Visual QuickStart Guide [Electronic resources] : Final Cut Express HD for Mac OS X

Lisa Brenneis

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  • Editing Video Transitions

    You can make dramatic changes to a video transition even after you have added it to your sequence. You can adjust its duration and placement and customize its appearance. Opening your transition in the Transition Editor will give you maximum access to the transition's settings, but you can perform many adjustments directly in the Timeline.

    Figure 13.20 shows an overview of the Transition Editor interface.

    Figure 13.20. The Transition Editor opens in the Viewer window.

    [View full size image]

    Using the Transition Editor

    The Transition Editor (sometimes called the Transition Viewer) is a special version of the Viewer window that you use to make detailed adjustments to transition settings. Use the Transition Editor to do the following:

    • Adjust the duration of the transition.

    • Reverse the direction of the transition.

    • Trim the edit point underlying the transition.

    • Adjust the placement of the transition relative to the edit point. You can set a transition to end on the cut, center on the cut, begin on the cut, or occur anywhere in between.

    • Adjust the starting and ending effect percentages. The default settings of a simple cross-dissolve would range from 0 to 100 percent. However, in a transition effect that incorporates a motion path, effect percentages specify the portion of the full path that will be included in the transition.

    The Timeline's Thumbnail Display option controls the way clips appear in the Transition Editor (Figure 13.21 ). You can adjust the thumbnail display on the Timeline Options tab of the Sequence Settings window.

    Figure 13.21. The Transition Editor with Thumbnail Display set to Filmstrip.

    To open a transition in the Transition Editor:

    Do one of the following:

      Figure 13.22 ).

      Figure 13.22. Control-click the transition; then choose Open

      'name of the transition' from the shortcut menu.

  • In the Timeline, double-click the transition to open it in the Transition Editor.

  • Select the transition's icon in the Timeline; then choose View > Transition in Editor.

    • To change the duration of a transition in the Transition Editor:

    Do one of the following:

      Figure 13.23 ).

      Figure 13.23. Type a new duration in the Duration field of the Transition Editor.

    • Drag either end of the transition (Figure 13.24 ).

      Figure 13.24. Dragging the edge of a transition to adjust its duration.

    The change in duration applies equally to both sides of the transition.

    Tip

    • FCE transitions apply equally to both sides of an edit point, so if you need an asymmetrical effectwhere the transition effect is not applied to an equal number of frames on either side of the edit pointyou must build it yourself. Here's how to build an asymmetrical dissolve. Place the incoming and outgoing clips on separate Timeline tracks and allow the areas you want to include in the dissolve to overlap. Then ramp the opacity levels to cross-dissolve from one clip to the other.

    To perform a Ripple edit on a transition in the Transition Editor:

    1.

    Position the pointer on the edit point you want to trim (Figure 13.25 ).

    Figure 13.25. Positioning the pointer on the incoming clip's In point in the Transition Editor.

    In the Transition Editor, the edit points appear on the clip icons displayed in the tracks above and below the transition icon.

    The pointer changes to the Ripple Edit tool.

    2.

    Drag the edit point (Figure 13.26 ).

    Figure 13.26. Performing a Ripple edit on the incoming clip's In point. Drag the edge of the clip to ripple the edit point underlying the transition.

    A Ripple edit is performed on the edit point underlying the transition as the Canvas display changes to show your new In point.

    To perform a Roll edit on a transition in the Transition Editor:

      Figure 13.27 ).

      Figure 13.27. As you drag the Roll Edit tool on the transition, a two-up display in the Canvas shows the frames adjacent to the new edit point.

    To change the settings for a transition:

    Do one or more of the following:

      Figure 13.28 ) or type percentage values in the text boxes.

      Figure 13.28. Using the slider to adjust end position settings for a wipe transition.

    • To change the direction of the effect, click the Reverse button.

    • To have the transition center on, start on, or end on the edit, click the corresponding placement button at the top center of the Transition Editor. Once you've changed the center point of a transition, these controls won't remember the original edit point.

    • Make other settings as desired for the transition. For more information on modifying effects settings, see Chapter 14, "Compositing and Effects Overview."

    To preview a transition in the Canvas:

    1.

    Open the transition in the Transition Editor.

    2.

    Position the Transition Editor's play-head at any point in the transition (Figure 13.29 ).

    Figure 13.29. Position the Transition Editor's playhead at any point in the transition. The Canvas displays a preview of the transition at the selected playhead location.

    3.

    Adjust the transition settings.

    The Canvas display updates to reflect any adjustments made to the transition settings (Figure 13.30 ).

    Figure 13.30. The Canvas display updates to reflect an adjustment to the transition's border width settings. A Center Wipe with wide, transparent border settings and soft edges can make a subtle replacement for yet another cross-dissolve.

    4.

    To preview a frame at another point in the transition, reposition the Transition Editor playhead (Figure 13.31 ).

    Figure 13.31. Reposition the Transition Editor's playhead, and the Canvas displays a preview of a frame later in the transition.

    Tip

    • Hold down the Option key as you scrub the Canvas's Scrubber bar to preview your transition. You can also step through a transition one frame at a time by pressing the Right Arrow key to advance the transition by single frames. Press the Left Arrow key to step backward. A slow-motion view of the transition appears in the Canvas.

    Editing transitions in the Timeline

    Chapter 11, "Fine Cut: Trimming Edits."

    To adjust the duration of a transition in the Timeline:

    • With the Selection tool, drag one edge of the transition to adjust its length.

    Or do this:

    1.

    Control-click the transition; then choose Duration from the shortcut menu (Figure 13.32 ).

    Figure 13.32. Control-click the transition; then choose Duration from the shortcut menu.

    2.

    In the Duration dialog box, enter a new duration (Figure 13.33 ); then click OK.

    Figure 13.33. Enter a new duration for your transition.

    Tip

    • Control-D is the keyboard shortcut to open the Duration dialog box for a selected clip or transition.

    To trim an edit point underlying a transition:

    Do one of the following:

      Figure 13.34 ).

      Figure 13.34. Trim an edit point underlying a transition by dragging the edit point with an edit tool. This Roll edit will shift the edit point downstream by 4 frames.

    • Double-click an edit point with any edit tool to open the Trim Edit window.