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MediaStudio VE 2.5

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MediaStudio VE

[VIDEO EDITION]
VERSION 2.5

User guide

Ulead Systems, Inc.


April 1995
First English edition for MediaStudio VE, April 1995
© 1992–1995, Ulead Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or storing in a retrieval system, or translating into
any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead
Systems, Inc.

Software license
The software described in this document is furnished under a License
Agreement which is included with the product. This Agreement specifies the
permitted and prohibited uses of the product.

Licenses and trademarks


ICI Library © 1991–1992 C-Cube Microsystems.
Ulead Systems, Inc., the Ulead logo and MediaStudio VE are trademarks
of Ulead Systems, Inc. All other product names and any registered and
unregistered trademarks mentioned in this manual are used for identification
purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.

Sample files
Files provided as samples on the program CD-ROM can be used for personal
demonstrations, productions and presentations. No rights are granted for
commercial reproduction or redistribution of any sample files.
Guided tour and tutorials created using MacroMedia Authorware.
Cover images from PhotoDisc™ClipPix™Images © 1994 PhotoDisc, Inc.

Ulead Systems, Inc.


United States Headquarters: International Headquarters:
970 West 190th Street, Suite 520 12F-A, 563 Chung Hsiao East Rd
Torrance, CA 90502 Section 4, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
Tel: (310) 523-9393 Tel: (+886 2) 764-8599
Fax: (310) 523-9399 Fax: (+886 2) 764-9599
3

Contents
Welcome to MediaStudio VE 9 Background Information 27
What is MediaStudio VE? 10 Video 28
Who can use MediaStudio VE? 10 Video basics 28
Factors affecting the performance
Video 11 of digital video 29
Video Editor 11 Setting your PC up for video 29
Video Capture 12 Managing video on the PC 30
Imaging 13 Some file formats to look out for 31
Image Editor 13 Images 32
Learning about MediaStudio VE 14 How we see color 32
Reading the user manual 14 How your PC “sees” color 33
Using the on-line help 15 Understanding images and data types 33
Using the guided tour and tutorials 15 Image compression schemes 35
Some file formats to look out for 35
What is MediaStudio Pro? 16

Installation 19
Getting started 20
Installing the programs 21
Running the programs 22

Common commands & features 23


Understanding menus 24
The Switch menu 24
The status bar 24
The Show/Hide menu 25
The Preferences commands 25
4

Part A: Video

The first part of this user guide deals with Chapter 1: Video Editor 37
using a variety of video sources and files in
The basics 38
the two MediaStudio VE video programs, Working with video projects 39
Video Editor and Video Capture. The Video Relinking clips 39
Editor program is where you compile and Associating clips 40
edit different files to create a final video Working efficiently 40
production, while Video Capture is for Managing memory 40
viewing video from an external source (such Using the quick command palette 41
as a VCR or camcorder) as well as capturing Working with Proxy Files 42
video sequences to disk. Managing your proxy files 43
Using the clipboard 43
Inserting Clips 44
Inserting video, audio and image clips 44
Inserting title, silence, and color clips 46
Viewing clips in the timeline 47
Controlling the display of clips 47
Zooming in on clips 48
Viewing the contents of a clip 48
Creating files 49
Saving a video project 49
Creating a video file 49
Creating an image sequence 51
Creating a waveform file 52
Printing to video tape 52
Creating an edit decision list (EDL) file 53
Posting a timecode 54
5

Chapter 2: Editing clips 55 Chapter 3: Snap crackle “n” pop 69


Making selections in the timeline 56 Before you begin 70
Selecting clips 56 Incorporating transition effects 70
Selecting time periods 56 Creating a title clip 72
Working with cues in a project 58
Creating moving paths 73
Placing cues in a project 58
Creating a 2D advanced moving path 75
Locating clips 59 Creating 3D moving paths 75
Locating a specific clip 59 Changing the reference of the clip box 76
Locating a specific time 59 Changing direction in a moving path 76
Locating an empty time slot 60
Performing a video overlay effect 77
Adjusting the duration of clips 60 Defining key colors 78
Using the clip selection tool 60 Using mattes 78
Using the scissors tool 61
Applying video and audio filters 79
Using the trim window 61
Changing the amplification of an audio clip 80
Using the scratch pad 62
Playing a video or audio clip Chapter 4: Video Capture 81
in the scratch pad 62
Before you begin 82
Placing cues in the scratch pad 63
Creating a selection in the scratch pad 64 Preparing video for display 82
Connecting to a video source 82
Defining trim options 65
Viewing your displayed video 83
Previewing your work 66 Setting display options 84
Setting your preview options 66 Improving video display 84
Performing a preview 67 Defining audio output 85
“On the fly” previews 68 Capturing video 86
Using an MCI device 87
Saving a captured file to disk 88
Capturing single frames 90
Capturing a color palette 91
Playing back video sequences 92
6

Part B: Imaging

This part of the user guide introduces Chapter 5: Image Editor 93


MediaStudio VE’s image editing and
The basics 94
enhancement program, Image Editor. Image Calibrating your monitor 94
Editor is the program to turn to when you Opening image files 96
want to use existing image and graphics files Duplicating images 96
in your videos, or when you wish to enhance Creating a new image 96
Printing your work 97
individual video frames.
Recovering from mistakes 98
Performing cut and copy operations 99
Performing a paste operation 99
Viewing images 101
Adding a view 102
The global viewer 103
Using drag-and-drop 104
Performing batch operations 106

Chapter 6: Making selections 107


Understanding selection areas 108
The selection marquee 108
Creating selection areas 110
Selecting an area containing similar colors 110
Selecting irregularly shaped areas 111
Selecting square and circular shapes 112
Moving the selection marquee 113
Inverting a selection 114
Selecting more of an image 114
Expanding a selection 115
Selecting the border of an area 116
Merging a selected area 116
The object pool 118
Saving selections to the object pool 118
Saving selections to file 119
Groups in the object pool 119
Retrieving an object 121
Editing masks 121
7

Chapter 7: Manipulating images 123 Chapter 9: Enhancing images 151


Transforming images 124 Adjusting and correcting color 152
Cropping an image 124 Understanding mapping curves 152
Resizing images 125 Adjusting image tones 153
Flipping an image 128 Using the tone mapper curve 155
Rotating an image 129 Inverting colors 156
Slanting a selection area 131 Adjusting the number of displayable colors 156
Distorting a selection area 132 Optimizing an image’s color 157
Converting images 133 Applying special effects 158
Dithering options and techniques 134 Blurring images 158
Converting data types 134 Sharpening images 159
Adjusting an image for video 159
Chapter 8: Painting 137 Warping an image 160
Custom Filter 161
Choosing colors 138
The Special Effects command 162
The color palette 138
Using the eyedropper tool 138
Chapter 10: Scanning images 163
Using the color dialog box 139
Before you begin 164
Using the color sliders 139
Importing and exporting 164
Editing an image’s color table 140
Loading and saving color tables 140 The TWAIN commands 165
Performing post processing 166
Filling an area with color 141
Other ways to fill an image 143 Joining image strips 166
Using the painting tools 144 Stitching images 168
Selecting brush type and size 144 Operating in Stitch mode 169
Using the magic lamp 145
Applying color with the paintbrush 146
Cloning parts of an image 147
Using the airbrush 148
Painting straight lines 148
Erasing colors 149
Adding text to an image 150
8

Part C: Appendices

This last part of this user guide provides Appendix A – special effects 173
additional information concerning working Appendix B – techniques 179
in MediaStudio VE. Appendix A includes a Glossary 187
sample of the special effects available in the
Index 199
Video Editor and Image Editor programs.
Appendix B provides you with some quick
ideas on how to achieve certain effects,
helping you get started in your work.
The glossary explains commonly used
multimedia terminology, while the index
guides you to the page number where you
can find these concepts explained, as well as
all of the MediaStudio VE program features.
9

• Welcome to MediaStudio VE
MediaStudio VE is an advanced and powerful set of
programs designed to give you total control over your video
and imaging projects. With three programs, Video Editor,
Video Capture, and Image Editor, professional video has
become easier and more accessible than ever before.

This section provides a brief overview and introduction to


each of the MediaStudio VE programs. Here you can get an
idea of what you can achieve with MediaStudio VE, and how
easy it is to work in a video environment.
10 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

What is MediaStudio VE?


MediaStudio VE is a set of three programs designed to create, assemble,
and edit video projects. These can consist of text, images, sound,
animation, and video that you create yourself, or capture from a variety
of sources. Used in conjunction, these three programs allow you to
show off your creative self like never before.

Who can use MediaStudio VE?


Anyone from a multimedia novice to a seasoned professional can use
MediaStudio VE for enhancing images and creating video. MediaStudio
VE is a powerful tool offering ease-of-use for any kind of job:
• CD ROM publishers will find MediaStudio VE an invaluable aid to
preparing video for distribution.
• Office users will find it the perfect package to develop effective video
and images to enhance their presentations.
• Photographers can easily scan in and touch-up their photos.
• Video production houses will appreciate the number of special
effects and transitions.
• Home users now have the only software they need to create their
own home videos and explore their hidden talents!
No matter what kind of user you are – or what your interest in video
may be – you will find MediaStudio VE a remarkably powerful tool that
is surprisingly easy to use.
INTRODUCTION 11

A Preview of Video Editor


The key to making great video is the Video Editor program. An intuitive
editing timeline allows you to work on your entire video at one time by
offering a birds-eye view of all your media clips. Once displayed you
can begin applying special effect filters as well as sending your clips
into the third dimension with a number of powerful moving paths.
You can also overlay clips and perform a variety of color key techniques.
12 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

A Preview of Video Capture


With Video Capture, capturing video from your TV or video is now just
as easy as watching it. With easy-to-use controls, you can view video
and, when ready, capture it to disk using either your mouse and
keyboard or an MCI device.
INTRODUCTION 13

A Preview of Image Editor


Image Editor is the program to turn to when you want to manipulate,
edit, merge and create images. With a comprehensive range of image
processing commands and tools, you can easily add text, perform flips
and rotations as well as clone and paint images. More advanced options
allow you to apply a variety of powerful special effect filters, including a
custom mapper for developing your own special effect filters.
14 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Learning about MediaStudio VE


Before you begin to start working with MediaStudio VE, read this
section carefully. It describes the various methods available to help you
learn about the MediaStudio VE programs. Understanding this will
make your work that much more enjoyable – not to mention
productive.

Reading the user guide


This user guide consists of two parts: Imaging and Video. Depending on
the work that you are doing, you can go directly to the part concerned
or take a more leisurely approach by browsing through the contents of
each. If this is the first time you have used MediaStudio VE, or you are
new to working with multimedia, it is a good idea to continue reading
this introductory section as it contains useful background information
as well as commands and features common to all three of the
MediaStudio VE programs.

A comprehensive index is provided to make quick referencing that


much easier, as well as an appendix detailing special effects and
techniques that provide a jump-start to using certain MediaStudio VE
programs. There is also a glossary detailing the technical terms used in
this user guide.
Note: An electronic copy of this user guide is also available in the Adobe
Acrobat format (PDF). To view this, first run the READER.EXE file, (found
with the MediaStudio VE program files), and follow the installation
instructions.
INTRODUCTION 15

Using the on-line help


The on-line help provides a useful and informative alternative method
of learning about MediaStudio VE, and should be used in conjunction
with this guide. Essentially, if you are working in a MediaStudio VE
program, and come across a dialog box or feature you don’t understand,
first look in the Help. With powerful and quick search facilities, this
method outperforms letting your “fingers do the walking”.

Help can be accessed in three ways:

From the Help menu you can access commands that open Help at
either a specific topic or at the contents page. Use the Help menu when
you want to browse through Help or wish to go to a specific topic.

From dialog boxes you can, (when available), click on the Help button
to open Help at the topic describing the dialog box you are in. This is
particularly helpful when you want to clarify or understand specific
options available in a dialog box.

The F1 hot key is perhaps the most convenient way to access help, as it
is easy to remember and quick to use. Just rest your mouse on a feature
and press the F1 key. Help opens at the topic describing the command
or feature your mouse is resting on.
Note: Each program also provides tooltips and hint messages. Tooltips
appear beneath any tool your mouse is resting on, displaying the tool’s
name, while hint messages appear in the status bar whenever your mouse
rests on a menu command, explaining what the command is.

Using the guided tour and tutorials


To get an overview of the MediaStudio VE and Pro versions, be sure to
check out the accompanying guided tour and tutorials on the
MediaStudio VE CD. These provide you with a true multimedia
experience and show what you can achieve using the MediaStudio VE
programs.

Both the guided tour and tutorials are interactive and allow you to
control the pace of your learning. If you are a “hands-on” type of
person, viewing the guided tour and tutorials will give you a solid idea
about the features and abilities of the MediaStudio VE programs, as well
as an insight into MediaStudio Pro.
16 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

What is MediaStudio Pro?


You can easily MediaStudio Pro is a collection of programs designed to manipulate
upgrade to and manage all kinds of multimedia. MediaStudio Pro not only contains
MediaStudio Pro
from MediaStudio fuller versions of the programs found in MediaStudio VE, but goes well
VE to take full beyond that! Added to these three programs are seven powerful
advantage of the programs and utilities dedicated to bringing different facets of
added features.
multimedia within your grasp. Imagine being able to catalog your files
in a visual database, view any image or graphics file with a double-click,
edit and record audio data, capture any object you can display on your
screen, animate transformations of images, browse through photo CDs
like a racehorse, and convert files from one format to virtually any other
format! MediaStudio Pro offers these capabilities and even more. Below
is a more complete guide of what you can expect to find in MediaStudio
Pro. For ease of use, the MediaStudio Pro programs are arranged into
four categories: Management, Imaging, Video and Audio.

Management:
• Album – Organize your files visually using thumbnails to represent
the contentsofa file.N ow you can see your files rather than having to
rely on cryptic filenames. Once you have created thumbnails, you
can then append additional information such as keywords, subjects,
descriptions and marks, all of which are fully customizable and
searchable.
• Viewer – Open and view individual or multiple image files instantly
from Album. View images from 1/8× to 8× actual view, and then use
Viewer’s editing tools to take just the portion you need, or save the
entire image to disk.
• CD Browser – Scan PhotoCD’s for image files and save directly to
Album. Create thumbnails of Photo CD’s to speed up viewing.
• Multimedia Converter – Quickly perform batch conversions of files.
Multimedia Converter supports the most popular image, video,
animation, and audio file formats. This handy utility saves time and
effort by processing all your files at one go.
INTRODUCTION 17

Imaging:
• Image Editor – Carrying the weight of the imaging section, Image
Editor allows you to create and enhance images in almost any data
type and file format. Both MediaStudio Pro and MediaStudio VE
boast Image Editor’s full features.
• Screen Capture – Capture any screen component and then use it as
an image in reports, multimedia presentations, and any other
project. A variety of options allow you to change the resolution and
data type of the captured image as well as add a border and shadow.
• Morph Editor – Create special effects videos or animate the transi-
tion of one image into another with Morph Editor. Defining the area
to move is easy, and you can view the resulting image at any point in
the morphing process. A click of a button gives you the magic of
morphing in minutes!

Video and Audio:


• Video Editor – With over 50 special effect filters, not to mention more
than a hundred transition effects, MediaStudio Pro gives you an
added edge for creating amazing videos. You also get easier clip
management through a clip library and project window. Once you
get familiar with working in a video environment, you will appreciate
these extra features that MediaStudio Pro offers.
• Video Capture – The program that lets you capture sequences or
single frames from any video source, Video Capture gives you all the
material you need to work with to create great video. Both
MediaStudio Pro and MediaStudio VE boast Video Capture’s full
features.
• Audio Editor – Edit, mix, and create audio files, either for use in
stand-alone projects, or for incorporation into your Video Editor
projects. Audio Editor’s wide range of features allow you to mix
several audio tracks together, remove unwanted background noise,
change pitch, and add a variety of special effects.
18 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

A wrap-up of MediaStudio Pro


The MediaStudio Pro programs, just like the MediaStudio VE programs,
maintain a similar “look and feel”, making it effortless to switch from
one program to any of the others. You can work on an image in Image
Editor, then transfer that image to Video Editor to incorporate it in a
video presentation. Likewise, you can take an audio track from a video
file and then edit and enhance it in the Audio Editor program, create a
special effects video in the Morph Editor program, or organize your
whole project in the Album program. With MediaStudio Pro, you have
all the tools necessary to work with any media – and you can easily
upgrade to MediaStudio Pro from MediaStudio VE to take advantage of
all these added features. Simply contact Ulead Systems at either our
North American or international address, (located on the licence page
of this manual and the side of the MediaStudio VE box).
19

• Installation
This section gets your copy of MediaStudio VE up and running;
this includes a look at your system requirements as well as how
to install and run the MediaStudio VE programs.
20 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Getting started
Before you begin installing MediaStudio VE, check that you have the
following:

Your MediaStudio VE package:


• License agreement.
• CD.
• Registration card. Please take a moment to fill out this card during
installation. Becoming a registered user entitles you to free product
update and upgrade information.
Your computer:
• System: an IBM PC 386/486/Pentium, PS/2, or compatible PC.
• Operating software: Microsoft Windows (version 3.1 or higher).
• Memory: 4 MB or more of system memory (RAM).
• CD-ROM: any single or higher-speed drive.
• Disk drives and a hard drive with at least 20 MB of free space for the
MediaStudio VE program files.
• Display: any Windows-compatible display adapter, including VGA,
Super VGA, XGA, 8514/A, and 15-, 16-, or 24-bit.
• Pointing device: any mouse, trackball or pointing device supported
by Windows.
• Input devices (optional): Video for Windows compatible video
boards, Photo CD and TWAIN compatible input devices, sound
board with Windows driver.
• Printer (optional): any black & white or color printer, image setter or
film recorder supported by Windows.
INTRODUCTION 21

Installing the programs


The MediaStudio VE installation program runs from within Windows
and is fully self-explanatory. You must use this program to install
MediaStudio VE, as the program files require decompression during the
installation process.

To install MediaStudio VE:


1. Turn on your computer and run Microsoft Windows.
2. Read the license agreement and, if you agree to abide by it, continue
with the installation.
3. Insert the CD into your CD drive.
4. Open Program Manager (or File Manager) and choose “Run” from the
File menu. The Run dialog box opens.
5. In the Command Line entry box, type the drive letter for your CD
followed by “INSTALL”. For example, if your CD drive is on drive
D:\, type D:\INSTALL.
6. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the installation program begins.
7. Follow the installation program instructions. While the program is
installing files, the installation window displays information about
MediaStudio VE and the progress of the installation.
Note: To move between entry boxes in the installation program, use your
mouse or press TAB (not ENTER).
8. When the installation is complete, you are asked if you would like to
read the ReadMe file. This file contains technical information and
anything additional to the printed documentation. (It is a good idea
to print out a “hard copy” of this file and keep it stored with your user
guide.)
9. After successfully installing MediaStudio VE, remove the CD and
keep it and your license agreement in a safe place. The MediaStudio
VE icons appear in a program group in Windows Program Manager –
exactly which program group depends on the choices you made
during installation.
22 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Running the programs


If you followed the suggestions made by the installation program, the
program icons appear in the MediaStudio VE program group. To run
any of the MediaStudio VE programs, simply double-click on the
appropriate icon. When you are already working in any of the programs,
the easiest method to run another MediaStudio VE program is by
using the Switch menu, located at the upper right of the menu bar.
By selecting the name of the program from the Switch menu, the
program opens automatically.
23

• Common commands & features


This section takes a look at the commands and features that
are shared by the MediaStudio VE programs. All the
MediaStudio VE programs are integrated, making your work
easier as you move from one program to the other.
24 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Understanding menus
When you view menus, some commands appear in black while others
are grayed-out. (The actual colors depend on your current Windows
color scheme.) Commands in black are active and available for
selection while grayed-out commands are inactive and unavailable for
selection.
Note: A command may be inactive because your PC does not have the
necessary hardware to support that particular function, or because the
command is not currently applicable; for example, when there are no files
open, the Close command is inactive.

In each menu, keyboard shortcuts appear to the right of some of the


menu commands. Use shortcuts to perform the corresponding
command from the keyboard – without the need to access the menu
with your mouse. Instead of a shortcut key, there may be an arrow or
three dots. The arrow signifies that a submenu exists for that command
while the dots indicate the command accesses a dialog box. If a
command has neither of these, then its effect is immediate.

The Switch menu


Tip: Use the Switch At the right of each program’s menu bar, you will see the Switch menu.
menu to jump This menu maintains the link between each of the MediaStudio VE
between
MediaStudio VE programs. Choosing this menu reveals the names of these programs.
programs. By selecting a program’s name, the program opens and you are
transferred to its workspace. (The Switch menu also allows you to
access Windows Program Manager, File Manager and Clipboard.)

The status bar


All the programs in MediaStudio VE contain a status bar. This displays
information about the program and the files you are working on, as well
as useful hint messages about each of the menu commands. In Video
Editor, for example, clip start and end times, as well as clip duration
and current cursor position are all displayed in the statue bar; Image
Editor displays such information as file data type and size as well as
current cursor position in the status bar.
Note: Double-clicking on a program’s status bar opens that program’s
Preferences dialog box.
INTRODUCTION 25

The show/hide Menu


At the bottom left of the status bar is the show/hide menu button.
Clicking on this button alternately shows or hides certain important
interface elements, such as the toolbar, color palette, and ribbon bar.
When working on multiple files or oversized images, you may wish to
hide these elements in order to increase your working space;
alternately, this button provides a quick way to access these tools
when your work requires them.
Note: If you hide the status bar itself, use the Show Status Bar command
from the View: Options submenu to show it again.

The Preferences commands


In each program’s File menu, you will find the Preferences command.
Choosing this command reveals a submenu of commands used to
optimize the MediaStudio VE programs. A program-specific dialog box
allows you to optimize each of the three MediaStudio VE programs, and
a shared dialog box allows you to manage file formats. The following
section provides a brief description of the individual programs’
Preferences commands:

File Formats
The shared File Formats command allows you to specify which file
formats you want the MediaStudio VE programs to support. When using
MediaStudio VE for the first time, all available file formats are placed on
the active list. This allows you to open a wide range of files but uses up
valuable system resources and makes the List Files of Type combo box
very long. If you only work with a limited number of file formats,
use this command to remove unnecessary formats from the active list,
thereby freeing up system resources. Changes you make in this dialog
box are reflected in all the MediaStudio VE programs. (For example,
if you remove a file format from the File Formats dialog box, no other
MediaStudio VE program will have access to that format.)
Notes:
• If you have a file currently open in the workspace, the file’s format
appears with an asterisk, indicating that the format is in use. If you want
to remove the format from the active list, first close the file.
• The object pool in Image Editor stores images in the TIF file format.
If you want to use the object pool, ensure that the TIF format is active.
26 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Video Editor
The Video Editor Preferences dialog box allows you to set General,
Project, Association, and Cache preferences. Specify general
preferences to set your work environment every time you open Video
Editor, and Project preferences if you wish to work in a different
environment for the current project. The Association folder allows you
to open files in a specified program (see p.40), and the Cache folder
allows you to set memory options (see p.40). Video Editor’s other
preferences include Customize Video Filters and Customize Transition
Effects, which allow you to create custom folders containing the effects
filters and video transition effects you use most frequently.

Video Capture
Video Capture’s preference options allow you to customize both the
program interface and the behavior of video files. You can, for
example, return video files to the first frame after they play, and even
change the program's background color. This last option is great when
capturing, as you can specify any color you wish to place behind a video
as you capture, making for a better-looking presentation.

Image Editor
The Image Editor preferences, like the other MediaStudio VE
program-specific preferences, determine the appearance of the
program interface, however, you may wish to change this appearance
more often than in Video Editor or Capture – specifically the Preserve
Image Under Selection option (see p.109). Image Editor’s other
preferences include OLE and Clipboard (controlling drag and drop),
Display (regulating the display of images on your monitor), and
Memory (allowing you to dedicate memory to working with large
images).
27

• Background Information
This section describes some of the fundamentals behind
the media you can work with in MediaStudio VE. If you are
accustomed to working in a multimedia environment,
and know your frame rates from your sampling rates, you
may wish to skip this section. If you are new to multimedia,
or wish to brush up on your background knowledge, you will
find this section an invaluable source of information.
28 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

All about video


Video is a good example of a true multimedia format. Here you can
combine images and audio to create animated sequences which you
can save to file or print to video tape. You can even capture video from
“live” sources such as a VCR, camcorder or television. Because of the
power of video, it is important to understand how video works,
particularly digital video, for you to fully utilize the potential of video.

Video basics
Most people’s experience of creating video is limited to using
camcorders and VCR’s. This is known as the world of analog video,
where a camera has been used to convert what it sees into an electronic
signal which is then stored on tape as a continuous stream of
information. (Television works by sending this signal directly to your
television screen.)

Video on the PC, however, is quite different, as the PC is a digital world.


Therefore, when you want to display video on your PC, you need to
convert, or digitize, the analog signal. This conversion process is taken
care of by a special card called a video capture board. This board
converts any incoming signals, be they from a tape or television, to a
digital form that can be displayed on your PC. (Some boards can
actually “overlay” the signal directly to your monitor, essentially turning
your monitor into a television screen.) The success of the capture
depends on the type of board you are using as well as the hardware
setup of your PC. A machine with a good capture board, plenty of RAM
and a fast hard disk will of course produce better digital video than one
without.
INTRODUCTION 29

Factors affecting the performance of digital video


Once digitized, video is represented as a sequence of individual frames,
(images), which, when played back at speed, create the illusion of
movement. The number of frames that appear each second is referred
to as the frame rate. Television has a frame rate of 25 (PAL and SECAM)
or 30 (NTSC) frames per second (fps). Frame rate is an important
consideration in digital video as it has a direct relationship to both file
size and clarity of motion. For example, a full screen (640x480) True
Color frame is approximately 1 MB. Therefore, 1 second of video at
television or broadcast quality (30 frames per second) would result in a
30 MB file: obviously too much for most PC’s to handle, particularly as
the average data transfer rate of many hard disks is between 0.5 to 2 MB
per second.

By decreasing the frame rate, you can of course reduce the file size.
(Many video files can produce good motion with a frame rate as low as
15 frames per second.) Another method of reducing file size consists
in reducing the size of the frame itself as well as the data type.
For example, most computers can handle Indexed-Color ¼ size
(160×120) and ½ size (320×240) video quite well.

Different file sizes Frame rate # of frames 8-bit 24-bit


for 10 seconds of
video (320×240). 7 frames/sec 70 525 KB 1575 KB
15 frames/sec 150 1125 KB 3375 KB
30 frames/sec 300 2250 KB 6750 KB

Setting your PC up for video


If you want to work extensively with video, one of the first things you
need to do is to make sure your PC has the right hardware. If your PC
meets the minimum requirements outlined at the beginning of this
manual, you should have no problem getting video to work. However,
don’t forget that these are minimum requirements. To really get video
moving, you need a 486, 66 MHz or higher machine which has 16 MB
or more of RAM, and a big, fast hard disk and advanced hard disk
controller card with a large amount of contiguous free space. A good
display card and/or video capture board with its own on-board RAM
would also help.
30 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Managing video on the PC


Irrespective of how big and fast your PC is, there will always be a need
to manage and control the size of video files. As mentioned before,
by changing the frame size, frame rate and data type of video, you can
make considerable savings in terms of file size. Another method you
can use is compression, (see over). One good idea is to regularly
defragment your hard disk with a utility program such as Speeddisk
from Norton utilities. This tidies up the data on your hard disk,
thus making it easier to continuously access data on your hard disk,
or to find contiguous empty space for storing captured video frames or
previewing video files. When working with particularly large files,
you may also want to close any background programs to maximize your
system resources.
Note: When capturing video, it is a good idea to disable any disk caching
utilities you may have, such as SmartDrive, to improve write access to your
hard disk.

Creating a RAM drive


If you have extra RAM to spare, you can improve disk access and speed
by creating a RAM drive to load your files into, as well as for use as a
temporary directory and for capturing small video sequences.
(This works best if you have at least 16 MB of RAM, and can afford to
assign 8 MB to the RAM drive.)

To create a RAM drive:


1. Open the CONFIG.SYS file in a text editing program such as Windows
Notepad or Write.
2. Add the following line, DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS.
(Place this below any other device lines you may have.)
3. Save the file and reboot your system. An additional D:\ drive will be
included in your File Manager as the RAM drive. (The drive letter
may vary depending on the number of hard disks accessed by
your PC.)
INTRODUCTION 31

Video compression
Compression is the key to making video viable on the PC. When you
compress video, various options are available that allow you to
improve the compression rate, such as key framing and interleaving.
The following takes a look at these and how they affect your video files.

Key framing works by saving the full data of specific frames and
compressing any intervening frames. This tends to provide better
quality playback over other schemes, as the video has an accurate
reference point to recreate image data. The key frame rate depends on
the type of video you have. As a guideline, for slow moving videos,
such as people talking, choose a key frame rate for every half second.
For example, if your video is playing at 20 fps, choose a key frame rate
of 10. For faster moving videos, such as people running, select a key
frame rate for every quarter of a second, (5 for a 20 fps video).
Note: Ultimately, the best way to choose a compression scheme for your
project is to try several different schemes on a test portion of your video.

Interleaving is a technique that allows you to control the distribution of


video and audio data in a video. Standard video files are interleaved at
1:1, which means each video frame is followed by a portion of audio.
(For files to be played from a CD-ROM, this is the recommended ratio.)
By specifying higher interleaving ratios, you can group similar data
together, and therefore improve compression. As a guideline, the ratio
should not exceed the fame rate, as this may adversely affect audio and
video synchronization.

Some file Formats to look out for


When creating video in Windows, there is one main video file format in
use: AVI. This format supports several compression schemes and is
compatible with most video programs. While MediaStudio VE can read
and write to other file formats, video files created in MediaStudio VE are
saved by default in the AVI format.

AVI
This file format is the king of video on the PC. Designed to save audio
and video data together, the AVI format offers interleaving and lossless
compression to keep file sizes down to a minimum.
32 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Apple QuickTime (QTM)


The QTM (quick time movie) file format is a Mac-based file format,
used to store video and audio data to be run on an Apple computer.
The QTM file format includes a compression scheme to reduce file size.

FLI/FLC/FLX
The FLI, FLC and FLX are Autodesk file formats widely supported by
different video programs and are used primarily for saving animation
files, complete with any accompanying audio track.

All about images


Either as stills or frames in a video sequence, images make up the bulk
of your work in MediaStudio VE. Because of this, it is important that
you have a good understanding of images. This section provides that
understanding with an introduction to color, image data types, color
palettes, and file formats.

How we see color


In the natural world, we see colors in response to how light is reflected
or absorbed by objects. For example, an apple appears red because it
absorbs colors other than red, which is reflected and picked up by our
eyes. If an object absorbs all the colors of light, we see black; if it reflects
all the colors, we see white.

How your PC “sees” color


Your computer acts as an artificial source of light that mimics the
behavior of natural light through the use of color models. The two most
common models used by computers today are the RGB and HSB color
models. (Another model, CMYK, is used primarily in the print industry
for producing color in publications.) The RGB and HSB color models
break color into three components. Each component is comprised of
8-bits (1 byte) of information which allows a maximum of 256 different
values. By combining all three components of a color model you get
24-bit color, or a possible 16.7 million different colors, (256×256×256).
INTRODUCTION 33

The RGB model


The RGB model works by mixing the three primary colors (red, green
and blue) to produce other colors. For example, an equal amount of
each produces a shade of gray, or a combination of pure red and pure
green produces pure yellow. All monitors use this model to produce
color.

The HSB model


The HSB color model defines color in terms of three values: hue,
saturation, and brightness. Hue represents a specific color, for example,
orange, purple or yellow, while saturation indicates the intensity,
or amount of this color. Fully saturated hues appear vibrant, while
unsaturated hues, such as pastels, have a more washed-out look.
(The hue and saturation of an image is often referred to as
chrominance.) Brightness (often referred to as luminance) can be
thought of as how light or dark a color appears. All television sets use
this model to adjust color.

Understanding images and data types


To your PC, an image is a collection of dots, called pixels. Each pixel can
represent a particular color, exactly which color is determined by the
data type of the image. For example, an 8-bit data type allows a pixel to
display a maximum of 256 colors. There are currently six image data
types that you can work with in MediaStudio VE: Black and White,
Grayscale, Indexed 16 and 256-Color, HiColor, and True Color.
The following provides an indication of the make-up of each data type,
their usefulness as well as their limitations:

Black and white (1-bit) – this is the most economical of data types as it
only supports two colors: black and white. Because of this, it is only
really useful if you are creating line art images, or wish to create certain
effects.

Indexed 16 color (4-bit) – this data type is the smallest color data type
available and can produce a total of 16 colors. If you don’t require many
colors and want to save on file size, this is the data type of choice.
(Standard VGA monitors use 4-bit color.)
34 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Grayscale (8-bit) – this data type contains 256 shades of gray (including
both pure black and pure white). Grayscale is ideal if you are using a
monochrome monitor or preparing images for publication in a single
color.

Indexed 256 color (8-bit) – this data type allows you to use 256 colors,
instead of just shades of gray. This data type is often used by programs
to provide a variety of basic colors without taxing your system, and can
be dithered to adequately represent True Color. (Standard super VGA
monitors use 8-bit color.)

HiColor (15, 16-bit) – these data types contain approximately 32,000


and 65,000 colors respectively, and is an economic alternative to True
Color images. Not all programs or file formats, however, can support
HiColor, and may automatically convert HiColor images to True Color.

True Color (24-bit) – this is the most versatile data type, yielding over
16.7 million colors. This data type produces true-to-life color, but can
result in extremely large files. All effects in the MediaStudio VE
programs can be applied to True Color images.

Working with color palettes


The Indexed 16- and 256-Color data types produce color through the
use of color palettes. A color palette is a fixed table that stores the color
information of an image. If you are working on an Indexed-Color image,
you can only use those colors specified in the palette. If you wish to
introduce new colors, you must change an existing color by editing the
actual color table. An alternative is to convert the image to a data type
that supports more colors (for example, True Color), and then convert
back down. During the return conversion process, you can specify how
you want the palette to be created.
INTRODUCTION 35

Image compression schemes


If you need to use more powerful data types, or wish to reduce file size,
help is on hand with a number of file compression schemes. Essentially
there are two types of compression: lossless and lossy. Lossless
compression schemes, (such as LZW), allow you to compress files
without any loss of data. Lossy schemes, (such as JPEG), discard data,
and as such produce a markedly smaller file size, but may also
introduce degradation to the original image. Which scheme is available
depends on the type of file format you save an image in.

Some file formats to look out for


When working with images, you can choose from a variety of file
formats to save your work in. Your decision will be influenced by the
compatibility of the format to your data type and program, as well as
any available compression schemes the file format supports.
The following provides a spot list of all the graphics and image file
formats supported by MediaStudio VE, including an explanation of
which formats to keep an eye out for:

Graphics: PIC WMF

Images: BMP EPS GIF JPG MAC MSP PCD PCT PCX
PSD TGA TIF

Windows Bitmap (BMP)


This file format was developed for specific use in the Windows
environment. BMP images can be consistently displayed on different
machines (with similar capabilities). Use this file format in other
Windows applications, or within Windows itself (as your wallpaper,
for example). BMP images support Black & White, Indexed 16 and
256-color, HiColor and True Color data types.
36 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

JPEG
This file format is a “lossy” format that compresses files as it saves
them. The main advantage of using JPEG is that it offers a compression
ratio up to 100:1. Moreover, in order to minimize the visual effect of
the loss of image data, information that is less visible to the eye is
discarded, while more important/visible information remains
untouched. The JPEG format supports Grayscale, True Color, and CMYK
True Color images.

Kodak Photo CD (PCD)


This file format is used to save images to a Kodak Photo CD. The PCD
format supports Grayscale, Indexed 256-Color, and True Color images.
MediaStudio VE can read these files.

Targa (TGA)
This file format supports Grayscale, Indexed 256-color, HiColor and
True Color images, and contains a lossless compression scheme.
In addition, it is the only file format in which you can save HiColor
images and still retain their data in a 16-bit format.

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)


TIFF is a multipurpose format that supports Black & White, Grayscale,
Indexed 16 and 256-Color, True Color and CMYK True Color images.
It also allows you to compress images using a lossless compression
scheme.
37

Chapter 1: Video Editor


Video Editor is where your multimedia work comes to life.
Here you create video projects containing all the video,
audio, and image clips that you want to appear in your final
production. With your clips in place, you can perform a wide
variety of special effects and video techniques that rival any
of those you have seen on the “big screen”.

This chapter introduces you to the Video Editor program,


getting you familiar with its layout and standard functions.
Here you will learn the basics of video editing, such as
working with clips, using cues, and creating different media
files.
38 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

The basics
Creating your video productions in Video Editor is both easy and
convenient – if you can move a mouse, you can create video. The key to
this ease of use is Video Editor’s timeline-based editing. A timeline
works by displaying video and audio files (clips) along individual tracks.
These tracks run parallel to each other and appear like film strips laid
out side by side. Clips appearing in lower tracks are given precedence
over clips higher in the timeline. This hierarchical order allows you to
overlap clips and perform a variety of special effects, such as transitions
and color keying.

The first two video tracks in the timeline, the Va and Vb tracks, are
separated by a special Fx track. This Fx track is used to place transition
effects that control how a clip in either the Va or Vb track cuts to or
plays over the other. Below the Vb track are an additional 99 overlay
tracks. Overlay tracks are used primarily to perform special effects such
as color keying and moving paths. Further down the timeline are the
audio tracks, which are similar to video tracks except that they don’t
contain an Fx track. This is because overlapping audio clips are
automatically mixed whenever you create an audio file or video file
containing audio data.

An example of a
timeline featuring
both video and
audio tracks.
VIDEO 39

Working with video projects


In Video Editor, the timeline and its associated clips are referred to as a
video project, and can be saved in the DVP file format. When you save a
video project, Video Editor only saves the positions and attributes of
the clips in the timeline, not the actual source files themselves.
The advantage of this is that the DVP has a relatively small file size and
that any editing you do is “nondestructive” – that is, it does not affect
the original source files on disk.

Whenever you create a new video project, (done by choosing the File:
New command), you can specify the properties that you want the video
project to adopt, such as the television standard, frame rate, and frame
size. These properties are “remembered” in the File: Preferences: Video
Editor dialog box and become the default properties used each time
you run Video Editor. (You can change these properties for the current
video project with the File: Properties command.)

Each time you open a video project, (with the File: Open command),
Video Editor verifies that your hard disk still contains the source files
whose clips are featured in the video project. When any of these files are
not present, a message box appears for each missing file asking if you
wish to relink the clips to the source files, or ignore the missing links.
If you choose not to relink, the video project file opens with unlinked
clips blacked-out. (Any editing you perform, however, is still retained
for when you later relink the file.) To relink clips in an already opened
video project, choose the Edit: Find Unlinked Clip command. When
unlinked files are found, a dialog box opens displaying the related
filenames as well as options to relink, delete the clip, or go to the clip in
the timeline.
Note: You can combine different video projects by choosing the Insert: File
Project command.
40 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Associating clips
There may be times when you insert a clip, but find that you still have
some editing to do on the source file. By associating the clip to an
editing program, you can open the file of the clip in the appropriate
program by selecting it and pressing the Enter key or choosing the Clip:
Run command, (disabled for image clips). To define the program
association, use the Association folder in the File: Preferences: Video
Editor dialog box.

Working efficiently
Working with video can place a heavy demand on your system
resources. In order to increase the speed and efficiency of your work,
Video Editor provides several methods for optimizing your video
editing environment. This section looks at those methods, including
memory management, proxy files, and the quick command palette.

Managing memory

Tip: Allocate One of the first commands you will want to look at when you run Video
memory cache to Editor is the File: Preferences: Video Editor command. This accesses a
improve
dialog box that gives you control over various aspects of Video Editor’s
performance.
behavior, as well as the attributes of your video projects and your PC’s
memory. For example, in the Cache folder, you can manage memory by
allocating RAM or hard disk space for caching.

Caching works by setting aside a portion of memory to store your


last applied operation. This helps speed up your work, particularly if
you apply the same command or perform the same operation in
succession. As a guideline, it is a good idea to devote one-third to
one-half of your RAM space to cache memory. If you do not have
enough RAM, or wish to have more cache, you can set aside additional
space on your hard disk. (You can devote up to a total of 120 MB of
RAM and disk space to cache memory.) To create a cache on your hard
disk, you need to specify a directory for this purpose. Do this in the
Disk Cache Directory entry box.
VIDEO 41

Another method to increase performance is to specify a directory to be


used as additional working space for large files in the Temporary
Directory entry box in the General folder. Generally this will be your
TEMP directory and should be kept as free as possible from any outside
files. (If you have a large amount of RAM, for example 16 MB or more,
you can set up a RAM disk, see p.30.)

Using the quick command palette


The traditional way to choose a command has always been to go to the
menu bar to find a command in the appropriate menu or submenu.
A quicker alternative in Video Editor is to use the quick command
palette, accessed by clicking on the quick command palette button in
the menu ribbon or by choosing the View: Options: Show Quick
Command Palette command. The quick command palette’s advantage
over the menu bar is that you can customize the commands that
appear there as well as move and resize the palette so that it is always
close at hand. By choosing the Layout Options command in the quick
command palette’s control menu, you can select which commands
appear in the palette as well as assign commands to the custom and
cache areas. (The custom area displays only those commands you
specify here, whereas the cache area “remembers” the last commands
you have used.) You can also choose to save the specified configuration
of the palette, or the latest changes to the palette when you quit Video
Editor.

If you wish to change the commands in the palette, choose the Modify
command in the quick command palette’s control menu. This allows
you to select commands from the menu bar and add or remove them
from the palette. If you find that resizing the palette covers part of a
command name, you can assign a new name, or “alias”, to the
command. For example, “File Preferences Video Editor” can be written
as “VE Pref”. This is also useful when you need to free up working space
hidden under the palette.
42 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Working with Proxy Files


Tip: Use proxy files Proxy files are “working copy” files that allow you to use cut-down
to speed up versions of your source files when you create a preview of your video
previewing.
project. These files are meant to be temporary, designed only to give
you a quick idea of how your project is progressing. If you know you are
going to be using a certain file in your project, you can create a proxy
file using the File: Create: Proxy File command even before you load it
into the timeline. When you are ready to create your final video
sequence, Video Editor switches to the original source files for full
quality video.

To create a proxy file:


1. Choose “Proxy File” from the File: Create submenu. The Create Proxy
File dialog box opens.
2. To select files to add to proxy mode, click on the Add Video and Add
Image buttons; a dialog box opens in which you can specify the drive
and directory in which your files are located. You can delete selected
files from the list using the Remove button, or delete all files using
the Remove All button. In addition, you can use the Browse button
to specify the directory where you want to save your proxy files, and
the Options button to define the characteristics of the proxy files you
create. (At the bottom of this dialog box, the Free Disk Space in
Drive C shows the amount of available space for storing proxy files,
while the Estimated Disk Space Required shows the amount of
space required. Estimated Performance Factor reflects the approxi-
mate improvement in speed for your system’s performance.)
3. Click OK. The dialog box disappears, and proxy files are automati-
cally created for any files added to the selected files list.
Note: If you wish to use proxy files from the start of your video project,
check the Proxy Mode option in the File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog
box. If this option is not checked, Video Editor uses the original files when
performing previews.
VIDEO 43

Managing your proxy files


If you were not previously working in proxy mode and wish to create
proxy files once you have a number of files in the timeline, you can
easily do this using the proxy manager, opened by selecting the File:
Proxy Manager command. Here you can add or remove files from proxy
mode, view clip and proxy file information, and change existing proxy
file properties. The Info button allows you to view file information at a
glance, while the Option button opens a dialog box where you can
optimize proxy file characteristics. (Proxy files are saved by default to
the temp directory specified in the File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog
box. You cannot save proxy files to the same directory as their source
files.)
Notes:
• An asterisk appears next to any filenames for which a proxy file already
exists.
• Whenever you add a file to proxy mode, the Estimated Performance
Factor reflects the approximate improvement in speed for your system’s
performance.

Using the clipboard


The clipboard allows you to cut and copy clips from the timeline and
then paste them into either empty clip slots or over existing clips within
the same or different video project. To cut or copy a clip, first select it
and then click on the appropriate button in the ribbon. (You can also
choose the Cut or Copy commands from the Edit menu or from the
right mouse button pop-up menu.)

Using your mouse, you can duplicate a clip by holding down the Ctrl
key and dragging the clip to another position or compatible track in the
timeline. (If you do not hold down the Ctrl key as you drag, the clip is
moved but not copied.) You can only drag clips to empty clip slots,
however. If the clip slot is shorter than the clip, the cursor changes to
the stop cursor, and the clip cannot be moved or duplicated.
Note: If you copy a clip containing an effect or filter to an incompatible
track, the effect or filter icons will be checked with an X, indicating they are
disabled. Moving the clip back into a compatible track enables the effect or
filter.
44 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

You can paste clips from the clipboard back into any compatible track
in the timeline. When you paste, Video Editor allows you to paste the
entire clip, with the Edit: Paste command, or just its attributes, with the
Edit: Paste Attributes command. If you choose the Paste Attributes
command the Paste Attributes dialog box opens, allowing you to paste
video and audio filters, overlay options and moving paths. (Exactly
which depends on the clipboard data.) If pasting filters, there are two
additional options Append and Replace. Append adds the new filters to
any existing filters and Replace overwrites any existing filters with those
from the clipboard. (If no filters exist, these options are disabled.)

Inserting Clips
Clips are the building blocks of every video project and are also your
starting point in Video Editor. There are six kinds of clips that you can
insert into a video project, namely audio, video, image, title, color and
silence clips. When you insert a clip, it is placed into the timeline – into
which track depends on the media type. For example, you can only
load video clips into a video track, or silence clips into an audio track.

Inserting video, audio and image clips


The easiest way to insert a clip into the timeline is to click on the
appropriate insert button in the menu ribbon. (You can also choose its
corresponding command from the Insert menu.) A dialog box opens
allowing you to select any compatible files. If you choose a video file
that contains both video and audio data, clips are placed in both the
video and audio tracks – these clips remain connected to maintain
synchronicity. If you wish to disconnect the two clips, choose the Clip:
Split command. To reunite split clips, choose the Clip: Unite command.
(The clips must be of the same duration and in corresponding
positions in the timeline.) If either clip has moved tracks, or is missing,
the Unite command becomes Expand. When you expand, you create a
duplicate of the missing clip. (If another clip occupies the position
where you want to unite/expand a clip, the Unite/Expand command is
disabled.)
VIDEO 45

Notes:
• Double-clicking on an empty clip slot in the appropriate track opens the
Insert Video or Audio dialog box.
• Whenever you insert an image clip, you can specify the duration of the
clip in the Load Image dialog box. The image is then repeated to “fill”
the specified duration.

When inserting clips, you can choose to insert the clip into an empty
clip slot, or over an existing clip. An empty clip slot starts from the end
of one clip and continues to the beginning of the next. If a clip is
inserted into a clip slot that is shorter in duration than the clip itself,
the clip appears red and is truncated when inserted. If the clip slot is
longer than the clip, the clip appears green and the entire clip can be
inserted. To insert a clip over another, place your pointer at the position
where you want the new clip to be inserted, and hold down the Shift
key as you drop the clip. The new clip is then inserted at the position of
your pointer. Depending on your choice of trim options, (see p.65), the
new clip may overwrite or push the existing clip along the timeline.
Notes:
• If you are loading clips from different video files, you will achieve better
results if the files share the same or similar attributes, such as frame size
and compression scheme. You can change these using the Video File
command from the File: Convert submenu.
• You can specify the default duration of image, color, silence, and title
clips in the File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog box.
• You cannot load Black and White images.

An example of
video, image and
audio clips.
46 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Inserting title, silence, and color clips


Tip: Use color and Apart from video, audio, and image clips, you can also insert title,
silence clips to silence, and color clips into the timeline. Since title clips are often used
create a
“template” file. in conjunction with moving path effects, they are described in detail in
the special effects section, (see p.72). Silence and color clips are used
generally as default clips or templates which can “stand in” for other
clips you have yet to insert. For example, you may want to start
working on a video project, but find that you have yet to acquire all
your source files, or that some are still in the editing stage. By substi-
tuting a color clip for an image or video clip, and a silence clip for an
audio clip, you can begin work on your project layout, specifying where
you want each of the clips to appear in the final video sequence. When
it comes time to utilize your finished source files, use the Clip: Replace
With command to insert these files into the positions that the default
clips occupy. (Any existing filters, special effects, and moving paths are
retained by the new clip.)

To insert a color or silence clip:


1. Click on the insert color or insert silence clip buttons. (You can also
choose the corresponding commands from the Insert menu.) The
Insert Color or Insert Audio clip dialog box opens.
2. In the Annotation entry box, type in a description for the clip.
3. In the Duration spin box, specify the duration of the clip. (For color
clips, you can also choose the color of the clip by clicking on the
color square.)
4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and you can drop the clip into a
compatible track in the timeline.
Note: You can use a color clip to fade in or out to a specific color (such as
black or white).

An example of a
color, title and
silence clip.
VIDEO 47

Viewing clips in the timeline


When you insert clips, they are positioned inside their respective tracks
in the timeline. Depending on the duration of each clip and the current
view of the timeline, Video Editor may not be able to display all the
clips at the same time. The following section explains how you can
control the display of clips as well as control your view of the timeline.

Controlling the display of clips


The Display Mode dialog box, accessed by clicking on the display mode
button at the top of the track buttons, allows you to specify how audio
and video clips are displayed in the timeline. Here you can choose to
display clips in filmstrip/waveform, thumbnail, or filename modes, as
well as the size of the clips. Filmstrip/waveform mode displays clips
graphically (video clips as frames, audio clips as a waveform). This
allows you to see the content of a clip, but is the slowest mode as each
frame has to be drawn each time you move or manipulating the clip.
Thumbnail mode shows the first and last frames of a video clip
separated by the filename of the clip. This is a good option to choose if
you want increased speed, but still need to have an idea of the content
of a clip. The last mode, filename, represents clips as a filename only.
This is the fastest mode as it is the quickest to display, but offers no
visual reference to the clip.
Note: To change the number of tracks in the current project, specify a
value in the File: Properties or File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog boxes.
To display more or fewer video and audio tracks, drag the divider between
the video and audio scroll bars up and down to hide and show tracks
respectively.

A video clip in
filmstrip, thumb-
nail, and filename
modes, and an
audio clip in
waveform mode.
48 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Zooming in on clips
Above the timeline is the ruler, displaying the current unit of measure-
ment. Adjusting the ruler zooms in or out on the clips in the timeline.
To change the unit of measurement, you can:
• Choose “Ruler Unit” from the View menu. This reveals a submenu of
all the available units of measurement as well as an additional
command, Fit in Window. This command adjusts the timeline to
allow all the clips to show fully in the workspace.
• Drag the zoom slider bar. Dragging to the extreme left displays every
frame; dragging to the extreme right fits the project in the window.
• Click on the timeline with the zoom tool. Each mouse click zooms in
one ruler unit (towards displaying each frame). Holding down the
Shift key as you click zooms out one ruler unit (towards Fit in
Window).

Clips viewed at 1
second (at left) and
at 2 seconds (at
right).

Viewing the contents of a clip


There may be times, when viewing audio and video clips, you would
like a better idea of the contents of the clip, for example, you may be in
filename mode or the clip’s thumbnail is not clear. In Video Editor, you
can open the clip in the scratch pad, (see p.62) or, for instant playback,
click on the play button in the ribbon. For video clips, this opens a
video window that immediately plays the selected clip. (To stop or
close the file, click anywhere outside the video window.) For audio
clips, the selected clip is played directly from its associated program,
(clicking on the timeline stops playback).
VIDEO 49

Creating files
Working in Video Editor, you will inevitably create different kinds of
files, from audio files, edit decision lists (EDLs), proxy and DVP files, to
the final video file that represents the culmination of your work. This
section explains how to create the various files available in Video Editor,
as well as options for speeding up the creation process.

Saving a video project


Tip: Package your You can save your video project files by choosing the File: Save As
video project to command. When you save a video project, you only save the positions
save all source files
to a new drive and/ of the clips in the timeline as well as any accompanying transitions and
or directory. effect information. This keeps the file size small and still allows you to
open and edit a video project without necessarily having the source
files present. However, if you wish to create a media file such as an
audio or video file, the respective source files should be present. To
ensure that your source files are always grouped together, Video Editor
also allows you to package your video project with the File: Package
command. When you package a video project, all the source files used
in the video project are copied to a new directory and/or drive.
Note: To transfer a video project file and its source files to another PC, use
the same directory structure as the original to ensure the clips are correctly
loaded.

Creating a video file


Most of your work in Video Editor will be aimed towards generating a
video file of all the clips in the timeline. You can choose to create AVI
files, QuickTime movie files, or animation files. Depending on the
number of clips and filters used, as well as your current system
resources, this process may take some time. (To abort the process,
press the Esc key.)
50 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

To create a video file:


1. Choose “Video File” from the File: Create submenu. The Create
Video File dialog box opens.
2. Using the Drives and Directories list boxes, select the drive and
directory you want to save to.
3. In the File Name entry box type the name of your file (up to eight
characters). In the List Files of Type list box, select the type of file you
wish to create.
4. Click on the Options button to open the Video Save Options dialog
box. Here you can define the various properties of the video file as
well as optimize the compression scheme. (The Video Save options
are explained in detail below.)
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the saving process begins.

Video saving options


The Video Save Options dialog box provides four folders for specifying
video file properties: General, Compression, Advanced, and Cropping.
The General folder provides options to specify the data track, frame
rate, and the physical dimensions of the video file. The frame rate and
size shown are the same as those defined in the File: Preferences: Video
Editor dialog box. You can also perform field-based processing by
checking the Field Based option. This provides for optimum playback
from a television as each frame is converted to an interlaced format,
comprised of two fields per frame. (If your file is going to be played
back from a computer display, leave this option unchecked.)

The Compression folder lists all the compression options currently


available on your system as well as options to define key frames and
the data type of the video file. Generally speaking, it is best to try out a
variety of compression schemes and options on a test version of the
same file, then compare the resulting file sizes and their playback
quality. If maximum image quality is necessary for your work and your
system resources are sufficient, you can, of course, choose not to
compress your files at all. (For a discussion of video compression, see
p.31.)
VIDEO 51

In the Advanced folder, Video Editor provides options for saving files for
playback from hard disk or CD-ROM. If the file is intended to be played
on your current machine, select the data transfer rate of your hard disk.
(If you are unsure what the data transfer rate of your hard disk is,
consult its manual or use a utility such as Norton Utilities or PC Tools to
find out.) If you are planning to distribute your file on CD-ROM, be sure
to check the Pad Frames for CD-ROM option. This packs data more
evenly for the CD-ROM, allowing for optimum playback speed.

If the data type of your video file is Indexed-Color, you can also define
the type of palette to create with the Use Common Palette combo box.
For a scene where colors change constantly, select the Optimum
option. When you create the file, Video Editor first analyses all the
frames in the video sequence and then generates a palette that best
represents the range of colors. (To speed up this creation process, check
the Use Temp File Creating 8-bit Optimum Palette option in the File:
Preferences: Video Editor dialog box.)
Note: You can also load an existing palette file by clicking on the Load
button.

Tip: Crop the edges The Cropping folder displays a resizeable box that allows you to trim
of your frames to the edges of your frames, and eliminate unwanted noise that may exist
remove “noise”.
around the borders of each frame. As the cropping box is movable, you
can place this on your frame to get the exact shot you wish to display
(such as a tight head shot).

Creating an image sequence


Often you will want to edit specific frames of a video clip in the Image
Editor program. You can do this by creating an image sequence from
the video file. When you create an image sequence, Video Editor
sequentially numbers each frame as it is saved. The filename of the
resulting image consists of the name of the sequence plus the
individual creation number (for example, ‘LION0001.TIF’). At a later
date (that is, after any editing you may do), you can convert these
images back to a video file using the File: Convert: Image Sequence
command.
52 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Creating a waveform file


In Video Editor, you are not restricted to creating files consisting of
image data alone. You can also create files consisting of purely audio
data from a clip or group of clips in the audio tracks. To create an audio
file, use the Audio File command in the File: Create submenu. You can
then use this audio file in your video projects, or in an audio editing
program.

Printing to video tape


Tip: Use Print to When you have finished all your layout and editing, Video Editor offers
Video to present the option to record your files to video tape. To output to tape you need
your video files.
a special video card or VGA to TV converter (or similar device) and, for
best control, an MCI controller and compatible video recorder. When
you print to tape, Video Editor clears your screen of any background
windows and displays only the current video sequence. This not only
makes for a better presentation, but ensures that you only record the
video frames. (If you do not have a special video card or VGA to TV
converter, you can use this command to present video files on your
computer.)

To print to video:
1. Choose “Print to Video” from the File menu. The Print to Video
dialog box opens.
2. Using the Drives and Directories list boxes, locate the video file you
want to print.
3. In the File Name list box, click on the filename to select it.
4. Click on the Options button. The Print to Video Options dialog box
opens. At the top of this dialog box, specify your playback device
from the Played by combo box.
5. In the Frame Size folder, define the dimensions of the video frames.
6. If you want the file to pause before playing, select the Delay option
to enable the Start and End spin boxes in the Activation folder.
Enter a delay (in seconds) in the Start spin box to give yourself time
to press the record button on your video device before the file begins
playing. Likewise, if you want time to press the stop button on your
video device, enter a delay in the End spin box. This has the double
function of ensuring you do not accidentally record your Windows
desktop once the file has finished playing, as well as placing blank
VIDEO 53

frames between different recordings. A start value of 0 starts the file


as soon as you click the OK button in the Print to Video dialog box.
(There may be some delay depending on the length of time it takes
to load the file into memory.) To control playback manually, check
the Keyboard or Mouse option. Use this if you want to activate the
Play and Stop commands from the keyboard or mouse.
7. Click OK. The dialog box closes and you return to the Print to Video
dialog box.
8. Click OK. Your screen components disappear and the video file
commences, either immediately or after the specified delay. If you
selected the Keyboard or Mouse option, press a key or click your
mouse to play the file.

Creating an edit decision list (EDL) file


If you are producing work that is destined to be broadcast, or requires
further post production, Video Editor allows you to create an edit
decision list (EDL). An EDL is simply a text file that records the
positions of your clips in the timeline, as well as the type of effects and
transitions used. When preparing an EDL, it is important that you
contact your post production house to determine the format they use
as well as which effects are supported, as not all houses support the
same array of effects possible within Video Editor.

To create an EDL file:


1. Choose “EDL File” from the File: Create submenu. The Create EDL
File dialog box opens.
2. Using the Drives and Directories list boxes, select the drive and
directory you want to save the EDL to.
3. In the File Name list box, type in the name of your file (up to eight
characters). You do not need to enter the file extension.
4. In the Title entry box, type in a description of the EDL contents,
(maximum of 64 characters). You can view this later when you open
the EDL file.
5. Specify the time to start recording in the Record In spin box. This tells
the production house at what time in the video sequence to start
recording.
6. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the file is saved. To view the file,
open it in a text editor such as Windows Notepad.
54 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Posting a timecode
If you are planning to create an EDL, you have to tell the post
production house which sources they need to use, for example,
your original video tapes. You also need to tell them at what time in the
video to start recording for each of the video clips in the project.
In Video Editor this is done with the Clip: Post Timecode command.
Choosing this command opens the Post Timecode dialog box. In the
Reel entry box, type in your source name, for example, “Hawaii
vacation”. In the Timecode spin box, specify the appropriate time to
start recording. (This time is displayed by the frame counter on your
source.) If your source is unable to display SMPTE timecode, or it does
not have a frame counter, you will be unable to define an accurate
starting point. Once you have posted a timecode, this code will appear
next to its respective clip whenever you create an EDL.
55

Chapter 2: Editing clips


Once you have inserted clips into the timeline, you are now
ready to edit and manipulate them using Video Editor’s
extensive range of editing commands and tools. This chapter
introduces these commands and tools, beginning with a look
at creating selection areas and working with cues, and going
on to explain how to locate and adjust the duration of clips.
To end, there is an explanation on how to preview your work.
56 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Making selections in the timeline


Making selections is the basis of editing in Video Editor – you must,
for example, make a selection before you can apply any filters or special
effects. There are two types of selections that you can make in the
timeline: clip and time. Clip selections are horizontal, moving left and
right across the tracks, whereas time selections are vertical, encompass-
ing the contents of all the tracks in a given time duration. Whenever you
select part of a video project, a selection marquee appears indicating the
clips or time duration included in the selection area.
Note: Press the Home and End keys to go to the beginning or end of a
selection.

Selecting clips
Tip: To select all The clip selection tool allows you to select clips in any of the tracks in
the clips in the the timeline. You can select individual clips by clicking on them, or, to
timeline, click on
a track button select a range of clips, by dragging your mouse (with the Shift key held
with the time down) across the clips you wish to include in the selection. (You only
selection tool. have to include a portion of a clip for it to be included in the selection.)
To select all the clips in a particular track, click on the track button
located at the far left of each of the tracks.
Note: To adjust a selection, drag on the borders of the selection marquee.
(To move by frames, hold down the left mouse button and use the direction
keys.)

Selecting a clip.

Selecting time periods


The time selection tool allows you to select a period of time, including
any clips, (or portions of clips), that occur within that time period.
To perform a time selection, drag your mouse over the area of the
timeline you want to select. If you want to select all the clips in the
timeline, click on any of the track buttons.
VIDEO 57

If you need to select a more precise period of time, (for example,


down to a single frame), Video Editor provides the Edit: Time Selection
command. (This command is disabled if you do not have the time
selection tool selected.) Choosing this command opens the Time
Selection dialog box, in which you can specify the times in the video
project to mark “in” and “out”. The mark in time corresponds to the
start of the selection area; the mark out time to the end of the selection.
Clicking OK automatically creates a selection marquee over the selected
time period.

Selecting a period
of time.

Moving selections
Whenever you move a selection, it will snap to the edge of adjacent
clips and project cues if you check the Edit: Snap command. This
ensures accurate and easy placement of clips in succession. Unchecking
the Snap command allows you to place clips freely.
58 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Working with cues in a project


Tip: Use cues to When you work on clips, you may often wish to return to a specific
highlight areas of a point at a later date for further editing or viewing. Video Editor makes
video project.
this easy through the use of cues. Cues act as visual references in your
project that you can jump to from any location in your work. You can
also append a descriptive name highlighting particular aspects about
that part of the project. For example, you could place a cue entitled
“blackout” at the beginning of a fade to black, or “place close up of
rose” as a reminder to insert or replace a clip at that point.

Placing cues in a project


To place a cue, click on the cue area (the bottom part of the ruler) at
the appropriate location on the timeline; a blue cue marker appears.
The default name of the clip, “&p”, uses the time value of the cue’s
location. For example, the default name of a cue at the 1 minute, 30
second point would be “01:30:00”. To change the name, or add a name
to the default name, double click on the cue. The Rename Cue dialog
box opens, allowing you to type in the name of your choice (up to 63
characters).

You can view the name of a cue at any time by clicking on it with the
right mouse button. If you wish to move a cue once it has been placed,
simply drag it to the new location. To remove a cue from the project,
drag it off the video window.
Note: To manage cues in a video project, use the View: Cue Manager dialog
box. Here you can you can add, delete, go to, and rename any cue in the
timeline.

An example of cues
placed along the
cue area.
VIDEO 59

Locating clips
During your work in Video Editor, it is easy to accumulate a lot of
different clips. Navigating around these clips to find just one can be a
little daunting, particularly if you have clips in all two hundred and
three tracks! Fortunately, Video Editor provides several commands and
features for performing searches easily in one track, or across all tracks.

Locating a specific clip


If you wish to locate a specific clip, use the Find Clip dialog box,
accessed by clicking on the find clip button in the menu ribbon or by
choosing the Edit: Find Clip command. In this dialog box, sorting
options display the clips in ascending or descending order by start time,
track, duration or clip name. To go directly to a clip, select it in the list
box and click OK. The dialog box closes and a yellow arrow appears at
the top left corner of the clip in the timeline, (scrolling the timeline
where necessary). To go to the next clip in the Find Clip dialog box,
press the F3 shortcut key, click on the find next button in the menu
ribbon or choose the Edit: Find Next command. (If you choose either of
these methods without having first gone through the Find Clip dialog
box, the Find Clip dialog box opens.)

Locating a specific time


Often it is useful to go to a specific period in the video project, rather
than looking for specific clips. This is particularly the case if you wish to
adjust the duration of the video sequence, or make a selection area
starting at a designated time. You can scroll the timeline to go to a
specific time, but with a large ruler unit, this can be a little inaccurate.
For more precision, choose the Edit: Go To command. This opens the
Go To dialog box, where you can select an existing cue or type in the
time you want to go to. The timeline automatically scrolls to the
specified position and the time is highlighted with a yellow arrow.
60 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Locating an empty time slot


Tip: Remove any When you work on a video project, it is very easy to develop empty
empty time slots time slots as you insert and move clips around various tracks. As
before you
create a video opposed to an empty clip slot (which is simply the absence of clips in a
file. particular track), an empty time slot is a period of time when no clips
are present in any of the tracks. Generally speaking, you will want to
delete any empty time slots that occur, as they create breaks or
“flashes” of color in the resulting video file.

The Edit: Find Empty Time Slots command opens a dialog box which
lists all areas in the video project where empty time slots exist. You can
choose to go to the time slot by clicking the Go To button, or delete the
time slot by clicking the Delete button. (Deleting a time slot shortens
the duration of the video project accordingly.)

Adjusting the duration of clips


After you have inserted an image, video, or audio clip, you may want to
adjust, or trim, its duration to better suit your video project. To do this,
Video Editor offers several features, including the clip selection and
scissors tools, the trim window, and the scratch pad. Depending on the
type of clip and the operations you wish to perform, each of these
offers different advantages.

Using the clip selection tool


The easiest way to trim a clip is to select it with the clip selection tool
and then drag the left or right border of the clip. How far you can drag
depends on the type of clip. For example, you cannot exceed the
duration for any video and audio clips beyond that of their source files.
With static clips, however, such as an image, title or color clip, you can
freely adjust their duration.
VIDEO 61

Using the scissors tool


The most direct way to trim a clip is to “cut” it using the scissors tool.
Cutting a clip breaks the clip at the pointer position, creating two
independent clips which you can then freely move around the
timeline, or further resize. If you place the two clips back in their
original positions, you can merge the two clips back together by
clicking your left mouse button over the cut line. (You must have the
scissors tool selected.)

Using the trim window


When trimming clips, it is often necessary to find the exact frame you
want to trim the clip to. With the ruler at the frame level, you can scroll
to the desired frame and use the clip selection or scissors tool to trim
the clip. At higher magnifications, a quicker and more convenient way
is to use the trim window, opened by choosing the View: Options: Trim
Window command. As you drag your pointer across the clip you want
to trim, the trim window displays frames to the left and right of the
current frame under your pointer. When you have found the frame you
want to trim to, release the mouse button. The clip is then trimmed to
this new position and automatically updated in the timeline.
Note: If you have the stitch trim option selected, only the previous frame is
displayed.

An example of
the trim window.
62 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Using the scratch pad


The scratch pad is a versatile tool that allows you to view the contents
of a clip, access clip information, set the duration of video, audio, and
image clips, as well as place clip-specific cues. You can load video,
audio and image clips into the scratch pad. Depending on the type of
clip loaded, the scratch pad displays different features.

To run the scratch pad you can:


• Choose “Show Scratch Pad” from the View: Options submenu.
• Choose “Trim” from the Clip menu.
• Double click on a video, audio or image clip.
Note: To close the scratch pad, click on the scratch pad button, choose the
Close command from the scratch pad’s control menu, or double click on its
title bar.

Playing a video or audio clip in the scratch pad


Once you have opened a video or audio clip in the scratch pad, you can
play back the sequence by using the controls on the control bar.
These controls look like and behave much like those on a VCR, and
require little introduction. The scratch pad control bar, however,
does have an additional feature – the slider bar. This shows the
progress of the media clip during playback as well as indicating the
currently selected area referenced by the clip. By moving the slider bar,
you can scroll forward or backward through the sequence.
Notes:
• In the General folder of the File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog box,
the Return to First Frame After Playing option returns any sequence in
the scratch pad to the first frame when it reaches the end (like a CD
player). Leaving this unchecked stops the sequence on the last frame
after playing (like a tape recorder).
• Selected frames of a video clip appear with a red border around the
viewing window. For audio clips, the selected area appears on the
waveform.
VIDEO 63

The video and


audio scratch pad
windows.

Placing cues in the scratch pad


If you have opened a video or audio clip in the scratch pad, you can
place cues by moving to a specific point in the clip and clicking on the
create cue button. A cue is then placed on that time location. Using
cues, you can mark areas of a sequence where you wish to return to for
later viewing or selecting, then find that cue using the go to cue button.

To rename a cue, double-click on the cue to open the Rename Cue


dialog box. To delete a cue, display the frame where the cue appears
and click on the cue button. The cue is then removed from the frame. If
you need to find a cue, click on the go to button and select the cue from
the list that appears.
Note: Scratch pad cues are specific to a clip and are not to be confused with
any project cues created in the timeline. You can view clip cues in the
timeline by selecting the Display Cue Bar option in the Display Mode dialog
box, (see p.47).

An example of a
cue placed in a
video scratch pad.
64 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Creating a selection in the scratch pad


The scratch pad allows you to select any part of a video, audio, or
image clip and then updates that selection to the clip. While in the
scratch pad, you can trim the original clip by editing the selected area
or by creating a new selection. (If trimming an image clip, enter a new
value in the Duration entry box.) To trim video and audio clips, follow
the procedure below:

To trim a selected area of a video or audio clip:


1. Use the control bar’s slider thumb to locate the first frame you want
to include in the area and click on the mark in button. The area
displayed in the selection bar under the slider adjusts accordingly
and the number of the “marked” frame is shown in the status bar’s
“In” box. At the same time the “Out” box displays the number of the
next frame. (The out frame is not part of the selection area, as it
indicates the beginning of the unselected area.)
2. Move the slider thumb along the slider bar to the frame you want
the selection area to end at, then, move one more frame to the right
and click on the mark out button. (Remember, the mark out frame is
not included in the selection area.) The selected area displayed in
the slider bar adjusts accordingly and the number of the “marked”
frame is shown in the status bar’s “Out” box. To shorten or lengthen
the selection area, drag the slider thumb to the left or right and click
the appropriate mark in or mark out button. (A red outline appears
around the frame of the scratch pad video window when displaying
frames in the selection area.) Any changes you make in the scratch
pad are immediately reflected in the timeline.
Notes:
• To increase or decrease the selection area by a single frame, hold down
the Shift key and press the left or right arrow keys respectively. Pressing
the direction arrows without holding down the Shift key scrolls through
the selection.
• You can drag the borders of the scratch pad when an audio clip is
loaded in order to view a larger portion of the waveform.
VIDEO 65

Defining trim options


When you start to get a large number of clips in a video project, you
may find that there will be times when you want to trim or paste one
clip, but are unable to because another clip is occupying the same or
similar position in the timeline. To solve this, Video Editor provides a
number of options that allow you to choose how changes to one clip
affect any neighboring or underlying clips. To view these options, click
on the trim combo box in the ribbon, or choose the Edit: Trim Option
submenu. A list appears with the following options:

Normal – this option allows you to trim or paste a clip only within the
available free clip slot. This option is best when there are few clips in
the timeline, or when you want to maintain the time positions and
content of any following clips.

Overwrite – allows you to trim or paste a clip so that it extends over a


neighboring clip, thereby replacing the overlapped portion with the
new clip. This option is useful when you want to replace portions of a
following clip or to insert a clip over another.

Stitch – allows you to trim or paste a clip over another, trimming the
neighboring clip instead of overwriting it. This is useful if you want
merge two clips together, and need to see the frames of each clip in the
trim window. (If the two clips are not adjacent, you can only trim the
active clip to the duration of the clip slot.)

Push – allows you to move, trim or paste a clip into the position of a
neighboring clip, pushing the neighboring clip along the timeline.
Use this when you want to insert or adjust a clip without affecting the
duration of the neighboring clip.

Push Through – allows you to move, trim or paste a clip into the
position of a neighboring clip, pushing all clips along the timeline
accordingly. Use this when you want to insert a clip without affecting
spacing the duration of any clips in the timeline, such as when adding a
clip into the beginning of an almost completed video project.
66 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Previewing your work


When working in Video Editor, it is a good idea to regularly preview
your work to see how your video project is developing. This is
especially helpful when you want to see the result of a filter or transi-
tion effect. This section explains how to perform a preview, and begins
by detailing the various preview options available in Video Editor.

Setting your preview options


As previewing is both time and memory intensive, Video Editor
provides you with methods to optimize this process, allowing you to
produce adequate results without taxing your system excessively.
In the Preview Options dialog box, opened by clicking on the preview
options button in the ribbon or by choosing the View: Preview Options
command, you can control the frame rate, frame size, compression
scheme, and data type used, along with the tracks to be previewed.
As a guideline, a low frame rate, small frame size and fewer colors
speed up the preview process; if you are using proxy files (see p.42),
previewing is even quicker. The trade-off, however, is a reduction in
quality of images and motion.
Notes:
• If you want to view any applied video filters, check the Apply Video
Filters checkbox. By default this is left unchecked, as the inclusion of
filters adds dramatically to file size and processing time.
• If you are only previewing a small section of the video project, or have
limited amounts of free disk space, uncheck the Create Preview Video
File checkbox to generate the preview sequence in RAM.
VIDEO 67

Performing a preview
Tip: A preview will Having defined the preview options, you are now ready to preview your
be created much video project. Do this by dragging your mouse over the preview bar to
quicker if you are
using proxy files. select the duration you want to preview. A blue line appears on the
preview bar indicating the selected area. (To deselect the preview area,
click on the preview bar with the right mouse button.) After selecting a
preview area, click on the preview button in the menu ribbon or choose
the View: Preview command. The video sequence appears in the
preview window displaying the saving progress. (If you are dissatisfied
with how the video looks, press the Esc button to discontinue.) Once
completed, the preview sequence automatically plays back. (If the
Create Preview Video File option in the View: Preview Options dialog
box is not checked, the video window closes immediately after
completing the preview.) Any preview files you create are stored in your
temp directory with a VE prefix followed by a creation number. (You can
specify the temp directory in the File: Preferences: Video Editor dialog
box.)
Notes:
• To create a specific preview area choose the Edit: Preview Area
command. This opens the Preview Area dialog box allowing you to enter
the in and out times of the preview area.
• If you wish to see a previously made preview file, or any other existing
video files, choose the View: Play Preview File command.

Creating a preview
area.
68 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

“On the fly” previews


If you want a quick preview while you are in the midst of editing a clip,
and do not wish to wait for a preview file to be created, you can
perform a preview “on the fly”. On-the-fly previews display your videos
in a small, low-resolution video window. You can preview your clips
along with any transition effects, moving paths and video filters. (You
cannot preview audio data.) To perform an on-the-fly preview, simply
drag your mouse across the top of the ruler. The pointer changes to a
star and the video appears in the preview window. The speed at which
you drag your mouse advances the preview accordingly.

Moving the pointer


over the ruler to
create an “on-the-
fly” preview.
69

Chapter 3: Snap crackle “n” pop


This chapter focuses on the entertainment side of Video
Editor, namely performing special effects and video
transitions. Here you will learn to perform crossfades,
dissolves, and wipes – and put a little snap crackle ‘n’ pop
into your work!
70 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Before you begin


Video Editor allows you to work with effects in all the tracks in the
timeline. Each of the tracks only support certain effects, however.
For example, you can only use transition effects in the video transition
effect track, and overlays can only be applied to a clip in one of the
overlay tracks. Filters applied to a track appear as icons appended to
the left of the clip. If you place the clip in a track that is incompatible
with the filter or effect, the icon is checked with an X and the filter is
disabled. Moving the clip back to a compatible track enables the effect.

Incorporating transition effects


Whether you like to add lots of filters and special effects to your clips,
or just want to put together a few shots of your last vacation, you will
almost certainly use transition effects at some point in your work with
Video Editor. By inserting transition effects, you can control how clips
merge, fade, or cut from one scene to another. A well-placed and
well-chosen transition effect can make your videos flow better, help
maintain interest, and add impact to your work.

To apply a transition effect:


1. Click on the transition effect button in the menu ribbon or choose
“Show Transition Effects” from the View menu. The Transition
Effects dialog box opens displaying the available transition effects
arranged in group folders.
Note: You can drag and drop your most commonly used transitions into
one of the Custom folders to make finding transitions easier. You can also
manage which transitions are in the folder by clicking on the Customize
button at the top of the vertical scroll bar. This opens the Customize dialog
box in which you can add or remove effects accordingly.
2. Drag-and-drop the effect you want to use into an empty clip slot in
the transition effects track. A yellow clip containing an icon and the
name of the effect appears in the track. (Video Editor automatically
adjusts the duration of the clip so that it starts and ends between
any overlapping clips in the Va and Vb tracks.) The Transition
Options dialog box also opens, displaying a preview of the chosen
effect.
VIDEO 71

Notes:
• If you do not drop a transition effect between two overlapping clips, the
transition effect adopts the default clip length specified in the File:
Preferences: Video Editor dialog box.
• If you drop a transition effect onto an existing transition effect, the new
effect replaces the old one.
3. In the Path group box, select the From A to B option. This merges the
clip in track A into the clip in track B. (When you want to move in the
opposite direction, select the From B to A option.) Depending on the
type of effect chosen, you can also choose to add a border as well as
smooth any edges by selecting an option in the Soft Edge combo box.
Certain effects also allow you to change the direction of the effect by
clicking on direction buttons or checking the Reverse checkbox.
4. In the Transition Range group box, specify the start and ending
positions of the effect. (By specifying equal values, apart from 0 and
100%, you can create a split screen effect, where one video plays
within the other.) To see how the effect looks on the actual video
clips, click on the actual image button. This replaces the sample
image with the images from the Va and Vb tracks, but does require
additional memory, and takes more time to display. (Move the slider
in the sample window to view the effect at different stages in the
sequence, or press the Animate button to play the entire sequence.)
5. Click OK. The settings are saved and the transition effect clip adjusts
accordingly.
Note: If you wish to prevent the Transition Effects Options dialog box from
opening when you drag a new transition effect into the timeline, uncheck
the Display Transition Effect Options Dialog Box checkbox in the File:
Preferences: Video Editor dialog box. You can edit the effect clip later by
choosing the Clip: Transition Effects command or by double-clicking on the
transition clip in the timeline.

Performing a peel
transition effect.
72 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Creating a title clip


When working on a video project, you will often want to place text
over certain parts of a video sequence. This can help reinforce any
accompanying narration you may have, as well as add emphasis to
particular features in the sequence. Titles and credits, such as those
that appear before and after a movie or television show, are a common
example of using text. In Video Editor, text is placed by creating a title
clip. This clip can be loaded into any of the video tracks, but in most
cases you will want to place it into an overlay track so that the text can
appear over a background video clip, or so you can perform a moving
path.

To create a title clip:


1. Click on the title button in the menu ribbon or choose “Title Clip”
from the Clip menu. The Create Title dialog box opens.
2. In the Title Text entry box, type in the text of your title (maximum of
1023 characters). Each time you enter text, the title group box
changes to indicate the width and height of your text compared to
the frame size. (To start a new line, press Ctrl + M or Ctrl + Enter.)
3. Specify the font, style, size and alignment of your text in the Font
folder.
4. In the Effect folder, define various effects to the text such as
underlining, text color and shadows. Check the Anti-Aliasing
checkbox if you want the text to appear smooth, without “jaggies”.
To only show the text and not the background color, ensure that the
Opaque checkbox is unchecked. This makes the background color
transparent, and creates better quality anti-aliased text when
overlaid on other clips. Check this option only if you want the
background color to appear. You can change the color of the
background by clicking on the Background color square. (This is
disabled if the Opaque option is not selected.)
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and your mouse pointer changes to
the place pointer. Click on an empty clip slot in a video track to load
the title clip.
Note: To edit a title clip, double-click on the clip or choose the Clip: Title
Options command. The Create Title dialog box reopens.
VIDEO 73

Creating a title clip


and then placing it
over a video.

Creating moving paths


One of the most advanced features found in Video Editor is the moving
path. A moving path is much like a road map, dictating the route one
clip takes as it passes over another – but offers far more flexibility. Video
Editor’s moving paths allow you to flip, rotate, and spin your video clips
in three dimensions – you can even use the moving path to zoom in and
out, and to create fast and slow motion effects. In all, Video Editor offers
five kinds of moving path: 2D Basic, 2D Advanced, 3D, 3D Sphere and
3D Cylinder.

To create a 2D Basic moving path:


1. Select the clip you wish to animate in any of the video tracks.
2. Click on the 2D basic path button or choose “2D Basic” from the Clip:
Moving Path submenu. The 2D Basic Moving Path dialog box opens.
In the center of this dialog box is the preview area, with background
and foreground sample boxes. The background box is fixed and
represents the frame size of the video project. The foreground box is
floating and represents the active clip. A control line attached to start
and end control points link the two boxes. By moving this control
line, you determine the path the active clip will take.
3. Click on the start control point, (or drag on the clip box), and posi-
tion it to where you want the clip to begin its movement; the control
line adjusts accordingly. You can resize the clip box to fit the frame
box by clicking the resample to frame size button in the control bar.
To m anually resize it,specify the appropriate values in the Width and
Height entry boxes. (To maintain aspect ratio, check the Keep Aspect
Ratio checkbox.) If you want to position the clip box at an exact
location, enter the appropriate coordinates in the X and Y spin boxes.
(X moves along the horizontal, Y the vertical.)
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Note: If you resize a clip, its contents are resampled accordingly. Depending
on the type of clip, this may produce degradation to image quality.
4. Click on the end control point, the clip box switches to the position
of the end control point, and drag the clip box to where you want the
clip to end its movement; the control line adjusts accordingly. To
view the path, click on the animate button in the control bar, click
again to stop. The control points and lines disappear, and the clip
box travels along the path from the start position to the end position.
If you want to view the sequence using the clip itself, click the actual
image button. (This does, however, take more time to generate and
will not move as smoothly as the sample clip.)
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and a moving path icon appears on
the selected clip.
Notes:
• Clicking on the TV view button displays guidelines around the frame
box. Because of the different resolution of television screens, anything
appearing outside of these lines may not appear if the video is shown on
a television.
• To save a moving path for later use or editing, click on the Save button.
To load it back into the moving path dialog box, click on the Load
button.

Using a 2D basic
moving path to
scroll text over a
video.
VIDEO 75

Creating a 2D advanced moving path


The 2D advanced moving path dialog box, accessed by clicking on the
2D advanced path button or by choosing the Clip: Moving Path: 2D
Advanced command, is similar to the 2D basic moving path described
above. The only difference lies in the fact that a 2D advanced moving
path allows you to spin a clip around a central point in two dimensions.
You can do this by dragging on the rotation dial, entering a value in the
Rotate spin box or by clicking on the plus/minus buttons. You can also
slant the clip or create perspective effects by dragging on the handles
that appear in the Distortion box.

Creating 3D moving paths


Creating a 3D moving path is no more difficult than creating a 2D
moving path. Whether you select a simple 3D path, 3D sphere, or 3D
cylinder, the procedure begins the same as creating a 2D moving path.
The third dimension simply consists of additional rotation angles.

In the 3D Sphere and Cylinder Moving Path dialog boxes, first drag the
start and end boxes to set the path – just like a 2D moving path (see
p.73). The Object Angles (in the Adjust combo box) control the rotation
of the clip on the surface of the sphere or cylinder, and can be entered
using the rotation dial, the plus/minus buttons, and the entry boxes.
The X and Y coordinates determine the placement of the sphere or
cylinder in reference to the center of the video window, whereas the
Angle and Y values (Angle 1, and Angle 2 in the 3D sphere dialog box)
rotates the sphere/cylinder vertically or horizontally into the third
dimension. You can also rotate or resize the sphere or cylinder with the
Rotate and Radius entry boxes.
Notes:
• It is important to remember that you are rotating the clip itself, not the
contents of the clip. You cannot, for example, rotate a frontal head shot
around to see the back of a person’s head.
• You can convert simple 3D moving paths to 2D simple and advanced
moving paths and vice-versa using the appropriate command from the
Clip: Convert Path to submenu. A 3D moving path converted to a 2D
moving path will lose the data regarding the third dimension. You
cannot convert 3D sphere or 3D cylinder moving paths.
76 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Using a 3D sphere
moving path to
move text over a
video.

Changing the reference of the clip box


In the moving path dialog boxes, (except for 3D Sphere and 3D
Cylinder), a reference box allows you to change the position of the clip
box, thereby controlling which part of the clip moves first, as well as
the axis of any rotations. Using the reference box, you can also move
clips outside of the preview area, which is particularly useful if you
have a text clip to be used for rolling credits.

Changing direction in a moving path


By default, Video Editor displays only a start and end control point in
any of the moving path dialog boxes. As such the path is restricted to
moving in a straight line. By adding additional control points you can
introduce changes in direction and new angles for the path to take.

Adding additional control points to a moving path:


1. Open the appropriate moving path dialog box.
2. Move the start and end control points to where you want the clip to
begin and end its movement.
3. Click on the slider bar to move the slider thumb to where you want
to insert a new control point. (To move by frames, click on the inside
frame buttons that appear at both ends of the slider bar. The outside
buttons jump to the start or end control points.)
4. Click on the add control point button in the control bar. A red
control point is placed at the current position of the clip box. (To
remove a control point, select it, then click on the delete control
point button.) Now that you have placed a control point, you can
drag and reposition it as you would the start and end control points.
VIDEO 77

Changing speed in a moving path


Because control points are added at fixed points in time, the distance a
clip travels between points affects its rate of travel. By dragging points
closer together you can create a slow motion effect, as the clip has more
time to move over a shorter distance. Dragging them further apart
creates accelerated motion, as the clip must travel over a greater
distance in the same amount of time.

Performing a video overlay effect


Overlays are an extremely powerful tool that allow you to use color
keying to make part of one clip transparent, and display another clip in
the transparent area. This technique is often used in television and
motion pictures to superimpose someone in front of or behind a
background image.
Note: If preparing an image or video for future color keying, use a solid
color as the background, such as blue. Do not use black or white as these
colors tend to “bleed” onto the subject when overlayed.

To perform a video overlay effect:


1. Select the clip that you want to perform the effect on.
2. Click on the overlay button in the menu ribbon or choose “Overlay
Options” from the Clip menu. The Overlay Options dialog box opens
displaying two sample sequences, Overlay Clip and Overlay Preview.
3. Choose the color you want to use as the key color in the Overlay Clip
sample. The option in the Type combo box changes to Color Key and
the color square changes to the color you clicked on. (You can also
change the color by clicking on the color square; this opens the
standard Windows Color dialog box.) To control the transparency of
the overlay clip, drag the start and end control points on the trans-
parency graph in the Transparency group box. Moving towards 100%
increases transparency, moving towards 0% decreases transparency.
You can also change the transparency of the entire clip by clicking on
the blue line that appears in the transparency graph whenever you
animate the overlay preview clip, (done by clicking on the animate
button). A green control point is created, which you can then drag to
increase or decrease the transparency accordingly. (To remove the
control point, drag it off the top or bottom of the transparency
graph.)
78 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and an overlay icon appears on the
selected clip.

Performing an
overlay effect to
play a video behind
an image.

Defining key colors


In the Overlay Options dialog box, Video Editor provides a variety of
options for you to key in the color of an image with the Type and Factor
combo boxes as well as the Similarity group box. Which option you use
depends on the type of clip selected and the effect you are trying to
create. As the behavior of each option may vary, it is best to experiment
with each, and preview the result on the clip in the Overlay Preview
group box. As a guideline, keying on the color of an image is good
when working with solid color areas such as “blue screens”, (if the
overlay clip is Grayscale, key on the gray). The luma is useful when you
want to key on the brightness levels of an image, while the chroma is
good when you want to key only on the color values of an image.
If your overlay clip is an image, you can also choose to key on its alpha
channel, (this may have no affect as not all images contain an alpha
channel).

Using mattes
Whenever you overlay a clip, you are basically covering, or revealing,
certain parts of the underlying clip. Because of this, the clip used as an
overlay is often referred to as a mask. When performing an overlay,
Video Editor also allows you to work on this mask by using image and
video mattes. These work much like masks, except that they are used to
cover or reveal certain parts of the overlay clip itself, instead of the
clip in the timeline, (masking the mask you could say). Mattes can
often be seen in music videos, where, for example, the silhouette of a
dancer appears over a background, and his/her body contains another
image or video.
VIDEO 79

To place an image or video matte, select the corresponding option from


the Mask combo box. The Select Matte dialog box opens allowing you
to select a compatible file to be used as the matte. Once you select the
file and close the dialog box, the file is placed over the overlay clip in
the Overlay Clip group box. You can then select which colors to key on,
as you normally would with an overlay clip. To change the current
matte, click on the Matte button, (disabled if the Mask option is Overlay
Clip).

Applying video and audio filters


Video Editor’s wide range of special effects and filters add excitement to
your videos, and ensure that you will enjoy working with Video Editor
as much as your audience will enjoy watching what you have created.

To apply a video or audio filter:


1. Select the video or audio clip you wish to apply the filter to.
2. Click on the appropriate filter button in the ribbon, or choose the
corresponding command from the Clip menu. The respective dialog
box opens.
3. Select a filter from the Available Filters list box. Depending on the
type of filter selected, the Options and Region buttons may be
enabled. To view the filter and change its attributes, click on the
options button, the respective options dialog box opens. For video
filters, you can control the intensity and level of the effect as well as
specify the start and end values. The Region button (video filters
only) allows you to limit the area the filter affects to a square region
over each frame. Drag the borders to resize the region box or drag on
the region box to reposition it inside the sample clip. To move the
filter along a path, for example, you may want the filter to follow an
object or person, move the slider thumb to a new location and click
on the add control point button. New control points are placed on
the region box. You can then resize and reposition it accordingly.
Once you are happy with your selections, click on the Add button to
add the filter to the Applied Filters list box.
80 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

4. Repeat the above step to add more filters. Filters are applied to the
clip in the order they appear in the Applied Filters list box.
(Therefore the effect of one filter may influence the result of filters
applied after it.) To change this order, select the filter and click on the
Up or Down buttons accordingly. To remove a filter, select it and click
on the Remove button. To remove all filters, click on the Remove All
button.
5. Click OK. The Filters dialog box closes and a filter icon is placed on
the selected clip.
Note: You can view all video filters by clicking on the display button in the
transition effects window. Dragging a filter onto a video or image clip
applies that filter, adding it to the end of any existing filters.

Changing the amplification of an audio clip


To change the amplification of an audio clip, you can use the Amplify
filter, or, for quicker results, edit the audio clip directly from the
timeline. By changing the amplification of a clip, you can effectively
control how one audio clip fades into or out of another.

To change the amplification of an audio clip from the timeline:


1. Select the audio clip whose amplification you want to change.
2. Click on the baseline that appears in the middle of the clip. A control
point is placed at the position of your pointer.
3. Drag the control point up to increase amplification, down to
decrease amplification. (To add additional control points, repeat
steps 2 and 3.)
Note: To remove a control point, drag it off the top or bottom of the clip.

An example of
changing the
amplification of an
audio clip.
81

Chapter 4: Video Capture


Video Capture is the program where many of your video
creations will begin. Here you can view and capture “live”
video from a variety of different sources such as VCRs,
television, laserdiscs or camcorders. In this chapter you will
learn how to connect to these video sources, perform multiple
or single frame captures and play existing video files.
82 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Before you begin


When you run Video Capture, it opens in one of two modes: capture
or playback. Exactly which is determined by the mode Video Capture
was last in before closing. Capture mode, used for capturing video and
viewing from a video source, is the default mode; playback mode is for
playing and viewing video files. To operate in capture mode, you must
have a video capture board installed in your machine. If you do not
have a video capture board installed in your computer, you can only
run Video Capture in playback mode.
Note: Because video capture boards differ, and often use different capture
drivers, some of the features explained in this section may differ from those
on your screen. It is a good idea, therefore, to read your video capture
board’s documentation in conjunction with this guide.

Preparing video for display


The first step on your way to displaying video is to get your video
source “talking” to your PC. This involves connecting your source to the
video capture board and adjusting Video Capture so that it is “tuned in”
to the correct settings. The following sections describe how to perform
this as well as ways to improve the display of video and how to define
audio characteristics.

Connecting to a video source


After correctly installing your video capture board, displaying video is a
simple matter of plugging in your video source, turning it on, and
running Video Capture. Pictures should appear immediately in the
video window of Video Capture. If this does not happen, then you need
to tune Video Capture to your video source.
VIDEO 83

To tune Video Capture to a video source, click the video setup button in
the ribbon bar, or choose the Setup: Video Source command. The Video
Source dialog box opens. The options in this dialog box will differ
depending on your video capture board; there should be options,
however, that allow you to connect to a video channel and specify the
type of video source you have, as well as the television standard it
operates on. If you are unsure about these options, or how they work,
refer to the documentation accompanying your video capture board.

Viewing your displayed video


Depending on your video capture board, you can view video in one of
two modes: overlay or preview. (To switch between modes, click on the
appropriate buttons in the ribbon or choose either the View: Overlay or
Preview command.) For viewing purposes, overlay mode is the best
option, as it sends the video signal directly to your monitor, much like
a television.

When you capture video in overlay mode, however, you will find the
result does not look as good or as smooth as you had originally seen it.
This is because the video is affected by the capabilities of your PC as it
passes through your PC’s system to be captured.

Preview mode displays video as your PC “sees” it. As such, preview


mode is very useful if you want to experiment with various capture
settings, such as data type, to get an indication of what a video
sequence will look like after you have captured it.
84 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Setting display options


Video Capture provides the video format button in the ribbon and the
Setup: Video Format command to control the size of the frames in a
video sequence as well as the data type of the displayed video. When
deciding on the frame size and data type to use, it is important to keep
in mind your reasons for working in Video Capture. For example, if you
are watching a movie, you may want to increase the frame size to full
screen, and display the video in True Color. For capturing purposes,
however, you may want to capture a little more conservatively – at
perhaps 320×240 pixels and in Indexed-256 Color.

Resizing the program window


Tip: To view a Whenever you change the frame size of displayed video, the video
movie on your PC, window resizes itself accordingly; the Video Capture program window,
change the frame
size to full screen. however, remains the same. As a result, there may be times when you
find the video window is obscured by the program window. To resize
the program window, drag the borders of the window, maximize the
window, or choose the View: Center command. This command is
generally the best option, as it not only resizes the program window to
the video window, but places the window in the center of your screen.
Use this command if you have selected a full screen frame size. (This
will display the video within the entire screen, just like a television,
hiding the program window. To return to the program window, press
the Esc key.)
Note: The Center command is disabled if your video capture board does not
support overlay mode.

Improving video display


Your video capture board should provide controls to adjust the contrast,
color and position of the displayed video. The video display button in
the ribbon as well as the Setup: Video Display command gives you
access to these controls. Any changes you make using these options
only affect the display of video in overlay mode. Captured video, and
video displayed in preview mode, are not affected.
VIDEO 85

Defining audio output


Up until now we have focused on acquiring and defining the attributes
of displayed video. In most cases these images are accompanied by a
sound track. This sound track can be captured along with the video and
then played back either in synchronization, or by itself. Exactly how you
capture sound depends on your video source, video capture board and
sound board (if you have one). In general, you need either a video
capture board that supports sound and has a compatible Microsoft
sound driver, or a Microsoft compatible sound board.

To define audio output:


1. Click on the audio format button in the ribbon or choose “Audio
Format” from the Setup menu. The Audio Format dialog box opens.
(This command is disabled when your PC has no sound-board or
your video capture board does not support sound board functions.)
2. In the Name combo box, select an option to record the audio data.
The attributes of the option are displayed in the Attributes combo
box. (You can also select a new combination of audio attributes
directly from this combo box.)
Note: If you select new attributes and wish to save them for later use, click
on the Save As button. The Save As dialog box opens allowing you to assign
a name to the attributes. Clicking OK saves the attributes, and the specified
name appears in the Name combo box.
3. Select a compression scheme in the Format combo box. When
recording 8 kHz files, try the IMA ADPCM compression scheme. For
other types of files, use Microsoft's ADPCM.
4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the audio attributes are now set
for your next capture.
Notes:
• Live audio signals are not affected by the selections made with this
command. To hear the changes, you need to have a sound mixer utility
that provides a monitor function. If you have a mixer, you can mix your
own sound track by combining the output from MIDI, wave, CD-ROM and
other external sources (such as your VCR).
• It is not possible to compress audio data in real time, unless you have an
ADPCM video capture board which supports an input audio compression
scheme for ADPCM.
86 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Capturing video
Having defined your video and audio source settings, you are now ready
to capture a video sequence. As video sequences tend to place a heavy
demand on your system resources, it is a good idea to check that any
other programs running in the background have been closed. It is also
best to regularly defragment your hard disk with a utility, such as
Speeddisk from Norton Utilities.

To capture a video sequence, click on the record button in the control


bar, or choose the Capture: Video command. The Capture Video dialog
box opens. (If you are in playback mode, Video Capture switches to
capture mode.) In this dialog box you can specify frame rate, capture
method, and destination. (The frame rate specified may differ slightly
from the actual rate of the captured sequence due to rounding or
synchronization errors. If necessary, you can specify a fractional frame
rate, e.g. 15.5.)
Note: If the Display Capture Options Before Capturing checkbox is un-
checked in the File: Preferences: Video Capture dialog box, you begin
capturing immediately. The captured video sequence takes its characteristics
from the current capture settings.

To specify the capture method, select the Auto or Manual options from
the Capture Method group box. Auto captures video automatically,
according to the specified time. If you want to control exactly which
frames are captured, select the Manual option. When you click OK, the
Manual Capture dialog box opens displaying two buttons, Next and
Cancel. Click Next to capture one frame; Cancel to end capturing.

To specify the capture destination, select the File or Memory options in


the Capture Destination group box. File saves the captured video
sequence to the specified filename. (Depending on your capture driver,
this file may be compressed during capturing.) Since most PC’s have
more drive space than RAM, this selection is most suitable for capturing
longer sequences. If you only want to capture a short sequence, select
the Memory option. This stores the captured sequence in memory and
then, when capturing is complete, opens the Save As dialog box,
allowing you to save the file.
VIDEO 87

Notes:
• Video sequences are captured with the current audio and video
characteristics. If you wish to change these, click on the Audio and Video
buttons (see p.84 and p.85 respectively).
• If you are in preview mode when you capture, the displayed video may
freeze. If this happens, select the Capture: Display When Capturing
command. This allows the video to continue displaying while capturing.
(This may, however, adversely affect the performance of your capture.)

Dropped frames
If your PC and video capture board have difficulty supporting a
specified frame rate, a dialog box appears after capturing detailing how
many frames were captured and of those, how many were “dropped”
frames. Dropped frames are frames that have been duplicated from the
previous frame because your system is not fast enough to capture the
correct frame at the specified frame rate. When frames are dropped,
try capturing again at a lower frame rate or reduce the size of frames
and the number of colors. Capturing audio tracks separately can also
improve the quality of your capture. (If the sequence only contains a
few frames, try using the Memory option as the destination in the
Capture: Video dialog box.)

Using an MCI device


If you have a Windows MCI (Media Control Interface) device driver
installed, you can control your video source directly from Video
Capture. For example, clicking on the rewind button in the control bar
will rewind your video tape. Another advantage of having an MCI
compatible device is that you can specify exactly which part of the
video you wish to capture. All you have to do is mark the start and end
frames to capture by clicking on the mark in and out buttons in the
control bar. (You can also use the F3 and F4 shortcut keys respectively
or choose the Control: Mark In and Mark Out commands.) Clicking
either button again changes the selection accordingly. Once marked,
clicking on the record button repositions your video source and begins
capturing the selected frames.
88 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

If you want to capture several sequences from the same source, Video
Capture provides the Control: MCI Batch command. This opens the
MCI Setting dialog box which allows you to specify the filenames for
each capture as well as a task list indicating the respective starting and
end times of each capture. You can then save this task list for future use
or edit existing lists.
Note: If your video source is a video disc with a compatible MCI driver, you
can open and close the door by choosing the Control: Door Open/Close
command.

Saving a captured file to disk


Whenever you capture a video sequence, you need to specify a file in
which to save the sequence. In many cases this will be a temporary
file that you use to hold your capture work before saving to the final
version. Once you are satisfied with a captured video sequence, you
may want to save it again, either to a new filename or because you want
to change the audio and video characteristics of the existing file. This is
especially helpful if you need to compress the file to decrease file size.

To save a video sequence:


1. Choose “Save As” from the File menu. The Save As dialog box opens.
2. In the Drives and Directories list boxes, select the drive and directory
you want to save the video to.
3. In the File Name entry box type the name of your file (up to eight
characters). You do not need to enter the file extension.
4. Click on the Options button, the Save Options dialog box opens. Here
you can redefine the attributes of the video, such as the compression
scheme used, and which data track or data type to select. You can
also specify the data transfer rate of the target playback drive.
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes, and the file is saved.
Note: You can append subject information to the file using the Subject
entry box. To save a preview image of the file, check the Save Preview
checkbox and move the view slider to determine the frame used as the
preview.
VIDEO 89

Advanced saving options


In the Save Options dialog box you have access to a number of
advanced options for controlling compression and related features.
To view and edit these options, click on the Advanced button. The
figures you see are the current default options. To change these,
first check the appropriate checkbox and then enter a new value.
For example, to change the frame rate, check the Frame Rate checkbox
and then enter in a new rate in the corresponding spin box. Increasing
the rate repeats frames within each second; decreasing the rate drops
frames. In either case, there is no change to the duration of the video
sequence. (For more on video compression, see p.31.)

If you want to change the data transfer rate specified in the Target
Playback Drive combo box to more closely match the rate of the target
storage device, check the Data Transfer Rate and enter a new value.
To improve compression, check the Key Frame for Every checkbox and
enter a value. (This is disabled if you have not selected a compression
scheme.) For files whose image data remains fairly constant, select a
high key frame rate, (try half the frame rate). If the video sequence
contains a lot of motion and background changes then a low key frame
rate is better.

Compression can also be improved when a video contains audio and


video data by specifying a value for the Interleave Audio and Video
checkbox. This allows you to specify the interleave ratio between any
audio and video data in the Pack Audio Data for Every option. (This is
disabled if there is no audio data.) For example a pack audio data rate of
1 results in an AVAVAV... file, a pack audio data rate of 3 results in an
AVVVAVVV... file. (The duration of the audio track remains the same, the
only difference is how it is divided, or interleaved.) For general listening
purposes, a pack audio data rate which equals the frame rate is
adequate. If you want to edit your video and audio at the frame level,
then set the rate to 1.
90 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

If you are saving to a CD, it is a good idea to check the Pad Frames for
CD-ROM checkbox as this makes your CD-ROM more efficient in
playback mode by standardizing the video data structure during the
saving process. Once you are satisfied with your settings, click OK to
return to the Save As dialog box.

Capturing single frames


Capturing a single frame does not require you to specify as much
information as when capturing a video sequence. This is because the
single frame adopts the current video frame size and data type and is
passed directly to your chosen destination – to the clipboard, Image
Editor, or to disk. You can capture single frames from either an existing
video file or directly from a video source.

To capture a single frame:


1. Click on the freeze button (pause, if in playback mode) to stop the
video on the current frame.
2. Click one of the capture frame buttons in the ribbon or choose a
command from the Capture: Single Frame submenu. The frame is
sent to the chosen destination. (If you are capturing to a file,
the standard Save dialog box opens.)
Notes:
• You can capture a single frame without freezing the video source or
pausing a video file. However, you cannot be sure which frame will be
captured.
• When capturing to an image file, you can select from a variety of
different image file formats to save the frame in.
VIDEO 91

Capturing a color palette


The data type of a video sequence plays an important role in
determining the resulting size of your captured file. For example,
24-bit True Color video contains the most colors, and subsequently
occupies the most disk space. To retain some color while at the same
time saving disk space, choose the 8-bit data type which, depending on
your video capture board, is either Grayscale or Indexed-256 color.
If it is an Indexed-256 Color data type, Video Capture allows you to
capture a number of frames from the video source, or from an already
existing video file, to generate the palette.

To capture a color palette:


1. Choose “Capture Palette” from the Palette menu. The Capture Palette
dialog box appears.
2. In the Continuous Frames entry box, specify the number of frames
from which you want to create the palette. If your video source is
outputting frames which contain similar colors, you only need to
specify a low value, such as 5. If colors change rapidly in your video
sequence, specify a higher value. Generally, the more frames you
select, the greater the range of colors held in the palette. (You can
select from 1 to 100 frames.)
3. Select a capturing option from the Mode group box. If you want
Video Capture to capture the frames for you, select the Auto option
and enter a value for the duration between captures. For example, if
you specify two seconds, a frame is captured every two seconds. You
can specify an interval from 1 to 100 seconds. If you want to capture
specific frames, select the Manual option.
4. Click OK. If you selected Auto as your capture option, Video Capture
begins capturing frames at the specified rate. If you selected the
Manual option, the Manual Capture dialog box opens with two
buttons, Next and Cancel. Click on Next to capture one frame; Cancel
to end the capturing.
92 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

When the capturing process is completed, a palette is generated from


the optimum combination of colors from the captured frames. Once
defined, the color palette is stored as a temporary file until you capture
a new color palette or close Video Capture. If you wish to save the
palette for later use, choose the Save Palette command in the Palette
menu. To load it back into a video sequence, choose the Load Palette
command.
Note: You can also copy and paste palettes using the respective Copy
Palette and Paste Palette commands in the Palette menu. (These commands
are disabled if the active video sequence is not Indexed-256 Color or the
data on the clipboard is not palette data.)

Playing back video sequences


Once you have captured a video sequence, Video Capture automatically
switches to the playback mode so you can review the results of your
capture. To play the file, click on the play button on the control bar or
choose the Control: Play command.

When playing a video sequence, you can play the audio track, video
track or both. If playing the audio track, it is a good idea to set the
volume on your speakers to low as well as decrease the volume level of
the file with the Volume button in the status bar. (Pressing the up and
down direction keys increases or decreases the volume respectively.)
Notes:
• If a video file does not contain an audio track, the Audio and
Audio/Video options are disabled.
• You can also play an existing video file by choosing the File: Open
command. (If you are in Capture mode, you are immediately switched to
playback mode.)
93

Chapter 5: Image Editor


When it comes to enhancing and editing image files or
video frames, Image Editor is the program of choice.
With a comprehensive range of image processing commands
and tools you can easily create, compose, change and
improve any type of image – from Black & White to True Color.

This chapter consists of two sections: the first describes


basic imaging commands and the second explains how
you can control the view of an image as well as perform
drag-and-drop operations.
94 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

The basics
All Windows programs provide some basic commands that have a lot in
common, and, if you are familiar with Windows, you will already know
how to use commands such as Open, New and Print. This section
describes the Image Editor Open, New, Print, Restore and Undo
commands highlighting, where necessary, any ways they differ from
other programs. To begin with, however, there is a section describing
how to calibrate your monitor – an important first step to displaying an
accurate view of the images you are working with.

Calibrating your monitor


Before you start to use any of the MediaStudio programs, it is a good
idea to calibrate (adjust) your monitor. A finely tuned and well adjusted
monitor can make a real difference when it comes to viewing your
work. Generally, you can adjust your monitor using controls from the
monitor itself, such as the brightness and contrast knobs. Many of the
MediaStudio VE programs also allow you to adjust your monitor by
calibrating the gamma value in the Display dialog box. This should be
done whenever you change your monitor, display adapter or the
environment in which you work.

To calibrate your display:


1. Run Image Editor and choose “Display” from the File: Preferences
submenu. The Display dialog box opens.
2. Make sure the Monitor Gamma option is unchecked. If it is checked,
click on it to uncheck it.
3. Click OK. The dialog box closes.
4. Choose “Open” from the File Menu and select the IPGAMMA.TIF file
in the File Name list box.
Note: The IPGAMMA.TIF file is in the same directory as your MediaStudio
programs.
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the IPGAMMA.TIF file opens in
the workspace.
IMAGING 95

IPGAMMA.TIF

6. Examine the IPGAMMA.TIF image and identify the gray square that
most closely matches the midtone gray of the background. Make a
note of the number to the left of this square.
Note: This number can be any value from 0.01 to 7.99. If none of the
squares exactly match, you should estimate the best match. In general,
your value should fall within the range 0.8 – 2.4, if not, try adjusting the
brightness and contrast controls on your monitor.
7. Choose “Display” from the File: Preferences submenu. The Display
dialog box opens.
8. Check the Monitor Gamma check box and enter the number from
step 5 into the Monitor Gamma entry box.
9. Click OK. The dialog box closes and you return to the workspace,
(depending on the value specified, your display may change).
Now, when you view the IPGAMMA.TIF file, the gray square
numbered 1.0 should most closely match the background.
96 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Opening image files


Tip: Open files you The easiest way to get started in Image Editor is to open a sample image
have recently file from the MediaStudio SAMPLES subdirectory, (located with your
worked on by
choosing their MediaStudio program files). When you open an image, it appears in the
filenames from the Image Editor workspace within an image window. This window displays
bottom of the File the filename of the image, and the current view level. Once in the
menu.
workspace, you can apply any of the available commands and tools.
(Depending on the data type of the image and any actions you may
have performed, certain commands or tools may be unavailable.)
Note: When you open a graphics file, which does not contain bitmap data,
it is converted into an image and opens in an untitled window. (The data
type of the image is the same as that your current display mode).

Duplicating images
Tip: Whenever you When working with images you often need to make a copy of the active
make a major image. This allows you to continue editing without any danger of losing
change to an image
that you want to a particular stage of your work. You can also retain copies to compare
retain, you should images at different stages of your editing, helping you see the effects of
save, or create a particular commands. When you create a duplicate image it opens in a
duplicate.
new untitled window that becomes the active window.

You can create a duplicate image in a number of ways:


• Choose the Image: Duplicate command.
• Use the Ctrl + D shortcut key.
• Choose the Edit: Select: All command to select the entire image and
drag the selection to the open workspace.

Creating a new image


In many cases your images will have been obtained with some sort of
image input device like a scanner or frame grabber, or you will have
opened them from a CD or hard drive. At other times you will want to
start with a “clean” image window for compiling elements of other
images together or for using the painting tools of Image Editor.
IMAGING 97

To create a new image:


1. Choose “New” from the File menu. The New dialog box appears.
2. In the Data Type combo box, choose the data type of the new image.
3. Select an image size. To choose a predefined size click on one of the
Standard options. To define your own size, click on the User Defined
option and enter values for both the width and height. Clicking the
Active Image option creates an image the same size as the active
image in the workspace. (This is unavailable when there are no open
images.) The Current Clipboard option creates an image the same
size as the image on the clipboard. (This is unavailable when there is
no image on the clipboard.)
4. Enter a value for the image’s resolution.
Note: If the Unit of Measure option in the File: Preferences: Image Editor
dialog box is in centimeters or inches, the resolution determines how many
pixels are used to create the image: the higher the resolution, the greater
the number of pixels and thus amount of memory required to store the
image. When the Unit of Measure is pixels, the resolution determines how
large your image will be when printed. The higher the resolution, the
smaller your image will print (the memory required to store the image
however, remains the same).
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the new image, filled with the
background color, appears in an untitled window.

Printing your work


Tip: To print an When it comes to printing your work, Image Editor allows you to output
image centered on files to any Windows-compatible output device. Before you print
the page, select
both the Center however, make sure that your output device is turned on, connected
Image Horizontally and selected in the File: Printer Setup dialog box. This dialog box allows
and Center Image you to change the current printer options including the orientation of
Vertically options
in the Print dialog
the page from landscape to portrait, as well as the paper size.
box. For precise control over how your printer simulates multiple shades in
your images, Image Editor allows you to control the halftoning
(dithering) process in the File: Print dialog box. The options available
are explained fully in the section on Tone Mapping, (see p.155). For
everyday printing,selectthe Perform Halftone by Printer option. This
leaves the halftoning to the printer and should produce the quickest
results.
98 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Recovering from mistakes


One of the advantages of working with images in a digital format is
that you can experiment with a variety of different effects and filters.
As a consequence you may perform a function and end up with an
unsatisfactory or unexpected result. If you make such a mistake while
working in Image Editor, you normally correct it by selecting the Undo
or Restore commands.

Using the Undo command


If you change your mind about a command you have applied, choose
the Edit: Undo command. The effect of the command is reversed, and
the image is restored to its state prior to the application of the com-
mand. Undo will only undo the most recent change; if you need to
undo several changes, use the File: Restore command to return the
image to its last saved version.

Instead of “Undo” at the top of the Edit menu, you may see:
• Redo... this appears after you have “undone” something, effectively
allowing you to undo the undo; in other words, redo the change.
• Can’t Undo is displayed when it is not possible to undo the last
action, e.g. after you have saved an image file.
• Undo Disabled means that the undo facility has been disabled in the
File: Preferences: Image Editor dialog box.

Restoring an image
When experimenting with a variety of effects on an image, you may
wish to undo each effect after you perform it. In such cases you can
restore the image to its original state by choosing the File: Restore
command. (This essentially closes the file and immediately reopens it.)
Before using this command, consider carefully because it cannot be
undone. If in doubt, create a duplicate image before restoring so that
you can compare the current stage of your work with the original.
IMAGING 99

Performing cut and copy operations


Tip: To view the The most common methods of placing data onto the clipboard are the
contents of the Edit: Cut and Copy commands. Regardless of the active image’s data
clipboard, choose the
Edit: Clipboard: type, the Cut and Copy commands are always available. Copy places a
Display or Switch: duplicate of a selected area on the clipboard whereas Cut deletes the
Clipboard commands. selected area and places it onto the clipboard. (The affected area of the
image is filled with the current background color.) When there is no
selection area, both Cut and Copy are applied to the entire image.

Performing a paste operation


After cutting or copying some image data, you can paste it from the
clipboard into an image by choosing the Edit: Paste: As Selection or Into
Selection commands. The Edit: Paste commands are disabled when the
clipboard is empty or the contents of the clipboard is from another,
incompatible program and cannot be pasted into images.
The Paste: Into selection is disabled when there is no current selection.
Note: Image Editor allows you to paste image data into any image,
regardless of data type. When pasted into an image of a different data
type, the pasted data is converted. At times this may cause an extreme
change in color, e.g. if the clipboard data is RGB True Color and the
destination image is Indexed 16-Color.

Pasting as selection
Using the Edit: Paste: As Selection command places the clipboard
image at the top left corner of the current view. (You can freely move
the image by dragging on it with one of the selection tools.) If you want
to position the clipboard image at a specific point in the image prior to
pasting, use a selection tool to draw a selection area starting at the
point you want the data to be pasted. (The size of this selection area is
not important.) This time when you paste, the top left of the image
from the clipboard is pasted at the top left corner of the selection area.
Note: When you drag a selection between images, it is dropped pixel-on-
pixel. So, if your source and target images are at different zoom levels,
the selection may appear to be enlarged or reduced when it is dropped.
100 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Pasting into a selection


Use the Into Selection command when you want to paste the clipboard
image inside a selected part of an image. If the clipboard image is larger
than the selection area, only the portion contained within the selection
area is displayed. After pasting, a selection marquee appears indicating
the size of the clipboard image. This marquee can be moved to change
the portion of the clipboard image displayed in the selection area.
Note: If the pasted image is smaller than the selection area, it is placed at
the top left corner of the selection. The remaining area in the selection is
not affected.

Pasting image data


As Selection (left)
and Into Selection
(right).

The Clipboard submenu


To help you work with the clipboard, Image Editor provides a Clipboard
submenu in the Edit menu. This submenu contains commands to
Load, Save and Display clipboard images. Load brings image files and
previously saved clipboard images onto the clipboard. (This command
is similar to the Open command, but rather than opening a file and
placing it in a new image window, Load places the file onto the
clipboard.) Save – saves an image from the clipboard to disk, and
Display shows the current clipboard image. The clipboard window
appears containing the image fitted in a window (if possible). To close
the clipboard window, press a key or click the mouse.
IMAGING 101

Viewing images
Tip: The title bar of When you open an image in the Image Editor workspace, it appears,
an image window where possible, at actual size, (1×). If the image is too large, it is
displays the current
view. displayed at a lower magnification and scroll bars appear to either
the right and/or bottom of the image window. You can control the
magnification of an image by using either the zoom tool or the zoom
commands in the View menu. These allow you to zoom in up to 8× or
zoom out down to 1/8×.
Notes:
• To fit the entire image within its window, choose the View: Fit in
Window command. (The maximum zoom level available is determined by
the size of the image and the resolution of your current display mode.)
• To see only the image, choose the View: Full Screen command. This
displays the image at the current zoom level occupying the entire screen;
the program window, toolbar, status bar and color palette are all hidden.
The current editing tool and the Undo command (via the Ctrl + Z shortcut
key) remain available. To return to normal screen mode press the Esc key.

Image at actual
view (1×), enlarged
to 3× view and
reduced to 1/3×
view.
102 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

The zoom tool provides an alternative to the Zoom In and Out


commands and allows you to accurately zoom in on particular areas of
an image. You can use the zoom tool in a number of ways:
• Clicking the left mouse button zooms in on the area under your
mouse pointer.
• Holding down the Shift key and clicking the left mouse button zooms
out from the image.
• Clicking the right mouse button or double-clicking on the zoom tool
icon in the toolbar returns the image to actual view (1×).
• Dragging the left mouse button creates a rectangular viewing
marquee. When you release the mouse button, the image zooms in
automatically on the area defined by the marquee. (If the viewing
marquee is too large or the image is already at 8× magnification the
view will not be adjusted.)
Note: You can also press the “+” and “-” keys to zoom in and out on
images – irrespective of the current tool selected.

Adding a view
After having zoomed in on an image, you might find it is often
difficult to appreciate how your editing affects the image as a whole.
The solution to this is to choose the View: Add a View command, this
creates a new “linked” window containing an additional view (at 1×)
of the image you are working on, therefore, any editing done in either of
the windows is reflected in the other.
Note: You can have up to eight views of an image displayed at any one
time.

Editing an image
(at 8× view) with a
view added
(at 1× view).
IMAGING 103

The global viewer


When the whole of an image cannot be displayed in its window, you
would normally have to use the scroll bars to locate hidden areas.
The global viewer of Image Editor is a better method that allows you to
locate these areas quickly and easily by providing a thumbnail view of
the entire active image. This thumbnail image contains a floating frame
that can be moved independently around the viewer. Moving the frame
automatically repositions the current view of the active image.
To access the global viewer, choose the View: Options: Show Global
Viewer command. Once opened, you can move the global viewer
around the program workspace by dragging on its title bar. If you want
to use the global viewer for a quick adjustment, click on the box that
appears at the intersection of the scroll bars in an image window.
This displays the global viewer at the corner of the image window and
allows you to reposition the current view by dragging the floating frame.
When you release the mouse the global viewer disappears, or returns to
its last position in the workspace.
Note: Double-clicking on the title bar of the global viewer closes it.
Double-clicking anywhere else adjusts the view of the image to fit within
its window.

Using the global


viewer to
reposition the
current view of
an image.
104 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Using drag-and-drop
An advantage of working with a mouse is that you can easily move
images around the workspace as well as place them into other images
or programs. Performing such tasks is referred to as “drag-and-drop”.
Image Editor supports both standard and advanced drag-and-drop
operations, such as moving selection areas between images, or to the
open workspace or the object pool.

Drag-and-drop between image windows


Once you create a selection area, you can move the selection within the
original window, or to any other image window, by dragging it with one
of the selection tools. If you drag-and-drop between images of different
data types, the dropped selection is converted to the data type of the
destination image.

When you drag-and-drop a selection into another image, you have the
choice of moving the selection into the image, filling the image (holding
down the F key as you drop), or moving the selection marquee alone
(holding down the M key as you drop).
Note: When you drag a selection between images, it is dropped pixel-on-
pixel. So, if your source and target images are at different zoom levels, the
selection may appear to be enlarged or reduced when it is dropped.

Dragging a
selection from the
left (with the F key
held down) to “fill”
the selected area of
the image on the
right.
IMAGING 105

Drag-and-drop to the workspace


Tip: Dragging a During your imaging work you may want to retain or duplicate a
selection into the particular part of an image. Image Editor makes this easy by allowing
workspace
automatically you to drag a selected part of an image into the open workspace; a new
creates a new image window is created containing the image. (The background,
image window. where visible, is filled with the current background color.) If you
hold down the M key as you perform the drag-and-drop operation,
a Grayscale image is created containing the selection mask.

Drag-and-drop to the object pool


Image Editor provides a useful feature that allows you to instantly save
selections and masks while you work – the object pool (see p.118).
To save a selection area to the object pool, drag-and-drop it onto the
object pool icon at the bottom of the color palette, or into the object
pool window. By dragging selections from the object pool, you can
place them into image windows or create new images by dropping
them into the workspace.
Note: The object pool stores images in the TIF file format. If you want to
use the object pool, ensure that the TIF format is on the active list of the
File: Preferences: File Formats dialog box.

Dragging a
selection to the
object pool.
106 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Performing batch operations


Because MediaStudio VE allows you to work with multiple files, it is
very easy to accumulate a large number of files in the workspace. Often
you will want to remove these, save them, or perform the same com-
mand to a selected few. To help you do this, Image Editor provides a
batch manager, accessed by double-clicking in the workspace or by
choosing the File: Batch Manager command. Once invoked, the batch
manager opens and displays the filenames of all the files present in the
workspace as well as a combo box of operations that can be applied to
them. To perform a batch operation, select the operation and the files
you want the operation to be performed on and click OK – batch
manager does the rest for you.
107

Chapter 6: Making selections


An essential part of working with images is being able to
manipulate portions of an image. Image Editor provides a
comprehensive range of selection tools and commands that
allow you to accurately isolate those areas you want to
change and protect other areas.

This chapter begins by introducing selection areas and


explains the tools and commands you use to select and
manipulate areas within an image. Following this is a
section on the object pool – an indispensable tool that not
only increases your productivity, but adds a whole new
dimension to the way you work with selections and images.
108 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Understanding selection areas


After opening an image, you can choose to edit the entire image or
selected parts of it. To edit specific areas within an image, you must first
select them. Unless a selection area has been created, any editing you
do may affect the entire image. Once a selection has been created, you
can then move it or perform various commands to it.

The selection marquee


Tip: Press the F5 When you create a selection, an animated dotted line appears around
key to toggle the the edge of the selected area. This dotted line is called the selection
Preserve Image
Under Selection marquee. This marquee can be either floating, containing some image
option; F6 to open data, or non-floating, selecting part of the active image. A floating
the Image Editor selection is created when you:
preferences dialog
box. • Move a selected area.
• Perform a transformation on a selected area.
• Paste or drag a selection into an image.
• Choose the Edit: Select: Make Floating command.
To remove a floating selection, choose the Edit: Select: Discard Floating
command. (If the selection is not floating, this command is disabled
and you cannot “remove” the selection area as such, but you can undo
your last applied action or restore the image, see p.98).
IMAGING 109

Moving selections
When moving selections, an important consideration is the Preserve
Image Under Selection option in the File: Preferences: Image Editor
dialog box. If this option is checked, moving a selected area leaves the
original, underlying image unaffected. When it is unchecked, the space
left by the selection is filled with the background color. (This option
can be toggled by pressing the F5 key.)

Moving a selection
area with the
Preserve Image
Under Selection
option disabled
(image on the left)
and enabled
(image on the
right).
110 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Creating selection areas


You can create selection areas with the selection tools at the top of the
toolbar and the select commands in the Edit: Select submenu. This
menu can also be accessed by clicking the right mouse button on an
image when a selection tool is selected. This section describes how to
use the selection tools to select anything from similar colors to irregular
shapes.

Selecting an area containing similar colors


The magic wand tool selects an area in an image that contains colors or
grays falling within a defined color range. To define this color range
double-click on the magic wand icon in the toolbar. In the dialog box
that appears, choose a value as follows:
• A value of 0 selects neighboring pixels of exactly the same gray or
color.
• A value of 255 selects pixels of all colors and grays – thereby selecting
the entire image.
• A value of 50 selects neighboring pixels that have values which differ
from the pixel you clicked on by +/-50. For example, if you click on a
pixel with values R25, G60, B190, neighboring pixels with values
between R0, G10, B140, and R75, G110, B240 will be selected.
To select an area of the active image, click in the center of the area you
want to select (the color value of the pixel under the magic wand is
displayed in the left-hand portion of the status bar). All the surrounding
pixels that fall within the color range will be selected.
IMAGING 111

Using the magic


wand tool to select
an area of similar
colors.

Selecting irregularly shaped areas


Tip: If you make a Using the freehand tool you can select an area of any shape you desire.
mistake while Do this by dragging the tool to outline an area or by clicking on selected
drawing a selection
area with the points to define the ends of straight line segments. Once completed,
freehand tool or double-click and Image Editor automatically completes the selection by
wish to start again, drawing a straight line between the last and first point of the selection.
press the Esc key.
Note: Double-clicking on the freehand tool deselects any selection areas.

Using the freehand


tool to select an
irregularly shaped
area.
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Selecting square and circular shapes


Image Editor provides two tools which select areas of preset shapes,
the rectangular and elliptical selection tools. Both tools operate in a
similar manner and provide two basic methods for creating selection
areas: freehand and fixed size. To define this mode, double-click on the
tool icon in the toolbar. The appropriate tool dialog box opens.

In Fixed mode you can define the width and height (in pixels) of your
selection area. When you click on the image the selection area appears
at this size.

In Freehand mode, you drag the mouse over the area you want to
include in the selection. A further option, Draw From Center allows you
to determine if the selection area is defined from the center out or top
left corner.
Note: Depending on the tool selected, the tool’s dialog box also allows you
to define the selection area as a square or circle.

Using the
rectangular tool to
select a rectangular
area.
IMAGING 113

Moving the selection marquee


When you click on a selection area with a selection tool and drag, the
selection marquee and the image data it contains both move. If you
wish to move the selection marquee alone, without its contents, use the
move tool. If the selection area was floating, the content of the area
becomes part of the underlying image.
Notes:
• To drag a selection area from one image to another you should use one
of the selection tools and hold down the M key as you drag. After you
drop the image the move tool becomes the current tool.
• Double-clicking on the move tool deselects any selection areas.

Dragging a
selection marquee
from the image on
the left (with the M
key held down) to
the image on the
right.
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Inverting a selection
When you wish to protect a particular area while working on the rest of
an image, select it and then choose the Edit: Select: Invert command.
This “flips” the selection area so that those areas originally selected are
now deselected and the unselected area is selected. This allows you to
work on the rest of the image with no danger of damaging the area you
want to protect.

Selecting the
woman (image on
the left) and then
inverting the
selection to select
the background.

Selecting more of an image


Tip: Press the Shift Image Editor allows you to use any combination of its selection tools to
key to add to a add to or subtract from existing selection areas. To select additional
selection, Ctrl to
subtract. areas of an image, or to extend an existing area, make your initial
selection and then, with the “Shift” key held down (the pointer changes
to display an addition sign) use a selection tool to select more of the
image. If you wish to exclude an area from an already selected area,
hold the Ctrl key down (the pointer changes to display a subtraction
sign) and select the unwanted area – the marquee redraws itself so that
it no longer contains that area.
IMAGING 115

1. Create a selection 2. Add to the selection 3. Subtract from the


area. (hold down the Shift selection (hold down
key). the Ctrl key).

Expanding a selection
As well as using the Shift key in conjunction with the selection tools to
select more of an image, you can expand selection areas with the Edit:
Select: Similar dialog box. This dialog box allows you to define a color
range and whether to expand the selection to include neighboring areas
of similar pixels or similar pixels from the entire image. This is most
useful when you have a complex image on a simple background and,
after selecting part of the background, you wish to expand it to include
the whole.

Expanding the
selection on the
left with the
Expand From
Current Selection
option enabled.
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Selecting the border of an area


When you want to add a keyline to part of an image, or blend edges,
use the Edit: Select: Border command. This allows you to select a line of
pixels around the edge of the current selection marquee – the width of
the line is determined by the width specified in the Border dialog box.
(You can define the border width from 1 to 64 pixels.) The border is
created centered on the selection marquee, i.e. half the specified width
is placed on the inside of the marquee and half on the outside. After
defining a border you can then “fill” it with a color to create a keyline,
box or circle, or use a blurring or averaging effect to “blend” the edges
of the selection area into the surrounding image.

1. Create a selection area 2. Apply the Border command

Merging a selected area


When you deselect a floating selection, the contents of the selection
completely replace the portion of the underlying image below it. In
many cases this may be desirable, but you will often require greater
control over the process. The Edit: Select: Merge Control command
gives you that control. Specifically, it provides options to set the
transparency of the floating area and the degree to which the edges of
the floating selection are blended with the underlying image.
IMAGING 117

Use these options as follows:


• HSB merges the floating selection as you see it.
• Hue and Saturation merges the colors in the floating selection with
the underlying image. If your underlying image is a Grayscale image
that has been converted to RGB True Color and your floating
selection is a colored square, this option will combine the color of the
floating selection with the underlying gray image: thereby colorizing
the gray image.
• Hue only merges only the hues from the floating selection with the
underlying image. Use this option to change the color of areas in a
colored image.
• Transparency defines the transparency of the floating selection.
A value of 0% makes the floating selection completely replace the
underlying image; the closer the value is to 100%, the greater the
transparency. At 50% the floating selection and underlying image are
merged equally.
• Edge Blending determines the number of pixels (width) at the edge
of the floating selection that are blended with the underlying image.
Notes:
• The merge control is a “modal” command, that is, its effect is only
permanent when the floating selection is deselected. Before that time
you can reapply the merge settings and even move the selection area.
• The Merge Control is only available when there is a floating selection
and you are working on a Grayscale or RGB True Color image.

Merging a floating
selection (25%
transparency) with
the underlying
image.
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The object pool


When you have made a selection or selected part of an image, you may
want to save it and its contents for later use. This allows you to use the
same selection for multiple images or use it repeatedly with the same
image. For saving selections in this way, Image Editor provides a unique
and easy-to-use feature: the object pool.

To access the object pool, double-click on the object pool icon at the
bottom of the color palette. The object pool window opens. In this
window, stored selections are displayed as thumbnails and a ribbon,
at the top of the window, displays options buttons and the name of the
group of objects currently in view.
Note: The object pool is always on top of the Image Editor program
window and any image windows. To close the object pool double-click on
its title bar or choose the View: Options: Hide Object Pool command.

The object pool.

Saving selections to the object pool


Tip: Hold down the You save a selection in the object pool by dragging it from an image to
M key as you drag the object pool or its icon. The selection is then automatically saved
a selection area
into the object pool
and a thumbnail of the selection appears in the object pool window.
to save it as a mask When you save a selection area, you have the option of saving it as a
object. mask or image “object”. (You choose which in the Object menu,
accessed by clicking on the blue menu button). A mask object is a
selection marquee, while an image object is a selection marquee and
the image data it contains. For Grayscale images there is an additional
option to save a selection area as an “image as mask”. This converts the
image into a selection marquee and saves it as a mask.
IMAGING 119

Notes:
• Selections are saved in the TIF file format in the directory specified at the
time the group was created. (The files are identified with an O prefix
followed by the letter I [image], K [image as mask], or M [mask], with a
creation number at the end.) You can choose to compress these files
when they are created by checking the Compress Objects option in the
Information dialog box, accessed by choosing the Information command
in the Disk menu.
• As the object pool uses the TIF file format, the TIF format must be one of
the available file formats (see p.25).

Saving selections to file


Although the object pool allows you to easily export masks as Grayscale
images, reimport images as masks, and place masks into images,
you may want to export a mask to another machine, or save it to a
secondary storage device. Image Editor provides a direct method of
doing this: the Edit: Select: Save Mask command. This opens the Save
Mask dialog box and allows you to save the current selection marquee
as a Grayscale image in a file format of your choice. (This is a good way
of transporting a mask for use on another PC.)
Note: Do not save masks in a format that involves “lossey” compression
(like JPEG), these formats will change the mask.

Groups in the object pool


The object pool is a very handy and useful place to store your work.
It can however, become quickly cluttered with large numbers of masks
and images. To better organize these masks and images you can place
them into user-defined groups. Once created, a group can be selected
by choosing its name from the group combo box in the object pool
ribbon. To view the objects of a group, click on the mask and image
buttons in the object pool ribbon. If neither button is pressed the
window will be empty. (These buttons are disabled if the group does
not contain their respective objects.)
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To create a group:
1. Double-click on the object pool icon. The object pool dialog box
opens.
2. Click on the disk button in the ribbon and choose “Create Group”.
The Create Group dialog box appears.
3. Type in a name for your group in the New Group Name entry box.
The name can be up to 10 characters long (do not type in an
extension). If you want to change the path and directory where the
group is saved, type in a new destination in the New Group Directory
entry box. (Group files are saved with the OPG file extension.)
4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the newly created group appears
as the active group in the group combo box.
You can import object groups from a network by choosing the Import
Group command from the disk menu. (When you import a group, the
group file and objects remain in their original directories.) If you wish
to share your own object groups but want to make them read only,
click the lock button. Other users can still access your object groups but
cannot make any changes to your objects or groups. If a group from
another user is locked, the lock button in your object pool will be
depressed (you will not be able to unlock it).
Note: To delete groups or objects, choose the appropriate delete command
in the disk menu of the object pool dialog box. You can also delete objects
directly by selecting them and pressing the Del key.
IMAGING 121

Retrieving an object
Just as you create objects by dragging them into the object pool, you
can retrieve them by dragging them from the object pool into an image
window or the workspace. Dragging an object to the workspace creates
a new image window containing the object as a floating selection. You
can then edit the object just as you would any other image.

If you drag an object back to the image it originally came from, or


another of equal size, the object is placed as a floating selection in the
same position it was originally taken from. If the destination image is a
different size, the selection is placed at the position of your mouse.

When dragging mask objects into an image, the selection tool


automatically changes to the move tool. This enables you to accurately
identify the areas selected by the mask and to move it freely without
fear of affecting the underlying image.
Note: To load a previously saved mask (or any Grayscale image) into the
active image as a selection marquee, use the Load command from the Edit:
Select submenu.

Editing masks
When you apply commands or tools to an image containing selection
areas, you will often get a hard edge along the border of the selection
area or produce too strong an effect. To avoid this, you can export the
selection area as a mask and edit the mask so that some areas are
partially selected, that is, commands only have a partial effect on these
areas, or you can create a soft edge.
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When you export a mask, by dragging a selection area from an image


into the workspace (with the M key held down) or by dragging a mask
from the object pool into the workspace, a Grayscale image is created.
You can edit this Grayscale image as you would any normal image,
but remember:
• Black areas represent unselected areas.
• White areas represent selected areas.
• Gray areas represent partially selected areas. When the mask is
placed into an image and editing functions are applied to the image,
the degree of effect is determined by the gray shade – the closer to
white the greater the effect; the closer to black the less the effect.
When you finish editing and wish to place the mask back into an image
as a selection marquee, do so via the object pool:
1. Select the whole image with “All” from the Edit: Select menu.
2. With the “image as mask” option checked in the object pool menu,
drag the image back into the object pool. The image is saved as a
mask.
3. Drag the newly created mask object into an image.
Note: When a mask containing gray shades is dragged into an image, the
selection marquee may not appear to accurately represent the mask. This is
because the selection marquee only shows the border of areas in the mask
that go from a value less than 128 to a value greater than 128. If your mask
is very dark, containing only gray values below 128, no marquee will be
shown: if it is very light, containing only gray values greater than 128, the
whole image will appear to be selected.
123

Chapter 7: Manipulating images


Editing images involves many different stages and
operations. Rather than presenting all the facilities provided
by Image Editor in one place, they have been separated out
into three chapters: Manipulating images, Painting and
Enhancing images.

This chapter deals with manipulating images, and


explains how you can change images by converting their
data type, changing their resolution or size, or by applying
transformations to them such as crop, flip, distort and rotate.
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Transforming images
Whatever your reasons for editing images, it is essential to be able to
manipulate them to suit your intended purpose. Whether you are
preparing images for a publication and need to resize and crop them or
preparing images for display and need to convert them – Image Editor’s
manipulation commands will more than satisfy your needs.

This section deals with the commands that you use to crop, resize,
rotate and distort images.
Notes:
• If the Preserve Image Under Selection option is unchecked (in the File:
Preferences: Image Editor dialog box) sections of an image may be filled
with the background color after applying transformation commands.
(You can toggle this option by pressing the F5 key).
• If, in transforming a selection, you click on or drag anything other than a
handle, the handles will disappear. By choosing “Undo” you can undo
your last action, but this does not make the handles reappear.

Cropping an image
Tip: use Crop to Cropping is a way to trim the edges of an image and control the
remove those areas position and size of the subject in an image. This is particularly useful
of an image you
don’t want. when you have images that are too large to be displayed and contain
information around the edges that you wish to discard. It is important
to remember that when you crop an image the cropped portions
cannot be retrieved again, unless you immediately undo the Crop
command or restore the image.

To crop an image:
1. Select the area of the image you wish to retain.
2. Choose “Crop” from the Edit menu. The areas outside the selection
marquee are discarded.
Note: If you select a non-rectangular area, the image is cropped to the
smallest rectangle that can contain the selected area. Areas outside the
selected area are filled with the current background color.
IMAGING 125

Image with area


selected before
cropping and, on
the right, after
cropping.

Resizing images
You can resize images in three ways: by changing their resolution,
resampling them or resizing a selected portion of them. Changing the
resolution of images adjusts their size without changing the actual
image data and thereby retains original quality. Resampling an image
discards data when you reduce an image and creates new data when
you enlarge one. Resizing a selection area stretches or shrinks the
selection within the image.
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Changing an image’s resolution


Resolution determines the physical size of an image by defining the size
of its constituent pixels. As you change the resolution, you change the
number of pixels that can be placed in a given measure making the
image bigger or smaller: increasing the resolution reduces the size of
the image while decreasing it makes the image larger. By changing an
image’s resolution you resize an image without actually changing the
number of pixels the image contains, thus retaining the original quality
of the image. (The images in this guide have all been resized by
changing their resolution.)

To change the resolution of an image:


1. Select the image whose resolution you want to change.
2. Choose “Resolution” from the Image menu. The Resolution dialog
box appears.
3. Decide on the resolution to use: Display, Printer, or User Defined.
If you select User Defined, enter a new resolution in the entry box.
4. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the resolution of the active image
is changed. There is no change to the appearance of the image.
Changes are only apparent when you print the image or place it into
another program that reads the resolution.

Resampling an image
When you open images, their size on screen is determined by your
screen resolution and the number of pixels they contain. The Resample
command allows you to adjust the number of these pixels in an image.
You will want to do this when:
• You are preparing images for display on your computer, e.g. in a slide
show, and wish to make them all display at the same size.
• You are preparing images for a publication and you wish to make
their file size smaller so that they take less time to import into, and
print from, your DTP or word processing program.
• You wish to stretch or squash an image.
IMAGING 127

To resample an image:
1. Select the image you want to resample.
2. Choose “Resample” from the Image menu. The Resample dialog box
appears containing information about the current width and height
of the image.
3. Check the Keep Aspect Ratio option to retain the proportions of the
image. Uncheck this option to independently change the width and
height of the image.
4. Enter the new width and height for the image. (If Keep Aspect Ratio
is checked, entering one value automatically adjusts the other value.)
5. Click OK. A new image window is created containing the image with
the new width and height specified.
Notes:
• Resampling up generates new data, thereby increasing the size of the
image file. Conversely, resampling down discards data and results in a
smaller file, but may reduce image quality.
• If you enter a new width and height of 100%, the image is duplicated.
Entering 200% doubles the (physical) size of the image and 50% halves
the size. This affects the output size of the image as well because the
resolution remains unchanged. Therefore, if you wish to reduce the size
of an image file and retain its physical size you must reduce its resolution
by a corresponding amount.

Resizing selected areas of an image


With the Effect: Free Resize command, you can make the contents of a
selection area bigger or smaller. When you choose this command,
handles appear at each corner and side of the selection marquee.
Dragging a handle resizes the selection area. Holding down the Shift key
as you drag maintains the original proportions of the selection.
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Flipping an image
The crop, resolution and resample commands all relate to the
manipulation of entire images. The Flip command is an example of a
command which can be applied to either an entire image or to a
selected part of an image. After “flipping” the image or selected area is
horizontally or vertically mirrored.

To flip an image or selection area:


1. Select the part of the image to flip. (To flip the entire image, do not
make a selection.)
2. Choose “Horizontal” or “Vertical” from the Effect: Flip submenu.
The image or selected area is then flipped in its position.

Image before and


after flipping.
IMAGING 129

Rotating an image
The Effect: Rotate command allows you to rotate an entire image or
selected area in any direction and to any degree. Choosing the Rotate
command displays a submenu of commands, that when chosen, apply
an immediate effect, open a dialog box or place a line on the image:
• Left 90º (counterclockwise) – immediate effect.
• Right 90º (clockwise) – immediate effect.
• 180º – immediate effect.
• Freely allows you to define the rotation of a selected area by dragging
the corners of the area. (If there is no selection area this command is
disabled.) – immediate effect.
• Degree allows you to specify the angle and direction of the rotation
– opens a dialog box.
• by Horizontal line allows you to horizontally rotate an image to a
defined line. Use this if the image has a strong horizontal feature
– places a horizontal line with handles on the image.
• by Vertical line allows you to vertically rotate an image to a defined
line. Use this if the image has a strong vertical feature – places a
vertical line with handles on the image.
Note: If you rotate an image by anything other than 90º, 180º or 270º,
extra space is introduced around the image. This space is filled with the
background color.

To freely rotate a selection area:


1. Select the portion of the image to rotate.
2. Choose “Freely” from the Effect: Rotate submenu. Handles appear at
each corner of the selection marquee.
3. Place your mouse pointer over a handle and drag it clockwise or
counterclockwise. The selection is rotated around its center.
4. When you are satisfied with the rotation, choose “None” from the
Edit: Select submenu to merge the area with the image.
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1. Select area within 2. Choose “Rotate: 3. Drag handle to


image. Freely”. rotate.

Rotating by horizontal/vertical line


The rotate by Horizontal and Vertical Line commands are useful when
you have an image which is not quite straight. This is often the case
when you input an image with a hand-held scanner.

To vertically align an image:


1. Select the image you want to straighten.
2. Choose “by Vertical Line” from the Effect: Rotate submenu. A line,
with a handle at each end, appears on the image.
3. Identify a strong vertical feature in the image and drag the closest
handle to one end of this feature.
4. Drag the other handle to the other end of the feature so that the
joining line now aligns along the feature.
5. Double-click on one of the handles. The image is rotated until the
joining line becomes vertical.
IMAGING 131

Slanting a selection area


Tip: Use Slant to Apart from being able to rotate and flip images or parts of images,
create 2D and Image Editor allows you to skew or slant selected areas of an image
perspective effects.
using the Slant command. When you perform a slant operation you can
choose to slant the selected area along the horizontal or vertical plane.

To slant a selected area:


1. Select the portion of the image to slant.
2. Choose “Slant” from the Effect menu. Handles appear at each corner
of the selection marquee.
3. Drag one of the handles in the direction you want to slant. (Clicking
outside a handle removes the selection marquee. You can undo the
action but need to reapply the Slant command.)
4. When the selection is at the desired slant, choose “None” from the
Edit: Select submenu to merge the selection with the image.
Note: If you slant a selected area with the Shift key held down, you can
move a single handle of the area. To create a perspective effect, slant two
adjacent corners of an area in opposite directions.

1. Select area within 2. Choose “ Slant”. 3. Drag handles to slant.


image.
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Distorting a selection area


Tip: Use Distort to Distort produces a similar effect to Slant except that it allows you to
create 3D and move each marquee handle independently and in any direction.
perspective effects.
Once you drag and release the mouse, the contents of the selected area
are resized to fit the new shape. Although Distort uses a rectangular
selection area, you can curve the selection area and create 3D effects by
repeatedly applying the Distort command to the same selection area.

To distort a selected area:


1. Select the portion of the image to distort.
2. Choose “Distort” from the Effect menu. Handles appear at each
corner of the selection marquee.
3. Drag one of the handles in the direction you want to distort.
(Clicking outside a handle removes the selection marquee. You can
undo the action but need to reapply the Distort command.)
4. When you are happy with the distortion, choose “None” from the
Edit: Select submenu to merge the selection with the image.
Note: Holding down the Shift key as you drag each handle prevents the
selection area from resizing. When the handles are in the correct position,
release the Shift key and click on any handle to resize the contents.

1. Select area within 2. Choose “Distort”. 3. Drag handles to distort


image. to distort.
IMAGING 133

Converting images
When working with images, it is often necessary or useful to change the
data type of an image, for example, from Grayscale to RGB True Color.
Your choice of data type directly relates to the image’s file size and
quality. By converting to a data type that supports more colors, you can
take advantage of the extra colors, but the image’s file size will increase.
Conversely, if you don’t require the number of colors supported by the
current data type, convert to one that makes your image file smaller.
For example, for black-and-white publications use Grayscale images,
not RGB True Color.

You convert an image by choosing a target data type from the Image:
Convert menu. (Some data types may not be available: these require
an intermediate conversion to Grayscale or RGB True Color.) After
choosing the target data type, the conversion is immediate or a dialog
box appears providing various dithering options, (see table below).
Note: Conversions do not change the original image but open a new,
untitled image window containing a copy of the image in the new data
type.

Conversion paths
Source format Can convert to: Options
between data
types. Black & White Grayscale
Grayscale Black & White
Indexed 16-Color
Indexed 256-Color
RGB True Color
Indexed 16-Color Grayscale
RGB True Color
Indexed 256-Color Grayscale
RGB True Color
RGB True Color Grayscale
Indexed 16-Color
Indexed 256-Color
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Dithering options and techniques


Many data type conversions, require you to perform some form of
dithering. Dithering is a process that generates a single color to
represent many. For example, when you convert from a True Color
image to an Indexed Color image, you are converting several million
colors to just a few. With the dithering options, you tell Image Editor
how you want this conversion process to take place. The standard
dithering options are:

None – simply maps like colors to a single color. If converting from True
Color to Indexed Color, Image Editor uses the color in the table that is
closest to the color in question. If converting from Grayscale to Black
& White, lighter grays are converted to white, darker grays to black.

Pattern – arranges pixels in patterns to simulate a color or gray shade.

Diffusion – uses a more random method to dither colors or gray shades.


This option generally produces the best possible result.

Converting data types


When converting from one data type to another, you can define differ-
ent options in order to control better the appearance of the resulting
image. The following section explains conversions from one data type
to another, and the kinds of options you can expect to appear.

Converting Black & White to Grayscale


If converting Black & White to Grayscale, you are presented with two
options: Cell Size and Scale Down. Cell size defines the size of the cells
used to convert the black and white pixels to shades of gray. The higher
the number, the greater the number of gray shades introduced.
For line-art images that you wish to keep as black and white, use a cell
size of one. For a photo scanned with a black-and-white hand-held
scanner choose a cell size from three to eight (depending on the
settings of the scanner). If the resulting image shows visible grids,
the cell size is incorrect. Scale down defines how much the image is
scaled down during conversion. A scale-down of one results in no
scaling. A scale-down of two reduces the width and height (in pixels)
and resolution of the image by half. Scaling down prevents the new gray
image from displaying a mosaic like effect that may be caused when
you define a large cell size.
IMAGING 135

Converting Grayscale to Black & White


When you convert Grayscale images to Black & White, the original gray
shades cannot be retained. To simulate them, Image Editor dithers
black and white pixels using the standard dithering options, (see p.134).
You also have the option to change the resolution of the new image.
(If you select a high resolution, a very large file will be produced and the
conversion may take a long time.)
Note: You can only convert Grayscale images directly to Black & White.
To convert images of other data types to Black & White, first convert them
to Grayscale.

Converting Grayscale to Indexed 16-Color


Converting from Grayscale to Indexed 16-Color involves the same
standard dither options, (see p.134). Whichever option you choose,
Image Editor selects a range of 16 grays that match the grays in the
original.

Converting RGB True Color to Indexed 16-Color


Apart from providing the standard dither options, (see p.134),
converting from RGB True Color to Indexed 16-Color also provides the
following palette options:

Palette allows you to select the colors to be included in the new image’s
color palette. Standard uses the system’s default 16-color palette,
containing the 16 colors available on a standard VGA display. This
option is most useful when you transfer images to other Windows
programs or prepare them for use in a help file. The Optimized option
creates a color palette that is the closest adaptation of the colors used in
the image. In most cases this option gives the best conversion.

Reserve Entries allows you to reserve some colors in an optimized


palette. For example, if your image is largely green and blue, you may
not have any black in the image, but you may need black to add text at
a later time. Select the Reserve Entries Black & White option and the
color palette will contain greens, blues, black and white. Checking the 8
Prime Colors option retains red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow,
black and white.
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Converting RGB True Color to Indexed 256-Color


When converting from True Color to Indexed 256-Color, Image Editor
provides the standard dithering options as well as the following palette
options:

3-3-2 (bits) uses the system’s default 256-color (8-bit) palette, based on
a combination of eight (3-bit) reds, eight (3-bit) greens, and four (2-bit)
blues. 6-7-6 (levels) uses a palette that offers six levels (shades) of red,
seven levels of green, and six levels of blue. This is the standard palette
used by ZSoft Paintbrush IV Plus. 6-6-6 (levels) gives the most balanced
use of palette color. This palette offers six levels (shades) of red, six
levels of green, and six levels of blue. This is the standard palette used
by the Apple Macintosh computer. Optimized creates a palette that
matches the range of colors used in the image as closely as possible and
as such normally produces the best results.
Notes:
• To preview an RGB True Color image on a 256-color display, select the
Optimized Palette and Diffusion Dither options. This provides the best
possible results. (Make sure the View Images With a Common Palette
option in the File: Preferences: Display dialog box is not checked.)
• To transfer an Indexed 256-Color image to another program, you should
use the palette option supported by that program.
137

Chapter 8: Painting
Image Editor’s painting tools enable you to easily
“touch-up” and enhance any kind of image. The painting
tools themselves present a variety of functions from the
advanced magic lamp and clone tool to more common tools
like the paintbrush, eraser and text tool. This chapter
introduces these painting tools, and begins by describing
how to select and work with colors in Image Editor.
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Choosing colors
The most important part of painting is choosing the right color. Image
Editor provides a number of ways to help you get this right and gives
you maximum freedom in your choice of how to display and select
colors. The most obvious means of doing this is with the color palette.

The color palette


The color palette contains colors you can apply to any given image.
The way colors are displayed varies according to the type of image you
are working on. For Grayscale images, the color palette displays shades
of gray. Changing to an Indexed-Color image switches the color palette
to display the 16 or 256 colors from the image’s color table. For RGB
True Color images, a complete range of colors is displayed in discrete
cells or as a continuous spectrum.

Of the available colors in an image, two are active at any given time.
These two colors, referred to as the foreground and background color,
are displayed in the color squares just below the color area in the color
palette. The foreground color is in the front, slightly lower and to the
right of the background color.

Using the eyedropper tool


Tip: Click your left The eyedropper tool is used to select foreground or background colors.
mouse button to This can be done by clicking on a color in an image or in the color
select the color as
foreground: right palette. (Whenever you move the mouse pointer over the color palette,
to select it as it changes to the eyedropper tool, irrespective of your current tool
background. selection.) Clicking the left mouse button selects the color under the
pointer as foreground while clicking the right mouse button selects the
color as the background color. When passing the eyedropper tool over
an image, or the color palette, the color values of the pixel the tool is on
are displayed in the left corner of the status line.
IMAGING 139

Using the color dialog box


Another method of selecting color is to use the Foreground or
Background Color dialog boxes. These can be accessed by:
• Double-clicking on the eyedropper tool icon (accesses the dialog box
for the highlighted color square).
• Double-clicking on the foreground or background color squares; the
appropriate Color dialog box opens.
When the dialog box appears, the current color is displayed on the right
side. To change it, first specify the color model to use: RGB or HSB.
Your choice determines the function of the three slider bars in the
center of the dialog box. Drag the slider bars to change the value of each
individual color component. Adjustments you make are reflected in the
new color area.
Note: When working with Indexed-Color or Grayscale images, the selected
color is replaced by the closest matching color or converted to an equivalent
gray value.

Using the color sliders


Below the color squares in the color palette are the color sliders. These
display the color values of the highlighted square. Moving the slider
arrows changes these values, and thus the color, of the color square
currently highlighted. (You can change which color square is
highlighted by clicking on the non-highlighted one.) The values are RGB
or HSB depending on the model you have chosen in the Select Color
dialog box (see above).
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Editing an image’s color table


The colors in an Indexed-Color image are recorded in a color table.
To view the color table, choose the View: Color Table command (this
command is disabled when the active image is not Indexed-Color).
From the Color Table dialog box this dialog box you can change the
colors in the table, thereby changing the color composition of the
image.

To change the color contained in a cell, click on the cell. The Select
Color dialog box appears. Once you have chosen the new color,
click OK. The new color is inserted into the color table. To return to the
image, click OK in the Select Color dialog box, the new color table is
stored and the image now reflects any changes made.
Note: Use this command to globally change a single color in an image, for
example, all occurrences of white to black.

Color table of an
Indexed 16-Color
image (on the left)
and an Indexed
256-Color image
(on the right).

Loading and saving color tables


Image Editor allows you to load and save color tables, enabling you to
optimize a color table for one type of image, and then apply the same
color table to other images. When you load a new color table, the old
table is discarded and the pixels in the image assume the values of the
new table.
IMAGING 141

During installation of the program you had the opportunity to install


some predefined color tables. (Color tables appear with a PAL
extension.) These color tables are intended to be loaded into Grayscale
images that you have converted to Indexed 256-Color. Experiment with
them or create your own to achieve the best possible results.
Note: You can only load color tables containing 16 colors into Indexed
16-Color images. Likewise, color tables containing 256 colors can only be
loaded into Indexed 256-Color images.

Filling an area with color


One of the ways to alter the contents of an image or selected area is to
“fill” it with a color or other image data. When you fill an image you can
control exactly how the fill takes place and what is used to fill the area.
To perform a fill, choose the Edit: Fill command. The Fill dialog box
opens providing the following options:

Clipboard Data fills the area with image data from the clipboard. If the
area is larger than the contents of the clipboard, the data is tiled to fill
the area. If the area is smaller, the clipboard image is cropped. Checking
the Start From Selection option places the clipboard image’s top left
corner at the top left corner of the selected area (or top left corner of
the bounding box of a non-rectangular selection area). When
unchecked, or when there is no selection, the first copy of the clipboard
image is pasted in the top left corner of the active image; subsequent
copies are tiled to the right and below it, until the image or selected
area is filled. (If you are filling several areas in an image and you want
the clipboard images to align, do not check this option.)
Note: To put a large clipboard image into a small area and be able to
choose which part appears in the image, use the Edit: Paste Into Selection
command (see p.100).
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Selecting the Foreground to Background or Background to Foreground


options enables the Gradient Fill Style options at the bottom of the
dialog box. The three options, Linear, Rectangular and Elliptical, set
the basic gradient pattern that will be used in the operation. How this
pattern is created depends on how you define the area to fill.

To use a gradient fill:


1. Select the image, or area, you wish to fill. (Gradient fills can only be
used in Grayscale or RGB True Color images.)
2. Choose “Fill” from the Edit menu.
3. Select the Foreground to Background Color option. The Gradient Fill
Style box is enabled.
4. Click on the Linear option.
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the mouse pointer changes to
the fill pointer.
6. Click on the point at which you want the fill to start changing from
the foreground color and drag your mouse to the point where you
want it to reach the background color. Release the mouse button to
fill the selected area. Any area before the start point and after the
end point is filled with the foreground and background colors
respectively. (If you have created a selection area, only the area
within the selection is filled.)
Notes:
• The gradient fill option is modal, that is, you can repeat the fill until you
deselect the fill tool. This allows you to experiment with different effects
as well as being able to change the foreground or background colors.
(If you are filling a selection area the selection area is not floating.)
To end the fill, press the Esc key, change tools or choose a new menu
command.
• When using the rectangular or elliptical option, holding down the Shift
key as you draw produces a square or circle fill.
IMAGING 143

Sample gradient
fills, from left:
Linear, Rectangular,
Elliptical.

Other ways to fill an image


The quickest way to fill an image is to choose your fill color as the
background color and then press the Delete key. This fills the image, or
selected area, without the need to access the Fill dialog box. If you wish
to use an existing image as the fill, you can copy it to the clipboard and
then paste it into another image. Alternatively, simply drag an image
selection from one image (with the F key held down) and drop it onto
another.
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Using the painting tools


Image Editor comes equipped with a number of tools that allow you to
accurately paint and touch-up areas of an image. How you use these
tools depends on the tool selected and the operation you wish to
perform.

Select a tool by clicking on the appropriate icon in the tool bar.


(When you place your mouse on an image the mouse pointer changes
to reflect the tool you are currently using.) To apply the tool, move the
tool to the point on the image where you want to start and press the left
mouse button. The effect of the tool continues for as long as you hold
the mouse button down.

Most of the tools provide options that you can check or change by
double-clicking on their icons in the tool bar. Of the seven painting
tools three, the paintbrush, airbrush, and line tool, provide the same
options, while the magic lamp, clone, eraser and text tool provide their
own unique options. This section describes the characteristics of each.
Note: If you have created a selection area, the tools are only applied to the
area within the selection. Use selection areas in this way to restrict the parts
of the image to which enhancements are applied, protecting the rest of the
image from inadvertent changes.

Selecting brush type and size


Irrespective of which painting tool you wish to use, you should first
decide on the type and size of brush to use. Do this by double-clicking
on the brush button at the top of the color palette. This opens the Select
Shape dialog box in which you can choose from six different brush
shapes and twenty-four sizes. Experiment with the various options to
find the one most suited to your particular painting operation.
Note: You can also increase or decrease the brush size by moving the slider
(next to the brush button) up or down.
IMAGING 145

Using the magic lamp


Tip: use the The magic lamp is not strictly a painting tool in the sense that it does
Smudge option to not “paint” over the existing image with a selected color. It is used to
blend the edges or
colors in an image. enhance areas of an image by adjusting the existing pixel values in the
area. It provides five functions: blur, sharpen, darken, lighten and
smudge. You choose the function and the strength of its effect in the
Magic Lamp dialog box that appears when you double-click on the
magic lamp icon in the tool bar.
Notes:
• The magic lamp can only be applied to Grayscale and RGB True Color
images
• When you apply a selected function to an area, the tool uses the shape
and size of the current brush each time you press the left mouse button.
Drag your mouse to perform the effect over a larger area. Click
repeatedly to reapply and increase the effect on a specific area.
(Smudging requires you to drag the tool, as it smudges color from one
area into another.)

Examples of magic
lamp effects.

O riginalim age Blurring Sharpening

D arkening Lightening Sm udging


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Applying color with the paintbrush


The paintbrush applies color to parts of an image. Click the left mouse
button to apply the foreground color or the right mouse button to apply
the background color. (The size and shape of the applied color are
determined by the current brush settings.) If you drag the paintbrush
around, you draw a freehand line. Double-clicking on the paintbrush
icon in the tool bar opens the Paintbrush dialog box containing the
following options:

Tip: To replace a The Factor combo box allows you to choose the color components that
color but keep its are applied to the active image.
texture, check the
Hue and Saturation • HSB replaces any parts of an image, to which you apply the painting
option. tool, with the applied color.
• Hue and Saturation replaces the hue and saturation of pixels with
those of the applied color but retains their brightness. For example,
if you convert a Grayscale image to RGB True Color, you can use this
option to colorize areas of the image.
• Hue only changes the hue of pixels to the hue of the foreground
color. Use this to change the color of areas in color images.
The Soft Edge option blends the edges of painted areas with the original
image by feathering them.
Note: This dialog box can only be accessed if the active image is Grayscale
or RGB True Color.

Painting with all a


color’s components
(image on the left)
and painting with
just the Hue and
Saturation of a
color (image on the
right).
IMAGING 147

Cloning parts of an image


Cloning allows you to copy part of an image to another area in the same
image or to another image of the same data type. This is a great way to
remove areas of an image that you don’t want. For example, to clone out
imperfections in the image such as rips or background “noise”.

To clone part of an image:


1. Click on the clone tool icon.
2. Hold down the Shift key and click with the left mouse button over the
area you wish to clone. (This area is then marked with a cross-hair
and the mouse pointer changes to the clone pointer.)
3. Drag your mouse across another part of the image to begin painting.
The cross-hair changes to a square indicating the area you are
cloning and as you paint you replace the area with whatever the
clone square passes over. (The size and shape of the area painted are
determined by the current brush settings.)
After painting, the cross-hair’s position is determined by the Continue
Drawing option in the Clone dialog box (accessed by double-clicking
on the tool icon). With this option unchecked, the cross-hair returns to
its original point; with it checked, the cross-hair remains where you left
it, allowing you to take a rest while cloning a large area. The Clone
dialog box also allows you to control transparency and select a soft edge
to blend the edges of your cloned areas with the image.
Note: You can only clone Grayscale and RGB True Color images.

Cloning an image.
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Using the airbrush


The airbrush tool produces a sprayed area over the image. Clicking the
left mouse button on the image applies the foreground color while
clicking the right mouse button applies the background color. (The size
and shape of the airbrush are determined by the current brush
settings.) When you use the airbrush, the color gradually builds up as
you drag back and forth over an area. Staying on one point and keeping
the mouse button depressed increases the density of the color on that
point.

Double-clicking on the airbrush icon opens the Airbrush dialog box.


This dialog box provides the same options as the Paintbrush dialog box.
If you use the Soft Edge option, color is sprayed like a fine mist. If this
option is not selected, color appears more like grains of sand.
Note: This dialog box can only be accessed if the active image is Grayscale
or RGB True Color.

Painting without a
soft edge (image
on the left) and
with a soft edge
(image on the
right).

Painting straight lines


Use the line tool to paint straight lines on any Grayscale or RGB
True Color image. Dragging with the left mouse button applies the
foreground color while dragging with the right mouse button applies
the background color. (The width and ends of the line are determined
by the current brush settings.)

To draw a line, click on the point at which you want the line to start and
drag to the point where you want it to end and release the button.
Pressing the Shift key while drawing a line constrains it to an angle of
0º, 45º, or 90º. Double-clicking on the line icon opens the Line dialog
box, with the same options as the Paintbrush dialog box, (see p.146).
IMAGING 149

Painting a straight
line.

Erasing colors
The eraser tool replaces areas of an image with the current background
color. You can choose to replace all the colors that the tool passes over
with the background color or just replace the foreground color only.
(Use the left mouse button to erase, if you use the right button there is
no effect.)

To use the eraser tool:


1. Select the image or area you want to erase.
2. Choose the color you want to change as the foreground color and the
replacement color as the background color.
3. Double-click on the eraser icon in the tool bar. The Eraser dialog box
appears.
4. Selectthe Erase Foreground to Background Color option and click
OK to close the dialog box and return to your image.
5. Drag the eraser across an area in the image containing the
foreground color. The foreground color in the area changes to the
background color without affecting any of the other colors.

Original image with Erasing foreground Erasing all colors to


foreground color color to background background (black)
(gray) (black)
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Adding text to an image


The text tool allows you to add text to an image. In addition to entering
text in a variety of fonts and styles, the text tool also provides options to
create text with a 3D shadow as well as use anti-aliasing to makes the
edges of text appear smoother.

To add text:
1. Click on the text tool icon.
2. Click on the area in the image where you want your text to start.
The Text dialog box appears.
3. Enter the text to insert in the Text entry box at the top of the dialog
box. The amount of text entered is limited by the size of the entry
box. To start a new line press Ctrl + M (or Ctrl + Enter).
4. Select the size and style for the text. Set shadow and color effects
as desired.
5. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the text appears on the image as
a floating selection filled with the selected color. The mouse pointer
also changes to the rectangular selection tool to allow you to
reposition the text.
6. To combine the text with the image choose “None” from the Edit:
Select menu.
Note: Anti-aliasing is only available for True Color and Grayscale images.

Adding text to an
image.
151

Chapter 9: Enhancing images


Image editing would not be complete without tools to
enhance images. This chapter explains the use of the Image
Editor enhancement tools, beginning with a look at the
commands for adjusting and correcting color. The final
section of this chapter describes the wide range of special
effects and filters that can be used in conjunction with these
tools to introduce new elements into your imaging work.
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Adjusting and correcting color


Some of the more common commands you will use when working with
images are concerned with adjusting and correcting the color values of
an image. This is particularly important when the colors recorded
during a scanning process are incorrect or you wish to highlight or
darken particular parts of an image. Image Editor uses several
commands to control this type of operation, and, in most instances,
these can be applied to selected areas or to entire images. However,
some of the commands are not applicable to some data types, or they
cannot be applied to selected areas in certain data types.

Understanding mapping curves


When you select the Image: Tone Mapper or Tone Adjustment
commands, a dialog box appears with a graph representing the color
values of the pixels in the active image. The horizontal (x) axis
represents the “input” value, or original value from black at the left (0)
to white at the right (255). The vertical (y) axis represents the “output”,
or remapped value.
Note: For RGB True Color images the right side of the graph can also
represent a primary value, red, green, or blue, depending on the channel
selected in the channel combo box.

When you view the graph, a default mapping curve (line) bisects the
graph on the diagonal. This indicates that for each “input” value the
“output” value is the same (i.e. y=x). By altering this curve you can
change the color values of pixels as follows:
IMAGING 153

Normal mapping
curve (y=x) and
image.

New mapping
curve (y=2x) and
image. All gray
values over 128
become white.

New mapping
curve (y=+x) and
image. All values
are mapped onto
the range from
black to mid-gray
(128).

Adjusting image tones


The Image: Tone Adjustment command allows you to adjust the
highlight, midtone and shadow areas in an image. Highlight areas are
those areas that appear brighter or lighter than others. Shadow areas
are dark areas and the midtone areas are somewhere in between.
For RGB True Color images, you can also adjust the three color
channels, Red, Green and Blue individually. How best to adjust the color
values of an image is totally dependent on the type of image you have.
Try experimenting by moving the respective slider controls in the Tone
Adjustment dialog box and clicking on the Preview button to see the
effect on the image.
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Notes:
• Adjusting these options affects the color values of all pixels in an image
or selected area.
• You can change only the brightness and contrast of an image by
choosing the Image: Brightness & Contrast command. Alternatively, to
change only the hue and saturation of an image, choose the Image: Hue
& Saturation command.

The graph in the Tone Adjustment dialog box displays an added feature:
the histogram. This chart graphically represents the distribution of
color values within an image. The number of pixels with a particular
color is indicated by the vertical “y” axis. As all colors in the image are
shown within this graph, the distribution of some may be less apparent
than others, e.g., light pixels in a dark image or vice versa. In such cases
increase the Histogram Scale Factor to magnify those color values with
fewer pixels. (This only affects the display of the histogram.)

Sometimes when you access the Tone Adjustment dialog box, you will
see the Auto button enabled. This indicates the image has no black
(x=0, y=0) and/or white (x=255, y=255) pixels. In such cases clicking the
Auto button redraws the mapping curve to map the original values onto
the complete range of colors from black to white. This improves the
contrast in an image and is recommended (for most images) before you
start adjusting any color values.
Note: If you have selected an area of the image, only the area within the
selection is affected.

Sample histogram.
IMAGING 155

Using the tone mapper curve


The previous section discussed how to change the color values of pixels
within an image by using the Tone Adjustment dialog box. At times this
may be too general and not specific enough for your needs. In such
cases use the Tone Mapper to apply finer adjustments to more specific
ranges of color values.
Note: This command is primarily aimed at calibrating your input and output
devices. As such you will find it is provided as an extension to both the
input/scanning process as a post processing option (see p.166) and the
printing process. To aid in this calibration you can also load and save curves
for subsequent use.

When you display the Tone Mapper dialog box you only see a graph and
mapping curve. You can adjust this curve directly by dragging your
mouse over the graph or by selecting a predefined enhancement using
the Enhance Button.
Note: Each time you select an enhancement option the enhancement is
applied to the default curve (i.e. x=0 y=0). To apply different enhancements
sequentially check the Accumulatively option. This applies each
enhancement to the existing curve.

After adjusting the mapping curve you may feel the curve is not
“smooth” enough – simply click on the Smooth button and it smooths
out automatically. You can also use the Smooth button to reduce the
effect of a new tone curve as it makes the curve tend towards the
default.

You may have noticed that the color value graph includes a 5+5 grid
pattern. Each square block within that grid represents a possible 51
consecutive color values (on a scale from 0 to 255). If you want to edit
only those values within a block or you wish to have more restrictions
on your adjustments click on the Show Control Points option. This
places handles at each point where the mapping curve intersects the
grid. After adjusting the control points you can apply other enhance-
ments or smooth the curve, but the control points will disappear.
Note: Points to remember: the left area represents darker pixels; the right
lighter. Raising the curve lightens color values; lowering the curve darkens
color values.
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Inverting colors
The Invert command reverses the colors in an image. If your image has
shades of black, they are inverted to reflect shades of white. For color
images each pixel changes to its complementary color, for example,
blue changes to yellow.

Image before and


after inverting.

Adjusting the number of displayable colors


The Level Adjustment command allows you to reduce the number of
gray or color shades in an image or selected area. This is useful when
you want to reduce the number of colors in an image to enable a
compression scheme to compress the image more, or to create special
effects.
Note: Unless you are using a well calibrated monitor with a True Color
display driver, you may not notice any change in images when you select
higher numbers of levels (up to 64). When you output the image, however,
the changes may be more apparent.
IMAGING 157

Image before and


after reducing the
number of
displayable colors.

Optimizing an image’s color


The Optimize command attempts to generate the best possible color
for an image or selected area by redistributing the pixels across the
full range of gray or color values. This effect will vary from one image
to another, depending on the original distribution of the gray/color
values. In general, optimizing pixel values will make detail in the
darker shadow areas more apparent.

One good way to understand the process of optimization is to view


the histogram of an image (choose the Tone Adjustment command)
and then apply the Optimize command. This time when you view the
histogram of the image the color values will be distributed through-
out the image.
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Applying special effects


Image Editor provides different commands that can be used to enhance
images and create special effects. You can apply these commands to
entire images or just to selected parts. However, it is only possible to
apply them to RGB True Color and Grayscale images. If you wish to
apply special effects to other image data types, first convert them to
Grayscale or RGB True Color.
Note: As all effects are shown in Appendix A, (see p.173), only those
differing in implementation are discussed here.

Blurring images
The Blur command allows you to reduce the contrast of pixel values in
an image to create a softer image. Images can be blurred in three ways:
Slightly, More, and Heavily. To blur an image more selectively, use the
magic lamp blur option. This has the same effect as the Blur commands
except that you perform the operation on a small area rather than the
entire image or selected area.

Image before and


after blurring.
IMAGING 159

Sharpening images
The Sharpen command increases the contrast between light and dark
pixels in an image. This is essentially the opposite of blurring an image.
Images can be sharpened in three ways: Slightly, More, and Strongly.
To sharpen an image more selectively, use the magic lamp sharpen
option. This has the same effect as the Sharpen commands except that
you perform the operation on a small area rather than the entire image
or selected area.

Image before and


after sharpening.

Adjusting an image for video


The Adjust for NTSC Preview command allows you to see an image as it
would appear when viewed on an NTSC device. This is particularly
useful when you want to know how an image will look when it appears
in a video sequence destined to be played off a VCR or television.
Note: Depending on the image and your current display mode, using this
command may not produce any visible effect.
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Warping an image
Warping is a method of distorting a Grayscale or RGB True Color image
using a grid (or mesh) based pattern. This grid is visible on a sample
image that appears in the Warping dialog box, accessed by choosing the
Warping command. In this dialog box you can define the size of the grid
squares, quality of the warp and whether or not to show the control
points that appear at grid intersections.

To warp an area, click on a control point (or at a grid intersection if the


control points are hidden) and drag it. (You can only drag within
squares bordering the control point selected.) When you release the
mouse, the grid redraws to accommodate the new position. To see the
effect on the sample image, click the Testing button. (If you want to see
how the effect looks on the actual image, click on the Preview button.)
Note: In most cases checking the Good option for Quality Control will
produce more than adequate results. If you want even better results, check
the Better option. This does however require more time to perform the
effect.

Image before and


after warping.
IMAGING 161

Custom Filter
Many of the effects provided by Image Editor work by regenerating a
pixel value based on its original value and the value of its surrounding
pixels. The Custom Filter command allows you to create your own
effects in a similar way using a 5 by 5 pixel matrix.

To create your own filter:


1. Select the image you want to apply the filter to.
2. Choose “Custom Filter” from the Effect menu. The Custom Filter
dialog box opens.
3. In the Symmetry combo box, select one of the following:
• No – this provides no symmetry.
• Horizontal – selecting this option duplicates the value in the
horizontally opposite cell.
• Vertical – selecting this option duplicates the value in the vertically
opposite cell.
• 4-Way – this option duplicates values in the three cells that form the
other corners of a square around the center.
4. Enter values in the matrix cells. The cell in the middle of the matrix
represents the pixel whose value is going to be regenerated.
The surrounding cells represent the surrounding pixels. (The Divided
by value changes to show the total value of all the cells.)
5. Change the Divided by value to affect the overall tone of the image.
The higher the value, the darker the image; the lower the value, the
lighter the image. This value automatically adjusts as you change
other options to retain the overall tone (optional).
6. Check the Invert option to invert the gray/color values of the image.
7. Click OK. The filter is applied to the image.
Note: You can only create custom filters for use with RGB True Color and
Grayscale images. Once created you can then save them for future use or
editing.
162 MEDIASTUDIO USER GUIDE

Changing your wallpaper


Although not strictly an effect, the Effect: Set as Wallpaper command
is a useful feature that allows you to make any BMP file the current
Windows wallpaper. (This command is disabled if the active image is
not BMP.) When you choose this command, you have the choice of
either tiling the image or centering it. Once chosen, the wallpaper is
changed immediately. If you the image appears too big or too small,
use the Image: Resample command (see p.126) to resize the image
accordingly.

The Special Effects command


Apart from the above filters and effects, Image Editor also provides a
number of additional options in the Special Effects dialog box (opened
by choosing the Effects: Special Effects command). The kind of effect
that can be applied depends on the data type of the active image, for
example, for RGB True Color images you can choose from a maximum
of 15 effects. To perform an effect, choose it from the Effect combo box,
the effect is immediately reflected in the sample images at the bottom
of the dialog box. (Examples of all the special effects can be seen in
Appendix A, p.173.)
Note: You can define the background color used in the preview window
of the Special Effects dialog box by checking the Background Color in
Thumbnail option in the File: Preferences: Image Editor dialog box.
(The color selected here is also used to fill the background of irregularly
shaped images stored in the object pool.)
163

Chapter 10: Scanning images


All types of photographs, illustrations, and even video
frames can be brought into Image Editor via a range of
image input devices. This chapter introduces the commands
that access such image input devices and then goes on to
describe the different options Image Editor provides for
combining images.
164 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Before you begin


The File: Acquire, Source, Import and Export commands provide ways
to access external software drivers. The commands in the Import and
Export submenus change according to installed drivers. Because of this
flexibility, we cannot describe all the possibilities here. For information
about the use of an installed driver, please refer to its documentation
and on-line help.
Note: All external image sources involve some sort of hardware and an
associated software driver. Different sources require different installation
procedures and provide different facilities. To find out about these,
please refer to the manufacturer’s documentation.

Importing and exporting


The File: Import and Export submenus provide access to external
software modules expanding Image Editor’s ability to access and output
image files in special formats and for special devices.

To install modules, run the MediaStudio Driver Setup program and


select the Import/Export module option. Click OK and in the
subsequent screen, choose the module you wish to install or select
“Others” to install an unlisted driver. Unlisted modules require a disk
containing the module’s driver file and an OEM.INF file.

Because the Import and Export submenu commands access specific


functions and devices, you won’t be able to use any that appear unless
you have a suitable device. Devices supported by modules available for
Image Editor include Photo CD drives and special printers like the
Kodak XL 7700.
IMAGING 165

The TWAIN commands


TWAIN is an industry standard that allows applications to use input
devices without a complex installation procedure. It has been
described as “providing seamless connection between applications and
devices”. If you have a TWAIN-compatible device you should follow its
installation procedure. Once correctly installed, you will be able to use
the device from Image Editor or any other application that supports
TWAIN without worrying about compatibility problems.

Acquiring an image
To accesses the software driver for the device selected in the Select
Source dialog box, choose the File: Acquire command. This opens a
dialog box which varies according to the image input device you have
installed.
Note: If you select the Acquire command and you do not have a TWAIN
device installed, you will see an error message. If you do have a
TWAIN device, but it is incorrectly installed, a dialog box appears containing
installation options.

The source options


The File: Source submenu contains commands that allow you to select
your TWAIN source and define post processing options. The Select
command opens the Select Source dialog box that lists all your available
input sources. To select a source, click on the source and then press OK.
If you have only one source, it is automatically selected. The other
commands define what happens to the image after scanning.
166 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Performing post processing


When you input an image, Image Editor allows you to perform a variety
of post processing commands: Auto Tone Adjustment, Brightness and
Contrast, Tone Adjustment (see p.153), Tone Mapper (see p.152) and
Scan to Printer. The Auto Tone Adjustment command is applied during
the input process whereas the others, except for Scan to Printer, invoke
their respective dialog boxes once the image has been created. The
Scan to Printer command opens the Print dialog box, allowing you to
specify how the image is printed before input.
Note: When you choose a command, a check mark appears to the left of the
command. Choosing the command again deselects it.

Auto Tone Adjustment automatically adjusts the highlights and


shadows and remaps newly input images onto the full range of available
colors, improving contrast in the image. When you select Auto Tone
Adjustment you also have the option of adjusting midtones. In the spin
box at the bottom of the dialog box, enter a value from -100% to 100%.
Negative values darken the midtones, positive values lighten them.
Select a value of 0 if you only want to remap the image to use the full
range of colors available.

Joining image strips


If your scanner cannot scan the whole of a picture in one pass, you can
input the entire picture by scanning the picture in strips and then
joining the resulting images. In this situation, the ability to join images
accurately and efficiently is essential. Image Editor provides two
approaches to this function through the Edit: Tile Two Images and
Stitch commands.

With both “Tile Two Images” and “Stitch” you choose an image and the
position to place it relative to the active image. The major difference
between the two commands is that “Tile Two Images” joins images with
a specific distance between them while “Stitch” provides multiple
options and controls for both manual and automatic joining.
IMAGING 167

Use “Tile Two Images” to create special effects or to join two images
when the joint is not critical. Special effects can include placing the
same image against itself or by joining a flipped version of an image to
the original to create a mirrored effect. “Stitch” is the command of
choice where pixel-level control and seamless joining is important.
Note: You can only join images that share the same data type and are
either Grayscale or RGB True Color. To join images of other data types, first
convert them to Grayscale or RGB True Color.

To join two images using the Tile Two Images command:


1. Make one of the images you wish to join active by clicking on its title
bar.
2. Choose “Tile Two Images” from the Edit menu. The Tile Two Images
dialog box appears. In the preview window the active image and
floating image (with a gray shadow) appear.
3. In the Floating Image combo box, select the image you want to join
to the active image. The image selected here appears as the floating
image in the preview window.
4. Use the Direction arrows to place the floating image relative to the
active image.
5. In the Distance entry box, enter the distance you want between the
edges of the images. If you enter a positive value, the gap between
the active and floating images is filled with the current background
color. If you enter a negative value, the images overlap with the
combination in the overlap area being controlled by the
Transparency option.
6. Click OK. The dialog box closes and a new window appears
containing the joined images.
168 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Stitching images
The Edit: Stitch command opens the Stitch dialog box. This dialog box
is similar to the Tile Two Images dialog box except that it does not have
the Distance and Transparency entry boxes; the OK button is also
replaced by a Place button.

Clicking on the Place button puts Image Editor into “Stitch” mode. In
this mode, the Image Editor workspace is cleared leaving only the two
images to be stitched. The normal Image Editor menus are replaced by
special Stitch menus. In Stitch mode you can use the following options:
• Set auto-stitching parameters and make Image Editor automatically
match and align the floating image on the active image.
• Drag the floating image until it matches with the active image.
• Define a reference point in each image, by holding shift down and
clicking first in one and then in the other, Image Editor then aligns
the images on these points.
• Select “Auto Fine Tune” in the Option menu to aid in manual
stitching.
• Set the transparency of the floating image to aid manual stitching
and to define how images are combined in the overlap area.
IMAGING 169

Operating in Stitch mode


Stitch mode allows you to find the best alignment of two images by
combining the use of manual, automatic, and assisted joining
functions. In this mode there are three menus and one menu bar
command.

Action menu
Auto Stitch... choosing this command opens the Auto Stitch dialog box.
At the same time a horizontal or vertical line appears on the active
image. This line represents the approximate position to which the
floating image should overlap. This line is moved by dragging the
Overlap Range slider.
Note: If the overlap is too small (less than thirty pixels), the chance of a
successful match is greatly reduced.

As well as adjusting this overlap range, a second control, “Horizontal/


Vertical Tolerance”, allows you to provide for misalignment in the other
direction. The tolerance should be slightly greater than the distance the
floating image needs to move (horizontally or vertically) to align with
the active image.

Clicking OK in this dialog box automatically repositions the floating


image to match the active image according to the overlap and tolerance
parameters you have defined.

Done stitches the two images together. The Image Editor window
reappears as it was before stitching with an additional window
containing the newly stitched image. (Double-clicking on the
non-active image has the same effect.)
Note: If you try to exit Stitch mode by selecting “Close” from the control
menu, a message, “Please complete the Image Editor operation first”,
appears. Click OK and, if you don’t want to continue stitching, select
“Quit” from the Action menu.
170 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

View menu
Actual view returns the view of the images to the normal (1×) view
where each image pixel is shown by one screen pixel. If you are already
at actual view, this command has no effect.

Zoom In and Zoom Out change the view of the images one step at a
time. Use these commands if you want to view a magnified or reduced
portion of the images to enable you to stitch more accurately.

Transparency... opens the Transparency dialog box. This dialog box


allows you to specify the transparency of the floating image. Wile you
are placing the floating image, use a transparency of 50% to enable
you to see both images equally. Before stitching, choose another
transparency to define how the area of overlap appears after stitching.
Selecting 0% causes the floating image to obscure the active image in
the area of overlap. A 100% selection causes the active image to obscure
the floating image.

Option menu
Auto fine tune automatically fine-tunes the position of the floating
image immediately after you have moved it by dragging or by defining
matching points. To be successful the floating image must be placed
fairly close to its final destination (within thirty pixels either way).
This option usually achieves the best result with the least amount of
effort.
Note: When you choose the Auto Fine Tune command, a tick appears to the
left of the command, thus enabling it. Choosing the command again
deselects it.
IMAGING 171

To stitch two images manually:


1. Make one of the images you wish to join the active image.
2. Choose “Stitch” from the Edit menu. The Stitch dialog box appears.
3. In the Floating Image combo box, select the image you want to join
to the active image. The image selected here appears as the floating
image (with a gray shadow) in the preview window.
4. Use the Direction arrows to place the floating image relative to the
active image.
5. Click on the Place button. Image Editor enters Stitch mode.
6. Drag the floating image until you are satisfied with its position.
7. Double-click on the image or select “Done” from the Action menu.
You exit Stitch mode and a window appears containing the stitched
image.
Notes:
• An alternative to dragging is to define a matching point in each image:
hold Shift down and click on a point in one image and then on a point in
the other. Image Editor then moves the images to match on these
corresponding points.
• To improve either method, choose “Auto fine tune” from the Options
menu before setting reference points or dragging.
172 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

1. Original matching point, defined by holding down Shift and clicking on


the floating image.
2. Corresponding matching point, defined by holding down Shift and click
on the active image.
173

• Appendix A – special effects


This appendix displays a graphic representation of each of
the special effect filters in the MediaStudio VE programs. In
addition to these, you will also find effect filters belonging to
MediaStudio Pro, which you can easily upgrade to at
anytime.
174 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Add Noise to Despeckle

Original image Add Noise Average Blast


VE•PRO VE•IE•PRO IE•PRO

Legend:

Video Editor VE
Image Editor IE
MediaStudio Pro PRO

Blur Brightness & Contrast Charcoal


VE•IE•PRO VE•IE•PRO PRO

Color Balance Colored Pen Contour


PRO PRO PRO

Cool Cylinder Despeckle


IE•PRO PRO IE•PRO
APPENDICES 175

Diffraction to Highlight

Diffraction Diffuse Emboss


PRO PRO VE•IE•PRO

Emphasize Edges Equalize Facet


VE•IE•PRO PRO IE•PRO

Fat Find Edges Fish Eye


IE•PRO VE•IE•PRO VE•IE•PRO

Gaussian Blur Gradient Highlight


PRO PRO PRO
176 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Hue & Saturation to Punch

Original image Hue & Saturation Invert Kaleidoscope


VE•IE•PRO VE•IE•PRO PRO

Light Mirror Monochrome


PRO PRO VE•PRO

Mosaic Motion Blur Oil Paint


VE•IE•PRO VE•IE•PRO PRO

Pinch Posterize Punch


VE•PRO VE•PRO VE•PRO
APPENDICES 177

Puzzle to Tile

Puzzle Reduce Noise Ripple


IE•PRO PRO PRO

Scratch Sharpen Solarization


PRO VE•IE•PRO PRO

Stagger Star Thin


IE•VE•PRO VE•PRO IE•PRO

Threshold Throw Stone Tile


VE•PRO PRO IE•PRO
178 MEDIASTUDIO USER GUIDE

Tone High to Zoom Motion

Original image Tone High Tone Medium Tone Low


PRO PRO PRO

Unsharp Mask Vignette Warm


PRO PRO IE•PRO

Warping Water Flow Watercolor


IE•PRO PRO VE•IE•PRO

Whirlpool Wind Zoom Motion


VE•PRO VE•IE•PRO PRO
179

• Appendix B – techniques
This appendix presents some creative techniques commonly
used in video and imaging, and explains how you can
perform them using the MediaStudio VE programs.
180 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Video Editor techniques


The following techniques illustrate various methods for editing and
working with video using the Video Editor program. For a full
description of any of the tools, commands and features discussed here,
refer to the relevant section in this user guide or, if you are working in
the program, use the on-line Help.

Creating a split screen effect


This technique demonstrates how you can create a split screen effect, in
which one video plays alongside or within another. You will learn how
to work with clips and customize transition effects.
1. Position the two clips you want to play together in overlapping video
tracks in the timeline.
2. Click on the transition effect button. The Transition Effect dialog box
opens.
3. Select the transition you wish to use and drag it to Fx track in the
timeline between the two overlapping clips. The Transition Options
dialog box opens.
4. In the Transition group box, move the Start and End sliders to 50%.
This will play the transition equally over the two clips, creating a split
screen effect. To view the effect, click on the animate button. To view
the effect on the actual clips used, click on the actual image button.
Once you are satisfied, click OK to apply the transition effect and
return to the timeline.
Creating a split
screen using a
transition effect.
APPENDICES 181

Creating a zoom effect


This technique demonstrates how you can create a zoom effect, such as
when a camera moves in for a close-up of a person or object. You will
learn how to use the 2D moving path dialog box and how to position
the start and end control points close together. (This effect works best if
the clip you are using is the same size as the current project’s frame size,
specified in the File: Preferences dialog box.)
1. Click on the video or image clip you want to zoom in on, (it must be
in one of the video overlay tracks), and then click on the 2D moving
path button. The 2D Moving Path dialog box opens.
2. Click on the end control point to make it active, then check the Keep
Aspect Ratio check box and enter in a Width value; the height
changes automatically. The bigger the value you enter here, the
greater the zoom-in effect will be. (Reversing this procedure, that is,
increasing the size of the frame at the starting control point, makes
the clip appear to zoom out.)
3. Click on the start control point and position it so that it covers the
end point. (To get a better view, click on the zoom button, or type the
coordinates of the end control point directly into the X and Y spin
boxes.)
4. Click on the animate button to see the effect. Once you are satisfied,
click OK to apply the moving path and return to the timeline.

Creating a zoom
effect using a
moving path.
182 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Filtering part of a clip


This technique demonstrates how you can filter part of a video clip
so that the subject is highlighted, such as a ball moving or a person
walking. You will learn how to work with filters and, in particular, the
Region dialog box.
1. Click on the video clip you want to apply the filter to.
2. Click on the filter button. The Video Filter dialog box opens.
3. Select the Brightness & Contrast filter, and then click on the Add
button to add the filter to the list of applied filters. (To view and
adjust the levels of brightness and contrast, click on the Options
button.)
4. Click on the Region button. The Region dialog box opens displaying a
sample of the clip as well as a control box. Resize the control box so
that it covers the area of the sample clip you want the filter to be
applied to.
5. Click on the end button. The sample clip jumps to the last frame and
the end control box is displayed. Resize the control box so that it
covers the area of the sample clip you want the filter to be applied to.
(Try to keep the dimensions of the end control box the same as
the start control box.) If the subject moves erratically during the
sequence of the clip, you will have to apply a new control box at
appropriate positions in the sequence. To do this, click the Animate
button where you need to reposition or resize the control box. Click
on the add control points button; a new control box appears which
you can then reposition and resize accordingly. Once you are
satisfied, click OK to apply the filter and return to the Video Filters
dialog box.
7. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the filter.

Creating a motion
effect by morphing
the position of
clouds.
APPENDICES 183

Overlaying clips
This technique demonstrates how to overlay a clip so that a background
video or image clip shows through. You will learn how to select a key
color, and control the transparency of the overlay clip to create a
fade-in effect. Before you start, ensure that the clip you want to overlay
is positioned in one of the video overlay tracks and is overlapping a
video or image clip in a lower numbered video track.
1. In a video overlay track, click on the clip you want to overlay.
2. Click on the overlay button in the ribbon. The Overlay Options dialog
box opens displaying a sam ple ofthe clip in the Overlay Clip and
Overlay Preview group boxes.
3. Move to the Overlay Clip group box and click on the color you want
to make transparent (the key color). The background clip is now
displayed in the Overlay Preview group box wherever the key color
appears. If not enough of the background clip is displayed, move the
Start slider in the Similarity group box to increase the range of colors
used for the key.
4. Move to the Transparency group box and drag the control point on
the far right (the end) to 100%. Notice how the clip in the Overlay
Preview group box jumps to the last frame and the entire overlay
clip is now transparent. (This will fade the overlay clip out as the
sequence plays.)
5. Click on the animate button in the Overlay Preview group box. The
clip now plays. With about 1 second to go before it reaches the last
frame, click again on the animate button to stop it.
6. Click anywhere on the blue line in the Transparency group box. An
additional control point is created. Drag this control point down to
0%. Now when you play the sequence, the overlay clip will gradually
fade out with 1 second to go to reveal the entire background clip.
7. Click OK. The dialog box closes and the overlay is applied to the clip.

Performing an
overlay with a
transparency
option.
184 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Image Editor techniques


The following techniques illustrate various methods for editing
and enhancing images using the Image Editor program. For a full
description of any of the tools, commands and features discussed here,
refer to the relevant section in this user guide or, if you are working in
the program, use the on-line Help.

Placing a background behind a foreground image


This technique demonstrates how to change the background of an
image by placing one image behind another. You will learn how to
create selection areas and use the Copy and Paste commands.
1. Select the image you want to use as the background and choose
“Copy” from the Edit menu. The image is placed on the clipboard and
ready for you to paste.
2. Move to the image where you want to place the clipboard image and
select the background. If the background is difficult to select, try
selecting the subject and then inverting the selection.
3. Choose “Into Selection” from the Edit: Paste submenu. The image on
the clipboard now appears “behind” the foreground subject. Once the
clipboard image has been pasted, you can move it freely to reveal the
part which best suits the image.

Creating a drop shadow


This technique demonstrates how to place a shadow behind text to
create the illusion of depth in your image. You will learn how to place
and position text using the text tool, then add a gradient fill to make the
shadow appear to fade away from its source. As a finishing touch, you
will stretch and slant the shadow to make it appear to be cast longer and
to the side.
1. Select the text tool and click on the image at the location where you
want the text to appear. The Text dialog box opens.
2. Type the w ord “Rom e” in the Text entry box and set the text color to
Dark Gray in the Color combo box. This will be the color of the
shadow behind the final text.
APPENDICES 185

3. Select the text font, style, and size. If it is not already checked, check
the Anti-Aliasing option. This will yield smoother, higher-quality text
without the “jaggies”.
4. Click OK. The text now appears as a selection area on the image. You
can freely reposition the text anywhere on the image. (If you are not
pleased with the size or font, remove the text by pressing the F3
shortcut key and try again.)
5. Choose “Merge Control” from the right mouse button pop-up menu.
In the dialog box that opens, drag the Transparency slider to 40%.
This makes the background shadow 40% transparent. Click OK. The
dialog box closes and the text is merged with the background image.
6. Choose “Free Resize” from the Effect menu. Handles appear around
the selection area which you can move to stretch the text. To make
the text longer while retaining the original width, drag the handle in
the middle of the top line upwards.
7. Choose “Slant” from the Effect menu. Handles appear around the
selection area which allow you to slant the text. Drag either of the top
corner handles to the left or right. This makes the text appear to fall
to the side.
8. In the color palette, choose black as the foreground color, and white
as the background color. Next choose “Fill” from the Edit menu. In
the dialog box that opens, select the Foreground to Background
Color option, and, if it is not checked, the Linear option in the
Gradient Fill Style group box. Click OK. The dialog box closes.
Move to the top of the text selection and drag the pointer downwards
to create the fill. You can freely experiment with different gradients as
well as colors until you create one you are satisfied with.
9. Select the text tool again and click on the image. The Text dialog
box reopens. In the Color combo box, change the Text color to
Foreground and click OK. To finish, position the new text at the foot
of the shadow, then deselect the text.
186 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Removing unwanted areas from an image


This technique demonstrates how to remove unwanted areas from an
image (such as scan lines, background noise, or faults) by replacing
them with existing colors or features in the image itself. You will learn
how to use the clone tool as well as how to define the size and shape of
a painting brush.
1. Click on the clone tool to select it. (This tool is only available for
True Color and Grayscale images.)
2. Define the brush size and shape by clicking on the brush button at
the top of the color palette. The Select Shape dialog box opens. Select
the size and shape best suited to your image. (When removing large
portions of an image, select a round brush at 12 pixels; for more
detailed work, such as in this image, try a round brush at 3-6 pixels.)
Click OK. The dialog box closes and you return to the image.
3. To begin cloning, hold down the Shift key and click on the area of the
image you want to clone with to set your cloning origin. (When you
paint, this is the area that will be cloned or copied.) Your mouse
pointer changes to a paintbrush and a crosshair appears indicating
your cloning origin.
4. Move to the area on the image you want to remove. By clicking and
dragging your pointer, the unwanted area is replaced by the area
currently under the crosshair, your cloning origin.
5. Move to the end image, and reposition the control points and lines.
187

• Glossary
This glossary contains concepts and terms used throughout
this manual as well as those related to multimedia. Some
entries reflect more commonly used terms, and may already
be familiar to you, while others may be less common or new.
To help guide you, there is also an alphabetic listing at the
top of each page detailing the first and last entries.
188 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Aliasing to Bit Aliasing


Loss of quality in the display of an image caused by the limitations of
an output device (such as a printer or monitor); also called the “jaggies”.
Typically, aliasing appears in the form of jagged edges around
bitmapped objects and text, especially along diagonal lines. (See also:
Anti-aliasing)

Alpha channel
An 8-bit data channel used by some imaging programs to identify
portions of images for use with filters and special effects.

Analog
Generally used as the opposite of “digital”. Any data storage method
that does not use computers, or cannot be read directly by computers.
(See also: Digital)

Anti-aliasing
A method of smoothing jagged edges in bitmapped images. This is
accomplished by blending the edges with pixels similar in color to the
background, thus making the transition less apparent.
(See also: Aliasing)

Aspect ratio
The relationship of width to height in an image or graphic. Keeping the
aspect ratio means that changing either value automatically changes the
other accordingly.

Bit
The smallest element of a computer’s memory. Bits are used to record
such information as the color of pixels in an image. The following table
shows the relationship between bits and allowable colors in an image:
1-bit: each pixel can be either black or white.
8-bits: each pixel can be any one of 256 colors or gray shades.
16-bits: each pixel can be any one of 65,536 colors.
24-bits: each pixel can be any one of 16.7 million colors.
GLOSSARY 189

Bitmap to Clipboard Bitmap


An image made up of a collection of dots or “pixels” arranged in rows;
also referred to as “raster” images. “Bitmapped” refers to images or text
in a bitmap (as opposed to vector) format.

Black and white


The simplest kind of image file format, consisting of only black or
white pixels. Shades of gray can be simulated through a process called
dithering. (See also: Dithering, File format)

Brightness
A description of how light an image appears; also referred to as
luminance. The two extremes of brightness are black and white: black
represents 0% brightness, while white represents 100% brightness.
(See also: Color model, HSB)

Channel
One of the components in that make up a color model. For example,
the HSB color model is comprised of hue, saturation, and brightness
channels. Stereo audio files also use channels to identify sound
destined for the left or right speaker. (See also: Color model)

Chrominance
Used in the HSB color model to represent the combined hue and
saturation values of a color. (See also: Color model, HSB, Hue, Saturation)

Clip
Any representation of a file, or other data, placed into a video timeline
for editing.

Clipboard
A temporary storage area shared by all Windows programs used to hold
data during cut, copy and paste operations. Any new data placed onto
the clipboard immediately replaces the existing data.
190 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Cloning to Cloning
Compression
Replicating part of an image within the same image, or between
different images.

CMYK
A color model used primarily in printing in which each color consists
of varying degrees of the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
(See also: Color model)

Color model
A set of mathematical values used by computers to represent colors.
While several color models exist, the most common models used with
computers are the CMYK, HSB, and RGB color models.
(See also: CMYK, HSB, RGB)

Complementary color
The corresponding opposite color of any given color. For example,
cyan, magenta and yellow are complementary colors of red, green and
blue. Mixing a color with its complementary color produces white.

Composite image
An image made by combining two or more images in an image editing
program. In morphing, “composite image” refers to the combination of
a start and end image, showing the morphing process at a given stage.
(See also: Morphing)

Compression
Any method used to reduce file size. There are two general categories of
compression: “lossless” and “lossy”. Lossless compression reduces file
size without any loss of data. Lossy compression, on the other hand,
discards data during compression, and may result in noticeable file
degradation. Ulead programs support both types of compression,
depending on the file format. (See Also: JPEG, LZW, RLE)
GLOSSARY 191

Contrast to Dialog Contrast


box
The difference between light and dark values in an image. High contrast
results in sharp transitions from light to dark, while lower contrast
allows for more subtle transitions.

Control line
A line connecting two control points when creating or editing the path
that an animated sequence will take (for example, a video moving
path). (See also: Control point)

Control point
Points used while editing effects or animations to specify start, interme-
diate, or end locations or values.

Data transfer rate


The measure of the speed at which information passes between a
storage medium (such as a CD ROM or hard disk), and a display device
(such as a monitor or MCI device). Data transfer rate is dependent on
the hardware you use: for example, the data transfer rate of a double
speed CD ROM is twice that of a single-speed CD ROM.

Data type
A digital representation used by computers to describe the amount of
color information (in bits) contained in an image. Ulead programs read
and write to the following types: Black & White, Grayscale, Indexed 16
and 256-Color, RGB True Color and CMYK True Color.

Dialog box
Any box provided by a software application to allow user input.
Dialog boxes generally include OK and Cancel buttons, along with
other variables.
192 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Digital to Filter Digital


Generally used as the opposite of “analog”. A data storage method that
can be read by computers. Data is “digitized” by converting analog
signals to a numerical value. (See also: Analog)

Dithering
Methods used to make images appear to contain more colors than
are supported by their data type, most notably used for simulating
near-continuous changes in tone (gray shades) in black and white
images. Dithering works by arranging pixels of different colors close
together, either randomly or in patterns.

Dots per inch (DPI)


A unit of measure for screen and printer resolution that represents the
number of dots a line can print or display per inch.

EDL (Edit decision list)


A list of all clips, effects, and transitions in a video project used in
conjunction with analog source tapes and mixing consoles. EDLs
identify each clip’s location, its mark in and mark out times, and any
effects or transitions applied to that clip.

File format
Mathematical values used by computers to describe a file’s type. Image,
audio, and text data, for example, are all saved in different file formats.

Filter
Special effects that change the color values of pixels in an image, but not
their location. For example, a Sharpen filter increases contrast between
adjacent pixels, while a Blur filter lowers contrast.
GLOSSARY 193

Frame to HiColor Frame


A single image in a video or animation sequence.

Frame rate
The number of frames captured or displayed per second in video and
animation sequences. (See also: Frame)

Frame size
The size of displayed images in video or animation sequences. If an
image intended for the sequence is larger or smaller than the current
frame size, it must be resized. (See also: Frame)

Graphics file
A file whose data is composed largely of vector graphics. Vector graphics
do not have a basic component, like a pixel, but are defined as lines
between points, and fills between lines. (See also: Vector)

Grayscale
An image data type containing a maximum of 256 allowable grays: 254
shades of gray plus black and white, or 256 “grays” in all.
(See also: Data type)

Halftoning
A common form of dithering that uses patterns of black and white pixels
to produce what appears to be shades of gray. (See also: Dithering)

HiColor
A 16-bit image data type that can contain up to 65,536 colors. The TGA
file format supports images of this type.
194 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

HSB to HSB
Lossey compression
A color model that uses hue (the basic color), saturation (the purity of a
color), and brightness (the amount of light the color appears to emit) to
describe color. (See also Brightness, Color model, Hue, Saturation)

Hue
A description of color differentiating from red, green, blue, etc. The HSB
color model measures 360 degrees of hue starting from red.

Image
A digital picture shown as a collection of dots, or pixels, arranged on a
page or screen.

Indexed Color
A color model that includes a set, or index, of unique values assigned to
each color or shade in an image. This index information can be stored
in 4 bits (16 colors), or 8 bits (256 colors).

Jaggies
Characteristic jagged edges that appear around the edges of bitmapped
objects and text; also called “aliasing”. (See also: Anti-aliasing)

Key color
A color or range of colors in an image made transparent during an
overlay effect to allow another image to show through. (See also: Over-
lay)

Lossless compression
A type of compression scheme that reduces file size without loss of data.
(See also: Compression)

Lossy compression
A type of compression scheme that discards data during compression,
resulting in slight file degradation. (See also: Compression)
GLOSSARY 195

Luminance to NTSC Luminance


(See Brightness)

LZW compression
A popular lossless compression scheme often used for image data.
(See also: Compression)

Mark In / Mark Out


The start and end time codes that identify the portions of clips to be
included in a video project. (See also: Clip)

Marquee
The animated border that appears around a selected area when a
selection is made or a mask is applied.

Mask
A selection area used to isolate a portion of an image while editing.
By using a mask, you can protect parts of an image from unwanted
changes.

Matte
An image or video file used as a stencil in overlay effects to isolate a
region in which other image files may appear through.

MCI (Media Controller Interface)


A software driver designed by Microsoft to allow audio and video files
to be played in Windows. MCI devices also allow you to control
compatible VCRs and Laser disk players from controls on your com-
puter.

NTSC (National Television System Committee)


A video standard of 30 frames per second developed by the
organization that sets standards for television and video in the
United States.
196 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Object pool to Raster Object pool


A unique feature of Ulead Image Editor that allows you to quickly save
and retrieve images, masks, and selection areas for use in multiple
images.

Overlay
The process of rendering part of one image transparent to allow a
second image to appear through this transparent area.
(See also: Key color)

PAL (Phase Alteration Line)


A video standard of 25 frames per second used in the UK.

Pixel
The smallest unit in an image, sometimes referred to as “dots”.
Computer images are made up of rows of pixels, each of which can be a
different color. You normally do not see individual pixels, but rather
collections of pixels combined into images.

Prime colors
The colors that are the basis of the RGB color model: red, green, and
blue. By varying how these colors are blended, it is possible to create
any other color.

Proxy file
A low-resolution copy of a video or image file that reduces system
demands while performing previews of your video project.

Raster
(see Bitmap)
GLOSSARY 197

Resolution to True Resolution


Color
The displayed size of individual pixels in an image, which, in turn,
determines the physical size of a file when printed or displayed.
Resolution is shown in pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi).

RGB color model


A color model in which each color consists of varying degrees of the
colors red, green, and blue. (See also: Color model)

RLE (Run Length Encoding) compression


An image compression scheme that reduces file size by identifying
repeating information in a file. This compression scheme is best used
with files that feature large expanses of similar colors or patterns.

Saturation
The degree of purity of a color. A color with high saturation appears
very intense and strong; a color with low saturation appears washed-
out. (See also: HSB color model)

Selection marquee
(See Marquee)

Time code
A time value that identifies the position of a clip in a video sequence
with respect to a starting point, usually the beginning of the video
project (in a digital format) or source tape (in an analog format). Its
standard form is Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames.

True Color
A graphics file format containing 24 bits of color information, yielding
16.7 million possible colors, or photographic quality. (See also: File
format)
198 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Vector graphics to Vector graphics


Warping
(see Graphics file)

VGA (Video Graphics Adapter)


A standard video graphics mode that provides a screen resolution of
640 × 480 pixels and displays images in 16 colors.

VISCA
A standard protocol used to control external video sources from a
computer.

Warping
A method of distorting an image by moving control points on a grid
from their original positions to a new position, thus causing distortion
in the im age. (See also: Control point)
199

• Index
The index is a vital part of this user guide, as it provides
a quick and easy reference to the commands, tools and
features of MediaStudio VE.
200 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

A
Acquiring images 165 Clipboard, using 43
Adding a view 102 Clips
Animation files, creating 49 associating 40
color 46
Apple QuickTime (QTM) format 32
displaying 47
Associating clips 40
inserting 44
Audio
relinking 39
files, creating 52
selecting 56
filters 79
silence 46
output 85
splitting 44
Auto capturing 86 title 72
AVI uniting 44
file format 31 zooming 48
files, creating 49 Cloning images 147
CMYK color model 28
B
Color
Background information 27
adjusting 152
Batch manager 106 background information 32
Blurring images 158 erasing 149
Brushes 144 filling an area 141
inverting 156
C optimizing 157
Calibrating your monitor 94 selecting with the eyedropper tool 138
Capture mode 82 Color clips 46
Capturing Color models 32
color palettes 91 Color palettes 138
single frames 90 background information 30
video sequences 86 capturing 91
Changing direction in a moving path 76 copying 92
Changing speed in a moving path 77 editing 140
Clipboard submenu 100 loading/saving 140
pasting 92
INDEX 201

D
Compression Data types
image 35 background information 33
video 31 Display, improving 84
Connecting to a video source 82 Displaying
Converting clips 47
Black & White to Grayscale 134 video 84
Grayscale to Black & White 135 Distorting selection areas 132
Grayscale to Indexed 16-Color 135
Dithering 134
images 133
Drag-and-drop
RGB True Color to Indexed
16-Color 135 between image windows 104
RGB True Color to Indexed between tracks 43
256-Color 136 to the object pool 105
Copying color palettes 92 to the workspace 105
Creating Dropped frames 87
audio files 52 Duplicating images 96
EDLs 53 Duration, adjusting
image sequences 51 using the clip selection tool 60
moving paths 75 using the scissors tool 61
new images 96 using the scratch pad 62
RAM drive 30 using the trim window 61
title clips 72
video files 49 E
Cropping images 124 EDL files, creating 53
Cues, using 58 Erasing colors 149
Cut and copy Expanding clips 44
Video Editor 43 Exporting files 164
Image Editor 99
Eyedropper tool 138
202 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

F
Files duplicating 96
animation 49 editing color palettes 140
AVI 49 filling with color 141
creating 49 flipping 128
exporting 164 optimizing color 157
importing 164 resampling 126
QuickTime movies 49 resizing 125
Filling an area with color 141 rotating 129
Filters, audio and video 79 rotating by horizontal/vertical line 130
scanning 163
FLI/FLC/FLX file formats 32
tone adjustments 155
Flipping images 128
Importing files 164
G Improving video display 84
Global viewer 103 Inserting
clips 44
H default clips 46
Help, accessing 15 project files 39
HSB color model 33 Installing MediaStudio 21
Interleaving 31
I Inverting colors 156
Image Editor program 93
Image sequences, creating 51 L
Images Locating
acquiring 165 clips 59
adding text 150 empty time slots 60
adjusting color 152 specific clips 59
adjusting tones 153 specific times 59
background information 32
changing resolution 126
cloning 147
converting 133
cropping 124
INDEX 203

M P
Magic lamp tool 145 Paintbrush tool 146
Manual capturing 86 Pasting
Mapping curves 152 as selection 99
Masks attributes 44
editing 121 color palettes 92
saving to object pool 122 into selection 100
MCI devices, using 87 Placing cues 58
Memory, managing 40 Playback mode 82
Monitor, calibrating 94 Playing video files 92
Moving paths Post processing after scanning 166
2D advanced 75 Posting timecodes 54
2D basic 73 Preferences commands 24
3D 75 Preview mode 83
3D cylinder 75 Previews
3D sphere 75 on the fly 68
changing direction/speed 76 options 66
changing reference of the performing 67
clip box 76
Printing 97
N to video tape 52
New images 96 Program window, resizing 84
Project files, inserting 39
O Proxy Files
Object pool 118 creating 42
groups 119 managing 43
retrieving objects 121
saving masks 122
saving selections 118
On the fly previews 68
Opening
image files 96
video projects 39
Overlay
effects 77
mode 83
204 MEDIASTUDIO VE USER GUIDE

Q
Quick command palette 41 Searching for unlinked clips 39
QuickTime movie files, creating 49 Selecting
brushes 144
R clips 56
RAM drive, creating 30 color 138
Recovering from mistakes 98 time periods 56
Relinking clips 39 Selection areas
Replacing default clips 46 adding/subtracting to 114
borders 116
Resampling images 126
creating 110
Resizing
distorting 132
images 125
expanding with Similar command 115
program window 84
inverting 114
selection areas 127
irregular shaped 111
Resolution, changing 126 merging 116
Restoring images 98 moving 109
RGB color model 33 resizing 127
Rotating saving to file 119
by horizontal/vertical line 130 saving to object pool 118
images 129 similar colors 110
Ruler Unit 48 slanting 131
square and circular 112
S Selection marquee 108
Saving moving 113
animation files 49 Sharpening images 159
audio files 52 Silence clips 46
image sequences 51 Slanting selection areas 131
masks to object pool 122
Special effects 158
quicktime files 49
Splitting clips 44
selection areas to file 119
selection areas to object pool 118 Stitch mode 169
video projects 49 Stitching images 168
video files 49 Switch menu 24
Scanning images 163
Scratch pad
creating selections in 64
placing cues in 63
playing clips in 62
running 62
using 62
INDEX 205

T W
Targa (TGA) file format 36 Wallpaper, changing 162
Text, adding to images 150
Z
Tiling images 167
Time periods, selecting 56 Zooming 48, 102
Title clips, creating 72
Tone mapper curves 155
Tones, adjusting 153
Transition effects 70
Trim options 65
TWAIN 165

U
Undoing mistakes 98
Uniting clips 44

V
Video Capture program 81
Video Editor program 37
Video files, playing 92
Video filters 79
Video projects, opening 39
Viewing
adding a window 102
clips 47
display mode 47
global viewer 103
images 101
overlay mode 83
preview mode 83
while stitching 170

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