on the lower left of the timeline determine what portion of the timeline is added to the Export
Queue.
export.
(for "out").
queue.
Keyframes
At the top left of the timeline are the keyframe buttons.
Keyframes are used to store changes to settings on particular frames. For example, on frame 10 a
video could be set to full opacity and then on frame 20 it could be set to 50% opacity. This would be
stored as two keyframes, one on frame 10 and one on frame 20. Between frames 10 and 20 the
video would become gradually more transparent.
On the editor timeline keyframes are restricted to volume and opacity settings. See Basic
compositing with clips and Mixing audio for more details.
If you want to keyframe transformations or effects you should use a composite shot timeline.
The two arrow buttons are used to jump between keyframes for the currently selected property.
The circle button in the center is used to turn keyframes on and off on the current frame for the
currently selected property. If a keyframe is present on the current frame a dot is displayed in the
middle the circle.
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6.9 Refining Your Edit
Once you have added clips to the timeline you will want to further refine your edit using the editing
tools.
HitFilm's editing tools are found on the left edge of the timeline.
Select
The Select tool is a multi-purpose tool that you can use for the majority of your basic trimming.
Selecting Clips
You can select single or multiple clips with the Select tool. Selected clips are highlighted in blue.
Simply Click a clip to select it. Selecting a different clip will deselect the first one.
Holding CTRL while selecting clips enables you to select multiple clips.
You can also drag a selection box around multiple clips to select them all. By default the
timeline will automatically scroll left and right while dragging a selection box. Holding ALT while
dragging will also automatically scroll vertically through the video or audio tracks, depending where
your mouse was positioned.
Moving Clips
You can move any clip to a new location on the timeline by dragging it with the mouse.
If you move a clip to a location which is already occupied by other clips, an Overlay Edit will be
used by default. The existing clips are sliced according to the moved clip's in and out points and the
moved clip replaces that section on the timeline. This means that the positions of other clips on your
timeline are not affected.
By holding the SHIFT key you can instead perform an Insert Edit. The moved clip slices the
existing clips at the in point, then moves all the affected clips to the right to make room.
Holding ALT (OPT on Mac) while you drag a selected clip will duplicate the clip, and drop a new
copy where you release the mouse button.
Trimming Clips
The Select tool is also used for simple Trim Edits, when you want to change a clip's in or out point.
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When you move your mouse over the start or end of a clip it will change to the trim pointer. You can
then drag with the mouse to change the in or out point.
As you change a clip's in or out point the surrounding clips will not be affected.
The Viewer will show a preview of the currently trimmed frame.
There needs to be enough room to mak e your trim edit. You can't move a clip's in or out point
past the in or out point of another clip.
You can't trim a clip to be longer than its source media asset.
When working with a linked media asset which contains video and audio, both tracks will be
trimmed in synchronization. You can trim only one track by holding ALT while performing the trim, a
technique known as J and L cuts.
Slice
The Slice tool is for cutting individual clips into multiple layers.
When using the slice tool, clicking anywhere on a clip will cut it at that point, splitting it into two
clips. You can slice a clip as many times as you want.
After a clip has been sliced, both pieces exist separately on the timeline and can be adjusted
individually.
Holding ALT when you click will slice all clips at that frame, regardless of what track they are on.
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Slip
Slip Edits are useful for adjusting the in and out points of a clip without affecting its length or
position on the timeline.
When the slip edit tool is selected on the editor timeline you can click and drag on any clip to
perform a slip edit.
The Viewer changes to show useful information during the slip edit.
The top left and top right videos show the adjacent frames before and after the selected clip. These
do not move during the slip edit, as the slip edit does not affect other clips.
The larger, lower videos show the in and out points for the selected clip. As you drag with the slip
edit tool, the clip's duration and position on the timeline remain unchanged but its in and out points
are shifted.
The Viewer preview can be used to easily check continuity between shots.
Timecode information shows the relative slip edit change in the center and the new in and out points
relative to the source media asset.
Slide
The Slide Edit tool is used for quickly moving the position of a clip on the timeline relative to those
before and after it.
The selected clip's duration and out point do not change. The previous clip's out point and the next
clip's in point are adjusted automatically to accommodate the slid clip.
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The timeline shows a preview of the slid clip's new location.
In the above image the bright blue clip is being slid. The light blue overlay indicates where the clip is
being slid, which is three frames to the right.
The Viewer updates with useful information during a slide edit.
The top two videos represent the start and end points of the selected clip. These do not change as
the duration and in and out points of the selected clip do not change during a slide edit.
The bottom two videos represent the frames or the clips adjacent to the selected clip. As you slide
the clip these update to show the new frames at the edit points.
Ripple
The Ripple Edit tool is used to trim the in or out point of a single clip, while adjusting the timeline to
ensure no gaps or overlaps are created. Therefore the edit 'ripples' down through the timeline.
After a ripple edit, all clips (including the selected clip, in the case of ripple editing its in point) to the
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right are shifted in time automatically.
This is a good way to ensure that your timeline does not have any unwanted or accidental empty
space between clips.
The Viewer updates with useful information during a ripple edit:
When adjusting the in point of a clip with the ripple edit tool, the selected clip will be shown on the
right side of the Viewer. The preceding clip to the left is shown on the left side.
When adjusting the out point of a clip the videos in the Viewer are reversed, with the selected clip on
the left and the subsequent clip on the right.
During a ripple edit the selected clip will update in the Viewer to show the current edit point.
Holding SHIFT while performing a Ripple edit will enable Ripple Insert mode, pushing all clips to
the right of the selected clip down the timeline to make room for the edit to be inserted.
Ripple Delete
You can also ripple delete clips or gaps. When a clip or gap is ripple deleted, all affected objects to
its right are moved to close the gap.
Any clip can be ripple deleted by right clicking it and selecting Ripple Delete from its menu.
Empty spaces on the timeline between clips can also be ripple deleted.
A ripple delete might not always fully close a gap, if there are obstructions in other track s of the
timeline.
Roll
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The Roll Edit tool is used to trim two contiguous clips at the same time. The out point of the first
clip and the in point of the second clip will be trimmed simultaneously, changing the duration of both
clips without moving their positions on the timeline.
When you position the mouse on the connecting line between two clips it will change the roll edit
icon. Clicking and dragging with the mouse will change the out point of the first clip and the in point
of the second simultaneously.Surrounding clips are unaffected.
The Viewer updates with useful information during a roll edit:
The out point of the first clip is shown on the left and the in point of the second clip is shown on the
right. As you perform the roll edit both previews will update to show the new edit points.
Rate Stretch
Retiming can be used to speed up or slow down playback for specific clips. Using the Rate Stretch
tool to change a clip's in or out point will retain the contents of the clip and change its playback
speed to fit into the newly defined space on the timeline.
For example, dragging the out point of a clip so that the clip on the timeline is twice as long will
cause the clip to playback at half speed.
You can also use the Speed/Duration option in any clip's menu to perform a more accurate speed
adjustment. This displays the Edit Speed/Duration window:
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The two properties, speed and duration, can be linked or separated using the chain icon at the right.
The behavior is subtly different depending on the link state.
When unlinked, as in the picture above, changing the speed will retain the clip's in and out positions
on the timeline while changing the playback speed of the clip's content. Changing the duration will
change the out point of the clip without affecting its playback speed.
When the two properties are linked together, changing the speed will also automatically update the
duration, moving the out point of the clip to accommodate the same contents at the new speed. For
example, a 2 second clip on the timeline when changed to 50% speed will have a new duration of 4
seconds. Alternatively, you can change the duration and the speed will be automatically changed to
fit the clip's contents perfectly into the new duration.
Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that clips connect
Clips snap to other clips and to the playhead.
You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of clips using the Page Up and Page Down
keys.
J and L Cuts
When working with a linked media asset which contains video and audio, both tracks will be
trimmed in synchronization. You can trim only one track by holding ALT while performing the trim, a
technique known as J and L cuts.
A J cut is when the audio begins before the cut in the video, creating a J shape, as in the selected
clip above.
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An L cut is when the video begins before the cut in the audio, creating an L shape, as in the
selected clip above.
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6.10 Basic Compositing With Clips
HitFilm Pro is a powerful 2D and 3D compositor. Most of your extensive compositing work is carried
out using composite shots, layer-based timelines which are designed specifically for that purpose.
You can find out more about advanced compositing here.
The editor timeline also includes simpler compositing capabilities, useful for picture-in-picture, fades,
blends and static visual effects.
Using Multiple Tracks

Multiple tracks can be used to combine multiple video clips on the same frame.
Higher tracks will be rendered on top of lower tracks.

To find out more about using tracks see Audio and video tracks.
Once you have more than one track you can place clips at the same time position. If the clips are all
the same size you will only see the top clip, which is when you use transforming, effects or blending
to composite them together.
Transforming Clips
Clips can be transformed on the editor timeline, meaning you can change their position, scale and
rotation. This is useful for creating simple picture-in-picture, such as during a presentation or news-
style broadcast.
To transform a clip, first select it on the timeline. You can then control it in the Viewer or Controls
panel.
In the Viewer you will see a transform widget:
Dragging on the arrow will move the clip on the horizontal or vertical, while dragging on the blue
square will rotate it. You can also click anywhere else on the clip to move it freely.
At the 4 corners of a clip are handles which can be dragged to resize it. Holding SHIFT maintains
the aspect ratio, while holding ALT (OPT on Mac) rotates the clip.
The Controls panel provides fine control over the clip's transform properties:
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Clicking once on a property lets you type in a new value. Dragging on a value increases or
decreases it.
You can also apply simple transformations using the clip's menu on the timeline. This is an easy
way to resize the clip to fit the frame or be centered.
You can't animate the transform properties in the editor timeline. For animation see Compositing
.
Anchor Points
Every clip has an Anchor Point. This is the clip's origin around which it rotates.
The default anchor point for clips is in the center. For most purposes this is the most useful location
for the anchor point but there are some circumstances where moving the anchor point would be
beneficial.
For example, if you had a simple rectangular plane and wanted to rotate it around one corner instead
of its center, you would move the anchor point to that corner then use the normal rotation controls.
Blending Clips
By default clips are simply rendered on on top of the other, such that higher layers completely
obscure lower layers. Blend modes are used to mix multiple clips together in more interesting ways.
You can change the blend mode of a clip by selecting it on the timeline and then viewing its Clip
Properties in the Controls panel, or by using the clips timeline menu.
See Blend modes for detaileds of each blend mode.
Opacity
A clip's opacity can be changed over time. This lets you create simple, manual fades or to turn a
clip semi-transparent.
Opacity can be adjusted in the Controls panel or directly on the timeline. Every clip has an opacity
bar which can be dragged up and down.
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By default the opacity bar will change the opacity of the entire clip. You can add keyframes by
holding Ctrl and clicking on the opacity bar.
Keyframing can also be turned on and off in the controls panel by clicking the keyframe button to the
left of the Opacity property.
Keying Green Screen Clips

HitFilm includes a wide range of compositing effects, which are found in the Keying folder of the
Effects library. Many of these effects work in the editor timeline as well as in composite shots.
For example, the Color Difference Key is a simple but effective effect for removing green screen
backgrounds. To apply it to a clip simply drag it from the Effects panel onto the clip containing the
green screen video. You can then refine the settings in the Controls panel.
To create a simple green screen composite, place your keyed green screen clip on the track above
the background (which can be either a video or an image).
For more information on HitFilm's Keying tools, see the Keying chapter of this manual.
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6.11 Working With Audio
HitFilm's editor can have multiple audio tracks. This makes it possible to build up a soundscape of
multiple audio clips, including dialogue, sound effects, music etc. For information on using tracks
see Audio and video tracks.
A range of features are included to aid with editing your audio.
Audio Mixer
The audio Mixer panel provides a traditional interface for adjusting your audio to ensure everything
can be properly heard without clipping.
Audio clipping, or peak ing, is when the audio output is beyond the range of playback . It is
indicated by red on meters, and will introduce digital distortion into the audio which should be
avoided.
Audio peaks are drawn as green bars during playback or when moving the playhead. Each audio
channel is displayed as a separate bar. Thin white lines are drawn separately indicating the peak
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volumes of each channel and the peak volume is displayed above the bars. These peak values are
held momentarily so that you can easily identify unwanted clipping.
If clipping occurs, the peak volume readout turns red on the affected channel. This is a useful way to
identify areas where the audio mix is too loud and may cause distortion on playback. Reducing the
combined volume of the audio tracks in that area will avoid clipping. Clipped peaks will remain red
until you start a new playback or move the playhead.
The peak meter is not directly equivalent to loudness or volume. Instead it represents the
amplitude level. This will often correlate with loudness but other factors (such as frequency) can
also have an effect on perceived loudness.
Levels
On the left of each track's meters is a fader for adjusting the track's audio within a range from -60
to +12. The current settings is displayed immediately below the fader.
Balance
Each audio track is stereo. Below the meter, the panning slider controls the balance between the
left and right channels. 0.0 is centered, perfectly balanced between the left and right. Panning the
balance to the left or right will increase the signal on that side while reducing the signal on the
opposite side. This can be used to position sounds in the sound stage to match their position within
the frame.
Mute and Solo

The mute and solo buttons are useful for quickly controlling which tracks are audible.
Mute: Clicking the Mute button will silence the track, until the Mute button is toggled back off.
Solo: Soloing a track has the same result as muting all other tracks. When any Solo button is
activated, only tracks that are soloed will be audible.
Enable Keyframing: The circle to the right of the Solo button enables keyframing for the track
level. This allows you to adjust levels for the track over time using the faders in the Audio Mixer.
Master Track
The Master Track on the right side shows the level of the overall mix, after all tracks are combined.
This is the same readout shown in the Meters panel, but the Master track also provides a fader, so
the master levels can be easily adjusted with a single slider.
Audio Meters
The audio meters panel shows your audio levels, so that you can adjust audio levels appropriately,
ensuring your soundtrack is able to be heard while avoiding clipping.
Audio clipping, or peak ing, is when the audio output is beyond the range of playback . This
results in a distorted result which is best avoided.
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Audio peaks are drawn as green bars during playback or when moving the playhead. Each audio
channel is displayed as a separate bar. Thin white lines are drawn separately indicating the peak
volumes of each channel and the peak volume is displayed above the bars. These peak values are
held momentarily so that you can easily identify unwanted clipping.
If clipping occurs, the peak volume readout turns red on the affected channel. This is a useful way to
identify areas where the audio mix is too loud and may cause distortion on playback. Reducing the
combined volume of the audio tracks in that area will avoid clipping. Clipped peaks will remain red
until you start a new playback or move the playhead.
The peak meter is not directly equivalent to loudness or volume. Instead it represents the
amplitude level. This will often correlate with loudness but other factors (such as frequency) can
also have an effect on perceived loudness.
Understanding the Meter Scale

The meter scale is dBFS (decibel full scale), which means that 0dBFS is the maximum possible
audio level before clipping occurs.
Peak bars are drawn using a color spectrum to make them easier to read quickly. The bars will be
green when below -9dBFS, to indicate safe levels. When levels surpass -9dBFS, the color gradient
shifts from green to yellow, indicating that the levels are still acceptable, but approaching the
acceptable maximum. When the gradient shifts to red, the level has exceeded 0dBFS, and the
signal will be clipped. Since clipping will create distortion in the audio signal, you want to adjust your
audio levels to avoid red.
The scale extends to +6, which gives you an indication of how far past 0dBFS audio is peaking, so
that you can make appropriate adjustments to avoid clipping. If your peak is clipping at +3, for
example, then you will want to reduce the level of your audio by at least 3dB to get it into the
acceptable range.
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Static vs Dynamic Peaks
The audio meter's menu has an option to hold peaks. This prevents the peak indicators from ever
lowering during playback, known as static peaks. Therefore by the end of playback you will have a
definite readout for the maximum peak level during that section of the timeline, without needing to
observe the audio meters for the duration of playback.
With the hold peaks option turned off the audio meters use dynamic peaks, which update every two
seconds. After two seconds the bars will fall back down if the peaks have been lower than an earlier
peak.
Waveforms
The Editor timeline, composite shot timelines, and Trimmer display waveforms for audio. This
provides a visual representation of the audio over time, making it easier to position clips based on
audio content.
Options
The Options screen lets you choose between several waveform types.
Channel List: Displays individual waveforms for each channel in the audio stream and is a
common representation of audio. So you'll see one waveform for mono audio, 2 waveforms for
stereo, and 6 waveforms for 5.1 surround sound. It can be useful in order to see where a particular
channel has silence, for example.
Channel Composite: This simply draws all waveforms from the audio stream over the top of each
other. So you only ever see one waveform even if the source has stereo or 5.1. This view isn't
particularly useful for detailed work but can be helpful if there is limited screen space and you still
want to see a waveform plotted.
RMS Amplitude: Similar to Channel Composite, this displays a single graph of all channels in
the audio stream, but instead of plotting a waveform it shows the average levels of the audio signal
over time. Viewing an average of audio levels in this way is a better method to determine its
volume than inspecting a waveform because it is a better approximation of how our ears and
brains perceive loudness.
Note that RMS amplitude is still only a loose correlation or rough guide. There are many factors
which affect human perception of loudness which are not included in an RMS graph, such as the
frequency of sounds. (Our ears are more or less sensitive to different frequencies, meaning that
the same power does not always result in the same perceived loudness.)
Editor Waveforms
Waveforms will be displayed by default on all Editor audio tracks when the audio size is set to
Medium, Large or Extra Large. Small tracks will not display waveforms. For more information on
adjusting the Audio track Size, see Audio and Video Tracks.
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Composite Shot Waveforms
Layers that contain audio can display waveforms in composite shot timelines. This option can be
enabled on a per-layer basis, so only the waveforms you want to see are displayed.
To enable waveforms for any layer that contains audio, open the Layer Properties in the Controls
Panel, and enable the Show Waveform option. You can also access this option by right-clicking
the layer on the timeline, and selecting Options > Show Waveform from the contextual menu.
Adjusting Volume
A clip's volume can be changed over time. By adjusting the volume of multiple clips you can build up
a more interesting soundtrack.
Volume can be adjusted in the Audio Mixer, in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline. Every
audio clip on the Editor timeline has a volume bar which can be dragged up and down. By default the
volume bar will change the volume of the entire clip. You can add keyframes by holding CTRL (CMD
on Mac) and clicking on the volume bar.
Keyframing can also be turned on and off in the controls panel by clicking the keyframe button to the
left of the Volume property.
With the audio property selected in the Controls panel you can jump between keyframes using the
keyframe navigation buttons at the top of the timeline.
Audio Effects
HitFilm includes several effects to further adjust your audio. These are found in the Effects library in
the Audio folder.
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To add an audio effect to an audio clip drag it from the Effects panel onto the clip. You can then
customize the effect in the Controls panel.
For information on individual audio effects, see the Audio effects chapter.

See Audio and Video Sync for instructions and more information.
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6.12 Effects and Transitions
Although you'll do most of your sophisticated visual effects work in composite shots, you can still do
basic effects work in the editor.
The Effects Library

The Effects library lists all of the effects and transitions available in HitFilm Express. For additional
information on specific effects, see the Visual Effects chapter.
The effects in HitFilm are organized topically into folders. The Effects panel also lists your created
presets. See the Presets chapter for more information.
Effects mark ed with the [Layer only] tag can only be used in composite shots. All other effects
can be used in the editor.
You cannot animate effects on the editor timeline. For k eyframe animation see Compositing.
Searching for Effects

You can search for effects using the Search bar. As you type the list will be instantly updated to
display relevant results. You don't need to get the name exactly right - for example, searching for
'lens' will find the 'light flares' effect.
You can also filter the list to show specific types of effect using the Show All menu.
Controlling Effects
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Effects are added to clips by dragging them from the Effects panel onto the chosen clip.
You can then customize the effect in the Controls panel.
To make changes to an effect, first select the relevant clip on the timeline. Its properties will be
displayed in the Controls panel, with all applied effects listed in the effects section.
You can expand the effects section and individual effects to reveal more controls and details.
decreases it.
Transitions
The Effects library also contains the editor transitions.
Transitions provide interesting ways to blend from one clip into the next and can only be used on the
editor timeline.
You can drag transitions from the Effects panel onto the timeline. Transitions need to be applied to
the start or end of a clip, or between two adjacent clips. A green indicator will show where the
transition will be placed.
Once you have applied a transition it can then be selected on the timeline. The transition's
properties can be adjusted in the Controls panel.
Click here for detailed information on the different transitions.
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Transition Details
This chapter details the transitions available in HitFilm. For information on applying transitions to
your clips see Effects and Transitions.
Audio
Fade
Adjusts the volume of your audio clip at the start or end, either fading it in from silence or fading it
out to silence. When applied to a cut this will perform a crossfade between the two audio clips.
Video
Dissolve
Additive Dissolve
A dissolve that brightens the clips during the transition.
Cross Dissolve
A smooth dissolve which is commonly used in video and film.
Dither Dissolve
A pixellated dissolve.
Motion
Push
Animates your videos on or off the screen in a particular direction.
Slide
Animates one video over the other.
Split
Splits your video into two halves and moves them in opposite directions.
Wipe
Clock Wipe
Traditional clock wipe, as if the moving hands of a clock were moving over the video.
Linear Wipe
A simple directional wipe.
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Radial Wipe
A curved wipe like the movement of a vehicle's windshield wiper.
Zoom
Cross Zoom
Zooms in on the first clip and out of the next.
Zoom
Zooms the clip in or out of the screen.
Fade to Color
Fades from the video to a color of your choice.
Iris
An iris shape expands or contracts to reveal your video. The iris shape can be customized:
Shape - choose from a variety of iris shapes.
Rotation - rotate the iris shape.
Curvature - alter the curve shape of the iris.
Pinch - adjust the points of the shape.
Shift - warp the shape clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Direction - change the direction of the transition.
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Audio Effects
A range of audio effects are included to adjust your audio.
Audio Reverse
Plays the selected clip backwards.
Balance
Pan the audio from left to right on a stereo soundtrack.
Cathedral
Simulate the acoustics of a cathedral/large cavernous space.
Channel Levels
Used to adjust the volume of each audio channel individually.
Echo
Generates echoes from the original audio. You can adjust the number of echoes, and how delayed
they are from the original. The falloff determines how much of the echo is heard before it diminishes
and becomes inaudible.
Equalizer
The equalizer is used to adjust the strength of specific frequencies in an audio clip. This can be
used to selectively adjust the bass and treble, for example, depending on the intent.
The presets menu provides quick access to common equalization tasks, such as high pass, low
pass and bass boost.
The Master Gain control is used to control the volume of the clip. This operates separately to the
volume property of the clip and should be used to set the base volume of an audio clip. The volume
property can then be used to fine tune volume and mix clips over time.
Recorded audio will often have a low gain when imported. To set your gain to a satisfactory volume
for standard playback on typical equipment, you can observe the default gain using the audio
meters. Playback the clip and note the peak audio level, as displayed in the peak boxes. You can
then make the appropriate adjustment to the Master Gain. For example, if you have a dialogue track
which has been recorded with a peak of -18dB, making it rather quiet in the mix, you can set the
Master Gain to 9.00dB in order to raise the overall gain to -9dB. This results in louder audio while
still leaving headroom to adjust the volume if required.
Large/Medium/Small Room
Simulates the ambience of various sizes of room.
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Noise Reduction
This is a quick way to clean up audio which is suffering from unwanted background noise.
After applying the effect, move the playhead to a frame containing a clean example of the noise. This
should be a frame where there is no other interfering noises. For this reason when recording audio is
is always worth recording a section of 'clean' audio before recording your actual subject. Clicking
the Capture Noise Print button samples the frame, so that HitFilm can recognize the noise.
In many cases the noise will be immediately removed. You can adjust the amount of removal with
the Reduce by property - note that too much reduction can result in unnatural audio. Threshold is
used to retain audio data, determining precisely how much of the original is removed. You can add
additional detail to the noise print using Add to Noise Print, or Reset the noise print entirely.
Pitch
Adjusting the pitch can be useful for particular effects, or to counter the natural pitch change caused
by adjusting playback speed of a clip.
Shortwave Radio
Simulates the sound of a shortwave radio.
Telephone
Simulates the sound of telephone audio.
Tone
Generates a continuous tone of a defined frequency.
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6.13 Using Composite Shots in the Editor
While the editor is capable of basic compositing and effects work, HitFilm's true compositing power
is found in composite shots.
Composite shots are layer-based timeline and you can create as many of them as you like. They
support 2D and 3D compositing plus advanced effects such as the particle-based Quick 3D effects
and Gunfire (available in the Destruction add-on pack). Composite shots are listed in the Media
panel and can be added to the editor timeline like any other asset.
Full details can be found in the Compositing section.
Composite Shots as Clips

Composite shots on the editor timeline behave similarly to ordinary video clips. They can be
trimmed, sliced and moved around. You can add effects and transitions.
Any changes you make to a composite shot clip on the timeline will not affect the actual contents of
the composite shot, in the same way that trimming a video clip does not alter the duration of the
source clip on your computer.
Note that composite shots on the editor timeline will not show video or audio previews unless the
composite shot has been proxied.
The Workflow Options

There are several ways to create composite shots and to integrate them into your edits. It's up to
you how you structure your workflow.
Converting Clips to Composite Shots

A particularly fast workflow is to first create your basic edit, assembling clips on the timeline as
normal. You can then select any clip on the timeline and convert it to a composite shot using the
Make Composite Shot button at the top of the timeline.
Converting a clip to a composite shot performs the following actions:

1. A new composite shot is created based on the clip's properties (dimensions, duration, framerate).
2. The new composite shot is now listed in the Media panel.
3. The selected clip is automatically placed inside the new composite shot.
4. On the editor timeline the clip is replaced by the new composite shot.
5. The new composite shot's timeline is opened and switched to automatically.
You can switch between the composite shot and the editor at any time using the tabs at the top of
the timeline. Changes made in the composite shot will be reflected on the editor timeline.
When converting a clip you will be asked a couple of questions:
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Name: The new composite shot needs a name. It's a good idea to have a clear naming policy
to keep track of your work, especially if your project has many VFX shots.
Take Composite Shot Properties From

The new composite shot can take its core properties from the Selected Clip or from the Editor
Timeline. This is useful if you are creating a composite shot from a video or image which is a
different size to your actual project.
Selected Clip: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio of the source clip, and
applies them to the new Composite Shot.
Editor Sequence: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio selected in the
Project screen, and applies them to the new Composite Shot, so that it matches the Editor
Sequence settings perfectly.
Effects and Transform Properties

If you have already applied effects to the clip or adjusted its transform properties you can choose
what to do with them.
Leave Here: applies the effects and transform settings to the new composite shot on the
editor timeline. These will therefore be applied after the composite shot itself has been
rendered.
Move with Clip: keeps the effects and transform settings with the original clip, which is then
placed inside the new composite shot as a new layer.
Creating Composite Shots From Media Assets

Composite shots can also be created by using an asset in the Media panel as the source. Simply
choose Make Composite Shot from an asset's menu to create the composite shot using its
properties.
The new composite shot's details will be displayed so that you can check them, then the new
timeline will open and the composite shot will be listed in the media panel, with the source media
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already in place as a layer.
Creating composite shots in the Media panel does not affect the source media asset.
Creating New Composite Shots

You can also create new composite shots without converting a specific clip. This is useful for
creating titles or motion design elements which aren't connected directly to a visual effects shot.
To create a new composite shot click the New button in the Media panel and select composite shot
from the menu. You can then set up your composite shot manually according to your requirements.
See Composite Shots for full details.
Once a composite shot is created it is then listed in the Media panel and its timeline will open. To
use the composite shot in your editor, simply switch back to your editor timeline and drag the
composite shot from the Media panel onto the editor, just like you would a video asset.
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7 Compositing
HitFilm's compositing tools are hugely powerful, providing 2D and 3D layer-based compositing over
180 built-in effects and a unified 3D workspace. This level of filmmaking technology, combined with
editing features, has never before been available in a free product.
Additional effects and advanced features can be purchased from the HitFilm.com Store.
The compositing tools work directly alongside the Editor. Switching between your main edit and a
fully CG visual effects shot is as simple as clicking the timeline tab. You can also bypass the editor
entirely and use HitFilm solely as a compositor.
Composite shots are built using layers. Each layer contains a single asset (video, image, particle
effect, 3D model etc) and can be heavily customized by applying transformation, drawing masks,
adding effects and more.
Most customizable properties can also be keyframed, creating animation over time.
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7.1 Creating Composite Shots
Creating New Composite Shots

To create a new composite shot click the New button in the Media panel and select composite shot
from the menu. You can then set up your composite shot manually according to your requirements.
Composite shot properties are similar to the new project settings, with multiple templates provided
for common video formats.
The advanced section of the composite shot properties window contains settings for fog and motion
blur. Fog is used to create a fall-off in 3D scenes, while motion blur can be optionally applied to any
moving item.
More information on fog.
More information on motion blur.
Once a composite shot is created it is then listed in the Media panel and its timeline will open.
Composite Shots From Media Assets

Composite shots can also be created by using an asset in the Media panel as the source. Simply
choose Make Composites Shot from an asset's menu to create the composite shot using its
properties.
The new composite shot's details will be displayed so that you can check them, then the new
timeline will open and the composite shot will be listed in the media panel, with the source media
already in place as a layer.
Createing composite shots in the Media panel does not affect the source media asset.
Converting Layers to Composite Shots

A layer in a composite shot can be converted into a new composite shot. This can be done from a
layer's menu or by clicking the Make Composite Shot button on the timeline.
The selected layer is replaced on the timeline with the new composite shot, with the original layer
moved inside the new composite shot as its first layer.
When converting a layer to a composite shot you are presented with the following options:
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Name: The new composite shot needs a name. It's a good idea to have a clear naming policy to keep
track of your work, especially if your project has many VFX shots.
Take Composite Shot Properties From

The new composite shot can take its core properties from the Selected Clip or from the Editor
Timeline. This is useful if you are creating a composite shot from a video or image which is a
different size to your actual project.
Selected Clip: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio of the source clip, and
applies them to the new Composite Shot.
Editor Sequence: Uses the Width, Height, Frame Rate and Aspect Ratio selected in the
Project screen, and applies them to the new Composite Shot, so that it matches the Editor
Sequence settings perfectly.
Effects and Transform Properties

If you have already applied effects to the clip or adjusted its transform properties you can choose
what to do with them.
Leave Here: applies the effects and transform settings to the new composite shot on the
editor timeline. These will therefore be applied after the composite shot itself has been
rendered.
Move with Clip: keeps the effects and transform settings with the original clip, which is then
placed inside the new composite shot as a new layer.
For more information about using composite shots inside other composite shots, see Embedding
Composite Shots.
Converting Clips to Composite Shots on the Editor

Timeline
Composite shots and the editor timeline closely interact. Any clip on the editor timeline can be
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converted to a composite shot. For details see Using Composite Shots in the Editor.
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7.2 Using the Composite Shot Timeline
The composite shot timeline has several tools arranged around its outer edge. Many of these are
similar to those found in the editor.
The Time Ruler

Along the top of the timeline is the time ruler, representing the duration of your project. Clicking on
the time ruler will move the playhead, which defines the current frame, which is displayed in the
Viewer.
You can also click and drag on the playhead itself.
To jump to a specific time simply type it into the time display at the top-left. The time display can be
switched between time and frames using its menu.
Scaling and Panning the Timeline

The timeline can be scaled using the zoom bar, so that you can either zoom out to see the
composite shot's entire contents or zoom in to focus on a specific area and perform fine frame-by-
frame work.
When zoomed in you can then use the scrollbars or the Hand tool to pan the timeline left and right.
Pressing Ctrl+Home will auto-scroll the timeline to the current playhead position.
Searching Your Layers

Composite shots can contain large numbers of layers, each of which contains many properties. You
can use the Search box at the top of the timeline to find specific layers or properties within complex
timelines.
Setting the Work Area

The work area is represented by the light gray bar running along the time ruler.
You can use the work area to specify a particular part of your composite shot to export or loop play,
rather than exporting the entire timeline.
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To set your composite shot's work area, drag the ends of the work area, use the I key or the O keys
on your keyboard, or use the In and Out buttons on the Viewer. When using the keys or buttons the
playhead's current position will be used to set the in our out point.
Pressing the P k ey will set the work area to encompass the contents of your timeline.
Holding the Alt k ey and dragging on the work area will move it without changing its duration.
Exporting
You can export any timeline, in whole or in part, to create a new video file of its contents. On the left
hand side of each timeline are two icons. Which one you click determines what portion of the
timeline is added to the Export Queue.
export.
(for "out").
queue.
Keyframes
At the top left of the timeline are the keyframe buttons.
Keyframes are used to store changes to settings on particular frames. For example, on frame 10 a
video could be set to full opacity and then on frame 20 it could be set to 50% opacity. This would be
stored as two keyframes, one on frame 10 and one on frame 20. Between frames 10 and 20 the
video would become gradually more transparent.
The two arrow buttons are used to jump between keyframes for the currently selected property.
The circle button in the center is used to turn keyframes on and off on the current frame for the
currently selected property. If a keyframe is present on the current frame a dot is displayed in the
middle the circle.
See Animating with Keyframes to find out more.
Adjusting Properties
You can open a composite shot's properties at any time by clicking the gear icon in the bottom-left
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of the panel.
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7.3 Managing Composite Shots
Your composite shots are listed in the Media panel along with your videos and other media.
This means that you can work with composite shots in the same way you would any other media
asset, including adding them to the editor timeline or even inside another composite shot's timeline.
Composite shots can also be organized in the Media panel like any other asset. See Organizing
Media for details.
Working with Multiple Timelines

A project can contain multiple composite shot timelines, plus the editor timeline. You can have
multiple timelines open at the same time, with the currently selected timeline displayed in the
Viewer.
Switching between timelines is as simple as click the timeline's name tab.
You can close composite shot timelines without losing any work. Simply click the 'X' to remove.
Closed composite shots can be re-opened by double-clicking them in the Media panel. If the
composite shot has been used inside another timelines (see Embedding Composite Shots) you can
also double-click the layer name to open it.
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7.4 Embedding Composite Shots
You can place composite shots inside other composite shots. This is called embedding. The
embedded composite shot is often referred to as a 'child' while the composite shot containing it is
known as the 'parent'.
Embedding opens up advanced compositing workflows and also provides a way to organize your
layers into distinct groups. Using embedded composite shots can also provide a performance boost,
when combined with the proxy system.
To embed a composite shot simply add it to an existing composite shot as a layer, in the same way
you would add a video or any other asset.
Masks and effects can be added to embedded composite shots just like any other media layer.
Creating Embedded Composite Shots

When you convert a layer to a composite shot you are automatically embedding that new composite
shot.
You can also select multiple layers when creating a new composite shot, which is a quick way to
group related layers together inside their own composite shot.
Impact on the Render Pipeline

The contents of an embedded composite shot are rendered as one, so that the embedded
composite shot exists as a single layer in the current timeline's render pipeline.
Therefore you can use an embedded comp to 'bake in' all of its contents. Subsequently you can
then use the embedded composite shot as a source layer for effects, knowing that they will use all
of the embedded composite shot's content.
If an embedded composite shot is set to the 3D unrolled dimensional state, any 3D content inside it
will be rendered in the unified 3D space, while still only occupying a single layer on the timeline.
See The Render Pipeline for details.
Proxy Benefits
Embedded composite shots can be combined with the proxy system to provide a major performance
boost when working on complex projects.
For example, if you have completed work on a complex particle simulation which doesn't render in
real time, in many cases you will be able put it into an embedded comp which you then proxy. This
will perform a background render which will generate a faster performing proxy file, making it
possible to continue working efficiently in the parent composite shot.
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7.5 The Render Pipeline
HitFilm renders layers in a particular order. Understanding this render order makes it easier to
construct your shots.
Layer Order
HitFilm renders from the bottom layer up. Therefore higher layers in the layer stack will obscure
lower layers.
The contents of any embedded composite shot layers are rendered in their entirety before higher
layers are rendered.
Masks and Effects

Each layer can be heavily customized. Layer properties (eg Masks, Effects, Transform) are
processed from top to bottom. Therefore masks are applied before effects.
As a practical example, if you add a circular mask to a layer, cutting out a hole, then add a glow
effect, the glow will also be visible around the edges of the masked hole. This is because the hole is
masked first, then the glow is applied.
Baking In/Flattening
When using a layer as a source for another effect it is important to understand that the source layer
will be used before masks and effects are applied.
If you want the source to include applied effects and masks, the source layer should be made into
an embedded composite shot. This will 'bake in' the effects and masks and the embedded
composite shot can then be used as the source.
Using Grade Layers will also flatten all layers below, baking in any effects and masks. Using the
grade layer as a source will in fact use the entire flattened render of all the layers below it.
3D Layer Lodes
3D layers can be set to three states: 2D, 3D plane and 3D unrolled.
2D: When set to 2D, the content of the layer works in full 3D (for example, you can orbit a camera
around a 3D object), but the rendered result of the layer is a 2D element. Therefore the 3D layer's
interactions with other layers on the timeline is determined solely by its position in the layer stack
(Z-depth is not a factor).
3D Plane: takes the 2D version and renders it as a 3D plane inside the 3D space. In the case of
videos, images and planes this is like having a flat piece of card. With 3D objects and particle
simulations it is like looking through a window onto a 3D scene. The 3D plane exists in 3D space,
so its interactions are determined by its position in 3D space. In the case of 3D objects and
particle simulations note that it is the flat 3D plane which exists in 3D space, not the plane's
contents.
3D Unrolled: renders 3D content directly into the 3D space. Multiple 3D unrolled layers will
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accurately interact with each other in 3D space. This is the unified 3D space and enables powerful
interactions - for example, you can position a green screened actor directly inside the cockpit of a
3D model helicopter, without needing any layering tricks.
3D Batches
When 3D and 2D layers are combined on the same timeline it can result in render batches. If one or
more 2D layers are positioned between 3D layers, it will separate those 3D layers into separate
render batches.
Therefore if you need 3D layers to interact with each other properly in 3D space, make sure they are
not separated by any 2D layers.
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7.6 Creating Layers
After creating a composite shot, the first thing you need to do is add some layers to the timeline.
If you created your composite shot by converting a clip or layer, there will already be at least
one layer on the new timeline.
Adding Media From the Media Panel

You can drag anything in your Media list straight into a composite shot. Simply find the media
asset you want to use and drag it from the list onto your timeline.
When you drag media onto the timeline you need to choose where you want it to go. A blue
indicator shows where the layer will be dropped.
If you drag over the layer listing you will only see a single line indicating the layer placement. In
this case the layer will always begin at frame 0. If you want to specify a start frame, drag over
the layer view.
Every item in a composite shot exists on its own layer, so each layer can only hold a single item.
This means that each time you add something to the composite shot a new layer is created.
Adding 3D Effects From the Effects Panel

Standard 3D effects are found in the Quick 3D folder. These are located in the Effects library but
behave differently to the other effects.
While other effects can only be applied to an existing clip or layer, 3D effects create a new,
dedicated layer on the timeline.
Note that advanced 3D features including the full Particle simulator are available in HitFilm Pro.
Generated Layers
HitFilm can create layers internally. These allow for procedural content which does not rely on
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eternal media, or which can be combined with external media.
To create a generated layer use the New Layer menu in a composite shot. You can also create
planes from the New menu in the Media panel.
Follow these links to find out more about each layer type:
Plane: A flat, colored, rectangular shape. Planes are listed in the Media panel for easy re-use.
Planes serve as excellent empty hosts for other effects. Also known as 'solids'.
Text: Create text and titles which can be positioned in 3D and customized heavily using effects.
Grade: These affect all layers below, making it easy to instantly apply effects to multiple layers at
once. Also known as 'adjustment layers'.
Camera: 3D scenes require a virtual 3D camera to define the view. 3D cameras share many
similarities with real cameras, including depth of field and zoom.
Light: Used to create more dramatic lighting in 3D scenes.
Point: Invisible reference layers which can be linked to other layers. Useful for setting up
animation rigs. Also known as 'nulls'.
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7.7 Working with Layers
Every layer on the timeline shares some common controls.
Expanding Layers
Layers on the timeline can be expanded to reveal more details using the arrow icon. Each layer
contains sub-groups so that you can quickly find the details you need. Tracks, masks, effects and
transform data are all grouped separately.
Some layers will have additional groups. For example, 3D layers include a Material group for
adjusting their 3D lighting behavior.
Customizing Settings
A layer's settings can be adjusted on the timeline or in the Controls panel. The currently selected
layer is displayed in the Controls panel. Double-clicking a group or property in the timeline or
controls panel will open it in the other area.
See Animating with Keyframes for more information about changing settings over time.
Layer Properties
All layers have a layer properties group. The specific options available will vary depending on the
type of layer. Common options include:
Visible: turns the layer's visibility on and off. You can use a layer as a reference for other layers
and effects without it being actually visible in your exports.
Mute: If the layer contains audio, the Mute option will be displayed. Tick the box to silence all
audio contained in the layer.
Show Waveform: For layers containing audio, enabling this option displays the waveform on the
timeline.
Dimension: switches the layer between 2D and 3D. Embedded composite shots also have the
3D unrolled option. More information can be found in The Render Pipeline.
Alignment: provides various auto-alignment options. Along Motion Path aligns the layer
according to its motion (this can be effective if your layer has a define 'front', such as an arrow
shape). Towards Target Position keeps the layer aligned towards a specified point in space.
Towards Layer keeps the layer aligned towards a specified layer.
Blend: changes how the layer is blended onto layer below.
Motion Blur: activates motion blur for the layer.
Parent: links the layer's transform to another layer. Ordinarily a layer's transform is relative to the
center of the scene. Parenting changes this so that the layer's transform is relative to the selected
parent layer.
Include in Depth Map: includes or excludes the layer when generating the depth map for the
composite shot. This is important if the composite shot exists as a 3D Unrolled layer on another
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timeline.
Promote Lights: on embedded 3D composite shots containing lights, enabling this option allows
the lights to affect 3D layers in the parent composite shot.
Changing Layer Order

Once you've created more than one layer you can reorder them be dragging them up and down in
the layer list (on the left side of the timeline).
You can move multiple layers at the same time by Ctrl or Shift clicking them.
Trimming and Moving Layers

The Select tool enables trimming and moving of layers.
To move a layer backwards or forwards in time drag its colored duration bar on the timeline.
Dragging on the start or end of a layer will trim its duration. When a layer is trimmed you can see a
dimmed representation of the layer's original duration.
Slicing Layers
The Slice tool is used to cut layers into two separate layers. The layer will be sliced at the frame
where you click.
Rate Stretch
Retiming can be used to speed up or slow down playback for specific layers. Using the Rate
Stretch tool to change a layer's in or out point will retain the contents of the layer and change its
playback speed to fit into the newly defined space on the timeline.
For example, dragging the out point of a layer so that the layer on the timeline is twice as long will
cause the layer to playback at half speed.
You can also use the Speed/Duration option in any layer's menu to perform a more accurate
speed adjustment. This displays the Edit speed/duration window:
The two properties, speed and duration, can be linked or separated using the chain icon at the right.
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The behavior is subtly different depending on the link state.
When unlinked, as in the picture above, changing the speed will retain the layer's in and out
positions on the timeline while changing the playback speed of the layer's content. Changing the
duration will change the out point of the layer without affecting its playback speed.
When the two properties are linked together, changing the speed will also automatically update the
duration, moving the out point of the layer to accommodate the same contents at the new speed.
For example, a 2 second layer on the timeline when changed to 50% speed will have a new duration
of 4 seconds. Alternatively, you can change the duration and the speed will be automatically
changed to fit the layer's contents perfectly into the new duration.
Snapping
The Snap button can be used to turn snapping on and off. Snapping ensures that layers connect
Layers snap to other clips and to the playhead.
You can also jump the playhead to the start or end of layers using the Page Up and Page Down
keys.
Layer Visibility
Any layer can be made visible or invisible at any time using the visibility icon.
Turning a layer invisible does not affect its properties.
Invisible layers will not appear in the viewer and will not be included in any exports.
Note that invisible layers can still be used as source layers for other effects.
Dimension Mode
3D layers can be set to three states: 2D, 3D plane and 3D unrolled.
2D: When set to 2D, the content of the layer works in full 3D (for example, you can orbit a camera
around a 3D object), but the rendered result of the layer is a 2D element. Therefore the 3D layer's
interactions with other layers on the timeline is determined solely by its position in the layer stack
(Z-depth is not a factor).
3D Plane: takes the 2D version and renders it as a 3D plane inside the 3D space. In the case of
videos, images and planes this is like having a flat piece of card. With 3D objects and particle
simulations it is like looking through a window onto a 3D scene. The 3D plane exists in 3D space,
so its interactions are determined by its position in 3D space. In the case of 3D objects and
particle simulations note that it is the flat 3D plane which exists in 3D space, not the plane's
contents.
3D Unrolled: renders 3D content directly into the 3D space. Multiple 3D unrolled layers will
accurately interact with each other in 3D space. This is the unified 3D space and enables powerful
interactions - for example, you can position a green screened actor directly inside the cockpit of a
3D model helicopter, without needing any layering tricks.
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See The Render Pipeline for more details.
Parenting
The menu at the right of the layer list is for parenting layers together. The menu shows a list of all
the layers in the current composite shot and you can choose one to be the parent of the selected
layer.
When a layer is parented, it takes its transform source from the 'parent' layer. If you move the parent
layer, the 'child' layer also moves.
You can still transform the child layer on top of the transformation already applied from the parent
layer. The child is transformed relative to the parent.
An unparented layer uses the centre of the 2D or 3D scene as its origin (0,0,0). A parented layer
uses its parent's transform settings as its origin.
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7.8 Creating and Using Planes
Planes are flat, rectangular shapes of a single color that are created inside HitFilm.
Planes can be in 2D or 3D and have many uses, for example:
Solid color backgrounds.
Invisible layers for 3D shadow casting.
Reference layers for parenting.
Creating simple 3D geometry.
Creating Planes
Planes can be created from the New menu in the Media panel or from the New Layer menu in a
composite shot timeline.
In both cases a new plane is created and is listed in the Project Media list. If you use the New Layer
menu on the timeline the plane will also be automatically added to the timeline as a new layer.
Plane Properties
When creating a new plane you need to choose its initial properties. You can always update these
properties later by editing the plane in the Media panel.
Name: The plane will be listed in the Media panel and displayed on the timeline using this name.
Width/Height: Determines the resolution of the plane. You can make it larger, smaller or the
same size as your project and composite shots.
Aspect: The shape of the individual pixels, which in turn affects the shape of the plane frame.
Some formats use non-square pixels to create widescreen aspect ratios, so make sure you check
your camera's specification if your plane looks the wrong shape.
Color: Clicking the color box will display a standard color palette for choosing the plane's color.
Alternatively, you can click and drag on the color pipette icon then move the mouse over any color
on your screen. White, grey and black presets are also provided for quick selection.
Match Sequence/Composite Shot: This button will automatically adjust the plane's settings to
match those of your currently active editor sequence or composite shot.
The color of a plane is one of its core properties. Changing the color will affect all instances of
the plane in your project.
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7.9 Grade Layers
Grade layers are quick ways to color grade several layers at once.
The alternatives are to grade each layer individually (which gives you lots of control but can take
some time!) or to put all the layers into an embedded composite shot and grade that (which can be
inconvenient if you don't want to embed those layers). Using grade layers can be faster and easier.
Creating Grade Layers

You can create grade layers from the New Layer menu in composite shot timelines.
When they are first created, grade layers will be invisible and will have no effect on your project. Any
2D effects you add to the grade layer will affect all of the layers beneath it.
Grade layers are created at the same resolution as the currently open composite shot.
Grade layers flatten any 3D layers they are above. This means that any 3D layers above the
grade layer will not be able to interact with 3D layers below.
Transforming Grade Layers

Grade layers can be transformed like any other layer, in 2D or 3D.
By transforming a grade layer you can change the area affected by it. Only layers directly behind the
grade layer will be affected.
Mask s can also be used to specify which parts of a grade layer affect the layers below.
3D Transform & Layer Order

If you transform a grade layer in 3D, its position in 3D space does not directly affect which layers it
grades. Even when in 3D, it is its position in the layer listing on the timeline which determines which
layers are affected.
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7.10 Transforming Layers
Transforming a layer means to change its position, scale or rotation.
In composite shots this can be done in 2D or 3D. The interfaces are largely the same, with 3D
layers gaining the Z (depth) dimension. See Working in 3D for more details.
To transform a layer, first select it on the timeline. You can then control it on the timeline, in the
Viewer or in the Controls panel.
In the Viewer you will see a transform widget:
Dragging on the arrow will move the layer on the horizontal or vertical, while dragging on the blue
square will rotate it. You can also click anywhere else on the layer to move it freely.
At the 4 corners of a layer are handles which can be dragged to resize it. Holding SHIFT maintains
the aspect ratio, while holding ALT (OPT on Mac)) rotates the layer. Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac)
will set the control point to the opposite corner, and resize the layer from that corner, rather than
from the center.
The Controls panel provides fine control over the layer's transform properties:
decreases it.
Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) and clicking on a positive Transform value will switch it to a negative
value and vice versa (eg, -500 will become 500).
Anchor Points
Every layer has an anchor point. This is the layer's origin around which it rotates.
The default anchor point for layers is in the center. For most purposes this is the most useful
location for the anchor point but there are some circumstances where moving the anchor point would
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be beneficial.
For example, if you had a simple rectangular plane and wanted to rotate it around one corner instead
of its center, you would move the anchor point to that corner then use the normal rotation controls.
2D Properties
Opacity: The transparency of the clip.
Anchor Point: Sets the location of the anchor point, with 0,0 being the center of the layer.
Position: Moves the layer along the X and Y axes.

Scale: Enlarges or shrinks the layer. The X and Y scales are linked by default so that your layer
retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.
Rotation: Rotates the layer around its anchor point. Rotation is presented as number of turns and
degrees, making it easy to keyframe multiple rotations.
Some additional properties are available for 3D layers. These are discussed in the Working in 3D
section.
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7.11 Animation
In HitFilm, animation refers to anything that changes over time, not just to movement. For example,
this could refer to changing a layer's transparency over time, or the amount of blur applied by an
effect.
By default, changing a property will change it for the duration of the layer. Moving a layer to the right,
for example, will cause it to remain in that new position for its entire duration. If you want a property
to change over time - for example, having a layer move from left to right over five seconds - you need
to start using keyframes.
Your timelines are built up from multiple frames. A keyframe is a special frame which stores
additional information about a change to a property value. Keyframes are turned off for all properties
by default. To turn keyframing on for a property simply click the grey circle to the left of the property
name. For more information on using keyframes see Animating with Keyframes.
Full k eyframing is only available on composite shot timelines, though you can adjust opacity
and volume on the Editor sequence.
Temporal Controls
All properties have temporal animation. This is animation which happens over time. By adjusting the
temporal interpolation you can alter the speed at which animation plays out.
The default timeline view shows all your keyframes. Each property has its own row on the timeline
and keyframes are displayed here as grey icons. Here's an example showing keyframes for a layer's
opacity and position properties:
Note that this view makes it easy to see how keyframes relate to each other - in this case, you can
see that the opacity of the layer changes while the layer moves position. However, there's no way at
a glance to see the value of each keyframe, without moving the playhead and checking the
numerical display on the left, or observing the layer in the Viewer.
The value graph mode displays an alternate view. Here's the same setup in value graph mode:
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The value graph shows the details for the currently selected property. At a glance you can see how
the value changes over time, without needing to move the playhead. In the case of the position
property there are two lines plotted - one for the X position (red) and one for the Y position (green).
The graph here shows that the layer is moving from left to right while also dropping lower in frame
before rising back up again. This information isn't available in the default timeline view. The angle of
the graph shows the speed of the value change. A steep angle shows a faster animation.
However, because the value graph can only display a single property at a time it can't be used to
directly compare multiple properties. If we wanted to see the opacity keyframes, we would have to
first select it in the layer list.
See The Value Graph for full details.
Spatial Controls
A layer's position property has an additional spatial element. This is how the property changes in
space, which is separate to how it changes over time.
The animation of a layer in space is displayed using a motion path. This is draw onto the Viewer and
shows the path taken by the layer over time.
Full details can be found in the chapter Spatial Animation in the Viewer.
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Animating With Keyframes
Keyframes are used to log any changes you make to properties. When you change a property value
which has keyframes enabled, the new value will be stored on the current frame as a keyframe. By
creating multiple keyframes on different frames you can change a value over time.
Activating Keyframing
Keyframing has to be explicitly turned on for each property you want to animate.
If keyframing is turned off, any changes you make will affect the setting for the duration of the layer.
Moving to a different frame and making a further change will also make that change for the entire
layer.
Once keyframing is turned on for a property, every time you make a change it is stored on that
precise frame as a keyframe. You can the go to different frames and make adjustments to create
multiple keyframes. HitFilm then animate the setting from one keyframe to the next.
To turn keyframing on and off click the circle to the left of the property. When activated the keyframe
icon will turn blue and a new keyframe will be placed at the playhead's current position.
Creating Keyframes
Every time you change a setting in HitFilm, a keyframe is placed on the timeline at the playhead
position. Keyframes contain information about the changes you make.
HitFilm automatically interpolates from one keyframe value to the next. This means that you don't
need to animate every single frame.
For example: If you have a keyframe on frame 1 which positions a layer on the far left of the screen,
then another keyframe on frame 24 positioning the layer on the far right, HitFilm will animate the
layer moving from left to right over the course of those 24 frames.
To duplicate selected keyframes, you can hold CTRL (CMD on Mac) and drag the existing
keyframes to a new location. The original keyframes will stay in position, while a new duplicate set
is created at the time you drag to.
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Navigating by Keyframes
Once you have created several keyframes it can be useful to quickly move between them on the
timeline.
You can do this using the Previous/Next Keyframe controls at the top of the timeline, which jump
your playhead between keyframes for the currently selected property.
You can also double-click on a keyframe on the timeline to jump the playhead to that position.
Adding and Removing Keyframes

Sometimes you may want to add or remove a keyframe to the current frame without actually
changing any settings.
This can be done by clicking the Add/Remove Keyframe button at the top of the timeline
(positioned between the keyframe navigation arrows).
If there is a keyframe on the current frame already, clicking the add/remove button will remove it.
If there is not a keyframe on the current frame, a new keyframe will be created using the settings
from that frame.
Editing Keyframes
Once a keyframe has been created you can make further adjustments to its position and behaviour.
To edit the value of an existing keyframe you first need to move the playhead to the keyframe. If you
don't do this, you will instead create a new keyframe on the current frame. The easiest way to do
this is simply to double-click on the relevant keyframe.
Selecting Keyframes
Keyframes can be selected using the Select tool. Selected keyframes are highlighted in blue.
Simply Click a keyframe to select it. Selecting a different keyframe will deselect the first one.
Holding CTRL (CMD on Mac) while selecting keyframes enables you to select multiple
keyframes.
Multiple keyframes can also be selected by dragging a selection box.
Moving Keyframes
Selected keyframes can be moved around the timeline by dragging them with the mouse.
Keyframes can only be dragged horizontally on the timeline. They can't be dragged onto other
properties.
If you want to transfer k eyframes from one property to a similar property in another layer you can
copy and paste them.
Selecting three or more keyframes and holding the ALT (OPT on Mac) key while dragging on the
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keyframe to the extreme left or right of the selection scales the keyframe positions.
Scaling the k eyframe positions may create sub-frame k eyframes which don't exist on specific
frames. These cannot be directly edited without first being moved to a primary frame position.
Changing Temporal Interpolation

Interpolation affects how HitFilm animates from one keyframe to the next.
You can change the temporal interpolation by right clicking selected keyframes and exploring the
Interpolation menu, or using the interpolation buttons along the top of the timeline. The
interpolation menu also displays options for spatial interpolation, which you can find out about in the
chapter Spatial Animation in the Viewer.
Linear: Interpolates from one keyframe to the next without any smoothing. The value changes the
same amount on each frame.
Smooth: As the keyframe approaches, the size of the value change per frame will get smaller,
resulting in a gradual adjustment into and out of the keyframe.
Smooth In: The smoothing only occurs on the left of the keyframe.
Smooth Out: The smoothing only occurs on the right of the keyframe.
Constant: Each keyframe value is held as a constant until the next one is reached. There is no
interpolation.
Temporal interpolation is represented on the value graph as a curve. A steeper curve represents
more rapid and abrupt interpolation. See The Value Graph for details.
The temporal interpolation of a layer's position property is also represented as dots on the motion
path in the Viewer, with each dot representing a frame. Linear interpolation will show evenly spaced
dots, as the value change on each frame is the same. Switching to smoothed keyframes will cause
the dots to accumulate towards the keyframe, as more frames are used to create a more gradual
value change. Therefore a denser cluster of dots indicate relatively slower value change, while
sparser dots indicate faster change.
Here is linear temporal interpolation represented on the Viewer:
And here is the same animation with the keyframe on the right set to Smooth In:
Note how the second example has a tighter cluster of dots (frames) as the layer approaches the
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keyframe on the right. Also note how the layer itself (the small, grey square) is further to the right in
the second example, even though both images were taken on the same frame. This is because the
change of value on the left half of the animation, where more distance is covered in viewer frames
(dots) is greater than on the right.
For more information see Spatial Animation in the Viewer.
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The Value Graph
The value graph provides finer control over temporal interpolation between keyframes.
The graph plots the value of the currently selected property against time, with a line representing the
change in value. As you add keyframes, the graph visually represents the change in value.
Take a look at this example:
This graph is showing the Position property, which is highlighted in the layer list on the left. The
position property draws two separate lines on the graph, one for the X coordinate (red) and one for
the Y coordinate (green). In this particular example you can tell at a glance that the layer has been
animated to move from left to right over the course of 5 seconds.
The keyframe at the left shows the X value (red) at -200, while the Y value (green) is at 0. This
means the layer is positioned to the left of center by 200 pixels. The second keyframe, at 5
seconds, shows that the Y value has not changed, so the layer has not moved vertically. The X value
has changed to 200, with the red line drawn between the two keyframes revealing a linear animation
from left to right.
Here is that same animation, with the keyframe on the right changed to Smooth In interpolation:
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Note how the smoothed keyframe is represented on the graph by a gradual curve. In the first image
a straight line was drawn between the keyframes, representing a linear move. The curve in this
second example shows that the speed of the value change alters over time. At the start of the
animation, close to the first keyframe, the angle of the curve is steeper, meaning that the animation
here is faster. As the curve becomes less steep, the animation slows down, creating a gentle shift
into the value of the second keyframe.
Keyframes on the Value Graph

Keyframes function similarly on the value graph as they do in the normal timeline view. You can use
the controls at the top of the timeline to jump between keyframes and to switch temporal
interpolation type. See Animating with Keyframes for full details.
Additionally, when in a keyframe mode other than linear or constant you will be presented with
bezier handles. These can be used to fine tune the shape of the curve.
Scaling the Graph

The scale of the graph is different for each property. With the auto zoom feature turned on the graph
will automatically scale appropriately so as to include all keyframes within the timeline's height.
If you turn off the auto zoom, you can then scale the height of the graph manually by holding CTRL
or SHIFT and scrolling the mouse wheel. This way, you can zoom in on a specific area when
needed.
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Spatial Animation in the Viewer
When transforming a layer's position property you can fine tune the animation using the spatial
controls in the Viewer.
As you create keyframes for your animation they will be represented in the Viewer as small white
squares. Selecting a keyframe on the timeline or in the Viewer highlights it in blue.
Right clicking on a keyframe displays both the temporal and spatial interpolation options. Information
on temporal controls can be found in the chapter Animating with Keyframes.
There are three types of spatial interpolation:
Linear creates abrupt changes of direction without any curvature. The trajectory between each
keyframe will be a straight line, with hard angles at keyframes.
Auto bezier creates a smooth curve automatically at keyframes, so that the trajectory from the
previous keyframe blends smoothly into the trajectory to the following keyframe. Bezier control
handles are displayed on the keyframe, and adjusting these will automatically switch the
interpolation to manual bezier.
Manual bezier allows you to define the curve of animation yourself by manipulating the bezier
handles. Keyframes have two handles, which can be adjusted to change the angle of curve.
When Lock control points is activated, both control points will move at the same time, ensuring
that the curve going into the keyframe flows smoothly into the exit curve. If you disable Lock
control points, you can then create fully arbitrary angles. In both cases, the steepness of the
preceding or ensuing curve can be adjusted separately by stretching the length of each handle.
Here is an example of a locked control point keyframe:
And here is an example of an unlocked control point keyframe:
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By combining spatial interpolation with the temporal controls detailed in The Value Graph you can
create highly detailed animations.
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7.12 Using Point Layers
A point is an invisible layer which does not appear in your exported videos. The point exists in the
viewer and can be transformed like any other layer. It can exist in 2D or 3D.
Point layers become particularly useful when you parent other layers to them. You can use them to
pivot multiple layers around a specific point in space, for example.
Creating Point layers

Point layers can only be created using the New Layer menu on a composite shot timeline.
Controlling Point layers

Point layers do not have any unique properties and are controlled entirely using the standard
Transform properties.
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7.13 Motion Blur
HitFilm can optionally apply automatic motion blur to layers and some effects based on their
movement. This can greatly increase the realism of animations.
Motion blur needs to be turned on for each layer. This can be done by selecting the layer (or multiple
layers) and clicking the Motion Blur button at the top of the timeline.
Each composite shot has its own motion blur settings. These affect the amount of blur applied to
layers. To change a composite shot's motion blur open its Settings window and switch to the
Advanced tab. The Settings window can be opened using the button at the top-right of the timeline.
Motion Blur Properties

Enable: Turns motion blur on and off for the composite shot.
Shutter Angle: A larger shutter angle will create more motion blur. The shutter angle simulates
the amount of time a real camera shutter is open.
Shutter Phase: Positions the blur in relation to the moving object. This can be used to offset the
blur in front of or behind the object. For realistic motion blur this is best kept set to 0.
Use Adaptive Samples: When activated, HitFilm will automatically estimate how many samples
are required for good quality motion blur and will only use as many as it needs, up to the value set
in the Max number of samples property. When turned off the max number of samples will always
be used, even when they're not needed, which could impact on performance.
Max Number of Samples: Motion blur is constructed by sampling the position of the layer over
multiple frames. A higher number of samples will result in a higher quality motion blur. Fewer
samples will be faster to render but may introduce visible banding in the motion blur.
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7.14 Compositing with Blend Modes
HitFilm includes multiple blend modes, which are used to control how layers and effects are
combined visually.
A layer's blend mode can be changed from its contextual menu on the timeline or from the Control
panel. Some effects have their own blend modes, and masks also have a selection of blend modes.
Each blend mode combines pixels together in a unique manner. Before any blend mode calculations
are performed, the color values are mapped from the RGB range of 0-255 to a range of 0.0-1.0,
where 0.0 is pure black, and 1.0 is pure white. Blend modes fall into several categories, based on
the general effect they have on the combined layers.
Add, Color Dodge, Divide, Lighten, and Screen: All of these options brighten the image. In all
of these modes, any black areas in the blended layer will disappear and have no effect.
Darken, Color Burn, Multiply, and Subtract: All darken the image. In all of these modes, any
white areas in the blended layer will disappear and have no effect.
Hard Light, Overlay and Soft Light: These modes all increase the contrast in the image. Areas
of 50% grey in the blended layer will have no effect, while areas closer to black or white will have a
greater impact on the contrast of the resulting image.
Difference and Exclusion: Both invert luminance or color values in the resulting image.
Color, Hue, Lightness and Saturation: These modes all look at the blended layer in HSL color
space, and then apply one or two of the three HSL components of the blend layer to the base
layer.
Blend Modes
Below is a list of all available blend modes and details of how they work. Blend Layer will refer to
the to layer, to which the blend mode is being applied. Base Layer refers to the layer below the
blend layer, which the blend layer will be blended with.
Normal: The default blend mode. Layers are not mixed at all. The Blend Layer is displayed
without mixing any of the colors with the Base Layer. The Blend Layer will completely obscure the
Base Layer, unless the Blend Layer contains its own masking or alpha channel.
Add: Pixel values are added together, resulting in a brighter image. Any pixels where the sum of
the addition produces a value higher than 1.0 will be clipped to 1.0 and will display as white.
Useful for compositing light-based visual effects such as light flares, muzzle flashes, lightswords
and stock explosions.Similar to Screen blend, but with somewhat more intense results.
Color: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Hue and Saturation values from the
Blend Layer with the Luminance values of the Base Layer. This is often used to quickly tint
images, by using the Blend Layer as a color map.
Color Burn: Simulates “burning” film in a darkroom by increasing the contrast of the Base Layer,
based on the color values of the Blend Layer. To do this it inverts the values of the Base Layer,
divides the result by the Blend Layer, then inverts the results. Like Multiply, Color Burn darkens
the image overall, but reduces highlights even more, and gives more saturated mid-tones. It is
basically the opposite of Color Dodge.
Color Dodge: Simulates the effect of “dodging” film in a darkroom by decreasing the contrast of
the Base Layer based on the color values present in the Blend Layer. To do this it inverts the
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values of the Blend Layer, then divides the Base Layer by those inverted values. Like Screen
mode, Color Dodge lightens the overall image, but tends to result in intense, saturated mid-tones
and blown-out highlights. It is basically the opposite of Color Burn.
Darken: For each pixel, Darken compares the color value of the Base Layer to that of the Blend
Layer and displays whichever is darker. Darken can be useful for combining the black areas of
multiple layers when creating or refining masks. It is the opposite of Lighten.
Difference: Takes the color value for each pixel, and subtracts the Base value from the Blend
value. The difference between these values is used as the new color value for the pixel. If the
resulting number is negative the positive equivalent value is applied (Example: “-64” would become
“64”). If the Blend color is pure white (255,255,255), the Base color will be inverted. This effect can
yield dramatic and psychedelic color shifts. Difference can be very useful for comparing identical
layers to ensure correct alignment. The Difference Key effect is based off this blend mode: a
clean “background plate” is used, and the identical areas in the footage to be keyed go completely
to black, allowing the areas isolated by the Difference blending to be enhanced and separated by
means of a luma key.
Dissolve: For each pixel, the value is randomly picked from either the Base or Blend Layer. Some
pixels will use the color data of the Base, and others will use the color data from the Blend. When
first applied it often appears as if the blend mode has no effect, because its results depend on
adjustment to the layer opacity. At 100% opacity of the layer, all pixels will take values from the
Blend Layer. At 0% opacity, all pixels use Base values. At any value in between, pixels will be
randomly chosen from the Base and Blend Layers. Dissolve does not apply any kind of
smoothing, blurring or anti-aliasing, so the result tends to look very grainy.
Divide: Divides the Base value by the Blend value, resulting in a lightening of the image. Since
any value divided by itself results in 0, this can be useful for removing color tints or casts from an
image. By using a plane of the color you want to remove as the Blend Layer, any areas in the
Base Layer containing the color of the plane will be neutralized to grey.
Exclusion: Similar to Difference blending. However, in Exclusion the calculation ignores positive/
negative values, using absolute values only. This means similar values tend to get shifted to mid-
greys rather than black, resulting in a lower contrast image. Unlike Difference, which can be used
in keying, Exclusion is pretty much only useful for surreal, solarized color effects.
Hard Light: Increases contrast using a combination of Multiply and Screen blend modes. Hard
Light applies the Screen Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with values greater than 50%,
and applies the Multiply Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer with values less than 50%. Hard
Light is similar to Overlay and Soft Light, but more extreme than both. It is essentially the same
as overlay, except that Hard Light is based on the values of the Blend Layer.
Hue: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Luminance and Saturation values of
the Base Layer with the Hue of the Blend Layer. Used carefully, this can alter colors while
retaining the tonal and saturation values of the image, which can result in accurate, subtle tonal
shifts.
Lighten: For each pixel, Lighten compares the color value of the Base Layer to that of the Blend
Layer and displays whichever is lighter. Lighten can be useful for combining the white areas of
multiple layers when creating or refining masks. It is the opposite of Darken.
Luminosity: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the hue and saturation values from
the Base Layer with the Luminance values of the Blend Layer. Luminosity can be particularly
useful for sharpening. By blending a sharpened greyscale duplicate of a layer back onto the full
color original, you can effectively sharpen the image without crating undesirable color halos or
artifacting.
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Multiply: Multiplies the Base value by the Blend value, resulting in a darker image overall. Any
color multiplied by black (0.0) creates black, and any color multiplied by white (1.0) remains
unchanged. Thus multiply can be effective for removing white areas of the Blend Layer. It gives the
opposite result of the Screen blend mode.
Overlay: Increases contrast using a combination of Multiply and Screen blend modes. Overlay
applies the Screen Blend mode to areas where the Base layer contains values greater than 50%,
and applies the Multiply Blend mode to areas where the Base Layer contains values less than
50%. Similar to Soft Light and Hard Light in the results it produces. It is essentially the same as
Hard Light, except that Overlay is based on the values of the Base Layer.
Saturation: Converts both layers to HSL color, then combines the Luminance and Hue values of
the Base Layer and the Saturation values of the Blend Layer. This can be used for artistic effects,
or for selectively de-saturating parts of an image.
Screen: The pixel values of both layers are inverted, multiplied, then inverted again, resulting in a
brighter picture. Effective for compositing transparent stock elements such as smoke and glows. It
is similar to Add in its results, but tends to be more subtle. It gives the opposite result of the
Multiply blend mode.
Soft Light: Increases overall contrast and vibrance of an image, in a manner similar to Hard Light
and Overlay. Soft Light applies a half-strength Screen Blend mode to areas of the Blend Layer
with values greater than 50%, and applies the half-strength Multiply Blend mode to areas of the
Blend Layer with values less than 50%. The results are more subtle than Hard Light and Overlay.
Subtract: Subtracts the Blend Layer value from the Base Layer value, resulting in a darkening of
the overall image. Negative values are clipped to 0 (black).
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7.15 The Layer Viewer
The Layer viewer is used for displaying a non-transformed, pre-effects version of your currently
selected layer. This is used for accurate masking and during 2D Tracking.
Accessing the Layer Panel

The Layer panel is always linked to the Viewer. You can display the Viewer or the Layer panel but
you can't see them both at the same time.
To use the Layer panel, simply switch to it using the tab next to the Viewer, then select a layer on
the timeline.
You can switch between the Viewer and the Layer panel at any time when in a composite shot
timeline.
Masking
The Layer panel shows your selected layer before any transformation or effects are applied. This can
be very useful when compositing: even if you've animated your layer so that it is difficult to work on
directly in the Viewer, you can switch to the Layer panel to get an undistorted view.
Check out the Masking section for more details.
Tracking
The Layer panel is used for positioning 2D tracking points. For details on HitFilm's 2D tracking head
over to the Tracking section.
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7.16 Masking
Masking is used to manually create a matte. A matte determines which parts of a layer are visible.
Practically, this means that masks are used to cut holes in your layers.
You can draw masks manually inside HitFilm or use mocha's planar tracking to automatically track
shapes for you. See Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm for details.
Creating Masks
Masks can only be created in composite shots.
To create a mask you use the mask drawing tools, which are used to draw elliptical, rectangular and
freehand shapes.
First select a layer on the timeline, then use one of the mask tools to begin drawing. You may want
to use the Layer Viewer to make it easier to see your layer.
Rectangle and Ellipse Shapes

Click and drag on the Viewer to create the shape. This will create a new mask on the currently
selected layer. Releasing the mouse will set the shape.
Holding SHIFT while drawing the shape will constrain it to a perfect square or circle.
To deform the shapes see 'Editing masks', below.
Freehand Shape
The Freehand Mask tool is for creating complex mask shapes.
With the Freehand Mask tool selected you can click on the Viewer to draw points. Clicking and
dragging creates a curved line, while clicking and releasing creates a linear, straight line.
The shape of curved points can be further adjusted using the extension handles.
You can change the type of any point by right clicking on it and choosing the required type from the
menu:
Make Curved Locked: Both extension handles work in tandem. Adjusting one will adjust the
other simultaneously. This is useful for maintaining smooth curves.
Make Curved Unlocked: The extension handles can be adjusted separately. This is useful for
creating sharp corners while retaining a curved line.
Make Linear: The point forms an angled corner and the line either side is straight.
To activate a freehand mask you must close it. To do this simply click again on the first point you
created, having created at least 3 points. The mask will close and activate.
Editing Masks
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Once a mask has been created it can be edited and customized.
Editing the Shape

If you want to make adjustments to the mask shape use the freehand shape tool. This will display
all of the available mask shape points of the currently selected mask. Masks can be selected on the
timeline or in the Controls panel.
Individual points can be clicked and dragged to change the shape. Curved points have additional
bezier controls for changing the curvature.
Clicking on a connecting line will add a new linear point. Clicking and dragging on a connecting line
will add a new curved point.
Transforming the Shape

Using the Select tool in the Viewer you can transform the mask shape in the same way you would
the layer itself.
The currently selected mask on the timeline or in the Controls panel will also be selected in the
Viewer, with a bounding box around the shape. This can be used to scale and position the shape
without changing the shape.
Holding ALT (OPT on Mac) and dragging on an edge point will rotate the shape.
Animating Masks
To animate the mask over time you must have the Path property's keyframes enabled. See
Animating with Keyframes for details.
The mask's entire shape is stored in the Path property. You cannot keyframe individual mask points.
Mask Properties
A mask's properties can be customized in the Controls panel or on the timeline.
Inverted: Toggles whether the mask selection area is inside or outside of your specified shape.
Blend: Multiple mask shapes can be blended together in various ways for different results.
Shape
Expansion: This can be used to contract or expand the mask without needing to change its
shape or position.
Feather: There are three types of feathering; working from Inside the mask shape, Outside, or
Both. Which you use will depend on the specifics of your shot.
Feather Strength: A stronger feather creates a softer edge to the mask.
Roundness: This is a useful way to change a linear shape into a curved shape without needing to
alter the points.
Transform
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Path: If keyframing is turned on for this property the mask shape can then be animated over time.
You cannot add or remove mask points using k eyframing. A mask shape will have the same
number of points for its entire duration.
Opacity: Adjusts the transparency of the mask.

Anchor Point: Sets the location of the mask's anchor point, with 0,0 being the center of the
mask.
Position: Moves the mask along the X and Y axes. This is useful for quickly moving the mask
without changing its shape.
Scale: Enlarges or shrinks the mask. The X and Y scales are linked by default so that your layer
retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.
Rotation: Rotates the mask around its anchor point. Rotation is presented as number of turns
and degrees, making it easy to keyframe multiple rotations.
Extra Transform: Used by mocha HitFilm. See Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm for details.
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7.17 Tracking
HitFilm includes multiple options for tracking:
Optical flow and template match tracking for fast feature tracking and stabilization inside HitFilm,
described below.
Importing 3D Camera Tracking Data from Boujou, SynthEyes, PFtrack and more (sold
separately).
Planar Tracking for Advanced Roto and Camera Solving with mocha HitFilm from Imagineer
Systems, available in the Mocha add-on pack.
mocha HitFilm requires the mocha HitFilm add-on pack .
2D Feature Tracking
HitFilm's 2D tracker is designed for quickly tracking moving features in your videos.
The Track panel is where you control all of your 2D tracking inside HitFilm. The Track panel only
displays information if you have a tracker selected on the timeline.
Tracking is split into two steps. First you track parts of a video layer, then you apply that tracking
data to a layer either to stabilize or transform it.
Track ing can only be performed on video layers.
When you track a layer the information is stored in a Tracker on the timeline, under the Track
section. A tracker can then contain one or two tracking points, which store the actual animation
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keyframes.
Creating A Tracker
A new tracker can be added to any video layer by clicking the + button on the timeline, found to the
right of the Tracks section.
This will add a new tracker to the layer, containing a single tracking point, and will automatically
switch to the Layer viewer.
You can give your track ers more descriptive names.
Tracking Point Properties

Tracking points contain several properties which can be edited manually from the Controls panel or
timeline. However, these properties will most commonly be populated using the Track panel.
Step 1: Track Your Points

The first step is to track points on your video layer. To do this you must switch to the Track and
Layer panels.
Track ing points are only displayed on the Layer panel. For more information see The Layer
Viewer.
Tracking Setup
There are several properties that can be adjusted in the Track panel prior to tracking your points.
Type: You can choose between tracking a single point or two points. If you want to track rotation
or scale transformation you will need to use the double point option. For simpler position tracking
you only need a single point.
Method: HitFilm has two types of tracking, Optical Flow and Template Match.
Choosing a specific tracking method can affect the quality of your results. Both methods should
provide high quality tracks but you may find that certain situations better suit one or the other.
Optical Flow observes all movement within the search area, determining the flow of brightness to
track the object. This is useful if the tracked feature is repeated several times inside the search
area, or if the shape of the tracked feature changes slightly over time. Optical flow can also
sometimes continue to track a feature even if it is obscured for a few frames, by continuing to track
the overall flow of movement. This method can also have unpredictable results in some
circumstances, particularly when tracking small features that are moving rapidly across textured
surfaces.
Template Match looks for an exact copy of the feature within the search area so can sometimes
provide more predictable results. It can also search using the RGB channels as well as the
luminance channel.
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The Options button displays advanced technical settings which affect the tracking systems:
Error Tolerance: This setting determines when HitFilm will automatically stop the tracking if the
accuracy drops below a certain point. A high tolerance setting will cause tracking to continue even
when the system is unsure of the results. A low tolerance will cause HitFilm to stop tracking if it
is uncertain. The default setting offers a good balance.
Iterations: More iterations will provide more accurate optical flow tracking but will take longer to
process.
Channels: The template match method can examine the Luminance or RGB channels when
tracking.
Comparison Method: Template match can use varying methods to identify and track the feature
within the search area.
Positioning the Tracking Point

The Layer panel displays your selected layer. The currently selected tracker is also displayed.
Tracking points consist of three elements:

Feature Offset: This central point is used to create the actual transform data that will then be
applied to other layers. This enables you to track one area while creating relative keyframes in a
different location. The feature offset can be moved outside of the feature and search areas.
Feature Area: This red box should be placed around the element you wish to track.
Search Area: On each frame the green search area will be used to locate the feature area's new
position. It is therefore important that the search area is big enough to cover the movement in the
video from frame to frame.
Positioning the tracking point elements correctly is key to a successful track.
If you are work ing with two points, note that it is the primary point that determines the position of
the track . The secondary point is is used for reference to determine scale and rotation.
Once you have positioned your tracking points you are then ready to begin tracking.
Track Controls
The four track controls are used to track forwards and backwards through the video. You can track
frame by frame, or use the play forwards/backwards buttons to track the entire video in the chosen
direction.
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As HitFilm tracks the video keyframes will be added to tracking points on the timeline. You can stop
the track at any time by clicking anywhere in the interface.
Even if you stop the track , any k eyframes created up to that point will be retained.
Repositioning the Feature Area

During tracking, if the feature you are tracking leaves the frame or becomes untrackable for some
other reason, you can reposition the Feature Area without moving the Feature Offset. If this
becomes necessary, hold ALT (OPT on Mac), and drag the Feature Area to a new feature that is in
frame, or better suited to tracking.
Step 2: Apply to layer

Once you have created tracking data in step 1, you then need to choose what to do with it. This is
also done using the Track panel.
Purpose: Choose between stabilize or transform.
Layer: If you select Transform as your Purpose, you also need to choose a layer to apply the
Transform data to.
Property Checkboxes: You can choose which aspects of the track you wish to apply to the
layer using the checkboxes. If you want to use Rotation and Scale tracking you need to select
double points in step 1.
Stabilize
You can stabilize your tracked shot using HitFilm. When the stabilize option is selected, the
tracking data will be applied to the source layer. This will transform the layer so that the tracked
point remains in the same position in the frame.
You can stabilize based on any point in the frame. If you apply stabilize after tracking a person
walking along, the shot will be altered to keep the person perfectly centered in the frame. If you track
an immobile background element, the stabilize will eliminate any handheld wobble.
Anchor point keyframes are added to the selected layer, replacing any existing keyframes.
Stabilizing a shot will transform it within the composite shot. This is lik ely to reveal the edge of
the layer as it moves around. To counter this you should increase the scale of the shot so that it
fills the frame at all times.
Transform
Selecting Transform from the Purpose menu enables you to then select a different layer. The
tracking data will then be applied to that layer.
This is useful if you want a layer to track to a particular part of your video. Perhaps you want to
replace a sign, or to track a light flare onto a street lamp. You can apply the tracking data to any
layer, including point layers, which can open up exciting visual effects possibilities.
Position keyframes are applied to the chosen layer, replacing any existing keyframes.
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Applying track ed transform data to a new Point Layer provides many benefits. For example, you
can then link multiple items (a 3D light, a light flare effect, a light rays effect etc) to that one
point layer and move them as one.
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Planar Tracking with mocha HitFilm
A special version of mocha from Imagineer Systems is available for HitFilm Express 2017 in the
HitFilm.com Store. Using Academy Award-winning planar tracking technology, mocha provides
advanced tracking solutions for multiple situations.
Two main areas are covered by mocha's features:
Shape tracking: Rapidly track moving shapes in your shot and export the data to a mask inside
HitFilm. Incredibly powerful for compositing and grading.
3D camera solving: Track multiple planes to create a 3D camera solve. This can be exported to
HitFilm as a 3D scene complete with camera and reference points.
Launching mocha
In HitFilm Express 2017 mocha now functions as a plugin. It can be added to any clip from the
Effects panel. After mocha is added to your video, open the controls and click the "Launch mocha
UI" button to open mocha and begin tracking.
Using mocha
Mocha is a sophisticated program. Imagineer have a series of learning resources available on their
website.
A series of tutorials focused on using mocha's camera solving features alongside HitFilm can be
found here.
Transferring mocha Data to HitFilm

Once you have completed your work inside mocha you need to transfer it back to HitFilm. Mocha
creates composite shot files which can be imported into HitFilm.
For shape tracking, use the Export Shape Data... option in mocha's Track module.
For 3D camera solving, use the Export Camera Data... option in the Camera Solve module.
For corner pinning data, use the Export Tracking Data... option in the Track module.
Exported composite shot files can then be imported to an existing HitFilm project using the Import
menu. See Saving & loading projects for details.
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Importing 3D Camera Tracking Data
HitFilm supports the .ma format for importing 3D camera data from other tracking products, such as
Boujou and SynthEyes.
Use the 3D camera tracking data option from the Import menu in the Media panel to select your .ma
file.
HitFilm will analyze the camera data and open an options window:
The name and frame rate are used to create a new composite shot. If the .ma file includes details for
the tracked video file you can also import this automatically.
3D camera data uses includes point cloud data. You can choose to import a specified number of
points, which will be represented as 3D point layers inside HitFilm.
The new composite shot will be created with the 3D camera including the camera tracked animation.
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7.18 Working in 3D
3D compositing adds depth to your scenes. In addition to the X and Y coordinates, you also have a
Z coordinate.
Switching to 3D
To change a composite shot into 3D you need to add a camera. This can be done using the New
Layer menu at the top of the composite shot timeline.
A default camera will be added and the scene will automatically switch into 3D. For more information
on cameras see Virtual cameras.
If you add a 3D layer to a timeline a camera will be automatically added.

Once you have a 3D camera, you will need some 3D content otherwise the camera will not have
anything with which to interact. See Working with layers for information on creating 3D layers.
Customizing the 3D Viewer

To aid navigation and placement in the 3D space you can change the Viewer to display multiple
views from different angles.
You can display up to 4 views simultaneously from different angles. The View menu in the Viewer is
used to add additional 3D views.
The current view mode is displayed at the top left of each view. Clicking on this displays all the
available modes:
Active Camera View

The active camera view shows what will be rendered when you export. This is what will appear in
your rendered videos. If you have multiple camera layers on your timeline, the active camera is
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defined as being the top-most active camera layer on the current frame.
Changing the position and orientation when in active camera view will change your camera's
transform properties.
For more information on cameras see Virtual cameras.
Perspective View
The perspective view is a free-roaming way to explore your scene without affecting the position of
your camera.
Orthographic Views
The orthographic views provide flat, 2D views of your 3D scene. The orthographic views do not show
perspective or depth.
You can choose from front, back, left, right, top and bottom views.
As they are presented in a 2D 'blueprint' form, the orthographic views are very useful for precise
positioning of layers in the 3D space.
The orthographic views are controlled in a similar way to the Viewer when it is in 2D mode.
Zoom and pan controls in the corner of the Viewer can be clicked and dragged for quick movements.
Resetting the Views

You can reset a view using the Reset Current View option, in the View menu.
Navigating 3D Space
Navigating in a 3D composite shot is different than in a 2D composite shot as you also have to take
the Z-axis (depth) into consideration.
Orbit Tool
The quickest and easiest way to move around the 3D space is using the orbit tool. This has two
modes: Orbit around selected layers and Orbit around clicked point. You can switch between
these two modes by clicking and holding on the Orbit tool button.
When the orbit tool is selected, you will not see the wireframe outlines of your layers and you will
not be able to use the Viewer transform controls. Change back to the Select tool to return to
the normal mode.
Orbit around selected layers uses your current layer selection for orbiting. This can be a single
layer or multiple layers. This way you can be certain of what you are going to orbit around, even in
complex scenes.
Orbit around clicked point tries to determine where you want to orbit around based on where you
click in the Viewer.
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If you click on a layer the view will orbit around that specific point on the layer.
If you click on an empty space it will orbit around that point on the 3D grid.
3D Move Controls
To the right of the 3D Viewer are the move controls. These will vary depending on your current view
and are operated by clicking and dragging on them with the mouse.
Dolly/Track Z: Moves the camera or view forwards and backwards along its own Z axis.
Pan/Track XY: Moves the camera or view horizontally and vertically along its own X and Y axes.
Zoom: adjusts the camera's field of view, zooming in and out.
Rotate/Tumble: Rotates the camera or view without moving its position.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts makes navigating in HitFilm's 3D space much faster. The shortcuts are as
follows:
Orbit: ALT+Left mouse
Dolly: ALT+Right mouse
Zoom: CTRL/CMD+Right mouse
Rotate: Middle mouse
Pan: Right mouse (perspective & orthographic views only), ALT+Middle mouse or CTRL/CMD
+Left mouse
Canvas Pan: Right mouse (active camera view only)
Select Object: Left mouse
Render Options
At the bottom-left of the 3D Viewer is a button for turning render options on and off.
Clicking the button will turn ALL render options on and off, which is a quick way to switch between a
fast performing Viewer and a high quality render.
Holding the mouse button down on the button opens a menu where you can choose specific items
to turn on and off:
Lights: Turns rendering of lights on and off.
Shadows: Turns rendering of shadows and ambient occlusion on and off.
Reflections: Turns dynamic reflections on and off.
Motion Blur: Turns motion blur on and off.
Depth of Field: Turns depth of field on and off.
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Toggle All Render Options: turns everything on and off.
These settings only affect the Viewer. They do not affect your final export, which is always rendered
with all elements activated.
You can also change these settings from the Viewer's Options menu.
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Transforming Layers in 3D
Your 3D layers can be transformed along X, Y and Z axes.
Even if you have changed your composite shot to 3D by adding a camera or a 3D effect, your
2D layers will still be 2D. You can change 2D layers into 3D using the timeline toggle. See
Work ing with Layers for more information.
3D layers have additional Viewer controls for transforming in 3D.
A third, blue position arrow controls the Z axis (depth).

Rotation is split into three separate wheels for the X, Y and Z axes.
Aside from these additional controls, transforming layers in 3D is functionally identical to
transforming layers in 2D.
3D Properties
3D layers have a additional transform properties, which are available in the Controls panel and on the
timeline.
Opacity: The transparency of the clip.
Anchor point: Sets the location of the anchor point, with 0,0,0 being the center of the layer.
Position: Moves the layer along the X, Y and Z axes.
Scale: Enlarges and shrinks the layer. The X, Y and Z scales are linked by default so that your
layer retains its original shape. You can unlink them using the chain icon.
Orientation: Sets the starting orientation for the layer. This works separately to the rotation
properties.
Rotation: Rotates the layer around its anchor point. When in 3D the rotation properties are split
into separate properties for X, Y an Z axes.
Alignment of Transform Controls

The alignment of the Viewer controls can be adjusted using the Align menu at the top of the Viewer.
The controls can be aligned to Local, World or View.
This is useful if, for example, you have already rotated a layer to an arbitrary angle but wish to move
it horizontally according to the floor plane, or according to the camera view.
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Lighting a 3D Scene
Light layers are used for creating a custom lighting setup for your 3D scenes.
If you don't have any light layers, your 3D layers will not use the lighting system. Your layers will
receive a default, flat, non-directional lighting.
Lights only affect 3D layers. You can add lights to a composite shot containing only 2D layers but
they will not have any effect.
Creating Lights
Lights can only be created from the New Layer menu on composite shot timelines.
You can create as many lights as you want in a composite shot and they will all work together, just
like using real lights on a set.
Achieving Realistic Results

The 3D lights can be positioned and set up just like real lights on a set. You will often want to use
multiple lights to create your scene. This way you can create classic setups such as 3-point lighting
with key, back and fill lights.
Additional post-processing can be applied using effects, such as lens flares, film grain, specular
highlights, anamorphic streaks and so on. See Grade Layers and Visual Effects for details.
Shadows
Point, spot and directional lights can all cast shadows. These shadows will automatically update as
lights and layers move around in 3D space.
To enable shadows you need to do the following:
1. Turn on Cast Shadows in the Light properties of any light layers which you want to be casting
shadows.
2. Turn on Casts Shadows in the Material properties of any layers which you want to cast shadows.
You need to have at least one layer casting shadows.
3. Turn on Receives Shadows in the Material properties of any layers on which you want to see
shadows. You need to have at least one layer receiving shadows.
Layers do not need to be illuminated to receive shadows.
Spot and directional lights provide faster performance when casting shadows than point lights.
Customizing Lights
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The Light properties change depending on the light type. There are 4 types of light, each with very
different behaviour. The light type can be set in the light's layer properties.
Ambient
An ambient light floods the entire composite shot with light from all sides. It is a non-directional light
and does not have a source.
Ambient lights cannot cast shadows and do not have any falloff, so objects will be equally lit
regardless of their position and orientation.
This makes it the least 'realistic' of the lights but it can be very useful to use as a fill light.
Color: Changes the color of the light.
Intensity: The higher the intensity, the brighter the light.
Point
A point light emanates from a single source point in all directions, behaving in a similar way to the
sun, or to a flare.
Depending on your settings, layers farther away from the light will be less illuminated.
Cast Shadows: Turns shadows on and off for the selected light layer.
Falloff: Sets whether the light decreases over distance in a realistic manner.
Reach: If Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
Shadow Opacity: If Cast Shadows is on, this adjusts the visibility of the shadows.
Shadow Diffusion: If Cast Shadows is on, this changes the softness of the shadow edge.
Shadow Color: Changes the color of the shadow.
Spot
Spot lights emit light in a single direction, emitting in a cone shape from a single source point, just
like a real spotlight.
Depending on your settings, layers towards the edge of the light cone will be less illuminated.
Reach: If Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
Cone Angle: Widens and narrows the size of the spot light cone.
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Feather: Changes the softness of the edge of the spot light cone.
Directional
Directional lights emit light in a single direction. Unlike spot and point lights, directional lights are
emitted from an infinitely large source plane, with all the light rays moving parallel to each other.
This results in all objects in the chosen direction being lit equally from that angle.
A directional light requires the layer's Alignment property to be set to Towards Target Position
.

Reach: Falloff is on, this adjusts how quickly the light loses intensity over distance.
The target direction is set using the standard Transform Target property.
Promoting Lights From Embedded

Composite Shots
Embedded Composite Shots have an additional option in their Layer Materials called Promote
Lights.
When Promote lights is activated, any lights inside the embedded composite shot will also affect
layers in the parent composite shot.
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Layer Materials
Layers can be switched between 2D and 3D. See Working with Layers for details about switching
dimensions. Once a layer is switched to 3D it gains the Materials group, which defines how the
layer interacts with 3D lights and other 3D layers.
See Lighting a 3D Scene for more details on lighting a 3D scene.
Material Options
A 3D layer has multiple options for adjusting its material.
Illumination and Shadows

Illuminated: controls whether a 3D layer is affected by 3D lights. Exact behavior of the layer
under different light types can be customized.
Ambient: determines how much the layer is illuminated by ambient lights.
Diffuse: determines how much the layer is illuminated by point, directional and spot lights.
Specular: adjusts the strength of specular highlights when illuminated by point, directional and
spot lights. A low specular value will create a more matte surface.
Shininess: adjusts the size of the specular highlight. A low shininess creates a large, diffuse
highlight while a high value creates a smaller, defined highlight.
Emissive: causes the layer to emit a visible color even when not under direct lighting. Therefore
the layer will still be visible in darkness, acting like a light-emitting source (eg neon).
A layer can be set to receive shadows. These shadows will only be cast from layers which have
Cast shadows activated.
You can also set a layer to cast shadows even when the layer's visibility is turned off. This makes it
easier to create a shadow pass, in which you can cast shadows onto a white background for further
compositing purposes, such as blending the shadow pass into live action footage.
Note that shadows are only cast if a 3D light source is activated which also has Cast shadows
enabled. See Lighting a 3D Scene for more information.
Reflections
All 3D layers can cast reflections.
As with shadows, you can also cast reflections even when the layer itself is not visible. This is very
useful for creating 'bounce boards', similar to using a reflector on set to provide fill light.
Ambient Occlusion
Layers can shade each other based on proximity. This replicates the absence of light that occurs
where surfaces meet in the real world (this can be observed by the naked eye in the corners of
rooms).
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This example uses a 3D model for demonstration purposes, but the same principles apply to other
3D layers. Compare this image without ambient occlusion:
With this image showing ambient occlusion on the vehicle:
The ambient occlusion in the second image highlights detail by shading areas where different
surfaces are in close proximity. There is also subtle ambient occlusion being cast onto the white
floor around the wheels. Ambient occlusion can then be combined with illumination and shadows
cast from actual 3D lights.
Layers can be set to receive and cast ambient occlusion separately.
Once ambient occlusion is activated, additional options are displayed for customizing the
appearance of the occlusion.
The Depth Scale can be used to adjust the appearance of ambient occlusion for different scale
models.
If you experience visual glitching with some layers, try increasing the Blur Radius or Samples.
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Note that 3D layers can cast ambient occlusion onto each other (eg a plane in proximity to
another plane, or an image in proximity to a video).
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Virtual Cameras
Cameras are used in 3D composite shots. If you have any 3D layers you must have a camera for
them to be visible.
If you only have 2D layers in your composite shot, a camera will not have any effect.
When you add 3D effects to your timeline or switch 2D layers to 3D a camera will be created
automatically.
Creating Cameras
Cameras can be created manually from the New Layer menu on any composite shot timeline. The
camera will be added to the timeline as a new layer.
Multiple Cameras
You can create multiple cameras in the same composite shot. Each camera can be positioned
separately, enabling multiple views of the same 3D scene.
Only one camera can be used at a time. HitFilm uses three methods to determine which camera is
the active camera:
1. The timeline layer order - the camera on the highest layer is the active camera.
2. Camera layer visibility - only cameras that are visible can be active cameras. If you have turned
off a camera layer's visibility it won't be used as an active camera.
3. Camera layer duration - the duration of the layer on the timeline determines whether a camera
can be active or not. If the layer duration does not cover the current frame, the camera will not be
used as an active camera.
Customizing Cameras
Camera layers have a number of unique properties.
Layer properties
Depth Of Field: Turns depth of field for this camera on or off. This default to off, ensuring that all
3D layers will be in focus.
Focus Distance Layer: Locks the focus to a specific layer. The focus will then automatically
track that layer as the camera and selected layer move in relation to one another.
Lens
Aperture: Size of the camera's virtual aperture in pixels. The larger the number, the larger the
aperture, and the shallower the depth of field. Note that this is different to real camera apertures,
whereby a smaller number represents a larger aperture. Only has an effect if Depth of field is
turned on.
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Zoom: Adjusts the camera between wide angle and telephoto.
Focus Distance: Moves the focal point closer to or further away from the camera. This setting will
only have an effect if Depth of Field is turned on.
Blur: Changes the amount of blur applied to out of focus areas. Only has an effect if Depth of
Field is turned on.
Camera properties
Unlike Layer properties and Lens, Camera properties are found by choosing Properties from the
camera layer's menu on the timeline.
Name: The name of the camera on the timeline.
Near Clip Distance: The closest point at which layers are rendered.
Far Clip Distance: The farthest point at which layers are rendered.
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Distance-Based Fog
Fog Properties
When working in 3D, your layers exist in a 3D space.
With fog turned off, all layers are rendered the same regardless of their distance from the camera. A
layer in the far distance will be just as bright as a close-up layer.
If you turn fog on, layers will gradually fade to the fog color over a given distance, simulating
atmospheric haze.
Enable: Turns the fog on and off.
Near Distance: The distance at which layers begin to fade into the fog.
Far Distance: The distance at which layers will be completely fogged.
Density: When using exponential fall offs, this increases the rate at which the fog thickens.
Fall Off: Change between a linear fall off and various exponential fall offs. Exponential fall offs
are more natural but can be more difficult to predict.
Color: Change the color and brightness of the fog.
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7.19 Creating Text & Titles
You can create text using HitFilm's text tools or using Boris FX 3D Objects. In either case text can
be in 2D or 3D. HitFilm's own tools provide a very fast workflow for simple text, while Boris' 3D
Objects generates high quality 3D text shapes.
Boris FX 3D Objects requires the Boris 3D Objects pack .
Creating Text Layers

The built-in text features are excellent for creating custom text layers which can then be
manipulated like any other layer. Text is always created as a layer in a composite shot timeline, and
cannot be created in the Editor.
There are several ways to create a text layer.
Select Text from the New Layer menu on a composite shot timeline. This will display the text
properties where you can set the resolution for your text layer.
Use the Viewer Text tool to click anywhere in the Viewer. Clicking once will display the text
properties dialog where you can set a specific resolution for your text layer, or click and drag to
draw a quick custom shape.
Once the text layer is created you can then type directly into the text box in the Viewer.
Editing Text
You need to have the Text tool selected in the Viewer to edit text.
With the Text tool selected only text layers will be highlighted in the Viewer. Select the text layer
you wish to edit, then begin typing.
You can select text and move the cursor as you would in an ordinary text application.
You can continue to edit text even if it is in 3D.
Text is displayed inside text boxes. Text will automatically wrap to the next line of a text box.
The shape and size of the selected text box can be adjusted by dragging the handle on its bottom-
right corner when the Text tool is selected. The text will automatically update as the text box is
changed.
Text properties such as size and font are controlled from the Text panel. The text panel affects the
currently selected text and any text you'll create in the future. If you want to change the attributes of
existing text, make sure you have it selected in the Viewer with the Text tool.
Character
The character properties are as follows:
Font Name: Lists all the compatible fonts available on your computer.
Font Weight: If your selected font includes different weights (Bold, Light, Italic, etc.), you can
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select your desired weight here.
Size: Sets the font size, to control the size of your text. In general, if you want to enlarge your
text, it is better to increase the font size rather than increase the layer Scale above 100%.
Line Spacing: Defines the vertical spacing between each line of text.
Character Spacing: Sets the horizontal spacing between each individual character.
Outline Size: Sets the width of the text outline. At 0px no outline will be visible.
Color: Allows you to select a font color.
Outline Color: Lets you choose the color of the outline, which will only be visible if the Outline
Size is greater than 0px.
Paragraph
The selected text can be set to Left Aligned, Centered or Right Aligned.
Animating Text
If you have the Viewer Select tool selected you can transform the text layer like any other layer in
the viewer, with full rotation and position controls.
This can be used to create scrolling end credits or sci-fi-style opening crawls in 3D.
Note that you will not be able to transform text layers if you have the Text tool selected.
Boris FX 3D Objects
Requires the Boris 3D Objects pack .
This is available in the Effects library and can be applied like any other effect. You will usually want
to apply the 3D Objects effect to a plane or grade layer, which can then serve as a host.
For details on using Boris FX 3D Objects, see the Boris documentation included with the plugin. To
access the help, click the Help button in the plugin's main controls.
The Boris plugin features its own lighting and camera controls, which allow you to create three
dimensional, illuminated text objects, even on a 2D timeline. If you are working in a 3D timeline,
however, you can set Boris to use HitFilm's native lights and camera, so the Boris text is integrated
into HitFilm's Unified 3D workspace. You can use either the built-in Boris lights or HitFilm's native
light layers, or use both together.
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Use Comp Lights: allows the Boris text to use HitFilm's native light layers, and is disabled by
default.
Use Built-in Light: illuminates the text with the lights included in Boris. One light is enabled by
default, but you can have up to three lights in your Boris Text effect, by enabling the tickboxes for
additional lights.
Use Comp Camera: overrides the built-in Boris camera, and displays the text based on its 3D
position relative to the active HitFilm camera layer. By default this option is off, and the camera
built into Boris is used to display the text.
You can also find the Boris FX documentation installed on your computer here:
Windows: C:\Program Files\Boris FX, Inc\Boris Continuum Complete OFX 10.0\Documentation
Mac: Library/Application Support/BorisFX/BCC OFX 10/Documentation
End Credits & Pulp Sci-Fi Title Crawl Effects
Pulp Sci-Fi Title Crawl requires the Sci-Fi Adventure add-on pack .
The End Credits Crawl and Pulp Sci-Fi Title Crawl effects provide a very rapid way to generate text
with specific formatting. More details on each of these effects can be found in Generate.
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8 Visual Effects
HitFilm includes a huge library of built-in effects. All of the available effects are listed in the Effects
panel.
Additional effects can be purchased from the HitFilm.com Store. Note that this user guide
details all effects, some of which will not be available without adding pack s.
The effects in HitFilm are organized topically into folders. The Effects panel also lists your created
presets. See the Presets chapter for more information.
Effects mark ed with the [Layer only] tag can only be used in composite shots. All other effects
can be used in the editor.
You cannot animate effects on the editor timeline. For k eyframe animation see Compositing.
Searching for Effects

If you are looking for a specific effect and know its name, you can type it into the Search bar. As
you type the list will be instantly updated to display relevant results.
You can also filter the list to show specific types of effect using the Show All menu.
Controlling Effects
Effects are added to clips and layers by dragging them from the Effects panel onto the chosen clip.
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You can then customize the effect in the Controls panel, or directly on the timeline when working in
a composite shot.
To make changes to an effect, first select the relevant clip or layer on the timeline. Its properties will
be displayed in the Controls panel, with all applied effects listed in the effects section.
You can expand the effects section and individual effects to reveal more controls and details.
decreases it.
Presets
HitFilm contains two types of presets.
Plugin Presets
Plugin presets are built into individual effects, and can be accessed through the Preset menu in the
controls for most effects. They only impact the effect they are contained in.
Not all effects have a preset menu, and the number of presets available will vary from one effect to
the next. Select any preset from the menu to apply it to the effect. You can quickly try different
presets to find the one best suited to your project.
Presets
Standard Presets can be created for 3D effects and combinations of 2D effects.
Presets store your chosen settings so that you can quickly recreate them elsewhere in your project
or even in completely different projects. To learn more about creating and using presets, see the
Presets page.
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Transitions
The Effects library also contains the editor transitions. These can only be used when Editing.
Transitions provide interesting ways to blend from one clip into the next and can only be used on the
editor timeline.
You can drag transitions from the Effects panel onto the timeline. Transitions need to be applied to
the start or end of a clip, or between two adjacent clips. A green indicator will show where the
transition will be placed.
Once you have applied a transition it can then be selected on the timeline. The transition's
properties can be adjusted in the Controls panel.
Click here for detailed information on the different transitions.
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8.1 360° Video
These tools are designed specifically for working with 360° video.
360° Video Transform

On 360° video, this can be applied to adjust the position of the video layer without losing its
wraparound appearance. It can also be used effectively on wraparound environment maps.
Applying this to an ordinary layer will create distorted, unusual results.
This effect was called Environment Map Transform in previous versions of HitFilm.
360° Video Viewer [Layer Only]

Apply this effect to a 360° video layer to wrap the layer onto a spherical shape for viewing. This
wraps the selected layer onto a spherical shape.
When placed as the bottom layer in a 3D composite shot, this creates a convincing, wrap-around
background for 3D shots. Examples would be a sky background for a cityscape or plane shot, or a
space nebula for a spaceship fly-by.
The environment map viewer will automatically update as the camera is panned in all directions.
This effect was called Environment Map Viewer in previous versions of HitFilm.
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8.2 Audio
HitFilm's audio effects can be used to alter and generate audio on your Editor sequence or in
composite shots.
Audio effects are used in the same way as 2D and 3D effects, dropped directly onto a clip or layer.
See Audio Effects for details.
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8.3 Blurs
The Blurs folder contains all of the blur-related effects.
Some blurs include a Clamp to Edge property, which ensures that the effect extends to the
edge of the frame.
See Motion Blur for information on the automatic motion blur feature.
Angle Blur
Blurs the layer in a specific direction. Can be useful for an impression of fast movement.
Angle: Rotating the Angle wheel controls the direction of the blur
Length: Sets the strength of the blur, defined in number of pixels
Clamp To Edge: Enabling this feature prevents the blur from expanding outside the edges of the
layer it is applied to. Disabling it will allow the blur to expand outside the layer edges.
Bilateral Blur
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Requires the Repair pack .
Smooths images for a softer, untextured appearance, while retaining fine edge detail.
Radius: Sets the intensity of the blur.The radius, in pixels, defines the area that will be calculated
into the blur of each pixel.
Threshold: Sets the amount of edge contrast that must be present for an edge to be retained.
Higher values will result in fewer edges being held out from the blur.
Dimension: The blur can be applied Horizontally, Vertically, or Both.
Blur
A standard, fast blur.
Iterations: The number of times the blur is calculated. More iterations give a smoother result, and
a larger blur.
Dimension: The blur can be applied Horizontally, Vertically, or Both.
Clamp To Edge: Enabling this feature prevents the blur from expanding outside the edges of the
layer it is applied to. Disabling it will allow the blur to expand outside the layer edges.
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Diffuse
Creates a soft focus appearance by duplicating the footage, blurring the copy, and then blending the
duplicate back onto the original footage.
Opacity: Controls the opacity of the duplicate blurred footage. Lower opacity levels will give a
more subtle result.
Lens Blur
The lens blur is designed to more closely mimic the depth of field bokeh effects created by real
lenses. It can be used in conjunction with a depth map to selectively blur different areas of the frame
to different degrees.
Here's an example of lens blur in action:
Here is the original frame:
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Note how the face remains in sharp focus while the rest of the image becomes progressively more
blurred. This is based upon a simple depth map created by hand inside HitFilm using some planes
and masks:
The circle at the top keeps the face in focus, while the left-to-right gradient oval causes her arm to
become progressively more blurred. The rest of the image, being black, is fully blurred.
Lens blur can be heavily customized.

Source Layer: can be optionally used to apply a depth map, as shown in the example above.
Source Channel: You can use various channels from the source layer as the depth map, such
as luminance and alpha.
Radius: adjusts the strength of the blur.
Focal Distance: is used to rack focus based on the depth map, adjusting which point on the map
is in focus. This is analogous to changing focus on your camera.
Focal Range: defines the depth of field. A larger focal range will cause more of the frame to
remain in focus, while a small focal range will cause a shallower area to remain in focus.
Specular Threshold: Sets the luminance level above which highlights will be blown out to white,
rendering as specular highlights based on the Iris settings below.
Specular Brightness: sets the brightness of the specular highlights. Lower threshold and higher
brightness will make the bokeh more obvious. The bokeh shape can be further customized in the
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Iris section.
Quality: defines the visual quality of the blur. If you are trying to match your footage to other
footage shot with a lower quality lens, reducing the quality may help. Reducing quality also allows
the effect to render more quickly.
Iris
The iris section can be used to switch between multiple primitive shapes. These can then be rotated
and warped using the curvature, pinch and shift options to create custom shapes. The View Iris
option can be useful for dialing in the shape of the iris.
Shape: Select a shape based on the number of blades you wish to be used for the iris. More
blades tend to give a smoother blur and higher quality results.
Rotation: Sets the rotation of the shape selected above.
Curvature: Sets the curvature of each blade of the iris. A value of 0.0 creates a straight side.
Negative values will curve the sides inward, while positive values curve it outward.
Pinch: Limits the area affected by the curvature. Higher pinch levels will reduce the width of the
curve, so it is pinched close to the vertices of the iris shape.
Shift: Offsets the center of the curvature.
Opacity Curve: Feathers the edges of the iris shape, from the outer edge and the center.
Highlight Location: Sets the distance of the circular highlight from the center of the iris.
View Iris: Enabling this option shows the iris shape in white, so you can see exactly how the
adjustments above affect the shape that will be used to render the specular highlights.
Motion Blur
This uses optical flow techniques to identify movement in a layer and apply artificial motion blur. This
can be very useful for animation or for adding exaggerated motion blur to a live action shot.
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Mode: You can use the default settings used by the entire composite shot by selecting Comp
Settings, or use Custom settings. If you select Custom, the following settings will become
available.
Custom
Shutter Angle: A larger shutter angle will create more motion blur. The shutter angle simulates
the amount of time a real camera shutter is open.
Shutter Phase: Positions the blur in relation to the moving object. This can be used to offset the
blur in front or behind the object. For realistic motion blur this is best kept to half the value of the
shutter angle.
Samples: Motion blur is constructed by sampling the position of the layer over multiple frames. A
higher number of samples will result in a higher quality motion blur. Fewer samples will be faster
to render but may introduce visible banding in the motion blur.
Optical Flow
Motion blur is calculated by tracking the movement of every pixel in the image using optical flow
techniques. The amount of blur applied to each pixel is based on the speed at which it is moving.
These advanced settings let you adjust how the movement in the frame is tracked.
Window Size: The number of pixels surrounding the current pixel that is scanned to calculate the
motion of the current pixel.
Sigma: A value in the algorithm used for tracking, that alters the way it tracks. Changing the
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Sigma can affect the result. If the blur is calculated incorrectly, trial and error can be used to see if
changing sigma improves results.
Iterations: The number of times the tracking algorithm is performed. The results of all iterations
are averaged, so more iterations will give a more accurate result, but will also take longer to
calculate.
Downsamples: Optical Flow can only track movement smaller than one pixel, so before the
tracking algorithm runs, the image must be downsampled. You can create multiple levels of
downsampling, and the algorithm will be calculated for each downsample level. More
downsamples can improve the results, but will take longer to calculate.
Start Downsample: By default the tracking algorithm starts with the first downsample, skipping
the full resolution image, which makes it less susceptible to being misled by noise in the image.
Increasing the Start Downsample can speed up the results, but reduces the resolution of the
tracking results, which may negatively impact accuracy.
Radial Blur
Creates a circular shaped blur. The center of the blur can also be moved using the control point in
the Viewer.
Center Position: The center point from which the blur is calculated can be positioned anywhere
you like. You can either manually type in a value, or select the Position property, then drag the
Center Point shown in the Viewer to a new location.
Use Layer: If you wish to link the center of the blur to the position of a different layer, you can use
this property to select any layer on your timeline.
Angle: Controls the amount of blur applied. Since radial blur has a greater effect on the image the
farther you get from the center point, the amount of blur is defined in degrees, rather than pixels.
Zoom Blur
A blur emanating out from a central point. The center of the blur can also be moved using the control
point in the Viewer.
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Quality: Affects the smoothness of the blurred results. Increasing the quality will smooth the
results, but may take longer to calculate.
Strength: The distance, in pixels, that each pixel will be blurred.
Center Position: The center point from which the blur is calculated can be positioned anywhere
you like. You can either manually type in a value, or select the Position property, then drag the
Center Point shown in the Viewer to a new location.
Use Layer: If you wish to link the center of the blur to the position of a different layer, you can use
this property to select any layer on your timeline.
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8.4 Color Correction
Color correction effects are designed to enhance the visual quality of layers by adjusting their colors.
Color correction is intended for the initial color manipulation and for fixing problems.
Also see Color Grading.
Auto Color
HitFilm includes three Auto grading effects to adjust the layer's color, contrast or levels.
Compare the following image in each of these three effects to see the different results they give.
Threshold: sets the threshold below which colors will remain unaffected.
Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Color can be softened by increasing this setting.
Higher values retain more of the original color.
Select Frame: by default the auto grading effects update on each frame, which can cause
fluctuations in the layer's appearance as the contents of the frame change. By activating the
Select frame property you can manually choose a frame to use as the source for the automatic
adjustment, which will be used for the duration of the layer.
Auto Contrast
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Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Contrast can be softened by increasing this setting.
Auto Levels
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Blend With Original: the effect of the Auto Levels can be softened by increasing this setting.
Brightness & Contrast

Quick adjustment of the layer's brightness and contrast.
Brightness: adjust to the left to decrease brightness, or to the right to increase brightness.
Contrast: adjust to the left to decrease contrast, or to the right to increase contrast.
Color Balance
Individually adjust the balance of red, green and blue in the layer's shadows, midtones and
highlights.
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The Preserve Luminosity property retains the layer's original brightness when altering the colors.
Shadows
Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to
increase red tones in the shadow areas.
Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to
increase green tones in the shadow areas.
Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the shadow areas, or to the right to
increase blue tones in the shadow areas.
Midtones
Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the midtones, or to the right to increase red
tones in the midtones.
Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the midtones, or to the right to
increase green tones in the midtones.
Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the midtones, or to the right to increase
blue tones in the midtones.
Highlights
Red Balance: adjust to the left to reduce red tones in the highlights, or to the right to increase
red tones in the highlights.
Green Balance: adjust to the left to reduce green tones in the highlights, or to the right to
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increase green tones in the highlights.
Blue Balance: adjust to the left to reduce blue tones in the highlights, or to the right to increase
blue tones in the highlights.
Color Correction Wheels

Requires the Starter pack .
This effect provides a visual way to quickly adjust the highlights, midtones and shadows of your
layer.
You can drag on the color wheels to adjust the color balance of highlights (top wheel), midtones
(middle wheel) and shadows (bottom wheel). The further out from the center of the color wheel you
drag the point, the more saturated the colors will become.
The sliders can be used to adjust the strength and lightness of the adjustment, and the rotator on
the wheels changes the hue.
Additional controls can be found in the property groups below the wheels, including a white balance
property which functions the same as the separate White Balance effect.
Here you can see the difference the color wheels effect can make to a layer, with the original shown
first and the color corrected version below it:
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Color Temperature
Use to warm or cool the colors in your layer. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin.
Temperature: adjusting to the left reduces color temperature, introducing more orange and red
into the image. Adjusting to the right increases the color temperature, shifting it towards blue.
Crush Blacks & Whites

An alternative to simply altering the contrast, this enables you to change the black and white points
separately for finer control.
Black: Increasing this slider will raise the threshold below which shadow areas will be pushed into
black
White: decreasing this slider lowers the threshold above which highlights will be pushed into
White.
Curves
Curves is a powerful color correction and grading tool, based on an editable graph. Here's an
example of the curves graph as shown in the Controls panel:
The horizontal axis on the graph represents the input, which is the original image. The vertical axis
represents the output, which is the graded result. Therefore if you follow a line vertically up from any
point on the graph until you hit the curves, then track to the left, you can see how the input is being
changed.
Therefore with the default curves graph you can see that the input values are identical to the output
values:
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Two easy presets are provided, one of which resets the graph to the default straight line and another
which creates an s-curve:
Where the graph becomes steeper you will see increased contrast, whereas a shallower incline will
reduce contrast. In the case of an s-curve, the center of the graph is steeper, which increases
contrast in the mid-tones, at the expense of detail in the shadows and highlights.
Given that the focus of a frame is often in the mid-tones (such as actor's faces), an s-curve is often
an effective way to add perceived detail and contrast to a shot.
Curves can be used to adjust the RGB channels combined or each channel individually. Adjusting
individual channels can be useful for correcting white balance and lighting issues.
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Exposure
Simulates the effect of letting more light into the camera lens. The end result is a brightening or
darkening of the footage, but in a more natural, dynamic way than a direct Brightness adjustment. In
addition to changing brightness, reducing Exposure lowers the overall contrast of the image, while
increasing Exposure increases the contrast between the brightest and darkest areas. The available
controls give you access to the three main tonal ranges of the image, allowing you to fine-tune the
Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows separately.
Exposure: Primarily brightens or darkens the highlights of the image, with minimal effects on the
shadows.
Offset: Brightens or darkens the shadow areas of the image, with minimal effects on the
Highlights. Start with minor adjustments, as excessive changes here can create unnatural results.
Gamma: Shifts the midtones of the image.
Gamma
Individually alter the gamma of red, green and blue channels. Gamma is weighted toward the
midtones of the image, and will change the midtones the most, with a more minimal impact on the
highlights and shadows.
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Red: Raises or lowers the red levels in the image, especially in the midtones.
Green: Raises or lowers the green levels in the image, especially in the midtones.
Blue: Raises or lowers the blue levels in the image, especially in the midtones.
Hotspots
A quick and easy way to isolate and alter the bright areas of your layer. Hotspots allow you to
select and modify the brightest areas of your image, based on a user-defined brightness threshold.
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Threshold: Sets the brightness threshold on which the effect is based. Only areas above your
Threshold setting will retain detail.
Threshold Add Color: All areas of the image below the threshold level will be filled with the color
you select here. By default the color is black, which can be useful for isolating the hot spots in
your image for compositing purposes. For example, you could duplicate your footage, apply Hot
Spots to the top copy, then set the blend mode of the top copy to Screen to blend the results of
the Hot Spots effect onto the original copy of the footage below it.
Saturation: Adjusts the intensity of the colors in any areas brighter than the Threshold.
Brightness: Alters the brightness of all areas in your footage which are brighter than the
Threshold.
Smooth Source: Applies a blur to the source image before calculating the threshold, which is
useful for smoothing the transition areas around the threshold and removing graininess in the
result.
Hue, Saturation & Lightness

Control over the hue, saturation and lightness of your image. The Master controls affect the entire
image, while the individual color controls (Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta) allow you
to limit adjustments to a specific color family.
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Hue Shift: Shifts the colors by rotating them the specified number of degrees around the color
wheel. The colors are oriented around the color wheel in the sequence they are listed in the effect
(red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta), and the distance between each color family is 60
degrees. The Master control will affect the entire image, while the lower controls will only affect a
range of colors within the specific color family you adjust.
Saturation: Increases or decreases the saturation, or color intensity. The Master control will
affect the entire image, or you can select a specific color family and adjust it separately from all
other colors in the image.
Lightness: Lightens or darkens the image. The Master control will affect the entire image, or you
can select a specific color family and adjust it separately from all other colors in the image.
Increasing the Lightness can result in a perceived decrease in saturation, so in many cases it
may be useful to adjust Lightness and Saturation in combination to get the result you desire.
The Master controls in the Hue, Saturation & Lightness effect are a quick way to adjust the
overall Saturation and Lightness of your image.
Levels Histogram
Levels gives you detailed information about the channel composition of the layer through the use of a
Histogram Display.This allows you to make manual adjustments to the tonality of the layer to
improve its appearance. A Histogram is a graph which allows you to quickly see at a glance the
exact range of tonal values in your image. The histogram is a more accurate way to assess colors
than by eye.
The histogram displays a readout of the tones in your image. The tones range from pure black on
the left to pure white on the right. The height of the graph at any point indicates the relative
frequency of that specific tone in the image. Information for different channels of your image can be
viewed, based on your selection in the Channels menu.
Channels Menu
RBG: Displays three separate histograms at once, one for each color channel of your image.
Each histogram is colored to match the channel it represents.
RGB Combined: Averages the values of all three channels, and displays a single histogram that
represents the overall tonal values of the image.
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Red: Displays the tonal values of the Red channel of the image.
Green: Displays the tonal values of the Green channel of the image.
Blue: Displays the tonal values of the Blue channel of the image.
Alpha: Displays the tonal values of the Alpha channel of the image.
The Histogram
The primary method for viewing the levels in your image is the Histogram. The image below is
represented by the histogram shown to its right.
The histogram contains a Graph and a Gradient. Beneath the graph are three triangles,
representing the Input Black (black triangle), the Gamma (grey triangle) and the Input White
(white triangle). Looking at this histogram, notice that the graph does not begin at the Input Black, it
ends before the Input White, and nearly all the image data is positioned below the mid-point Gamma
control. By default, pure black is set to 0.0, and pure white is set to 1.0. Shifting the white or black
input values evenly redistributes the tonal range of the image between black and white. However,
adjusting them too far can result in clipping of the image, and loss of detail in the shadow or
highlight areas.
By adjusting these controls we can optimize the dynamic range of tones in our image. Slide the
Input Black control to the right control until it touches the edge of the visible graph. Then, slide the
White Input to the left, until it touches the edge of the visible graph. Shifting the Gamma will then
redistribute the midtones between the white and black points. The image below shows how this
basic adjustment can improve the image by darkening the blacks to true black, raising the highlights
to pure white, and brightening the overall image with a Gamma shift.
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There are also two triangle controls below the gradient, representing the Output Black (black
triangle) and Output White (white triangle). Shifting these will reduce the contrast in the image, by
reducing the intensity of the black point or white point of the image. This can be useful for creating a
flat image in preparation for applying final grading adjustments. The image below shows how
adjusting the Output Black and Output white affects our result.
Controls
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Input Black: Sets pure black in the image to the selected value. Any tones below the selected
value will be clipped to pure black. Linked to the black triangle below the graph.
Input White: Sets pure white in the image to the selected value. Any tones above the selected
value will be clipped to pure white. Linked to the white triangle below the graph.
Gamma: Redistributes the midtones between the defined input black and input white. Adjusting
Gamma to the left will brighten the midtones, and adjusting it right will darken the midtones.
Linked to the grey triangle below the graph.
Output Black: Offsets the black point from 0.0 to the selected value.This is useful for lightening
shadow areas of the image. Linked to the black triangle below the gradient.
Output White: Offsets the white point of the image from 1.0 to the selected value. This can be
beneficial for reducing the brightness of the highlights in your image. Linked to the white triangle
below the gradient.
Pro Skin Retouch

Apply realistic and subtle post-production make-up to your actors, with fine control over skin color,
detection thresholds, skin treatment and highlight glow.
Skin retouching has three distinct sections. Skin Detection is used to define the area to be
processed. This area is called the skin matte. Skin Treatment contains the main controls for
adjusting the amount of processing applied to the skin matte. Glow is used to add a subtle glow to
the skin area, to soften it.
Skin Detection
HitFilm will automatically try to select common skin tones. Adjusting the settings below will allow
you to ensure that all skin tones are selected, regardless of what color shifts or lighting is present in
your footage.
Skin Color: Sets the base color for skin detection. This should be adjusted based on the
subject's skin color, by dragging the eyedropper onto a typical portion of the subject's skin in the
viewer.
Brightness Threshold: Limits the skin detection based on brightness. Higher values will include
a wider range of highlights and shadows in the selection. This can be useful for selecting skin in
shots with uneven lighting, but higher values also make it easier for unwanted areas of the frame
to be included in the skin matte.
Chroma Threshold: The skin detection is performed in the YUV color space. The chroma
threshold defines the distance around the selected color used to create the detection circle.
Increasing this setting includes a wider chromatic range in the selection, which can also easily
begin to select unwanted areas of the frame. This setting shuld be kept at the lowest value that is
acceptable for your footage.
Softness: Applies a feather to the edge of the skin matte, to more naturally blend it with the rest
of the frame.
Elliptical Deformation: Adjusts the shape of the YUV detection circle into an ellipse, which is a
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more optimized shape for skin detection.
Blur Selection: Blurs the resulting skin matte.
Skin Treatment
These controls define how the area inside the skin matte is modified.
Smooth: Smoothes the skin by applying a blur within the area of the skin matte.
Edge Threshold: The skin treatment attempts to retain edge detail while smoothing the skin. The
edge threshold determines how much detail is retained.
Saturation: Adjusts the color intensity of the skin. A subtle saturation boost often creates a
healthy appearance.
Exposure: Adjusts the exposure within the skin matte. Since human faces are the most common
subject of video shots, this allows you to easily highlight underlit skin, and draw the viewer's eyes
to your subject.
Glow
Brightness: Adjusts the strength of the glow. Subtle use is recommended for average shots, but
higher values can also be useful for creating elf-glow effects.
Threshold: Applies a threshold to the skin. Higher thresholds reduce the amount of skin used to
generate the glow.
Radius: Higher radius values will increase the size of the glow, creating a softer, more diffuse
result.
Colorize: The glow can be tinted towards a specific color using the color picker.If you want to tint
the glow away from normal skin color, to give it a sickly green tinge or an ethereal blue tint, for
example, you could select those colors here.
View
Switching between these view modes makes it easier to adjust the skin detection settings.
Final Result: This option shows the processed skin composited back onto your source layer, so
you can see the exact results of the effect.
Skin Matte: Shows a greyscale representation of the skin matte, so you can see exactly what
areas are selected. White indicates selected areas, black indicates unselected areas, and grey
indicates areas of partial selection. The darker a grey area is, the less effect the Skin Treatment
settings will have in that area.
Skin: Isolates the selected area and hides all parts of the layer that are outside of the skin matte.
White Balance
If your video was shot with incorrect white balance, or has an undesirable color shift, this effect can
help to correct the problem. Use the color pipette to select a part of the video that should be white
(or neutral grey) and the layer will be corrected.
In the example below, the white balance has been set to the frames of the sunglasses. The first
image is the original, with an overly warm, yellowish appearance, while the second image shows the
corrected white balance.
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8.5 Color Grading
Color grading effects are for giving your project a unique visual style.
See also Color Correction.
Bleach Bypass
Requires the Film Look s pack .
Simulates the harsh, high contrast look of bleach bypass film processing. Often used for war
movies.
Cine Style
Using an s-curve shift, cine style creates a cinematic, Hollywood-style look. It is a fast method for
achieving a professional, high quality finish. While it offers a rapid grade, it still provides controls for
fine tuning the appearance.
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Cine style includes built-in grain, vignette and letterboxing features. These can be turned on or off
depending on the desired look.
The s-curve property adjusts the contrast, while the color adjustment properties determine the
effect of the color shift. The defaults push towards the orange-and-teal palette popular in Hollywood
blockbuster filmmaking.
Classic Cine Style

This effect is all about recreating retro film looks. It includes several presets and can also be fully
customized. Here's an example of a preset recreating the look from 1950 film Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes:
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Basic contrast is controlled with the built-in s-curve adjustment and exposure and saturation can
be easily adjusted.
The film grain effect is integrated into classic cine style, applying a range of procedural grains
based on 8mm, 16mm and 32mm film stocks.
The red, green and blue channels can be adjusted individually and letterbox and vignette controls
are also included.
Color Vibrance
Requires the Colorist pack .
This effect is ideal for adding color to greyscale, procedural effects such as particles and textures.
Here's a grayscale planet created using a combination of fractal noise and sphere effects inside
HitFilm:
Here's the same shot with color vibrance applied:
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Color vibrance is particularly effective at retaining detail in bright areas without creating excessive
bloom.
The strength of the vibrancy and the luminance preservation can be adjusted, as can the color
and phasing of the effect.
Day For Night

A quick way to convert a shot filmed in the day to having the appearance of being filmed at night.
Applies a gradient based on the Horizon property, with separate controls for the near and far
areas.
Duo Tone
Creates a two tone look based on two specified colors.
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Threshold is used to adjust the location color split in the image's brightness scale, while softness is
used to adjust the overall contrast.
Grading Transfer
Matches the look of a layer to another layer. This is a quick way to grade based on an existing
source.
The transferred grade can then be further customized, either globally or specific to the shadows,
mid-tones and highlights.
Brightness shift affects how much of the source's brightness is transferred, while chrominance
shift affects how much of the source's color is transferred.
Hue Colorize
Applies a new hue to the layer,.
Hue Shift
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Moves the entire color spectrum of the layer through different hues.
Invert
Inverts the colors.
LUT
LUT files are used to transform color values, which helps to ensure accurate color correction across
multiple software and hardware setups. The LUT effect can import .cube LUT files.
LUT also provides a powerful way to provide a one-click grade, simulating specific film stocks and
processing techniques. Applying a LUT to flat footage can produce high quality results very quickly.
Take a look at this comparison:
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On the left is the original footage, which was purposely shot to be 'flat', providing a neutral starting
point for the grade.
The middle image is using a LUT designed to mimic the look of KODACHROME film. The only
additional alteration I've made is to slightly reduce the saturation. In about 10 seconds I went from a
basic flat look to a highly dramatic and filmic grade. Find out more about KODACHROME and grab
the LUT here.
The image on the right is using a Kodak 2393 emulation LUT, Again, I'm achieving a good film look
with literally a couple of clicks, and note how different this look is to the KODACHROME. You can
download several film emulation LUTs and find some great behind-the-scenes info here.
Shadows & Highlights

Provides fine control over the contrast and sharpness of a layer.
Three Strip Color

Simulates the three strip color film process commonly used in the early days of color film, resulting
in richer, deeper colors.
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Two Strip Color
Simulates the two strip color film process. More information on the process can be found in this
article on Wikipedia.
Vibrance
Adds pop to your image, emphasizing edge detail by increasing local contrast.
Vignette
Adds a colored overlay to the edges of the layer. You can customize the color, shape and softness
of the vignette.
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Vignette Exposure
This alternate vignette effect adjusts the exposure of the edges of the frame, instead of applying an
overlay. This can produce a subtler and more natural vignetting result.
The vignette can also be pushed brighter, which creates a halo effect or can be used to reduce the
effects of unwanted vignetting in the source footage.
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8.6 Distort
The Distort effects are used to change the shape and behaviour of a layer.
Bulge
Creates the illusion of a bulging shape pushing through the layer.
You can choose from multiple shapes and adjust the size and shape of the bulge.
Chromenator
Creates the appearance of liquid metal.
Derez (VGHS)
Custom-built for Freddie Wong's Video Game High School web series. Creates a digital glitching
appearance.
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Displacement
Shifts the pixels in particular directions according to the displacement source. This can create
excellent invisibility and other distortion effects.
You can select the source layer and source channels, plus adjust the strength of the displacement.
Energy Distortion
Requires the Destruction pack .
Distorts your footage based on a procedurally generated fractal pattern. You can adjust the
appearance of the distortion using the controls.
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Distortion: Adjusts the intensity of the distortion applied to the layer.
Scale: Sets the scale of the distortion
Diffusion Bias: Set the amount of the image that is affected by diffusion blurring. Increasing the
setting will make the blur more prevalent.
Diffusion Strength: Sets the strength of the blur in the areas affected by diffusion
Distortion Rotation: Sets the angle in which the distortion is applied.
Distort Single Axis: Enabling this option applies the distortion in a single direction. The specific
angle used can be set with the Distortion Rotation setting above.
Animation
By default the Energy Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the
effect here.
Wind Direction: Sets the direction of the movement
Wind Speed: Sets the speed of the movement along the axis determined in the Wind Direction,
by altering the position of the noise. Higher values will create more movement in the distortion.
Noise Speed: Sets the speed of the movement of the fractal noise the distortion is based on.
This speed alters the shape of the noise, while the Wind Speed property affects its position.
Noise
Seed: Acts as a randomizer for the shape of the noise. Each seed value sets a unique starting
shape for the procedurally generated noise.
Interpolation: Provides options for how the noise is interpolated. Linear Interpolation uses the
simplest path to connect points in the rectilinear grid the effect is based on. Cubic interpolation
uses smoother paths to interpolate the grid. Neither option is better than the other, they just
provide different options for the effect.
Transform
Multiple layers of fractal noise are combined to create the final noise that the distortion is based on.
The Transform controls adjust the primary noise, while the Sub Settings alter the sub levels of noise
that add detail to the distortion.
Position: Sets the position of the primary fractal noise the distortion is based on.
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Use Layer: You can select another layer on your timeline, to parent the position of the distortion
to that layer
Rotation: Sets the rotation of the primary fractal noise

Axis Scale X: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the
X axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion horizontally.
Axis Scale Y: Alters the aspect ratio of the primary fractal noise by changing its scale along the
Y axis. Higher values will stretch the distortion vertically.
Sub Settings
Sub Levels: Sets the number of sub levels that are used to calculate the distortion. Higher levels
create greater detail in the distortion.
Influence: Controls the intensity with which the sub levels alter the primary noise.
Scale: Sets the scale of the sub levels, thus impacting the size of the detail added by the
additional sub levels.
Rotation: Alters the angle of the sub levels which are laid over the primary noise.
Offset: Sets the position of the sub levels in relation to the primary noise position.
Center Subscale: Enabling this option links the center of all subscale layers, so they stay
aligned when offset using the above control.
Fluid Distortion

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Animation
By default the Fluid Distortion is animated. You can set the details of the movement within the effect
here.

Noise
Transform
to that layer

Sub Settings
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Heat Distortion
Applies automatic heat distortion with built-in displacement and diffusion. The behavior can be
adjusted for faster or slower movement.

Animation
effect here.
Noise
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Transform
to that layer
Sub Settings
Insect Vision
Creates the tiled appearance of a multi-faceted insect eye.
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Magnify
Zooms in on a specific area of the layer. The shape, size and position of the magnification can all be
changed.
Mosaic
Creates a tiled, mosaic appearance by reducing the number of distinct pixels in the layer.
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Smoke Distortion

Animation
effect here.
Noise
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Transform
to that layer
Sub Settings
Twirl
Twists the layer around the effect's center point.
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Waves
Creates a corrugated effect. You can also choose another layer as the displacement source and
alter the lighting on the bright and dark sides of the wave.
Witness Protection
This is a quick way to obscure an item within a shot, such as a face, number plate or product logo.
You can choose between blur or pixelate styles.
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8.7 Generate
The Generate effects are used to create new visual elements. These can be applied to layers like
any other effect.
3D Extrusion
Extruding creates the appearance of 3D depth in a flat 2D layer. This is often used to enhance titles
but can be used on any layer.
3D extrusion can use the 3D lights in your scene. The material behavior of the extrusion can be
adjusted in the Illumination property group.
For 3D extrusion to cast shadows the layer must also be set to 3D.
Another layer can be used as an environment map for extruded text. This is effective for creating
reflective text or for inheriting some of the lighting in a background plate.
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Animated Lasers
Requires the Sci-Fi Adventure pack .
See Animated Lasers.
Audio Spectrum & Waveform

Requires the Audio-visual pack .
Generate spectrum or waveform patterns based on an audio layer.
Requires a layer containing audio to function correctly.
The appearance of the spectrum and waveforms can be heavily customized, while behavior is
determined via the audio input controls.
Auto Volumetrics
Requires the Atmospheric lighting pack .
Generates volumetric lighting effects which can be positioned in 3D. The volumetric rays are based
on a source layer.
Often the most effective way to apply auto volumetrics is to a simple plane layer. You can then
specify a separate source layer in the Light source properties. Applying the effect to a separate
plane provides greater flexibility when moving a 3D camera, as the rays can emanate away from the
layer boundaries of the source itself.
The light position determines the angle of the rays. You can also link the light position to another
layer, such as a light or point layer.
Caustics
Simulates the distortion caused by viewing through a body of water.
Clouds
Generates a moving, randomly generated cloud texture.
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Dimension Rift
See Dimension Rift.
Drop Shadow
Adds a drop shadow to the layer. You can change the scale, distance and appearance of the
shadow, or choose to render the shadow without the layer.
End Credits Crawl

Creates scrolling end credits with automatic formatting and animation, designed to mimic classic
feature film credits.
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The effect is split into multiple design elements and automatically reflows text and adjusts the layout
depending on the copy you provide. Formatting and layout for element titles, role descriptions and
names can be adjusted independently, giving you a lot of flexibility within the core framework.
If you omit titles or roles, the layout will be automatically updated to still make sense. For example,
removing roles will reflow the names into a multi-column layout by default, which is useful for
crediting a large stunt or VFX team who all share the same role.
Fractal Noise
Generates a range of textures using procedural methods.
Each fractal method includes a range of properties for customizing the appearance of the effect.
Grid
Creates a grid pattern. You can adjust the spacing and size of the grid lines.
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Hyperdrive
See Hyperdrive.
Letterbox
The fastest and easiest way to add letterboxing to your movie. Presets enable you to quickly pick
from standard film aspect ratios.
Lightswords
See Lightswords.
Pond Ripple
Creates ripples which expand and distort the layer.
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The size and behavior of the ripples can be adjusted.
Pulp Sci-fi Title Crawl

An instant way to get perfect Star Wars and Flash Gordon-style openings, complete with separate
sections for the teaser, main title and the crawl itself.
The text is entered into the Teaser, Movie Title, Episode Number, Episode Title and Text Crawl
properties. Clicking the font 'A' symbol opens a new window for editing the Movie Title and Text
Crawl text.
The formatting and animation of the teaser, movie title and text crawl can be adjusted in separate
property groups, with the text reflowing automatically to suit the classic pulp look.
The Movie Title can also be switched to use an image instead of text. This can be useful for creating
a more authentic appearance when recreating movie logos.
Radio Waves
Creates geometric shapes that can be warped and animated. Shapes can be heavily customized.
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Reflection
A quick and easy way to create a reflection of the layer.
Sphere
Creates a sphere that reflects its surroundings.
The sphere can be heavily customized with separate layers for the optional surface texture and
environment map.
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The refractive index property can be used to accurately simulate refraction from real world
materials. A list of common refractive indices can be found on Wikipedia.
Split Screen Masking

Provides a quick way to set up various split screen layouts. Numerous screen layout presets are
included which can then be further customized.
Cuts determine how many slots are available for input.
Input layers/frames is used to link different layers into the effect.
Border changes the separation between cuts.
Tile
A quick and easy way to tile the layer without needing to create duplicates.
Timecode
Generates a counter showing the current position in time of the layer or timeline.
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Animated Lasers
Designed to create laser bolts which fire from one point to another. The lasers can be constructed
from multiple lines, which can be further manipulated into spirals, expanding the effect to also be
useful in motion graphics animation.
The laser has two position points. These interact with the Location property, with the laser
animating between the two points as the location is increased.
The effect has built-in controls positioning on the X and Y coordinates, plus a slider for depth.
Alternatively you can link the start an end points to separate layers on the timeline (such as 3D
point layers), which provides more control.
Number of Beams alters the complexity of the beam. Up to 10 separate beams can be added to the
effect, each with their own appearance and spiral settings, building up visually exciting shapes which
animate together.
Beam Properties
Each beam can be colored, with key properties such as brightness, width, length adjusted as
required.
Tail Scale causes the beam to taper at its end.
Color Shift moves the overall color of the beam towards either the Core Color or the Glow Color. Tail
Color Shift does the same but just for the tail end of the beam.
The Brightness and Color Mix Noise properties introduce a noise texture, breaking up the solidity
of the beam.
Spiral Properties
Each beam has associated Spiral properties. These are used to twist the beam's straight line into
curving spirals.
Increasing the Radius warps the line into a spiral shape. Path Angle increases the number of
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spirals.
Each individual beam can be rotated, or the entire combined shape can be rotated in the Global
Controls.
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Dimension Rift
Instantly create a wormhole-style rift in space!
The Dimension Rift effect has several built-in features for easily creating authentic portals:
Automatically displace the background video as the portal opens
A layer can be selected to be visible through the portal
Pre-animated opening, closing and connecting of portals with controllable animation speed
Fine control over 3D wave surface
Create custom shapes
Applying the Rift

The Dimension Rift effect can be applied directly onto a video or image layer. This will enable it to
displace and warp the background as the portal opens, but you will not be able to rotate and position
it in 3D, because it is locked to the host layer.
For more flexibility it is recommended that the effect is added to a separate plane layer (see
Creating and using planes). This plane layer can then be transformed in 3D (see Transforming layers
in 3D), which will also transform the dimension rift. Even when applied to a separate plane layer, the
effect can still warp the desired source layer. See the Wall Image property, detailed below.
Wall Image
As described above, when applying the effect you may want it to be able to warp a different layer to
the host. The Wall Image property is used to define the layer which should be warped.
For example, take an example of a composite shot containing two layers: a live action video clip and
a 3D plane. The Dimension Rift is applied to the 3D plane, which is then positioned in 3D space so
that the portal is applied to a wall. The Wall Image property is set to the video layer, so that as the
portal opens it warps the video.
Shape
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The Dimension Rift defaults to a classic oval shape. This can be customized in the Shape group.
The From Mask option can be used to select a separate layer to use as the shape. For example,
an image or embedded composite shot containing an alpha channel. This makes it easy to create
your own custom shapes.
View
This is what is seen through the portal, when it is open.
With the Image set to None, the view through the portal is simply a hole cut through the host layer.
Setting the Image to another layer will composite that layer inside the portal. Note that it will only be
visible if the Connection property is increased above 0.00.
The position, depth (Z), rotation and scale of the selected Image can be adjusted as required.
Increasing the Z depth will create a greater sense of parallax movement if you move the portal in 3D.
Appearance & Animation

These settings are used to adjust the outline and interior elements of the portal, and how they
animate over time.
The Sparks setting is used when the expansion and connection properties are adjusted.
Optional Layers
Specific elements of the effect can be turned on and off, which can be useful when creating more
complex composites. This lets you render elements individually, providing finer control.
Colors
The Primary color is used on the side of the dimension rift closest to camera. The Secondary color
can be glimpsed through the portal when it is open, and represents the portal on the 'other side'.
This can be set to be a different color.
Expansion & Connection

The behavior of the dimension rift is controlled with these properties.
Expansion animates the portal appearing/disappearing on a surface. This includes displacement
warping as it expands, as long as you have selected a Wall Image.
With Connection set to 0.00, the portal will be closed, with a rippling, water-like surface. Increasing
the Connection will dissolve the rippling surface to reveal the View, as set in the View properties.
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Hyperdrive
Jumping to lightspeed is as easy as dusting crops with this effect, which generates a spray of
streaking stars, complete with built-in animation and customization.
The overall animation is driven by the Progress property. At 0% the stars have not yet appeared,
and at 100% they have completed their animation past camera.
The color Temperature can be adjusted and Variation can be added for a less uniform look.
The Number and Size of stars can be adjusted, while the Seed can be used to generate different
renderings of the effect.
Star Blend determines how the star streaks interact with each other. Add blend tends to look best,
with stars intensifying where they overlap.
Blend with source changes how the effect is blended with the host layer. When set to None, the
stars will be rendered onto transparency, with the host layer no longer visible, which makes it easy
to overlay them onto other layers. Alternatively On Top can be used to composite directly onto the
host layer.
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Lightswords
Lightswords
HitFilm provides the most efficient and high quality method for creating lightsword effects, reducing
the rotoscoping requirements and automating key visual elements such as the motion blur 'streak'.
There are three Lightsword effects, depending on the needs of your VFX shot.
Lightsword (2-Point Auto) provides a rapid method requiring the placing of a point on the hilt and a
point on the blade tip. Once these points are rotoscoped to the movement of the lightsword blade,
HitFilm will automatically calculate the appropriate motion blur based on the speed at which the
blade is moving.
Lightsword (4-Point Manual) allows precise positioning, with two points defining the edges of the
hilt and two points defining the edges of the blade tip. Precisely positioning each corner gives you
full control over the exact shape of the blade on every frame. This can be useful for artificially
enhancing the motion blur of the blade movement, to create the classic 'fanning' effect.
Lightsword (Glow Only) applies the effect's custom glow behavior to any layer, without providing an
interface for easy lightsword generation. This is useful for creating other neon and laser effects.
The effects share the same general properties:
Hilt & Tip

The hilt and tip positions can be set inside the effect, or linked to reference layers via the Position
menu. This makes it possible to link the shape to auto-tracked points.
The width of the hilt and tip can be set separately, which can be useful for creating perspective on
the blade or creating tapered shapes.
Extension
The lightsword extension can be animated to create the 'ignition' animation, whereby the lightsword
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blade extends out of the hilt, or contracts back in.
Core
The core is the central part of the effect which directly covers the prop blade.
Width: The Width of the core can be adjusted, as a percentage of the width values set in the Tip
and Hilt controls above.
Color: The core Color should generally be set sightly off white, in the direction of the color that will
be used for the glow.
Feather: The edges of the core can be softened with the Feather control.
Stability: Lowering the Stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.
Inner Glow
Two glows are built-in to the effect. This makes it possible to create an intense inner glow, with a
low width so that it is close to the core, and a wider, diffuse, less bright outer glow.
Width: The width of the inner glow can be adjusted, in pixels.
Color: The inner glow color should generally be set to a bright, vibrant color.
Alpha: adjusts the transparency of the inner glow layer.
Stability: lowering the stability causes the glow shape to fluctuate in size.
Flicker: sets the intensity of brightness flicker applied to the glow. This does not alter the shape
of the glow.
Falloff: alters the range over which the glow edges are feathered. Lower numbers will create a
harder edge to the glow.
Mask: controls whether masks applied to the layer affect the glow. Disable will allow the glow to
naturally wrap around the mask edges, for a softer result. Enable will cut the glow off exactly at
the edge of the mask. Invert will reveal the glow outside the mask, while removing it inside.
Outer Glow
Width: The width of the outer glow can be adjusted, in pixels.
Color: The outer glow color can be set to a similar color to the inner glow color, for a traditional
look, or to an entirely different color to create a gradient in the glow.
Stability: lowering the stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.
of the glow.
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Path Interpolation
During rapid movement the hilt and tip will fan out, creating a trail. Path interpolation is used to
create a natural curve along the hilt and tip ends.
Reducing the scale to zero will remove all interpolation, resulting in straight lines drawn at the hilt
and tip ends of the blade. Increasing the scale will create interpolation and curved ends.
The Hilt and Tip angles can be used to further customize the interpolated curve at each end of the
shape.
Motion Persistence
The 2-point Auto version automatically creates the streaking of a fast-moving lightsword based on
the movement of the points. The appearance of the streaking can be customized to match the
source footage.
HitFilm automatically attempts to create a natural trail shape based on the movement of the hilt and
tip points, based on the expected behaviour of a blade in motion.
The duration of the trail is determined by the motion persistence. Increasing the value will cause the
trail to remain visible for more frames, thus creating a larger trail. Reducing the value will create a
smaller trail.
Note that motion persistence is restricted by the Auto Scale Persistence properties, if Auto Scale is
activated (see below).
Persistence Shift
Persistence Shift adjusts the interpolation in time. This adjusts the trail to be either in front (1.0),
behind (0.0) or in the middle (0.5) of the control point positions. At the default of 0.0 this means that
on frames containing fast moving blades you should position the control points on the leading edges
of the blade.
Auto Scale Persistence

Auto Scale provides additional control over the generation of the persistence trail, determining when
the trail is generated. These settings can be used to match the trail to the natural motion blur found
in your footage, which may vary depending on your camera settings.
The Speed and Swing thresholds can be used to restrict the activation of motion persistence. Below
the thresholds, the shape will be drawn without the trail. This ensures that the blade does not look
indistinct when being moved slowly. As soon as the speed and swing thresholds are exceeded, the
trail will be generated according to the motion persistence setting.
The Minimum Persistence property generated a trail even if the thresholds are not met. Setting this
to 0.0 ensures the blade shape is defined solely by the core, hilt and tip properties. Raising the
value will generate a blur trail even during minor movements.
Disabling Auto Scale Motion switches to only using the Motion Persistence property. Therefore the
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trail will always be generated even during small movements. A high Motion Persistence value
combined with Auto Scale turned off will create a long, unnatural trail. Increasing the motion
persistence over 180 can create extreme streaking. This isn't suitable for lightsabers but can be an
interesting effect in its own right.
Distortion
A noisy, irregular edge can be applied to the shape by increasing Distortion. If Distortion is reduced
to 0 the edge will be regular and smooth.
Lightsword Ultra
In addition to the built-in lightsword effects included in HitFilm Express, there are three Lightsword
Ultra effects available in the Sci-Fi Adventure Pack that include advanced distortion modifiers and
other controls.
There are three Lightsword Ultra effects, depending on the needs of your VFX shot.
Lightsword Ultra (2-Point Auto) provides a rapid method requiring the placing of a point on the hilt
and a point on the blade tip. Once these points are rotoscoped to the movement of the lightsword
blade, HitFilm will automatically calculate the appropriate motion blur based on the speed at
which the blade is moving. The Ultra version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types
into the effect, which can be used to alter the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort
the appearance of the background through the effect.
Lightsword Ultra (4-Point Manual) allows precise positioning, with two points defining the edges of
the hilt and two points defining the edges of the blade tip. Precisely positioning each corner gives
you full control over the exact shape of the blade on every frame. This can be useful for artificially
enhancing the motion blur of the blade movement, to create the classic 'fanning' effect. The Ultra
version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types into the effect, which can be used to
alter the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort the appearance of the background
through the effect.
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Lightsword (Glow Only) applies the effect's custom glow behavior to any layer, without providing an
interface for easy lightsword generation. This is useful for creating other neon and laser effects.
The Ultra version of the effect integrates a variety of distortion types into the effect, which can be
used to alter the core shape, to alter the glow shape, and to distort the appearance of the
background through the effect.
The effects share the same general properties:
Hilt & Tip

The hilt and tip positions can be set inside the effect, or linked to reference layers via the Position
menu. This makes it possible to link the shape to auto-tracked points.
The width of the hilt and tip can be set separately, which can be useful for creating perspective on
the blade or creating tapered shapes.
Extension
The lightsword extension can be animated to create the 'ignition' animation, whereby the lightsword
blade extends out of the hilt, or contracts back in.
Core
The core is the central part of the effect which directly covers the prop blade.
Width: The Width of the core can be adjusted, as a percentage of the width values set in the Tip
and Hilt controls above.
Color: The core Color should generally be set sightly off white, in the direction of the color that will
be used for the glow.
Feather: The edges of the core can be softened with the Feather control.
Stability: Lowering the Stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.
Distortion
The Core Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the core to create a variety
of animated results.
Distortion: Controls the strength of distortion that is applied to the core.
Type: There are four types of distortion available, each of which gives a different result. They are
Energy Distortion, Heat Distortion, Liquid Distortion, and Smoke Distortion.
Noise: The noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified using these properties.
They correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
Animation: The movement of the noise that defines the shape of the distortion can be modified
using these properties. They correspond to the controls in the standalone Distortion effects.
Blend on Top: enabling this option will apply the glow above the core, potentially altering the
core's color.
Use in Glow: enabling this option will adaptively shift the shape of the glow of the effect to match
the distortion of the core shape.
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Flicker
The Flicker controls will affect the movement of the overall effect.
Amount: Controls the amount of flicker applied to the effect.
Probability: Adjusts how regular the flicker is. Higher probability settings will make a more
regular flicker.
Frequency: Adjusts the timing between the flickering, Higher values will increase the speed of the
flicker.
Seed: Changing the seed will randomize the pattern of the flicker.
Inner Glow
Width: The width of the inner glow can be adjusted, in pixels.
Color: The inner glow color should generally be set to a bright, vibrant color.
Stability: lowering the stability causes the glow shape to fluctuate in size.
of the glow.
Distortion
The Inner Glow Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the inner glow to
create a variety of animated results.
Outer Glow
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Width: The width of the outer glow can be adjusted, in pixels.
Color: The outer glow color can be set to a similar color to the inner glow color, for a traditional
look, or to an entirely different color to create a gradient in the glow.
Stability: lowering the stability causes the core shape to fluctuate in size.
of the glow.
Distortion
The Inner Glow Distortion controls allow you to procedurally alter the shape of the inner glow to
create a variety of animated results.
Path interpolation
During rapid movement the hilt and tip will fan out, creating a trail. Path interpolation is used to
create a natural curve along the hilt and tip ends.
Reducing the scale to zero will remove all interpolation, resulting in straight lines drawn at the hilt
and tip ends of the blade. Increasing the scale will create interpolation and curved ends.
The Hilt and Tip angles can be used to further customize the interpolated curve at each end of the
shape.
Motion Persistence
The 2-point Auto version automatically creates the streaking of a fast-moving lightsword based on
the movement of the points. The appearance of the streaking can be customized to match the
source footage.
HitFilm automatically attempts to create a natural trail shape based on the movement of the hilt and
tip points, based on the expected behaviour of a blade in motion.
The duration of the trail is determined by the motion persistence. Increasing the value will cause the
trail to remain visible for more frames, thus creating a larger trail. Reducing the value will create a
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smaller trail.
Note that motion persistence is restricted by the Auto Scale Persistence properties, if Auto Scale is
activated (see below).
Persistence Shift
Persistence Shift adjusts the interpolation in time. This adjusts the trail to be either in front (1.0),
behind (0.0) or in the middle (0.5) of the control point positions. At the default of 0.0 this means that
on frames containing fast moving blades you should position the control points on the leading edges
of the blade.
Auto Scale Persistence

Auto Scale provides additional control over the generation of the persistence trail, determining when
the trail is generated. These settings can be used to match the trail to the natural motion blur found
in your footage, which may vary depending on your camera settings.
The Speed and Swing thresholds can be used to restrict the activation of motion persistence. Below
the thresholds, the shape will be drawn without the trail. This ensures that the blade does not look
indistinct when being moved slowly. As soon as the speed and swing thresholds are exceeded, the
trail will be generated according to the motion persistence setting.
The Minimum Persistence property generated a trail even if the thresholds are not met. Setting this
to 0.0 ensures the blade shape is defined solely by the core, hilt and tip properties. Raising the
value will generate a blur trail even during minor movements.
Disabling Auto Scale Motion switches to only using the Motion Persistence property. Therefore the
trail will always be generated even during small movements. A high Motion Persistence value
combined with Auto Scale turned off will create a long, unnatural trail. Increasing the motion
persistence over 180 can create extreme streaking. This isn't suitable for lightsabers but can be an
interesting effect in its own right.
Distortion
A noisy, irregular edge can be applied to the shape by increasing Distortion. If Distortion is reduced
to 0 the edge will be regular and smooth.
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8.8 Gradients & Fills
A range of gradients and fills are provided. These can be extremely useful when used in conjunction
with other effects, such as color map or shatter.
4-point Color Gradient

Generates a 4-color gradient. The colors and mixing of the colors can be changed, as can the
position of the gradient points.
Color Gradient
Creates a 2-point gradient of color.
Fill Color
Simply fills the layer with the selected color. You can choose to blend the color with the original
layer to varying amounts.
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Radial Gradient
Creates a circular color gradient. The size, position and shape of the gradient can all be tweaked.
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8.9 Grunge
The grunge effects are a set of effects for creating the appearance of old or damaged video.
Film Damage
Simulates the problems caused by a poorly projected film, including grain, stains, dust and
scratches, frame shake and flickering.
You can control each of the elements individually to get the exact look you want.
Film Grain
Generates a realistic grain based on 8mm, 16mm or 32mm film stock.
Flicker
Introduces a random flickering to the layer. The behaviour of the flicker can be finely customized.
Grain
This effect provides fine control over the size of the grain.
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Half Tone
Turns the layer into a half tone image, similar to black and white newspaper print.
You can adjust the composition of the half tone dots.
Half Tone Color

A color variation of the Half tone effect.
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Jitter
Creates glitches in video playback order, shuffling the order of frames.
Lens Dirt
Requires the Atmospheric lighting pack .
Simulates dirt on the camera lens and in-lens reflection.
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The dirt element can be procedurally generated from various seed values, or you can use another
layer as the dirt source.
The in-lens reflection flaring can be generated from the applied layer or from another source.
Threshold and intensity determine the visibility of the lens dirt. Higher thresholds will restrict the
effect to brighter areas of the frame.
The blur and pivot angle properties adjust the visual style of the flaring. For realistic results these
should be kept relatively high.
Noise
The basic noise effect provides a fixed-size noise.
Scan Lines
Creates scan lines as seen on some monitor displays when filmed.
Shake
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Adds artificial camera shake to the layer. This can be useful for adding shake to explosive effects, or
for adding a sense of a handheld camera to a tripod shot.
Stutter
Reduces the number of frames used during playback of the layer, creating the impression of the
video momentarily freezing.
TV Damage
Simulates the appearance of a badly tuned television signal.

Each element can be customized individually to create the exact look you want.
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8.10 Keying
HitFilm includes several effects for keying your layers.
Keying is the term used for automatically removing parts of an image or video, usually by
identifying a specific color.
Matte Enhancement
This folder contains various tools for modifying and improving the matte created by your key. See
Matte Enhancement for more details on these tools.
Chroma UV blur
The UV blur can be essential depending on the way your video camera stores its data.
After keying some video you may notice a pixellated 'stepping' around the edge of the key. If this
occurs, add a chroma UV blur before the key itself. This will help to smooth out the edge.
Color Difference Key

This is a simple keyer and is used for removing green screen and blue screen backgrounds from
video and images.
The View matte option is a quick way to see the layer's alpha channel, making it easier to identify
areas where the key needs to be cleaned up.
Demult
Quickly key out the background from stock footage shot on black and generate an embedded alpha
channel. Very useful for compositing smoke, explosions and similar.
Difference Key
Keys areas of a layer based on differences with another layer.
Hue & RGB Key

This effect keys the layer based on a color of your choice. You can pick between using the hue or
RGB values.
You may get better results using the Chroma key.
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Luminance Key
This effect keys the layer based on its brightness. This can be particularly useful for sky
replacement.
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Matte Enhancement
After keying a layer you may need to perform further adjustments to achieve high quality results. The
matte enhancement effects are designed for this purpose.
Alpha Brightness & Contrast

The brightness and contrast of a layer's alpha channel can be adjusted to tweak the edges of a
composite.
Crush Blacks & Whites Alpha

Similar to the normal Crush blacks & whites effect but only affects the alpha channel. Crushing the
blacks can remove lingering areas of your keyed area, while clamping the white can help to fill
transparent areas in your subject.
Erode White
The erode effect gradually removes the edge of a layer's alpha channel.
Invert Alpha
Inverts the layer's alpha channel.
Light Wrap
You can often improve composites using light wrap, which enables light from another layer to bleed
onto the keyed layer.
If you have transformed or added effects to the light wrap source layer, you will need to convert
it to an embedded composite shot for the light wrap to tak e those changes into account.
Matte Cleaner
After keying a layer you can use the matte cleaner to tidy up the composite.
Smooth - makes the edge of the key smoother.
Feather - makes the edge of the key softer.
Choke - shrinks the edge of the key.
Remove Color Matting

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When using stock footage, this effect can be used to reduce dark areas in the composited element.
Most effective when used after stock has been composited using the Demult effect.
Set Matte
Enables you to use channels from another layer on the current layer. This can be particularly useful
if you want to use the alpha channel from another layer.
Spill Removal
When working with green screen and blue screen you can sometimes find slight color fringing
around the edge of a key after the screen has been removed. The spill removal effect removes or
reduces this color fringing.
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8.11 Lights & Flares
Anamorphic Lens Flare

Requires the Atmospheric Lighting pack .
Simulates the use of an anamorphic lens, creating broad flares based on the source layer.
The threshold determines how much of the source layer produces flaring. The resultant effect can
be adjusted with the intensity property.
The blur flare property creates a less distinct flare, which can often look more realistic.
Additional streaks can be added using the number of streaks property, with each streak
individually customizable.
Auto Light Flares

The auto light flares effect shares many properties with the light flares effect. The primary difference
is that auto light flares identifies bright areas in the layer and applies light flares automatically,
adjusting intensity and scale based on the source.
The Hotspot property group is different in auto light flares, providing control over where the light flares
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appear.
Threshold sets how bright a pixel has to be for a light flare to be drawn. At high thresholds, flares
will only appear on the brightest parts of the layer. Lowering the threshold will produce more light
flares on less bright areas.
Max flares determines how many flares can be drawn.
Flare appearance can be adjusted as with the standard light flares effect.
Gleam
Creates the impression of rays of light shining out from a central point.
The appearance of the rays can be heavily customized.
The general appearance of the rays is determined by its properties, rather than by its interaction with
the layer itself. In this respect it differs from the Light rays effect.
Glow
Adds a glowing aura to bright areas of the layer.
Per Channel Intensity properties enable you to shift the glow color.
Advanced options provide further customization of the glow's appearance, including creating a
specific color gradient.
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Light Flares
Generates a wide variety of realistic lens flares and lights. Each flare type can be heavily
customized to create a limitless variety of alternatives.
Flares are made up of a hotspot, rays and unique tertiary elements. Each part can be adjusted
individually.
The positioning of a flare is determined by its hotspot and its pivot. The pivot point is used for
automatically animating the rays and additional elements, while the hotspot is used for the position
of the main flare itself.
Below are two examples of light flares, both created starting with the chromatic halo type to show
the level of possible customization:
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Light Leak
Generates an evolving pattern of color gradients, simulating unwanted light leaking into the camera
during shooting.
Light Rays
Though similar in immediate appearance to Gleam, Light rays generates a more realistic illusion of
light emitting from a central point.
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Used in conjunction with a 3D point, light rays can be used to create realistic volumetric lighting
effects as in this 3D model shot:
Light Streaks
Creates a range of light streaks based on the source layer. Ideal for creating the kind of lens
aberrations caused by anamorphic lenses.
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Neon Glow
Creates a glowing edge around a layer's alpha channel. This is particularly useful for effects such as
lasers and lightsabers.
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8.12 Particles & Simulation
Note that some particle effects require additional pack s from the HitFilm.com Store
The fully customizable Particle Simulator is exclusively available in HitFilm Pro 2017
Each effect in this category has a dedicated section in the manual:
Atomic Particles - 3D, array-based particle system with audio integration. [ Requires
Audio Visual Pack]
Blood Ppray - splatter simulation. [ Requires Destruction Pack]
Fire - realistic flame simulation. [ Requires Destruction Pack]
Gunfire - 3D muzzle flash generator. [ Requires Destruction Pack]

Lightning & Electricity - realistic electrical animation.
Shatter - break a layer into 3D chunks. [ Requires Destruction Pack]

Rain on Glass - realistic simulation of raindrops on a transparent surface in front of the camera,
as if you are looking through a rainy window.
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Atomic Particles
Requires the Audio-visual pack .
Atomic particles are array-based, which means they use regimented grids of particles. Although
applied as a 2D effect, atomic particles are simulated in 3D and can be rotated around using a 3D
camera. They also interact with HitFilm's 3D lighting system.
Examples of Atomic Particles

There are countless uses for atomic particles effects. Below are a few simple examples, all created
very quickly and easily:
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Particle Placement
This property group determines the initial positioning and layout of the particle grid that forms the
foundation of any atomic particle effect.
Position & Rotation

The position properties determine the location in 3D space of the particle grid.
For greater control the particle grid can be linked to another layer in the composite shot, including a
3D point layer.
Atomic and 3D cameras

Atomic particles is a 2D effect, although it generates 3D rendered content. It can be adjusted to
exist in 3D space using this technique:
1. Create a new point layer.
2. Set the point layer's dimension to 3D.
3. Apply the Atomic particles effect to a layer and explore the Particle placement -> Position
property group.
4. Set the Transform From option to link to the point layer created in step 1.
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The atomic particles will inherit 3D position data from the point layer. 3D cameras can then be
moved in and around the atomic particle cloud in 3D.
Number of Particles
The particle grid can be adjusted to have more or less individual particles. The particle grid is made
up of multiple layers (Z) of horizontal (X) and vertical particles (Y).
When first using atomic particles it can be easier to understand the system by reducing the X
and Y values so that you can easily mak e out the individual particles.
This is a particle grid of 10x10x1:
Increasing the number of Z layers to 5 gives depth to the particle grid:
The spread of particles can be adjusted using the scale properties, to make particles closer
together or farther apart:
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The twist property spins each vertical column of particles, creating a corkscrew appearance:
Depth sort changes the accuracy of the particle rendering. Turned off the rendering is fastest, but
particles may not be represented accurately in 3D space.
Here is an example effect without depth sorting:
Here is the same effect with depth sorting on:
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The second example shows a much more accurate representation of the particles in 3D space. Note
the crossover point of the two strands at the top-left of the image and the peak of the curve at the top
right, both of which are more accurately rendered with depth sorting on.
Turning depth sort to on can slow down rendering times.
Particle Appearance
The appearance properties determine the size, shape and opacity of the particles.
The shape menu can be used to change the particle shape to that of another layer, which is defined
in the source menu.
This can be used to create a grid of particles using a product logo, for example:
Embedded composite shots can also be used as particle shapes, enabling the use of animated
shapes.
Disperse
Dispersing particles randomizes the position of the particles.
Here is a particle grid with no dispersal:
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Here is the same effect with an increase dispersal amount:
This can have interesting effects when applied to video or image layers:
Layer
By default the dispersal happens uniformly across the layer.
The layer option can be used to alter the strength of the dispersal by location.
Applying this gradient layer:
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Results in the dispersal being most prominent towards the bright side of the gradient:
Fractal
Warping the atomic grid using the fractal controls creates organic shapes and introduces animation.
Displace alters the atomic grid to produce a folded result, best imagined as undulating cloth:
Disperse and size work similarly to the standard dispersal and size properties but also create
fractal animation, retaining the sense of a connected grid.
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The wavelength and iterations properties determine the strength of the overall fractal warp. A
higher wavelength will result in a more uniform, less detailed transformation. Low interations will
create smoother patterns, with higher iterations creating noisier results.
The speed of the fractal animation can be adjusted.
Flow
Adjusting the flow will give the impression that the particles are moving in a particular direction. This
is most evident with larger numbers of particles:
Layer
The fractal settings can also be driven by a separate layer, in the same way to dispersal. A layer
such as a color gradient can then be used to adjust the intensity of the fractal warping.
In the example below, a simple gradient has been used to alter the fractal shape, resulting in less
fractal warping at the right side of the frame and more at the left:
Displacement
The position of individual particles in the grid can be affected by another layer. In the example below
a video layer of a car has been used to displace the atomic particles, revealing the layer's shape:
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Size
The size of particles can also be linked to another layer. In this example the size of the particles is
affected by the car layer, with darker areas creating smaller particles;
Spherical Warp
The particle grid can be warped by a sphere force, either attracting or detracting the particles. This
can be used to wrap the particle grid into a spherical shape:
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Audio Interaction
Atomic particles animation can be driven by an audio layer.
The audio layer must first be chosen. This can be any layer on the timeline that includes audio.
Before the audio affects the particle animation it must first be mapped to particular properties.
There are four mapping slots and you can use as many as you want.
Mapping Slots
The Map to property determines which property the audio interacts with.
Frequency, range and threshold adjusts how the audio interacts with the particles.
Audio interaction works on top of the other atomic particles properties, so you will also need to
adjust the corresponding property group to enable audio interaction. For example, if you choose
Fractal as your map to option, you will also need to adjust some of the fractal properties.
Illumination
By default an atomic particles grid is lit only by its own specified color. The illumination properties
can be used to enable full 3D lighting.
To illustrate the difference, here is an example with the Illumination Type set to none:
While the spherical shape is evident, there is no distinction between strands that are closer to the
camera and those that are further away.
Here is the same shot with the Illumination Type set to Comp lights, with a single point light (with
falloff) in the center of the shape:
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By using the 3D light for illumination, it is possible to perceive depth in the atomic shape.
Comp lights will use all available lights in a scene.
Selected lights can be used to choose specific lights.
The material property group provides the same properties as found in standard 3D layers.
Motion Blur
Motion blur can be turned on or off. Using the Comp settings option will match the motion blur found
in the rest of the composite shot.
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Blood Spray
Creates a spray of blood that jets out from the center point. The effect can also simulate the blood
impacting on a surface.
Particle generation
These properties determine when the spray begins, its duration and its total density.
A longer duration will result in a thinner spray unless the number of particles is also increased.
Particle birth properties

The angle, speed and size of the spray are set using these properties.
Simulation
By default the spray is pulled down by gravity. The strength of this gravity can be adjusted.
The collision plane can be used to simulate the effect of the spray hitting a flat surface.
Appearance
The color of the spray is set here. The spray has two colors, which are used to create the illusion of
depth.
Illumination
The illusion of depth can be adjusted using the illumination properties.
Motion blur
The blood spray effect can receive automatic motion blur.
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Fire
The Fire effect creates procedurally generated flames. There are numerous settings to control the
behaviour and appearance of the fire.
Fire Regions
There are three definable regions for the fire: flammable region, blocking region and burn
direction. If you leave these blank the fire will use the entire layer as its source (excluding
transparent areas).
If you select a layer and channel for any of the regions or the direction the fire will be influenced by
those elements. This way you can use layers such as gradients to further control the fire's
behaviour.
Simulation
Seed - creates a different random variety of fire.
Iterations - more iterations will create a more realistic simulation of the fire's movement.
Pre-start - by default the fire starts on the first frame of the layer. This enables you to start the fire
before the first frame.
Flammable end - determines when the fire is no longer visible.
Source scale - changes the size of the fire source elements.
Source variation - adjusts how often the fire changes formation. Low variation will create a
smoother, less volatile fire.
Source fill - changes the density of the fire.
Movement - changes the length of the flames.
Source noise - adjusts the random density of the flammable region.
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Source intensity - adjusts the density of the flammable region.
Reload maps - activating this property creates a more realistic simulation when the flammable
region is animated.
Source position - moves the entire fire simulation. When combined with 2D tracking this can
create more realistic composites into videos with moving cameras.
Wind
Wind can be applied to the fire to push the flames in a particular direction.
Appearance
The color and blend method of the fire can be altered here.
The temperature settings change the intensity of the fire. A lower low temperature will reveal more
detail in the flame.
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Gunfire
HitFilm's gunfire effect uses a highly customized version of the particle simulator and is the best tool
available for creating CG muzzle flashes. There are many benefits to creating your muzzle flashes in
HitFilm:
No need to use dangerous and expensive blank-firing weapons.
You can shoot silently in areas that might not normally allow gunfire.
Complete artistic control over the look and behaviour of your weapons.
You are no longer limited to re-using the same muzzle flash stock footage.
Important: Even if you're not using blank -firing weapons during shooting, always mak e sure you
have notified the police and informed local residents prior to filming. Don't assume that the
presence of a camera is enough to let people k now you're mak ing a movie.
Gunfire can be moved using the standard Transform properties. For realistic positioning, the gunfire
origin should be positioned at the end of the gun barrel.
Appearance
Textures - see the Particle textures chapter for details.
Preview - toggles between textures and preview particles.
Blend - changes how the textures blend together. Add will usually give the best results.
Colorize - this overrides the texture's original colors with the Color property.
Color - changes the gunfire's color when you have Colorize deactivated.
Color variation - introduces random variation to the chosen color when you have Colorize
deactivated.
Active - turns the entire muzzle flash on and off.
Rate of fire - percentage chance of the muzzle flash appearing on the current frame. 100 ensures
the muzzle flash is always visible. Lower values are useful for creating the appearance of
automatic weapons fire, without needing to manually keyframe the Active property.
Seed - this is used to generate random variations of the muzzle flash shape. Keyframing the seed
will ensure that your muzzle flash is different each time it appears, while retaining its basic shape.
Blur strength - changes the amount of blur applied when motion blur is turned on.
Core Flare
The core flare is the central part of the muzzle flash and is projected directly out of the front of the
barrel.
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Active - turns the core flare on and off.
Scale - the size of the particles that form the core flare.
Barrel gap - the distance between the core flare and the barrel.
Length - the length of the core flare.
Length taper - changes the weighting of the length of the core flare.
Radius - the radius of the core flare.
Radius taper - changes the weighting of the radius of the core flare.
Jitter - creates a more dispersed and randomized appearance.

Intensity - creates a brighter core flare.
Primary number - the number of particles that make up the main part of the core flare.
Secondary number - the number of particles that make up the jitter part of the core flare.
Side flares
Active - turns the side flares on and off.
Scale - the size of the particles that form the side flares.
Number of flares - adjusts how many side flares are visible.
Barrel gap - the distance between the side flares and the barrel.
Barrel angle - the angle of the side flares in relation to the barrel.
Barrel rotation - all side flares can be rotated around the gun barrel.
Length - the length of the side flares.
Length taper - changes the weighting of the length of the side flares.
Radius - the radius of the side flares.
Radius taper - changes the weighting of the radius of the side flares.
Jitter - creates a more dispersed and randomized appearance.
Intensity - creates brighter side flares.
Primary number - the number of particles that make up the main part of the side flares.
Secondary number - the number of particles that make up the jitter part of the side flares.
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Particle Textures
HitFilm's texture system provides a hugely powerful method for assigning textures to the Gunfire
effect.
The texture properties can be found in the Appearance property groups.
Texture Sources
There are three possible texture sources:
None - this will use a default circle shape.
Layer - any layer can be assigned as the texture source, including embedded composite shots
and 3D models.
Built-in - a selection of default textures are provided for quick access.
Using Layers as Textures

After selecting to use a layer as the texture source you will need to specify the source layer.
Large resolution and animated textures may have an impact on performance.
There are three Frame options when using a source layer:

Single - uses a single frame of the source layer as the texture. The frame can be specified using
the Frame number property.
Random - randomly selects a frame for each particle. The random selection can be changed
using the Seed property.
Animated - enables the use of sequential frames from the source layer as the texture. The start
frame and the number of frames to use can be set. The loop option will cause the texture to
return to the start frame after the specified number of frames have been used.
Keyframing the start frame property will cause each particle to have a different start frame.
Working with Multiple Textures

If you want to use several individual textures on the same particle system, each texture should be
placed into an embedded composite shot.
Inside the embedded composite shot, each texture layer should be offset by one frame, so that each
frame displays a new texture. With the Frame option set to Random, all of the textures inside the
composite shot will be used at random.
An embedded composite shot containing textures can be set to invisible on the timeline and
still be used. In this case it is best to place the embedded composite shot on the lowest layer
on the timeline.
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Lightning & Electricity
HitFilm's lightning generator can create a limitless variety of electrical effects.

Lightning consists of several main elements:
The core is the solid color center of the effect, most commonly white.
The glow is the softer color around the edge of the effect.
Trunks are the primary lines used to draw the lightning.
Branches are created along trunks, adding detail to the effect.
Twigs are created along branches, adding fine detail to the effect.
You can adjust the number of trunks, branches and twigs in the effect using the relevant property
groups. Changing these will drastically alter the appearance of the effect.
Wave & Twitch

The wave and twitch properties determine the shape of the lightning.
Wave creates a more undulating, curved line.

Twitch increases the number of twists and turns in the line.
Start & End

The start and end groups control the overall dimensions and animation of the lightning.
The Growth property is used to give the appearance of a lighting strike, causing the lightning to
extend and travel down its length.
Animation
Speed - the speed of the lightning's movement.
Jitter - how often the lightning regenerates to a completely new position.
Scale - how much the lightning moves from its central position.
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Shatter
The Shatter effect is used to break a layer into 3D chunks.

Here is the HitFilm logo being shattered:
Although applied as a 2D effect, shatter can be explored in 3D.
Position
The effect's position in 3D space is determined by these properties. The effect can also be parented
to another layer using the Transform From property.
Shatter in 3D
Shatter is added to a layer as a 2D effect. It can be adjusted to exist in 3D space using this
technique;
1. Create a new point layer.

2. Set the point layer's dimension to 3D.
3. Apply the shatter effect to a layer and explore the Position property group.
4. Set the Transform From option to link to the point layer created in step 1.
The shatter effect will inherit 3D position data from the point layer. 3D cameras can then be moved in
and around the shatter pieces in 3D.
Pattern
Determines the shape of the shatter pieces.
The Type can be set to the preset brick and hex shapes, or to a custom shape.
The Size property alters the size and number of individual brick or hex pieces.
The custom shape by default will use the layer itself as the shape. This will break a layer into its
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component pieces, with shapes and sizes defined by the layer's composition.
Custom maps
You can also select another layer on the timeline as a custom map. This will then use that layer to
define the breaking points and shapes.
The fixed color property specifies a color in the custom map which will remain unshattered.
The Threshold property adjusts the detail of the shatter. Lower thresholds will result in finer shatter
pieces.
Low thresholds can reduce performance.
Extrusion adjusts the depth of shatter pieces.
Physics
The physics property group defines the behaviour of the shatter.
Forces
The force defines the point at which the shatter takes place. The force can be small or large, as
defined by the Radius property.
The Strength of shatter impact can be adjusted.
The force's Position can be altered or linked to another layer on the timeline.
Gravity
After the shatter pieces are created by the Force they are then affected by gravity, which pulls the
pieces in a direction as defined by the XY Direction and Z Direction properties.
The Shatter effect can also include a simulated floor for the shatter pieces to land on. The relative
height of this floor is defined by the Floor Distance property.
Simulation
The behaviour of the shatter pieces is defined by the Simulation properties.
Timing
The timing properties are used to alter the beginning and end of the shatter effect within the applied
layer.
Appearance
The front, back and sides of the shatter pieces can be colored and textured individually using the
Appearance properties.
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Render
The Render properties can be used to alter what is rendered during a shatter effect and the overall
quality.
Depth of field for the Shatter effect can also be activated here.
Motion Blur
Motion blur can be applied to the Shatter effect, using the Comp settings or the effect's own setup.
Illumination
The shatter pieces can be illuminated by 3D lights in the composite shot. You can choose to use
either all lights with the Comp lights option, or select specific lights.
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8.13 Quick 3D
HitFilm's Quick 3D effects are simple effects that provide instant results, while providing simple
controls that can be used to customize their appearance. They are described in the following
chapters.
If you want full control over your particle effects, check out the hugely powerful Particle
Simulator in HitFilm Pro 2017.
Bonfire
Falling Debris
Fire Explosion
Fluffy Cloud
Missile Smoke
Rain
Sci-Fi Shockwave
Smoke
Sparks
Storm Cloud
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Bonfire
Creates a realistic bonfire.
General
Target - the point towards which the fire and smoke moves. Changing the target position can
create a convincing illusion of the fire being influenced by wind.
Height - alters the height of the flame relative to the target position.
Fire
Active - each individual element of the bonfire can be turned on and off.
Spread - adjusts the fire between a small, intense base or a broad base.
Ferocity - changes the textures used by the fire.
Intensity - creates a stronger, brighter fire.
Size - adjusts the size of the individual fire particles.
Color - changes the color of the fire, which in turn affects the lighting on the smoke.
Smoke
Spread - adjusts the smoke between a thin or broad column.
Thickness - changes the textures used by the smoke.
Density - moves between thin, wispy smoke and dense, thick smoke.
Size - adjusts the size of the individual smoke particles.

Color from fire - determines how much of the smoke is illuminated by the fire.
Color - changes the color of the smoke when it isn't being affected by the fire.
Embers
Spread - adjusts whether the embers are generated over a small or large area.
Variation - changes the textures used by the embers.
Amount - alters the number of embers visible at any one time.
Turbulence - increasing turbulence will cause the embers to move more erratically.
Size - adjusts the size of the individual ember particles.
Color - changes the color of the embers, without affecting the smoke and fire colors.
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Falling Debris
Creates tumbling debris and dust, as if from an explosion or disintegration.
General
Fall duration - how long the debris continues to be created.
Scale fall area - size of the area the debris falls from.
Floor plane layer - a layer can be selected to use as the floor. Debris that hits the floor plane will
collide with it.
Infinite floor plane - this will extend the selected floor plane layer beyond the bounds of the
actual layer.
Gravity strength - speed at which the debris falls.
Color - color of the debris. Often best when matched to the live action source of the debris.
Debris
Active - turns the debris element on and off.
Life duration - how long the debris lasts for on-screen.
Type - choose between brick, concrete and rock.
Amount - how much debris do you want?
Minimum size - debris will be no smaller than this.
Maximum size - debris will be no larger than this.
Dust
Active - turns the dust element on and off.
Life duration - how long the dust should linger for.
Density - adjusts the density of the dust.
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Fire Explosion
Creates a fire explosion that rapidly spreads and grows in size.
General
Duration - how long the explosion lasts.
Fire Explosion
Seed - each seed number creates a unique explosion.
Ferocity - how rapidly the explosion generates new sub-explosions.
Growth - how much the explosion expands.
Dirtyness - creates a dirtier explosion.
Color - alters the color of the explosion.
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Fluffy Cloud
Creates a slow moving clump of cloud. The size and position of the cloud can be adjusted using the
standard Transform properties.
Cloud
Density - the cloud can be thin or thick.
Color - changes the color of the cloud.
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Missile Smoke
The missile smoke effect is a great way to create quick smoke trails.
Animating a smoke trail

By default the smoke trail sits in the center of the screen, creating a smoke ball.
There are two ways of animating the smoke trail, each of which will create very different results.
If you use the layer's Transform properties the entire effect will be moved. This will not create a
smoke trail.
If you want to create a smoke trail, you should use the Position property in the layer's General
section.
General
Preview - toggles between preview and textured particles.
Active - turns the entire effect on and off.
Attach to layer - the smoke's position can be linked to another layer.
Position - the position of the smoke emitter.
Smoke
Density - higher density creates thicker smoke.
Linger - changes how long the smoke remains visible.
Linger variation - increasing variation introduces a random variable to the linger.
Size - adjusts the size of the smoke particles.
Size variation - increasing variation introduces a random variable to the size.
Speed - adjusts the speed of the individual smoke particles.

Speed variation - increasing variation introduces a random variable to the speed.
Color - the base color of the smoke.
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Rain
HitFilm's rain creates realistic rainfall. The rain exists in a 3D rain box which can be moved around
your scene - you can even move your camera through the rain.
Rain
Direction - the rain can be angled to fall in a particular direction.
Spread - a low spread will result in rain moving in the same direction. Higher spread values will
cause the rain to fall at more varied angles.
Amount - changes the density of the rain.

Color - adjusts the color of the rain.
Billboard - force rain to face the camera regardless of its movement.
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Sci-Fi Shockwave
Creates a dramatic shockwave, as seen in sci-fi movies when planets and space stations explode
(that's no moon!).
General
Duration - sets how long the shockwave lasts before fading away.
Type - choose between a variety of different shockwave designs.
Width - adjusts the density of the shockwave along its radius.

Height - choose between a thin sliver of a shockwave or a giant wall of plasma.
Speed - speed at which the shockwave expands.
Size - size of the individual shockwave particles.
Band
Color - sets the color of the main band.
Color variation - more variation creates more random coloring.
Trail
Amount - the trail is a separate element and its visibility can be adjusted here.
Color - the trail color can be set separately to the band.
Color variation - more variation creates more random coloring.
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Smoke
The smoke effect is great for creating slowly drifting or falling smoke.
General
Preview - toggles between preview and textured particles.
Active - turns the entire effect on and off.
Position - the position of the smoke emitter.
Smoke
Thickness - adjusts the thickness by changing the texture set.
Density - creates thin or thick smoke.
Gravity strength - strong gravity will pull the smoke either up or down.
Linger - adjusts how long the smoke lasts before fading away.
Linger variation - introduces a random variable to the linger.
Size - adjusts the size of the individual smoke particles.
Speed - alters the speed of the smoke's movement.
Speed variation - introduces a random variable to the speed.
Turbulence - higher turbulence values will create a less smooth smoke animation.
Color - change the base color of the smoke.
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Sparks
The sparks effect is designed for sudden bursts of sparks, such as when a bullet hits a metal
surface. It can be rotated using the standard Transform properties to point in any direction.
General
Duration - how long the sparks last before disappearing.
Sparks
Spread - the sparks can be emitted in a tight, focused beam or a wide dispersal.
Amount - adjusts the number of sparks.
Star ratio - adjusts how many stars are created in relation to sparks.
Color - changes the color of the entire effect.
287
Storm Cloud
Creates a dark, ominous storm cloud.
Cloud
Density - the cloud can be thin or thick.
Color - changes the color of the cloud.
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8.14 Scene
The scene effects are designed to enhance the 3D compositing environment.
Parallax
The parallax effect creates the illusion of 3D depth in a 2D layer.
In this example parallax has been used to apply a cracked concrete texture to some text:
The height map is used to determine the depth effect.

When set to None the host layer's own texture will be used for the parallax effect. You can also
choose a different layer to use as the height map.
The Blur Height Map property can be used to create a softer, smoother parallax effect.
The parallax effect is most effective when combined with HitFilm's 3D lights.
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8.15 Sharpen
The sharpen folder contains standard tools for sharpening images.
Sharpen
Brings out fine detail in the image.
Unsharpen
Alternative method for highlighting detail.
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8.16 Stylize
The stylize effects offer more extreme color grading options. They often combine multiple techniques
into a single effect.
Cartoon
Creates the appearance of a cartoon drawing, with smoothed colors and lines drawn over edges.
You can heavily customize the appearance of the edge lines and the fill.
Emboss
Creates the illusion of a ridged image, based on the source layer, similar to clay imprint.
Find Edges
Reduces the layer to only showing edge areas.
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Glow Darks
Functions in a similar way to a standard glow but affects dark areas rather than light areas.
Leave Color
Desaturates the layer except for the chosen color.
Oil Painting
Creates the look of an oil painting.
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Photorama
A selection of generated photo-style distortions.
Posterize
Reduces the color detail in the layer to create blocks of color.
Solarize
Creates the appearance of a film negative that has been exposed to light during development.
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Threshold
Reduces the layer to just two colors. You can specify the colors and the threshold changes the
emphasis of the effect.
Tint
Tints the layer, shifting dark and light areas towards your specified colors.
The Amount to Tint property can be used to create subtle or extreme effects.
294
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8.17 Temporal
Temporal effects alter layers based on time.
Echo
Creates repeated versions of the layer, offset in time, which are blended onto the current frame.
Echo Time - the time difference between each echo.
Decay - each subsequent echo will be less visible.
Motion Trails
Adds a fake motion blur based on the movement of the layer.
Speed
Changes the playback speed of the layer, offering the ability to change the speed of playback over
time.
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The speed effect does not change the duration of the layer on the timeline. If you reduce the
speed of the layer you will not be able to see any frames which are not played before the end of
the layer.
Basic speed changes are better handled using the Rate Stretch tool or the Speed/Duration
option on the timeline. See Refining Your Edit for more details.
Time Displacement
Displaces the layer based on time. You can displace using the layer itself or another layer.
The Black Time Shift and White Time Shift values specify where in time the displacement source is
from.
Time Reverse
Plays the layer in reverse frame order.
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8.18 Video Clean-up
These effects provide useful tools for improving the quality of your video footage and fixing common
issues.
Clone Stamp
The clone stamp is useful for duplicating or removing specific parts of a layer. Combined with
HitFilm's feature tracking this is a very powerful feature.
A separate layer can be used as a clone mask, defining the area to clone. Using a simple plane is
usually the easiest way to do this, as the plane can be easily resized and positioned if necessary.
The clone source can be from the applied layer or from another layer, as defined by the Clone
From property.
The Source and Target positions can then be specified, or linked to other layers. This enables the
cloning to be linked to points containing tracking data.
Deinterlace
HitFilm is designed to create progressive projects and output. If you are using interlaced footage in a
project we recommend deinterlacing it with this effect to avoid visible interlace 'combing'.
There are two options:
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Field separation discards one of the fields. This results in a half-resolution image. You can also
separate the fields while retaining both, which results in an increased framerate. The composite shot
containing the footage should have its framerate set to twice that of the footage to retain normal
playback.
Field displacement uses optical flow techniques to analyze movement within the fields and
attempts to create a new, full resolution frame which merges the two fields together. This generates
a full resolution frame but artefacts may be visible if the merge is not fully successful.
Denoise
See Denoise.
Grain Removal
Basic grain removal. Also see Denoise for advanced noise removal.
Rolling Shutter
Some capture methods used by video cameras produce an effect called rolling shutter. This is
particularly common with DSLR cameras. Rolling shutter can be identified by a wobbling, jelly-like
instability in the frame during rapid movement.
The rolling shutter effect is designed to counteract rolling shutter, correcting the video and
minimizing the effects of rolling shutter.
Shutter direction is used to define whether the camera uses a vertical or horizontal shutter.
Consult your camera's specifications for more information.
Correction
The correction property is used to specify the amount of time it takes for the camera's shutter to
travel across the frame.
In the case of cameras using a vertical shutter, this is defined as the time it takes in frames to
capture from the top row of the image to the bottom row.
Positive values indicates the vertical shutter is travelling from top to bottom, while negative values are
for bottom to top. You should consult the specifications of your camera to find the correction value
to use.
299
Shutter Sync
This property determines which part of the rolling shutter frame should be used to fix the image.
-0.5 will use the frame at the beginning of the vertical shutter capture, as defined by the
correction property.
0.0 will use the frame halfway through the vertical shutter capture. This is usually best as it will
result in the minimum amount of distortion.
0.5 will use the frame at the end of the vertical shutter capture, as defined by the correction
property.
Optical Flow
Rolling shutter works by tracking the movement of every pixel in the frame using optical flow
techniques.
The View menu can be used to observe the accuracy of the optical flow track.
Different videos may require adjustments to the optical flow properties. Adjusting the Window size
and Sigma properties tend to yield the best results.
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Denoise
Professional noise reduction is possible with the denoise effect.
Core Workflow
After the effect is applied to a noisy layer a highlight box will be displayed in the Viewer. This can be
adjusted using the two control points.
This box should be positioned over a noisy area of the frame. This will provide the effect with input to
analyze the video. Ideally select a flat region with mid-level brightness.
Click the Analyze button to analyze the selected area.
Some noise will be removed immediately.
To further refine, change the View setting to Analysis Box.
Move the control points so that the analysis box is over darker noisy area.
Click the Analyze Brightness button in the Analyze control group.
This will analyze the difference in the noise levels, between the brightness of the original analysis
and the brightness of the new analysis region.
This will refine the noise removal.
The process can be further improved by increasing the number of frames used during the analysis.
The more frames it uses, the more time it will take to render, but usually with superior results.
Controls
Analyze button - Only visible when image has not yet been analysed. Uses the selected
analysis area, to analyse the noise of the image.
Frames - The number of frames used to remove the noise. It should be kept at ‘1’ if applied to an
image.
View modes
Result - shows the result of the noise reduction
Analysis Box - shows the region that will be used for analysis if one of the analysis button is
pressed
Frequency Y - shows how much the brightness changes at the selected frequency level
Frequency U - shows how much the u color changes at the selected frequency level
Frequency V - shows how much the v color changes at the selected frequency level
301
Frequency View Options Group
Only visible if the selected View is one of the frequency options.
Level - The frequency level to be viewed.
Contrast - Allows you to change the contrast of the displayed frequency. Sometimes the changes in
frequency are too subtle to see. This control allows you to increase the contrast, to help you to see
it.
Analyse Brightness
Used when noise amount varies depending on the brightness.
Updates the threshold values in the ‘Threshold - Brightness’ control group.
Re-Analyse
Discards the original analysis that was performed and re-analyzes with the currently selected
analysis area.
Threshold
The controls under this group help the plugin to identify what is and isn’t noise, by manually
adjusting the threshold values.
Brightness - The controls under this group, allow you to change the threshold values dependent on
the brightness of the image. If, for example, not enough noise is being removed from dark areas, just
increase the threshold of the ‘0’ slider. If the problem is in the white areas, adjust the ‘100’ slider.
The sliders act like a graph, adjusting one will cause the nearby sliders to also be adjusted.
Channel - These controls allow you to change the noise threshold depending on the YUV channel.
Frequency - This allows you to change the noise threshold depending on the frequency of the data.
It is easier to edit these slider if viewing the correct frequency: simply change the view to one of the
frequencies; then change the frequency options level to correspond with the frequency slider.
Keep Edges - This slider sometimes helps to bring more of the edges back. But as the value is
increased, more of the noise might be brought back as well.
Removal Amount
These controls allow you to adjust how much of the noise is removed.
Y controls how much noise is removed from variations in brightness, of the image. By default it is set
at 80%, as removing all of the noise from the brightness tends to not look as good.
U/V controls how much noise is removed from variations in colour.
Frequency controls how much noise is removed dependent on the frequency of the data.
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8.19 Warp
These effects stretch and push your layers into new shapes.
Action Cam Lens Distort

See Action Cam Lens Distort.
Bezier Warp
Provides the ability to distort the layer and fold it into new shapes.
It is generally easier to use the Viewer controls.
Spherical Warp
Creates the appearance of a spherical lens, as if wrapping the layer around a concave or convex
surface.
303
Lens Distort & Undistort
Can be used to simulate lens distortion or remove unwanted distortion (such as from fisheye camera
lenses).
Perspective Warp
Simulates rotating the layer in 3D.
Polar Warp
Wraps the layer into a circular shape.
Quad Warp
Adds quad controls to the layer so that you can change its shape by moving its corners.
304
Vortex Displacement Warp
Similar to the Twirl distort effect but with additional displacement and vortex controls for pinching
and stretching the affected area.
305
Action Cam Lens Distort
Adds or removes fisheye lens distortion. Several presets are provided specifically for use with GoPro
cameras, making it simple to composite layers naturally into GoPro footage or to adjust GoPro
footage to match traditional lenses.
Here is a grid representing the natural curvature of a GoPro HERO4:
Here is the exact same image with the curvature removed using the fisheye warp:
The effect can also be used applied to other layers, so that they can be composited realistically into
fisheye footage:
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The FOV property adjusts the amount of distortion and Center adjusts the distortion's center -
ordinarily you will want to leave the Center at 0,0.
Scale Anchor
When the layer is adjusted this controls how it is scaled.
Corner maintains the corners of the image, scaling from the sides so that all the image is retained
but some black areas are introduced:
Height scales the image so that the frame is filled vertically while some areas are cropped:
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Width scales the image so the frame is filled horizontally, while some black areas are introduced at
the top and bottom:
Layer Resize
When the warp is applied some parts of the original frame are likely to be cropped outside of the
frame. This is a natural and expected side effect of removing fisheye distortion.
If you are removing the distortion so that you can then apply other elements before re-distorting back
to the original look this can lead to potential problems. For example, rewarping the unwarped grid
results in lost areas around the edge due to the cropping:
Original:
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Fisheye removed:
Fisheye reapplied using a reverse fisheye warp effect:
309
This can be countered using the Layer Resize options.
Take a look at this expanded view, with the Layer Resize set to None:
You can see that the undistorted grid is kept within the layer's boundaries.
Here is the same layer with the Layer Resize set to Grow:
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Grow lets the layer expand beyond its boundaries, meaning that none of the original frame is lost.
When this version is then redistorted using a second fisheye warp set to Reverse, the entire
contents of the original are recovered.
Wrap
The various wrap options determine what happens if the effect produces empty areas of frame. Tile,
Reflect and Blur Reflect fill in the empty areas using various techniques.
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8.20 Presets
Making use of presets can massively speed up your workflow in HitFilm. Presets can be created for
3D effects and combinations of 2D effects.
Presets store your chosen settings so that you can quickly recreate them elsewhere in your project
or even in completely different projects.
Using Presets
The presets are organised into multiple folders in the Effects panel.
3D Presets
All the default 3D effects presets are kept in the 3D Effects folder.
When dragged to the timeline, 3D presets create new 3D effect layers. The layer will be
automatically set up according to the settings in the preset.
2D Presets
2D effects presets need to be dragged to a layer or clip. They can store the settings for multiple 2D
effects, providing a quick way to re-use specific combinations. This is especially useful for different
film looks.
Some 2D effects presets can only be used on composite shot timelines. These are mark ed
automatically by [Layer Only] in the Effects panel.
Preset Management
You can arrange presets into folders for easy access.
New folders can be created by clicking the New Folder button at the bottom of the Effects panel.
Presets can be imported and exported by right clicking in the Effects window and using the
relevant menu options.
You can drag presets between folders inside the Effects panel to change how they are categorized.
Folders and presets can be deleted by selecting them then clicking the Delete button.
Deleting presets cannot be undone. However, if you accidentally delete the wrong preset you
can retrieve it from your computer's Recycle Bin.
Creating Presets
You can create your own presets. When creating a preset you will be asked to select a folder in
which to store it. See above for information on creating folders.
3D Presets
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To create a new 3D preset, simply right click the 3D effect in your layer list on your timeline and
choose Create 3D Preset.
You can then choose a name for your new preset and specify which folder to store it in.
The Include Layer Properties option will also include any Transform, Material or Clip Window
keyframes and values, as well as the width, height and dimensions of the layer. This can be useful if
you want to recreate the exact effect within the same project.
Presets cannot store texture information for particle effects using a layer as the texture source.
To store the settings for complex particle effects we recommend saving the effect as its own
project file. This can then be imported and used in future projects.
2D Presets
To create a 2D effects preset you first need to choose which effects to store in the preset.
Effects can be selected on the timeline by holding shift or ctrl and clicking on the effects you want.
Once you have selected your effects, right click them and choose Create Preset.
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9 Licensing Details
The Premium Formats pack includes licensing for the following formats.
Dolby Digital® (Decoder) © 1993-2002 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.
Manufactured under license from Dolby® Laboratories. Dolby and the double-D symbol are
registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 1992-2005
Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.
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HitFilm Express 2017 User

1 Learning HitFilm Express 8

The User Guide

The HitFilm.com Community

NEW Audio mixers

- NEW Support for all media types from HitFilm

NEW Lightsword (Glow only)

File, Preferences & Workspace Menus

DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD

Installing on Another Computer

• Sci-fi lasers and lightswords

About Premium Video Formats

Prompts & Warnings

Saving Your Project

Importing Projects & Composite Shots

The Editor Timeline

Composite Shot Timelines

Set In and Out Points

J plays backwards. Pressing J repeatedly will double the playback speed.

On the right the total duration of your current timeline is shown.

Viewer Playhead & Duration Bar

Viewer Display Options

Adjusting Property Values

For more information:

Four standard workspaces are provided to suit common tasks.

Designing Your Own Workspaces

Containers and Panels

Undo & Redo

Exporting Multiple Media Items to Individual Clips

The Export Screen

Duration: Indicates the total duration of the exported file.

Image Sequence Options

MOV Options [Mac Only]

AVI Options [Windows Only]

Switch to Edit Screen - Ctrl+3

Set Out Point - O

Decrease Timeline Scale - Ctrl+-

Editor Sequence Timeline

Snap On/Off - Shift+S

Roll Edit Tool - E

Composite Shot Timeline

New Light Layer - Ctrl+Alt+L

Other Import Options

Premium Video Formats

Syncing Video and Audio

Images & Image Sequences

Quicktime (ProRes, AVC, Photo-JPEG) (Mac only)

What Causes a File to Go Offline?

Restoring the Source File

Relinking Individual Files

Arranging and Grouping

Searching for Assets

Creating and Using Folders

A new folder can be created by clicking the New Folder button.

Syncing Video and Audio

Other Asset Types

Set In and Out Points

Inserting and Overlaying Clips

Automatically Creating New Tracks

How Tracks Work