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

Anatomy of the Trim Edit Window

The Trim Edit window is a work environment optimized for making fine adjustments to a single edit point. You can trim the selected edit by one frame or several frames, quickly switch between Ripple and Roll edits, and play back the edit to review your trim adjustments. The Play Around Edit button is designed to loop playback of your edit while you fine-tune it. The looping is not seamless, though; a slight interruption occurs in the playback when you nudge the edit point.

Figure 11.11 shows an overview of the Trim Edit window.

• Outgoing clip name: Displays the name of the outgoing clip.

• Outgoing clip duration: Displays the elapsed time between the In and Out points of the outgoing clip. This value updates to reflect trim adjustments.

• Outgoing clip current timecode: Displays the clip's source timecode at the current position of the playhead.

• Track pop-up menu: Displays a list if multiple edits have been selected. Select the track you want to edit in the Trim Edit window.

• Current sequence timecode: Displays the sequence timecode location of the edit point. Enter + or and a duration to roll the edit point. You don't need to click in the field; just start typing.

• Incoming clip current timecode: Displays the clip's source timecode at the current position of the playhead.

• Incoming clip duration: Displays the elapsed time between the In and Out points of the incoming clip. This value updates to reflect trim adjustments.

• Incoming clip name: Displays the name of the incoming clip.

• Large two-up display: The left screen displays the last frame before the edit. The right screen displays the first frame after the edit.

• Green bar: Indicates which side of the edit you are trimming.

• Edit points: Indicate the current Out and In points for the two clips in the Trim edit window. You can trim by dragging the outgoing clip's Out point or the incoming clip's In point with an edit tool.

• Playback controls for individual clips: The outgoing and incoming clips have separate playback controls. Use these controls to play only that clip without changing the current edit point location.

• Out Shift: Indicates the number of frames that the Out point has been adjusted.

• Mark Out button: Click to set a new Out point for the outgoing clip at the current playhead position.

• Trim Back buttons: Nudge the selected edit point to the left. Trim by single-frame increments or by another frame increment you specify on the Editing tab of FCE's User Preferences window.

• Trim Forward buttons: Nudge the selected edit point to the right.

• Mark In button: Click to set a new In point for the incoming clip at the current playhead position.

• In Shift: Indicates the number of frames that the In point has been adjusted.

Figure 11.12 shows the Trim Edit window's transport controls.

• Previous Edit button: Click to move the previous edit into the active area of the Trim Edit window.

• Play In to Out button: Click to play from the start of the first clip to the end of the second clip.

• Play Around Edit Loop button: Click to loop playback of the edit point plus the specified pre-roll and post-roll. Playback loops until you click Stop. You can continue trimming the edit while playback is looping.

• Stop button: Click to stop playback and position the playhead on the edit point.

• Next Edit button: Click to move the next edit into the active area of the Trim Edit window.

• Dynamic Trim check box: Check to enable dynamic trimming mode. See "To use dynamic trim mode to adjust an edit point" later in this chapter.