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

Lisa Brenneis

نسخه متنی -صفحه : 192/ 99

Selecting an Edit for Trimming

The first step in trimming an edit in the Trim Edit window or the Timeline is selecting the edit. If you use a trimming tool from the Tool palette to select the edit, you can select and define the type of trim to perform at the same time. You can select only one edit per track.

If an edit point you select for trimming has been linked to others, the edit points of the linked items are also selected. Any adjustments you make will be applied to all clips in the linked selection, so if you find that you can't trim an edit point, the conflict may be with one of the linked items. You can toggle linked selection off by holding down the Option key as you select the edit.

With snapping turned on, edit points will stick to markers, keyframes, the playhead, and edit points on other tracks. Snapping can simplify alignment of edits in the Timeline. To toggle snapping on the fly, press the N key while dragging edit points.

Tips

Many trim operations will ripple all of your unlocked tracks as part of the trim process. If you don't want your tracks taking unplanned trips when you are trimming, lock all tracks except the ones you want to adjust.
If FCE refuses to execute a trim edit that would ripple your unlocked tracks backward, check to see if other tracks in your sequence contain clips that can't move back in time without bumping into other clips.

Tips on Tools

FCE's edit tools get a heavy workout when you transform your rough assembly into a fine cut. You can review the contents of the Tool palette's selection and edit tools in "Anatomy of the Tool Palette" in Chapter 10, but here are some other ideas for making efficient use of these tools:

Use the keyboard shortcuts to call up an edit tool. See
Appendix B for more shortcuts.
Table 11.1. Tool Selection Shortcuts

T
OOL
S
HORTCUT
Roll
R
Ripple
R+R
Slip
S
Slide
S+S
Razor Blade
B
Razor Blade All
B+B
Selection
A
Edit Selection
G
Once you've selected an edit tool, press U to cycle through the three principal trim types: Roll, Ripple Left, and Ripple Right.
You can use the Ripple and Roll tools to directly select the edit you're adjusting. With one click, you've selected the edit and specified the edit type.
After you've selected your first Timeline edit point, use the Up and Down Arrow keys to jump to your next or previous edit. FCE automatically selects each edit point as you jump to it.
Pressing the Option key to override linked selection works on all edit tools, not just the Selection arrow.
Pressing the Command key while dragging an edit tool on a selected edit in the Timeline will gear down the tool and allow you to make fine adjustments.
Turn off snapping to make fine adjustments that don't align with an existing edit point, marker, or clip boundary.
Turn on snapping to align an edit to another existing edit point or marker.

To select an edit in the Timeline:

Do one of the following:

Figure 11.9. Choose the Edit Selection tool from the Tool palette. This tool is designed to detect and select edits only.

The Trim Edit window opens.

From the Tool palette, choose the Selection tool; then click the edge of the clip in the Timeline. Double-click the edit if you want the Trim Edit window to open as well.

From the Tool palette, choose the Ripple tool or the Roll tool; then click the edge of the clip in the Timeline.

Press V to select the edit point nearest the playhead's location.

Tips

If you are having trouble selecting Timeline edit points, use the Zoom slider to magnify your view, or try again with the Ripple tool or the Roll tool; they're designed to select edit points only, so you can't accidentally select a clip.
Using the Option key to override linked selection works with any edit tool, just as it does with the Selection tool.
These keyboard combos can help you snag edit points on audio clips composed of multiple linked stereo clips: Command-click the edit point of a stereo pair to add both audio channels to your selection. Command-Option-click to restrict your selection to a single audio edit point.

Quick Navigation Keys

Option and Shift modifier keys are used throughout FCE's Keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Here's a set of keyboard shortcuts to help you motor through your sequence while you fine-tune your edit.

UNCTION

HIFT + KEY

PTION + KEY

Set In

Go to In

Clear In

Set Out

Go to Out

Clear Out

Set Marker

Next Marker

Previous Marker

Extend Edit

Next Edit

Previous Edit

Next Gap

Previous Gap

Next Keyframe

Previous Keyframe

To select multiple edits in the Timeline:

Do one of the following:

Figure 11.10. Draw a marquee around the edit points you want to select.

The Trim Edit window opens as you release the mouse button.

From the Tool palette, choose the Selection tool; then Command-click the edge of the clips in the Timeline. Double-click any selected edit if you want the Trim Edit window to open as well.
From the Tool palette, choose the Ripple tool or the Roll tool; then Command-click the edge of the clips in the Timeline.

All Keys: Mouseless Trimming in FCE

You can work your way through your edit without touching the mouse. Here's one possible scenario:

Press Shift-E to jump the playhead to the next edit in the Timeline.

Press V to select the nearest edit.

Press \ (backslash) to play the sequence before and after the selected edit point.

Press R to select the Roll tool.

Press + (plus) or (minus) and then enter a number of frames to roll the edit.

So many keyboard shortcuts in FCEand so many ways to speed your work while you give your mouse hand a rest. To learn more, check out the keyboard shortcuts in Appendix B.