Media editing overview
The media editors can be opened to access the available tools in a number of ways from both the Library and the project timeline.
To open from the Library:
· Double-click the icon or text record of a video, photo or audio asset; or,
· Select the Open in corrections command from the asset’s context menu.
To open from the Library Player:
· After clicking the play button on a Library item to open the Library Player, click the gear wheel icon at bottom right.
To open from the project timeline:
· Double-click the clip in the timeline; or,
· Select the Open effects editor command from the clip’s context menu; or,
· Use the context menu Effect Ø Edit on the colored strip that appears along the upper edge of clips to which any effects have been applied.
To close the media editor window:
· Click the Cancel button; or,
· Click the close (X) button in the upper right corner. If you have made changes, you will be given a chance to save them.
· Click the OK button.
Previewing
The central panel in each of the media editors is either a visual preview of media showing the result of applying corrections and effects, or an audio visualization.
When video media with an integral soundtrack is being edited, both the Audio Editor and the Video Editor are simultaneously available via tabs at the top left of the window.
Title bar
File and Edit menus: If you invoked the media editor from the Library, the File menu offers the ability to save a new copy (or ‘Shortcut’) of the currently-loaded asset. Shortcuts are stored back to the Library under the original name plus a sequence number. The Edit menu offers the standard editing commands for Undo / Redo, as well as Cut, Copy, Paste.
Undo/Redo: At the upper left of the window, beside the menus, the graphical undo and redo buttons let you step forward and back through your editing history.
Working with the Enhance group of corrections in the Video Editor.
The Navigator
The Navigator strip at the bottom of all media editor windows gives you an opportunity to load other Library items or other timeline clips.
When called from the Library, the Navigator strip at the bottom of the media editor lets you access other assets currently on display in the Library Browser.
The current item is highlighted. You can switch to editing a different item by clicking a different element in the Navigator, using the arrows at right and left to assist scrolling if required. When you do so, any changes made to the currently-loaded item are automatically saved, as though you had clicked the OK button.
You can hide the Navigator by clicking its button at the bottom of the media editor window.
Sharing the bottom toolbar with the Navigator button is a series of view-related buttons.
Solo: This button is available only if the media editor is selected from the project timeline. While it is highlighted, the current clip in the Navigator is shown in isolation when previewed, without taking into account the effect of any clips either above or below it on the timeline. While the button is not highlighted, all timeline tracks can contribute to the preview.
Zoom: The scroll bar at the far right of the toolbar provides continuous scaling of the preview image.
Preview zoom options: Fit adjusts the size of the preview so that the height and width of the image do not exceed the available space even when all tools are open. Fill utilizes the entire available working area, including under the settings panel and ruler. Actual size (1:1) displays the image at the original size of the source.
Full screen: When active, this button scales the preview image to the size of the current monitor and removes other tools from view. To exit the full screen mode, press Esc, or use the close (X) button at the top right of the window.
Before-and-after view: This button appears for photo media only. See Before-and-after for details.
Magnifier zoom
Unless an effect or correction tool is active, the mouse pointer is a magnifying glass icon. With this pointer, a simple click enlarges, Alt-click reduces, and double-click toggles between Fit (see “Preview zoom options” above) and the current scaling.
Moving the preview in the window
The preview image can be dragged with the mouse anywhere within the working area. This is useful for scanning the image while it is zoomed in. The wave visualization in the Audio Editor is not draggable, however.
The Info button at the bottom left of any media editor opens a window with information about the current file.
The Caption field, which is available only when you invoke the media editor from the Library, allows you to rename the current asset.
When you select an effect or tool that has adjustable settings, a panel appears in the upper-right section of the window.
The settings panel lets you adjust the available settings for a correction or effect. Here the settings for the Enhance group of photo corrections are displayed.
Setting numeric values: Numeric settings fields have a gray slider bar within a darker gray field. Click once within this field to put it into numeric input mode, where you can type the desired value for the parameter. Alternatively, drag the slider bar to the left or right using the mouse. Double-clicking restores the default value.
Comparing parameter sets: A highlighted (orange) dot appears to the right of the field when the value of a setting is changed from the default. Thereafter, clicking the dot toggles between the default and the most recent non-default values. The dot to the right of the effect or correction name toggles between the default and custom values of all parameters.
Linked parameters: Some parameters are configured to change in lock-step. The presence of a lock symbol indicates this. Click the symbol to toggle the link.