Transition effects basics

After you drop clips on a video track, clips can either have an empty space in between, sit frame by frame next to each other or overlap. When they overlap, a default transition clip will be automatically added to the overlapped region.

The amount of overlap determines the effect duration, which will automatically adjust when you readjust the overlapping region.

To specify a default transition for overlapping clips you will need to set it in the Preferences dialog box.

To set a default transition:

1. Select File: Preferences

2. Click the Edit tab.

3. In Default transition effect click the Select button.

4. Choose any transition from the list in the Production Library pop-up window.

5. Click OK to apply the settings.

The added transition clip must be attached to a video clip. You can trim or delete the transition clip.

To manually add a transition effect:

1. Place two video clips on a video track, making sure the clips overlap a little.

2. Open the Production Library and select the Transition Effect folder to display its gallery of effects.

The Transition Effect gallery displays all the available transition effects in Video Editor. There are over one hundred transitions which are conveniently grouped into folders.

Each effect is displayed as an animated thumbnail for easy identification.

3. Drag-and-drop an effect onto the overlapping clips.

4. Double-click on the transition in timeline, Transition Options dialog box appears. Click OK and preview.

The Transition Options dialog box is where you can customize your transitions. You can alter the speed, the direction, the border, and apply any number of little nuances to your transition with the Key Frame Controller. Each effect has slightly different controls.

Overlay

Placing titles on a video is the simplest example of an overlay effect. Overlay effects can only be performed on clips in the Video1-Video99 tracks, which are collectively known as the Overlay tracks.

To create an image overlay effect:

1. Place a video clip onto the Video2 track.

2. Place another clip onto the Video1 track and line it up underneath the clip in the Video2 track.

3. Click Clip: Overlay Options. (This command can also be selected from the right click pop-up menu.) The Overlay Options dialog box opens.

4. From the Type list, choose Color Key.

5. On the Overlay clip, click on an area that represents the color you want to be transparent with the Eyedropper.

6. Set the Similarity (range of colors to be transparent) and Transparency (how strongly the visible image should appear).

7. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the effect.

If your card supports an external monitor, you can watch this preview directly on your television by selecting the External monitor button in the Overlay Options dialog  

Overlay key types

When you create an overlay effect, the Overlay Options dialog box allows you to select from a number of overlay types in the Type list. There are two main types you can choose from: color-based and mixed-based. Color-based types, such as Color, Luma, Chroma, Gray Key and Blue Screen, all work by making a specified key color transparent. (These types also allow you to control the Similarity and Transparency of the effect.)

Mixed-based types, such as Multiply, Add, Subtract, and Difference, determine how the overlaying and underlying clips merge with each other by comparing the color value differences between each clip. (These types only allow you to control the Opacity of the effect.) Mixed-based types can also be easily identified as they work on the entire clip and you cannot specify a key color in the Overlay clip of the preview window. This is a rather complicated topic: please see the Help for more specific information about each of these types of keys.

One of the most common and useful following procedure is a simple example of how to use a Blue Screen effect in Video Editor. The primary factor in determining the success of a Blue Screen effect is in overlay key types is the Blue Screen. The actual filming and not in post production. If you have a good solid colored screen and uniform lighting, creating a Blue Screen effect is easy. If you do not have either of these things, it is nearly impossible to get a clean overlay.

 To use a blue screen effect in an overlay:

1. Insert the video clip that you want to be in the background into the Video1 track.

2. Insert a video clip shot with a blue screen in the background into Video2 track.

3. Right-click on the overlay clip (the blue screen clip) and select Overlay Options. The Overlay Options dialog box opens up.

4. Click on the Type list and select Blue Screen.

5. Click the Eyedropper on the blue portion of the clip in the Overlay clip box.

6. The underlying clip will appear behind the overlay clip, in the blue screen areas and in the Overlay preview box. (If the blue screen is not totally replaced by the underlying clip, increase the Similarity value.)

7. Click OK and preview the clip.  

Overlay option dialog box

To change overlay setting ,select clip:

overlay option or right _click the clip and then click overlay options from the pop-up menu .

1_overlay clip shows the selected clip before applying the overlay setting .

2_overlay preview shows the selected clip with the

Overlay applied.

3_key frame controller allows you to precisely control how all effects are applied to the clip.

4_previw as selected the type of display to show

In the overlay preview window .

5_type specifies the method used for choosing which part of the image is transparent .

6_mask selects whether to use a video or image

File as the source for the overlay .

7_color(RGB) sets the color to be transparent.

8_advansed control window display a representation of the threshold ,cutoff, max value , min value and gamma value parameters.

Click any of the parameters handles and drag to adjust .

9_ Play in Preview Window or External Monitor outputs the results in Video Editor's Preview and/or an external monitor.

10_ Preview Playback Options opens a dialog box where you can specify where to preview the filter/effect.

11 _Blend/Opacity controls how much of the overlay clip blends with the underlying clip.

12 _Transparency specifies how faded the overlaying clip appears.

13 _Similarity specifies the range of key colors, relative to the selected one, to be transparent.

14_ Soft edge softens the transition's edges.

In the Preview as list, you have three options. The Result option shows you the applied overlay. The FG Only option displays just the overlay clip with the underlying clip replaced by a solid color. The Mask option displays the transparent areas of the overlay in white and the opaque areas in black. (The foreground clip is sometimes referred to as the Mask.)